Two except for the amulet [symbol of protection].
One was a bracelet, the other a triangular kite shield that could be worn in one hand.
Osian eyed the shield carefully.
‘I didn’t know I could get the Stormcaster’s shield in good condition.’
He'd been thinking about needing a shield lately.
A knight was a swordsman who broke through with his sword, but he was also a defender with his shield.
‘I've always been so focused on dodging that I didn't pay much attention to it, but that's about to change.’
That's why he chose the shield without hesitation.
[Stormcaster's Shield]
As far as artifacts go, it was safe to say that this was a pretty good one.It could be used by Osian immediately, but that wasn't its only value.
‘Just as the Stormcaster in its name, this shield has the power of an artifact.’
That power was Storm Wielding.
This power was granted by the Stormcaster, and when the shield is swung, it creates a powerful wind that swirls around you.
While this wind has no offensive effect in and of itself, it was a very useful effect for blocking a wide range of projectiles from a distance.
It's not just a shield, it's a wind around you.
'If used in a well-timed manner, it could even deflect a catapult's cannonballs.’
The wind was different from ordinary wind because it was summoned by divine power.
Naturally, it was possible to deflect even heavy projectiles.
‘I don't know how much it would stop a bullet, but it wouldn't be ineffective.’
Even if it's just a moderate deflection, it's a very useful effect.
Of course, it would be quite inconvenient to carry such a shield all the time.
You could carry the sword around your waist, but the shield would have to be constantly on the move or strapped to your back.
This bracelet was designed to prevent that.
‘Bracelet of Storage.’
In-game, it was a moderately useful item that expanded inventory by +1 inventory space, but this was different.
Osian took out a suitable item from his inventory. A pass that would allow him to travel between each numbered zone, for example.
He tapped the pass to the bracelet, and it hissed and disappeared.
‘The bracelet itself acts as a subspace.’
This was the first time he'd actually utilized it, but he'd known it would work like this just by guessing.
‘Hence the shield.’
Osian slipped the [Stormcaster's Shield] into the storage bracelet.
The shield glowed a faint silver color, and then it was gone.
The shield was much lighter in weight now that it had disappeared into subspace.
'Not much room for maximum storage, but convenience is a good thing.’
I was pleased with the three artifacts I chose.
All of them had been chosen because of my intimate knowledge of their effects.
'Others, on the other hand, are not..........’
Terence was one of them.
Terence had the right to choose the artifacts after Osian, and he was allowed to take three.
Terence chose a book that appeared to be a spellbook, a wand, a catalyst for manifesting magic, and finally, a tablet with some sort of blueprint.
‘It’s a magic book, so the skills he can get from it would naturally be Storm Caster spells.’
It would be a useful skill for Terence, who could master several elemental spells but the other two didn't seem too good.
Especially not the staff Terence had chosen.
'That one. It's an ugly item that even mage-born users wouldn't even look at.’
The general consensus was that it looked expensive and fancy, with a jeweled tip, but its performance was not as subtle as it looked.
'That stone tablet, it's not even in the game, so I can't really rate it.’
Terence fared better.
The next one or two picks were mostly bad.
Good thing, too, because Osian had already taken them all before them.
Occasionally, someone would take a cursed item and gloat that they had chosen well.
Osian didn't want to spoil their joy, so he didn't tell them.
‘You'll have to take it outside and have it appraised, and then you'll know whether you've found gold or trash.’
Until then, he let them bask in their excitement and dream of a bright future.
The person buying the lotto ticket knows that it's not about winning, it's about getting through the week in anticipation.
'I'm not too unhappy with this distribution, but it's certainly interesting.’
Osian was surprised at how neatly it was distributed.
Perhaps guessing what he was thinking, Balud approached and asked.
“Isn't it interesting, the way they're all so orderly with their things?”
“I can't say I am. We've been through a lot on the way here. Even the same people are dangerous in the ruins.”
“Yes, but let me tell you, it doesn't happen the way you think it does.”
The thing was simple.
He was referring to the infighting and fighting over the reward.
“If anything, it's more unusual. It's rare for it to end as peacefully as it did.”
“We were the lucky ones.”
“You may not realize it, but it's all because of you.”
“Because of me? Why?”
“What kind of insane human would be unhappy with the man who single-handedly defeated the Guardian of the Ruins?”
Come to think of it.
Osian was being a little pushy here, adding one more item to his selection, but there was no one who could resist.
Why bother, when he could just draw his sword and behead them all?
But Osian didn't. If the strongest person with the highest stakes takes the initiative and takes only what's rightfully his, who can complain?
From their point of view, Osian was a benefactor who increased their chances of winning by picking up only three pieces of garbage.
“I see.”
Osian shook his head as if he understood.
Well, there was no regret, because even if he was given the chance, he would have picked only three just like now.
“That's why it's advantageous to have a lot of people, at least it gives you more of a say.”
“Is that why you dragged your whole family with you?”
“Yes. Unfortunately, we got separated in the middle, so I was a little worried. We're only three. They're over twenty, so we were at a disadvantage, no matter how you look at it.”
It was Osian's brute force that overcame that.
It wasn't as if Balud hadn't done anything, as his inaction in the middle of the game was enough to create quite a stunning perception.
“Did you choose better than that?”
“Well, it didn't seem too bad.”
Balud waved the axe in his hand.
It wasn't his usual one-handed axe, but a normal-sized axe, a little larger than his normal size.
The blade was intricately carved, and I could tell it was out of the ordinary.
'Good choice.'
