"Do you have what it takes to master the curse blade?!" a store owner advertised, waving and gesturing toward a sword bedded on a red velvet cushion. It looked moderately well-made and showed marks of an enchantment.
"This sword is one of the masterpieces of the ancient Blacksmith Mo, but like many of his blades, it is cursed to control whoever dares to hold it, in exchange for great power," he explained. " Today, you have the once-in-a-millennium chance to gain such a weapon for almost nothing!
For just 5 Low-Grade Spirit Stones, you can try to take hold of the sword. If you manage to control the curse, you can claim it as yours!" he explained the offer. "Do not worry about what happens if you lose control. Our staff will make sure nobody gets hurt," he said and gestured at the gorillas to the left and right of the stall.
"What is actually going on with the sword? Is it really cursed?" Mina leaned over and asked him in a hushed voice. The blacksmith shook his head. "It's just haunted," he answered with a shrug. He was already able to feel the soul fragment attached to the weapon before appraising it, but he gave it another glance with his
< Haunted Blade
Rare
Damage: 450
Durability:1900
1. Increases Damage by up to 25% based on Magic Power channeled into the weapon.
2. Passive Skill: Possession
3. + 20 Years worth of Inner Energy/ +2500 Mana
A test piece created by Artificer Mo using experimental techniques. The soul of its former master was trapped in the blade after he was betrayed by his disciple and killed with his own weapon.
Requirement: Overwhelm the former Master in a mental battle >
The workmanship was comparable to that of works he would expect from an adept blacksmith, so it was about the average quality of the weapons he had seen cultivators use.
None of that really intrigued the blacksmith. What was interesting about the sword was the story and the material, as it was not something Seth had ever seen before. It was called
The description of the material only mentioned that Blacksmith Mo experimented with it, but no details. It indicated that the metal was new to the system, too. Did that mean the metal was exclusive to the Voracious Cloud Continent, or even this province?
The soul was also slightly enticing. Giving 2500 additional mana meant it had to be at least a big soul and one that was able to keep a fragment of its ego after death and haunt its murder weapon. Souls like this were rare and often special.
Just as Seth decided to take the blade, another contender for the weapon showed them what happened if one couldn't claim it. A slender cultivator in worn travel robes handed five dim spirit stones to the vendor and reached out for the blade on the cushion.
The moment he touched the hilt, he froze and began roaring like a madman. More people were turning their heads to look at the man holding the weapon than there were during the earlier fight.
"I will kill you, Jia Ren!" the man cried out, and a wave of spiritual power washed over the audience, pushing some people back. The buff assistance waiting to the left and right of the stall had waited for this moment and instantly rushed in to apprehend the lunatic.
"Let's go of me, you wretch! Jia Ren will die by my hand!" he exclaimed, resisting the four men holding down his arms and legs. No matter how much the sword had buffed him, he couldn't escape the teams of henchmen.
Using a mighty stick, a fifth struck the man's sword hand with perfect precision. There was a crack of breaking bone, and the next moment, the sword fell back onto the velvet cushion. A sixth man held it into position. It looked perfectly choreographed.
The second the sword left his hand, the man stopped struggling, looking confused and whimpering in pain, because a couple of bones in his hand were broken. Still, he didn't complain, even thanked the men for the help.
"As you can see, the state is not permanent, and we will make sure you regain your senses. Please understand that this might entail getting hurt yourself," the stall owner explained. Surprisingly, getting hurt didn't seem to be a big deal to the test subject or the audience.
Cultivators healed quickly; apparently, they didn't get upset over broken bones when they got the chance to obtain a "good weapon". Seth didn't immediately step forward to claim the sword, but decided to watch three more attempts that proceeded exactly the same way.
"Are you going to take it?" Fin asked when the blacksmith stepped forward. Seth simply nodded and took out five of the dim crystals Yu had given them for traveling money.
"Another one comes to claim the Cursed Blade! Go ahead, esteemed sir, and try your luck!" the stall owner said excitedly, hyping the crowd. The bard almost felt bad for ruining his business model, but he wanted the sword and the soul trapped in it. There were roughly 10 000 of these in his currency tab.
Ordinary money was like rocks to cultivators, and these low-grade spirit stones were like rocks to Master Mountain. He had been very generous with his support for their journey. There were also 3000 Medium-Grade Spirit stones and 560 High-grade ones. The girls had their own allowances. It was more than enough to cover their travel expenses and to splurge in cultivator markets and auctions.
The bard theatrically grabbed the hilt of the sword and froze. Of course, it was all show to make it look like he was fighting an inner battle. The Spirit Blacksmith was an expert in handling souls, with skills inherited from the power of Hades.
When he touched the blade, Seth simply used
After an appropriate amount of time, Seth arbitrarily judged. He raised the sword calmly and smiled at the crowd, signaling that he had conquered the curse of the blade. The stall owner and his gorillas looked at him, flabbergasted.
Obviously, they never expected anyone to actually overcome the curse. The blade was the goose laying golden eggs, but now the goose was butchered in front of their eyes.
"Can I just take it now?" The blacksmith asked, when the stall owner simply stayed silent, staring at him in shock. His trance was broken, hiding his begrudging look.
"O-of course! Everyone, a hero finally managed to overcome the curse! The blade has finally found its rightful owner!" he exclaimed to the crowd, his act no longer as convincing as before. The stall owner also gave Seth an aged scabbard that apparently belonged to the sword and congratulated him once again.
The blacksmith symbolically put the new sword beside the one already on his belt and returned to Mina, Fin, and the crowd.
"With this, our stall will close for today, thank you, everyone, for your attention and interest..." The stall owner made a final announcement, thanking everyone for their patronage, while the gorillas began packing up.
"We will be back next week, with a new challenge! I hope everyone will come again to try their luck!" he gave a final promise,l which surprised Seth. Did they have another cursed weapon lying around? Or a new scheme?
He forgot the guilt he felt for ruining their business. These guys would manage.