Endo Takahashi sat cross-legged beneath a tree, his bow resting across his lap. It had been days since he last ventured into combat, and though he had found solace in the quiet moments, he couldn’t escape the nagging itch of curiosity. The poison arrows he had crafted during his first attempts had worked better than he’d hoped, and the explosive arrows had proven to be a useful tool when faced with large groups of monsters. But as his time in Aethera stretched on, he realized that there were countless possibilities for specialization—an entire range of arrows he could craft to suit different needs. There were monsters, after all, with tough hides, aggressive charges, and unique weaknesses that could be exploited. The idea of crafting arrows specifically designed for such challenges felt invigorating, but also daunting.

“Can I really push my designs further?” he muttered to himself, watching the dappled sunlight dance across the grass.

The problem with standard arrows was their predictability. While they were versatile, they didn’t offer the precision or adaptability that Endo desired. What if I could craft arrows for specific scenarios? He wondered. He thought back to some of the monsters he had recently encountered—the Rock Hopper, with its hard, resilient hide, the Wild Boar, quick and unpredictable, and the Bandit NPCs, who often wore armor that made a direct shot useless. The idea of creating an arrow to handle each of these situations was both exciting and intimidating.

Endo stood up and stretched, a sense of resolve settling in. The right arrow could mean the difference between a swift victory and a drawn-out, grueling battle. But he also knew that the road to success was paved with failure. Trial and error—that’s what it would take.

Spiral Arrowheads

The first idea came to him after his encounter with a Rock Hopper, the giant stone-like creature that had taken several of his arrows to bring down. The creature’s tough hide had been nearly impervious to normal attacks, and Endo found himself thinking about how he could enhance his arrows to penetrate its defenses.

What if he made the arrow spin on impact? Spiral motion, he mused, could increase the friction between the arrowhead and the hide, potentially making it burrow into the creature’s flesh more effectively.

With that thought, he began the process of crafting. Endo searched through his inventory, picking out materials that might suit his needs: sharp stones for the tip and durable metal for the spiral body. He worked meticulously, ensuring the spiral was tight and strong enough to withstand the force of impact. The design was simple, but Endo knew that the devil was in the details.

One arrowhead, one chance, he thought as he set the newly crafted spiral arrow in his quiver. His heart raced with excitement, even as his mind reminded him of the possibility of failure.

His first test came swiftly. The Rock Hopper was nearby, slowly lumbering across the rocky terrain. Endo nocked the spiral arrow and took aim, adjusting for the distance. He released the arrow, watching it cut through the air with a sharp whistle. It struck the Rock Hopper square in the side, but instead of the satisfying crunch of impact he had hoped for, the arrow thudded and bounced off, the spiral creating a visible drag on its descent.

Endo furrowed his brow in frustration as he approached the creature. It wasn’t dead, nor even badly wounded. The spiral motion had worked, but it hadn’t done what he wanted it to do. The arrow had lost too much speed and didn’t dig into the hide deeply enough. His idea was solid, but he needed to refine it.

A few hours of thought and experimentation later, Endo was back at the Rock Hopper, this time with a new arrow. He had adjusted the spiral’s angle, making it tighter and steeper to reduce the drag. He also reduced the pitch of the spiral so the arrow could maintain more speed. This time, when he released it, the arrow struck with more force, and the Rock Hopper let out a snort of surprise as the arrowhead dug into its side, creating a small but visible wound.

It wasn’t perfect—certainly not the devastating blow Endo had hoped for—but it was progress. The spiral had worked better, but there was still something missing. The arrow had broken the skin, but not enough to deliver a fatal wound. Endo realized that it was not just the spiral design that needed work, but perhaps the materials as well. He made a mental note to experiment further with different metals and stone types.

Hollow Arrows Mimicking Poison Sacs

Endo’s next idea came from reflecting on the creatures he’d encountered that were venomous. He remembered the Wild Boar he’d fought some time ago, with its quick movements and ferocious charge. He had tried using poison arrows, but they had not been as effective as he had hoped. The poison had taken too long to set in, and the boar had escaped before it could fully affect it.

What if, he thought, I could create an arrow that would inject the poison immediately upon impact?

He quickly gathered materials: a small chamber to hold the poison and a mechanism that would open it upon impact. The hollow arrowhead would allow the poison to be stored inside, to be released only when the arrow struck its target. With a careful hand, he crafted the hollow chamber, ensuring it would hold enough venom for a potent effect.

Endo tested the first hollow arrow on a wild boar, hoping to get a clear result. He took aim and released the arrow. It struck true, but as the boar charged off, the effects of the poison were slower than he had hoped. The boar squealed in discomfort, but before the poison could fully take effect, the creature was already darting away.

