Chapter 330: Built for a Warden
Robert looked from the four new items laid across his workbench to Martin.
Then he looked at Rias.
"Did he choose these himself?"
"I prevented several worse decisions," she said.
Martin folded his arms. "Can we focus on the good decisions?"
"Aye." Robert picked up Rainwarden Sword and tested its balance on two fingers. "These have good bones. They were made for a Warden too, not some fool collecting weapons because he likes the shine."
Scunko hopped onto the far end of the bench and sniffed the Riftbell Warhammer. The flame skunk’s nose wrinkled at the unfamiliar metal. He tapped the hammerhead once, heard the deep note it produced, and tapped it again.
Outside, Angel’s enormous face filled half the open doorway, her sapphire eyes fixed on Galehook Trident.
Martin noticed. "The Baby Trident is still mine."
Angel kept staring.
He pulled Baby Trident from his inventory and held it beside the new weapon. "See? I’m not replacing your drop. This one is for Level 60 fights. Yours is for water, Tidal Shell, and anything else we discover later."
Angel considered the explanation before nudging Baby Trident with the end of her snout. Only then did she withdraw from the doorway.
Robert laughed. "Even your beast checks your spending."
"She has standards."
"She tried to eat a mermaid," Rias said.
"High standards and good judgment are different things."
Robert began with the sword. He removed the grip, shortened the wrapping beneath Martin’s smallest finger, and shifted a thin counterweight inside the pommel. The changes looked minor, but when Martin tested the weapon again, the point returned to guard faster after each cut.
The Riftbell Warhammer needed more work. Its handle had been made for someone with a wider grip, and the head pulled too far outward at the end of a committed swing. Robert heated the inner collar, adjusted its angle, and replaced the lower grip with rough leather that would not twist inside Martin’s palm.
He left the enchantment untouched.
"I can change how these sit in your hands," Robert explained. "I’m not tearing apart Level 60 magic without the right forge, materials, and a better reason than your impatience. If ye want skills moved between weapons, take them to Raven after our loud mage knows what she’s doing."
The smithy door opened before Robert finished speaking, and NukEncore stopped inside.
"I heard that."
Robert finally glanced at her. "Then prove me wrong."
NukEncore placed one hand against her chest, but her reply took a moment to arrive. "I am testing possibilities. That is how I become the greatest Spellweaver."
While Robert adjusted Galehook Trident’s throwing grip and tightened the straps inside Breakwater Aegis, Martin placed the Deepwall Bracers on the cleared end of the bench.
The Worldshell Carapace reacted immediately.
Sapphire light appeared between the plates covering his chest. Within it, a thin golden trail left by the Light Tree branched across Martin’s shoulders and ran toward both forearms.
[Compatible defensive equipment detected.]
[Deepwall Bracers may be consumed to prepare Worldshell’s Arm Stage.]
[This action cannot be reversed.]
Martin confirmed.
The bracers rose from the workbench. Their dark metal softened into flowing bands of blue light that crossed the gap to Martin and streamed into Worldshell. The carapace opened along its outer plates and swallowed every strand.
Pressure tightened around Martin’s ribs. Faint outlines traveled down both arms before stopping below his elbows. No solid armor formed, but the pattern remained beneath his skin, marking where the Arm Stage would appear.
[Worldshell Arm Stage: Preparation Complete.]
[Growth Trial: Unfinished.]
[Protect an unbonded intelligent beast.]
[Endure three distinct monster auras while doing so.]
[No party member may harm an intelligent beast during the trial.]
Martin read the final condition twice. Until he completed the trial, the Arm Stage would remain only a pattern beneath his skin, unable to stop blade or claw.
"Good," he said.
Rias glanced at him. "You like that it gave you more work."
"I like knowing what the work is."
Robert finished the shield and marched everyone outside to his practice lane. A plated training frame waited at one end, while a weighted ram hung from chains at the other.
Martin started with Galehook Trident.
He threw it into the frame’s chest. The mark appeared, Warden’s Arrival answered the embedded weapon, and Martin vanished. He reappeared beside the target with Breakwater Aegis already raised.
Robert released the ram.
The log crashed into the shield. Martin slid half a step, but Stand Against the Current built through the impact and steadied his footing. He turned the ram aside, switched weapons, and drew Rainwarden Sword.
Measured Answer carried the counter forward. His sword struck the frame before its plated arm finished resetting.
Martin switched again, bringing Riftbell Warhammer around in a complete swing that struck the same plate. A deep metallic note rolled across the yard. Fractured Guard spread from the impact, and thin cracks opened through the frame’s protective barrier.
Robert’s grin widened. "That’s a Warden’s rhythm."
NukEncore lifted her staff. "Now improve it with magic."
"Wait," Martin said.
Mana Shield formed around NukEncore. She pushed Fireball into it, then tried to drive Arcane Bolt through both before the structures settled.
The half-formed combination flattened into a blazing disk, bounced off Breakwater Aegis, struck Robert’s rain barrel, and exploded.
Water drenched the yard.
Scunko shot behind the forge with his tail swollen to twice its normal size. Angel lowered her head into the river before the spray reached her, leaving only Martin, Robert, Rias, and NukEncore soaked.
A system window appeared before the mage.
[Original combination spell failed.]
[Quest progress unchanged.]
NukEncore wiped wet hair from her face and stared at the failure window. "I brought the three structures together too early."
Martin lowered Breakwater Aegis. "You also ignored me when I said wait."
Her shoulders tightened, and she looked toward the ruined rain barrel instead of answering. Rias inspected it with equal care, but Martin still caught her smile.
His message window chimed.
[Crimson Halo: Cassandra’s equipment arrived. I’m about to help her into it. Try not to sound too jealous.]