Chronicles Of The Crafting Hero

Rebecca fired the arrows, each one a streak of deadly intent as they arced against the backdrop of the setting sun, the fiery orb casting long shadows. The fletching whirred softly as they sped towards their targets.

Aaron then said, "Watch out!" - his voice a sharp cry - as Tom, launched an arrow of his own at Rebecca.

Rebecca saw the oncoming projectile, a standard shaft with a sharpened tip and no embellishments to be seen. "*He didn't use a skill?*" she thought, her mind racing, even as the arrow hurtled toward her. She twisted, dodging, but the arrow, seemingly defying the laws of physics, *split* mid-flight, one becoming two, each now a mirror of the other, one racing in the opposite direction, a hair's breadth away from striking. Surprise, a cold jolt, ran through her.

Rebecca saw the second arrow and quickly touched the ground, grounding herself with the act, as she went to touch it.

Meanwhile, the arrows she had launched previously missed Aaron, who had dodged with a speed that belied his bulk. Tom's silver sword flashed, cleaving another arrow in two. But the instant the metal met wood, a concussive blast erupted, the remnants tearing through the air, sending debris into Tom's eyes, blinding him.

The other arrow missed Tom, and he kept his focus on Rebecca as he put the distance between them. Toren was now in the lead, his movements effortlessly swift. He grinned, a predatory gleam in his eyes. "Really? she is just an archer." The taunt hung in the air.

Tom, falling behind, struggled to clear his vision, a growing sense of unease gnawing at him. "*She seems to be alone... where is the person she was carrying? The real hunter we seek. But... she might be involved as well. Is he hidden somewhere?*" He surveyed the surrounding trees, his gaze scanning for any sign of movement.

Rebecca mid run thought to herself, *"Good, I've got their attention. If Jason is going to follow behind, as his search is wide, he might not be able to pick up Tyler."*

Rebecca's momentum abruptly ceased. With a skid, she came to a halt. Aaron's eyes widened as he witnessed this and he yelled, "She's about to fire!"

Rebecca's lips curled in a smirk. "Let's see if *he* can dodge *this*." She fired one arrow skyward.

Tim, lagging behind, fought to catch up, wincing at the fresh scar on his collarbone. *Damn it...That freaking hurt...So the arrows explode on impact... That's a very dangerous skill. Too bad neither of the archers have it,*

Then, the remaining hunters, and the others, saw an astonishing thing. The arrow, still aloft, split, fractured, multiplied, exploding into dozens, then hundreds, of arrows, a storm of razor-sharp projectiles now arcing down from the heavens, like a rain of death.

Toren roared, "Shit!" and desperately sought refuge behind a sturdy tree. The forest floor transformed as the arrows descended, skewering the ground, the trees, the very air around them.

Tom, desperate to escape the onslaught, was breathing raggedly as he turned and bolted for cover. Yet, it was too late. Arrows pierced his back, his neck—a deadly hail of destruction. He crumpled, falling lifelessly to the ground, his last words caught in a choked gasp.

Aaron, as before, acted swiftly, finding shelter behind a tree with a thick canopy and dense branches. Tim, too, sought cover behind a tree but was less fortunate. An arrow found its mark, piercing his shoulder and causing him to grimace in pain.

Rebecca wasn't sure herself, however, as she studied the carnage. *One of them already dead?* *What level were they?* She was surprised by her own skill the number of arrows had increased.

The storm of arrows ended, leaving the area a gruesome tapestry of wood, the forest floor now bristling with wooden death. Tim, groaning in agony, ripped the arrow from his arm. "*Damn it!*" He screamed over to Aaron, "*What kind of skill is that?!*"

From behind his tree, Aaron responded "*I don't know! Never seen this kind of skill before! Never even heard of it!*"

Toren, his voice low, assessing the situation, "*There's no way she's a D-Rank, or even C-Rank. She must be a B-Rank.*"

Tim, holding his arm, "*What the hell is a B-Rank doing in a yellow-tier monster zone?!*"

Aaron snapped, "Who knows? Doesn't matter. She's getting away!"

Toren said with confidence, "If I can get close enough... with my skills, I believe I can take her down. Archers aren't good at close combat! But...with *that* skill..."

A sudden realization dawned on Aaron: he hadn't heard Tom, the other archer, speak. Hesitantly, he peeked around the tree. In that instant, an arrow, its wooden shaft whistling through the air, zipped past his ear, grazing his hair. He jerked back behind the tree. The arrow struck a distant tree. Before their eyes, the tree was consumed by frost, instantly encased in a prison of ice.

