"+1 Mana."
"Miasma [1] Miasma is a dense concentration of negative energy and dark magic. As a Relic Meister you have limited resistance to this. In addition, you can purify small amounts of miasma, converting it into mana. Large amounts of miasma can be poisonous--even fatal."
Takuma stared at the alert for a few seconds, attempting to process why it had suddenly appeared. Normally, tutorial alerts only appeared when prompted by some sort of action. Was he currently in a miasma-dense area?
"Is there something I can help you with?" A young woman with long blonde hair and beautiful blue eyes asked as she came around the counter. She was dressed in a blue dress which ended just above her knees,a leather belt, a blue vest which matched the color of her dress, a white short-sleeved undershirt and calf-high leather boots. Her blonde hair stretched down to the middle of her back and was done in a simple, neat ponytail bound by a baby blue string.
"Oh." Takuma replied, he was caught off guard somewhat as a feeling of intimidation crept over him. The sight of so many cursed items had completely jarred him, and he feared his reaction warranted suspicion.
"Yes, I have some items I'd like to sell. But, I'd like to take a look around first." Takuma said, attempting to recover from the "weirdo" vibes he feared were emanating from him.
The twenty-something-year-old woman simply smiled and nodded before returning to her place behind the counter. A bead of sweat had already formed along Takuma's brow, and he could feel the woman's eyes on him as he moved around the store.
"This is ridiculous." He whispered to himself as he walked over to the nearest display case. The items were laid out on what appeared to be silk pillows and arranged for optimal viewing. There were many items in each display case, sometimes as many as a dozen. All items were enclosed behind thick glass, no doubt to prevent theft. If Takuma had to gues,s they were probably protected by enchantments as well.
"
Brass Bangle(Quality: 35) [Cursed Rank 1] [Armament] - A poorly crafted brass accessory.
Curse Effect: Stamina Sap - Slow stamina recovery by 3x. Bless Chance: -300%
Curse Duration: Constant
Mana Rewarded: 25
Experience Rewarded: 5
Secondary Effect : N/A
"
"+1 Mana."
As Takuma inspected the Brass Bangle, he noticed quite a few things. First was the color of the aura surrounding the item. He remembered a new listing in his Lore menu that described 'Curse Ranks'.
"0.11 Curse Ranks - There are seven ranks of curses, each more potent than the last. Grey (the least dangerous) and Black (the most deadly)."
This must be what the entry referred to. A faint grey aura surrounded the item, no doubt indicating the Curse Rank of 1. Next to the Bangle was another accessory, a small copper ring and he noticed a green aura encompassing it.
"
Copper Ring(Quality : 23) [Cursed Rank 3] [Armament] - A ring you'd find anywhere. Perfect for minor enchantments.
Curse Effect: Archer's Bane - Arrows and other projectiles will veer from their intended target occasionally by 3 to 9 degrees.
Curse Duration: 30% Activation Chance
Mana Rewarded: 50
Experience Rewarded: 5
Secondary Effect :N/A
"
"+1 Mana."
After a minute or two of viewing nearby items, Takuma felt the Curse Ranks went a little something like this: Grey Rank 1, Yellow Rank 2, Green Rank 3, Orange Rank 4, Red Rank 5.
The final two ranks he couldn't be certain of, he knew only that they existed. Thinking back to the Goddess Statue, he felt that a black aura might be one of the most powerful. Considering that a rank four cursed item rendered him bedridden and nearly fatal, Takuma felt his survival a small miracle in itself. It wasn't a stretch to believe that a statue which could trigger lightning strikes might be insanely corrupted by curses and therefore among the missing ranks. He made a mental note to return and inspect the statue later on, now that his appraisal was more advanced.
Of the sixty-something cursed items in the general shop, Takuma noticed that most were between rank one and three. In addition to this there were quite a few items with a white outline. When he looked at these, the information was normal - a simple name and description. What's more, he noticed a new addition to the information displayed as well
"
Simple Dagger(Quality : 65) [Armament] - A used dagger. Still sharp enough for its purpose.
Non-Equippable.
"
The last line of the description, "non-equippable". Takuma vaguely remembered learning about this during a tutorial prompt the day prior.
