Alice immediately stepped forward and said in a hurried tone,
"Aaron, stop. Let’s go to the blacksmith shop. You’ll find a suitable bow there."
She didn’t want him to break another one.
Crafting bows like the one he had just snapped required bones from Tier 1 monsters, which weren’t easy to come by.
In Verdia Kingdom, monsters are classified by strength into six tiers:
Tier 1 corresponds to the strength of an Apprentice Knight.
Tier 2 matches that of a Knight.
Tier 3 aligns with a Great Knight.
Tier 4 equals an Earth Knight.
Tier 5 rivals a Golden Knight.
And Tier 6 represents the power of a Legendary Knight, the highest known level so far.
Alice led Aaron into the blacksmith shop.
The sharp ringing of metal echoed through the air, each strike resonating with precision and power.
The temperature inside was noticeably higher than outside, the heat from the forge wrapping around them like a heavy cloak.
The scent of burnt iron and coal lingered in the air, and sparks danced in the shadows as blacksmiths worked tirelessly at their anvils.
A middle-aged man, drenched in sweat, stepped out from the forge and greeted them.
"Miss Alice, how can I help you today?"
Alice replied without hesitation,
"Uncle Kolo, I need a bow of Knight-level strength."
Kolo looked at her with surprise.
Seeing her resolve, Kolo said,
"Very well, Miss Alice. Please wait, I’ll be back shortly."
As Kolo disappeared into the back, Alice turned to Aaron.
"Aaron, you have great strength. Do you know that even a Knight struggles to fully draw an Apprentice Knight’s bow?"
"Then maybe it’s because of the breathing method I practice."
Alice nodded, but inside, she was stunned.
Though she herself had reached the Knight Realm, her strength still didn’t compare to Aaron’s.
Even if she wanted to break a bow, she’d have to exert considerable force.
But Aaron had simply pulled the string, and it had snapped cleanly from the middle.
Just then, Kolo returned, carrying a longbow.
He placed it gently on the counter and said,
"This is the Bull Horn Bow, crafted from the horn of an early-stage Tier 2 monster. It requires the strength of at least ten men to draw."
Aaron stepped forward and picked up the bow.
He didn’t recognize the young man, but seeing that Miss Alice said nothing, he understood, this wasn’t just anyone.
He was also surprised.
Aside from Alice and Dominoz, he hadn’t heard of any young knights in Verdia Kingdom.
Aaron pulled the string.
It took effort, but he easily drew it to a half-moon shape.
To go further, he had to use his full strength, and he did, pulling it into a full-moon arc.
"Young man, you have great strength. This bow is good, but it’s not suitable for you. It’s only effective up to the middle Knight Realm. After that, you’ll need something stronger."
He paused, then added,
"Wait here. There’s one bow that’s been gathering dust for years. If your archery impresses me, I’ll charge you half the cost."
With that, he turned and walked away again, leaving Aaron and Alice with confused expressions.
Meanwhile, Kolo muttered to himself,
"The aura that young man gave off while pulling the bow... it was just like a master archer. I hope I’m not wrong."
Kolo had worked in the blacksmith shop for over sixty years.
He could read a person by the way they picked up a weapon.
His own strength had reached the peak Knight Realm, granting him a lifespan of nearly 150 years.
If he ever broke through to Great Knight, his life could extend to 300 years.
Kolo placed the bow in front of them and said with pride,
"This is my finest work. The body is crafted from Tier 3 monster materials, and the string is made from the tendons of a Tier 3 Giant Boa. Try it, see if you can handle it."
Aaron stepped forward and picked up the bow.
Unlike the previous one, this bow weighed nearly 100 kilograms, and its presence was imposing.
He was surprised by its weight, but even more so when he tried to pull the string.
Using his full strength, he could only draw it one-tenth of the way.
Just as he was about to release the string, he noticed Kolo suddenly ducking down.
A sharp whistling sound tore through the air,
The string, released unintentionally, punctured the wooden rack behind them with a violent gust of wind.
Kolo immediately stood up and scolded,
"Boy, what are you doing? Don’t you know this bow’s body is made from the bones of a Gale Wolf? It’s infused with wind elements!"
While speaking, Kolo was inwardly more impressed by Aaron.
He had previously handed this bow to three master archers, yet none of them had managed to produce such an effect simply by pulling the string.
He knew that drawing the bow properly required a technique known only to seasoned archers but he hadn’t expected to find it in someone so young.
Still, he looked at Aaron with a slightly stern expression and said,
"It’ll cost you 100 gold coins. Hurry up and pay." Chapters fırst released on novel⁂fire.net
Aaron didn’t even try to haggle.
He nodded mechanically and replied,
"I’ll pay you before tonight. For now, I want to try the bow."
Even as he spoke, he was still puzzled by the power the bow had generated.
There hadn’t even been an arrow, yet it had delivered a devastating blow at close range.
Did that mean he could use it in close combat as well?
Then he glanced at his fingers and noticed they were bleeding.
Alice stepped forward, concerned.
"Aaron, how did you get hurt?"
Kolo tossed a pair of leather gloves toward him and said,
"These are made from Tier 3 monster skin. Add 50 more gold coins to the total."
As he spoke, he couldn’t help but think bitterly to himself,
This boy got both the bow and gloves for cheap.
After all, the starting price for element-infused weapons was usually 500 gold coins.