…
Swoosh!
Niflheim used his sword to cut through a thick bundle of vines as the sound of flowing water filled his ears.
A few meters in front of Niflheim was a river several meters deep and roughly thirty meters across.
The river flowed in both directions and eventually curved off as far as the eye could see.
“This wasn’t on the Realm Chart.” Niflheim thought to himself as he furrowed his brows.
Niflheim expected there to be some unforeseen obstacles given that the Realm Chart was not perfect; however, to miss an important landmark like a river meant that the Topographer did not venture this deep into the Ferae Jungle.
Unfortunately, the river was too deep for them to walk across and too wide for the group to jump to the other side. There was also no noticeable break point from one end to the other.
Niflheim thoroughly examined the river and its surroundings before he took to voice chat.
Niflheim, “Change of plans. There’s a river here that isn’t marked on the Realm Chart, but the bigger issue is that we don’t have time to go around it. Swimming and jumping across are also out of the picture. Bellum, is it possible to make a bridge of stone or earth sturdy enough to get everyone safely to the other side?”
Bellum, “What is the river’s size?”
Niflheim, “Around thirty meters across, give or take a few. As for its depths, it’s a bit harder to tell, but if I had to give a rough estimate, it’s at least ten meters deep.”
Bellum, “In that case, it’s possible to create a bridge that reaches the other side; however, there’s one problem. Even if I constructed it out of stone or earth, without some form of foundation, it will not have any structural integrity. Before you ask, making it out of metal is also not possible since it would require an incomparably higher amount of mana that I do not possess.”
Niflheim inwardly frowned as he stared out at the river. Was there truly no way for them to make it across without having to take an even greater detour?
“Do we have no choice but to chance it on the bridge holding up?” Niflheim thought to himself.
Menerva, “Lieutenant Niflheim, what is the ground like on the other side of the river?”
Niflheim, “Hm? It looks exactly the same as this side. Do you have something in mind?”
Menerva, “Possibly. But, first, there is something I need to verify. I am on my way to the front. Captain Izroth, Bellum, I would like the two of you to meet me there.”
Izroth, “Understood. We’ll start heading over.”
…
A few moments later, Menerva arrived at the front of the group. And, without wasting any time, she kneeled down by the edge of the river to examine the ground.
“You find what you’re looking for?” Niflheim asked as he approached Menerva.
Menerva stood to her feet and replied, “Yes. I will explain as soon as the others join us.”
Not long after Menerva completed her examination of the river’s edge, Izroth, accompanied by Bellum, stepped out of the opening made by Niflheim.
Bang!
Menerva removed the large longbow from her back as the bottom end of it pierced into the ground.
The longbow was more than twice her size, standing at a little over three meters tall.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
In the following moment, six violet-colored chains with pointed ends made of mana penetrated into the earth, granting the weapon some much-needed stability.
As Izroth walked over to Menerva and Niflheim, he briefly analyzed the oversized longbow.
‘It’s the first time I’ve seen someone use this kind of bow. But, isn’t it a bit too impractical?’
The setup of the weapon alone placed its user at a great disadvantage since it seemed impossible to utilize while moving around. This meant that as long as a person managed to get close to them or could rain down ranged attacks on their locked position, things would end poorly.
However, with those types of disadvantages present, Izroth knew that there had to be something that made it for it.
Not to mention, Menerva was the kind of person who constantly thought things through. Therefore, she must have found that such a class is what best suited her style of play.
“Can you make it to the other side of the river?” Menerva inquired as she faced Izroth.
“Sure. Is there something you need me to do once I’m over there?”
Menerva gave a small nod and said, “No, I merely needed to ensure a feasible backup plan in case this one is unsuccessful.”
She then continued, “My current plan is to provide the necessary foundation for Bellum’s bridge by employing these.”
Clank!
Menerva removed three long metal rods with tips that made them resemble nails. Attached to the opposite end of each rod through a ring with a slight indentation was a thick metallic-like rope twisted into a tight helix. And, at the end of the rope was a metal spike.
When Niflheim saw the rods with the thick rope and spikes, he quickly realized what Menerva was up to.
“I see. You want to use the same principles that apply to reinforced concrete.” Niflheim commented.
“Precisely. Except, there will be no need to experience the displeasure of having to wait for it to acquire its full compressive strength.” Menerva explained as her gaze shifted to Bellum.
“I will fire a total of three metal rods to the other side of the river. Once the rods are connected, the rest will be up to you.” Menerva stated.
After Menerva finished going over a few more minor details, she moved on to complete the final preparations.
Menerva grabbed one of the metal spikes attached to the end of the rope and stabbed it into the ground.
The force she used was not that great; however, the spike drilled into the earth effortlessly until only the rope was visible.
Menerva repeated this step for the other two metal spikes, placing each of them exactly thirty centimeters apart from one another.
Once she was done, Menerva picked up the first metal rod and positioned herself behind her longbow.
She started by activating the skill Vision of Purification as she set the notch portion of the ring onto the bowstring.
She placed her left foot firmly near the bottom end of the longbow where there was a small space specifically for her footing. Then, using both hands and her entire body weight, Menerva leaned back as the bowstring slowly began to bend.
By the time Menerva managed to pull the bowstring to its limits, a full ten seconds had passed!
“I would advise covering your ears,” Menerva warned.
Taking her advice, Izroth, Niflheim, and Bellum placed their hands over their ears.
Then, without a moment’s delay, Menerva released her grip on the metal rod.
…BOOOOOM! Rmmmmmble! Screeeeeech!
The instant Menerva let go of the bowstring, the surrounding earth trembled as the powerful release resulted in a sonic boom. This sonic boom was soon followed by a high tone ear-piercing screech as the metal rod whistled through the air.
Before anyone could even blink, the metal rod had already reached the other side of the river and drilled into the earth.
Snap!
The metallic-like rope made a snapping sound as it straightened out to its utmost limit. However, despite the immense force, it remained in one piece.
‘Oh? It certainly has its downsides, but still—what a terrifying weapon.’
It took ten seconds just to draw the projectile, and the commotion it caused was problematic. However, the sheer amount of explosive power it contained was probably enough to one-shot a high-level tank wearing a full set of rare-quality equipment, let alone the average player. And, the speed made it so that even the most agile of players would have a difficult time evading it.
“That’s some class you have,” Niflheim commented as his ears were still ringing even after covering them.
After the first rod reached the other side of the river, Menerva wasted no time moving on to the next one. And, less than thirty seconds later, she had successfully shot-fired all three rods.
When the last rod drilled into the ground and locked into place, the only things that remained visible were the three perfectly spaced and straightened metallic ropes that stretched across the river’s surface.