Aaron's eyes widened in shock. "*A Frost arrow? If I hadn't dodged... I would've ended up like that tree... Just how many elemental* *type skills does she have*?"

A dreadful realization struck him. He had heard the panicked voices of the others, *but Tom's voice was absent*. "*Tom!*" he called out, his voice strained.

Tim, his hand glowing with a faint green light inches away from the wound on his arm, called out "*He's dead! Look to your right!*"

Aaron obeyed, his gaze darting to his right. Partially hidden by the dense foliage, a body was slumped upon the forest floor. All too familiar; the black gear. *Tom's corpse*.

* * *

Elsewhere, far from the carnage of the forest, in the opulent library of The Black Cloud Guild mansion, Mani sat at a polished mahogany table across from Sabrina Brunch and Silivia Fin. The room was hushed. Mani stared intently at Silivia, yet Silivia's eyes were lost in the world of her book. Black and elegant, her long dark hair fell behind her, a stray strand brushing against her ear, which she gently tucked back. Sabrina was the picture of anxiety. Her delicate hands were crossed in a tight grip. Mani felt suffocated by her unwavering gaze and the heavy silence. She avoided Sabrina's eyes, staring at the polished tabletop. *I am starting to regret ever joining this guild*, she thought, as she slowly rubbed her hands on both her elbows. "Did anything happen yet?" Sabrina asked, her voice betraying her frayed patience.

Mani started to answer, but Sabrina's friend Silivia responded, closing her book with a soft thud. "If anything had happened, she would have told you already," she said, her voice a touch deeper and more soothing than Sabrina's.

"I know..." Sabrina's voice was barely above a whisper. "It's just... she's been so quiet ever since Lucas and my brother died. She hasn't really talked to me since then. To anyone, really. She's just been... silent. How do I know if she's going to say anything or not?"

Silivia sighed softly, then placed a calming hand on Sabrina's. "Mani, if you see anything… anything at all, you'll tell us, right?" She asked with subtle but comforting tone.

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Mani, swallowed, hesitant. "Y-yeah…"

"See? She will. Now, stop staring at her, it's making her uncomfortable and it wont help" Silivia said, her voice now firm, as she reopened her book, her fingers seeking the crease of the page she'd been reading.

Sabrina, released from Silivia's steadying gaze, turned her attention to her friend. "What are you reading?"

Silivia's lips curved slightly, a delicate curve, as she said "It's a book on swordsmanship...written by my favorite author, Noah," she said, pride shimmering in the melody of her words.

Sabrina let out a long, drawn-out sigh. "Ugh... You really still like reading those things. Why didn't you accept my offer? If only you had joined the guild, I would have taught you some of my sword skills. You... especially you, would have learned some by now... You're also a Knight class, you know."

Silivia finally paused to glance up from the book, meeting Mani's gaze with a steady look, her brown eyes, usually gentle, hard. She said, "I have my reasons..." then dropped her gaze back to the book.

Mani, then the focus of Silivia's gaze, felt an uncomfortable heat rise in her cheeks. *So she knows... This guild… it seems to be made up of selfish people. Silivia... She stopped seeing Sabrina for a while after that fight. But then… came back after she heard about her friend's brother dying… To have...friends… that care...*

Suddenly, a sharp, piercing pain shot through Mani's chest; her heart *thumped* once with a massive, shuddering pulse! Her vision swam for a moment, *then she saw it*.

The sun was just beginning to dip, a final, fiery kiss on the horizon.

Suddenly, a torrential downpour of arrows. Hundreds, perhaps thousands, descended upon them, a deadly, feathered hail. Mani's vision blurred as the arrows pierced him. She could *feel* them, a multitude of impacts against her back. A searing, shocking pain – and a sudden, disorienting *jolt*.

A strangled gasp escaped her lips, a sound that echoed with the violence of the vision. She lurched upwards, from the depths of the vision and reality, inadvertently pushing her chair backward with a loud, rasping scrape across the polished floor.

Sabrina leaped to her feet instantly. "What *happened*?!"

Silivia, knowing that Mani's sanity was more important, closed her book with a snap and moved with purpose, asking. "Did something happen?"

Mani's entire body was trembling, her legs shaky as she nearly stumbled, her back colliding with the edge of a towering bookshelf.

Sabrina rushed to her, placing her hands on Mani's trembling shoulders in a desperate, possessive grip. "Tell me! Tell me what happened, *now*!!"

Mani's voice trembled as she said, "I-it… it's… I don't… know…"

Sabrina's voice was laced with frustration and irritation, "Seriously?! What possible *use* are you if you can't even tell us what you saw? Who died?"

