Black Furnace Magic Sword

Chapter 8: Black Furnace Magic Sword

Azer never worried about whether he could pass the suitability rate test for a Pure Star Radiant Armament.

Possessing the ultimate authority over armaments, Azer had absolute confidence he would pass the suitability rate test no matter which Pure Star Radiant Armament he chose. The only question was which one to pick as his initial exclusive weapon.

This was also where Azer hesitated.

Looking at the display images of various Pure Star Radiant Armaments appearing before him, Azer still could not make a decision.

Since I am choosing, naturally I should pick the best one.

Without exception, Pure Star Radiant Armaments were far superior to ordinary Huang-style Armaments, but there were also gaps among the Pure Star Radiant Armaments themselves.

Leaving aside issues like output power and attack potency, just in terms of special abilities, every single Pure Star Radiant Armament was different.

The abilities of some Pure Star Radiant Armaments were quite unremarkable, such as allowing one to fly or altering the wielder's own weight. It wouldn't go so far as to say this was useless, but as for how strong it was, that was also rather subtle.

On the other hand, the abilities of some Pure Star Radiant Armaments were extremely powerful. There were those capable of controlling sandstorms, those capable of controlling water currents, and some that could even control gravity or other people's minds. Hearing about such abilities made one's heart skip a beat.

Among the twenty-two Pure Star Radiant Armaments currently held by Seidoukan Academy, excluding the seven already lent out, the remaining fifteen had some that were strong and some that were weak—the strong were very strong, and the weak were very weak.

That being the case, Azer naturally wanted to get the strongest one.

Since he didn't need to worry about the suitability rate anyway, nor did he need to consider whether the opponent's ability was compatible with him, he naturally ought to aim for the strongest possible choice.

However...

Looking around, this one seems to be the strongest...

Azer's gaze lingered persistently on one of the many windows displayed before him.

Displayed on it was a sword.

A sword with a black hilt, embedded with a red Omni-Response Crystal, and a blade that looked as though rolling waves of fire were rippling across it.

This sword was massive, almost tall enough to match a person's height.

Yet in the display window, this greatsword's numerical values for output power, attack potency, and special abilities were all on an off-the-charts level. Not only did it far surpass ordinary Huang-style Armaments, but even ordinary Pure Star Radiant Armaments fell far short of it.

Among the fifteen unlent Pure Star Radiant Armaments Azer browsed, the data displayed by this sword was the strongest.

Which was only natural.

This is one of the Four-Colored Magic Swords, a top-tier Pure Star Radiant Armament.

To be honest, Azer very much wanted to choose this one.

But isn't this the original protagonist's Pure Star Radiant Armament?

This was what Azer was agonizing over.

Presently, the original protagonist had not yet arrived at Seidoukan Academy.

He was a transfer student who would transfer over a month or two before the start of this season's Star Martial Festival, and even as a special-status student.

When that time came, he would possess a single opportunity to freely choose a Pure Star Radiant Armament.

The magic sword before his eyes was the very Pure Star Radiant Armament chosen by the protagonist in the original work.

Thinking of this, Azer felt at least some hesitation.

Yet immediately afterward, Azer made up his mind.

Since I arrived first, there is no reason to hesitate for the sake of something that will only happen in the future.

Today, as long as another Pure Star Radiant Armament of this same tier existed, Azer would have given slightly higher priority to that other one.

Yet right now, the ability of the Pure Star Radiant Armament before him was on a tier of its own for strength. Even though the descriptions of other Pure Star Radiant Armaments boasted of them being no less impressive, in Azer's view, they still fell short of the one right in front of him.

This Pure Star Radiant Armament was powerful and special, holding an immense attraction for Azer.

Yet unfortunately, Azer was still at the starting stage and simply had no leeway to defer to others.

Whether his first exclusive weapon was powerful or not directly determined what the final harvest of Azer's first life experience would turn out to be.

Would he lay a solid foundation to better unfold his life experiences down the road, or back down here for the sake of something that hadn't happened yet...?

This required no additional consideration at all.

Sorry, buddy. At worst, I'll help you find an older sister in the future.

