CHAPTER 821: CHAPTER 821 - NEVER IMAGINED THIS

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Much to everyone’s relief, Kara’s eyes flashed, and the case unlocked with the cover opening to a small crack. Instantly, a gust of unfamiliar aetherium crashed over their bodies, staggering them all. "Woah..." some of them muttered, surprised, as they stared at the case with wide eyes.

The aetherium they felt was heavy and powerful, like it had much more depth to it than the kind they were used to. Yet, it also felt harder to absorb and process. They were used to aetherium flowing into their bodies like water, but this was more like a syrup—not only harder to absorb but also harder to break down and learn from.

Erik and Elora did recognise the aetherium, however, and they felt a wave of nostalgia because of it. This was the kind of aetherium that permeated Söl, and would eventually exist on Earth, as well. The current aetherium only existed as it did because the world was still in its awakening phase, and because it was easier to absorb and glean insights from, people on awakening worlds advanced faster than those outside.

This also meant that the awakened aetherium was much more powerful, however. But since the people on Earth only had access to the awakening aetherium, this made no actual difference.

"What... was that?" Zahra asked, full of wonder. As an Arcanist, she was more attuned to the changes than the Runebound were, but Emma had already guessed what this was. Rather, her hopeful gaze was trained on the case, though she didn’t step forward yet. As usual, she restrained herself because her desire to be an elegant maid exceeded her desire for the contents of that case.

Erik gave a quick explanation to Zahra and the others, but didn’t make Emma wait any longer. Rolling his eyes at her inner struggle, he stepped forward to open the case. He’d already tried telling Emma she didn’t need to restrain herself so much on several occasions, but it was obviously still difficult for her.

Everyone quickly gathered around him to marvel at the pristine collection of five weapons. Erik scanned them all, quickly identifying each affinity these weapons responded to. As expected, they were all fifth-rank affinities. Two of them in particular drew his gaze... but he moved on just as quickly.

’That one I might be able to get some use out of soon,’ he muttered in his mind. ’But the other is a long way off, if ever.’

Instead, he and Emma both looked at a pristine white spear. It was about the length of Emma’s body—being 1.65m or 5’5"—and possessed a slender point of gleaming metal. Beautiful decorations travelled up and down the weapon’s shaft. This weapon’s affinity was light.

"A spear..." Emma muttered softly, a little hesitantly. "I..."

She fell silent for a moment, then suddenly giggled. "Hehe, I just... I was so excited to get something to improve my spell casting with that I barely thought about the weapon of it all."

She looked up at Erik with a strange smirk. "I don’t think I ever imagined myself wielding a spear."

Erik chuckled, then smiled at her. "I think you’ll look quite heroic with a spear, little glimmer. Though remember it’s meant to improve your casting, not to actually wield in close-quarters combat, especially not with so many Runebounds around."

She smiled back at him, feeling a little better about it. She looked back at the spear again, but didn’t make a move yet. "What if it’s too high-ranking for me...?" she muttered, anxiously, afraid to have her hopes dashed.

Both Erik and Elora quickly assured her, as they’d already noticed something. "I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised," Elora promised mysteriously.

Excitement rose, and Emma quickly extended her hand to wrap it around the spear’s shaft... but stopped at the last moment to look at Erik expectantly, questioningly.

Erik rolled his eyes at her. "Really?" he asked, a little incredulously.

The only response he got was for Emma to start glaring and pouting at him indignantly, seemingly blaming him.

Smirking, Erik adopted a look as if deep in thought about something, a playful look in his eyes. Emma’s glare intensified, and it only took a few moments for Erik’s expression to break, causing him to chuckle. "Hehe, you have my permission, Emma. The spear is yours, please take it before I stuff it in your hands."

Emma immediately smiled brightly and did as he said. The people around them looked at her in various ways, depending on how used they were to her behaviour. The rules she put upon herself as Erik’s maid appeared rigid and arbitrary to some, but she followed them religiously.

Erik didn’t mind, of course. It provided good opportunities for him to tease her, and it did make the role of his maid-wife that she’d taken upon herself a little more special.

After snatching up the spear, Emma looked at it in wonder. She immediately tried circulating her light energy through it, causing the spear to glow a little. "It’s so smooth and easy," she muttered softly, fully focused on the weapon. "Is it really usable for my rank?"

With crossed arms and a pleased look, Erik nodded as Elora explained. "The ancients likely knew the weapons would degrade, but allowed it to happen, knowing this might allow the people who found them to use them. With these weapons, however, they didn’t let them degrade, but rather put restrictions on them. They are technically of very high rank, but they’re suppressed to the third rank."

Smiling, Erik continued. "The restrictions will probably lift as you gain more ranks, but even if they don’t, it should be easy for me to do so."

Emma’s smile widened as she started exploring and inspecting the weapon further, looking for exactly what its sigils and runes could do for her.

No one in the room could avoid smiling at the cute and excited Emma as she lost a little of her elegance, because not doing so would be a sin.

Meanwhile, Erik turned back to the weapons, but glanced at Zahra. "We’ll leave most of the weapons here, but I’ll take these with me," he said, stating a fact, rather than asking for permission. Naturally, Zahra could only nod wryly in assent.

Meanwhile, from Erik’s shoulder, Elora pointed at one of the other weapons in the case with a small grin. "I guess you’ve got a different reward for Emily when she’s done in Azania than what she’s likely to expect," she chuckled.

Erik grinned at his beloved fairy. "Sounds like I’ll have to punish her for daring to expect the wrong thing."

Elora rolled her eyes, knowing Emily would be getting two rewards.

Picking up the weapon, Erik smirked as he inspected it. "Well, it certainly fits both her and the affinity," he chuckled, then made it disappear into his dimension. Waving his hand, he then tossed two more weapons after it.

Finally, the fifth weapon he picked up to inspect closely. "Now... How about you?" he muttered, thoughtfully.