"Relic Meisters can only equip relics hmm?" He thought to himself. He wondered what could be considered a relic. If he had to guess, the answer would be cursed items. He then remembered that he'd already obtained his very first relic. He'd been so happy to get rid of the curse effects that he forgot to check out the purified Goddess Amulet!
"+1 Mana."
He turned his back towards the counter of the shop and opened his Inventory menu. There were three slots for equippable items on this screen, along with a visual display of all items in Takuma's current possession.
"
Goddess Amulet (Quality : 321) [Bless Rank 4] [Armament] - An amulet crafted by those faithful to the Goddess. Imparts powerful protection to the wearer.
Blessing Effect: Blight Absorption - Each negative ailment or magical effect received will allow the user to build a matching resistance.
Activation : 50% Chance on Effect
Secondary Effect : Goddess Aura - Create an aura of protection around the user for a short time.
"
"This is...really nice if I understand this properly." Takuma mouthed to himself, covering the lower half of his face as he read the description. The amulet's ability would allow him to build resistance to magic and status ailments he was afflicted with. He hovered over the Amulet, hoping for additional info. He was pleasantly surprised when a new tooltip appeared with additional information."
"Lesser Miasma Resistance : 5%"
This was the only current resistance the item had listed.
"+1 Mana."
"Lesser Miasma Resistance : 6%"
"Is that from being in this room?" Takuma wondered. He thought back to yesterday as the thick orange fog filled the room during his purification attempt. If he had to guess, that was a type of miasma.
"Rank four miasma." He whispered as sudden realization dawned upon him.
"Um--excuse me. If you're not going to buy…" The shopkeeper's voice rang out across the store. It seems all of his mumbling had an adverse effect.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Yes, I have a few things to sell. Then I'd like to buy some things." Takuma said with a start before walking towards the counter. He pulled each item out of his inventory and placed it before the blue-eyed woman. She was very pretty, however, Takuma couldn't help but notice something strange. Her skin was smooth and fair, but her face looked drained. She was almost as white as a sheet.
He noticed a faint blue color to her skin as well, suggesting that perhaps she was currently sick. The longer he stared at her, the more a foreboding feeling began to overcome him. It was a strange, familiar sensation though he couldn't quite place it.
"It's not often that we see someone with storage magic. That's really rare!" The young woman said as she handled Takuma's wares. The uncomfortable sensation had now become more defined for Takuma. It was as if the hairs on his neck had begun to stand on end, and he could feel his blood beginning to run cold.
"I'm Takuma." He asked, extending his hand to shake. The shopkeeper seemed caught off guard but she smiled and nodded.
"Excuse me. My manners are shot. I'm Dorothy Hemsbrook. You can call me Dot." Dot said as she accepted Takuma's introduction and handshake. And that's when he felt it--the same sick sensation as the cursed amulet. It was just for a moment -- the cold, oppressive feeling traveled up his forearm and settled on his chest. Takuma carefully watched Dot's face for a reaction but she seemed oblivious.
"Are all of these items….causing her to be sick?" Takuma's mind wandered as he looked at the nearby display case.
"+1 Mana." The alert appeared again. Takuma was now sure of it. Though he couldn't see it with his eyes, this area must have trace amounts of miasma within it. It made sense considering the staggering number of cursed items in the store, they had to be giving off a decent amount of miasma on their own.
Takuma wasn't particularly a sucker for a pretty woman but he felt inclined to do something about the situation. It wasn't as if he could pass up experience, and the risks were non-existent as long as he made sure to use Partial Purification effectively. The only question was how he would be able to gain access to all of the cursed items? As a newbie adventurer, there was no practical way he could afford to buy and purify all of the items in the store. Perhaps befriending her would work in his favor.
"You have some really nice items to sell. Especially these potions, are you sure you want to sell these?" Dot asked as she lifted one of the small vials, the red liquid sloshed to and fro. This one was a Vitality Potion whipped up by Chlo,e and while Takuma wanted to hold onto it, he felt the best start to his adventure would be to quickly collect some coin.
"Oh-- yes. I'm sure." He remarked as her question pulled him back to his senses.
After a few more moments, Dot then said, " That will come up to 350 silvers. In truth, these things are worth much more but it's all I can afford right now. I also don't have any gold coins, just silvers and coppers. Is that okay?" Dot explained, her smile seemed pleasant but forced.
