Jet Wing and the mystery of the Question Marks
The captain's cabin on Actaea was almost as wide as the ship's width.
Towards the stern, there were bolted windows, waves threatening to blast their way in through them. The moment Kai entered, his gaze went to the dark sea, undulating like a black sheet of silk beyond the windowpanes. He couldn't help but think that just two weeks before, he was as unfamiliar with the sea and ships as a maiden with blood before her first period. Now, it had become a routine, and yet, the thrill persisted.
Against the wall, next to the window-lain stern wall of the ship, lay a bed as befitted the captain of a small trading vessel. Not too extravagant, but adorned with colors bright enough to boast of the post and power. In the middle of the room was a square table with two chairs, large enough for two men to sit and have dinner without their knees hammering at each other.
Item-M was sitting on one chair with her back to the windows.
Their eyes matched.
-/Be seated,/- Kai said, seeing her getting up. -/Tomorrow, by dusk, we will have our first guests, if I am not wrong about it. Galleys are a luxury freeriders and traders can't afford. Nor I am expecting the Contestants to have them. So large trading vessels, propelled by many sails and oars, these are our pursuers. Just fast enough to catch us in the long run. But why am I telling you all this? You told me you have served on ships before, right?/-
Item-M still had her old appearance on her. Though she looked feeble and malnourished, her posture had an elegance that said otherwise. "You are right, master," she told Kai, filling strong wine in a mug. "I did serve on a ship, but I never had Elementary Seamanship. As you must have guessed, my area of expertise lies in reconnaissance. So in sailing, I have only rudimentary knowledge. Still, it's enough to outsmart the mutinous crew working outside."
Petyr barred the cabin's door after coming in, and then, saying nothing, he disappeared.
Kai acted as if he had seen nothing. He approached the chair, pulled it out from under the table, and dragged it away to have more space. The wine mug floated towards him as he sat down with his legs outstretched. He gulped down half the mug at once before the bitterness could even announce itself to his tongue. He let the silence linger in the cabin, letting the wine dull the constant headache, as his face flushed red and pink.
-/Out with it,/- he ordered, massaging his temples with his thumb and middle and ring fingers. -/Take out the Item as well./-
"I was quite shocked myself, master," Item-M began, smiling, and her hand flicking at the empty air. "No one came after me, opposite to what we had thought. That hired Contestants and priests of Temple of Hastur are waiting for us on the 4th floor, I agree with the one-eyed hypocrite on this. But as you said, we have nothing to fear. The 4th floor is too big, if not as big as the 1st floor. Contestants, coming down from the 5th or 6th floors, wouldn't be too powerful for us to get caught by them.
"Those who would come down from 3rd-Set or above, they are as good as dead. Chaos puts harsh limitations on the Contestants going down to the floors within the same Set, but even harsher on those who go down below their Sets."
These were Kai's thoughts as well. But he didn't mull over them for long. Item-M had taken out an exquisite bow and a palm-sized box that looked like a steel matchbox. Both lit up the greed in Kai's eyes like two inflamed wicks. The objects left Item-M, as Kai let go of the wine mug, which floated by his side, and came to rest in his hands.
First, Kai opened the steel matchbox. The moment his eyes landed on its contents, the corners of his lips arched up in an evil grin. -/Magnificent!/- he exclaimed. -/All disposable after the first use?/-
Item-M nodded. "As you'd ordered, master," she told him. "Getting so many of the same quality was already a challenge. If I'd asked them to be Items, even of the lowest grade, then it would have cost us a fortune. And time. Both of which we lack dearly."
Kai shook his head, still pleasantly surprised as he looked at the box's contents again. -/Not an issue,/- he said, putting the tiny box away into his MRB, and taking the bow in his hands. -/It will do for now./-
He brought his attention to the bow now, his gaze lingering all over it as if it was the prettiest woman he was seeing after a long time. The bow had the colors white and what looked like brown, bordering on gold. The bowstring was jet red, like a thin trail of blood had been forced to change its properties. Kai ran his fingers along its length and smiled as he saw the Stats hovering above it.
[
Item: Jet Wing
Grade: Uncommon
Specification: A bow constructed using the magical Hickory from the realm of Narnia, and enhanced by the crushed bones of an Eon Pokemon, Latias. The bowstring is made of Latias' tendons with no foreign element
Requirement:
1. Elementary Archery
2. Strength 25
3. Stamina 25
4. Agility 20
5. Perception 20
Attributes: Accuracy: 6 inch spot - 500 meters
Skill: Blood propulsion
Effect:
1. Increases an arrow's Base Damage
2. For every 1% pull on the Bowstring, the Base Damage rises by 1% of its original value
Skill: Latias' Tear
Effect:
1. At 100% pull, charge the arrow with Mana (Note: 200 MP max)
2. Penetrate the target's Defense without losing the Base Damage, depending upon the value of MP infused. (Note: -1 Defense for every 10 MP infused)
3. In case the target's Defense is lower than the equivalent Mana infused, turn the rest of the Mana to increase the Base Damage. (Note: +1 Base Damage for every 10 MP)
Quality: 74%
Warning: Arrows above Common grade will damage the Item's quality
Warning: Accuracy is only valid for the 100% pull, and when paired with Common-graded Arrows
Warning: Only graded arrows can be infused with Mana
]
-/Excellent! Beyond outstanding!/- Kai commented casually. -/Item-M, you have done a good job./-
Item-M bowed, accepting the commendation. "As I don't meet the criteria," she said humbly, "I can't use the Skills. I can only pull the string to 13% (-Kai raised an eyebrow-). Oh! When you pull the bowstring, you can see the percentage pulled like a Stat. Though the most important thing about this Item is the Charge Triggered Skill, Latias Tear, for once, I know you haven't praised me for the Item itself. Am I right, master?"
Kai smiled knowingly at her. -/Trying to figure out my thought process now,/- he jested, flicking the bowstring, and testing its strength. -/Let's hear it then. Why do you think I praised you?/-
Item-M blushed upon hearing that, but her old, loose skin didn't do justice to her charming eyes, and the fervor in her gaze that she was sending towards Kai. "If I understand you, master," she said, regaining her blunt nature, "then you could have saved Latias' bones and tendons for the future, instead of wasting it on an Item which you have no plans to use by yourself. The only plausible reason behind all this is that maybe you wanted to have a higher grade Item to test out a theory regarding some doubt."
Kai was already looking at her admiringly. -/Go on./-
"I asked myself what doubt is so grave and inexplicable for which you would trouble yourself such, master," she continued, now leaving the chair. "I needn't think long, I admit. It's the question marks, isn't it? You wanted to see if not meeting the requirements of a high-graded Item prevents you from seeing its Stats or not. In other words, you wanted to see what would be the foundational difference between this Bow and the Legendary graded Item, Eon Soul Dew."
For a moment, Kai stared at her. -/Never have I found you looking so beautiful, Item-M,/- he said, not unkindly. -/Excellent servants know what their master wants. Keep it up, and I promise, you will be rewarded wonderfully./-
*******
AN: We will find out what was in the steel matchbox later. No Item/Items.