Chapter 48

Episode 48. I’m an Attention Seeker (2)

“An archer must be able to shoot a bow in any situation. Even if one arm is missing, you must pull the bowstring with your teeth.”

Luke was indifferent to the words of Sephira’s instructor. It’s easy to say, but he didn’t think it was actually possible.

The tension of a bow isn’t something to scoff at. Especially Sephira’s Bow, which has such strong tension that even an adult man can’t draw it.

Pulling such a bowstring in an unstable posture? Impossible.

But Keter did it.

In an awkward posture with a spear tucked under his right armpit, he even aimed at his opponent and pulled the bowstring.

He didn’t even need to pull it all the way. Sephira’s Bow has such immense tension that even a slight pull can easily shoot 100 meters.

The arrow Keter shot pierced Garuda’s collarbone. It wasn’t a fatal spot, so a sigh of disappointment escaped naturally.

‘Ah, Keter. Why did you only bring one arrow!’

If he could shoot a couple more arrows, he could subdue him. But Keter only had one arrow, and he just shot it.

Should I throw him an arrow here?

Would Baydant’s knights allow that?

If they intervene, I’d have to intervene too.

In that situation, I’d be of no help. I can’t fight. Just watching from here is already my limit.

‘It’s fine. Keter has Amaranth. He said he wouldn’t use it on me, but he must be lying.’

Keter is naturally mischievous, isn’t he?

But… no matter how mischievous he is, he wouldn’t gamble with his own life.

‘Ah, maybe not.’

How did he take down Baydant’s first knight? He got right up in his face to lure him into carelessness.

If the opposing knight had attacked without hesitation, Keter would’ve been at least seriously injured.

‘…That’s different from this.’

Anyway, Keter will win.

Luke had that vague feeling.

Even if he doesn’t win, at least he won’t die. Though he’s only known Keter for a day, he seemed like that kind of person.

‘Keter, you have a plan, right?’

Luke wanted to believe that.

While Luke was briefly pondering, the second fight ended. Keter approached Garuda and struck the arrow embedded in his collarbone with the bowstaff.

As the arrow embedded in the collarbone twisted inside the flesh, Garuda couldn’t bear the pain and screamed—Keter then struck his forehead with the bowstaff.

‘Can that even be called archery?’

Shooting a bow while sealing the opponent’s weapon, and preventing them from pulling out the arrow.

Waiting for the opportunity, then striking the embedded arrow to destroy it from within. A technique and philosophy that doesn’t exist in Sephira.

After Garuda fell, the same scene repeated.

“5,000.”

When Keter stated Garuda’s price, Jordic replied with a subtle expression.

“Include the surgery cost in one go.”

“Smart, huh? 8,000.”

Is money supposed to be earned this easily? Luke felt like he was going to get sick from the amounts being thrown around.

Thousands were being tossed around like nothing. The units weren’t bronze or silver. Everything was being traded in gold coins.

‘I’ve been saving like crazy for five years, and I only have 1,000 gold.’

Keter made nearly 50,000 gold in an instant.

50,000 gold.

With that money, you could live comfortably for generations.

But why isn’t Keter satisfied?

He could safely back out at this point.

The Baydant family isn’t a prestigious house, but it’s a major family that even prestigious houses can’t ignore. It’s one of the top ten families in the Lilian Kingdom.

And right now, his opponent is Dragon Spear Jordic. Rumors say he has no equal among his peers, and those rumors are true. Just looking at him, you can tell he’s different from others.

There’s no dispute that Keter fights well. But still, it’s just human strength and skill.

When Aura, a power, comes into play, strength and skill become meaningless. You can’t oppose someone with Aura unless you have it too.

So, can’t Baydant’s knights use Aura?

No, they can. They just aren’t. Because Keter isn’t using it.

And because they were overconfident that they could win without using Aura. The moment they use Aura, Keter is already defeated before the fight even begins.

Keter can’t use Aura.

He’s a mage.

Mages possess Mana, not Aura. He can imbue arrows with Mana, but that won’t pierce Aura.

Mana is the symbol of transformation.

Aura is the symbol of power.

“Do you know why Garuda lost?”

Jordic asked his subordinates.

While the subordinates remained silent, Arbold spoke up.

“Because he was careless.”

