4.5

August placed it down on the ground and then took another branch from his inventory; it was one of the straighter pieces. He checked to make sure it at least looked like the shape he would expect from an arrow and then set to using his [Flint Knife] to start whittling it down. The tip was filed to something of a point, and then he went the extra mile of stripping the bark as well.

August didn’t have anything to use as the feathers that he and Rittan had discussed, but he did have access to the leftover sheet of thin bark. He took the bark and used his [Flint Knife] to cut it into a fin-shape. Given the size of the arrow, the fins ended up being pretty large. He spent a minute just trying to figure out how to attach it. In the end, he ended up using the [Flint Chisel] to split the end of the arrow, carefully bent the split up, and threaded the bark fin into the space before allowing it to clamp back down to hold it in place.

Basic Arrow Blueprint Unlocked

August set about making a full set of six arrows using the same ineffective method, the process far more refined now. The end result wasn’t fantastic, and the shape he’d cut the bark into was pretty bad. The next set he made would probably include some thin cordage to better tie down the vanes instead of messing with the integrity of the arrow itself.

“Rittan?” August said, pushing himself up and bringing the bow with him. “How’s the cooking going?”

It was a struggle to lift, but he’d seen some of what Rittan could do with his enormous strength, and he’d seen the size of some of the monsters that lived in Devil’s Nest—maybe he should try to make a ballista next.

“I believe this may be cooked, but I am unsure if we should eat it,” Rittan admitted, emerging from the [A-Frame Hut] with two roughly cut skewers in hand. “Dear me—what a monstrously sized bow.”

August snorted at the comment, looking down at the skewer Rittan was holding out; the meat looked cooked, but it was far paler than he would have expected.

“Uh, I’ll swap you?” August said, hands full.

Rittan easily took the [Great Bow] from his hand with his top right hand, once again without a hint of strain. August took the skewer and held it up for a closer look—[Analysis].

Cooked Meat

Adult Mitikos are known for their tough hides, but adolescent examples of the species are far less durable. The meat is chewy and does not possess much flavour.

“I did not expect your first attempt to be this advanced,” Rittan said as he inspected the massive thing.

August was pretty sure the meat was safe to eat, so he bit down on the skewer and attempted to bite off a chunk.

“August—we don’t know if it’s safe yet!” Rittan said, speaking quickly.

“Don’t worry,” August said, chewing the tough meat. “I used [Analysis] to check first—it doesn’t say anything about it being unsafe. It’s chewy, though; I suppose I could choke on it if I’m not careful.”

Rittan just shook his head, clearly in disagreement. Before turning his attention back to the [Great Bow], lifting it up in front of him and carefully drawing the string back. He stopped pretty quickly, humming to himself.

“Not good?” August wondered.

“No, it’s an amazing result,” Rittan said quickly, glancing up for a moment. “I’m just not sure the string will survive very many uses.”

August nodded as he slowly chewed the meat—having something to eat that was a Sadapple was an experience he would savour. Lake full of giant monsters or not, he would be going out there first thing in the morning and finding another one—or rather, he’d bully Ladybug into doing it.

“Yeah, I wasn’t sure how thick to make it,” He admitted, having done the cordage before the blueprint was completed. “Maybe practice with it until it breaks, and I’ll make a stronger one after—it’s yours now, so knock yourself out.”

“I will,” Rittan said seriously, lifting the weapon up horizontally and bowing at the waist. “Thank you, August; I will treasure this gift.”

August scratched at his neck for a moment, a bit overwhelmed at the outright gratitude—he’d done the same thing with the tools, making a big show out of receiving them. It was awkward being on the other side of it and made him feel as if he should have made a better version before handing it over.

“Don’t mention it,” August mumbled, glancing away. “Thanks for the food, man—it’s good.”

“You are most welcome,” Rittan said pleasantly.

After they’d both eaten, Rittan moved towards the treeline, bow in hand and the bundle of six arrows in another hand. August followed behind, wanting to see it in action—mostly so he could see how it worked and correct any obvious mistakes for the next attempt. Ladybug sulked when she realised they weren’t actually going into the forest, dropping down onto the ground with a warble.

Unlike August’s attempts to draw the bow, Rittan could actually manage it. He set the arrow against the bow, resting on his finger with the vane pointed outwards. He drew it back, bending the [Great Bow] dangerously—and August realised that the top half of the bow was about an inch longer than the bottom.

Rittan held it like that for a long moment, marking his target as the large tree about fifteen meters ahead of him. The arrow vanished from his hand, glancing off the tree to the left of the target and shattering into a hundred pieces—August winced.

Ladybug trilled in alarm before moving to investigate the tree with interest.

“The Arrows suck,” August sighed, “At least it went kind of straight?”

“Indeed,” Rittan said, humming. “It’s a weight issue, I believe—the force a bow of this size generates requires something far more weighted.”

“Thicker arrow shaft,” August noted, “A weighted tip? Like a flint arrowhead or something? Ladybug! Get back over here, will you? Do you want to get shot?”

Ladybug came back at the sound of her name and got a burst of [Tame] to reinforce the good behaviour.

“Both would help, I think,” Rittan admitted, drawing the [Great Bow] back for a second shot. “A thicker shaft may be the best benefit for now.”

The arrow hit the actual tree he was aiming at this time, and the arrow exploded into splinters once more. August kept Ladybug from moving towards it this time, as Rittan notched the third arrow.

“What if I wrapped the shaft in cord?” August said before frowning at the idea. “Nevermind, it would get in the way of firing it.”

“Yes, I think it would catch,” Rittan admitted; the third arrow missed the tree by an inch and vanished into the forest. “Unfortunate.”

“I’ll make another set,” August said.