Chapter 68: Exploring the Vault of Legends and Testing Grounds:
Alarcus stepped deeper into Reyn's massive vault, his eyes scanning the seemingly endless space. The room was divided into sections, each bearing strange and unfamiliar names: Bleach, Final Fantasy 7, 8, 13, 15, and 16, Akame ga Kill, Legend of Zelda, God of War, Naruto, Fullmetal Alchemist, and countless more. The sheer diversity of the sections overwhelmed him, but it also made him wonder how Reyn had come up with all of this.
He drifted toward the Bleach section first, where a rack of swords caught his attention. Each blade looked intricate and distinct, but a small note placed next to the rack read Incomplete. Beside the swords were peculiar items: bracelets with crosses, gloves with embedded jewels, and other objects he didn't recognize. He frowned, trying to imagine how any of these were supposed to work.
Shaking his head, he wandered into the Kingdom Hearts section next. Here, strange, colorful weapons labeled Organization 13 were displayed. Their designs were bizarre, almost surreal, and Alarcus could feel a faint magical aura emanating from them. However, his gaze was drawn to the large, empty space nearby, marked with a handwritten note: Keyblade too complicated to make right now.
Alarcus grinned. "Even Reyn has limits, huh?"
Further exploration revealed even more incredible sights. In some areas, weapons were encased in glass cases reinforced with the strongest sealing magic he had ever encountered. One section, labeled God of High School, practically vibrated with raw, dangerous energy. Whatever was sealed inside those cases, it was clear Reyn hadn't wanted anyone—even himself—messing with them lightly.
The sheer ambition of Reyn's work amazed Alarcus, but he shook off the awe. He remembered Reyn's instructions: focus on testing bows, shields, and artifacts. Looking around, he noticed the Legend of Zelda section nearby and made his way toward it.
The bows hung neatly on the walls, each crafted with precision. Their designs were practical and sturdy, though they lacked enchantments. Alarcus admired the craftsmanship briefly before his attention shifted to the barrels on the ground in front of the bows. Each barrel was filled with different types of arrows, each labeled in Reyn's neat handwriting: Fire Arrows, Ice Arrows, Lightning Arrows, and finally, Ancient Arrows – Extremely Dangerous and Hard to Make.
Cautiously, Alarcus picked up one of the Ancient Arrows. It thrummed with an ominous energy, its tip glowing faintly with a blue light. Even holding it made his pulse quicken.
"Dangerous, huh? Yeah, I can feel that," he muttered, placing it back carefully.
He selected a few bows and gathered arrows from the barrels—avoiding the Ancient Arrows for now. His curiosity led him to grab a strange, slate-like artifact resting nearby lebeld Sheikah Slate, which. As he held it, faint lines of runes began glowing across its surface, though he wasn't entirely sure what it was for.
With his arms full, Alarcus noticed a teleportation gate nearby. The shimmering portal had a sign above it that read Testing Grounds.
"Convenient," he muttered. Without hesitation, he stepped through the portal.
The world shifted in an instant, and Alarcus found himself standing on a flat mountaintop near Reyn's forge. The air was crisp and clear, and the plateau was dotted with scattered monsters roaming at a distance in the forest below. A wooden desk sat nearby, complete with stacks of paper and pens, ready for recording observationsand a wide-open space filled with wandering monsters in the forest below.
Alarcus placed the slate on the desk alongside the bows, arrows, and other artifacts he had brought. He paused, taking a deep breath to steady himself. "This isn't a game," he reminded himself. "Reyn is trusting me to give real feedback. If I mess around, someone could get hurt when these are used for real." Took another breath "Well, Reyn," he said to the open air, "let's see what these things can do."
With that, he began organizing the items, ready to begin his work.
Alarcus stood at the top of the mountain, the Sheikah Slate glowing faintly in his hands. He decided to start his testing with this strange artifact, intrigued by its potential. Reyn's creations were always complex, and it was clear this one was no exception.
The first function he uncovered was the camera. After fumbling with the controls, he managed to take a picture of the bows he had brought with him. To his surprise, the slate displayed a detailed description of each bow, including its properties, materials, and even its history.
"Useful," Alarcus muttered, imagining how adventurers could benefit from something like this. He snapped a picture of a passing bird, and the slate identified it as a rare species, complete with notes on its diet and habitat. "Reyn could sell these to scholars for a fortune."
Next, he tested the slate's bombs. Holding his breath, he generated a round bomb and threw it over the cliff. It detonated with a thunderous boom, sending dirt and rocks flying. He repeated the process several times, curious if there was a limit. But no matter how many bombs he created, the slate didn't seem to run out of energy.
The ice function was his next focus. Alarcus poured water into his only glass, placed it on the desk, and activated the ice power. Instantly, the water froze solid, leaving him impressed. "Could be handy for travel," he mused.
When he discovered the time-stop ability, he used it on a nearby boulder. The rock froze in place as if time itself had halted. He pushed it experimentally, and when the effect wore off, the boulder flew forward at an incredible speed, crashing into the forest below.