Frustrated, Endo pondered the design. The problem, he realized, was the size of the chamber. The injection point was too small, causing the poison to seep out slowly. He decided to make a new batch of arrows, increasing the size of the chamber and the hole through which the poison would flow.

His next attempt came soon after, this time with the larger chamber. He fired the arrow into another wild boar, and this time, the poison spread much more quickly. The boar staggered and collapsed within moments, the venom coursing through its body. Success—this was exactly what Endo had envisioned.

The poison arrows weren’t perfect, however. Endo realized that they were most effective when used in conjunction with other tactics—such as the element of surprise. He would have to think carefully about when and how to use them.

Front-Heavy Cylinder Arrowheads

With his poison arrows now refined, Endo turned his attention to a different type of challenge. After recalling his encounters with tougher monsters, he realized that some foes, like the Bandit NPCs, wore heavy armor that normal arrows couldn’t penetrate. What if he could create an arrow that dealt blunt-force trauma instead of cutting or piercing?

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Endo experimented with creating a flat, plate-like arrowhead, which he hoped would distribute the force of the impact over a wider area. The larger surface area should, in theory, help deal more damage to armored enemies.

However, the first test ended in failure. The flat plate arrow sailed through the air but missed its target entirely, glancing off the ground. The large surface area created too much drag, causing the arrow to lose both speed and accuracy. Endo was frustrated but not defeated. He knew that sometimes failure was simply a step toward refinement.

After some thought, he revised the design. Instead of a flat plate, he reshaped the arrowhead into a cylindrical form—larger at the front but more streamlined to reduce drag. The goal was to maintain the heavy impact but keep the arrowhead aerodynamic enough to fly true.

This time, when he aimed at a Bandit NPC, the arrow struck squarely in the chest. The impact was powerful enough to knock the Bandit backward, sending him tumbling to the ground. While the arrow hadn’t pierced the armor, it had certainly knocked the wind out of him. The cylindrical arrowhead worked, but it wasn’t a perfect solution for all situations. It was ideal for knocking opponents off balance, but it wouldn’t be as effective for dealing with armored foes who were well-protected.

Endo made a note in his mind: This type of arrow was useful in specific situations where blunt-force trauma would be more beneficial than sheer penetration.

At this point, Endo took a moment to review his progress. He had created a variety of specialized arrows, each one with its own strengths and weaknesses. The process of trial and error had been tiring, but it had also been rewarding. His designs were starting to take shape, each one bringing him closer to understanding how his unique brand of crafting could affect the battlefield. As he prepared for the next phase of his work, he knew that he was no longer just an archer. He was beginning to carve out his path as a true creator of weapons—one that would shape his future and, perhaps, change the way he approached the world of Aethera altogether.

The sun was beginning to dip below the horizon, casting long shadows across the dense forest where Endo had been working tirelessly. His fingers were stained with the residue of various materials: stone, metal, and bits of moss and dried herbs. His mind was focused not on the passing time, but on the task at hand. The idea of crafting specialized arrows—arrows designed for specific circumstances—had consumed him ever since his first successful foray into creating explosive and poison arrows. But now, he was pushing the limits further, and every failure was a lesson learned.

He had already tested several arrowhead designs with varying degrees of success. Today, it was time for something different. He had crafted several prototypes over the past few days, each one more refined than the last. He knew the possibilities were endless, but the journey would not be easy.

Multi-Pronged Arrows: Success with Consequences

Endo stood poised, carefully notching the next arrow into his bow. His eyes narrowed as he surveyed the lone goblin that had wandered too close to his testing area. He’d crafted this new arrow with five prongs, each one designed to penetrate a different part of the target. He wanted to test how effectively it could deal damage across multiple points. As he drew the string back, he reminded himself of the importance of precision in this test. If it worked, this new weapon would allow him to take down even the toughest of monsters.

With a swift release, the arrow sailed through the air, and Endo held his breath. The arrow struck the goblin directly in its chest, each of the five prongs digging deep into the flesh. The goblin staggered for a moment, its screech of pain echoed through the trees as it collapsed to the ground.

But the victory was short-lived. Endo had underestimated the noise of the attack. The remaining goblins in the camp heard the commotion and began charging toward him in a frenzy. Panic flared up in his chest. In the blink of an eye, the once-quiet forest was filled with the sounds of goblin warriors sprinting toward him.

Endo cursed under his breath. He hadn’t anticipated such a response. His hands fumbled as he tried to reload his bow, heart pounding. The goblins were closing in fast, and his usual calm under pressure was slipping away. He pulled another arrow from his quiver, but his thoughts were clouded with the overwhelming sense of danger. The first goblin had been easy, but now he was facing nine more, and his escape routes were becoming fewer by the second.

