The White Fang Bow

Instructor Calm's gaze fell upon the crystal core, but there wasn't a hint of disdain in his eyes.

He took it, his thumb lightly brushing over its rough, jagged edges. His expression was steady, even carrying a touch of warm satisfaction.

“It's been stored for quite a while, so its life energy isn't very abundant, and the quality is somewhat mediocre...” Porter explained.

Instructor Calm nodded slightly and slowly put the crystal core away, his tone free of any blame:

“It doesn't matter if the quality is ordinary. I know how hard it is to find crystal cores. It couldn't have been easy to secure even this one from the chamber of commerce. Thank you for your trouble.”

“As for the life energy content, having a bit less actually makes it safer. It reduces the risk of a backlash from breaking through too violently.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the atmosphere in the courtyard eased.

The smile on Porter's face grew a bit more genuine.

That Instructor Calm could value this ordinary crystal core so highly, and even point out its “safer” aspect, showed he completely understood Porter's intentions and recognized the true value of this resource.

This seemed to wash away much of the fatigue Porter had accumulated from running around trying to buy it over the past few days.

After all, he and Calm were old friends of many years. Calm reaching the Silver Rank would bring nothing but benefits to Porter's own advancement within the chamber of commerce.

Moreover, Calm now owed him a favor in a way, which in itself held immeasurable value for Porter.

Matthew listened quietly from the side, his understanding of crystal cores and life energy deepening.

He realized that although lower-quality crystal cores had limited energy, they were actually more suitable for weaker Brass Rank Class holders.

This was because they could effectively reduce the risk of a backlash from a failed breakthrough caused by an overwhelming surge of energy.

However, he also considered that higher-quality crystal cores would provide more abundant and pure life energy at critical junctures like breaking through to the Silver Rank.

This would be far more beneficial for the user's future potential and immediate combat strength after reaching the Silver Rank.

‘You win some, you lose some... That makes perfect sense,’ Matthew thought to himself.

Thinking of it this way, the goat demon's crystal core was practically a match made in heaven for him.

Not only was the goat demon's crystal core large and of high quality, but the rich life energy within it was also practically custom-made for a strong Brass Rank expert like him. It would be the ideal choice for his breakthrough.

At the same time, his worries about whether Instructor Calm could successfully break through to the Silver Rank began to fade.

Matthew knew the risks of a backlash from a failed breakthrough; he had heard Calm mention it during their previous conversations.

Now that Calm had obtained this mediocre but safe and controllable crystal core, it would actually help him cross this threshold more steadily.

Even if an accident occurred, it wouldn't be life-threatening.

The fundamental reason why the treatment of the Silver Rank was worlds apart from the Brass Rank lay in the fact that the aptitude required to break through to the Silver Rank far exceeded that of the Brass Rank, and the risk of failure was extremely high.

Even with the assistance of a crystal core, one could still suffer a backlash if the energy surge was too intense.

These harsh conditions and heavy costs meant that Silver Rank Class holders were far fewer in number than those of the Brass Rank, making their value incomparably higher.

This outcome was for the best.

Matthew's own strength would only continue to grow, and he certainly didn't want to see Instructor Calm's progress cut short by a failed breakthrough.

The current arrangement was undoubtedly the best possible outcome.

While Matthew was lost in thought, Calm and Porter finished their discussion and stood up, preparing to depart.

Seeing this, Matthew stood up as well.

Porter noticed his movement and immediately waved his hand to stop him, his tone warm but carrying a clear message to stay behind:

“Matthew, you stay here. Calm and I will go over together.”

He offered Matthew a gentle smile as he spoke, his gaze falling on the cloth bag containing the bow on the table:

“You can use this time to test the feel of this bow and get used to it. If anything feels off or if you have any issues, let me know anytime, and I'll find a way to adjust it.”

Hearing this, Matthew nodded and sat back down.

Seeing this, Porter secretly let out a sigh of relief.

On the surface, he was accompanying Calm to meet Taylor to provide clues about the Shadow Wolf King, but in reality, he and Calm had coordinated a story that was a mix of truth and lies.

In matters like this, the fewer people involved, the better. Matthew was still young and lacked experience.

If he were to get nervous and misspeak in front of a half-step Gold Rank powerhouse like Taylor, or if he were intimidated by the man's aura and accidentally let something slip, it would cause massive trouble.

It could easily ruin everything they had worked for!

Matthew watched as Porter and Instructor Calm walked out of the courtyard gate side by side.

Once their figures vanished and the sound of hooves finally faded among the village cottages, Matthew withdrew his gaze and refocused on the cloth bag in front of him.

He reached out, untied the drawstring of the bag, and slowly unfolded it.

Lying quietly inside was a milky-white longbow.

Matthew lifted the longbow in his hands and examined it closely.

The entire bow was milky-white, with a fine, dense, and hard texture. Its surface bore faint, natural patterns resembling bone or teeth, and it felt warm yet slightly cool to the touch—definitely not made of ordinary wood or metal.

Its shape was sleek and natural, yet it possessed a refined precision that spoke of meticulous polishing.

He stroked it gently, feeling its smooth, cool texture.

“This texture, this size... It was probably crafted from the tooth or bone of some magical beast,” he muttered to himself.

After all, the bones of ordinary wild beasts could never be this large or resilient, let alone sustain such a perfect bow shape and even distribution of force.

He gripped the bow and slowly raised his arm to test its weight. It was neither too heavy nor too light, with the center of gravity falling precisely just in front of the grip. It was almost as if it had been custom-made for his arm length and drawing habits.

A sense of connection, as if the bow were an extension of his own flesh and bone, quietly spread from his palm.

Right then, a black panel popped up:

【Equipment: White Fang Bow

Quality: Blue

Description: The bow is crafted from the long canine tooth of the magical beast, the “White Demon Hound,” polished through a special process. It has a fine, hard texture and a warm, slightly cool touch. The center of gravity is precise, highly matching the user's arm length and drawing habits.

Effects:

Significantly increases the training efficiency of Basic Archery.

Increases effective damage dealt to light-armored and heavy-armored targets.

Thanks to its exceptional material, the bow limbs can withstand and efficiently transmit immense strength, transferring it to the arrows for a perfect release.

Skills: None】

Having seen the panel for the Dawn Sword, Matthew was already mentally prepared for Blue-quality weapons.

Yet, looking at the panel of the “White Fang Bow,” he still felt a touch of surprise!

“This bow is absolutely a rare masterpiece!” he exclaimed inwardly.

The first two effects of this bow—increasing training efficiency and providing armor penetration—were within Matthew's expectations and did not surprise him.

However, the third effect was the real key:

It could convert the user's strength into the kinetic energy of the arrow more efficiently. Simply put, the stronger the user, the higher the damage dealt.

This was the true value of the bow in Matthew's eyes, and the core reason why it was considered a treasure.

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