Rise of the Devourer

Chapter 33: A New Spear

Noah patiently waited as Josiah and Aurelia's discussions came to an end, and then it was finally his turn to choose a weapon.

"So, what specifically are you looking for?" Josiah asked.

"A spear, but I'm not really familiar with the weapon, so I can't say much more," Noah replied.

"A spear, huh?" Josiah said, rubbing his chin. "I've got some to show you. Follow me."

Noah followed the shopkeeper into the back of the shop, entering a spacious storage area filled with items displayed on shelves and in boxes. A kiln and an anvil sat on the right side, with rows of weapons lining the walls.

"I've got this beauty right here. A spear engraved with triple-thrust. So, if you hit once and use the skill, it'll strike three times almost simultaneously," Josiah said, placing the weapon in Noah's hands.

Noah used Identify on the weapon.

[Enchanted Spear (Uncommon)]

A spear enchanted with the triple-thrust spell. Consumes mana upon activation.

The spear featured a stone embedded within its wooden shaft, with runes etched that extended to the tip. Noah spun the weapon around, trying to get a feel for it.

"Or if you're more interested in range, then there's this one," Josiah said, presenting a different spear to Noah. This one was longer and much heavier, its entire body made of some kind of metal adorned with intricate runes.

"When you use your mana, the wind spell activates and sends nearly invisible, rapidly cutting wind blades," Josiah explained.

Noah used Identify.

[Windslasher (Rare)]

A weapon made of wind-attuned steel and wind mana stones, embodying the Howling Fury spell within it. Consumes mana upon activation.

"There's also this entire rack full of spears if you want to pick one yourself."

Noah nodded, returning both spears to Josiah as he began to examine the options one by one, using Identify on each of them.

[Sharpened Spear (Uncommon)]

A spear with the sharpening enchantment on it.

Noah picked up the weapon, stabbing the air a couple of times to get a feel for it. From what he could tell, the spear was mostly ordinary, but with an exceptionally sharp edge due to its enchantment. Setting the weapon down, he moved on to the next one that caught his eye.

[Switch-blade Spearsword (Rare)]

Infused with the blood of a lycan, this silver blade can transform into a sword.

"Whoa, what's this one?" Noah asked.

"Ah… that… is a childhood project. I'm a bit embarrassed by it, but I kept it around because of its rarity. It's not a very practical weapon, but the craftsmanship and strength are top-notch," Josiah said, scratching his cheek.

Noah found a small trigger on the shaft and pressed it. The spear shifted and twisted, transforming into a blade with a humming edge that shimmered a blood-red color. "Holy crap, that's awesome," Noah said, swinging the blade around before pressing the trigger again to turn it back into a spear.

"Just a toy. But I did enjoy making it," Josiah replied.

Noah put the spear back and moved on to the next one.

[Dual Spear (Rare)]

A specially crafted spear with blades on both ends that can cut through rock with ease.

Noah spun the weapon around, feeling a little silly. "I am the dark lord," he said, spinning his spear like a staff. The spear smacked one of the shelves, almost knocking a spear onto him, and Noah stopped.

"Yeah, I doubt I can use this," he said, putting the Dual Spear back.

As Noah moved through the row, one spear in particular caught his eye. It was on the bottom shelf, set in a corner, covered by a thick rug and secured with locks. Noah bent down to grab it, but Josiah caught his hand.

"That one's cursed," he warned.

"Cursed?" Noah inquired.

"Yes. Cursed. It's a weapon with Blood rot infused in it. It's powerful, but it'll kill you."

Noah pondered for a moment. "Can I just take a look?"

Josiah hesitated but eventually nodded. Pulling out a key, he unlocked the spear and carefully removed the covers, revealing a bright red spear that gleamed with a crimson hue.

Noah used Identify.

[Spear of Crimson End (Common/Growth)]

A spear infused with Crimson Rot and the remnant spirit of a dying warrior of the Scarlet Valkyries. The spear bonds with its owner and grows along with them.

"A growth item?" Noah asked, surprised.

"Yes. They're rare, but not unheard of. Items that grow in power over time. Bonded weapons, all of them. If this wasn't a cursed spear, it would sell for no less than 10 B-grade mana stones."