After thoroughly testing the slate, Alarcus leaned against the desk, jotting down notes. "Reyn should really consider making instruction manuals for these things," he muttered. There's too much trial and error involved.
Finally, he turned his attention to the bows and arrows. The weapons included the Lynel Bow, Falcon Bow, Royal Knight Bow, and a standard Knight Bow. He started testing each bow with different types of arrows: fire, ice, lightning, and the ominous ancient arrows.
From his vantage point, he targeted monsters in the distance completely unaware of the people he would save.
The first arrow, a lightning arrow, struck an orc preparing to ambush a group of adventurers. The orc convulsed and collapsed, allowing the stunned adventurers to rally and defeat the remaining monsters.
"What in the—did you see that?" one adventurer gasped, looking around.
"Someone's watching over us," another said, his voice trembling. They knelt and offered a quick prayer to the gods, though they had no idea their savior was testing a weapon from miles away.
Next, he fired an ice arrow at a wyvern circling high above the forest. The arrow struck its wing, freezing it mid-air and sending it crashing into the trees. Unbeknownst to Alarcus, a merchant caravan had been hiding in the forest, moments away from being attacked.
The caravan leader stared at the fallen wyvern in shock. "That... that wasn't us, was it?"
"No way," said a guard, still holding his trembling spear. "That was magic—high-level magic. Someone must have seen us and helped!"
"Whoever they are, they saved our lives. We need to leave before more show up!"
The caravan quickly packed up and moved on, their whispers filled with speculation about the mysterious mage who had come to their aid.
Further down the mountain, a knight squad was struggling against a swarm of fish-like monsters that had emerged from a nearby river. Alarcus, testing a fire arrow, aimed at the water, intending to see how it would interact with the surface. The arrow exploded on impact, sending flames across the river and incinerating the fish monsters.
The knights stared in awe, their weapons still raised.
"Did... did one of you do that?" one of them asked.
"Not me," another knight replied, lowering his sword. "That was no ordinary fire spell. Someone just saved our necks!"
"Whoever they are, I owe them a drink," their captain said with a grin.
"Fire arrows work as advertised," Alarcus noted, scribbling on his notepad.
At one point, Alarcus fired a lightning arrow into the distance, testing its range. The arrow struck a large wolf-like beast just as it lunged at a wandering bard. The bard fell backward, clutching his lute, as the beast convulsed and collapsed.
"Oh, thank the heavens!" the bard exclaimed, looking around frantically. "Is this some kind of divine intervention? Because if it is, I'll write the best song you've ever heard!"
He began composing a tune on the spot, his voice echoing through the forest.
Finally, Alarcus decided to test an ancient arrow on a hulking ogre prowling the forest below. The arrow released a small sphere of glowing blue light, swallowing the ogre and several trees around it.
Nearby adventurers, who had been preparing for what they assumed would be a deadly last stand, stood in stunned silence as the ogre vanished without a trace.
"Did you see that?" one of them whispered, her voice shaking.
"It's gone. It's just... gone," another said, staring at the empty space where the ogre had been.
The group quickly packed up their belongings and fled, eager to avoid whatever force had intervened.
Alarcus took a step back, unnerved by the sheer destructive power. "This… is terrifying," he admitted, adding a note in his report.
Hours passed as Alarcus continued testing, completely oblivious to the lives he was saving. Each arrow loosed from his bow disrupted deadly situations, allowing adventurers, merchants, and knights to survive encounters they wouldn't have otherwise.
As the sun began to set, Alarcus spotted something massive moving in the distance, slowly making its way toward Reyn's forge. He squinted, trying to identify the creature. Its size and presence were unnerving, and he decided to act preemptively.
Drawing an ice arrow, he loosed a shot. The arrow struck true, freezing the creature in place. But to his dismay, it shattered the ice and kept moving. Switching to a lightning arrow, he fired again, stunning it for a few moments. Finally, he used a fire arrow, engulfing the beast in flames.
When the fire died down, a figure emerged from the smoke, launching itself into the air with incredible speed. Alarcus raised his bow defensively as the figure landed near him, revealing itself to be Kael, wielding grand fist in its second form.
"You ruined my hunt!" Kael yelled, his tone dripping with frustration. "Not to mention you froze, electrocuted, and burned me in the process! What the hell, Alarcus?"
Before Alarcus could respond, Kael charged, his fist glowing with power. Alarcus tried to dodge, but Zetsuei moved him out of harm's way at the last second.
Kael landed with a smirk. "You know, we've never fought each other before," he said, cracking his knuckles. "Reyn always said your Zetsuei and my Grand Fist were rivals in the story that inspired him. Let's see which one comes out on top."
The resulting shockwave of kaels attack sent all of Alarcus's carefully written notes flying into the air, scattering them across the mountain. Alarcus froze, watching his papers flutter away.
"You… absolute idiot!" Alarcus bellowed, his usual calm demeanor cracking as he clenched his fists. "Do you have any idea how long it took me to write all that? Hours and days of testing! Ruined!"
Kael smirked, unfazed. "Oh, so the great Alarcus can lose his cool. That's new."