Chapter 88: Toothpick
Wade opened his inventory, scrolling through his balance.
With a thought, he initiated the transaction. A shimmer of light flitted between him and the counter as coins transferred.
[Transaction complete: -35,000 coins.]
[Balance: 66,600 coins.]
The attendant smiled as the containment field around the plain axe deactivated. The weapon lowered slowly into Wade’s waiting hands.
The weight was perfect. It felt solid but balanced, neither too heavy nor too light.
He tested its swing once, and the air hissed as the blade sliced through it. The recall feature would take practice, but even at rest, it felt right.
"A fine purchase," the attendant said approvingly. "May it serve you well in your endeavors."
"I intend for it to," Wade replied, sliding the axe across his back.
He turned to leave, nodding politely to the man as he passed through the doorway and back into the hallway.
Soon, he was outside again. The morning air filled his lungs as he adjusted the strap across his chest, the new axe resting comfortably on his back.
He didn’t waste time wandering. His stride was purposeful as he made his way back to his apartment.
He nodded at a few adventurers he knew in passing but didn’t stop to talk.
He had work to do.
By the time he reached his building, he was already looking forward to what he had to do. He climbed the stairs two at a time, unlocked his door, and stepped inside.
The familiar silence of his apartment greeted him.
He exhaled slowly and set his new weapon on the table.
It was time.
Wade began equipping his gear, and before long, he was ready.
As Wade reached for the axe resting on the table, a soft ding filled the air, and a translucent blue screen appeared before him.
Ding!
[New Owner detected.]
[Please assign a name to confirm ownership.]
Wade blinked, then chuckled softly. "A name, huh?"
He thought for a moment, glancing at the gleaming blade and hammer head.
Even with how plain it was, the weapon looked brutal, and the idea of a name that amused him flitted through his head.
"Alright then," he said with a grin. "Let’s call you... Toothpick."
The screen changed immediately.
[Weapon Registered: Toothpick.]
The name glowed faintly before vanishing, leaving Wade smirking to himself.
With that done, he opened his inventory once more and drew out the Bone Key.
He walked to his door and inserted the key into the lock.
It turned with a soft click.
At once, a glowing mist began to bloom across the frame, spilling outward into the living room..
The edges of the doorframe shimmered, and beyond it, Wade could see nothing but white haze.
He took one last breath.
"Alright," he murmured to himself. "Let’s see what you’ve got for me this time."
And with that, he stepped through the glowing mist.
[][][][][]
A few hours later.
Wade stood on the white platform, staring at the screen in front of him.
[Scenario Activated!]
[Show Stopper]
He barely had time to read the words before the ground beneath him shook.
The Hydra’s skeletal body unfurled like a collapsing tower, slamming into the ground with enough force to rattle Wade’s teeth.
Four heads rose high from a thick neck of fused bones, each crowned with horns that curved like scythes.
The beast’s ribs expanded and cracked as it inhaled, glowing light building in each skull.
One head blazed with fire, eyes burning red.
Another shimmered with crackling lightning.
A third exhaled frost, its breath freezing the air into shimmering crystals.
And the last was, of course, the head that shot bone spikes.
"Of course it’s four," Wade muttered, tightening his grip on Toothpick. "Why stop at one problem when you can have four?"
The hydra roared, the sound like a thousand bones grinding together.
Then the first attack came.
Lightning flashed from the second head, arcing across the arena.
Wade dove to the side, the blast narrowly missing him and charring the stone where he’d been standing.
The frost head exhaled next, a plume of freezing mist sweeping over the ground.
Wade teleported clear, appearing behind the hydra in a blur.
He swung Toothpick, the axe’s weight and balance perfect as it connected with a hind leg.
The impact sent cracks spidering across the bone. The beast howled, spinning to retaliate.
Wade was already gone, Short Step carrying him to another angle.
He used Fireburst, the explosion of flame slamming into the hydra’s ribs, blackening its surface but not breaking it.
The fire head retaliated instantly, spewing its own inferno.
Wade raised his gauntleted arm, activating Aegis of Reflection.
A shimmering barrier appeared. It didn’t block all of it, but it reflected enough to make the fire head recoil in pain.
He grinned through the sweat and smoke. "Didn’t like that, did you?"
The hydra’s response was a chorus of overlapping roars.
All four heads struck at once, with bone spikes whistling through the air, lightning crashing, ice spraying, and fire consuming the ground.
Wade darted between attacks, his body blurring through the arena.of motion.
He left afterimages flickering across the battlefield, making the creature swing at illusions.
He struck when he saw openings, with Toothpick cracking ribs, and Fireburst detonating against joints.
One of the hydra’s forelegs snapped under the pressure, fragments of bone scattering like shrapnel.
The creature screamed, collapsing slightly on one side.
The crowd of skeletons erupted into cheers, the sound thunderous and mocking all at once.
But Wade didn’t celebrate. He could feel the mana drain biting at him.
His lungs burned in exertion. It was much harder to fight without getting hit in return. He had no idea how he’d been successful so far, but he wasn’t ready to take a hit now.
"Come on..." he panted. "Not done yet."
The hydra rose again, its broken leg dragging, but its power undiminished.
The frost head reared back, and a wave of freezing wind erupted, blanketing the entire arena floor in a surge of white-blue ice.
Wade leapt, but the blast caught him in the air.
He hit the ground hard, his boots skidding, his limbs locking as frost crawled over his armor.
"Shit!"
The word froze in his throat as the ice spread fast, locking his joints, climbing up his torso.
He struggled to move, but the frost thickened like steel chains.
Even Short Step failed to activate, the frost holding him in place.
The hydra turned all four heads towards him. Its thunderous growl reverberated through the ice like an earthquake.
Wade’s breath fogged in front of him as he strained, every muscle burning against the freezing bonds. Cracks began to form, but it was not fast enough.
The lightning head arched back, its neck glowing bright blue. Sparks danced between its teeth, the air crackling.
"Not... good," Wade hissed, straining harder.
The frost creaked but held firm. His mana surged wildly, his heart hammering in his chest.
And then, the hydra lunged, jaws opening, a bolt of lightning forming in its maw, bright enough to blind.
Wade could almost see his reflection in the creature’s glowing eyes, frozen, trapped, helpless.
And the lightning head turned, its massive skull locking onto him.