"How much would it cost if I wanted to buy this anyway?" Noah asked, looking at the spear.

"My friend, since you're Aurelia's acquaintance and I know you're not from here, I'll say this as politely as I can. Don't buy this. I'm not selling it. The only reason I haven't thrown it away is that I'm holding out hope that maybe one day I can remove the rot from the spear. But as it stands, this spear will kill you. Crimson rot cannot be cured. If you contract it, the only option to save yourself is to cut off the infected limb. Poison resistance doesn't even work on the rot; you need Rot resistance instead, at an intermediate level, and very few people have that."

Noah thought it over for a moment, then rolled up his sleeve to show his prosthetic hand. "I think with this, I can use it."

"Ah… a prosthetic. But even so, the rot will eventually destroy that too, and if you accidentally cut yourself with it— I can't in good conscience sell this to you," Josiah insisted.

Noah frowned, contemplating his options. He was fairly confident that his Lifeblood ability could handle the Crimson rot. If he let Tony handle the rot with his arm, and poured Lifeblood and consumed potions, he could likely level up Lifeblood, gain rot resistance, and eventually be able to use the spear. However, this all depended on when Tony woke up.

"I know how this sounds, but I have certain advantages that I think may allow me to use this weapon. But I don't plan to use it right away," Noah explained.

Josiah looked conflicted.

"I think you should let him have it," Aurelia interjected, leaning against the door. "You guys were taking a while, so I decided to come see what was up."

"Why would you say that, Aurelia? You know how terrible the rot is," Josiah protested.

"I know. But I've seen Noah recover after being pumped full of Necro-toxins. He's immune to the poison type now, and given his abilities, if you refuse, he'll teleport in here at night and steal it from you."

Josiah turned to face Noah. "A teleportation ability?"

Noah shrugged.

"Fine, very well. But don't say I didn't warn you," Josiah said, carefully wrapping the spear and reapplying the magical seal. "I'll sell it to you for eight D-grade mana stones. That seems fair, considering no one else is likely to be crazy enough to take this off my hands."

"How about five D-grade mana stones?" Noah bargained.

"Eight. Take it before I change my mind," Josiah insisted.

"Fair enough," Noah agreed, handing over his C-grade mana stone. In return, the shopkeeper gave him two D-grade mana stones.

"Actually, can I get a skill tome for spear ability?" Noah inquired.

"I have an intermediate Spear Proficiency tome, which I can give you for these two D-grade stones."

"Yep, that's perfectly fine," Noah agreed.

Josiah retrieved the skill tome, and Noah identified it.

[Skill Tome of Intermediate Spear Proficiency (Uncommon)]

A skill tome containing the Spear Proficiency skill.

Noah picked up the tome, nodding in gratitude to Josiah.

"I'd be willing to take the spear back if you can't manage to use it. Of course, not at the same price," Josiah offered.

"I'll keep that in mind," Noah responded. After exchanging parting greetings with Aurelia, the two left the shop.

Not wanting to waste any time, Noah used his Spear Proficiency skill tome while he was still ahead.

You've absorbed [Skill Tome of Intermediate Spear Proficiency]

Skill [Spear Proficiency] obtained!

[Spear Proficiency] starts at level 10 and ranks intermediate due to item usage.

A wealth of information filled Noah's mind: how to grip a spear, proper attack techniques, and how to position his feet. It felt as though he'd acquired a new set of skills. Noah practiced the motions with his wrapped cursed spear, moving as if it came naturally to him.

"You should put that spear away until you've figured out if you can actually use it or not," Aurelia advised.

"Come on, let me have some fun!" Noah protested but put the spear in his inventory anyway.

"Fun, huh? Actually, if you want to explore Windrest, how about going to see the Astral Rift in the castle?"

"The what in the where?" Noah asked, puzzled.

"The Astral Rift. It's a tear in reality leading to an Astral plane. The palace was built above one, and they let people look into it. This one leads to the Wind Astral plane."

"Huh," Noah mused. "Why not? It sounds fun."

Aurelia smiled at his enthusiasm. "Alright then, off to the castle we go."