“Nonsense. Garuda wasn’t careless. He lost because he didn’t use Aura.”

“……!”

“Marton.”

“Yes, Captain.”

“You won’t lose, right?”

“I’ll consider Keter the enemy who killed my parents.”

“Go. Restore Baydant’s pride.”

“Yes!”

Marton, who answered shortly and firmly, stepped onto the battlefield.

Keter, who had been crouching and doodling on the ground with a branch, looked up and said.

“4,000 gold worth.”

A vein popped on Marton’s forehead. It sounded like he was saying he was weaker than Garuda.

Crack!

The bean pod at his feet turned to dust.

A blue haze surged around his entire body. The haze of Aura.

Ziiing.

The Aura rising from his entire body condensed at the tip of his spear.

Marton took one step at a time, aiming the spear at Keter. His posture showed determination to counter whatever Keter did with his spear.

Seeing Marton use Aura, Luke shouted.

“Keter, use Amaranth!”

The last resort for Keter, who has no Aura. That’s Amaranth.

At Luke’s shout, Baydant’s knights stirred.

“Amaranth? What’s that?”

“An Artifact?!”

Marton, who had been approaching confidently, also paused. Jordic shouted at Marton.

“It’s a bluff. Don’t falter, Marton!”

At Jordic’s words, Marton quickly regained his composure.

He was now just seven steps away from Keter.

Two more steps to spear range.

Keter was now standing, placing an arrow on the bowstring. Where the arrowhead was aimed didn’t matter.

‘Wherever it flies, I’ll deflect it.’

Twang.

Keter’s fingers released the bowstring.

‘It’s coming!? Huh!? I can’t see it?’

He already knew Keter’s arrows were fast. But he hadn’t anticipated them being invisible.

Thud!

The vanished arrow reappeared.

Embedded halfway into Marton’s left thigh.

“Ugh.”

Marton staggered from the searing pain in his thigh.

He kept his eyes on Keter without pulling out the arrow. Pulling it now would create an opening and increase bleeding, so it was a wise decision.

Keter, now without an arrow, approached first.

As he entered spear range, Marton thrust in response. Unlike Garuda, he only used the spearhead for short thrusts to avoid having the shaft grabbed.

Swish, swish, swish!

A lightning-fast triple thrust aimed at Keter’s face.

Keter dodged all three thrusts with slight upper body movements. Only a few strands of hair cut by the spearhead fluttered.

Keter’s right arm rose.

Then, for some reason, Marton’s left leg also rose.

Crash!

Marton, who had fallen, tried to get up quickly—

Whack!

The bowstaff, swung like a whip, struck Marton’s head. Left and right, finishing with a strike to the forehead like the previous knights.

Blood dripped from Keter’s bowstaff.

Then it became visible. A thin wire.

Crimson blood flowed along the wire. The wire connected Keter’s bracelet to the arrow embedded in Marton’s thigh.

“A wire? When did he pull that trick on the arrow…!”

“When he was crouching earlier.”

While Jordic was scolding his subordinates, Keter acted as if he was bored.

But in reality, it was a smokescreen to attach the wire to the arrow.

Jordic had no choice but to admit it.

“I shouldn’t be scolding you all.”

He told them not to underestimate Keter, but he himself had underestimated him.

“The arrow disappeared, is that a Sephira technique?”

“Want to know? A million gold.”

“You’d sell your family’s techniques for money? You’re insane.”

“With the modifier ‘an absurdly large amount,’ it’s enough to drive anyone insane.”

“How much is Marton’s life worth?”

“I already said. 4,000 gold.”

“I’ll pay. Including 2,000 gold for surgery and 1,000 gold for the contract, a total of 7,000 gold.”

Keter handed over the contract, and Jordic filled it out while saying.

“It doesn’t matter how much you take. You won’t be keeping it anyway.”

“Everyone says that.”

Keter retrieved the arrow from Marton and stopped the bleeding before returning to his spot. Then, with the same expression and posture as before, he addressed Baydant’s knights.

“Who’s next?”

Provoked by Keter, Arbold spoke to Jordic.

“Captain. I hate to admit it, but Keter is a master of combat. It’ll be tough for our less experienced members. Let me handle it.”

“You’re right.”

Thud!