With an adrenaline-fueled panic, he turned on his heel and sprinted into the woods, dodging trees and leaping over fallen logs. His foot caught on a root, sending him tumbling into the underbrush. He scrambled to his feet, not daring to look back. A glance over his shoulder revealed the goblins hot on his tail.

He took another sharp turn, weaving through the trees. His breath was ragged, and his body ached from the effort, but he couldn’t stop. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he managed to lose them in the thick forest. He collapsed against a tree, gasping for air.

“Next time,” he muttered to himself, “plan better.” Despite his narrow escape, he couldn’t deny the potential of the multi-pronged arrows. If used carefully and strategically, they could be an incredible asset. But it was clear that Endo needed more than just powerful weapons; he needed better tactics.

Multi-Arrow Firing Contraption: Failure and Frustration

The next few days were spent in his hidden workshop, designing something that could help him in situations just like the one he had barely survived. He had to admit, the multi-pronged arrows had worked well against a single target, but they were far from ideal when facing multiple enemies. Endo needed a way to deal with crowds. His solution? A contraption capable of firing multiple arrows at once, overwhelming his foes with sheer volume.

But designing such a device proved far more complicated than he had anticipated. His first few attempts were disastrous. Arrows misfired, or the mechanism jammed completely. The contraption he’d envisioned didn’t fire accurately, and many of the arrows veered wildly off course. With each failure, Endo made adjustments. He tweaked the alignment, altered the tension on the springs, and reworked the arrow chamber design.

It wasn’t until the fourth attempt, after hours of retooling, that the contraption finally launched a volley of arrows in the right direction. The shots weren’t perfect, but they hit their target—well, most of them.

“Good enough,” Endo muttered to himself as he readied himself for the next test. He wasn’t expecting perfection just yet, but this was progress.

His final test came when he ventured back to the goblin camp—the very same place where he had narrowly escaped just days before. The contraption, although bulky and loud, was ready. He set it down and carefully loaded it with arrows, aiming it toward the approaching goblin group.

The contraption whirred to life with a loud, mechanical noise, and in the blink of an eye, it launched a barrage of arrows. The volley hit the goblins in rapid succession, the projectiles causing chaos as they struck multiple targets. Goblins fell instantly, their bodies pierced by arrows, but the barrage was not without its drawbacks. The accuracy was low, and some arrows missed entirely. Even though the goblins that were hit collapsed in heaps, the clattering noise attracted even more enemies from deeper in the camp.

Endo watched in frustration as more goblins swarmed toward him. The contraption was effective for crowd control, but its lack of precision and the loud noise it generated made it far from ideal for stealthy operations. He would have to refine it further, but for now, it was a useful tool for dealing with large groups of enemies.

Fire Nets: Stopping the Quick

As he continued his journey, Endo reflected on the lessons he’d learned. His past experiments had given him the tools to deal with a variety of situations. But one type of enemy still vexed him: the fast-moving ones. He had encountered several beasts that were too quick to catch with standard arrows. Their speed made them elusive targets. But then a thought struck him. What if he could stop them in their tracks?

The answer came to him in the form of fire nets. He crafted an arrowhead that could deploy a net made of fire-producing materials, designed to entangle and slow down fast-moving enemies. He wasn’t sure if the idea would work, but he was eager to try.

The test came sooner than expected when Endo spotted a wild boar running through the woods. He took aim and released the fire net arrow. The net unfurled mid-flight and wrapped around the boar, quickly igniting and catching the creature in its fiery embrace. The boar squealed in panic as it struggled to break free, but the fire net slowed it down, its movements becoming erratic and sluggish.

Endo wasted no time. He closed the distance between himself and the now-immobilized boar, finishing the job with a quick shot to the heart.

The fire net had worked. It had significantly slowed the boar, giving Endo the upper hand. The arrow’s design had proven effective, but Endo couldn’t help but notice the potential drawbacks. The fire could easily spread, harming other creatures in the vicinity if he wasn’t careful. Still, it was a powerful tool, and Endo was satisfied with the result.

Unlocking Trapmaster

As Endo cleaned his equipment and reflected on his progress, something unexpected happened. A system notification appeared before him, glowing in the air.

Congratulations! You have unlocked the Trapmaster job!

Endo blinked in surprise. He had been so focused on crafting that he hadn’t noticed the hidden path he was walking. His constant innovation in crafting traps and specialized projectiles had unlocked a new job class—Trapmaster.

The notification gave him access to a new set of crafting abilities and enhancements for his trap-based creations. Endo’s heart raced with excitement. This was more than just an improvement; it was an entire new direction for his journey. He had only just begun to scratch the surface of his potential.

“Well, this changes everything,” he muttered, his mind already racing with new ideas.