Chapter 16: I Need A Weapon
As the night drew to a close, the first signs of dawn began to peek over the horizon, casting a warm orange glow across the sky. The world slowly stirred as the sun rose, the birds chirping, and the trees rustling as a gentle breeze swept through the air.
"Ugh, I'm exhausted," Jake groaned, stretching his arms behind his head. Alea's head rested beside his own. "I didn't realize how much I slept yesterday, either. Man, I could use another day or two of this."
"Ha, ha, ha, ha." Alea laughed. "I knew you would say that."
"Hey, I'm serious here."
"I know, I know." She sighed sadly. "I should've told you the truth earlier. But seems like she had told you everything already."
"You shouldn't live with a secret like that, all alone," Jake comforted. "Especially not a curse that strong."
"I wish I could've talked to you about it, but I didn't want to risk losing you. It wasn't worth it."
"I don't blame you for keeping it a secret, though," he added. "By the way, I learned your ability. Or was it a curse? So what happens to me now?"
"You—! It's a curse! You'll be cursed for the rest of your life!"
"Is it that bad?"
"Yes, it is! She can possess you every time the sun goes down," she explained. "You might even end up doing something... something wrong."
"Well, as long as I sleep early, it shouldn't be a big deal, right? Besides, I'll find a way to deal with it," he smiled, telling her not to worry. "Anyway, I'll need a weapon eventually. Do you know any places nearby?"
"Yeah, there's a shop in nearby called 'Dewberry's Weaponsmith,'" she said. "It's about ten minutes by foot."
Jake sat up, rubbing his eyes as he looked around. Alea was still lying beside him.
"Hey, wait a minute, where are you going?"
"To Dewberry's Weaponsmith."
"Do you have any money?"
"No, I don't."
"Then who will pay for it?"
"I'll make some I guess."
She let out a soft sigh as she reluctantly crawled out of the warm blanket to slip on her underwear.
"I'll go with you," she said, pulling on her undergarments. "Don't worry, I'll cover the cost."
"You don't have to do that."
She then stood up and pulled on her panties, followed by her see-through bra. "Mages make a lot of money, you know?"
He nodded, feeling a slight warmth in his chest.
"Come on, Jake. Let's get moving."
After slipping on her mage ropes, she grabbed him by the arm and dragged him out of her bedroom.
"Alright, alright. Geez, I'll pay for it myself next time."
"Hahaha. Come on, Jake, let's go."
Jake groaned and followed behind her.
The two of them headed toward the outskirts of town, making their way past the small cottages. They passed by a stone wall encircling a large green field. The sun shone brightly above them as they made their way further into the town, passing by more homes and shops.
"Wow, what a nice place," Jake commented as he took in his surroundings.
"You should see the royal palace then," Alea said, pointing ahead as she spoke. "But that's in the middle of the kingdom, so let's not waste our time."
They soon arrived at the entrance to the store, which was built near the main road. An old man dressed in leather armor welcomed them at the door.
"Welcome! Welcome!" he exclaimed, offering a friendly smile. "Can I help you?"
"Hi, um... We're looking for a weapon," Jake explained. "Something like this," he motioned to the sword hanging on the wall.
"That one looks good, yes. A shield, too? And perhaps a weapon for your friend?"
"Just a sword for me, please," Jake replied.
The man scratched his head as he pondered for a moment. Then, he pointed to a display case full of swords on a shelf.
"This one's quite popular among adventurers these days. It's called 'The Hunter's Edge,' as its name suggests. It's quite sharp and has decent range, but unfortunately, it lacks any form of defense. If you want something defensive, I'd recommend you try this one…"
"Oh, I've heard of this one," Jake remarked. It was one of the first weapons he used in Bladecraft, carrying a sense of nostalgia through him. "Can I try it?"
"Of course! Just holler if you need anything else!"
Jake picked up the sheathed blade and examined it closely. It was a simple metal blade with a single gemstone embedded in the pommel.
It felt extremely light as he swung it in the air. There was no weight to it at all, though it felt sturdy—a great weapon synergizing his hard-hitting cock slam ability for finishing enemies he couldn't kill in one attack.
"I'll take this, then," he declared as Alea handed over some coins.
The man took the payment and moved to wrap the weapon before handing it over to Jake. As he did so, his eyes lingered on the mysterious mark on Jake's palm.
"Hmm? What happened to your hand?"
"Woah, what?" He glanced down at his hand, noticing the weird-looking spot. "I didn't even realize myself!"
Alea leaned to his side to look at it. "That's...! That's the Poison Nova's mark," she whispered loudly. "But it should only appear at night?"
"That's weird? But shouldn't you have one too? I didn't notice a mark on your body anywhere last night," he reasoned.
"Well, ehh..." she blushed. "It's inside my, umm. Nevermind."
"Ooh, well, whatever, let's just ignore that for now," he said, putting the weapon back on the display as he returned it to his waist. "So, we're done shopping?"
"Yep, you two are set," the shopkeeper said, handing them each a handshake. "Have fun, adventurer!"
"Thanks a lot man," Jake replied.
"Hey, but Jake. That mark isn't something you should ignore," Alea worried as they walked out of the smith.
"Why not?" he asked, glancing down at his hand. "It's pretty cool, right?"
"It really shouldn't appear during daytime."
"Weird, huh?"
"You said it yourself, Jake. This is a curse. You must figure out what's going on."
"If you say so, but how? I know nothing about curses. How should I even begin?"
"You can begin by stop being such a pussy and taking off your ring," sounded an echo from out of nowhere.
Both of them turned around, looking for the source, but there was no one.
"Wh-what the hell?" he stammered.
"Where did that voice come from?" Alea asked nervously.
"Look at your hand, dumbass," the voice repeated.
The mark had turned into the silhouette of a naked woman. It was almost like she was standing there in front of them, though there was no physical presence of anyone.
"And please... Please just take off the ring!" the voice begged.
"O-oh okay sure?" he agreed timidly. "Who are you?"
"Ahhhh, finally. I can breathe again!" the silhouette cried in joy. "I thought I'd die from all that pressure!"
"Pressure? What do you mean?" Jake asked. "And who are you?"
"Aww, my lovely dovely husband doesn't recognize me? Well, fine, I'll just tell you: I'm Nova, the one who cursed Alea."
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone