บท 23: Shura Bolts! Deadly Weapon of War
Not long after Asher addressed the matter of payment, he was summoned to the sacred hall due to the arrival of two professionals, Lois and Dan.
Asher sat on his stone chair, looking at the journeymen professionals who gazed right at him with a burning excitement in their eyes.
"Why are you both so excited?"
"The ovok skin. Given adequate time, I can make enough for the bonestrike rangers, and if I'm lucky, I might activate the lightning ability in it."
Lois said.
"You know about their dormant lightning ability?"
Asher raised an eyebrow.
"I do, Your Lordship. Ovok studded leather armor is famous in the high plains for its sturdy defense and ability to paralyze them that attacked those who wear it. However, it's so rare that master tailors had to hire mercenaries to go hunt for them, and even then only a few come back alive."
Asher chuckled.
"We have hundreds of them in the wastelands right now. We don't have a tamer, or else I would have tried taming them."
"Have you tasted their meat?"
Dan's eyes twinkled.
Asher turned his head toward him. "I can see she's happy with the thought of creating good armor. What are you happy for?"
Dan smiled.
"I created a weapon for you, Your Lordship."
Asher narrowed his eyes. "A weapon?"
"Yes, a weapon that would help you fight effectively on horseback. It's solely for that purpose."
"Where is it?"
Dan led Asher and Lois out of the castle to his forge, and Asher watched him bring out a rectangular box with the blunt wooden ends sticking out of one side.
Asher drew out one of them and realized it was a javelin built with enough weight that it felt balanced in his hands. It wasn't too long, like a spear or as short as a sword.
"I call them Shura Bolts. Each of them weighs about 300 catties and is thick enough to pierce through a one-meter-thick wall if thrown with adequate force. With this weapon, you'll be able to bring down your foes from a hundred yards away."
"I see."
Asher spun the javelin and slid it back into the box.
"Where did you get this whitewood?"
He caressed the body of the box.
"It's from Silverleaf town. I discovered those silver leaf trees have traits, which is why I call them Silver Iron Trees."
"When did you go to the bastide?"
"To visit my friend, Mr. White."
Asher pulled out a javelin once again and admired the design and hard work Dan had put into crafting them.
As he swung the javelin with force, Dan's spine went cold. He could not follow the speed at which the Lord swung the javelin, and he also felt it just grazed his nose, but it was just the wind that went along with the javelin!
"With this, I can go hunting."
"Certainly." Dan responded, pleased that Asher was in love with his work.
"During your study of the Bladebreaker's armor, have you gotten a blueprint?"
Asher turned to face Dan.
"No, Your Lordship. That armor is so elaborate that I don't think my master can get a blueprint in just one month."
"But it's been over a month since I gave you that order."
Dan, not knowing what to say, scratched the back of his head.
"I think you need to work with Ark to produce a result soon."
Dan bowed his head.
...…
Time trickled by until it was night. Under the two moons and a slightly silent stronghold, Asher stood on the training platform, flexing his limbs, which were bound to weights.
Opposite him stood Alec with his mighty shield.
Beside him was Lambert holding his mighty lance with both hands. Both of them had solemn expressions as they gazed at Kelvin, who approached Asher with a knife.
Their aim?
To face Asher in the Blood Shura state!
Around the platform were seven gold-ranked knights. The famous Shura Vanguard swordsmen.
"My Lord, you don't have to try learning how to control the shura state."
Kelvin whispered to Asher.
"But if I don't, there's a chance I might kill you in the future."
"Your Lordship!"
Kelvin hissed and puffed out.
"As you wish. At least, no matter how crazy you get, the troops here can subdue you." He said to comfort himself.
Swish!
He cut Asher's palm and swiftly ran away from the platform.
Asher looked at the blood dripping from the palm of his hand and felt something clouding his mind.
"Get ready!"
Lambert tightened his grip around his lance's hilt, and his eyes dilated. Alec monitored Asher's breathing to know when the transformation had taken place because Asher was currently looking at his palm, so his head was lowered.
On a closer look, one could see that Lambert was emanating an aura so fierce that it could match Alec's! This was because his talent was currently active.
Swoosh!
Before Lambert could react, the cold, chilling wind blew against his face, lifting his hair up. His brain couldn't even register what was going on when a fist struck his abdomen with so much force that he found himself in the air right before the pain came.
Bam!
As Lambert crashed, Asher threw three punches toward Alec, but he blocked all them with his shield. His spear lashed out, sweeping and thrusting with air-tearing speed, but Asher was able to avoid all these as if he were walking in his garden.
His cold, pure white eyes that never blink were locked on Alec, seemingly calculating a good chance to attack.
To catch him off guard, Alec unleashed his battle force and slammed his shield at Asher's chest. Asher flew backward until he reached the edge of the platform. There, his feet seemed to glue to the ground, and he cracked his neck.
Boom!
The stone under Asher's foot imploded as he burst forth with the greatest speed they had ever seen.
Bam!
An earthshaking punch struck Alec's helmet.
Boom!
Alec flew seven meters back and crashed on the ground. He still slid a few more meters before coming to a gentle halt.
Asher massaged his knuckles as he descended from the platform.
"Hoo!"
The Vanguards swiftly took a battle stance, pointing their swords at him.
Asher tilted his head.
"Can you stop me?"
He asked in a disturbingly honest tone.
"Your Lordship…"
Kelvin suddenly closed the gap and touched Asher's shoulder.
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