Chapter 167: The Bell That Never Rings
A weapon is a device for making your enemy change his mind.
Zane didn’t know that but he surely knew he needed a weapon.
And in his search, he went to the row with no customers.
Later, Xavier told him that the row was for discarded weapons.
However, before Xavier came to Zane, his work was already done.
He bent down, reaching his hand to the last row of the shelf as he said:
"I found my weapon."
Xavier frowned and bent as well.
He followed Zane’s hand and his eyes widened.
"A bedrock piston?"
"So that’s what it’s called."
Zane held its handle and lifted it.
He tried. At least.
"It’s heavy."
"Yeah, no shit. There is a reason it’s discarded, Zane. It’s not the best choice."
Zane didn’t listen and instead of lifting it, he dragged it out.
Its handle was round, long, made of metal and at the head was a square shaped metallic formation. Most of its weight came from it.
It was like a hammer but a different kind.
A small golden color bell hung below the square shaped head of the weapon and it didn’t ring, mostly because the whole weapon was covered with rust and the bell had no capper.
As Zane dragged it, the sound of heavy metal got the attention of everyone.
And as they saw the source, they wrinkled their noses.
Some even laughed and the shopkeeper frowned.
After taking it out of the shelf, Zane handed the handle to Xavier and went to the far end of the discarded shelves.
"Don’t tell me you will take one more from there?"
Zane didn’t reply and searched for something.
I saw it somewhere around here.
He tapped his hand all around the shelves, lightly as if afraid of touching too hard.
Soon, his ring made a sound and a smile came on his lips.
He found what he was looking for.
He slowly placed his hand on the thing and with utmost care, he lifted it with only two fingers.
All the shelves had divided compartments for weapons.
The bedrock piston was under the heavy and for armor section and what Zane currently held was under the sharp and for flesh section.
Both of them were classified as discarded and Zane chose them anyway.
Xavier held the Piston and Zane held a sword. Or a blade.
It was transparent. Invisible to some extent.
Its height was closer to a dagger.
"What is this?" Xavier asked.
Zane shrugged. "If you don’t know then I couldn’t possibly know as well."
"Then why the hell did you take it? And why are you taking two weapons? And why are you taking both discarded weapons? And why am I not stopping you from doing it?"
Zane laughed.
"Let’s bring them to the counter. The shopkeeper would tell us more."
Xavier frowned and before he could complain, Zane was already on his way to the counter.
"He will say the same thing as me!" Xavier shouted from behind but Zane didn’t appear to be listening.
He slammed his foot on the floor and dragged the Bedrock Piston towards the counter anyway.
All eyes fixated on them and Xavier hung his head low.
I am not choosing it. Laugh at him. Not me.
But the people laughed at both of them. More at Xavier.
Because what Zane held wasn’t visible to them that clearly.
Hena, Draxus and Jammy watched both men going to the counter and Jammy simply shook his head.
Draxus, however...
"You were right, my lady. I should have gone to tell him."
Hena said nothing and when Xavier walked past him, Draxus whispered:
"You were supposed to stop him from buying from there. Not help him in buying. What the hell is this?"
"He didn’t listen to me at all. He had already picked the weapons before I went to him." Xavier replied and after two seconds of more dragging, he finally reached the counter.
Zane was already there.
The shopkeeper watched both men with his brows twitching but he kept his smile.
"How can I help you, sir?" He asked.
Zane placed the glass sword on the counter.
"What is this?"
The shopkeeper sighed.
"You are bleeding."
Zane frowned.
"Where?"
"On the fingers that you used to carry it."
Zane jerked his head and his eyes widened at the scene.
He was really bleeding.
The two fingers he used to carry the shard, which was thinner than a coin, summoned blood on his fingers.
Zane didn’t even feel it.
"You were lucky you held it with little to no strength. Otherwise, you would have bid farewell to your fingers."
Zane’s brows shot up.
He wiped his right hand’s fingers in his black pants. The cut wasn’t too deep and the bleeding stopped soon as well.
But now, Zane wanted to know about the glass sword more than ever.
The shopkeeper saw the curiosity in Zane’s eyes and didn’t make him wait.
"It is Vellum Razor. It is made of sand that was put under immense heat. It is like a crystal. Like frozen glass. Most people mistake it for decoration. Its edge is so absurdly sharp that it barely touches flesh before cutting.
On the downside, it is extremely fragile. One bad hit against stones or any hard object, it’s gone. Instantly. That’s why no one buys it. Most assassins use it and since they don’t do shopping from public shops, it remained unsold here for a long time and then I discarded it."
Zane nodded and looked at Xavier.
"Now place it on the counter."
Xavier’s mouth hung open. "Place it? I am not a God, man. My spine almost gave up dragging it. I will shit my pants if I try to lift it."
People laughed but the shopkeeper didn’t.
"No. Don’t place it here. My counter will break, sir. I will tell you about it from here only."
"Sounds good."
The bald man didn’t even spare a glance at the heavy metal and shared about it instantly.
"It is called Bedrock Piston. It is nothing but a massive execution pole-cleaver. Not magical. Not rare. Just brutally heavy. Only prison executioners buy it.
Its purpose is simple. Break armor. It’s like a giant axe but instead of a blade, it has a square metallic-brutesque block. Every swing carries enormous momentum. Once it starts moving it refuses to stop.
The downside? It is painfully slow. Anyone fast can dodge it. It’s too heavy. How will you use it if you can’t even lift it. Hence, it is discarded as well.
Also, notice the dents and cracks, it is already used in the civil war in Maayara. I don’t want any later problems that’s why I am not hiding anything."
"Thanks a lot for telling all this. Now he will make the right decision." Xavier rested the handle of the Piston on the counter and looked at Zane.
Zane also looked at Xavier and smiled.
Xavier heaved a sigh of relief.
"I was afraid for one second that you will seriously buy th—"
"I am buying them."
"Motherfuc—"
