Caspian entered the arsenal carrying a long, patterned box. The box was as long as a sword and had intricate designs etched all over it, giving it a mysterious look.
When he reached the group, everyone gave Caspian a slight bow as a show of respect. Caspian nodded, acknowledging them, and then let go of the box, dropping it to the floor with a loud thud. Surprisingly, the box remained intact, showing no signs of damage.
"Open it yourself," Caspian said, looking directly at Alex.
Without hesitation, Alex stepped forward. He examined the box and saw that it had no hidden locks or keys. It opened easily, just like any regular box. As Alex lifted the lid, his eyes lit up with excitement at what he saw inside—his gift.
Eagerly, Alex reached in and tried to pull the object out, but it wouldn't budge. He tugged again, but it felt as if the item were glued in place.
"Let me give you a hand with that," Caspian said. Instead of grabbing the object directly, he reached in for something else beside it—a glove. Caspian put the glove on, then effortlessly picked up the item and lifted it out, finally revealing it to everyone.
It was a long axe with an ashen-gray color and a sharp, jagged edge. Just like the box, the axe was nearly as long as a sword. Holding it up, Caspian gave it a quick, powerful swing. The motion created a large gust of wind, blowing through the room and hinting at the weapon's strength.
"This is your gift," Caspian explained. "A beast weapon, specifically designed to suit you."
"A beast weapon? But… why am I getting one?" Alex asked. Despite his excitement, he couldn't help but wonder why he was being given such a powerful gift.
"Do you remember the first beast you fought? The two-headed dog? This axe was made from it," Caspian explained. "It's a tradition in our faction. Whenever someone kills a beast, as long as the beast's crystal isn't needed for study or faction purposes, the one who defeated it owns that crystal. They can also trade it elsewhere for money."
Caspian continued, "When you killed that two-headed beast, its crystal and parts of its body were used to craft this axe. So, this isn't just a gift—it's something you rightfully own."
Alex glanced at the others, expecting them to maybe feel envious or surprised, but they seemed unfazed.
"Don't worry," Gwen said with a smile. "We've all been gifted something similar at some point."
"Now, let me explain more about this weapon," Caspian said, lifting the axe and holding it firmly. "The beast you defeated was at the lowest stage of its kind. So, this weapon won't give you a massive power boost since it's made from a relatively weak beast."
Caspian turned the axe in his hands, showing its craftsmanship and explaining its details, making sure Alex understood every part.
"However, luckily for you, as a member of the Dragon Roar Faction, you get access to our knowledge. With that knowledge, we've made some cool upgrades to this weapon, even though it came from a weaker beast. Let me show you one of those upgrades right now," Caspian said.
Holding the axe in one hand, Caspian placed his other hand on it and began bending the axe into a U shape. It didn't bend easily, even for Caspian. He had to use a considerable amount of his qi to bend it, despite being a Stage 6 Paragon. This demonstrated just how tough the weapon was—even a Stage 5 Paragon wouldn't be able to damage it. However, the axe still showed signs of damage from being bent.
"What are you doing?!" Alex shouted, alarmed.
Ignoring Alex's tone, Caspian held the axe in front of him. "Just wait a moment and see," he replied calmly.
Alex watched closely, and soon, he saw the axe slowly shifting. It gradually started to return to its original shape, as if it were healing itself. Within moments, the axe was back to its former form.
"Regeneration," Caspian said. "When creating a beast weapon, the essential component is the beast crystal. But we discovered that if both the beast crystal and parts of the beast's body are used together, it not only increases the weapon's durability but also grants it a regeneration ability."
Caspian continued, "This means that you don't have to worry about this weapon getting permanently damaged. It will heal itself over time. The time it takes to fully repair depends on the amount of damage it sustains."
He went on, "Now, the second effect is that the weapon can absorb and channel your power. This is more useful for mages, but as a warrior, you can still infuse your qi into it and enhance its strength."
Caspian paused briefly, then added, "And the third effect, which I think you'll find cool, is this."
Without warning, Caspian threw the axe at a distant wall. The axe flew with incredible speed. However, just before it could strike the wall, it suddenly stopped in midair and then reversed course, flying right back into Caspian's hand.
"Now, as you probably noticed, you couldn't lift this axe earlier," Caspian said, holding up his gloved hand. "That's because of the third effect. This axe can only be lifted by someone wearing this specific glove."
He explained further, "If you place it on another object, that object can still be moved, as you saw with the box. But to hold and wield the axe itself, you need this glove."
Caspian continued, "What you just saw me do is called 'Call.' It allows the weapon to return to the glove within a range of about one mile. Anything beyond that, and it won't work. It's especially useful for recalling the axe after throwing it at a target."
Caspian's expression turned proud. "One of the best parts is that if the axe is stored in a separate space, it can still escape from that space as long as the glove is present."
Alex's eyes sparkled with excitement, visibly thrilled by these unique abilities.
Seeing Alex's enthusiasm, Caspian smirked. "But don't go thinking it will shoot out lightning or anything, unless you're a mage with a lightning affinity. It's powerful, but not quite what you're imagining," he teased.
"And now, the fourth and best feature," Caspian said, pausing for effect.
"Recently, our programmers—those who work tirelessly to create the technologies and magical artifacts we use—have been looking for ways to make their work easier. Most members of the faction frequently come to them, asking for upgrades to strengthen their weapons. Upgrading is risky since the weapon has to be rebuilt, melted down even, which can sometimes destroy it altogether. So, they found a way to make these upgrades without needing to melt or directly tamper with the weapon or item," Caspian explained.
"They created what we call the 'equivalent upgrade' by using the Law of Equivalent Exchange," he continued.
Alex listened closely as Caspian went on. "Now, what is this equivalent exchange? It's simple: it's a skill that allows the weapon to absorb energy from the beings it kills. You can also feed it beast crystals. When the right amount of energy is gathered, the weapon will upgrade itself."
"So, if you want to upgrade this axe to a Stage 2 weapon, you'll need to use it to kill enough living things or feed it about five Stage 2 beast crystals. And keep this in mind: the source of the life doesn't matter. It could be a beast, a human, a plant, or even an alien. As long as it's alive, the axe can take its lifeforce for the upgrade."
Caspian continued, "Also note that the amount of life force depends on the strength of the creature. Stronger beings will provide more powerful life force, while weaker ones will offer less."
So far, the weapon had many impressive features that Alex found fascinating. He wondered if there were even more abilities hidden in it.
"Is there anything else I should know?" Alex asked eagerly.
"Yeah… the glove. You don't actually need to take it off," Caspian replied, showing him the glove. "It has a special effect where it dissolves into your body when you want it to."
Caspian demonstrated by slipping off the glove. It was a type that only covered the palm, with five holes for each finger to stick out. He handed it over to Alex.
Alex slid the glove on, feeling its snug fit around his palm. He wrapped his fingers around the axe handle, which almost looked like a bone. As he lifted the axe, he realized that it felt incredibly light—almost as if he were holding nothing at all, even though his hand could feel the solid handle beneath it. The weapon, once as heavy as a mountain, now felt as light as a feather.
This was all thanks to the glove. It had the power to reduce the weapon's weight in Alex's hands, making it effortless to hold.
Just then, a message appeared before Alex:
[You have been gifted a weapon. Please name your weapon.]
Smiling, Alex already knew the name he wanted.
[The name "Death" has been chosen.]