Chapter 29: My Item

With the tour concluded, we were about to receive our first benefit as students of the Academy of Luminara. The guide gestured for us to follow him toward a massive set of ornate doors. "The Weapon Hall," he announced with the first hint of genuine enthusiasm I'd heard from him all day. "The Weapon Hall represents one of the academy's greatest treasures," he explained as we approached the entrance. "Every new student receives the opportunity to enter and claim a single weapon. This tradition has continued for over three centuries." The doors themselves were works of art, crafted from enchanted metal. Despite it's ordinary looks, I knew it had hidden runes covering every surface,. "Once you enter the treasury," the guide continued, his tone becoming more serious, "you will find countless items scattered throughout. However, you may only claim one. Choose carefully, as this decision cannot be undone." He paused, allowing the weight of his words to settle over our group. Several nobles shifted nervously, clearly feeling the pressure of making the right choice. "The probability of discovering a Rare weapon is approximately once every few decades, the last one has occurred a year ago," he added. "Ninety-nine point nine percent of students emerge with Enhanced-grade equipment. But remember, it is often said that the weapon chooses the wielder rather than the reverse. Trust your instincts." One by one, the nobles and wealthy merchant children began entering the treasury. Each student disappeared through the glowing doorway for several minutes before emerging with their chosen weapon. The first few students came out carrying Enhanced-grade swords, staffs, and defensive equipment. Their expressions showed a mixture of satisfaction and disappointment, pleased to have received quality weapons, but clearly hoping they might have been among the lucky few to discover something rarer. "Enhanced blade, better than nothing, but I was hoping for more." one noble muttered to his companion. "At least it's well-crafted, enhanced weapons from the academy's treasury are still superior to most equipment money can buy." his friend replied, examining his own newly acquired bow. "My father always said that skills matters more than gear anyway," another student added. As more students completed their selections, the familiar pattern emerged. Enhanced weapons dominated the results, just as the guide had predicted. Swords, axes, magical staves, protective shields, all of excellent quality, but nothing truly exceptional. The waiting nobles began whispering among themselves about probability and luck, their initial excitement dampening as they realized how unlikely it was for any of them to find something special. Soon came Seraphina's turn. Unlike the other nobles who whispered that she would emerge with an Enhanced weapon just like everyone else, I knew that assessment was completely wrong. My knowledge of the original timeline told me exactly what would happen next. Seraphina would discover a Rare weapon, specifically, a battle axe that complemented her Valkyrie bloodline perfectly. The weapon would recognize her legendary bloodline and bond with her immediately. She stepped through the doorway with her confident stride, disappearing into the treasury's mysterious interior. Minutes passed. The waiting students grew restless, some checking timepieces and wondering if something had gone wrong. But I knew she was simply taking time to locate the specific weapon that was meant for her. When Seraphina finally emerged, she carried a magnificent double-bladed battle axe that gleamed with inner light. The weapon's design was both elegant and deadly. The guide's cold, demeanour immediately changed, his eyes widened with genuine surprise and respect as he examined the weapon. "Congratulations," he said warmly, his previous aloofness completely absent. "A Rare weapon chooses its wielder perhaps once in a generation. This is truly exceptional." The other students stared in amazement and obvious envy. Seraphina had accomplished what they'd all hoped for but knew was nearly impossible. "You are clearly destined for greatness." Seraphina accepted the praise with gracious composure, though I caught a hint of satisfaction in her expression. She understood the significance of what had just occurred. Soon it was my turn. I stepped through the doorway and immediately understood why the guide had called this place a treasury. To say it was simply a weapon storage room would have been a massive understatement. I found myself standing in what could only be described as an ocean of weapons. Instead of water filling a vast pool, countless armaments floated and drifted in slow, hypnotic patterns. Swords, spears, bows, shields, staffs, and exotic weapons I couldn't even identify moved through the air like schools of metallic fish. I walked carefully through the floating arsenal, searching for the specific landmarks I remembered from the novel. The first sign would be a weapon displayed on a larger podium, elevated above the general collection. The second indicator would be pillars, specifically, I needed to locate one decorated with a shield, flail, and club. After several minutes of careful exploration, I spotted four distinct pillars rising from the weapon-sea. Each supported different arrangements of ceremonial equipment, but only one matched my target description. "There it is." I muttered to myself. The pillar adorned with a shield, flail, and club, exactly as described in the original story. On the pillar's apex, partially hidden beneath other items that had drifted against it over time, I found what I was looking for. The item appeared completely unremarkable at first glance. It looked rusty and thoroughly ordinary, easily overlooked among the more visually impressive weapons surrounding it. But I knew it was anything but ordinary. This was arguably one of the most powerful artifacts in the entire treasury. Unfortunately, my system couldn't provide information about items it hadn't given me directly through the daily reward. The floating interface remained stubbornly blank when I focused on the pendant. But it didn't matter. I remembered it from the novel's detailed descriptions. The item was called The Typhoon Pendant. It was a Rare-grade artifact that contained immense wind elemental power. Once per day, it could release a concentrated hurricane force in a straight line, dealing devastating damage to anything in its path. Most importantly, its power scaled with the wielder's rank, charging from ambient mana to grow stronger over time. This pendant would serve me well. I reached out and grasped the seemingly worthless trinket, feeling it warm to my touch as it recognized my claim. Time to see how the guide would react to my "lucky" discovery.