Alexa visited Julius often while he was in the inn at the royal castle. He couldn't sleep throughout, as he could feel a dangerous energy around him.
"Caesar... Older brother, and the main contender for the throne. It's normal for him to go after us after we leave the castle to grow and explore. But to think he would plan something of that scale in the exam just to remove me..." he thought, glancing at his palm.
He used his left hand to brush his white hair out of the way, and his purple eyes focused on the symbol of the grimoire.
"I finally understand the basics of essence cultivation, at least." He stood up and closed his eyes.
The familiar golden aura surrounded him, and then in his subconscious, he saw the single white orb that was already forming, and he floated towards it.
"For seekers who are following both paths of knight and mage, in the early stages, one must understand the nature of their essence to move forward," he thought to himself, looking around.
The space around him was dark, with his golden energy weaving between the space.
Having an understanding of the essence path you're taking will be very crucial in the long run.
Elements mostly have dualities or sometimes singularities to be explored. For him, having the light element, he had figured out his own duality during the clan event.
"The warm light can offer a sense of protection and heal wounds, while a concentrated ray can melt down a solid rock."
Julius let out a breath, and then the golden aura around the place began to move towards the white transparent orb.
He stretched his hand towards the orb, and the energy began to gather at a quick pace.
Using the essence was easier now that he understood how to manipulate it by understanding its nature.
After careful hours of cultivating, Julius finally stopped and smiled as he looked at the yellowish crystal in front of him, which emitted a bright light.
The crystal was as tall as he was and spun gently while releasing a soft humming sound.
Julius opened his eyes in the real world, and with a calm gaze, he looked around the inn to see the entire room destroyed, with his bed bearing cuts and burns.
"Another assassin inside the castle, huh? I wonder why Caesar is so desperate to remove me from this battle," he thought, sliding his feet into his shoes and glancing outside to see the ever-constant dark sky.
"But I won't spare you when it's time to face the consequences of your actions."
He let out a breath and left the inn.
Currently, he aimed to break through to Scheme 7 during this, and he was partially free of duties.
He walked through the royal grounds with a calm face, a warm light wrapped around his right arm, healing it slowly.
The gentle air brushed his face, making his long hair sway in the same direction as the wind.
The lights cast down by the long poles holding beautiful crystals made him noticeable, and he silently made his way to the castle.
As for the incident at the inn, it was normal to believe that his guardian knight took care of the assassin. Now, he couldn't help but wonder who exactly his guardian was, for him to not even be scratched or stained by anything during the fight.
...
Julius arrived at his room and saw his mother going through his drawers. She smiled as she saw him.
"Are you feeling better now?" she asked with a smile.
Julius confirmed it was her with his omniscient perspective spell and smiled as he walked toward her.
"Yeah, I'm all good now, Mother," he said, sitting by her side.
"Good." She nodded.
Julius noticed a big box on his bed and pulled it toward himself. The white box with blue and silver patterns on it immediately caught his attention.
"What's in the box?" he asked with a raised brow.
"Oh, that's actually why I'm here. I brought this for you as a gift, but during the clan trial, seeing you use a sword and not your usual choice of weapon, I felt conflicted about giving it to you," Margaret said with a sigh, and Julius realized another important fact now.
His former self didn't like swords. He preferred long-range encounters, and his weapon of choice was a bow.
"I can still use a bow. Plus, I can get my sword repaired. No big deal. Thank you very much." Julius said, and in that moment, Margaret couldn't help but put on a happy smile.
"The crate itself seems expensive, and judging by the aura of the weapon inside, it's safe to assume it's... legendary grade," he thought. Then, with a click, he opened the box, revealing a golden bow with bluish patterns all around that seemed to move like flowing water.
The carvings on it looked like the scales of a reptile, and he smiled as he observed the item.
There was a quiver filled with blue-tipped arrows, and Julius took it out and felt it in his hands.
[Item - Blue Tang Bow
Rank: Legendary
Description: A bow forged from the rock of a great mountain on the Ascension Tower's seventh floor. It has the power to make arrows travel at speeds greater than that of sound, and when fully drawn, it surpasses the speed of light. Made by Craft Master Irvine.]
"Just as I expected, it's of legendary rank. And it should be the highest quality since it's crafted by that man, Irvine," he smiled to himself, feeling the weight of the bow.
"Thank you so much, Mother," Julius said before putting the bow back in the box.
Margaret smiled as she saw Julius' smile. She stood up and walked toward the door.
She halted in her steps, turned around to face him, and swung her beautiful black hair.
"Do you plan to go to the academy?" she asked with a stern face, and Julius nodded.
"It's my main goal for now. I might be able to enter a covenant when I graduate from the academy," Julius said with a smile, and she seemed shocked by his words.
"You know about the covenants, huh?" She looked down, blinking as she considered his words. "I wouldn't like for you to go to the Ascension Tower at all. But if you wish, I'll let it be."
Clack!
She closed the door as she left the room, and Julius glanced back at the box, which sat behind him, and he opened it all over again.
He took the long bow out and examined it. The string seemed to be made of a flowing magical thread and was very comfortable to hold.
"Gives me the same feeling as light essence. It was probably made for me," he thought, strapping the quiver around his thigh and going out to the garden downstairs.
Training dummies were placed around in an orderly manner, and he walked toward a part of the wall with a golden symbol, swiping his hand on it.
At that moment, the dummies began to move left and right, and he took out an arrow and placed it in the bow.
He pulled the bow, his brows furrowing as he glanced at it. The string didn't move at all.
"It's too strong," he thought. He covered himself with a layer of essence, releasing all his energy to empower himself, and finally managed to pull the string.
The crystal lights flickered as bugs flew around them, hanging from poles, and Julius released his hand after three seconds of focus. The arrow pierced straight through a dummy's forehead, and he smiled and nodded.
"At least I can do this much."