"So what's the trick?" Albert asked.
"Actually, it's pretty simple. All you have to do is swing any weapon with conviction. If you're compatible with that type of weapon, you'll gain a skill. In my case, I gained Hammer Mastery Level 3.
It was already at level three the day people started awakening, so I guess your existing proficiency with the weapon carries over to your status window. After that, I tried swinging every kind of weapon, but no skills were added to my status.
My best guess is that it's some sort of aptitude test."
Lara moved a heavy crate in front of the trio. "Go ahead and try it out."
Finn was the first to step up and picked up a massive longsword. As he swung it, he struggled to control its weight and ended up losing his balance and falling to the ground.
"Hahaha, wimpy wimp" Lele instantly mocked him.
"Shut up!" Finn replied, his cheeks red in embarrassment. He handed the oversized weapon to his best friend. "You try it then."
Before Albert could say a word.
Lele brought his arm down at full strength, the blade moving so quickly it appeared as nothing more than a blur. The blade snapped in half due the whiplash.
Unfortunately the top half of the blade bounced on the ground spinning towards Lara. The lump of metal grazed her right shoulder before she could even react. Even if her shoulder was bleeding she froze in astonishment.
'That's a 160 cm, 3 kg sword. It is one of the biggest models of longswords. It also went through multiple quenchings, but that guy snapped it by simply swinging it?'
Finn's fist collided with Lele's head with a resounding thud. "Dumbass! We know you're strong, but try to control it," he scolded, wincing as pain shot up his hand. "What are you made of, iron?"
"Sorry."
Finn went on: "Can you please forgive Lele? He is a bit dumb at times, but I can assure you that it wasn't on purpose."
"Don't worry, It's just a scratch hahaha."
"Hold on, I have an idea." Finn said as he approached Lara. He had to stretch his arm out to reach her shoulder. "Small Heal, Level 1." Lara watched in amazement as a green light emanated from Finn's hand and her wound disappeared. "Nice! It worked" He said with satisfaction.
Albert also apologized on Lele's behalf, "I apologize for his behavior as well. How much do we owe you for the sword?"
"Oh, there's no need to pay for anything. Actually, my ego is quite hurt right now. If the sword couldn't handle even one swing, it means that it was poorly made." she said.
Lara then walked over to Lele, her eyes filled with passion and determination. "I'm the one who should be sorry, Lele. If that sword couldn't handle your strength, nothing in this shop will. So please, refrain from trying out any other weapons. But I can guarantee you one thing: I will make a weapon that you can wield."
Lele's eyes lit up with a big smile as he replied, "Uh, thank you." He had been worried about his strength limiting his options for weapons, but Lara's promise gave him hope.
Finn and Albert both looked at Lara with a mix of surprise and admiration. She was brimming with confidence. It was as if she had a personal stake in this, as if she was not just making a weapon, but also making a statement.
Lara smiled back at Lele and said, "No problem, it's my pleasure. Just give me some time to work on it, and I promise you won't be disappointed."After a brief pause, she urged them on, saying "Come on, let's keep testing the weapons."
Finn tried several weapons without success, until he picked up a plain-looking spear. After jabbing the air once, he heard a notification sound [Ding!]. He quickly checked his status and saw that he had gained the [Spear Mastery LV 0] skill.'Weird it's level 0.' "Guys, I got the spear mastery skill! It seems like this weapon is the best fit for me."
"Cool!" Lele reacted with enthusiasm.
After trying every single weapon in the box, Albert was feeling discouraged. He had not obtained a single skill, despite his best efforts. However, an idea began to form in his head. 'Equip common class Archer'. Then he grabbed a bow from the box. Suddenly, he heard a familiar sound [Ding!]. Quickly, he checked his status and saw that he had gained the skill [Bow Mastery LV 0]. It seemed that his intuition was correct. 'I guess I will gain the mastery of multiple weapons depending on which class I commit to.'
"I guess it's the bow for me." He said aloud.
Albert struck up a conversation with Lara, conscious that he was treading on potentially sensitive territory. "I hope you don't mind me asking, but I'm curious about your class," he began. "I don't need to know the exact name, but I'm wondering if it's related to forging?"
"Why should I tell you?"
"You know a big secret of ours, remember? If I were to use that information for malicious purposes, I would be the one paying the biggest price."
"Fair enough. Yes, it is related to forging."
"We already completed a rift and…"
Lara thought, 'Already?! With no weapons?' Images of Lele snapping the sword and Finn healing her wound came to her mind. 'If it's them, I guess it is possible.'
"The thing is; we kept the crystals. We have 12 in total and I'm willing to give you 10 in exchange for these weapons. I'm sure that you want to experiment if it's possible to use them to create weapons."
'This is a huge opportunity, I have been trying to get my hands on them ever since news about their existence became public. However, the law stipulates that any mana stones found within the rifts belong to the authorities, making it impossible for me to acquire them legally.'
"But how?" she asked Albert, her eyes inquiring.
"Well, the it's because..." Finn interrupted Lele by kicking him in the calf.
"Ow, sorry, I can't answer that," Lele said, rubbing his leg.
"Okay, do you have the crystals with you?"
"No, but one of my friends couldn't make it today. He'll be here tomorrow with the crystals. And, of course, I want to include whichever weapon he chooses in the deal."
"That works for me. Do we have a deal?"
"Deal."
The boys picked up the two weapons, said their goodbyes to Lara, and left the shop. By the time they got home, it was already evening. Mase was lounging on the couch, looking much better than before.
"Have you recovered?" asked Albert.
"Yeah, I'm all good now. I see you found the weapons you were looking for based on your new equipment."
"We found a really good smithy. Tomorrow, you will have to go there. I also have a commission for you."
"A commission?" Mase looked at Albert, confused.
"Before we tell you the whole story, did you discover anything new?"
"Absolutely. Someone revealed a game-changing information about the mana crystals."