Something about the contrast of her smile and her sickly "aura" rubbed Takuma the wrong way. He didn't see an aura surrounding her as he did with the items, but rather, she "felt" like an ill person. Terminally ill, he thought, based on some of his past experiences.
"That's fine. Thank you Dot. Say.. I was wondering." Takuma began as he took the small pouch of coins from her, " Could I perhaps take up the difference in one or two items of equal value from the store?" It was a risky proposition but there were a few things Takuma wanted to test for himself now that he had a better idea of how purifying curses worked.
After a moment of thought Dot sighed and a few seconds later she agreed. She didn't seem too keen on the idea but ultimatel,y Takuma assumed she wanted to cultivate a new customer for future sales. She'd proven herself to be flexible which in turn would prove useful later on.
"Which ones did you have in mind? Depending on the price and the item, we can come to an arrangement."
Takuma pointed out two relics he'd noticed just minutes before. One was a rank three cursed ring, the other a rank two cursed cloak.
"Are you sure? These don't cost very much. It still wouldn't be a fair trade." Dot asked. With that in mind, Takuma pointed to another rank 3 item. He wasn't entirely sure what the item was, after all he could read the description but that wasn't of much help.
"
Dream Gourd(Quality : 222) [Cursed Rank 3] [Type Zero] - A magical tool said to trap nightmares.
Curse Effect: Sandman - Restful sleep only lasts two hours.
Curse Duration: 15 days.
Mana Rewarded: 325
Experience Rewarded: 125
Secondary Effect : Lullaby - Inflict Slumber (Lvl 2 Sleep) on any within a three-meter radius.
Uses : 5
"
"By the Goddess." Takuma thought to himself. "Only being able to sleep in two-hour increments for fifteen days? These curses are just evil."
"Okay, that works," Dot said with a nod as she pulled all three items from the display case and brought them to the counter. Takuma got the distinct impression that Dot's mood lightened. Perhaps she thought he would go for more expensive items. Luckily "worth" is relative. These three items would allow Takuma to learn more about his capabilities as a Relic Meister.
"Oh, no need to package them." Takuma said, instead, he took the items from her and placed them into his inventory.
"Thank you. Have a nice day." Takuma said, nodding his head as he turned to leave the shop.
Takuma exited the general shop and in the process, made a vow to return later in the day. He wanted to do a few tests before committing to helping Dot with her curse problem. He decided to first visit the Tavern. Though he hadn't actually felt the need to eat or drink, he decided it was best to get some food -- just in case.
It took him roughly five minutes walk from Dot's General Shop to the city tavern, Wyvern's. Wyvern's resembled any other old pub on the outside, but the inside was a bit different. The instant Takuma entered he noticed several tables filled with groups of adventurers. Rather than drinking and making merry, most seemed embroiled in their own affairs.
Busy holding strategy meetings, if Takuma had to guess. Early in the morning, it was the best time to decide the day's schedule. This was something Takuma had done hundreds of times himself throughout his previous reincarnations.
There was often a great deal more to adventuring than traipsing into unknown zones. After all, lack of knowledge was a surefire way to die quickly. Wise party leaders would discuss the area, potential pitfalls, enemies and even escape plans, the fools would simply die. Takuma had to admit, this sight pleased him.
He'd visited far too many worlds where people didn't take things seriously, it was nice to see some responsible partnership for a change.
"Excuse me." A masculine, older voice said.
Takuma walked towards the counter near the center of the establishment.
"Excuse me, lad. You're a healer? Right?" The same voice said once more. Takuma finally realized someone was speaking to him.
"Me? Oh, no--sorry. I'm not a healer." He said as he turned to face a group of adventurers at a nearby table. The man speaking was in his mid-thirties, with dark brown hair, tanned skin and a long scar along his cheek. His chiseled facial features were accentuated by a thick beard along his rugged jawline.
"Oh? Really? You're dressed like one. My apologies, mate. What's your class? We're looking for a sixth and we might be able to use you." The man speaking seemed like a typical melee fighter. He had a rather large broadsword leaning against the table , nearly as long as Takuma's body in fact. With the right technique and force, Takuma imagined it would be easy for him to cleave a person in two, if he so desired. He was adorned in heavy iron armor and this further suggested that he was a front-line battler.
