Chapter 329: Three Weapons and a Shield
The next morning, rain drummed against the roof of Endless Rain’s Auction House while Martin stared at the four numbers beneath his equipment window.
[Emperoar, Level 60 Warden]
[Black Wolf Fangblade: Level 5]
[Baby Trident: Level 5]
[Robert’s Crystal Warhammer: Level 1]
The lack of a viable shield looked even worse than the numbers.
Rias sat across from him at the stone trading table and studied his active slots. "Before you open the listings, tell me what you’re actually buying."
"Three weapons that each earn their place, plus a shield I can trust while I learn what an enemy can do."
Rias opened the recent-price history for each equipment type and placed the completed sales beside the current listings. "Start there. Judge every item by what it adds to your rotation, then compare prices."
Martin set the filters to Level 60 Warden equipment, then selected one-handed weapons and shields of Orange grade or higher. He waited while the Auction House sorted thousands of listings into something manageable.
Gold listings appeared above them first because the Auction House had no respect for financial restraint. One sword cost enough to make Martin close its window before he finished reading the second passive.
Rias watched him dismiss it. "No Legendary weapon?"
"I promised to split the Deadmaw money. I’m not spending everyone else’s share because a sword sparkles."
The other four twenty-thousand-dollar shares had already been transferred. Everything Martin spent today would come from his own balance.
"Worldshell cost more than thirty thousand dollars."
"Worldshell grows."
"It has grown across one part of you."
Martin pointed at her. "You spent that much first."
"I explained my budget. You stared at me as if I had confessed to eating people, then bought more expensive armor ten minutes later."
"I was inspired by your confidence."
"You were a hypocrite."
Martin lowered his hand and returned to the listings. "Both can be true."
They spent the next hour rejecting weapons with two-handed requirements, wasteful set restrictions, or bonuses that only worked against one narrow enemy type. Martin wanted each weapon to strengthen a different part of his Warden rotation without locking him into the same answer for every future fight.
The sword came first.
[Rainwarden Sword (Orange)]
[Requirement: Level 60 Warden]
[Type: One-handed Sword]
[Passive: Measured Answer]
[After a successful guard, the next sword strike gains increased execution speed and counterforce. A Perfect Block strengthens both effects.]
The weapon looked almost plain beside the more dramatic listings. Blue-gray metal formed its straight blade, and narrow rain channels ran from the guard toward the point. It was balanced for quick cuts, thrusts, and recovery rather than one spectacular attack.
"Useful against something you haven’t studied," Rias said.
Martin nodded. "The Black Wolf Fangblade still has Death Jaw, and it works beautifully with Kinnami. I’m keeping it. This becomes my first choice when I don’t know what the enemy does yet."
He bought the Rainwarden Sword, then spent longer choosing a warhammer, rejecting several oversized weapons before finding one with a compact head and a reinforced spike.
[Riftbell Warhammer (Orange)]
[Requirement: Level 60 Warden]
[Type: One-handed Warhammer]
[Passive: Faultnote]
[A committed heavy strike against armor or a barrier applies Fractured Guard, temporarily reducing Physical Defense and Barrier Durability.]
Rias inspected the rotating preview. "Robert’s hammer rewards complete swings. This one does too."
"Yeah, but now the enemy might actually notice when it lands."
Martin still refused to discard Robert’s Crystal Warhammer. The blacksmith had forged it specifically for him from materials he had fought to obtain. Its mana infusion remained useful, even if its raw damage had fallen hopelessly behind.
He bought the Riftbell Warhammer and moved to tridents.
Angel would judge this purchase.
That thought made him reject six perfectly good weapons before Rias leaned over the table and closed one listing herself.
"The Baby Trident will not become jealous."
"It’s Angel’s first great drop."
"Angel tried to eat Shuri."
"She has strong opinions."
The seventh listing finally gave him what he wanted.
[Galehook Trident (Orange)]
[Requirement: Level 60 Warden]
[Type: One-handed Trident]
[Passive: Cast the Line]
[A thrown hit marks its target. The wielder gains increased pursuit speed toward the marked enemy. While embedded, Galehook Trident remains a valid anchor for Warden’s Arrival.]
Its dark shaft ended in three backward-curving silver prongs. It lacked Baby Trident’s underwater bonuses and Tidal Shell, but it was built to turn one throw into an immediate pursuit.
Martin smiled. "Throw it, arrive beside it, then drag the target back into everyone else."
Rias studied the backward-curving prongs. "Choose your anchor before you throw. If it lands somewhere stupid, the weapon will happily take you with it."
His smile remained. The risk did not change his decision, but he inspected the anchor description one more time before buying it.
The shield was not optional. Martin skipped anything designed around party crests or stationary formations and chose the heaviest shield he could still move with one arm.
[Breakwater Aegis (Orange)]
[Requirement: Level 60 Warden]
[Passive: Stand Against the Current]
[While actively guarding, each impact briefly increases resistance to forced movement and reduces further durability loss. Accumulated resistance fades after leaving guard.]
It would not restore Broodtide Bulwark or The Kraken’s Tentacle. The emptied Control Devil’s Shield remained too weak to fill that role. Still, Breakwater Aegis gave him the dependable wall his current build lacked.
One final filter glowed beneath his Worldshell panel. The Light Tree’s guidance had made compatible growth materials visible, though it had not made them cheap.
Martin selected a pair of heavy Deepwall Bracers. They were Level 60 Orange equipment with no set restriction, and a new line shone beneath their description.
[Worldshell Compatibility: High]
[Suitable for preparation of the Arm Stage.]
"You are buying equipment so your armor can eat it," Rias said.
"You registered us as a couple for Two Hearts, One Flask so we could spend an afternoon drinking paired potions."
"That was useful."
"So is feeding my chest."
Rias stared at him until Martin started laughing.
He confirmed the final purchases. The new items entered his inventory beside the old weapons. The old weapons were underleveled, but each still offered a utility he might need. A Warden who threw away every strange tool because its attack number looked small deserved to be boring.
Martin rose from the table. "Now we take everything to Robert."
Rias followed him into the rain and pulled up her hood. "He can tell us whether the main set is sound. I’m not taking responsibility for the expensive meal you bought your armor."
Martin laughed and led the way toward the smithy.