《Ashes of Hell》Chapter 10 - A new beginning - Part 3
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The weapon in question was a curved sword. It started up straight from the handle but after about twenty centimeters it started curving up, resembling the iconic figure of a sickle.
The sword was also particularly long, reaching almost 1.5 meters, yet such swords weren't usually this big. As if the weapon itself wasn't to be handled by normal humans.
Despite the aura of antiquity that the weapon emanated, which in mysticism usually represented power, its general condition was telling the complete opposite. From the hilt to the sharpened edge of the sword, everything seemed to be covered up in a strange kind of rust. Red dots of rust and thick clusters of a dark red substance covered the entire weapon. Almost as if it had previously been corrupted.
'Why am I so attracted to this, this weapon is in such a bad shape. I could pick one at random from this armory and it would certainly look better than this sword.
It's in such a bad status that from the sharp, deadly weapon that it was, now it has become a blunt weapon. It's ridiculous.'
However, the more Nestor looked at it and pondered about how foolish it would be to choose it, the more he felt attracted to it.
'How can I even be so sure that under this red matter, or whatever it is, there is still a fine blade?.
Would I be corrupted and become like the sword the moment that I touch it, or maybe I would slowly be corrupted?'
Apparently, Nestor's constant worryings didnìt matter, as he impulsively approached the curved sword and picked it up.
'This is much lighter than I expected, it feels a bit unpleasant to the touch, I donìt like this 'thing'. At a first glance, it might have seemed rust, but it's too dark, having even some black dots here and there.
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However I have made my decision, something keeps telling me to choose this sword. I felt it before, the call was coming from my very soul.'
Soon after Nestor hurried toward the only desk present in the armory, in the center of the room there was Lenard just sitting behind it. He had already finished tweaking with Nestor's tablet for at least ten whole minutes.
'I must have become engrossed in that feeling, I seem to have lost track of time.'
Carrying the sword in his right hand, Nestor placed it on the desk, while taking out his left palm, waiting to receive his soul tablet.
"Here you go, I promoted it from a level of authority zero to that of one. Now with the strong thought of it, you can store objects inside the tablet, so to be clear it doesn't work with living organisms.
You can also notice a few lines that confirm your identity, along with a picture of your face. If you by any chase lose it, you have to tell me immediately as this tablet is linked to your soul.
I trust that you won't use this information in reverse, do not harm the damned people of this city. We are already suffering enough on our own."
Mestor was quite happy, this tablet truly had an ability that seemed too good to be true.
The tablet was basically a backpack the size of a modern credit card. For a man coming from the medieval epoch, it was absurd.
Yet for all the miraculous happenings that Nestor witnessed during his short second life, this was to be considered exciting at best.
" You surely chose a peculiar weapon, a very bold decision you made. However maybe it was a match decided by fate, it usually is the case for weapons such as this.
They are weapons that are said to be able to grow along with their user, yet there are no studies proving such claims. I haven't ever witnessed such a scene either.
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Yet, Here in Ceres, for every legend, as absurd as it might seem, there is always a kernel of truth.
Perhaps someday I'll be the one to learn something new from you."
While Lenard was lost in his speech, Nestor had already understood that the sword had become his own property. Thus he started to concentrate, staring at the blade while imagining it be able to magically enter the tablet.
"Oh my..."
A baffled expression plagued his face once the sword suddenly disappeared, sucked inside the soul tablet. As soon as the process was finished, Nestor had the thought that somehow a good portion of the 'backpack' was now occupied by the sword.
Also, a small 'icon' appeared near his picture on the tablet, it was a miniaturized picture of the sword. Right under it, there was something close to a description, only it consisted of just a few words.
Khopesh of Anguish:
A cursed blade still holding the strong resentment of their previous owner. This type of curved sword is praised for its gruesome slashing ability in close-quarters combat.
'Its dullness is the biggest problem. Yet if it can really grow, or at least be brought back to its peak condition, it will reveal itself as a precious asset of mine.
As the teacher said, this is a gamble, but as of now the entirety of my new life is one, to begin with.'
With this Nestor felt that he just accomplished an important step in his new life.
"Now we better hurry up, there are still a lot more young souls that are waiting for my guidance. Obviously, other teachers have been assigned for your group too, I can't handle as many as thirty students by myself. Oh Oh Oh."
The duo then walked their way out of the armory and went all the way back to the inside garden. Looks of anticipation scrutinized Nestor, all the newbies wanted to make sure to notice any kind of anomaly he portrayed after signing the said contract.
However, Nestor didn't change much from the moment he entered the study room.
On his face had a relaxed yet fatigued expression. His posture was slightly hunched however not as much as to express either sadness or distress.
However, this wasn't very surprising, even if he rested a couple of hours as soon as he got out of the portal, Nestor urgently needed some rest. He needed to sleep and wash away the fresh memories of his former death, as long as to digest all the strange happenings he experienced the last two days.
Many of them were in a similar state, even before signing the contract. Thus the group was slightly disappointed, as until now nobody had come out visibly shocked either in a positive or negative way.
"Nestor is it? Now that you have chosen your weapon I'll help you choose a pair of combat manuals. You'll utilize them as a base for your next six months worth of training.
Follow me, it won't take much, as soon as we're done you'll be free to go. I advise you to go find a room at the lodgings of the damned, I can tell both your body and mind need some real rest."
The world 'rest' at this point almost hypnotized Nestor. The poor soul had remained dazed from the spot until a strong disciplinary voice echoed in his ears.
"Do not make me call for you again, or you'll regret making me waste one more second!"
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