Jordic pulled his spear from the ground and took a step forward.

“You all can’t beat Keter. Even if it’s money we won’t give, it’s hurting our pride.”

“Captain, you shouldn’t have to step in…!”

“Shut up. This isn’t your place.”

Jordic was tired of explaining. About Keter’s strength.

Marton wasn’t just foolishly defeated. The moment Keter’s arrow disappeared, he used “Over Shield.” The subordinates didn’t see it, but Jordic did.

Over Shield is a defensive technique close to self-destruction, and its defense is extremely strong. Yet, it couldn’t stop Keter’s arrow.

Keter’s arrow was deeply embedded in Marton’s thigh. Not just slightly, but nearly halfway.

Even with Over Shield, it was pierced…

‘Keter, that means you’re an Aura user.’

And one skilled enough to imbue arrows with Aura.

Of course, Sephira’s knights can do that too.

But…

‘Invisible arrows imbued with Aura… that’s on a whole different level.’

At first, I thought he was just crazy, then a scammer.

But now…

“You’re Sephira’s hidden trump card.”

That makes sense.

Him managing the Birang Tribe, one of the Seven Evil Tribes, too.

“You’ve been deceiving us all. You came to this village under Elder Leganon’s orders to protect the Birang Tribe.”

Jordic felt a chill down his spine. He had underestimated the Sephira family. But they were above them all along.

“The saying that a prestigious family lasts three generations even in ruin is true.”

Jordic scraped the ground with his spear.

Screech!

A deep mark was left on the ground.

Jordic, with his spear resting on his shoulder, exuded an Aura incomparable to Marton’s. Just his presence made the air tremble.

“Show me. Sephira’s true power.”

It wasn’t Keter who was thrown into chaos by Jordic’s words.

Luke’s breathing became ragged.

Not just because of Jordic’s aura. A curse was tightening his throat. Telling him to leave this place quickly, to run away.

‘No. Absolutely not. I can’t run away alone.’

Keter defeated three of Baydant’s knights in a row.

He must be tired. Even if the fights were short, battles between skilled opponents cause extreme fatigue. It wouldn’t be strange if Keter collapsed from exhaustion right now.

But in this situation, Jordic steps forward?

Dragon Spear Jordic.

If the Baydant knights who stepped forward earlier were minnows, he was a shark. Despite his young age, he’s already a top predator eyeing the pinnacle.

Yet, Keter still had a chance.

The Mana Arrow shooter, Amaranth.

If he uses that power, even the Dragon Spear can be defeated. Maybe that’s why he hasn’t used Amaranth until now?

Luke had no doubt.

That Keter would win.

That he’d win confidently and come over to brag annoyingly.

Splat!

Blood spurted.

It was the blood of the man Luke had no doubt in. Luke’s face turned pale in an instant.

Under Jordic’s fierce assault, Keter’s entire body was instantly drenched in blood. The mighty Keter was being overwhelmed. The Keter who easily subdued Baydant’s knights.

Despite the curse making it hard to breathe, Luke screamed as if his heart would leap out.

“Use Amaranth! Keter! You’ll die like this!”

Twang!

Keter created distance and shot the arrow he held tightly at Jordic. The same invisible arrow he shot at Marton.

“Hah!”

But Jordic completely blocked it by spinning his spear. Even if it’s invisible, the arrow’s trajectory is obvious.

Twang.

As expected, Keter’s arrow was deflected by the spear.

Jordic smirked victoriously, and Keter turned to look at Luke, saying nonchalantly.

“Lesson two.”

Luke shouted at Keter to look forward. Jordic was thrusting his spear without holding back.

But Keter, looking straight at Luke, finished his sentence.

“The hard part is only the beginning.”

Splat!

Jordic’s spear pierced Keter’s stomach.

Keter fell forward, and Jordic pulled out his spear. The victorious Jordic wore an uneasy expression.

“You….”

That’s when it happened.

Jordic sharply turned his head. An arrow grazed past him.

Drip.

Even though he dodged quickly, a line of blood flowed from Jordic’s cheek. As he turned to find the attacker, a thought occurred to him.

Keter is lying in front of him.

Then, the only one who could shoot an arrow here is one person.

“Luke.”

Luke, holding a bow and arrow, was glaring at Jordic as if to kill him.