SWOOOSH~!!!
A bright light suddenly erupted from the stick that I just picked up on the floor.
"Huh...?"
I was surprised when this happened. The sudden light attracted the attention of everyone in the armory.
The intense flare of light illuminated the dark corners of the stone hall, turning every head in the room instantly toward where I was standing.
Even Zion, who just got his own bound weapon, was looking at me with wide eyes!
He stood just a few paces away, his mouth slightly open in complete astonishment as he held his new white and gold blade down by his side.
And in the next moment—
SWAAHHHH—!!!
A strong wave of wind blasted from the stick, making everyone around me fling away!
The sudden release of raw, unchecked mana created an intense pressure wave that rippled outward in all directions, rattling the heavy armor racks and sweeping dust off the floor.
It was so strong that Zion who was near me took a step back. The students from the [Z-Class] also shielded their faces from the shockwave.
Their crisp coats flapped violently in the gale as they raised their arms to protect their eyes, their previous stoic composure completely broken by the sudden blast.
Then after a few seconds—the strong gust of wind just suddenly died.
The blinding light dissolved into faint, glowing motes of energy.
And the whole armory became silent.
Not a single person moved, and not a single whisper echoed through the hall. The heavy silence was almost suffocating.
"..."
All eyes were on me, I could feel their prickling stares. The disbelief, awe, and many more.
Every single student and faculty member was staring directly at my right hand with looks of absolute, unadulterated shock.
Glancing to my side, I saw Zion looking at me with a wide smile on his face.
He had recovered from his initial surprise quickly, his grin stretching from ear to ear as he gave me a supportive nod.
The students from the [Z-Class] look taken aback as well.
I slowly turned my head to my right hand, and there—
The rough wooden branch I had grabbed off the ground was gone.
It transformed completely.
Resting firmly within my grip was a weapon forged from pure, translucent crystal that pulsed with a deep, inner cold.
It became a pristine blue rapier!
The size and weight of it were the same of the ones I conjure with my ice ability.
It rested effortlessly in my hand, feeling so light and perfectly balanced that it almost felt like an extension of my own arm.
This rapier... It was clearly made of my ice ability as well. But unlike the ones I did before; this one has sharp edges like they were made by a master blacksmith.
The craftmanship was flawless, far surpassing anything I could ever hope to construct manually through raw mana manipulation.
The ones I did before have jagged forms because it’s made of ice, but this one was shiny and smooth. The edges are sharp, the tip was pointed perfectly, the handle guard looks solid.
The handguard flared out like a delicate, frozen snowflake made of reinforced blue ice, seamlessly blending into the razor-sharp needle blade.
And the design, well—it’s simple, but very elegant.
It possessed a refined, deadly beauty that looked both pristine and terrifying all at once.
"Wow, we both got a bounded weapon!"
As I was stuck in my thoughts, I heard a loud, cheery voice beside me. It was Zion.
He broke the silence of the room without a care, laughing heartily as he took two steps closer and slapped his hand onto my shoulder.
Just like he said... Looks like I acquired a bound weapon as well.
I stared down at the glowing blue blade, still trying to absorb the sheer absurdity of the situation I had just stumbled into.
... ... ...
... ... ...
... ... ...
*****
A bound weapon, they’re so rare that only [The Star Academy], the best and richest hero academy, are the only ones allowing students to acquire them.
These legendary armaments were invaluable combat assets that noble houses and national military branches would spend fortunes trying to secure.
They sell for a load of money.
A single contract-bound artifact could easily buy an entire estate or fund an army’s logistical supply lines for years.
Bound weapons are mysterious rewards from dungeons, so nobody really knows how they’re made.
They were artifacts pulled directly from high-tier dungeon boss chambers, completely defying modern blacksmithing logic.
Everyone just knows that they choose their owner.
If a person wasn’t deemed worthy, the weapon would remain nothing more than an inert piece of metal or stone, refusing to grant its power to anyone.
Vael—in the game, he doesn’t have a bound weapon. He was just using a staff given by the academy that lets him cast his ice powers faster. In the original game route, Vael was forced to rely on a standard-issue focus rod that merely reduced chant times by a small percentage.
"Did you already know that that weapon will choose you?"
Cindy asked me.
She had rushed over from the standard daggers section the moment the second shockwave died down, her eyes wide with total bewilderment.
"Like that’s possible. I don’t know why this weapon chose me as well."
I replied to her.
I let out a soft exhale, giving her a straight, honest answer as I relaxed my posture.
Zion and I are back in the common area of the armory now. There are still eyes on us, but instead of mockery; they’re full of jealousy and awe.
The condescending smirks and hushed jeers that had greeted us when we first entered were completely gone, replaced by looks of pure envy and quiet respect.
"You’re really lucky... I want a bound weapon too."
Cindy said.
She stared at me with a long, wistful sigh, crossing her arms tightly as she pouted slightly.
"Why don’t you try and test if a weapon will react to you then?"
Then I suggested that to her, pointing to where the bound weapons are.
I gestured with my chin toward the central raised platform, where the remaining pedestals were still glowing with various colored auras.
That place was like an exclusive area for the [Z-Class] earlier, but after Zion and I successfully got a bound weapon first instead of them; the other students from the lower class started testing their luck too.
Seeing two random students successfully form contracts with named artifacts had shattered the psychological barrier holding everyone else back.
The area was now slowly getting packed.
Dozen of students were rushing up the stone ramp, eager to lay their hands on the pedestals to see if another miracle would occur.
"Hah! I already plan on doing that. See you later!"
Cindy said, and before I could even respond to her—she just ran off straight to where the bound weapons are.
She zipped past two upperclassmen instructors without slowing down, diving straight into the growing crowd around the display stands.
I just smiled watching her.
"..."
I looked at the bound weapon that I acquired. It was back to being a stick now.
I held it up in front of my face, examining it.
It was a nameless weapon.
Even after asking the staff, they don’t know what the name of this weapon. After all, they can’t name a stick-looking weapon.
When the armory caretakers originally swept it out of a dungeon crate, it had looked like nothing more than a piece of petrified wood, so they decided not to name it.
It didn’t reveal it’s form until now.
Because of this, the academy thought it was useless even though the appraiser told them it was a bound weapon.
And I can understand why they thought of that and why this weapon didn’t reveal its form until now, after being bounded to it, I understood its abilities.
This weapon can change form based on the element and preference of the user.
The second my palm had touched the surface, a flood of instinctual information had poured straight into my mind, explaining the artifact’s core mechanics.
So it’s not just conveniently a rapier that I can use—it adjusted itself and transformed into a rapier for me. Right now—it’s even back to being a stick that I found earlier.
But I know myself that I can change its form if I inject a mana in it and think of the form I want.
"A name, huh..."
I thought for a while.
I looked down at the stick resting in my hand, running my thumb over the rough surface as I considered what to call my new partner.
Then opening my mouth again—
"I’ll just name it [Frost]."
I muttered that.
It was simple, direct, and fit the nature of my ice ability perfectly without being overly complicated.
"That’s a great name!"
Just then, Zion suddenly appeared and exclaimed that, I swear he’s surprising sometimes, appearing like a mushroom from time to time.
He popped up right behind my left shoulder out of nowhere, grinning broadly as he leaned over to look at the stick in my hand.
"Haha, thanks."
I told him, smiling a little.
I turned to face him, letting out a quiet, genuine chuckle as I safely slipped the disguised weapon into my belt loop.
I can’t hold back my smile, acquiring a bound weapon was not in my goal, but this is a once in a lifetime luck.