In the world of demons, Miro was walking alongside Siraj and Zoe on one of the city streets after they had left the monster hunters' community.
The street was bustling with activity, and the voices of vendors mingled with the clatter of footsteps.
Miro looked up at Siraj and whispered:
"Where to now, Siraj?"
He answered calmly, looking ahead:
"I have a little money left… We'll buy some weapons."
Zoe stopped for a moment, her eyes widening:
"Weapons?"
Her voice trembled slightly as she added:
"I… I'm afraid of them."
Siraj turned toward her, raised his hand gently, and stroked her hair lightly:
"Don't be afraid, Zoe… I'll protect you."
Then he looked at Miro, who was walking in silence with a tense expression, avoiding his gaze.
Hmm. "I don't care."
Siraj smiled faintly:
"Alright… we'll go to the weapons market."
They entered the market.
The place was unlike any ordinary market; weapons hung on the walls, some made of bone, others looking as if they'd come straight out of ancient tales. Dark swords, strange glass orbs, and small tools whose uses no one could easily discern.
Siraj stopped in front of one of the stalls, silently examining the swords on display.
The vendor approached with a smile and said confidently:
"This is one of the best swords… made from volcanic fire, strong and durable, perfect for you. And the prices are reasonable."
Siraj took the sword in his hand, examined it for a moment, then quietly put it back:
"No… I don't like it."
He moved on, passing between the stalls one by one, but nothing caught his eye.
Until he stopped in front of an old shop in the corner of the market and entered silently.
He whispered to himself as he looked around:
"I'm tired… and I haven't found anything suitable for me or the girls."
Then he turned to Miro and asked her:
"Did you like anything?"
Miro replied as she examined the swords around her with uneasy eyes:
"No, I didn't like anything… they're all strange shapes."
They continued walking through the shop until they reached an old corner, where an old man was sitting behind a wooden table, and on the walls behind him were various swords and daggers.
Siraj approached quietly and said:
"Hello… I'm looking for a sword or dagger that's suitable for me and strong."
The old man looked up at him, stared at him silently for a moment, then said calmly:
"I don't have anything like that."
Siraj sighed softly,
"I've searched the entire market…"
The old man smiled faintly, then said in a calm tone:
"A true weapon… isn't what you choose, but what chooses you."
Then he turned his gaze to Miro:
"And you, young lady… what do you want?"
Miro hesitated for a moment, then said in a low voice:
"A sword… I think it suits me."
The old man chuckled softly, then took out several swords and placed them before her, one after another.
Miro looked at them hesitantly, lightly touching one, then pausing at another.
But suddenly, without any apparent intention, her hand reached out toward the hilt of a sword different from the rest, and she pulled it slightly.
In that very moment, the atmosphere around her changed.
A dark-colored sword, terrifying and heavy in appearance, as if it didn't belong with the rest.
The old man paused for a moment, then said calmly:
"This is the sword that chose you."
Miro stared at it for a moment, a mixture of fear and fascination in her eyes, then said in a faint voice:
"Terrifying… but strangely beautiful… I'll take it."
Siraj's gaze then shifted among the displayed swords, observing silently, as if searching for something different.
He raised his hand and pointed to a sword in the corner.
The old man nodded and turned to fetch it, but before he reached it, the nearby shelf shook slightly, and an old box fell from above, landing right in front of Siraj.
Siraj bent down and slowly opened the box.
Inside the box were two daggers.
Their appearance was unlike anything else in the room—sharp, with a dark red hue that deepened, exuding a heavy aura that spoke volumes without words.
[System]
New Notification…
---
A Special-Grade Weapon has been discovered
Name: Curse of Blood
Level: I
Type: Unstable / High Damage
Properties:
Evolves with the user
Bound to the user:
Grows stronger with combat
Multi-hit pattern (incomplete)
Hidden abilities
System Note:
Some information is currently unavailable…
---
Added to the weapon list.
Bound to user:
Status: Active
---
Automatic action:
Weapon saved in the system…
The man looked at the two daggers in Siraj's hands, then smiled a faint smile, as if it stemmed from a long-held surprise.
"Finally… this day has come."
He focused his eyes on them, then on Siraj himself.
"This is the most dangerous weapon here… and yet it is the one that chose you, boy."
But inside his head, his voice wasn't entirely calm.
He watched Siraj in heavy silence, as if something inside him refused to believe it.
This boy… isn't ordinary.
From the first glance, I sensed it… a strange aura… an uneasy one.
Siraj grasped the daggers directly with his hands,
the moment his fingers touched them, a strange sensation ran through his body,
he raised his gaze calmly:
"Alright, I'll take them."
Then he added, as if speaking to himself:
"The system…"
In an instant, the weapon vanished and reappeared inside the weapons section.
The man turned to them again:
"You're not from around here, are you?"
Siraj answered immediately, without hesitation:
"Yes."
"Then, as a gesture of hospitality… I'll take whatever you can afford."
Siraj looked at him with a "Really?"
The old man replied: "Yes."
The man accepted the small amount of money with a calm smile, as if it mattered to him no more than his own sense of honor, and said in a soft voice: "I wish you luck." Siraj bowed gratefully, murmuring words of thanks.
As Miro scanned the room with her eyes until they settled on a sturdy leather sword belt, she whispered with childlike longing, "I want a sword belt too, so I can wear it around my waist." The old man turned to her and asked how much it cost, and she swallowed hard as she admitted she had no money.
When the old man realized that her companions had nothing either, he shouted across the shop: "Then why are you asking?!" Miro curled up into a ball, her gaze fixed on the floor out of sheer embarrassment as she apologized in a choked voice.
Siraj couldn't help himself and burst out laughing at the situation, and she shot him a furious glance as she whispered, "Idiot."
The old man's features softened, replaced by the calm of a father. He sighed deeply and held out the belt toward her, saying, "Here you go, my daughter. No problem." Miro's eyes sparkled with joy as she fastened the belt around her waist and admired her reflection with pride: "Thank you, Uncle. It looks beautiful on me."
Siraj watched the scene with subtle sarcasm, wondering to himself if this was a weapon for fighting or for decoration, before calling out to Zoe and they all left the shop, leaving Miro running after them, shouting, "You're mean! Why are you leaving me?"
Siraj looked at Miro and Zoe and said calmly, "We're going hunting… our first monster. But before that, we need to make a plan."
Zoe froze for a moment, then screamed in fear, "A monster! We're scared!"
Siraj sighed and looked at them with a slight sharpness in his gaze. "So where are we going to get the money?" "We'll pick the weakest monster first and start with that."
Miro lowered her gaze slightly and said shyly, "Okay… I want to help you."
Zoe quickly raised her hand: "And I want to be useful to you, too!"
Siraj looked at them calmly for a moment, then
said, "Alright… Let's go."