bookpower [343] 4.64 Of Arms and Arcane Armor II
[343] 4.64 Of Arms and Arcane Armor II
I was expecting the lack of decor of a military supply depot when I walked into the emporium. Plain white walls or even concrete ones that screamed ‘prison’, guards walking around openly armed with all the paraphernalia of LARPing soldiers, weapons at the ready, everything designed as an impenetrable compound. The part about being a fortress might still be true, what with all the security measures, cameras everywhere, men and women watching the cases, all wearing black sunglasses reminiscent of Secret Service officers.Instead I find every flavor of weapon, from swords to staves and axes to guns, either laid out behind glass cases as though they were priceless pieces of jewelry or hanging on the walls behind the counters. Suits of armor glisten, some silver, some tinged with the colors of gold or copper. Others carry more exotic colors, one in particular I notice is studded with hundreds of small amethyst crystals, the perfect choice for some sort of [Lightning Swordsman] or whatever the martial equivalent of Kristil’s [Lightning Evoker] class would be.
I do idly wonder how she and the others are doing, but I keep my focus on the task at hand.
The rest of the room matches the aesthetic of a high-end, reputable dealership. The walls are a deep shade of burgundy, the carpets lush and fluffy, painstakingly cleaned, utterly devoid of dirt or stains. Where the guards do their best to blend into the background, the sales reps speak with a poise and dignity befitting the members of high— and low— society who purchase such wares.
The guard from before never diverts his eyes from me; it seems the extent of their ‘security’ measures is to assign a high-level guard to watch my every movement. He has the decency not to keep his gun pointed directly at my back, but his hand remains by his holster at all times, ready to bring me down the moment I try something funny. Not that I would; why would I volunteer information about my Skills if I planned to violate the neutrality of these halls? Then again, I can’t begrudge their caution too much, given the importance they place on said impartiality toward all, regardless of station or intent.
One of the sales reps approaches the four of us. She looks to be about fifty, with dyed blonde hair giving way to gray tips. She wears a well-fashioned pantsuit of the type that I’ve seen Mom wear from time to time leaving for or coming home from her own job. She’s definitely had some cosmetic surgery, but to the surgeon’s credit, it doesn’t look gaudy the way that many over-the-top procedures end up.
“Sir and Ma’ams,” she says in an even tone. “My name is Josefine, and I will be assisting you today. If any of you already know what you want, I can help you find it, and if not, feel free to browse and I will be happy to assist you whenever you’re ready.”
“I’d be looking at a new robe for a [Sorcerer] type, preferably one that enhances [Darkness] magic. And I’d also like to look at some sort of firearm for my wife. Doesn’t need to be one of the high-end models, but–”
Mom sucks in a breath.
“I know you don’t like it dear,” Hank says. “And if not for earlier, I wouldn’t have even brought it up. But if you are going to be a target, you need to have some way to defend yourself.”
Mom exhales after a tense moment of silence between the now-six of us, though chatter continues on all around. “Very well,” she says, resigned to her fate.
It’s just a simple firearm on the surface, but for her, it must represent the dawning realization that the world really has changed to this extent. Even burying herself into her job as a mid-level manager for a nondescript oil-and-gas company cannot forestall the inevitable changes that have come to her just as they surely have or will to all others within this new System-governed world.
“And you two young ladies?” Josefine says, looking squarely at Chloe and I.
“I think they’re going to be looking for custom equipment.”
“And your budget?” Josefine asks.
Chloe and I spoke about it at length during the copter ride into town, and we are in agreement. We’re willing to spend virtually everything we have on new gear, saving only a token amount to buy [Ether] and [Health] restoring potions in anticipation of the battles to come.
“About a hundred and sixty thousand dollars,” I say. “Plus we have several materials we’d be interested in either selling or using for our new equipment.”
“I see. Why don’t the two of you come with me to the back?”
A different sales rep, this time a distinguished looking gentleman with openly graying hair, appears out of the sea of people and approaches Hank and Mom, while the two of us follow Josefine into the next room. That first showroom wasn’t exactly loud, but there were numerous conversations, both between customers and staff, as well as among the customers themselves.
This room, however, is quiet. Only two other patrons in the room, and their conversations are so quiet that I can’t make out anything they’re saying. Most likely sound suppression systems, but I wouldn’t be surprised if someone in this room is using a variant of Clara’s [Privacy Veil] to keep such discussions clandestine. If this is where the high-dollar transactions are taking place, I can imagine that the patrons are paying to keep the abilities of their gear secret.
The guard following me around steps into the background, though his eyes remain fixed on me. In contrast to my idle curiosity from before, I can’t so easily shrug off his watchful gaze; the idea that someone is going to try to sneak up on me and strike me at my most vulnerable… Rationally, I know the proprietor here gains nothing from tarnishing their image of neutrality. But I also know that sufficient money can grease nearly any palm, and the Legion has that in spades.
Josefine nods toward another man standing along the side wall, who nods back. She turns back to me.
