Deterrence

“Please stay within a hundred metres from me!” Bob shouted to the trio, who had split to find their own things. “I won’t be able to protect you if I can’t see or sense you!”

“Gotcha!” Robert shouted from afar, head already bent down as he perused the goods scattered all over an elderly woman’s table of her stall.

Elian and Jimin browsed another store nearby, looking at the different weapons that was splayed all over the table.

“What are you looking for?” Jimin asked, tracing her fingers on the curved blade of an axe.

Its handle was adorned with a coiling red dragon, allowing one’s fingers to grip firmly with the depressions formed between the elongated body swirling around the black hardwood. The blade itself was redder than red, and it looked as if it had seen its fair share of murder and violence.

“It's a tier 2 Savage weapon,” the stall owner explained. “Axe of Frenzied Blood. It drinks of the blood of its opponent and grants the user mild enhancements to pain suppression and attack force, but it increases their aggressiveness and tendency to irritance.”

“Ohhh~” Jimin nodded.

The stall owner clasped his hands together and gave a wry smile.

“Five hundred gold shells, or a Rebirth stone of equivalent tier.”

Elian picked it up.

It was light and rested firmly in his hands, but if he were to buy it, he wouldn't be able to execute two-handed moves with his sword. Not to mention, pain suppression was a minor thing to him since he couldn't feel anything in his default state of mind.

He placed it back and looked at the other weapons.

An ultra-greatsword laid on the ground by the side, taking up at least two-thirds of the available space in the stall.

The stall owner crouched and pointed at the weapon.

“Luna Fracta Inferni. Hybrid weapon that utilises two tier 3 stones, one from a Savage, another from a Shadow.”

“Luna-what?” Jimin asked.

“Broken Moon of the Underworld,” the stall owner explained. “It’s one of the best items I have, and perhaps one of the best in the entire black market. Each swing releases a Crescent of the Underworld. Anything touched by the crescent is consumed by a localized singularity. In other words, a mini blackhole.”

“Woah~” Jimin marvelled.

“Up to three charges can be stored. Charges restore over a day.”

Elian looked at the ultra greatsword. It’s was entirely black, with a hue of dreamy purple haze that lined the blade's edge on both sides, pulsing slightly as if it was thirsting to consume. He bent and squinted his eyes, taking a closer look at the weapon. Mini white sparkles dotted the flat of the blade, illuminating the darkness within like a neverending night sky.

“If it's that great, why isn't everyone clambering for it?”

The stall owner chuckled and sighed.

“Well, it's heavy. Very heavy. Close to about half ton? You’d have to be a monster or a Highborn to be swinging this around freely.”

Elian grabbed onto the weapon’s handle and tried to pull it up, but did not budge an inch. The weapon remained stuck to the ground no matter how much he tried to pull — one hand, two hands, trying to at least push it with his leg.

Nothing.

It was like the weapon was glued to the ground.

The stall owner let out a dejected chuckle.

“I would have given it to you for free if you managed to pick it up. It’s been sitting here for three years now, and none apart from one person have managed to move it.”

Elian stood up, face flushed from the useless effort he just exerted.

“How did it even get here in the first place?” Jimin asked.

“That’s the person who managed to move it. I got the help of a Rebirth 5 Savage,” the stall owner boasted. “Had to pay him five thousand gold shells for the service. I thought I would strike it rich after selling it, but here I am, still trying to even get back the five thousand shells from selling other things.”

“You have any other weapons?” Elian asked.

“What exactly are you looking for, sir?”

“I don't know. Something light yet destructive? Or maybe something strong yet flexible? I'm currently in the need for something that gives me range or power. It would be the best if I get both.”

The stall owner hummed and carressed the tip of his mustache, trying to think of a suitable item.

“Hmm…”

The two of them stood there, looking at him, watching his facial expressions change in real time. One moment his eyes lit up, the next he frowned. Then he nodded and smiled, but it instantly switched into a dejected shake of his head.

Five minutes passed.

“So?” Jimin asked, tapping her foot impatiently.

“I have nothing that fits your criteria.”

The stall owner scratched his head embarrassingly.

“It’s alright. We’ll continue looking around.”

Elian gave a small bow and turned, walking towards where Robert was.

He had moved to another stall deeper into this section of the market, and Bob was standing beside him, keeping a look out for anything that would threaten his protectees.

“Did you manage to find what you want?” Jimin asked, appearing to Robert’s left.

“Unfortunately, no.”

Robert pointed to the stalls which he had already visited.

“Most of them have only tier 1 or 2 stones,” he said. “There's a tier 3 stone here, but it’s an Apothecary one.”

Robert gave a dejected smile and thanked the stall owner, setting the lush green stone back down.

“I guess I’ll have to keep looking then,” he said, turning around. His head was already turning left and right, keeping an eye out for more stones.