NOVEL WEB Weapon of Choice
A mildly interesting mystery that Ginger had once wondered about, was how the Wild and Ravi shared a plethora of similarities, some of which extended to odd extremities.
It was clear that Ravi was far more developed, but the difference in the core concepts between the two worlds wasn't as pronounced as some of the things resulting from them. For instance, weaponry.
Conflict was obviously evident in Ravi as a concept just as much as it was in the Wild, but the weapons stemming from the conflict differed a bit. Or was it more apt to say they evolved from similar ideas and sources with the results seeming more innovative in what Ravi had to offer?
Perhaps dragons grew fantastically because the nature of conflict in Ravi seemed to be more grandiose, more organized, and more overwhelming, however, Ginger embraced what life in the Wild taught him.
The Wild had a callous way of breeding certain mindsets in its inhabitants. It encouraged efficiency rather than dominance, though that was not to say the latter was extinct.
As such, Ginger, when under the tutelage of the Shaman Ancor, had been taught a very impactful lesson after a rather large and aggressive Fork Snake – a species of serpent with a tongue that worked more as a sharp, exceedingly quick projectile than a sensory organ – tore Ginger's arm off right when he attempted to use his sword to kill it.
'You thought a sword was easy to wield, didn't you?' Ginger remembered Ancor saying to him after healing his arm. 'The range it gives was particularly appealing, wasn't it? Your reasoning wasn't entirely wrong Ginger, but you have neither the strength nor the skill to kill anything that size with this weapon. The latter is a problem with every weapon you try to use, but the former... That can be remedied by simply choosing a weapon matching your current capabilities."
This lesson had been sufficiently engraved into Ginger that day.
And that was why the boy was the first one out of his entire class - and First Red - to walk over to one of the racks and decisively, pick up the weapon he was most suited for.
His unfettered movement which didn't have the slightest sign of hesitation caused much surprise, especially for Reiss, the Doukas siblings, and Professor Mara who still kept a stony visage.
The range of weapons available inspired careful consideration and hesitation among the other First Years. The different series of polearms, the variations of swords, bows, gauntlets, hammers, scythes, and even whips.
What to pick.
A weapon you would have to use for the whole year.
How was Ginger so confident?
A few figured he was trying to appear bolder and more astute in order to reshape his reputation, but this assumption was thwarted thoroughly by the weapon Ginger picked.
It was not flamboyant. In fact, it was quite the opposite. The vast selection had startled Ginger at first, given how expansive and varied it was, but he quickly recovered when he noticed what he wanted.
When he took it from the rack and wielded it in his right hand, Professor Mara's eyes twitched.
Reiss had a similar look of suspicion.
That was no amateurish grip.
There was no flimsy resolve reflected in the weapon's slightest sway.
The silver-bladed dagger was in good hands.
"Quite the choice," Professor Mara said with a tone that landed to neither praise nor criticism. "Hopefully, it is the right one."
Ginger didn't give any sort of response to Professor Mara. He walked back to where he had been standing and was received by a curious Reiss.
"You seem sure of yourself," the dwarfish dragonling said.
"I am," Ginger said with a smile.
The Qin Steel used to craft the blade was incredibly beautiful, the silver hue it had – a few shades from ivory – marred with what looked like aged sediments from other coarse minerals within it.
Ginger and the rest of the class had learned from Professor Mara during their earlier lessons, that all weaponry and important constructs related to dragons were created using Qin Steel, an ore found only in the Vermillion Valley, a place where the remains of the great Vermillion Dragon, Avecsalot were said to have stimulated the earth to produce this precious mineral.
Professor Mara had promised a trip there in a few Strides, something Fillys and Alcaeus had been particularly happy about for some reason.
As the other students scrambled to choose their own weapons, Reiss merely continued to look closely at Ginger's dagger.
"You weren't kidding when you said you had some experience with fighting monsters," he said. "You're a bit too modest."
Ginger wore a sheepish smile.
"Why this weapon in particular? Are you planning to take full advantage of your Pooling-type Kardia or something?" Reiss asked.
"Something like that," Ginger replied.
Reiss' assumption was only half right.
Poolers – users of Pooling-type Kardia – were usually powerful at close range, and could generate immense strength because their Kardia clumped together in their bodies, strengthening specific portions of it at will. Reiss imagined that Ginger was more interested in a more brutish use of the dagger.
He wasn't wrong, but Ginger was also capable of incredibly efficient uses of the short-bladed weapon.
"That could turn into a disadvantage for you though," Reiss said concernedly. "You're not an Affixer. Unless you are very good at controlling your strength, you might end up breaking your dagger."
"I know that, but we're here to learn how to do it correctly, right?" Ginger said.
Reiss didn't seem convinced.
