The Chronicles of a Scalebound Sage: Wandmaker Vol.2

WM [41] Head's On A Swivel

Bjorn could taste the corruption of mana in the air as thick as honey to his senses. The monsters were on the last leg of the journey to the camp as Tanisha's group followed Alfred to an elite unit of monster hunters. Bjorn noticed for the first time Alfred was in armor instead of his normal loose fitting casual wear. His outfit matched the monster hunters they were meeting.

They were all men of Mesha, their flaming red hair giving away that obvious fact. There were six of them in total including Alfred. Unlike the other monster hunters, this group was stern, their presence commanding attention like a sudden storm.

All of them including Alfred wore a red brigandine, plates riveted to blood red cloth. None of their armor was pristine like Tanisha's new set, they were battle worn which spoke to the monsters they hunted and slayed. A black jackrabbit poised in mid-leap—came into view. This emblem, the coat of arms of their monster-hunting group, was boldly displayed on each man's armor. Some had it stitched into the chest of their brigandine, while others bore it on small metal plates affixed to their gauntlets or girded on their belts.

Their weapons, slung across their backs or sheathed at their sides, were as varied as the men themselves—longswords, axes, crossbows, and spears, each one well-worn and clearly favored by its owner. The weapons of prana users are part of their owner very being. If one was damaged it would heal in time like a wound to the body. The fact that their weapons were marred was a testament to their dedication to battle.

Alfred reached out his hand, his eyes narrowing as he focused his prana. With a deep breath, he extended his hand, summoning his weapon. Golden-brown prana swirled around him, a misty aura that pulsed with his essence. The prana coiled and twisted, forming a connection to the black metal chain net buried in the ground beneath his feet.

The ground trembled briefly before the net materialized, links clinking softly as it unraveled. Despite coming from the rock beneath him, the chain was clean of any debris or dirt even the ground was undisturbed, as if the net simply passed through immaterially. Every other link bore a dagger-like blade, gleaming with the life breath of prana. The chain coiled around Alfred's arm like a living thing, each blade quivering with barely contained energy. The prana faded, leaving only the ominous weapon in his grasp, most of it draped the ground.

Identify

Name: Alfred Quarter
Species: Human
Level: 50 < ??
Vocation: Prana Iron Netcaster

Identify

Name: William Parker
Species: Human
Level: 75
Vocation: Prana Spearman

Identify

Name: James Bernnet
Species: Human
Level: 81
Vocation: Prana Crossbowman

Identify

Name: Oliver Wright
Species: Human
Level: ??
Vocation: Prana Warrior
Identify

Name: Henry Wright
Species: Human
Level: 70
Vocation: Prana Axeman
Identify

Name: Samuel Wright
Species: Human
Level: ??
Vocation: Prana Spearman

Bjorn eyes widened at the jump in Alfred's level, before he summoned his weapon he was level fifty, but as soon as he touched his essence infused net his level jumped. The fact he could not see what his new level meant he was now at least over level eight-seven. Tanisha must have noticed it too as her shock looked to be more than just awe at just seeing the weapon.

"Failsafe?" Bjorn asked. "Did you get something wrong again?"

"Hey, don't look at me. The readings are accurate." Failsafe said in a scoff. "From what Tanisha said prana users put part of their essence into their weapon making it quite literally part of them. I guess that means they are only half as strong without the weapon? Or the weapon takes half their levels, look I don't know... material users are strange, we'll need to ask Tanisha later."