Beastbound: Awakening the Hunter

Oliver spun the standard-issue longsword in a graceful flourish before lunging forward with precision and force. The blade sliced through the air with a satisfying hum before landing its blow.

Thud!

The wooden training post before him shattered instantly, splinters flying in all directions. The sheer strength behind the strike left Oliver slightly embarrassed. This was the backyard of Andre, the town blacksmith, and destroying his training equipment seemed... impolite, to say the least.

But Andre waved it off with a laugh, his eyes wide with astonishment. "By the gods, Stark! You're a mage, yet you've got the strength of a fully-trained knight! Incredible!"

Andre’s admiration was evident as he studied Oliver, clearly intrigued.

Oliver chuckled, brushing off the praise. "Maybe I was born with a touch of brute strength," he said lightheartedly, and then resumed his training.

For a moment, he looked every bit the gallant knight, commanding an air of power as his sword flashed under the sunlight. Each strike was a showcase of raw strength, as more training posts were reduced to tattered remains.

Andre, watching with a critical eye, finally spoke. "Your strength is remarkable, but your technique... needs work," he remarked with a knowing grin. Andre wasn’t just a blacksmith or a shrewd merchant; he was also a seasoned knight, well-versed in combat.

With a few pointers from Andre, Oliver immediately felt a significant improvement. The movements came more naturally, the strikes sharper, the balance smoother.

"With talent like yours, why'd you end up studying magic? That Arcanus professor of yours is wasting you, I swear," Andre muttered, shaking his head in mock frustration. Of course, he wouldn’t dare openly criticize a mage of Arcanus's stature—an orange-level mage could obliterate a dozen knights like Andre without breaking a sweat.

As evening fell, the yard grew quiet. Oliver stood shirtless, pouring a bucket of water over himself to cool off after the intense training session. The moment the water hit his heated skin, steam rose in billowing clouds, as if a glowing ember had plunged into a bucket of ice water.

"That's our Stark!" shouted one of the blacksmith apprentices, a cheer that was quickly echoed by the rest.

Oliver’s training had become a spectacle, with Andre encouraging his apprentices to observe and learn from the determined mage. In that moment, under their admiring eyes, Oliver felt like a star performer.

"You’re wasting your time with magic, Stark! Join the knightly ranks and work with us at the forge!"

"Don’t be ridiculous! Professor Arcanus, Stark’s teacher, is about to join the Mage Tower—that’s an honor beyond compare!"

The apprentices clamored, caught between admiration for Oliver’s strength and envy of his magical prowess. Oliver could only smile wryly; despite their well-meaning banter, his aptitude for magic far outshone his talent with the sword.

The playful chatter was interrupted by a young apprentice running toward them. "Stark! Your Arcane weapon is finished! Come see it!"

Oliver’s heart leapt. His wand was ready at last.

This was no ordinary magical implement. Forged with the magical core of a shatterbeast and imbued with scales from a powerful flame-dwelling creature, the wand was a masterpiece of craftsmanship. Even his upperclassmen, like Hector, couldn’t hide their envy during its creation.

Rushing into the forge, Oliver found Andre standing proudly next to the smoldering forge, holding a wand made of polished walnut wood.

Its surface glowed faintly, a deep brown hue tinged with subtle crimson from the fire essence imbued within. The core was set with a gemstone of striking duality—earthy brown swirling with fiery red, radiating elemental energy.

"Well, Stark, here it is! What do you think?" Andre’s voice brimmed with pride.

Oliver took the wand in hand, feeling its perfect balance and lightweight design. Its gentle curve fit naturally in his palm, making it seem like an extension of his own arm.

Stepping outside under the silvery glow of the moon, Oliver raised the wand, examining it in the tranquil light.

A sudden chime echoed in his mind—a familiar system notification:

[Arcane Wand: Dual-element affinity for Earth and Fire. Amplifies Earth and Fire spells by 30%.]

[Arcane Ability: Destruction Serpent—Summon a fiery serpent to constrict and incinerate your enemies, dealing catastrophic fire damage.]

[Arcane Grade: Orange (Upgradeable)]

Oliver’s heart raced as he reviewed the wand’s capabilities. The magical core had granted the wand an Arcane ability far beyond his expectations. A fiery serpent, and at the grandmaster level, no less!

While Oliver could already cast orange-tier spells, his limited mana pool and lack of experience meant their power paled in comparison to those cast by seasoned mages like Professor Arcanus.

But the wand’s Arcane ability was different. It was inherently mastered at the Grandmaster level, bypassing all skill limitations. Spells came in tiers: Novice, Master, and Grandmaster, with each tier increasing the spell’s power exponentially—by a factor of four.

This meant the wand’s fiery serpent was sixteen times stronger than Oliver’s usual Stone Storm spell.

Andre’s skilled craftsmanship, coupled with the rare serpent scale, had exceeded all expectations. Even Andre himself seemed stunned by the outcome.

"Oliver! Don’t you dare try that Grandmaster-level Arcane in my backyard! You’ll set the whole place ablaze!" Andre exclaimed, snapping out of his awe just in time.

Oliver laughed, already imagining the destruction the fiery serpent could unleash.