Silivia, seeing the harsh tone and actions, moved to stand beside Sabrina, placing a reassuring hand on her arm. "Stop shouting at her! Can't you see something's wrong with her?"

Sabrina, after a moment of internal conflict, dropped her hands and took a small step backwards with a look of resentment, her features.

Mani was still shaking, her face painted with an expression of raw fear, a mask of terror.

Gathering her resolve, Mani rasped, "T-Tom... He's dead... Arrows… raining from the sky… They killed him."

Sabrina seized on the only piece of information that held meaning to her. "What about my brother? Did you see him!? Did you?!"

But Mani seemed lost. Her eyes, blank and unfocused, stared into a distance, consumed by something that they did not know. "Answer me!"

Silivia, now stepping beside Sabrina if need be, placed a gentle hand on Mani's shoulder, her tone soft. "Did you see anything else?"

Mani shook her head rapidly. "*No… i-I… I didn't see anything else.*"

Sabrina's voice, barely controlled, cracked. "Damn it! Why!?"

Mani squeezed her eyes shut, her hands clenched at her sides as Sabrina's words continued to wash over her, each syllable driving her already-heightened heart rate even further beyond its limits.

Silivia, seeing the distress, put a nurturing smile and softened her own tone "Okay, so you haven't seen anything else. Come and sit down with us. Something is already happening, right? We need to know if anyone else dies."

Mani, trembling, looked up at Silivia, the small, nurturing smile that barely touched her lips. She reached out with a shaky hand the touch of Silivia's and found a refuge of comfort. Silivia led the way to the table. As they neared, Silivia gestured for Mani to sit. The motions were gentle, as if Mani were a frail and fragile elder.

Meanwhile, Sabrina was pacing the library, her movements erratic and her face a mask of mounting tension. Her jaw clenched, she brought brought her hands up to her mouth and bit her thumbnail. "Damn it… They're already getting attacked! And it was… Raining arrows? Just how many people does that hunter have with *him*?"

Silivia, seeing Sabrina's anxiety, placed a calm tone to her words as she approached. "Hey. Don't worry so much about it, okay? Only one person has died. We need to go inform your father. Also, your brother, if he is there, is a mage, meaning that countless arrows wouldn't even touch him."

Sabrina's head snapped upright, her eyes meeting Silivia's, finding a burst of resolve. "Yes! Absolutely. I have to go inform Father." She turned and swiftly strode from the library, heading toward the main hall, and with decisive quickness.

Silivia, her face etched with a profound worry, turned back to Mani. A heavy shadow seemed to settle over Mani. She stared at the polished surface of the table, and her thoughts were imprisoned inside her.

* * *

Meanwhile, back in the forest, untouched by the gathering of storms in the guild mansion, Rebecca drew another arrow, her movements precise and economical. A smirk touched her lips, and she thought, "*These assholes are so busy yelling at each other… They're so easily giving away their damned positions.*"

The arrow's point aflame, the flame was intensifying. "You think you can hide behind a tree so my arrows can't get to you?" she muttered, her grip tightening on the shaft. As she was about to release the arrow, a new element entered her perception.

She saw him.

Jason.

He was running towards the group at remarkable speed, his short staff held in his hand. The golden orb atop the staff pulsed with a faint, yet bright, yellow light, as he arrived. Tim, Toren, and Aaron, took notice of his arrival.

"You dumb asses! Why the hell didn't you wait for me to buff you up first? Now look what happened! One of you is dead!" Jason's shout and voice was thick with frustration, as he took stock of the situation taking in Tom's dead corpse. Jason's eyes surveyed the scene with the arrows, and the ground, and the trees as well.

From his temporary shelter, Tim said, "Jason! Be careful, that archer... She has a powerful skill!"

Jason, in his turn, looked at Tim, "So what? You think I can't handle it? You hunters... you are pathetic. Can't believe one of you actually died from a measly skill. Did you actually get hurt though?" he asked, his gaze taking in Tim's injury. His face and tone in general betraying little sympathy.

A flicker of hurt crossed Tim's face, as he held his injured arm.

Rebecca, still hidden, thought quickly, "*Shit... Shit... Jason's here...I knew he would catch up eventually, but I didn't think he would be this fast… He's just a mage... He shouldn't have caught up this fast. What level is he,exactly?*" *It doesn't matter... I have to make sure these people pay for what they've done!*

Rebecca then activated her rapid-fire skill.

Just as quick as a lightning strike, Jason spun his staff in an immense arc to the left. From the staff's golden orb, a torrent of light-yellow particles, shimmering and visible, erupted, cascading across the entire area within a twenty-meter radius like a golden waterfall. The particles touched everything, even touching the guild members.

