After several days of fishing, Bart had a bountiful catch. He sold the fish, bought plenty of food, and happily returned ho.
Just as he pulled out his keys to unlock the door, peals of laughter echoed from inside his house. A chill ran down his spine. He kicked the door open without even unlocking it and stord inside like a madman.
Two strangers calmly sat inside, while his children were joyfully singing around them. There was even a large spread of food on the floor where they were seated.
Tilda was the first to notice Bart and greeted him warmly, “Dad, you are ho! This is Big Brother Han Wu and Akanzor. They ca to see you. They brought food and even healed our brother!”
The youngest daughter, Sigrid, was clutching a beautiful toy as she toddled over. “Big Brother Han even gave this toy.”
Only Bart’s son, Bain, sensed their father’s tension. He stood up weakly and approached him. “Dad, do you recognize them?”
Bart shook his head, trying to place their faces among all the people he had t. None of them matched anyone nad Han Wu.
“Mr. Bart, we ca specifically for you,” Han Wu said, rising to greet him. Akanzor mirrored his motion and stood loyally beside Han Wu.
“We can go out and talk.” Bart’s tone carried a hint of hostility. His family bore the responsibility of slaying a dragon, and he was used to opportunists who tried to exploit that. He remained cautious when it ca to strangers.
“Of course.” Han Wu nodded and stepped out with Akanzor.
Inside, Bart questioned his children about Han Wu and asked whether he had acted strangely. They all shook their heads, and Bart relaxed a little. Only then did he step outside.
The three n stood on a wooden bridge and peered down at the cold river below.
Bart spoke first. “Why are you here looking for ?”
“We have co to ask about the whereabouts of the dragon-slaying Black Arrows,” Han Wu answered candidly.
Bart raised his guard. The Black Arrows were his family’s heirloom. How could two outsiders even know about them?
He tried to deny it. “I don’t know what you are talking about.”
Han Wu cleared his throat. “I am acquainted with Smog, the gold dragon. He requested that I co and find the Black Arrows. I hope you can understand my position.”
“You scum! I will never surrender the Black Arrows to you!” Bart swiftly drew his bow, nocking a sharp arrow and holding it ready to fire.
Han Wu felt a flicker of danger as Bart’s arrow trained on him. His instincts scread that Bart was capable of killing him.
“Mr. Bart, let’s resolve this peacefully,” Han Wu said.
Bart was unwilling to negotiate. “Leave Rivertown or die.”
Akanzor brandished his Overlord Sabre at the sight of his god under threat. “I don’t care who you are, but you will not insult my glorious God! Apologize!”
Bart loosed an arrow to assert his stance, but Akanzor sliced it clean in half with a swift swing before attacking Bart. While the two clashed intensely on the wooden bridge, Han Wu observed with keen interest.
Akanzor was one of the geniuses that Han Wu had recruited from among the human slaves, highly skilled with bladed weapons. Under Han Wu’s training, his skills had flourished, and he was now as strong as a Lord life form.
Bart matched him blow for blow, one hand steady on his bow, the other gripping a short dagger. Even in close combat, he held his ground against Akanzor, proving that he was just as strong. Additionally, Bart had the Divine Archer title. Han Wu was certain that Akanzor would lose if Bart put so distance between them.
The two fought viciously, but neither gained the upper hand. Bart tried to put space between himself and his opponents to rain arrows down on them.
That was when Han Wu intervened. He transford into a treant and sent his vines to subdue Bart.
Han Wu’s sudden transformation stunned Bart; he had never witnessed anything like this. He combed through his experience and knowledge before asking tentatively, “You are a druid?”
Han Wu could speak even in his treant form. “I am not a druid. I am a God.”
“God?” Bart echoed.
Gods were the stuff of legend in the Middle Realm, said to have existed only in the distant past.
Han Wu explained his purpose. “Do not doubt for I am indeed a God. I am here to destroy the Black Arrows.”
“No! You cannot do that!” Bart shouted. “They are the only thing that can stop that dragon. Without them, that dragon will co and reduce everything to ashes.”
Even though the vines bound Bart, he refused to relent. Protecting Rivertown was a duty passed down through every generation of his family. It was also the reason they had forged the Black Arrows in the first place.
“What if I could convince Smog not to attack Rivertown?” Han Wu needed to destroy the Black Arrows at all costs to gain a lead on the Magic Ring, yet preventing Smog from attacking Rivertown was feasible.
Bart hesitated as he considered Han Wu’s identity. If Smog never approached Rivertown again, the Black Arrows would lose their purpose. “Why should I trust you? How can you prove it?”
“I can turn you into a God.”
Bart froze. Can I really beco a God? If I do, I will have the power to protect Rivertown. The Black Arrows might no longer be necessary.
“Fine. I’ll tell you where they are if you turn into a God,” Bart said reluctantly.
“Good. I’ll make it happen as quickly as I can.” Han Wu promised, though the task would be far from easy. Even within the Divine Civilization, Han Wu would need to provide at least five Divine Essence for Bart to beco a Demigod. To beco a perfect Demigod would require ten.
At present, Han Wu had only a few thousand believers. Gathering five Divine Essence would take ten days or more. His clone was still weak and hadn't beco a Demigod yet.
Turning Bart into a Demigod would be challenging, but Han Wu wasn’t deterred. He had already devised a plan. If it succeeded, he would not only gain nurous believers but also an abundance of Faith Points. At that point, Bart’s ascension into a Demigod would be effortless.
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