Adventurer of Many Professions-Chapter 148: The detonation of Sylph’s Explosion Magic!

Raymond clenched his jaw.

He had to adjust.

He needed to shift more of the burden onto himself, lessen the risk for the others.

It would be harder, sure. More pressure on him. But that didn’t matter. Not to him.

He was ready.

His Dark Moon dagger rested in his grip, a reassuring weight. His light armor, reinforced with an arm shield, would give him the edge he needed. And most of all—he was confident.

If this had been a pack of Mad Baboons, it might’ve been a different story. But these? These were just Red-Eyed Crows.

Raymond smirked to himself.

"Come on, then."

And so he waited.

Waited for the inevitable sound that would set it all in motion.

----

"There are seven of them outside now," Sylph muttered, her sharp gaze scanning the Red-Eyed Crows in the square.

Five of them were still feasting, their bloodstained beaks tearing into the remains of whatever unfortunate creature had been left out for them. The other two perched on the rooftop, their glowing red eyes flicking back and forth as they kept watch.

"If we can take out all five feeding at once," she continued, "we’ll only have to deal with the two sentries on the roof."

Arya nodded, gripping her bow. "That would be ideal, but if any survive the initial blast, I’ll pick them off before they take flight." Her tone was calm but firm, her fingers already reaching for an arrow.

Lorene, standing slightly behind them, frowned in thought. "From what we observed earlier, they don’t take off very quickly after eating. Even if they sense the explosion coming, they likely won’t escape the blast radius in time."

"Right," Sylph agreed. "These crows are massive. When they try to lift off, it takes a few seconds for them to gain speed. They’re nothing like those tiny birds that can dart away instantly."

"In that case, let’s get ready." Arya reached over her shoulder, pulling an arrow from her quiver.

But it wasn’t just any arrow.

The shaft was thick, the metal tip heavy and broad. A heavy arrow.

These arrows packed immense force but required substantial strength to wield effectively. Without enough power behind the shot, even a direct hit would struggle to pierce the Red-Eyed Crows’ thick feathers were like natural armor that had deflected lesser attacks before.

In her quiver, Arya carried three distinct types of arrows: Armor-Piercing Arrows, Double-Edged Barbed Arrows, and Heavy Arrows. All of them handcrafted by Raymond, five of each.

While her enhanced strength as an Archer had improved her draw weight, it still wasn’t enough to make Heavy Arrows the best choice against these creatures.

Logically, she should’ve used an Armor-Piercing Arrow or a Double-Edged Barbed Arrow. The latter would be particularly useful, it would lodge deep, causing continuous bleeding. Even if a crow managed to flee, they could track it later.

Yet Arya didn’t switch arrows.

Instead, she drew back her bowstring, exhaling slowly.

"Lorene," she said, her voice steady. "I’m ready."

Sylph, gripping her staff, nodded. "Same here."

Lorene took a deep breath, then raised her magic staff skyward. The polished wood glowed faintly as she began to chant:

"Merciful Sun Goddess, grant me the power of blessing. Let even the weak rise up and resist… Blessing of Courage!"

A warm, golden light pulsed from the staff. The glow washed over them, filling their bodies with an almost electric surge of strength.

Arya’s arms trembled for a fraction of a second; then, suddenly, the tension in her bowstring lessened. The Heavy Arrow that had been difficult to fully draw just moments ago now pulled back effortlessly.

A distinct buzz resonated as the bowstring reached full draw.

For the first time, Arya had her bowstring pulled back to its maximum limit.

At that moment, her strength rivaled that of a seasoned warrior.

And she wasn’t the only one.

Sylph and Lorene, too, felt the surge. Their muscles no longer burned with strain, their bodies felt lighter, stronger. The Blessing of Courage was a group enhancement, able to empower up to five people at once. Unlike common Strength Potions, which only had partial effects on trained warriors, this blessing stacked directly on their natural power, doubling a fighter’s strength instantly.

A warrior under this spell could become a walking siege engine.

Unfortunately, it only lasted five minutes.

If the spell had a longer duration, Raymond would’ve insisted Lorene cast it on him before he infiltrated the enemy’s hideout.

But there was no time to dwell on that now.

Sylph took one last breath, steadying herself. Her magic staff glowed faintly as she fixed her eyes on the crows still gorging themselves in the square.

The distance was over eighty meters.

But that was no issue.

Since mastering the second stage of her Explosion Magic, her range had extended from fifty meters to an impressive hundred.

Which meant…

This was well within her reach.

A sharp gleam flashed in Sylph’s eyes.

"Alright," she whispered. "Let’s begin."

Sylph didn’t hesitate. She raised her staff, gripping it tightly as she began her incantation, her voice quick and sharp:

"Under the flowing flames, the red blaze of fury, the crimson spirit, leap, Exploding Fireball!"

The moment the final syllable left her lips, a brilliant red magic circle ignited above her head, its intricate symbols pulsing with energy.

Visit fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm for the best novel reading experi𝒆nce.

Then—whoosh!

A fireball erupted from the glowing circle, scorching the air as it streaked toward its target.

The Red-Eyed Crows feasting in the square didn’t even look up. They had no idea what was coming.

Sylph had chanted the spell at an incredible speed, ensuring the rooftop sentries wouldn’t have enough time to react. But despite her caution, one of the Red-Eyed Crows perched on the roof noticed the flicker of red light forming above her head.

It turned its head sharply, its glowing eyes narrowing.

It opened its beak to sound the alarm—

But Arya was faster.

Before the magic circle had fully formed, she had already released the string of her bow.

Bang!

The Heavy Arrow shot through the air like a black comet, a dark blur slicing toward the rooftop sentry.

The crow barely had time to register the attack before—

Crack!

The arrow struck it square in the head. The sheer force shattered its skull on impact, sending a wet explosion of feathers and flesh into the air.

The creature never made a sound.

Its decapitated body slumped forward and tumbled off the roof, hitting the ground with a sickening thud.

The noise finally made the five Red-Eyed Crows in the square look up, blood still dripping from their beaks.

But by then, it was too late.

Whoosh!

The Exploding Fireball had arrived.

A shrill, ear-piercing "GAH!" rang out from the surviving rooftop sentry as it saw the incoming blast—

Then—

BOOM!

The fireball detonated on impact, engulfing the square in an explosion of crimson flames. The entire ground trembled violently, the shockwave rippling through the air with enough force to make Sylph and the others stagger.

A pillar of fire roared skyward, consuming the five Red-Eyed Crows in an instant. Their shrieks of agony were drowned out by the deafening explosion.

When the flames finally receded, there was nothing left of them.

Not a single body.

Not even a severed feathers.

Just scorched earth and a cloud of dust swirling in the air.

Arya, who had been prepared to fire another arrow, froze in place, her eyes wide with shock.

She swallowed hard.

"Explosion Magic is… terrifying."

She had anticipated that some of the Red-Eyed Crows might escape, readying her arrows to take them down.

She never expected there would be no need.

Sylph, however, didn’t share her sense of awe.

The moment the spell finished, her body swayed, her legs trembling.