The minuscule particles, each a beacon of potent energy, enveloped the guild members, clinging to their black armor, their tanned skin, dancing on the needles of the trees, even reaching toward Rebecca, who was expertly concealed in the thick brush, making her momentarily surprised.

A faint, ethereal gold light ignited in the guild members' eyes. Tim felt immediately light, then noticed something. "This is a buff, is it?" Tim's tone was very sure "My body feels lighter!"

Aaron, too, studied his gloved hands. "Lighter... more durable." The faint golden glow in their eyes faded, the effect now complete.

Rebecca, now perceiving the newly applied buffs, released her first flaming arrow, sending it speeding toward Jason. As the flaming shaft pierced the air, a new arrow, then swiftly, seamlessly, appearing from Rebecca's quiver, which held a unique quality. It was now surrounded by an eerie, pale-blue light. This now materializing instantly upon her bow, ready to be launched with the added benefit of her rapid-fire skill.

She unleashed her rapid-fire, and multiple arrows launched with incredible speed. The arrows from her quiver appeared on the bow and she drew them back to launch. Jason saw the arrows coming.

Rebecca saw the arrows and she stood up. Jason, with intent, knew exactly where the arrows were emerging: from an unassuming bush some ways away; the same bush Rebecca had been using for concealment. The same instant, he activated his shield.

"Earth's Embrace!" Jason shouted, his voice ringing with confidence. He thrust his staff forward. The dirt around him *churned*, rising in a perfect circle. Solidifying into a flawless orb.

Rebecca's eyes widened. The fiery arrow struck the rocks, *bouncing harmlessly* off. "I knew it," she hissed, her voice laced with frustration. "The color of his staff... He specializes in earth magic. This is bad."

Then, the earth shield *exploded*, dissolving back into dust. Rebecca felt a tremor through the ground beneath her feet.

Instinct screamed, and she *leaped* back, soaring into the air just as jagged, rocky earth spikes erupted from the ground. Ripping and tearing through the bush.

One spike grazed her leg and with the shot of pain.

"Damn it!" she yelled.

Still, she *fired* from her bow. Arrows flew from her bow, a blur of motion. Each appearing ready to be fired.

The arrows now in mid-flight, and it all happened when Tim, burst out of cover, and with that. Aaron and Toren then emerged.

Her feet touched the hard ground, Her arrows found their mark. A wall of rock, *erupted* from the ground in front of Jason, the arrows slamming into it and exploding.

"Don't run straight!" Aaron yelled, his voice strained.

Suddenly, chaos erupted among the hunters. They broke into a frantic zigzag, darting unpredictably across the terrain, switching positions with blinding speed. Aaron seamlessly swapped places with Tim, both of them continuing their relentless pursuit toward Rebecca. The pattern of their movement became a tangled blur—wild, erratic, impossible to predict. Rebecca's brow furrowed in confusion, watching the sudden shift. Their formations were no longer repeating, no longer predictable.

Her mind raced. *Shit, I can't get a good shot* she thought, eyes narrowing as she tracked their swift, chaotic movements. *They're so fast… At this rate…*

In a split second, Aaron drew his bow with practiced ease. The arrow gleamed with lethal precision as he released it into the air. In an instant, the projectile split into six razor-sharp arrows, each streaking toward her like deadly comets blazing across the night sky. The air around her thickened with tension as she reacted instantly firing six arrows in rapid succession. The projectiles collided midair with a deafening crack, shattering into fragments of light that scattered in every direction.

*He's trying to outsmart me,* she realized, a flicker of surprise flashing across her face.

Inside Aaron's mind, a flicker of respect ignited. *She countered my attack...*

Rebecca's thoughts spun quickly. *I can't use my skills yet. I need to save my mana for the ultimate strike. But…* Her gaze fastened on the closing distance. *They're already this close.*

Tim sensed the opportunity and swung his sword upward, channeling his energy into a powerful skill. A brilliant blue wave of curved energy surged from his blade, hurtling directly at Rebecca with the sound of rushing wind and crackling electricity. The blue wave shimmered like a streak of lightning, slicing through the air with a thunderous roar.

Rebecca's eyes widened as she saw the impending wave. Without hesitation, she spun midair, executing a perfect flip to her right. Inverted, she glimpsed the deadly blue surge rushing toward her—a shimmering barrier of raw power.

Seizing the moment, she found an opening, an instant to strike.

Jason's protective wall had vanished. The barrier that once shielded him was gone, leaving only the aftermath of destruction and chaos. Her eyes shone faintly as she activated her old, familiar skill Mist Arrow . The tip of her arrow glowed with a faint white light, a soft shimmer of mist curling around the wooden shaft.