Twang ! Twang ! Twang !
Three arrows were shot towards the party. Each one was precise and aiming at each one of them. The dwarf tried to grab an invisible hammer and realizing it wasn't there, he panicked. The elf on the other hand was a ranged fighter so he was able to dodge the arrow easily. Stephan eyes his sceptre then launched a normal attack at it. The blue arrow met with the normal attack and caused a sound that spread around them.
Last night, he had been lying on the ground thinking for a long time. He thought up of a lot of plans and one of them was to pull someone who was strong enough to protect them. The mage in the tower didn't have enough time to consider the adventure and he wasn't one to engage in one. Therefore, he needed one with a clear goal; someone he could bargain with.
"It's already the time that you pull yourself from that hole, Witch Soprana."
His body wasn't in the perfect shape and he was weak. No matter how the artifacts and the sceptre gave him a little bit of stats, it was still too lacking. His mana wouldn't be so vigorous to stop another arrow since the last one deviated from its trajectory and hit a tree instead. However, with a long time spending in playing popular games and minimizing his spending in them, he knew a lot of things. The privilege of someone who worked hard on a game instead of just buying everything was huge; it just meant replaying many scenarios until he understood the attack pattern and found a better strategy to come out with the least damage.
Right now, his gaming experience told him he wasn't strong enough to keep with this test and he needed someone to clear it. The world already offered so many strong people and he had his knowledge on the other hand. Now, once he caught sight of the face of the witch, he remembered her most sought treasure. It was called after her name later; the spear of Soprana. It was a weapon that changed shape and acted as a living person. However, it was an empty shell.
"You have great bravery for coming to my lands and disturbing the silence of my abode," her face was expressionless; she just stared at them while the two behind Stephan made plans in their head to run away once the chance presented itself. They also planned to pull Stephan with them recognizing the recklessness of the youth. They thought he was crazy and didn't have enough brain since he pushed himself into troubles every single time and avoided their heeding.
'How the hell did we end up like this?' the dwarf thought.
"Circumstances arose and matters ensued, though I really mean the last disturbance since it wasn't wise to just close myself in your hut and closing the door behind me. The best outcome was to get you out so we can talk," his voice highlighted all the confidence he was feeling at the moment. She wouldn't reject him if he told her he knew where that spear existed.
The mix fragrance of the earth, trees and flowers around reached his nose and made his confidence boost through the sky. Stephan felt his head clear.
"That's some good thinking coming from a brat like you. How did you know my name?"
"Are you seriously asking me this question, woman? Aren't you known all over Masmoenia for the first witch who got burnt at the stake? Your red hair and eyes would give you up immediately."
"Any witch can get the same colors as me as long as they have affinity with demonic magic," her eyes moved to the hand holding the sceptre and she smirked. "Oh! I get it," she eyes something that materialized around Stephan's finger. It was a ring that had a rough magic jewel in a bright golden color. "I see. I have never thought that she would send someone here. It explains the fact that you were able to break through the barrier and intrude on my land."
'Hey! Skeleton Guide! Was there a barrier here?'
'How come I didn't see it when I was coming? Mustn't I be stopped before having even the chance to get close to her hut?'
'Then, what's the meaning behind this? Is the ring my connection to the system?'
The witch observed the young man intently; he had a similar vibe to the woman she knew in the past. Soprana knew the boy would be trouble as well. However, if he were her disciple, he would be exactly like her. She had never taken in any disciple and it was the first time she saw something like that. The young apprentice was weak and flawed. She wondered how he survived Masmoenia with that kind of talents.
The dwarf watched the witch as she was also lost in thoughts. There was a common atmosphere between the two, each lost in his own world. Understanding the opportunity had arisen, they looked at each other and nodded. Each grabbing a hand, they pulled Stephan and started running deeper into the forest.
They had the feeling if they didn't do it at the moment, the opportunity would never present itself and they would be doomed. Stephan felt himself flying. In the end, he had to put his feet on the ground and stop the two from running.
"I understand you want to have a private moment with me but I promise I am not smitten by the witch; you don't have to be jealous. I have a use for her."