Muttering this to himself, Azer hesitated no longer. Reaching out, he tapped directly on the window displaying the pitch-black magic sword.

Clack!

Accompanied by a chime, all the windows surrounding Azer vanished.

Upon seeing the choice Azer made, Claudia, watching from behind, was startled.

He actually chose it?

Claudia's expression was more unsettled than at any point prior.

Why did he have to pick that one of all things?

Claudia instinctively pressed a hand against the holster at her waist, her expression turning extremely uncertain.

Regrettably, Azer's choice was already set, and the matter had transpired; it would no longer change.

Whoosh!

Amidst a sound akin to mechanical sliding, a cylindrical storage cabinet lowered from the ceiling directly above Azer.

The storage cabinet descended right in front of Azer and then opened automatically. Two mechanical arms extended from inside, holding an Activation Device suspended in mid-air and delivering it before him.

Azer reached out, taking the Activation Device into his palm.

The black hilt-shaped Activation Device had a red Omni-Response Crystal embedded in it as its core, exactly the same as what Azer had seen in the display window.

The cores of Huang-style Armaments—meaning the color of the Omni-Response Ore—were universally green. Only the Omni-Response Crystals featured colors other than green.

The red Omni-Response Crystal and its very existence told others that this was a Pure Star Radiant Armament, not a run-of-the-mill Huang-style Armament.

"Measurement preparation complete. Please activate the Pure Star Radiant Armament in your hand."

The amplified reminder from the laboratory staff sounded, prompting Azer to nod and activate the pitch-black hilt-shaped Activation Device in his hand.

Clang!

The red Omni-Response Crystal on the Activation Device instantly burst into a blinding, vivid red light, rousing the Omni-Response Elements in the surrounding space and causing them to gather toward the hilt.

The Omni-Response Elements began to materialize, assembling and constructing themselves at the front of the Omni-Response Crystal like digitally generated cubes appearing out of thin air, forming an extremely heavy crossguard.

Immediately afterward, the crossguard opened automatically like a machine, extending a light-based blade from within.

The blade was as pure white as glass, and its appearance resembled a giant single-edged optical sword.

Wielding this overly massive sword, Azer's eyes flickered as he inevitably called out its name.

--Black Furnace Magic Sword.

Around him—or rather, inside the laboratory separated by a layer of glass—those staff members dressed in white were also stirring slightly.

"He chose the Black Furnace Magic Sword?"

"One of the Four-Colored Magic Swords, the legendary magic sword that cannot be defended against, can burn through everything, melts upon contact, and turns the earth into a blazing furnace if stabbed into it..."

"This is one of the top-tier magic swords among all Pure Star Radiant Armaments. He actually chose this?"

"He probably just picked it because of its big name, right?"

"That's way too naive. I heard nobody has been able to use this magic sword for many years now. Does an ordinary student who hasn't even entered the Inscribed Sacrifice Book really think he can subdue this kind of thing just because he miraculously passed the Pure Star Radiant Armament lending review?"

"All right, talk less. What kind of Pure Star Radiant Armament someone chooses is their own business; we just need to finish the measurement work."

"Well said."

"Let's begin the measurement."

A group of testing personnel instantly grew busy once again.

At the back of the lab, Claudia also stared fixedly at Azer, wondering what she was thinking.

Under these circumstances, Azer closed his eyes.

No one knew that at this moment, he was actually listening to the movements emitted by the Pure Star Radiant Armament in his hand.

It was a movement imperceptible to others.

Pure Star Radiant Armaments all possessed their own consciousness, and at this very moment, Azer could clearly perceive the existence of this consciousness.

He could feel the other party prying into him, watching him, casting a scrutiny-filled gaze as if judging his worth.

Then, perhaps sensing Azer's overly mediocre ability, the other party quickly lost interest and withdrew its gaze.

"Current suitability rate is eight percent."

The voice broadcasted externally by the staff members through the amplifier clearly entered Azer's ears.

As expected, it looks down on me in this state, huh?

Azer opened his eyes and suddenly smiled.

Then... let's officially begin!

New book released! Returning to the classic style!

Seeking bookmarks! Seeking support! Seeking investments! ヾ(@^▽^@)ノ