Chapter 322: In Other Words, a Resurgent Rebuild

".........Oh, I'm back to normal."

I'll just equip the Salmon Head for now.
Wake up, Emulー. I've got a bunch of things to do now, so we're heading to Rabituzaー.

............

.........

......

And so, we arrived at Bilac's workshop. Even though this place had been turned into a scorching hellscape just a few days prior, I spotted the black rabbit with the scruffy fur alongside an anvil that had its corners slightly chipped.

"Bilac, do you have That?"

"It's done. I even went ahead and 'Rebuilt' it exactly as yer requested."

That's right, That (the Areadbhair) itself was actually finished about three days ago. However, upon being presented with the two branching paths for the completed Areadbhair Repair, I chose one of them, resulting in the Areadbhair being handed back over to Bilac.

"Still, I wonder if this was really the right thing to do... Fer me to freely tinker with the weapon of pops' friend..."

"Don't worry about it, don't worry about it. If Vash says anything about it, I'll take full responsibility and settle the tab."

Whether the infinite extra lives of a player—whose life holds less monetary value than a basic recovery potion—can actually serve as an acceptable settlement is a pretty debatable topic, though.

"So, where's the final product?"

"Whether it's 'cause of my lack of skill, or if Champion's Weapons (Gratefuls) are just Like that to begin with, I ain't sure, but the sword's power has weakened a little bit... Here, this is the reborn 'Areadbhair Rebuild'."

With a goton, it was placed right in front of me. It was a single sword sheathed in a scabbard woven from some kind of leather and adorned with intricate embroidery. Right now, the blade was hidden inside the scabbard, but the moment it was drawn, that scorching blade capable of cleaving through anything would undoubtedly show its face.

"Ooh...! Wait, isn't this a bit too big for a one-handed sword?"

"That's the absolute limit! Keep in mind, I had to shave down a Giant's spear just so it could be wielded with one hand..."

I did request a one-handed sword, and honestly, if the game's system references a player's previous actions during a True Awakening, I assumed there was a high probability it would become a size I could wield with one hand.
No, wait. This isn't a longsword meant for two hands either. It's slightly shorter than that, so it seems like I could still swing it with one hand... What was the name again? That sword sized exactly between a one-handed and two-handed sword... Custard... Ah, I remember.

"A Bastard Sword, huh."

The Bastard Sword. It's commonly misunderstood, but "Bastard" here doesn't mean Buster (Destruction), it means Bastard (Hybrid). It's a weapon that can be used with either one hand or two hands. To put it nicely, it's a hybrid; to put it bluntly, it's a half-baked weapon.

"Good grief... normally, somethin' like this requires ya to endure countless hardships and gather materials before finally completin' it..."

"Well, if the required materials for a Rebuild are just ores, then of course I can just whip them right out."

It seems there was some other condition required as well, but apparently I had already fulfilled it without realizing. While I'm glad I saved myself the effort, it does feel slightly anticlimactic. I wonder what the condition even was...

Unlike a Reverse (Regeneration), which acts as a standard enhancement, a Rebuild slightly lowers the weapon's overall stats in exchange for changing its weapon category. Furthermore, it has the added benefit of requiring fewer materials compared to a Reverse. Despite that, a massive chunk of the ores I had on hand was still completely wiped out... Seriously, how is anyone supposed to acquire fifty Amulsidian Quartz playing normally?

"Can I try drawing it?"

"......If ya cut anything inside my workshop, I'll beat ya to a pulp."

With a surari, I drew the Areadbhair Rebuild. Perhaps because the primary material used was Amulsidian Quartz, the blade—which radiated an obsidian gleam—was lined with scorching heat that resembled the veins of a leaf, and simply swinging it lightly caused fire effects to lick the empty air.

"It's a little heavy... Obviously, part of that is because it's a hand-and-a-half sword, but it feels like my base STR is just lacking..."

Since it can be wielded with one hand, combining it with the Mirror Shield of the Nether-King (Dis Pater) is definitely an option, but considering the weight, maybe it's better to just wield the sword on its own?
I tested how it felt by rolling my wrist to swing it around and lightly tossing it up into the air to catch it, but feeling like I was about to stab something by accident and get drop-kicked for it, I sheathed the blade.

"Excellent work. It's Perfect!"

"H-Hmph...! Of course it is! Since pops entrusted this to me, I poured every ounce of skill I possess into it!"

You say that with your mouth, but your Body (Smug Face) is being completely honest, huh... And then,

"Oou... Seems it's finally finished..."

"P-Pops!?"

Shockingly, Vash himself made an appearance. How did this guy get behind me without making a single sound...!?
Ignoring Bilac—who was acting completely suspiciously, like a person doing an impression at an imitation contest only to have the actual person show up right behind them—Vash's gaze was locked onto my hands. Specifically, onto the Areadbhair Rebuild I was just about to put away.

"Ahー... Aniki, if I screwed up by unilaterally shortening this sword, then I'll take full Responsibility (Settle the Tab) myself..."

