Chapter 271 - 271- Runic Spear (Part 2)
Merit stared at the spear in his hand and then at Talon with a weird glint in his eyes. "So, you didn't like this one. May I know why?" He asked with a smile. The look of genuine curiosity on his face was as clear as day.
"The weight and balance are off from what I'm used to. I can't use it well enough to give it justice, as strong as it is." Talon explained as he rubbed his chin and stared at the second spear in the line.
'He assessed the characteristics of the spear and came to a conclusion really quickly. His inner senses are quite sharp for a low-dimension creature.' He thought to himself.
For someone to reach such a deep level of comprehension of his own abilities and especially his abilities when it came to his weapon, it required a lot of work and a keen sense for battle that stands out amongst others and that was clear in Talon from the start.
He didn't need to learn anything to understand what he wanted. All he required was his feeling and it always leads him to the correct way.
"Good enough, you can try the second one then." Merit shook his head and made the spear vanish from sight in an instant.
The second spear was a complete contrast from the first one. It was extremely red in color, with a darker hint of black swirling around the handle and an ominously bloody blade. It looked like it was submerged in a lake of blood before being brought here which added further darkness to its borderline malicious aura.
The moment Talon grasped it, he felt a chill run down his spine, except this time it was a different kind of chill. One similar to when Talon faced a monster far stronger than he was and that hint of fear slowly crawled into his mind.
However, he quickly shook his head and assessed the dark spear. 'It feels so… Evil…' He thought to himself.
The spear had something wrong with it and he didn't know what it was exactly.
"That is the 'Lord Of The Blood's Hand'. I found it stabbed into the corpse of a dead giant and as far as I know about it, it had gained that red color due to the sheer number of things it killed. It is quite a troublesome weapon to deal with. But, if you do learn how to use it, this thing is a nasty monster.
It allows the user to control and draw blood from themselves and their enemies to use in battle and let me tell you, it isn't something you would want to be on the other side of." Merit explained.
'So that is the origin of this feeling. The fact that it claimed so many lives. But… How many could that be for it to stay eternally marked on the spear?' Just imagining it sent a chill down his spine.
But, he tried to ignore this spear's background and focused on the spear itself. For starters, the blood abilities Merit talked about were quite interesting. Talon didn't know blood could be used as a weapon but he could see it being a very dangerous ability to have.
But, then again, the spear itself, as a spear, wasn't what Talon was looking for. It had the length and the blade down, but its grip wasn't comfortable and it was extremely heavy. Not to mention the bad feeling Talon would have each time he lifted that spear.
In the end, he could only shake his head. "No… This isn't it." He said and handed the spear back to Merit.
"Mmm, interesting. I thought you might've chosen this one." He said as he made it disappear.
"No, it isn't quite what I'm looking for."
"Sure, kid. Go ahead, I still have many spears I can show you."
Hearing that, Talon moved to the next spear. Just like the one before it, it was ridiculously strong, but it didn't fit his criteria. Then, he went to the next spear and the one after it and the same happened with both. They were all quite unique, powerful, and versatile, but they lacked the most crucial part, the chemistry Talon was seeking.
Apart from his problems with the length, balance, and some other form factors, he also didn't feel that spark. By 'Spark' he meant that instant connection that could be established with his weapon. Talon viewed his spear as a companion, rather than a mere weapon.
A friend in time of thick and thin. One that he can rely on to do what he needs to do without letting him down. In that sense, Blue Lapis was the perfect weapon for him. The connection between them was instantaneous and perfect.
With time, it only grew deeper and deeper till Talon couldn't differentiate between it and one of his arms for example. That was how deep it was.
These spears lacked that part and ultimately didn't fit Talon at all. After giving Merit the last spear, Talon frowned.
"I really couldn't find a good one amongst these. They are all good spears, but they aren't my thing." He explained with a sigh. He expected Merit to be disappointed that Talon didn't choose one of these spears since they were perhaps his best choice.
'He worked hard to get these. I would feel insulted in his place if someone discarded them like this. But, I won't sugarcoat stuff, that's not me.'
"Well, I haven't come across someone as picky as you are. But, I do not hate that, kid. If anything, I'm more intrigued now to know which spear is going to capture your eye."
"Really?"
"Yeah. But, I have to think for a moment before I can give you another choice. It is tough to figure out what you want." Merit smiled as he walked around the table and pulled out a giant old book.
Opening it up, he started going through the old papers with a focused look on his face.
Talon watched the boy work curiously. Every time he looked at him, he could only think that this was a mere kid, and yet the truth couldn't be any farther from that.
'Which one I wonder? From the way he has been looking at these spears, I can say that he isn't looking for flashy, powerful spears. He is looking for something else… Hmm, something special…' As he read through the catalog, his eyes suddenly fell on a single name, right at the end of the spear category.
A name that was written in haste and seemed rather normal amongst the flashy names of the other spears. But, when Merit read the name, he remembered where he found that item and the small bits and pieces of info he knew about it.
"This…" He murmured as his face drew a wide grin. "I almost forgot about this one…"
After saying that, he snapped his finger, and immediately, a spear manifested in his hand. Staring at it, his smile grew even wider. "Now this… I wonder what you think about this one."
Saying that, he approached Talon and handed him the spear. Confused by the way Merit was speaking, he grabbed the spear and immediately, his body froze.
"..." His eyes squinted as he slowly lifted the spear and stared at it. Unlike the spears before it, this one didn't have anything noteworthy about it.
It was grey in color with a polished, white blade and a rather unassuming set of runic words drawn across its length. Compared to the others, it appeared like a plain old spear with nothing special about it.
However, the moment Talon grabbed it, for some reason, he felt something weird. A feeling that he had been looking for. That small connection that the other spears lacked, this one had it, way stronger than anything else.
"This…"
'This feeling… It's stronger than the one I had with Blue Lapis…' He thought to himself in shock.
After trying all kinds of different spears, Talon started to believe that the connection he had with Blue Lapis could not be rivaled. That weapon was perhaps tailor made especially for him. So, he instinctively lowered his standards a little so that he could finally find a new weapon.
But, the moment he touched this, the idea shattered completely.
"What is this spear?" He asked in disbelief as he traced his finger across its handle and blade.
"That is the 'Great Runic Spear'. To be honest, I do have not that much information about it except that it belonged to a great figure in the past. I do not know who that is or what powers it has as I couldn't use it myself which honestly made it unique enough for me to leave it in my storage." He explained. "I do know for certain that it has way more going for it than the eye could see." He said.
Nodding his head faintly, Talon moved back a little and swung the spear once. 'The balance and length are perfect. The blade is the perfect size and the range is also the same… This is so good!'
It was so good, in fact, that he almost wanted to believe that it wasn't true. The spear fit his criteria perfectly and even added a few things that he didn't even know he needed.
Looking up, he said. "What's your price for this? I want it."
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