Chapter 89 - New Weapons

"Well, you can't blame a guy for trying."

Rynold stood back up and straightened his back. He casually responded to the sudden appearance of a voice out of nowhere. It was as if he had expected this.

"Heh, you haven't changed at all, man," the voice replied and dropped down from the trees. He was surrounded by dissipating darkness as if using it to make haste and get here faster.

"And, I suppose you have?" Rynold asked sarcastically before turning around and looking at the guy in the eye. "Huh, Oliver?"

Oliver chuckled and smiled. "I must be losing my touch," he continued, "I was sure that I was quiet enough to sneak up on you."

"No, no," Rynold denied. "I've just gotten better. You can thank Axiom for revealing your presence to me. Otherwise, I wouldn't have caught on."

Stretching his palm, the Accord Sphere Variant: Axiom returned and landed on Rynold's open palm. He presented the small ball to Oliver, catching his curiosity.

"I'll tell you about them some other time," Rynold said before throwing Axiom back onto the sky. "Where's Chris and Strider? Aren't they with you?"

Oliver pointed back to the direction from whence he came. "They're on their way," he explained, "I've gotten a lot stronger than last time we saw each other too, you know." After ending his sentence, Oliver noticed that they weren't alone.

Locking eyes with each other for a split second, Oliver was aware of Neana's presence before turning back to Rynold. "Why'd you bring her?" he whispered to his friend.

Rynold patted Oliver on the shoulder before responding, "Don't worry, man. She can take care of herself. I'm willing to bet that she might be stronger than you."

The two continued chattering while waiting for Chris and Strider to arrive. It didn't last long, but Rynold and Oliver managed to talk just like in the old days. Catching up on what they've been doing for the past 8 months while Neana was sitting idly by.

"Okay," Rynold walked to the center of everyone, "now that we're all here. We should probably head out."

"That's great and all," Chris retorted, "But, I don't suppose you have a plan on dealing with the Central Mana Core? We can't just storm in there and hope everything works out."

Neana jumped down from her golem and agreed. "Good point," she said with a stern expression.

"Well," Rynold said, "it's a good thing Margareth gave me this before we left."

On his hand, Rynold held a small, clear vial that contained what could only be described as an indistinguishable liquid. At first, Rynold couldn't even figure out what it was for until Margareth handed it to him. This vial contained Purifying Essence that cleanses the dark Mana off of anything.

The downside of applying this was that they needed to be in physical contact with it. What's more, is that Rynold only had one vial. Meaning that if he messed up, there'd be no more second chances. He couldn't even procure a second vial because of how hard it is to produce a single one.

'No pressure,' was what Rynold thought as Margareth explained all of this to him before he left.

"With this," Rynold explained, "we should be able to get the mission done without any hitches. We just have to deal with whatever gets in our way."

He continued to explain what the vial did, answering questions as they came up. By the end, Rynold and the rest seemed to agree on a consensus.

They wanted to get it done as soon as they could.

On the one hand, Oliver and Chris wanted to leave the damned place because they've stayed here for far too long. On the other hand, Rynold and Neana weren't interested in exploring the dimension in all its entirety. This was mostly because of how Oliver and Chris described their experiences so far.

Having spent the past 8 months stuck inside his workshop, Rynold managed to come up with some inventions here and there. With the Accord Spheres being his most successful project, he was able to polish his skills along the way. However, that wasn't all he did.

Rynold pulled items out of his inventory, the first being a small dagger that appeared to be the same as one he made before. He threw it to Oliver since the weapon was suited for his specifications.

"I made it using some of the monster cores that the ghouls dropped," Rynold passionately explained. "It's designed to be a conduit for your dark Mana. The dagger I made last time basically broke as soon as you put Mana onto it. So, I thought that maybe I'd use something that would better handle your situation. And, with that, the [Dreadful Rending] is born!"

[Dreadful Rending]

Bladed Dark-Gold Tier Weapon

Durability: 723/723

Attack Power +55

A one-sided dagger that was made using leftover pieces of corrupted beings. It was clear that the creator had somewhat negative emotions while making this weapon.

Additional Passive Skill: Negative Application

- When infused with dark Mana, this weapon deals an extra 15% damage on the target. Consequently, when infused with any other type of Mana, the weapon deals 30% less damage.

Additional Active Skill: Forceful Dusk

- Upon activation, the user is cloaked with a veil of darkness that follows the user's every movement for 5 minutes. Enemies struck by the user while cloaked will deal an extra 3% piercing damage.

- Cooldown: 10 minutes

Rynold made the weapon when he had run out of patience. His overwhelming rage and frustration reverberated every strike of his hammer, shaping the metal using his Mana Infusion technique. By the end of it, Rynold was surprised what the output. Who would've thought that being angry and throwing a tantrum would produce such a marvel?

Oliver stared at the dagger intently. He was amazed at how Rynold was able to produce a masterpiece. But, then again, it's not like it was his first time to make a weapon. Oliver couldn't even place how much time and effort Rynold took to make something like this.

"Thanks," Oliver said while keeping the weapon in his inventory. Naturally, one word may not be enough to express his gratitude.

Nodding, Rynold seemed to be okay with it. The words of the Mech God were still relatively fresh in his mind, after all. Making mechs and weapons is one way for Rynold to get stronger. That meant that making the weapon benefitted him too.

"Next," Rynold continued, this time directing his words to Chris. "I've heard from Cecil that adaptability is important in your combat style. Of course, there are ways for me to approach this. Unfortunately, though, I couldn't decide on one. So, for now, this one's for you."

Rynold pulled what looked like two nondescript sticks that were nothing special at first glance. But, naturally, it can't be that simple either. After all, Rynold was the one who made it.

[Flowing Exhume]

Twin Blunt Fine-Gold Tier Weapons

Durability: 683/683

Attack Power +30, Agility +5

Twin sticks that emphasize both power and speed. Full mastery of this weapon and a corresponding combat style would make the wielder unparalleled in hand-to-hand combat.

Additional Passive Skill: Relentless Thrashing

- Alternating weapons with each hit, the user's attack speed is increased by 10%

Additional Active Skill: Kinetic Discharge

- With each strike, the weapon gains a stack (up to 10). Upon activation, the user can release a shockwave from the tip of the weapons, dealing 30% (+10% each stack) physical damage to the target.

- Cooldown: 2 minutes

Chris caught the weapons and read the description. Despite the rather plain design, it was clear to him that Rynold was making full use of his combat style. Rather than relying on Mana or attributed attacks to deal damage, this weapon was plain and simple.

What's more, this weapon would be useless if it went to another person, especially if they couldn't fight in a drawn-out battle. Chris accepted the weapon and gave thanks to Rynold. It was, unequivocally, perfect for his style of fighting.

"Alright," Rynold said, satisfied. "I wish I could do more, but I spent most of my time doing a bunch of other things that won't make sense until I show you. Shall we?"

The group got ready to head out. Neana and Rynold waited for Oliver and Chris to get used to their new weapons. It took time for Rynold to make the things, and he was elated to see them being used.

Before long, the group headed out and onto the Central Mana Core.

With Axiom looking and scanning for potential threats, the group didn't have any problems walking through the dense forest. They cleared whatever monsters stood in their way with relative ease. At this point, Rynold didn't even have to do anything because of how eager Oliver and Chris were to try out their weapons. Neana, on the other hand, was relaxing on top of her walking golem.

Soon, they reached their destination.