"It don't matter... In the end, it's just a Thing born from snappin' off a spearhead... Even if ya shorten it further now, it ain't exactly a small enough existence to hold a grudge over somethin' like that............ Sunraku. Make sure ya walk a 'Path' that won't bring shame to that sword."

"Osu!"

Heh, look at my roleplaying skills. Josette and the others are pretty impressive, but my mob-underling roleplay isn't something to scoff at either.
As I thought that, Vash, who had turned to leave, suddenly looked back as if he had remembered something. The expression on his face wasn't that of the grand boss of Rabituza, but rather a smile belonging to a parent looking at their daughter...

"Bilac... Ya did some mighty fine work there."

"Hyu!"

Ahhh, you can't do that, sir! Dropping lines like that as a surprise attack is strictly prohibited! Doing that to someone like Bilac is just, ahhh! You can't do that, sir!

............

.........

......

After somehow managing to calm down Bilac—whose face was now twenty... no, thirty percent messier with tears and snot—we moved on to the next order of business. The Areadbhair wasn't the only thing I had asked her to enhance.

"Come on, a grown-up Vorpal Bunny shouldn't be crying. Want me to blow your nose?"

"I ain't cryin'!"

With that face and voice, nobody is going to believe you.
Still, she is a blacksmith NPC, and she clearly fulfills her duties properly. The weapons and armor I had entrusted to her were handed over to me.

"Guzu, chiiin! Uu... I enhanced 'em fer now, but seein' as the base materials were complete trash, don't go expectin' too much."

"No, no, this is more than enough."

Come to think of it, even though it's my starting gear with completely garbage specs, it's really stuck with me through my entire playthrough. Now that it's been enhanced, even when it's just a piece of cloth not currently equipped, I can feel the sheer sharpness of its glare. Wait, did its Eye Power get buffed even more...!?

"The Gazing Bird Mask, renovated into the 'True Gaze Bird Mask'... Well, it's a bit sturdier now."

Mmmm, equipment...! Very nice. The defense power has actually been multiplied by ten! I have no choice but to call this an astonishing level of growth...! Even though it's still only around 20 VIT.
Also, it seems to have some kind of visual correction effect? Judging by the name, does it reduce screen shake when looking straight ahead or something like that?

Next up is the guinea pig of the modification project: the Emperor Bee Twin Swords. On top of the Domineion Hornet materials, I threw in a hidden ingredient (?)—either a deep-sea stingray or a scorpionfish stinger, I can't remember which—along with the stinger of the Crystal Scorpion, which has absolutely skyrocketed to the number one spot on my list of convenient materials.

Its new name is the "Cruel Poison Bee Twin Stingers (Veno Stinger)"! It successfully received a massive improvement to its durability, which was previously its biggest flaw. Furthermore, by mixing in multiple materials that scream "you're screwed if this hits you," its "Destructive Poison" property has been heavily upgraded.

"...Wait, does this mean the moment I stab someone, it rolls an affliction check for 'Poison,' 'Paralysis,' and 'Destructive Poison' all at once?"

"Don't point that thing at me. It's dangerous."

Unique Monsters aside, against standard monsters, this is an utterly terrifying and nasty effect... However, if there's one single problem, perhaps because I practically only shoved stinger materials into it, the twin swords have essentially turned into twin rapiers. If I use these to block a heavy attack poorly, they're definitely going to snap.

After receiving various other weapons and armor that were currently eligible for enhancement, I felt the fundamental karma of existing as a consumer weighing on my rapidly depleting wallet. And with that, my weapon enhancement event finally reached its climax.

"And lastly... here ya go. This is what ya wanted, right?"

Although Bilac looked like she wanted to ask, "Why the hell did you want this?", considering my primary Source of Income, she seemed to understand its importance. The item, finished without a single cut corner, felt just as familiar in my hands as the weapons I had been gripping since the very beginning of the game.

"Nice, nice... Alright, I'm gonna go test this out for now!"

Emul, fetch my rice soaked in hot water! Today, your big bro is going to host a Super Mining (Clink-Clank) Festival!

Equipping the Bird Mask—whose eye power had intensified—and hoisting the pickaxe that I had poured potentially just as many ores into enhancing as the Areadbhair... the "Sturdy Excavation Pickaxe," I made my declaration. Beside me, Emul let out a deeply enlightened sigh.

Author's Afterword

• Rebuild Conditions for Areadbhair Rebuild
  An NPC who knows "Dordona of the Areadbhair" must learn of his final moments and acknowledge the transfer of Areadbhair's ownership to the current owner.
  It sounds simple, but if you go to the most likely candidates who knew Dordona—the Giants—the process gets incredibly bogged down over ownership disputes. So from an RTA perspective, the Vash route is the fastest.

• Reverse Conditions for Areadbhair Reverse
  The eradication of Areadbhair's defeat. In other words, using Areadbhair to defeat the opponent it faced in its final battle before the current owner acquired it. Are you telling me I have to beat Goldunine with this pseudo-spear?

In short, on top of requiring an enhancement by a blacksmith ranked "Master" or higher:

• Rebuild: "Parting ways with the past to become the current owner's weapon."

• Reverse: "Resolving the lingering regrets of the past as the weapon wielded by a champion."