Chapter 99: Weapon Hunting (2)
Chapter 99
The door to the shop opened with a loud chime, the small bell hung above the frame producing a sharp ring as four kids stepped inside.
The moment they walked in, they were greeted with rows upon rows of equipment, weapons, and different types of gear.
The interior smelled faintly of polished steel mixed with aged leather, and the faint glimmer of sharpened blades reflected from lanterns hung neatly across the walls.
Lining the racks were swords, short swords, and daggers of every shape and size. Bows, arrows, and even light armor could also be seen, carefully displayed to catch the eyes of any potential buyer. Shields were stacked along the side, some wooden and worn, others plated with bronze edges.
At the back of the room sat a middle-aged man with round glasses perched firmly on his nose and a scruffy gray beard covering most of his face.
He was seated lazily behind a wooden counter, a ledger open in front of him. He looked up the moment the group entered, his eyes narrowing slightly before softening into a polite smile.
"Welcome to my shop, all of you. What can I get for you today?" the man asked, his voice carrying a rough but professional warmth.
"I want a bow and arrows, please." Aria said immediately, her tone almost demanding as she grinned with excitement. Her eyes sparkled as she twisted and turned on her heels, examining every bow and string she saw on display.
Meanwhile, the boys were shopping with their eyes more than their hands. Zen, especially, was quietly scanning through every single weapon using his now improved and leveled-up Inspect Skill. Blue text flickered faintly before his eyes as he checked the details on each blade and shield.
"Sure thing," the shopkeeper said as he stood from behind the counter. He brushed off his apron before walking around with Aria, pulling down bows one after another and presenting them to her. "This one here is a D-rank bow, lightweight but resilient, and it comes with half a dozen arrows."
"Actually, I was looking for something in the C-rank category," Aria cut in quickly, her tone confident. The man paused, blinking in mild surprise, then raised a single eyebrow.
"Are you certain? C-rank weapons are quite expensive, little miss." His voice held a hint of warning, but Aria only smiled, undeterred.
"No worries. I can handle it. May I see them?" she asked brightly.
The man hesitated for a moment before shrugging, then guided her toward the racks where sturdier bows were displayed, each one humming faintly with suppressed essence.
While Aria was busy, Vynn had drifted toward the sword section, his gaze fixed firmly on the C-rank blades arranged neatly along the wall. He studied each one with a frown, his fingers twitching slightly as though tempted to draw them from their scabbards.
’Hmm... I need something durable, strong enough to channel my lightning essence without breaking apart. My last sword was a one-of-a-kind, so I can’t afford to settle for something fragile.’ Vynn thought, his brows knitting tighter as he compared blade after blade.
Zen glanced at him and shook his head softly. ’Tch. None of these compare to what I have in the system shop. They’re just basic gear dressed up with price tags.’ Still, when he noticed the seriousness of Vynn’s expression, he tilted his head curiously.
"What’s wrong?" Zen asked.
"I’m just having trouble choosing," Vynn admitted, still scowling at the swords. "I need one that can withstand the full heat of my lightning veil, but so far I can’t find anything that gives me confidence."
"Huh? To me, a sword is a sword. Just pick one, dude." Jace shrugged lazily as he pushed aside his long coat, revealing the sword strapped to his own waist. His nonchalant tone made it clear he didn’t care much for the dilemma.
Zen didn’t reply to Jace. Instead, he continued to activate his Inspect Skill, scanning each and every sword within sight. But each inspection only brought up disappointing results—none of them guaranteed resistance to lightning veil.
"Sheesh. I don’t think there’s a sword in this place tha..." Zen froze mid-thought, his eyes catching on a blade resting almost forgotten in the corner.
It looked abandoned, tucked away as though nobody had spared it a second glance in years. Unlike the others that gleamed with polish or intricate engravings, this one looked simple, almost plain. Yet, despite its rough appearance, something about it stood out. It wasn’t fancy, but it was strangely captivating, as if it was hiding a story of its own.
Zen’s gaze lingered on it, curiosity sparking in his chest.
Quickly, he cast his Inspect skill as usual.
[Name: StormPiercer]
[Rank: C]
[Effects: +3 AGI; +5 increase in essence; can also withstand lightning strikes.]
"Go with this." Zen said, pointing towards the sword, and Vynn raised an eyebrow.
"Are you sure?" Vynn asked. "I mean, I had seen the sword earlier but it didn’t seem to attract me much."
"Do you need a weapon to cut down enemies or a beauty wand to hang on your wall? If you want to take it, fine. And if you don’t want to, your loss." Zen muttered as he turned to walk away.
"Fine. But you better be right about this." Vynn huffed as he grabbed the sword and followed. They all walked toward the shopkeeper, who was still busy showing Aria around.
"Wait! What is that?" Aria suddenly asked, pointing toward a glass case that contained a sleek, emerald-green bow with a quiver resting beside it.
The quiver was filled to the brim with two types of arrows, one set glowing faintly crimson while the other was jet black with a metallic sheen.
"Th... that bow and arrow is a C-ranked set, just like you seek, but it’s a little too expensive, especially because of its effects." The shopkeeper said, his voice dropping slightly.
"What effects?" Aria asked with a raised brow, her curiosity piqued.
"Each arrow can specifically do different things. I don’t want to go into too much detail because I prefer to keep my customers in suspense." The man replied with a wide grin spreading across his face.
"How much is it?" Aria pressed, her tone sharp.
"Thirty shards." The man said, and instantly the kids’ eyes widened in shock.
"Thir... thirty shards? That’s way too much!" Jace shouted, unable to hide his disbelief.
"I can’t help it. I also got it from an auction house at an exuberant price." The man replied with a casual shrug, as though that ended the matter.
"It’s alright. Let’s just pick something else and let..." Aria’s voice trailed off as she saw Zen striding over with calm confidence. He placed his hands on both Vynn and Jace’s shoulders.
"How many shards do you guys have?" Zen asked, his tone firm.
"I have five shards on me." Jace replied reluctantly.
"You?" Zen asked, turning to Vynn.
"Just got twenty on me, and I was about to pay for this sword." Vynn said, lifting the weapon he had taken earlier.
"Sir, how much is this sword?" Zen asked the shopkeeper.
"Ten shards." The man replied instantly, his eyes flickering with curiosity as he studied the group.
"Great. That makes it complete." Zen said with a small but confident smile. "Jace, bring out your shards. Join it with Vynn’s and Aria’s, and let’s get her the bow and arrow."
"But guys... you don’t have to do th..."
"You like the weapon?" Zen cut in sharply. "Yes or no?"
Aria hesitated only for a second before nodding silently, her lips trembling as though words had failed her.
"Then keep quiet and let’s get you what you want." Zen scolded, his tone sharp but not unkind. Together, they handed over the shards, paying for the weapons in full. Aria clutched the bow tightly, her eyes misting as she kept staring at Zen.
’He... he is so kind.’ she thought, her heart pounding. The weapons were wrapped and handed over, and the group exited the shop, the door chiming loudly behind them as it swung shut.
The cool breeze outside greeted them, but before they could even take a step forward, a voice boomed behind them.
"Took you all long enough."