Chapter 48 -- Revenge
"Stop shaking" Zane said.
"It's really hard not to when I'm pulling with all my strength here!" Chris complained.
Zane didn't answer Chris' comment "Aim at the head or heart, then let go of the arrow. I would suggest aiming for the head"
SHING!
Chris let the arrow fly.
CLANG!
Then it hit the tusk of a wild pig. The pig quickly fled after it realized it was under attack.
"Fuck!!" Chris cursed.
Zane had been teaching Chris how to use a bow for the journey back to Willow. Chris himself was frustrated at how hard it was to learn, however Zane was impressed at how fast Chris was picking up his teachings.
It took Zane two weeks to almost hit his target, instead Chris reached that level in a few hours. Zane didn't want to admit it, but Chris was quite smart, in a month or so he might be as good as Zane himself.
After a few hours of walking and teaching, the group made it back to the city. David went to the hunter's guild to get their payment while the rest went to the Dancing Rum tavern to wait for him.
"So... about the Golden Archer.." Zane started the conversation and everyone except for Adam laughed.
About an hour later, David came back with a bag of gold coins. He then emptied 60 of them into a smaller bag and threw them at Zane however.....
PACK!
"I'll take that" Chris said as he began counting the coins with dollar signs in his eyes. Zane sighed but just let Chris be.
Then he sighed again after realizing that their pay combined wasn't enough to buy a single grade one core, since a core was a hundred coins.
"What's wrong ?" Clara asked, seeing Zane's dejected expression.
"I have a long way to go if i wanna become a mage" he said.
"How many cores have you already absorbed ?" Adam asked.
"Just one" Zane chuckled.
PACK!
Zane caught something in his hand. Upon inspection, it was a mana core!.
"Why?" he asked David, he had been the one to throw the core.
"Well truth is we exchanged that grade two core for 2 grade one cores. So now we have four grade one cores, we will all absorb one each. The other truth is that we would be dead if you hadn't saved us back there so this is your reward" David explained.
"Thanks " Zane put the core into his ring, actually he put it into his inventory.
"At least our reward is more useful than the reward you got from Krine huh?" Clara said with a smirk.
"What...no I never...."
Clara lifted her hand to stop Zane's stammering.
"I understand, Zane you are a man. I mean even my twin brother had fun and I ain't holding it against him" she smiled.
Zane sighed in defeat. Even if he tried to explain, no one would believe that he just politely asked the girl to leave.
The group talked and ate for the rest of the day. Zane laughed when he saw everyone strongly reject the alcohol being served.
Two hours later, Zane and Chris were walking home.
"Let's pass by that shop where I left my carriage" Chris said.
"Sure, but i don't think the week is up yet" Zane replied.
"I know, I want to sell it" Chris explained.
"Why?. You want to buy a new one?"
"No i am done being a merchant. I am now a hunter" Chris puffed out his chest.
"No you are not. You just happen to know someone, who is needed by hunters" Zane corrected.
"Same difference" Chris defended.
The two quickly went to the shop and Chris got 40 coins in exchange for what was left of the carriage. After that, Chris led Zane to yet another more sophisticated looking shop.
"What are we doing here?" Zane asked. He was tired and wanted to just go home and sleep.
"It's a surprise" Chris said as he ran into the shop, after telling Zane to wait for him outside.
A few minutes later, Chris came out holding a mana core.
"You're welcome" he said and shoved the core into Zane's hand.
"I wasn't going to thank you" Zane laughed. Chris had used the 60 gold they got from the hunters and the 40 gold from the sale of the carriage to buy a first grade mana core.
The duo then went home and Chris fell asleep as soon as his head touched the bed. Zane also wanted to sleep, however there was one thing he needed to do before that.
<Grade one mana core absorbed>
<2 10 mana cores absorbed>
<New skill unlocked : None (Due to Celestial's Curse)>
<Grade one mana core absorbed>
<3 10 mana cores absorbed>
<New skill unlocked : None (Due to Celestial's Curse)>
Zane couldn't believe it. Once again Aurora blocked him from becoming stronger.
'System' Zane thought.
<Yes host>
'Stop calling me 'host''
<Sure thing Zane>
'What do you know about this Celestial's curse?' Zane asked.
<Not much actually, i only know that my creator is blocking your rewards>
'Do you know why she is doing that?'
<There is a message i was programmed to show you when ask this question, do want see it?>
'Yes'
<It's because you are an annoying son of a bitch>
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Elsewhere in Willow city.
KNOCK!
KNOCK!
"Enter!"
"Teacher, Zane has returned" A young man said.
"Who the fuck is Zane?" Asked an old man. It was the same old man who was surprised when he heard that Zane could use healing mana.
The young man was slightly surprised to hear his teacher curse. "Zane is the target i told you about a couple days ago, the one who can use healing mana"
"Ohhh him, bring him here as soon as possible" The teacher said.
"Yes teacher"
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At the same time, somewhere else in Willow city.
"Brother, Zane has returned" A man said to another older looking man.
"Who the fuck is Zane?" the older man asked.
"He is the blind man who killed off my entire gang" The man replied. This was the bandit leader who had escaped Zane's massacre back then.
"Ohh right" The older man rubbed the bridge of his nose in frustration. He was getting tired of cleaning up his little brother's messes.
"So how are you going to get him out of the city?" The brother sighed.
"I don't have to. My sources say he joined a small hunter group. Sooner or later they are going to go for a mission" said the bandit leader.
"Fine, make sure he doesn't escape you like the last time" The brother said.
"Don't worry about that i have someone watching him 24/7" the bandit leader grinned. Very soon he would get his revenge.