Chapter 41: Delivery in the Dark
Draven slipped through the shadows of the outer district. The night was completely dead.
He kept his footsteps silent as he approached the rundown workshop on the edge of the slums.
The heavy iron door was closed. No other students were around.
Draven pushed the door open and stepped inside. The roaring fires of the forge had been reduced to a low and steady hum.
Cole Rust was waiting for him.
The young blacksmith looked entirely different from yesterday. He was no longer the frustrated boy crying over shattered iron.
His posture was straight. His eyes were sharp and focused. His awakened constitution radiated a faint and steady heat.
The mont Cole saw Draven, he imdiately dropped his hamr and bowed his head in deep reverence.
"You ca," Cole said respectfully. He looked at Draven not just as a custor, but as an absolute benefactor.
"I have finished your request. The materials you provided were flawless."
"Show ," Draven commanded.
Cole walked over to his heavy wooden workbench. He carefully picked up a long rectangular box wrapped in dark leather.
He brought it over and unrolled the fabric under the dim light of the forge.
Draven’s eyes narrowed in genuine appreciation.
Resting on the leather was the kinetic arrow. It was incredibly sleek and perfectly balanced.
The Pristine Steel Iron had been tempered into a deadly and aerodynamic spike.
But it was not just a piece of sharp tal. A complex matrix of glowing blue runes ran down the entire length of the shaft.
"Tell about them." Draven asked.
"I etched the conduits using mana crystal ink," Cole explained quietly. He pointed to the glowing lines.
"I crushed low-grade crystals and slted them into the steel. When you apply your telekinetic force, the runes will capture the energy and multiply the acceleration. It will fly faster than sound."
Draven picked up the heavy spike. It felt perfect in his grip.
"Faster than sound, you say? Hope it works that way." said Draven in a low voice.
It was the ultimate sniper round for a Vector manipulator.
He looked down at the second weapon.
The hollow kunai was resting next to the arrow. It had a dull matte finish to avoid reflecting any stray light.
It looked exactly like the standard gear used by the underworld syndicates.
"I made an adjustnt to your original design for the kunai," Cole admitted with a hint of pride.
"A deep impact trigger is too unreliable for an assassination. What if you hit a bone and it shatters too early? Or what if it simply grazes the flesh?"
Draven raised an eyebrow.
"What did you do?"
"I etched an internal pressure rune right against the glass vial," Cole said.
"The sodium is sealed tight. But the mont you will it, the mont you send a tiny pulse of your own mana into the hilt, the internal rune will crush the glass. You control exactly when the target bursts from the inside out."
A dark and predatory smile spread across Draven’s face.
Cole had not just forged a weapon. He had created a remote detonator for human biology. The boy was a true genius.
"This is exceptional work, Cole," Draven praised him. He stored the weapons into his spatial ring with a swift motion.
"You have proven your worth."
Cole bowed again. He placed his right fist over his heart.
"You broke my curse," Cole vowed with absolute loyalty.
"You gave the highest grade of steel when everyone else called trash. My hamr belongs to you. I will serve you until the day I die."
"Keep practicing your craft," Draven instructed coldly.
"We are going to need a lot more weapons very soon. You are very critical for my plans."
Cole asked curiously, "Plans? If I may be so bold, can you tell your plans?"
Draven looked at him with dead eyes. Cole was a good guy, but revealing this plan was not sothing he can ever do.
Draven put his hand on Cole’s shoulder and grabbed it with love.
"Did you know? The curiosity kills the Cat. You should try not to run your mouth without considering the ti and place."
With each word uttered from his mouth, the pressure on Cole increased as he understood the weight of the "Plans".
"I-I apologize for crossing the line." Cole was on his knees and struggled to utter every word.
"I do not like unnecessary violence Cole. I just cannot disclose sensitive information to soone I have just t. I hope you understand." Draven warned him.
"YES SIR!!"
Draven turned around and walked out of the forge. The heavy door clicked shut behind him.
---
The pieces were finally in his hands.
He walked back toward the Academy grounds under the cover of darkness. His mind was running a hundred calculations per second.
’Sirius Statanham was manipulating the guard rotations. The Vanguard dical Ward would have a massive blind spot on the VIP floor at exactly midnight.’
Cole had delivered the perfect untraceable weapons. The System had granted him the Janitor skill to completely erase the grueso aftermath.
’The execution is set,’ Draven thought as he slipped into the main dormitory building.
’I will pin him to the bed with the arrow. I will inject the sodium with the kunai. The explosion will destroy his heart and lungs. I will wipe the blood from the room. I will leave the Cult’s ransom note.’
It was a flawless tactical loop. There were no loose ends.
Draven walked down the dark and quiet hallway of his floor. He was so deeply subrged in his own violent ntal blueprint that he let his situational awareness slip for a microsecond.
He turned the corner near the kitchen.
THUD!
He collided directly into soone in the dark.
A soft yelp echoed in the quiet hallway. The person stumbled backward from the heavy impact.
Draven instantly reached out and grabbed their arm to stop them from hitting the wooden floor.
The moonlight spilled through the corridor window.
Estella Everdawn was looking up at him with wide and startled eyes. She was wearing an oversized hoodie and holding a half-empty glass of water.
"Draven?" Estella whispered in confusion. She noticed the cold and distant shadow lingering in his dark eyes.
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