Seeking the Sword -3

Unknown: “I’ve been waiting for you, you bastard.”

A hoarse, low voice.

A reddish-purple robe covering his head casts a shadow on the man’s face.

I can’t see his appearance at all, but only his eyes, staring at me, are eerily glowing.

Unknown: “Even though I gave so many hints, nobody came. You’re the third one to make it this far.”

The eerie man standing at the counter shakes his head in boredom.

However, his tone reveals his barely concealed delight at the arrival of a customer.

–The Cannibal’s Den

A store that sells various items such as weapons, potions, materials, and interiors.

If it’s a general store that sells a variety of items, they also operate in the commercial district.

However, 『The Cannibal’s Den』 has a much wider variety of products compared to those stores.

Normally, the rarity of items is divided into stages from rank 【1】 to 【12】.

Of these, items up to rank 【6】 can be purchased at stores operated by NPCs.

If it’s more than that, the only way is to make it yourself or ask another player to make it for you.

But 『The Cannibal’s Den』 sells items up to the highest rank of 【12】.

Of course, the prices are high to match the rank of the items, so if you’re not careful, you could go bankrupt.

Arata: “May I see the swords?”

The Cannibal’s Den Shopkeeper: “Huh? Did you ask someone who knows about this place?”

Damn it.

I accidentally ordered out of habit.

The Cannibal’s Den Shopkeeper: “Well, I don’t care about that. I’ve got the entrance fee, so I won’t say anything as uncouth as telling you to leave.”

Saying that, the man takes out a gold coin from his sleeve and plays with it in his palm.

That’s a relief.

The products here are all useful for conquering, so it would be a waste to be banned from here.

The Cannibal’s Den Shopkeeper: “Well, if it’s a sword that suits you… it’s here.”

The man takes out a bunch of keys with a lot of keys from his pocket.

Then, with practiced movements, he unlocks the door and leads me to the room behind it.

Arata: “May I look?”

The Cannibal’s Den Shopkeeper: “Yeah, go ahead. Feel free to touch and find one that fits your hand.”

With the man’s permission, I pick up a sword.

–Bloody Bringer

A weapon in the rank 【5】 one-handed sword category.

The slender blade is a startling red, and it inflicts a bleeding continuous damage debuff on the opponent it slashes.

In this world, the damage from bleeding is increased, and the pain that comes with it makes it a very effective weapon against many opponents.

–Sword Breaker

A weapon in the rank 【6】 dagger category.

The Sword Breaker can greatly reduce the durability of the opponent’s swords by successfully guarding or parrying.

However, guarding or parrying with a dagger also greatly consumes our durability.

But this Sword Breaker is made of adamantite.

Weapons made with adamantite have the characteristic of having corrections applied to durability, guard, and parry.

All of them can be said to be first-class items.

But…

The Cannibal’s Den Shopkeeper: “What, you’re not satisfied with the swords here?”

Arata: “Well, can I see a sword that’s one step higher?”

Unless the rank 【5】 or 【6】 swords are particularly easy to use, I won’t continue to use them.

In that case, it’s faster to either use a slightly lower rank sword or stretch and take a higher rank sword.

The Cannibal’s Den Shopkeeper: “Stop it, vanity will ruin you.”

Arata: “I’m not aiming for the top out of stubbornness. It’s just that the swords here are hard to use.”

The Cannibal’s Den Shopkeeper: “…Are you trying to find fault with my eyes?”

The lapis lazuli eyes that remind me of a blazing flame glare at me as if to shoot me dead.

Currently, it is unclear whether there are rank 【12】 items here.

However, at least the existence of rank 【6】 weapons can be confirmed.

What this fact indicates is that the man who runs the store is a powerful person.

The murderous aura that overflows from him–no, the murderous intent is the purest and at the same time the most profound I have felt since I came to this world.

After a while, the man unexpectedly averts his gaze.

The Cannibal’s Den Shopkeeper: “You win. You’ve got quite a backbone, don’t you?”

Arata: “Thank you.”

The Cannibal’s Den Shopkeeper: “Huh, am I getting old? It’s the first time I’ve misjudged a customer’s strength.”

A sound like breaking glass.

At the same time, the scenery around me changes.

This is also a warehouse where the same weapons are displayed, but the rank of the items lined up is clearly different.

If the average rank of the warehouse until now was 【6】, the items here are at least solid rank 【10】.

The Cannibal’s Den Shopkeeper: “Take whatever you like. Everything here is a masterpiece.”

Arata: “Is that okay?”

The Cannibal’s Den Shopkeeper: “Yeah. It would be uncouth to charge you after I misjudged you, so go ahead.”

Arata: “In that case, can I also see the gauntlets?”

The Cannibal’s Den Shopkeeper: “…Ha, you’re more suited to be a scam artist than me!”