Becoming Legend

Chapter 108: Chance Arrow

It was said that Bogblot Region was once dry land and houses the seat of the Forgotten King. After the Gates appeared three hundred years ago, the Forgotten King, King Ulfgar Stormcrag of House Tarragon, defended the regions of Bogblot against thousands, and thousands of magical creatures coming from the Gates.

Castle Burmstone, the seat of power of House Tarragon during the war, was used as a stronghold against the hordes of beast. After a decade of fighting the Great Horde, King Ulfgar successfully repelled the horde—the cost? His seat of power: resources depleted, legitimate heir died; his chamber turned coat; Twin Lake sprout out of nowhere, making the region turned wetlands.

Sensing the weaknesses of the Forgotten King. Julbhord of House Soak took the chance and snatched the crown off Ulfgar. The Forgotten King, too old, died alone inside the castle Burmstone. Making Bogblot the seat of the new power in the continent of Cassan.

Time passed, the Great House of Pendragoon, of the far west, discovered a node of crystal stones under their region. Making it the first, and only mining site of Mana stones in the continent of Cassan. And for a span of only a year, the Great House of Pendragoon invaded other Great Houses.

After successfully uniting the other Great Houses, making the Royal House of Soak the only House left to be invaded. Castle Burmstone once again a stronghold, this time against humans.

Since Bogblot was surrounded by mountain ranges, the Great House of Pendragoon had a hard time invading Bogblot; added the wetlands, making the horses unable to move faster.

After years of war, Bogblot was successfully annexed. This time, the cost? Castle Burmstone itself. The great, a once brimming castle, the stronghold was destroyed. Making it a pile of broken rocks from the outside—

But, from the inside," Kwan said. Giving ten silver to the crack-guard and moved as the guard waved a hand to let them pass. "It was a maze of dungeons. Hundreds of chambers the size of almost a town was covered with rocks."

"How did you know these things?" Ned asked, looking at the guy who mocked Kwan. "And who was he? He seemed to know you."

"It's our history, of course, it was passed on by mouth," he said, turning his head to the man before. "He's Rag, regular of the Chance Arrow game, I lost to him during my last match."

Chance Game, hosted by the city itself. At first, the city considered the game illegal, but seeing the resources people bet, the city took over, making it an official game every month.

One of the games under Chance Game, most popular as well, was the Chance Arrow game. Comprised of ten levels. Each level a participant must use a bow to shoot targets of different sizes. And every level increases the difficulty.

Kwan saved six months of his wage to join Chance Arrow but was short by a small amount to buy a bow—since his bow was lost as a bet—and he saw Ned leaving the  House of Wood under his black cloak.

The inside was brimming with light, torches lit the ruins of different chambers. Pillars of stones that would need almost six people to successfully circle it. The roof was stone engraved.

Ned and Kwan took different alleys before they reached a chamber composed of hundreds of people. Hunters, merchants, and some lesser nobles walked the chamber, but most of the people were from the slums of the city, bringing their luck inside.

The chamber was like a big dome, the stairs were a slope going under a wide shooting range. At the bottom was a square shape arena were dozens of participants practicing their bows.

Ned and Kwan walked the sloping stairs, to their sides were a seat made of stones, these seats were like stairs for a giant. It wasn't filled with audiences, yet.

To think that a crumbled rock on the outside would house these chambers. It was like an underground city. It was a dungeon of different chambers, some were narrow, some were wide.

"Chance Arrow," Kwan said, walking down the stone stairs. The bow on his back, dagger on his waist, and the cylindrical item clipped on his side. "Requires accuracy, precision, and focus. A lot of focus, Ned."

The stairs were deep, it has been five minutes. Yet, they were still in the middle slope. Kwan added. "If you can bullseye the target once, that's accuracy. Hit the bullseye again, and again on the same spot that's precision. Focus, is well, a deep understanding of the target, yourself, and the terrain."

"At every level," Kwan added more, explaining. "Are different difficulties, the first level were simply nock, aim, release against an unmoving object. Second level, the targets move. Third, the targets move and an increase in range. Fourth, the targets move faster, an increase in range as well. And the fifth, the fifth, where I lost all of my bets. The target moves faster, increase in range, and with distraction. I never knew what were levels six and higher since it moved to a different location. And there's also a reason why I bought you, Ned."

Ned saw Kwan scratched behind his head. He seemed anxious, Ned thought. "And, why is that?"

"Well," he said, smiling, and narrowing his squinted eyes. "I need a Spotter starting from the third level. Don't worry, don't worry, you just need to help me locate the targets using my Oculus. Just tell me where they are, the rest is up to me."

