Boran suddenly stopped. "Boney, wait a minute," he said with a thoughtful expression. "We can actually solve your arrow problem right now."
The blue fire in the skeleton's eye sockets flickered with curiosity.
"There are bones everywhere," Boran explained, looking around. "Who knows how many creatures have died in these tunnels. Plus, there are the Bone Walkers creatures directly. We can find the ones with bones that are still intact. We can make arrows from them."
Boney Stark watched Boran with his head tilted to the side. He seemed interested in this idea.
"Come on, let's look for some bones," Boran said excitedly. "We'll choose the long, straight, and sturdy ones. Rib bones won't work, but arm and leg bones... those will be perfect."
The pair began searching the tunnel in the pale light of the mushrooms. Boran carefully examined each bone he found. Some were too worn, some were cracked, but among them were real treasures — bones that were almost perfectly preserved, hard and straight.
"Look at this!" he shouted excitedly from a corner. "This is exactly what we're looking for. I think it's a... something's thigh bone. I don't know what it belonged to, but it looks very solid."
They spent about an hour collecting bones. Finally, Boran had about fifteen usable bones in his lap. Each one was suitable for making arrow shafts.
"Now the real work begins," said Boran, laying out the bones beside him. "First, we need to break these into appropriate sizes. Then we'll sharpen the tips and make the other ends compatible with the bowstring."
He removed his shield and looked at the sharp rocks nearby. "These rocks are perfect for what we need. We can use them both to break the bones and to sharpen the tips."
He took the first bone in his hand. He examined it carefully, deciding where to break it. "Look, Boney, we'll do it like this," he explained. "First, I'll hold the bone with both hands and strike it against the sharp edge of the rock to create a crack. Then if we bend it slowly, it'll break exactly where we want."
He did as he said. He carefully struck the bone against the rock, and a slight cracking sound was heard. Then he slowly bent it, and the bone split cleanly in two.
"Perfect!" Boran rejoiced. "Now it's time for shaping. Watch carefully! You'll be making your own arrows after this."
He worked on the bones for two hours. He first broke each one to the right size, then began sharpening their tips by grinding them against the rocks. It was arduous work that required patience. He had to rub the bones against the rocks until his hands ached.
"You know," he said while working, "this actually reminds me of something. I learned how to make wooden arrows when I was young. My grandfather taught me. He was a carpenter. The principle is the same — just different material. Bone is harder, more difficult to work with, but it'll be more durable."
Boney Stark silently watched Boran work. Occasionally he would inspect the arrows Boran had made, the blue fire in his eye sockets glowing approvingly.
"The hardest part is making a balanced arrow," Boran continued. "If it's too heavy, it won't fly properly, if it's too light, it'll be weak. Every part needs to be in harmony with the others."
As the hours progressed, the number of bone arrows increased. Each was about a hand's length long. Their tips were sharp, their shafts smooth.
"Just the final touches left," said Boran, rubbing the arrow against the rock one last time. "Look at this, Boney — I think it turned out pretty good. Maybe it looks a bit rough, but it'll do its job."
Finally, he notched the back ends of the arrows for the bowstring. This was the most delicate work — if the notch was too deep, the arrow could break, if not deep enough, the string wouldn't catch.
Eventually, twelve usable arrows were completed. Boran checked each one final time. "Here," he said proudly, handing the arrows to Boney Stark. "These will do for a while. They might not be the best, but they'll serve our purpose for now."
[Learned Craft Knowledge: Arrow Making Level 1]
Boney Stark took an arrow and nocked it to his bow. He chose a mushroom on the opposite wall for a test shot. The arrow whistled through the air and struck the mushroom dead center. He then went to retrieve his arrow.
"Ha!" Boran laughed. "See? Works pretty well. You'll get used to these with some practice. Maybe we'll make better ones later, but for now..."
They heard a rumbling from far away. Boran and Boney Stark looked at each other.
"Yes," said Boran. "I think you'll have a chance to test your new arrows soon..."
Boran and Boney Stark had spent the last two hours hunting Dark Crawlers. It had been tiring but productive hunting. Every time they killed a Dark Crawler, Boran felt a strange sense of satisfaction. These creatures were dangerous, yes, but he had learned how to deal with them now.
"Let's do a final count," said Boran, opening his inventory. Boney Stark listened silently as usual. "We've killed twenty Dark Crawlers in total. We got two Dark Crawler Fangs and six Dark Scales. This should be enough."
He opened the quest panel.
Dungeon Quests
[Twilight Pit (Levels 3-8)]
[Defeat 20/20 Dark Crawlers]
[Defeat 0/20 Gloomy Hunters]
[Defeat 0/20 Bone Walkers]
[Eternal Guardian — Defeat Mur-Azar]
[Rewards: 5,000 XP, 500 gold]
"There we go!" Boran shouted joyfully. "We've completed our Dark Crawler quest and collected valuable materials. Dark Crawler Fangs are very rare drops, we're lucky to have found two. That makes three in total."
The blue fire in Boney Stark's eye sockets flickered slightly. He seemed to be looking at Boran as if wanting to say something.
"Ah, yes," said Boran, understanding the skeleton's silent message. "You need new arrows too. We can use some of the Dark Scales to make arrows. These scales are very hard, I think we can make arrows with high piercing power from them."
He examined the Dark Crawler Fangs he took out from his backpack. The teeth were almost a span long and ended in a sharp curve. "These teeth are also very valuable. If we take them to the right craftsman, they could be made into fine weapons. Or maybe... wait a minute."
Boran took a Dark Crawler Fang and brought it close to Boney Stark's bow. "If we mount these teeth on the ends of your bow, it could become a weapon you can use in close combat. What do you think? At least you could defend yourself if someone escapes my range."
The skeleton tilted his head to look at the tooth. The fire in his eye sockets was brighter now — he seemed to like this idea.
"Great!" Boran said excitedly. "We'll find a weaponsmith at our next stop to work on these. I can't attach them to your bow right now. But first..."
He looked around. The mushrooms' flickering light still dominated the dark tunnel, but it seemed less frightening now. They had learned the area well while hunting Dark Crawlers — every corner, every turn was now familiar. "Let's rest a bit," said Boran, leaning his back against the wall. "Dealing with these Dark Crawlers was more tiring than I thought. Having to stay alert, being careful all the time... I'm glad you're here, Boney. Without your arrow shots, we couldn't have handled this so easily."