Chapter 27: The Soul Weapon
"I can choose a treasure from here?" Leonard murmured in surprise. This was the first instance where his grandfather had offered him a gift.
Knowing just how valuable this chance was, he began to inspect the treasury in great depth.
The treasury was in a pristine condition, without a speck of dust. Rising upon numerous display shelves stood all kinds of weapons that exuded power. Armor sets stood in upright formation, and accessories gave off powerful presences.
Thanks to the rune he had gained from Cassandra, Leonard possessed Dimensional Storage. Yet he felt Owen’s cold eyes locked onto his back. The idea of secretly taking more than was allowed did not even enter his mind.
"But how am I supposed to choose?" He pondered. With his lack of experience in treasures and their usefulness, he was bound to make the wrong choice.
[Primordial Bloodline stirs in your veins.]
Suddenly, he felt his blood run hot. The crimson pendant he always wore around his neck began to pulse with a slow, steady glow. Its light seeped through his clothes, casting a faint red dot across his chest.
’The pendant Mother left me... wants to guide me?’ Leonard was momentarily startled, yet quickly regained his composure.
He realized that depending on the orientation of his chest, the flashing light would speed up or slow down.
Keeping his back turned to Owen, he followed the direction the pendant was pulling him toward.
Each step in the right direction caused the light to shine brighter. His heartbeat quickened, his blood growing hotter with every pulse, and his breathing turned rapid.
He came to a halt, standing before a weapon that was slightly isolated from the rest.
A massive, double-headed axe, adorned in gold, with a shaft that ended in a sharp spike at the top. The blades looked powerful enough to cleave boulders in two, and each side of the axe head bore the engraved image of a roaring lion, its form seemingly fused deep into the metal.
"This is what we call a soul weapon." Owen’s voice echoed behind him.
"A spirit resides inside the weapon. When you initiate contact, it will judge you. If you are deemed worthy, you’ll unlock its full power. Otherwise, it will be nothing more than a weapon slightly better than the usual junk."
After a moment the man added.
"Keep in mind, this soul weapon is here because nobody has managed to meet its criteria. What will you do? If you touch it, it’s yours... no take-backs. Will you risk it or choose a safer option instead?"
Honestly, Owen was testing Leonard. He wondered if his grandson had it in him to bet on the unknown.
Glancing at the shining pendant on his chest for the last time, Leonard exhaled deeply and reached out to touch the axe.
Leonard found himself transported to a mountain cliff amid a raging snowstorm. A cold unlike anything he had ever known seeped deep into his bones, making him shudder.
He stood up, brushing the snow from his body as he took in his surroundings.
His eyes naturally settled on a man standing near the cliff’s edge, his back turned as he stared out at the raging ocean beneath.
Towering at two meters, the man’s bare torso was exposed, marked by countless old wounds that scarred his frame. Despite being unclothed above the waist, he remained calm and composed, entirely unfazed by the chilling cold.
Slowly, he turned around. His unkempt hair reached his shoulders, and his overgrown beard hid most of the features on his face.
The only thing Leonard was able to make out were the piercing golden eyes the man quietly stared at him with.
"Are you the spirit of this place?" He asked, slightly confused.
The man remained silent. Leaning forward, the snow beneath his feet exploded outward as he lunged forward with staggering speed.
Leonard barely managed to brace his core in time. The punch, carrying overwhelming momentum, struck him in the stomach, drove the air from his lungs and lifted him off his feet, sending him skidding across the snow.
For a moment, his vision darkened. The strike was several times stronger than the Level 20 Lowborn Vampire he had faced in the Haunted Catacombs!
"Is this going to be a battle to the death?" Leonard struggled to his feet, numbness spreading across his body from the merciless cold.
In desperation, he tried to use Dimensional Storage to summon his silver axe to defend himself.
Yet the skill didn’t respond... Bringing outside tools was forbidden.
Gritting his teeth, Leonard prepared for the next blow.
The towering man observed his reaction for a couple of seconds, his hair and beard dancing in the chilly wind.
"Hardened Physique, Level 1... you have a solid foundation, but you are still lacking, Boy." The man spoke in a heavy voice.
He went back to stare at the ocean by the cliff.
"Was this supposed to be the test?" Leonard blinked slowly before following suit.
Stopping shoulder to shoulder, he peeked toward the stormy ocean.
"That’s pretty high..." He realized that a fall from such a height would surely be fatal.
Discreetly, he spared the man beside him a glance, only to notice he was staring upward rather than down.
Leonard followed the man’s gaze, and his breath hitched.
Up above past the clouds, a dark land drifted through the sky, its expanse larger than a nation. Looming towers were erected along its edges, and impenetrable borders rose between them, making entry seem basically impossible.
"What the hell is this?" He couldn’t help but whisper in complete astonishment.
"It’s a prison." Catching his awe, the man answered calmly.
Leonard’s eyes widened in disbelief.
These elevated lands weren’t governed by an advanced civilization but were a prison instead. What could possibly be contained within walls so difficult to breach: demons, angels, eldritch horrors, even gods?
"Who is it meant for?" He asked.
For the first time the man’s expression changed, darkening ever so slightly. A hint of sorrow passed through his eyes.
"For my daughter."
Comments