As Professor Lyall had said, each Kardia type was the best at its trade. If one wasn't an Affixer, chances were they couldn't understand their weapon as well as someone who could channel their Kardia into it, learn its properties, and even enhance them could.
"What about you?" Ginger asked the small dragonling.
Reiss tore himself from speculation. A bit of hesitation was noticeable in his eyes, but he seemed to know what he wanted, given that he had always desired to be an Affixer.
Amidst the other students moving from rack to rack, some were decisive like Vassilis from First Red, who picked up a bow; Fillys, a spear; Alcaeus, a saber.
Some students made endless internal remarks about how the weapons either felt too weird in their grip, how they didn't match what they expected or how their friends didn't choose a certain kind of weapon.
Reiss extricated himself from the latter group and went to retrieve what he thought was best for him.
Ginger gaped.
A loud burst of laughter erupted when a loud thud came from Reiss' position.
He heaved a long-handled hammer with a thick, blocky head of Qin Steel only to drop it halfway through an attempt at setting it on his shoulder.
The class finding his actions funny, as expected, didn't dissuade Reiss at all.
After finding the task of lifting the hammer again much too tall, Reiss dragged it back to where Ginger was, the head making a grating noise as it scraped against the floor.
This caused Reiss' classmates to laugh even louder, some sneering awfully hurtful words at him.
Ginger didn't know what to do.
He intended to help Reiss initially, but he decided against it.
Reiss did not shy away from asking for help when he needed it, especially when the challenge related closely to his size. The stern and resolved look in his eyes told Ginger that he was firmly set on his choice, and we wanted to own it despite how he currently looked.
"Any story behind this?" Ginger asked when Reiss returned, letting out a harsh breath.
"Yes, but also, I'm here to learn how to properly handle a weapon like this too," Reiss said with a grin at his friend.
Ginger gave a short laugh.
"Alright," Professor Mara said fifteen minutes later after every student had chosen their weapon.
He also held a weapon in his hand, a standard double-edged sword.
"Now, let me to make a few things clear," he said as he held out his sword. "Qin Steel is receptive to both Kardia and Mana Essence, moreso to the former, but that isn't truly relevant for now. Affixers have the advantage when holding items – weapons, artefacts – but in itself does not entail instant victory. A sword of Qin Steel drunk with Mana Essence, can kill a dragon in their Denatured state, easily in fact. It all depends on the wielder."
His green eyes looked at each individual in the class as he paraded his sword's tip in front of them.
"Affixers, beware. You may hold the upper hand, some of you perhaps being talented enough to grant your weapons great traits, but skill is irreplaceable. That is why you are lumped in with Non-Affixers for this course. I daresay it may help quench some of your egos, "Professor Mara said.
"As you have been told, you will begin your lessons in Mana Essence Mechanisms and Manipulation sometime this Stride – which is tragic for a good chunk of the class. However, I decided for us to push on, even if Affixers will be benefitting a bit more until the rest can manipulate Mana Essence. Therefore..."
Professor Mara's sword suddenly changed.
The solid Qin Steel that was so erect and straight suddenly turned slightly wobbly as though a mirage has been cast over it.
The students marveled.
"For Non-Affixers, this is the product of enhancing a weapon with Mana Essence. With a dash of this Essence – mostly unseen except in special cases – it becomes resilient, and more efficient at what it was crafted to do."
From thin air, a large block of what looked like dark grey stone appeared, floating in mid-air beside Professor Mara.
Without waiting for the students to get a good look at it, and wonder how he conjured it, the stern dragon slowly carved into the large stone from top to bottom with his sword. Two seconds later, the stone fell in two to the floor, both surfaces revealed in it looking smooth.
Ginger was enthralled.
Such grace.
Professor Mara looked as though he had been cutting paper just now.
The whole class, barring a few seemed just as impressed as Ginger was.
The handsome instructor manifested another grey stone.
He held out his sword again, but this time, the blade returned to its normal state before becoming coated in a light blue haze, much like very active smoke.
"Your Kardia is unrefined, meaning you cannot see the refined kind which I and your other instructors can produce – I'm sure you've been told. However, even your kind of unrefined Kardia – which I am currently sheathing around my sword by dumbing down my own – can achieve a good result."
With the same slow swing as before, Professor Mara split the stone just as cleanly as he did with the last.
All the Affixers, Reiss included, grew immensely excited.
As it was clear that Professor Mara was an Affixer, Ginger didn't think it too strange that the students with the same Kardia-type felt emboldened by Professor Mara's demonstration.
However, the rest of the class – those who had to rely solely on Mana Essence to empower their weapons – seemed destined to pay dearly for the late commencement of the Mana Essence course.
For what Professor Mara followed the next bloated hour with, barely appealed to them at all, and it didn't seem their instructor felt that it was his business to remedy the fact.