"I'm home, old man!" Abel announced as he shut the door to the house. A satchel that was bulging was slung over his back, containing his spoils from this Tower Run.
"I'm at the backyard!" Audu's voice replied. The old man's voice sounded more firm, and with more force and power behind it. It slightly stunned Abel when he heard it. As someone who had always been very attentive, it was much easier for him to notice the little things that stood out, like this, for example. Some other people might not notice the change, but it was quite easy for Abel to notice it.
Abel made his way through the house, and got to the backyard. When he pushed open the door, the first thing he noticed was the large collection of swords on display. Swords of different kinds were arranged on tables, glistening under the sunlight. Audu stood by one table, a sky blue colored sword in his hand. He gently wiped at the sword, looking at it with a very loving gaze.
Abel recognized that sword. It was the sword that Audu had used when he fought the Gnoll leader back in the Tower. It was the God Slayer.
"Don't just stand there. Come here." Audu directed his gaze at Abel, motioning for him to come over. Abel strode over without taking his eyes off the collection of weapons. He noticed that there were even a few daggers and shortswords among the varying collection. Those caught his attention.
"Boy, do you know what these are?" Audu asked when Abel came close enough. Abel just stared at him with a deadpan look that asked, 'are you serious right now?'. "Hurry up and answer the question, you idiot! I don't ask questions for nothing. You should know this by now!" Audu smacked the back of Abel's head when he saw the look on the younger man's face.
"It's a weapon, duh!" Abel replied with an exasperated sigh. He rolled his eyes when Audu sighed along with him.
"It's not just a weapon, you dimwit! This is a blessed treasure! It has been blessed by the Heavens and can slay even the greatest foes that stand against the Heavens. This is the God Slayer!" Audu waved the sky blue sword around in the air. The air itself seemed to tear into two in order to make way for the sword to pass through.
"Every single weapon here has been blessed by a deity, or at least an extremely powerful individual. Some of these weapons were even wielded by those legendary heroes that have been told in all those fairy tales meant for children!"
"If that's true, then why are you in possession of those weapons, gramps? Shouldn't they be with their rightful owner?" Abel raised a brow in obvious confusion.
"Of course, they should be with their rightful owners... If only those owners were still alive... Boy do you know they the Towers are sometimes referred to as Relictombs?" Audu spoke under his breath until he decided to divulge some information concerning the Towers.
"I dunno. Isn't it because there's a possibility of stumbling upon a rare deposit of riches or something?"
"Well, yes, but that's putting it too simply." Audu corrected. "To be more exact, the reason why the Towers are called Relictombs is because of the valuable materials that can be found on higher Floors." He explained, "When Tower Runners venture to the higher Floors, they tend to get extremely expensive or valuable gear. Most times, these Tower Runners do not return. They are most likely dead at that point; but we can not say the same for their equipment.
"Sometimes, their equipment survives their defeat. Expensive Mage wands, Elemental weapons and other gear, or maybe, if your luck is through the roof, a grimoire!" Audu's eyes sparkled as he spoke. He was clearly well versed in acquiring the items of the deceased. Although it might seem disrespectful to the dead, why would he willingly abandon the equipment when he could use it to better himself, along with the rest of the people who chose to challenge Towers.
Most times, when the equipment were no good for him, he went to the market to sell the items for gold and whatnot. Sometimes he swapped it for goods and materials that he was in need of. There was always rom for batter in the market place.
"This is only just a small portion of my cache. I'll bring the rest out later, but for now, choose something simple to support yourself in the Tower. Personally, I suggest this beauty..." Audu spoke as he sheathed his sword and approached a table holding most of the daggers present. In the very center of the table, an obsidian shortsword was laid, basking in the sunlight. The blade was a very shiny black, with a hilt that depicted a dragon's head swallowing the blade of the shortsword.
"This is the Dragon's Wrath. A very powerful weapon that was forged in the flames of a dying dragon's last breath. It's sharpness is not to be doubted, and its toughness is also top-tier. I doubt there's anything in Seneris' Tower that could crack its blade." Audu commented on the weapon.
"It's that good?" Abel's eyes widened in surprise. "But, this is just one. I'll need a dagger too. After all, I prefer to wield dual blades."
"Yes, that's not all. There is a dagger I also intend to show you." Audu led Abel to another table. This table held less daggers, but each of them were eye catching in their own way. Like the Dragon's Wrath, an obsidian dagger laid in the center of the table.
"This is the Widow's Kiss." Audu introduced the weapon to Abel. "It is just as powerful, if not more powerful than the Dragon's Wrath. It's blade was submerged into a pool of a Necro Widow Spider's poison for ten years, before undergoing the forging process once more. It has a poison effect that will first paralyze the inflicted, before eating away at the person's soul. Be careful on who you let see this. It's worth is at least twice, if not thrice of the Dragon's Wrath."