"True treasure-tier?" Adam repeated the knight commander's words with a frown. The response was a nod.
"Pure-tier objects are known to develop sentience of their own. Thus the artefact can choose its master according to its taste. Unless the aforementioned consciousness is wiped through extreme measures, only the right person can wield it.
Treasure-tier objects are an evolved version of the True-tier artefacts. If the latter is a toddler, then the former is an old man who braved through the storms of life. With clear-cut perspectives of their wielder, the psyche won't budge even when severe treatments are implemented.
Give it a try if you want to. None was able to move it even by a bit."
After patting Adam's shoulder as a gesture of encouragement, Aaron and Thalia walked to the crowd and began to give away instructions. While the survivors were absorbed in listening to the words of the gang leaders, Adam had already reached in front of the armour.
"A true treasure-tier artefact." Adam's eyes sparkled as he muttered.
The giant full-body armour fashioned out of some supreme-quality alloy had a black-haze hue. Visibly bulky, sturdy and resilient, the unscathed exquisite piece of art boasted an exaggerated immunity to attacks. The carvings emanating a halo that could rival the noblest royal palaces which simply claimed, 'stay away peasants'. The dull golden dyed overlapping plates of unknown metal emitted an aura of invincibility. Even after a thorough examination, the most talented appraisers would fail to find even the slightest gap between the joints. The way it was marooned leaning with its back to the wall resembled someone taking a nap while standing. When coupled with the casal-shaded cape decorating the back of the entity, the allure was simply unbearable.
Scanning from head to toe, it could be considered as the human incarnation of the most prideful and ferocious draconic being that transcended the limits of mortals!
Adam's hands extended towards the armour as he was entranced in the beauty of the artefact. As soon as his fingertip touched the surface, an unanticipated yet feeble pressure was placed onto Adam's physique with the intention to intimidate.
'Nope.'
The sixth sense screamed at the presence of the uninvited hostility and his hands were instantly withdrawn. After taking a few steps backwards simultaneously, Adam's eyes narrowed as he stared at the peculiar helmet with a tinge of animosity. A faint numbness remained on his fingertip indicating that I, the armour, is above your paygrade.
Unbeknownst to him, the crowd and the two soldiers let out a silent chuckle upon witnessing his vain attempt. When the survivors recalled the moment they almost came in contact with something that they could never afford to, a chill went down their spine. They were also surprised to see that Adam was able to withstand the earth-shattering pressure bestowed by the artefact. Even the level 45 knight commander and his fellow soldier fell on their knees and almost roared in agony when they attempted. The crowd was in awe with his resistance to bone-breaking terrorisation.
Anonymous to the spectators, he didn't confront any subduing burden but a force equivalent to a smack on his hand.
'Wanna play tough guy?' Adam had a vicious smirk as he stepped forward and stood face to face with the armour. There were only a few inches of gap between them.
The air around the artefact instantly became viscous and menacing with a threatening vibe to demoralise the opponent. Unfortunately, the other party was the worst match-up it could ever obtain.
Letting out his refined killing intent, Adam stared at the Y-slit face of the helmet and muttered, "Acknowledge or be destroyed."
The words were faint and absolutely inaudible to the crowd. But the blood-dyed aura of an untamed monster that underwent countless life-and-death battles over several decades along with those dominating words was too much even for the arrogant armour. Upon recognising that the person before it was nothing short of a ruthless undying madman, the armour retracted the aura and gave way to the new master.
Shortly, a strange and concise humming originated from the artefact. While the crowd was perplexed to see the events going in an utterly unexpected direction, their focus was shifted to the dominating duo. The buzz was feeble yet audible to all.
The old mercenary who enlightened Adam about the existence of the storeroom had a deep frown and doubtful demeanour. The evaluation in his head remained a conjecture as he narrowed his eyes.
And when he shifted his gaze to Aaron and Thalia, he couldn't help but be wonderstruck at how his hypothesis became a reality. His eyes widened at once as he stared at the 26-years-old in a new light.
'He managed to tame it? Impossible! That's a treasure-tier artefact!!'
Aaron was screaming in his mind upon witnessing how the strength assessment turned out to be successful domestication. As someone who experienced the armour's overwhelming ego not too long ago, he rubbed his eyes a couple of times before the reality seeped into his heart. Yet, he was reluctant.
'You're a treasure-tier armour, for god's sake. Show some attitude!!'
The knight commander encouraged Adam to overpower the armour's pressure not because he was confident in the stranger's strength, but since his selfless act of disclosing the storeroom to the crowd left him with broken and cracked objects. The rusty and damaged goods that no one wanted, remained on the floor as a symbol of disrespect to his goodwill.
It was under such circumstances that his prayer was heard by the deities and Adam caught the sight of the armour. Fortunately, events went on as he hoped, except for a slight miscalculation.
The berserker subdued the treasure!
Thalia's face was not any different than Aaron. She shook her head to wake up from the trance, only to acknowledge the harsh reality.
An orphan, a homeless nobody bested the sentient artefact. She was hesitant to believe.
Oblivious to the myriad of emotions and thoughts flickering through the minds of the many, Adam raised his hand and touched the helmet. What welcomed his forelimb was a warm sensation of greeting his dear one after a long time.
"Somehow, I feel a connection with it," Adam commented as he kept his hand on the helmet, feeling delighted in the sensation that he never felt before. Just like he uttered, he could feel the presence of the sentience dwelling inside the metal entity.
And as he drowned himself at the moment, a voice resonated in his head.
[Master.]
Adam immediately opened his eyes and stared at the armour with a peculiar gaze. The blissful sensation hadn't dulled a bit and the voice was devoid of hostility.
"...you can talk?" Adam verbalised his curiosity. His eyes narrowed in an instant.
[Yes, master. I can talk.] The voice reminiscent of a cleverly manipulated, almost-realistic mechanical voice answered in a tone that had the innocence of a toddler, the vigour of a teenager and the sharpness of an elderly embedded in it.
Adam was startled on the inside to know that the armour can talk. But his mental transactions were isolated from his facial expressions.
And as he was wondering what to do or speak, the armour alerted. [Master, we have multiple hostile entities approaching the vicinity.]
Adam was taken aback and immediately realised the reason why they retreated underground. He quickly turned around to convey the news to Aaron but saw many dumbfounded jaw-dropped faces staring at him.
The sight made him uncomfortable but he didn't display it. He was about to step towards the crowd when the ground faintly trembled.
"..."
It was faint, but everyone felt it!
The crowd was knocked back to their senses as the wave swept past them. Their astonished faces were immediately replaced with a shade of horror and desire to live.
Aaron and Thalia began to instruct the crowd as they wore the armours and wielded weapons. In the worst-case scenario, they'll have to put up a fight before perishing. Even if they were certain of defeat, the soldiers were not ready to accept the death of a coward.
[Master, please wear me.]
Adam was about to join the crowd when the armour's voice fell in his ear. The earthling found its request reasonable as all the others were getting prepared for the battle.
Thus, he turned around and paced to the extravagant artefact.
[Master, I am protecting the bones of my previous master inside me. I beseech you to take them out and let them be one with the earth.] The armour petitioned to the new owner.
"...okay." He nodded in response.
Adam had an impression that this armour had an inflated ego even after being stashed away for god-knows-how-long. But the words the artefact just spoke, created a ripple in the deepest corner of his stone-cold heart. Somehow, he could feel the care and dedication with which the armour preserved the remains of the deceased.
What he now feels towards the armour was admiration.