“Ladies, you should be able to access your [Inventory]. The materials, if you please.”
Chloe and I turn to each other, and with a look of shared understanding, we pull everything out. The chunks of auracite ore, the shell fragments of that giant turtle Dilortha, and the lava golem heart Chloe extracted during her fight yesterday afternoon.
“Chloe here is looking to use that auracite to forge a couple of swords for herself. As for me, I’m looking for stronger armor. I expect the shell pieces to be the principal component of that. I don’t know what this golem heart is worth or what the smiths can do with it, so I’m looking for advice on that front.”
“Not looking for a new weapon?” she asks.
“No. I already have a bonded, intelligent weapon. Based on what weapons I’ve seen out in front, I’m not confident that there’s anything out there that could replace it.”
“I ask only that you keep an open mind to the potential.”
I nod, though I don’t carry any intention behind the gesture. The line about Filia being able to grow in strength as I do is just too strong to give up for a temporary power boost, and my money is far better spent elsewhere.
Josefine picks up the shell and examines it, rubbing her hand along the surface. She pulls a tool very much like my [Artificer’s Glasses] out of her pocket and begins eyeing the tiny glyphs along the reverse of the keratinous surface.
“Interesting,” she says. “This is a drop from a named monster, isn’t it?”
“It is,” I say. “But how were you able to tell just by looking at it?”
I admit my ignorance of the nascent field of monsterology, but the concept of ‘named monsters’ is fairly well-known, and one I’ve already noticed several times over the past few months. Most monsters are just given generic descriptors as kill notifications, such as slaying a [Giant Antoid] or [Lesser Foohills Wyvern]. However, a rare few, usually dungeon bosses, are given unique names, like [Fornieth, the Desecrator], or in this case, [Pallair, Primordial Tortoise]. These creatures tend to be stronger than the baseline, with higher stats, Skills, [Health] pools, and so forth, but also potentially greater drops in exchange.
“I’m not sure how much study you’ve done on runes and glyphs and–”
I nearly roll my eyes. Actual anonymity? Or is this just someone so dedicated to her work that she doesn’t pay attention to things like ‘the news’ and ‘viral videos’ that also happen to have research papers on the subject. Or maybe someone else has been feeding knowledge to this part of the country and I’m old news by now. In either case, it’s a very welcome breath of fresh air.
“Anyway, the long and the short of it is that there are two sets of glyphs on this shell fragment. One of them is the commoner form of these glyphs, especially for those used in enchanting, spellcasting, and the like. I don’t know the details on how that exactly works.
“But these symbols here–” Josefine brings up a simple hologram in her hand, outlining the specific runes she’s pointing to. “–are a different sort. They form a secondary language in contrast to the common glyphic ones most know and utilize. Rather than a pictographic language, these form a syllabary. Notably, these only appear on the remains of named creatures, almost as though to inscribe their true name into their very body.”
What the fuck? Why have I never heard of such a thing? Like, I’ve been studying these glyphs off and on for the past four months between battles, and I’ve never even heard of there being a secondary syllabary to go along with the usual language. How? What in the nine hells?
Chloe’s hand slips into mine, a welcome comfort to help ground my still-racing mind. Our bond’s telepathic channels are heavily suppressed, but I can tell just by looking at her gentle gaze that she’s here for me, hell or high water, just as she always has been.
“Is something the matter, miss?” Josephine asks, fully snapping me out of my stupor.
“Apologies, and no, nothing is the matter. I was just thinking about what you had said and the implications. Namely, I don’t suppose you know if we have those sorts of glyphs embedded into our own bodies.” I hold my metallic left arm in front of me. “I’ve not seen any on my person, nor did I install such things when I built this arm some months back.”
“A personal design?” Josefine asks. “Quite a beautiful construct, and remarkable craftsmanship to boot. And if it really has been several months as you say, well…”
“Thank you.” Some compliments I’ll always have trouble accepting, but those regarding the quality of my enchanting and [Glyphcasting] I have no problems with.
“Regarding your question, no, I do not believe that to be the case. I am no expert in the field, but I believe such markings are exclusive to the named monsters created by the System, not humans or natural creatures which have merely been enhanced by the System’s arrival and continued omnipresence.”
“Interesting,” I say, mostly to deflect away from my shame at being dumbfounded by something that seems so completely banal and yet completely shattering all my understanding of how glyphs, Skill Books… So many mysteries left to be unraveled, so much potential left untapped. I want so badly to delve into all this straightaway. And yet once again, I have not nearly enough time in each day in which to do so.
Josefine smiles as she sets the shell fragments down on the counter. She turns to the golem heart and examines it with as much care and awe as she did the fragments, leaving no side of the heart unexplored. The auracite is last, although it seems mostly for formality’s sake; it’s apparently a known quantity and worth only enough examination to confirm that it is, in fact, what I’ve already identified it to be.
“Very good,” she finally says. “You’ve certainly brought in quite the haul. I’ll need to speak with my supervisor, but I think our chief just might be interested in these new materials you have to work with.”