"Okay... " Ned said. This kid. Ned thought. "You could have told me sooner."

"I, well, I," he said, stopping and looking Ned with worry. "You wouldn't trust me if I said it spot on, yes?"

"No."

"That's what I thought," Kwan said turning to his right to a man where the bets were collected.

Kwan gave a hundred silver, leaving him with nothing. His movements were uncertain and worried. It was his last silver. He should be worry. If he lost before level three, he will give Ned with nothing, but shame.

"You'll have your silver after winning level three," he said, turning to Ned. "You can leave after that, but, I'd rather have you help me. It would be easy. Will you?"

"The deal was after I get my bet, I leave," Ned said, staring at Kwan. josei

Kwan lowered a shoulder and jumped in surprise hearing a voice behind him.

"Kwan, Kwan," the voice said, slender build, scruffy clothing, a bow behind him, and a mocking eyes. It was Rag, together with his hungry Spotter. "You don't learn, do you? No matter how many Spotter you brought, you will lose."

"Not now, Rag," Kwan said. "It is different this time." Looking at Ned, trying to get his sympathy.

Ned wasn't bothered, it was his own dispute. Ned was there for the silver.

Rag left with his Spotter, leaving a smirk of disgust making sure Kwan lose.

The arena was almost a thousand square meters. Filled with a chunk of stones; the size of a human, some were bigger. Logs of different sizes scattered the edges and in the middle. Some parts of the arena were filled with soils, mimicking a forest with no trees.

The arena was lit with fiery orange coming from a fire behind a thick glasses, positioned at the four pillars that edged the arena.

Below the arena were participants, dozens of sorts. Mostly were Hunters, and some aspiring hunters, others were unknowns due to the mask covering their faces. Some wore cloaks.

At the far edge of stone stairs. Hidden under a mask painted with black ink, clad with a black cloak. A participant sat alone.

"Who is that," Ned asked the anxious Kwan.

"Swift, last month's winner of Chance Arrow. And a month before that. He reached level eight, alone. He doesn't have a Spotter. Nobody knew if he was a Hunter or a mercenary, but one thing is sure, he's very good with bow. Hunters were—"

"Hunters, merchants, and freeborn's alike!" A man in the middle of the arena announced. Probably from a medium or lesser House. "Bets were closed. And for this month's Chance Arrow prize is... Two thousand silver coins and a bow of your choice!"

People gasped, mostly were freeborn's since they rarely had a hand on two thousand silver coins.

The man announced the rules: for every level, a timer was set. Each group of participants must win against their opponents. A three-round bout; winning twice will proceed to the next level, losing twice was considered out of the game. The game was simple, destroy more target than the opponent—Or was it?

With a flare of fire magic thrown in the middle of the arena, the Chance Arrow started.

Kwan proceeds at the edge of the arena, leaving Ned at the bottom. Ned took the time to look for a suitable seating position, slightly elevated to see the entire arena.

Kwan's opponent was an aspiring hunter, probably a Companion. The two positioned side by side with almost ten meters apart.

Two hundred meters from them were the targets, a short log, almost a meter long, positioned vertically. Atop these logs were crystals sphere-shaped and empty. The arena was indoor, the light was artificial.

Kwan took a long breath, raised his arms, holding the recurve bow. Pulled an arrow behind his back, relaxed his shoulders, nocked an arrow. And, release a breath as he releases an arrow.

The arrow swooshed. Two hundred meters in a focused release. The crystal pierced and shattered.

"One," Ned muttered. Analyzing Kwan. "His flow was like of Xi. But, too early to say."

Two, three, ten. Forty. Fifty and a sweat. Not a miss. Kwan won. Eighty targets broke in two minutes. Against his opponent, seventy-one.

A hundred silver; turned two hundred. Ned nodded.

On the other side of the arena, almost fifty meters from Kwan. The participant in the black mask, Swift, won his first-round with two hundred targets, shattered in two minutes. One crystal-ball per second. Not a miss. Swift uses a mechanical crossbow attached to his wrist. The load was arrows of a much shorter length than a regular arrow. A faster rate of fire and less reloading.

He was good, Ned amused. Some part of him wanted to challenge the participants. Ned focused, reducing the noise around him. Focusing only on Kwan and Swift. He felt Kwan's mana leak, a weak struggling ripples. Ned redirected his focus on Swift, faster leak, faster ripples, like a drum of a marching army. Loud, intimidating, and swift.

Ned opened his eyes. To his surprise, Swift was looking at him under the single hole in his black mask. Intimidating Ned.