Item: [Dread Salvation] (iron rank [growth], legendary)
A sword crafted with gratitude, in hope it would be of the greatest use in the moment of greatest need. It was forged with passion and expertise to be a reliable companion, bestowing upon it an incredible potential (weapon, sword).
Effect: If a special attack that applies an affliction is made with this sword, but the subject of the attack has a physical immunity to it, an instance of [Stone Cutter] is applied to the blade.
Effect: If a special attack that applies an affliction is made with this sword, but the subject of the attack has a magical immunity to it, an instance of [Spell Breaker] is applied to the blade.
[Stone Cutter] (magic, stacking): All attacks deal additional resonating-force damage; highly effective against physical defences. Additional instances have a cumulative effect.
[Spell Breaker] (magic, stacking): All attacks deal additional disruptive-force damage; highly effective against magical defences and incorporeal entities. Additional instances have a cumulative effect.
Growth Conditions (bronze):
1 kilogram of blood gold
4 kilograms of low grade (bronze rank) star-fall silver
100 bronze-rank iron quintessence gems.
100 bronze-rank magic quintessence gems.
1000 bronze rank spirit coins.
Ritual of bronze ascension.
Jason didn’t read past the description before grasping Gary’s huge, hairy body in a hug.
“I’m not really a hugger,” Gary had said as he awkwardly returned the embrace.
“Well you should be,” Jason told him. “You’re really good at it.”
Jason looked down at the bunkered tortoise, then back at his sword. He turned it over in his hand, watching the sun strike the clean edge.
“He’s been secretly working on it for weeks,” Rufus had told Jason later. “We don’t really talk about it, but none of us thought we were getting out of that sacrifice chamber alive. We owe you a favour we can’t ever repay.”
Jason slapped him on the arm.
“Friends don’t count favours, Rufus. They just show up when they’re needed.”
Jason looked down at the tortoise, hunkered in its shell.
“Is something wrong, Mr Asano?” Vincent asked.
“Not at all.”
Rather than bring the sword down on the shell, he casually stabbed the monster’s side.
Special attack [Punish] has inflicted [Sin] on [Rune Tortoise].
[Rune Tortoise] is immune to afflictions.
[Sin] does not take effect.
Affliction immunity has triggered an effect on weapon [Dread Salvation].
Weapon [Dread Salvation] has gained an instance of [Stone Cutter].
“You may need a little more gusto to penetrate the protection.”
“Actually,” Jason said, “the key is persistence.”
Jason stabbed out again and again. With each strike the sword became more powerful, until the first gouge appeared in monster’s side. A section of flesh chipped off like stone under the monster’s protection ability.
“I’m an affliction specialist,” Jason told Vincent as he continued to chip away. “We don’t do speed. We do inevitability.”
57
Rainbow Smoke
Jason looked at the dead rune tortoise.
“Sorry, mate,” he told it. “Can’t have you going berserk and wandering into town shooting lightning bolts at people.”
“You’re apologising to a dead monster?” Vincent asked.
“It might just be a congealed blob of magic, but it was still alive, and died trapped in its own shell. It might have only had an animal’s intelligence, but it could feel helpless and afraid. It’s a rough way to go.”
“You’re an affliction specialist,” Vincent said. “It’s always a rough way to go with you.”
“You know Humphrey breathes fire, right?” Jason said. “Burning to death can’t be great, either.”
Jason tapped a finger on the dead creature’s shell.
Would you like to loot [Rune Tortoise]?
Jason walked away before mentally accepting the loot.
[Monster Core (Iron)] has been added to your inventory.
5 [Lightning Quintessence] has been added to your inventory.
5 [Wind Quintessence] have been added to your inventory.
5 [Water Quintessence] have been added to your inventory.
5 [Fire Quintessence] have been added to your inventory.
[Intact Rune Tortoise Shell] has been added to your inventory.
[Shell-Skin Potion] has been added to your inventory.
10 [Iron Rank Spirit Coins] have been added to your inventory.
Behind him the rune tortoise started dissolving into rainbow smoke, rising up into the air. The colourful display was as beautiful as the stench of it was horrifying, which was why Jason had learned not to loot monsters until he was some distance upwind.
Having a power to harvest monsters, Jason discovered, was a rare and useful one. For most people, they had to use a specialised branch of ritual magic. It was something many learned, however, due to the lucrative rewards. Getting lucky and looting an awakening stone or an essence, even valuable crafting materials paid out better than the contract to kill the monster in the first place.
“One of the candidates from last month had a looting power,” Vincent said as he glanced back at the rising smoke.
“Oh?” Jason said. “Is he in the other group this month?”
“Actually, he passed,” Vincent said. “One of the Mercer boy’s lackeys, unfortunately. Damn waste of talent.”
They reached the rest of the group, where Mobley had only partially healed up through potions. This group of candidates included a few with self-healing, like Jason, but no one who could help others in the group.
“You ready for the next one?” Vincent asked, as he and Jason walked back to the group.
“I am,” Jason said.
“Good,” Vincent said. “We’ve got a few more to get through, today.”
The mangrove swamp was wet and hot, the air full of tiny bugs. The mangroves were large and dense, shrouding the areas within in darkness. Passage through the swamp was either by shallow boat, or along Bridge Road—an extended chain of low, flat bridges, spanning the distance between sporadic patches of solid ground. Most of the construction in the delta was either mudbrick or yellow desert stone, but Bridge Road was built from the region’s signature green stone. It reminded Jason of the impossible bridge that carried the Mistrun River over the massive gorge on its way down to the delta. He wondered if it had the same, mysterious constructor.
They were crossing Bridge Road in their wagon, which Vincent drew to a stop at a seemingly random point in the middle of the swamp. He turned back to address the adventurer candidates in the back.
“Undeveloped areas like this can be some of the most dangerous in the delta,” Vincent explained. “There’s a lot of territory for monsters to go unnoticed until they hit the berserk stage. You won’t need to deal with that today, though. We have two sets of monsters in this area: one single monster and one pack.”
Vincent dropped down off the wagon and the group clambered out the back. After half a week, even the more spoiled members of the group had stopped complaining about the basic transport. Vincent gathered the group together on the side of the bridge.
“When you get a monster notice,” Vincent said, “whether from a notice board or the Adventure Society directly, it has three pieces of information, so long as that information is known. The name of the monster, or a description. The number of monsters, and the approximate location.”