"I'm a Relic Meister," Takuma replied.
"A Relic Meister? I've.. never heard of that class before. What's your skill set -- if you don't mind me asking?" The man said as he continued his line of questioning.
"I'm somewhat of a specialist class. Curse removal is my ability and all my skills are related to handling curses." Takuma replied. He preferred to keep it short and to the point, after all he didn't plan on partying up, there was no practical use for it at the moment -- and therefore no need to waste time.
"Hmm. Actually," The man continued as he placed his hand into his waist pouch and placed a dagger on the table. Takuma's eyes immediately widened as he saw the blade.
"
Bloodletter (Quality : 101) [Cursed Rank 5] [Armament] - A blade created to promote the loss of blood in your adversary. Bless Chance : 45%
Curse Effect: Consumption - Sacrifice health periodically to sharpen the blade and raise it's attack capability.
Curse Duration: Periodic (Every 30 seconds)
Mana Rewarded: 1,200
Experience Rewarded: 250
Secondary Effect : Absorb Iron - Absorb the iron in blood to repair and sharpen the blade.
"
"Where did you get this?" Takuma asked as he stepped closer to the weapon. He could see small particles of red miasma emanating from the weapon.
"I got it off a traveller. They claimed it was cursed and happy to be rid of it." The dark-haired man said. His companions had now stopped chatting amongst themselves and turned their attention towards the conversation.
"This weapon is extremely dangerous," Takuma replied as he examined the blade. It wasn't just the miasma that was red in color, the blade itself had a crimson colored tint.
"I wouldn't use this weapon if you value your life." Takuma added as he then turned to continue towards the counter.
"Is it possible that you can get rid of the curse? It's a fine blade, beautiful. I'll pay you. Two golds." The man asked, prompting Takuma to turn around.
"The amount of mana required to purify the weapon is around 1,200. I easily have that much." Takuma thought to himself. He would recover the mana he spent so it shouldn't be too much of a problem--in theory. He glanced around at the party of five. By the looks of things, two front-line fighters, an archer and perhaps a support-type magician. All of them were wearing gear that seemed to be in great condition.
"This dagger could damage me in the process, perhaps even claim my life. If you want it purified, make it four gold." Takuma replied.
The man smiled, then reached into his coin purse and pulled out four gold coins.
"I'm Griff. Your name, Relic Meister?" He asked with a hearty smile. It seemed Griff respected a bit of bargaining.
"Takuma." He replied as he glanced down at the dagger. He wasn't entirely sure how much four gold coins would buy, but it was common sense to haggle over price when he was assuming all of the risk, right?
Takuma took a deep breath and tried to relax. After all he'd taken on a rank four curse with the Goddess Amulet, he wondered just how severe a curse that is just one level higher would be. He had a great deal of questions as he gazed at the dagger, mostly about the nature of curses.
The amount of experience to be rewarded was significantly less, although the curse level was higher. Did it mean this curse would be easier to deal with? By contrast, the amount of mana was comparable -- but still lower than the Goddess Amulet. Takuma wondered if this had anything to do with the curse itself rather than the object. If that was the case there was less cause for concern but…
"You all may want to stay on your guard-- just in case. And, if you see red mist fill the air don't breathe it in-- it's poisonous." Takuma added as he rolled up his right sleeve and grabbed the dagger from the table.
Somehow, the hustle and bustle of the tavern had died down and Takuma could feel tons of eyes on him but that didn't change what needed to be done. "No risk, no reward." He thought to himself.
"Do you wish to equip the Bloodletter[Cursed] ? Y/N"
Takuma chose yes and watched as the weapon's aura flared, an ominous red energy consuming it in the process. Even Griff, who half expected Takuma to be full of it, was surprised. This suggested that even if he couldn't see the aura he sensed it. The same familiar oppressive feeling settled over Takuma; this time it felt more potent -- heavier. It was almost as if the cursed weapon had begun to steal ambient light from the room.
Unlike before, the physical sensation that filled Takuma was like fire. He couldn't loosen his grip, even if he tried, and the heat flowed through his fingers and up his forearm until it was all he could do to keep from screaming. He gritted his teeth and clenched the dagger tightly as he began to activate his purification skill.
