Beastbound: Awakening the Hunter

The villagers exchanged uncertain glances, their confusion evident. Their world was simple, their knowledge limited, and the term core apprentice meant nothing to them. They couldn’t even fathom how powerful such an apprentice might be. What caught their attention, however, was that this strange voice had referred to Oliver as "Lord Stark."

One of the villagers quickly turned to look at the road, spotting a portly middle-aged man approaching from the village path, wearing a woolen sweater.

"Isn’t that Gavin from the Oak Barrel Tavern?" one whispered.

"It’s him. Why is the tavern owner coming to our little village?" another muttered.

"Why is he calling Stark Lord? Even the best hunters in town treat Gavin with respect, not like this..."

The villagers whispered among themselves, perplexed by this unusual turn of events.

Oliver, too, found himself puzzled by the situation.Gavin, the tavern owner, had never before acted this way toward him. In fact, before Oliver had gone to the academy, Gavin had seen him as nothing more than another regular hunter.

Even after Oliver went to the academy, Gavin still believed he could never become a magic apprentice.But now, Gavin was calling him Lord Stark?

"Ha! Lord Stark, I’ve been searching for you these past few days, but you haven’t come by the tavern. I decided to come all the way to your village just to find you. And here you are!" Gavin's voice was full of enthusiasm, mixed with a newfound reverence.

This was a far cry from his usual, cool attitude.

Oliver raised an eyebrow, curious. "What’s going on, Gavin? You’re looking for me."

"Well… I’m not sure exactly, but my father—he specifically told me to invite you to our house as an honored guest. He’s preparing a feast in your honor, and… and from now on, we’re to address you as Lord Stark."

He leaned in closer, his voice dropping even further. "Lord Stark, you... you didn’t become a core apprentice, did you?"

Oliver smiled slightly and nodded. "Something like that."

Gavin’s face lit up with excitement. "I knew it! I knew you had extraordinary potential! You were always meant to become a wizard—maybe even enter the Mage Tower someday!"

His eyes sparkled with admiration and adulation, a stark contrast to the indifferent tavern owner Oliver had once known.

In truth, Oliver was not just a regular core apprentice; he also possessed a supercharged magical core. His future was far brighter.

The villagers, though they didn’t understand exactly what had happened, could see from Gavin’s attitude that Oliver had certainly risen to a new status. No longer was he the poor, hungry boy of the village. Their gazes toward him were a mix of envy and awe.

Being addressed as Lord... surely this meant Oliver was on the cusp of becoming a noble—or perhaps he already was one?

"Tomorrow evening," Gavin continued with a broad smile, "this is my family’s address. Lord Stark, please do honor us with your presence!"

Gavin handed Oliver a formal invitation, which Oliver accepted with a polite nod. He glanced over it briefly, committing the details to memory.

"I’ll come by tomorrow if I have time," Oliver replied.

With that, he didn’t linger in the village any longer. He changed into fresh clothes at home and then took the Shatterbeast shell he’d been storing, carefully wrapped in linen cloth, to the blacksmith shop.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The familiar sound of metal striking metal filled the air as Oliver entered the forge. The atmosphere was as lively as always, with the rhythmic pounding of hammers.

Placing the hardened shells on the counter, Oliver didn’t have to say a word. The blacksmith, Andre, glanced at them and immediately understood their value. His eyes lit up with appreciation.

"These... these are worth far more than I imagined, Sir Mage," Andre said with growing respect. "This material could easily fetch 1,500 silver coins at the market. Let me inspect them more carefully."

He picked up a golden-rimmed magnifying glass and began scrutinizing the shells, his hands shaking slightly in awe. After a moment, he carefully set them aside, showing clear distaste for the linen wrapping.

"Such precious materials… wrapped in such lowly cloth!" Andre muttered, shaking his head.

After a more thorough examination, he finally gave his estimate. "The value of these shells is at least 1,800 silver coins. After deducting the 1,500 silver for the forging fee, I owe you 300 silver coins."

A slender bookkeeper swiftly stepped forward, handing Oliver a heavy sack of silver. The weight of it was satisfying in his hands.

Oliver smiled, pleasantly surprised. He had prepared himself to pay extra for the forging work, but instead, he’d gained 300 silver coins. The value of these materials was higher than he’d anticipated!

He quickly tucked the sack away, feeling a sense of satisfaction. After all, with his studies at the academy, there would be plenty of expenses to come, especially when it came to learning advanced magic.

"Come by in seven days to pick up your staff, or if you prefer, we can arrange a delivery," Andre said.

"I’ll pick it up myself," Oliver replied, his thoughts already elsewhere.

He left the blacksmith shop in a hurry, eager to check on his pets. The mental link he had with them had buzzed with excitement—they had found something!

Something truly incredible.

A scale from a serpent—a magical serpent’s scale!

Could it be from the monstrous magical beast that had wreaked havoc in the forest the previous night? The thought thrilled Oliver. That beast had been terrifying. Just its passage through the woods had caused untold destruction. Countless creatures had perished, and Oliver had barely escaped with his life.

But now, his companions had found a piece of this beast's remains—this serpent scale.

For that colossal creature, it might be insignificant. But for Oliver, this scale was a treasure beyond measure, potentially more valuable than the Shatterbeast shells he had just sold.

He quickened his pace, heart racing as he headed for the forest, eager to see this find for himself.