Garen had decided to visit the Magical Beast Mountain Range, so he needed to plan carefully.
First, he needed to prepare his equipment. The weapons and gear the system had given him weren't useful yet; he didn't have enough Reinforcement Stones to upgrade them, and their levels were too low.
He needed to buy a weapon.
Second, before heading to the Magical Beast Mountain Range, Garen planned to experiment with magic. He had a lot of ideas about it.
As for his weapon, he wanted a longbow. With the wind element's precision and Extreme Speed, a wind mage was practically born to be an archer.
Combined with Garen's strength as a Level Six warrior and the boost from wind magic, he could match a Level Seven warrior's speed without transforming. He could use hit-and-run tactics against bandits and magical beasts.
Garen had a dormitory room to himself, and he was neighbors with Dormitory 1987, so they were very close.
Before heading to the Magical Beast Mountain Range, Garen decided to treat the four of them to a meal. Yale often bought him food, after all, and it was only right to return the favor.
When they learned Garen was going to the Magical Beast Mountain Range to train so soon, the four of them were both envious and a little worried.
"Garen, you're way too freakish. You're a Level Five mage at twelve. How are the rest of us supposed to live with that?"
Reynolds said dramatically.
"You're one to talk. I'm pretty sure I'm a little older than you, yet you're calling me a kid. You little brat."
Garen pretended he was going to smack Reynolds on the head, but Reynolds dodged him.
"Damn, Ernst Institute has two freaks like you and Dixie. You're putting us under so much pressure. You make us look mediocre."
George sighed.
"What kind of thing is that to say? It's great that Garen's strong. He's our brother, so if he's strong, that means we're strong too. Let's see who dares look down on us at the Institute now. Having a brother like him gives us plenty to brag about."
Yale said with great confidence.
"Garen, be careful when you go to the Magical Beast Mountain Range. I've heard it's extremely dangerous. Even Level Eight or Nine magical beasts might wander out to the outskirts. You're still too young. You could study at the Institute for another couple of years. By then, my Magic Level will have improved, and we can go together and watch each other's backs."
Linley spoke earnestly.
His Flat Blade Sculpting Technique was already beginning to show results, and his magical spiritual power was improving by leaps and bounds. Even so, he was still a little worried about Garen.
"You'd better not jinx me. If I run into a Level Nine magical beast, it'll be your fault. If I kick the bucket, you'll be responsible."
Garen joked.
The group chatted and laughed as they made their way to a luxurious hotel.
During the meal, Yale learned that Garen wanted to buy a bow. He immediately thumped his chest and promised to take him to his family's weapon shop to pick out a good one.
After they finished eating, Yale and Garen went to a weapon shop.
"Young master, what brings you here?"
As soon as they entered, the shopkeeper came over and greeted him respectfully.
"Mm. I've brought my good friend to buy a bow. He's a Level Five mage, so help him pick out a good one. Money's no object."
"Of course, young master. And please, this way, honored mage."
The shopkeeper respectfully led them to the stairs and bowed as he invited them to the second floor.
Once they reached the second floor, they saw that the weapons there were clearly a cut above those on the first.
The shopkeeper led them over to a strikingly designed magic longbow.
"Please, take a look. This magic longbow was crafted by the weapon master Jax. Its body is made of Mithril, making it ideal for mages, and it conducts magic perfectly. The bowstring is made from the sinew of a Level Eight Purple-Striped Dragon."
"Look here. These grooves can be fitted with Magic Crystals or Magic Crystal Cores. Different cores give the bow different bonuses."
"A wind-type Magic Crystal Core will increase the arrows' speed. A Fire-style Magic Crystal Core will increase their damage."
"The best thing about this magic bow is that it can be used with ordinary arrows, but even if you run out of arrows, you can still use it with magic. With Mithril, dragon sinew, and a Magic Crystal Core boosting it, it'll be far more powerful than casting magic directly."
The shopkeeper certainly knew his business on Fenlai City's main street. The more he talked, the more Garen liked the bow. With it, Garen was confident he could kill a Level Seven warrior even without transforming.
Seeing the longing in Garen's eyes, the shopkeeper knew the sale was practically guaranteed. Since the young master Yale had brought him, he wasn't worried about whether he could pay. The shopkeeper decided to sweeten the deal further.
"This longbow can easily withstand Level Eight magic. And if you fit it with a Level Nine Magic Crystal Core, its power will approach that of Level Nine magic."
"Garen, what do you think? It's a good weapon, right? You're making me want to buy it myself."
Yale chimed in.
The more Garen heard, the more satisfied he was. But then he thought about the cost, and hesitated.
The Magic Crystal Card his father had given him held only twenty thousand gold coins. He'd thought that would last him for years, but he hadn't expected...
Sure enough, when it came to cultivation, companions, methods, and resources, money came first.
The longbow was beautifully crafted, striking in appearance, made of top-grade materials, and forged by a weapon master. Its price was probably astronomical.
"It's a good bow, but how much does it cost?"
Garen asked glumly.
"The original price is one hundred thousand gold coins. But since you're a mage and a friend of young master Yale, I'll give you a twenty percent discount. Eighty thousand. What do you think?"
"Garen's my best friend. Fifty thousand. That's the deal."
Yale said flatly.
"Yale, boss, that doesn't seem right. You're running a business; I can't let you sell it at a loss. Eighty thousand is fine. This bow is worth the price."
Since he often spent time with the people in Dormitory 1987, Garen had gotten used to hearing them call Yale "boss." Now he found himself calling Yale that too.
"Don't worry. We're brothers. You're no stranger to any of us."
Then Yale turned to the shopkeeper, whose expression had grown a little awkward.
"Don't worry. Charge the price I said. If my uncle asks, tell him I said so."
Seeing that Yale wouldn't budge, Garen said no more. He simply kept the favor in mind.
At that point, Garen went ahead and admitted that he didn't have that much money on him.
Yale didn't hesitate. He offered to cover the fifty thousand gold coins for him.
A few minutes later.
After Yale insisted that the shop throw in thirty Alloy Arrows, Garen slung the longbow over his back, and the two of them left the shop.
Once they were out of sight, the shopkeeper's expression changed in an instant. His earlier look of frustration gave way to a slight smile.
From their conversation, he'd learned that Garen was twelve, a Level Five mage, one of the two great prodigies at the Ernst Institute, and headed to the Magical Beast Mountain Range to train. From that, he'd understood that this longbow was no longer just a weapon.
He'd only been changing his expression to put on a show for Garen.
Even if the guild president found out he'd sold a longbow that cost sixty thousand gold coins to make for fifty thousand, he wouldn't say a word.
The shopkeeper understood better than anyone what it meant for young master Yale to earn the friendship of a twelve-year-old Level Five mage.
On the way back, Garen bought two Level Six Magic Crystal Cores, one wind-type and one fire-type, for a total of 2,200 gold coins.
After Garen and Yale returned to the dormitory, he silently resolved that he would repay this debt as soon as possible during his trip to the Magical Beast Mountain Range.
Thinking of the tragic things that would happen to Yale later, he vowed to himself that he would grow stronger faster and make sure none of it happened.
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