[Storm Master's Axe]
If Osian had been a barbarian warrior instead of a knight, this would have been his first choice.
The effect is obviously storm, but it's a weapon, so there's an added bonus.
I would also use the power of lightning periodically.
It has a long cooldown, but the power of the wind in the axe itself allows it to strike enemies farther than its actual range.
“But can you use that thing, it doesn't look like it's portable enough to carry around normally.”
“That's your shield too.......”
Balud suddenly realized that Osian's shield was nowhere to be seen.
“What the hell did you do?”
“I just, uh, put it on.”
Osian waved the cold bracelet on his left arm.
Better to show than tell, I thought, so I pulled the shield out of my storage bracelet.
Balud's eyes widened as the shield appeared out of thin air, effortlessly resting in his left hand.
“A subspace item. Such a precious thing.......”
“I must have gotten lucky. As soon as I put it on, I knew how to use it.”
Osian sheathed his shield again and looked at Balud.
He could carry it, but what would he do with it?
“Well, it’s inevitable that you’ll need it sooner or later, and if not, it'll take some crafting.”
“I suppose it doesn't matter, I picked something that looks pretty good, so I think I can be a little confident.”
That was the end of the distribution.
When it was time to head back, everyone picked up their pace.
We were all itching to get out of there, to mark the end of our exploration and leave the artifacts to their own devices.
Perhaps after this, some of us would laugh more, and some of us would hit the ground and regret it.
'Now that I think about it, for those who don't know the artifact's effects right now, it's all just a random box until it's properly appraised.’
Good luck, bad luck.
Osian realized that the strange desire that flickered in the explorers' eyes wasn't simply a result of successfully exploring the relics.
It's a dopamine addiction that produces polarizing results.
It was an unpleasant sensation for Osian, who had a vague idea of the effects of certain things.
Those who exited the corridor moved in a more relaxed state.
They'd disarmed all the traps and such on the way out, so all they had to do was go back the way they came.
As such, Osian didn't bother to lead the way, instead slowly following at the back of the procession.
He also intended to take his time exploring the ruins, which had changed over the years.
‘Hmm?’
That's when Osian's eyes caught sight of something strange.
It was a small hidden space beyond a half-collapsed wall.
There, he saw something familiar.
‘This place has been searched by mages before.’
Osian glanced at those ahead of him, then moved silently, unnoticed, to grab what he had just discovered.
No one noticed his movements.
‘You didn't pack this?’
Osian looked at the pure white stone and questioned.
Of all the things they could have gotten from the ruins, this was the most important.
‘Don't these guys know what a spirit stone is?’
Osian held the white stone in his hand.
It looked like the ubiquitous limestone, but it was actually something else entirely.
‘They don't even look at the weapon enhancement material, spirit stones.’
Gems were considered an essential ingredient for enhancing weapons in the game.
Players also referred to them as enhancement stones, and the difficulty of obtaining them made them a valuable commodity.
‘The concept of enhancement was only used by players, so maybe they don't know about it.’
Someone must have studied it and realized that it wasn't just any limestone.
But the idea of applying it to a weapon and enhancing it hadn't occurred to them.
‘Now that I think about it, enhancing weapons with spirit stones is something that only specialized smiths can do.’
In the game, only special NPCs or dwarven smiths could do this, which were extremely rare.
But seeing as how even those brilliant wizards didn't know about the spirit stones, it seemed like the information had been lost.
'It’s no wonder, considering many years have passed.’
It must be something that even the dwarves don't remember anymore.
Suddenly, a face flashed through Osian's mind.
An elf who had outlived the dwarves and was a more skilled blacksmith.
‘I should take it and ask about it.’
Osian slipped the gem into his storage bracelet.
If anyone had seen him, they would have thought he had picked up a suitable piece of stone to commemorate his visit to the ruins.
It was a lucky break.
*
Once safely outside the ruins, the group was greeted with a rousing welcome by the waiting crowd.
Reporters from Tirna had gathered, and members of the Archeologists League were there, of course.
What artifacts did they get from the ruins, what was inside, what scholarly material could they study?
There's only so much that can be gleaned from a single ruin.
Ruins were a lucrative business, and everyone was waiting with bated breath for the expedition.
“Hey, Mr. Director!”
Balud's family, who had been separated in the middle, had safely escaped and were waiting outside.
They looked at him and bowed their heads in unison, as if in disgrace.
“Never mind. Such things happen in ruins.”
“Director, that axe is.......”
“I got it from the ruins.”
“Oooh, great, you've come back so successfully!”
Just then, someone ran up to Balud and fell into his arms.
The sight of disheveled brown hair made Balud visibly panic.
It was Isela, daughter of Islow, the godfather and leader of the North Blinders.
“Ah, young lady. What are you doing?”
“Balud! Do you know how worried I was?! When I heard that there was no news from inside, I was really anxious!”
Balud tried to push her away, saying there were many eyes around, but Isela wouldn't let go.
‘Ouch!’
Balud had forgotten about them for a moment.
Osian and Illua stood where Balud's gaze was directed.
“Mmm. Hot.”
“It is.”
Osian nodded, and Illua smirked as if she'd seen something funny.
Balud's expression was wistful and just as he was about to make an excuse a group of vehicles drove up nearby and people clamored out of them.
Soon, from the most expensive and sturdy of the vehicles, a fleshy old man stepped out, escorted by his men.
“There's a lot of people.”
His voice was thick with phlegm.
Recognizing him, the men of North Blinders bowed their heads in unison.
The godfather and boss of the North Blinders, Islow Bourbork had arrived on the scene.