"Partial Purification! Partial Purification! Partial Purification, Partial Purification!" Takuma shouted in repeated succession. The white energy flared up and began to do battle with that of the red aura as the spells were cast in repeated succession. He'd learned from his experience with the Goddess Amulet and if possible he wanted to get rid of the curse before its effects could take hold. Unfortunately, this was impossible, for as the final spell took hold ,Takuma felt a piercing pain shoot through his fist. Long, talon-like spikes pierced his gripped hand from all directions as the curse's final surprise came into effect.
The nearby adventurers grimaced at the spurt of sudden blood, confusion filling their faces for a moment and finally their expression changed to awe. Everyone in the tavern watched as a thick red aura of energy enveloped the Bloodletter and seeped upwards into the air. Griff was the only one near who reacted by covering his mouth -- the others nearby began to cough as the plumes of miasma filled their nostrils and throats.
"Dammit!" Takuma grunted as the pain seared through his clenched hand. Due to the way the spikes pierced him he could no longer release his grip and even if he wanted to! A cursed relic couldn't be unequipped until purification was complete.
He gritted his teeth and took several deep breaths; all in all the attack had only taken fifteen vitality points, but that was still over an eighth of his health! If the weapon inflicted that kind of damage regularly he'd die in just minutes -- completely dwarfing his regenerative capabilities.
This confirmed it for Takuma, the higher a relic's curse rank the more deadly it was. In just a few short seconds, the purification energy consumed all the miasma and Takuma felt the teeth of the blade retract and disappear. The entire ordeal only lasted about fifteen seconds but for the one pierced, it felt much longer. He dropped the weapon on the ground, nursing his hand as the final essence of red energy completely disappeared from the blade. Several of the blade's talons managed to skewer Takuma completely and though the wounds were already beginning to heal, it was a struggle to focus on anything but pain at this point.
"Holy smokes!" Griff bellowed as he waved his free hand around, attempting to push away any lingering miasma.
"It was really cursed! I thought… I thought…" Griff said, suddenly growing quiet.
"It seems we owe the lass an apology." He finally replied as he gazed around the table at the rest of his allies. Half of them were still trying to cough up the miasma they'd inhaled while the rest looked as if they'd just seen a ghost.
"Here. I'm sorry about your hand mate. This is so you can go get it looked at." Griff said as he placed an additional two gold coins on the table. Takuma reached down and picked up the blade, examining it briefly.
"
Bloodletter (Quality : 101) [Blessed Rank 2] [Armament] - A blade created to promote the loss of blood in your adversary.
Blessing Effect: Blood Reach - When soaked in blood, the blade will extend 6 centimeters for a short period of time.
Secondary Effect : Absorb Iron - Absorb the iron in blood to repair and sharpen the blade.
"
"It's good to go now. You shouldn't have any problems. Also..this item is now blessed. It could be very rare. Do you want me to tell you about it's abilities?" Takuma asked as he wiped his blood from the hilt of the blade then held the dagger out to Griff.
"Please. Please do." Griff seemed genuinely sincere, almost apologetic as he accepted the weapon back. Takuma was sure Griff had done this as a sort of test, but he also sensed that Griff never expected things to spiral out of control like this. Takuma could relate to that feeling as he thought back to a certain lightning strike.
"No way," Griff said as he glanced down at the red-bladed dagger.
"You're telling me the length of the blade will increase when it's exposed to blood? That's...insane." Griff's mind seemed blown and simultaneously, he seemed anxious to try the weapon out. For a moment, it seemed as if Griff thought of asking for a few drops of blood but as his eyes met with Takuma's Griff reconsidered such a foolish idea.
"Yes." Takuma said as he held his hand above his head so that it wouldn't bleed unnecessarily. (And also in case Griff got any strange ideas. ) He'd managed to stop the bleeding by wrapping his cloth belt around his hand, but that didn't make the throbbing holes in his hand less painful.
It would be a few minutes more before Takuma and the group of adventurers, led by Griff, parted ways. Finally, he made his way over to the bar and asked if there was a restroom. The words left his mouth before he could think twice, and predictably, the bartender gave him a confused look.
"Ah.. damn I forgot," Takuma whispered to himself.