Companion Shield

"Holy shit!"

Chuan Wenwu hastily pulled his arm away from Bruce and stared at the Shield of the Hero in disbelief.

Had this damned shield gone rogue?

Was it trying to hurt Bruce!?

But once he calmed down, he realized he had overreacted. It was the Shield of the Hero, after all. Surely it wouldn't do something as twisted as demanding a "living sacrifice."

He ran a hand down Bruce's back and, as expected, came away with a handful of fur. He tried placing it against the center of the shield, and the orb lit up with a hum-it had been reacting to Bruce's shed fur.

"Bruce, why are you shedding again? Keep this up and you'll be a bald dog." Chuan Wenwu laughed as he scolded him, ruffled his head, and tossed the clump of fur to the Shield of the Hero.

Bruce glanced back at his own back and let out an aggrieved whine. "Woof-"

The next second, notifications from the Book of Weapons popped up one after another:

Bruce Shield conditions met. Successfully unlocked!

Companion Shield I conditions met. Successfully unlocked!

Companion Shield II conditions met. Successfully unlocked!

[Dog Shield]

[Equipment bonus: Agility +1; stamina boost (minor) [Ability not unlocked]]

[Companion Shield I]

[Equipment bonus: Companion growth modifier (minor) [Ability not unlocked]]

[Companion Shield II]

[Equipment bonus: Companion stats modifier (minor) [Ability not unlocked]]

A single handful of fur had activated three shields at once!

Chuan Wenwu couldn't help looking at Bruce differently. He suspected Bruce was actually some kind of divine beast with a hidden bloodline.

"Woof?" Unnerved by his stare, Bruce tilted his head and barked in confusion.

"It's nothing." Shaking his head, he turned his attention back to the bonuses offered by the newly activated shields.

The [Dog Shield] offered an ordinary bonus, much like the shields he had unlocked before. It just added a little to his base stats.

The [Companion Shield I] and [Companion Shield II] that had appeared afterward were much more intriguing. They clearly belonged to the same series.

Companion growth modifier (minor) and companion stats modifier (minor)...

If he understood correctly, these shields had activated because he and Bruce were close enough to be companions rather than master and servant. Their effects applied to Bruce, granting a bonus to the strength he gained whenever he leveled up.

If his relationship with Bruce had been nothing more than that of an ordinary owner and pet, the shields he unlocked might have been the [Pet Shield] or [Monster Tamer Shield] instead. That wouldn't have suited him nearly as well.

In that case...

"Bruce, come here. I'm going to draw a little blood. Don't be scared. It won't hurt much."

He took out a magic iron needle and held Bruce's front leg in one hand. Despite considerable effort, he couldn't pierce his skin. In the end, he had to press Bruce's paw down onto the needle's point before he finally broke through his defenses and squeezed out a drop of blood.

Bear in mind that Bruce had cooperated fully throughout, without resisting in the slightest.

Goddammit, calling this shitty Shield Hero class's attack power low didn't even begin to cover it. It had no fucking attack power whatsoever!

Just as he expected, Bruce's blood resonated with the Shield of the Hero as well. Once it absorbed the blood, two more shields activated-

Companion Shield III conditions met. Successfully unlocked!

Companion Shield IV conditions met. Successfully unlocked!

[Companion Shield III]

[Equipment bonus: Companion growth modifier (moderate) [Ability not unlocked]]

[Companion Shield IV]

[Equipment bonus: Companion stats modifier (moderate) [Ability not unlocked]]

The shields activated by Bruce's blood improved the modifiers of the previous two shields from (minor) → (moderate).

Going by that, upgrading them to (major) would require Bruce's flesh... or bones?

He couldn't bring himself to cut flesh or dig bones out of Bruce... Wait.

Suddenly, Chuan Wenwu looked down at his neck. A Dog Fang Necklace hung securely there-it was made from teeth Bruce had shed while teething. He had worn it for years. He hadn't noticed before, but it had actually crossed over to this world with him.

Chuan Wenwu took off the necklace, removed one of the drilled dog fangs, and placed it on the Shield of the Hero's orb. The familiar glow appeared, and two more shields unlocked. These were probably the final forms of the Companion Shield-

Companion Shield V conditions met. Successfully unlocked!

Companion Shield VI conditions met. Successfully unlocked!

[Companion Shield V]

[Equipment bonus: Companion growth modifier (major) [Ability not unlocked]]

[Companion Shield VI]

[Equipment bonus: Companion stats modifier (major) [Ability not unlocked]]

It was strange. Normally, the shield forms he could unlock in the Book of Weapons had level restrictions. Higher-grade materials and more advanced shields required higher levels before he could fulfill their activation conditions. Yet he had unlocked this entire "Companion Shield" series so easily?

He was only Lv. 9!

Perhaps "companions" themselves had no level restrictions, and all it took was a deep enough bond?

He couldn't figure it out, so he stopped dwelling on it. He would find out how effective it was when he took Bruce out to level up. He switched to the [Companion Shield V] and began working toward unlocking its ability.

The shopkeeper had been watching in astonishment. The moment Chuan Wenwu stopped, he asked, "Young man, first you pulled out dog fur, then you drew dog blood, then you took apart your necklace. What exactly were you doing?"

Chuan Wenwu briefly explained the effects of the "Companion Shield."

"I never knew heroes had abilities like that!" The shopkeeper looked stunned. "No wonder the companions of legendary heroes were all so powerful," he murmured. "They had their heroes helping them along..."

He looked thoughtfully at Bruce, who stood behind Chuan Wenwu with a loyal expression. "In that case, young man, your animal companion might only be a remarkably intelligent big dog right now, but as his level rises, he could grow into something on par with a divine beast!"

"How so?"

"From what I've heard, every one of the legendary heroes was extraordinary. Even an ordinary animal could become an exceptionally powerful being if they raised it!" Like a walking encyclopedia, the shopkeeper confidently shared the little stories he knew about the heroes with Chuan Wenwu.

Chuan Wenwu regarded the weapons shopkeeper with wonder, feeling that there was far more to him than met the eye. "Come to think of it, who exactly are you? You live in a country that hates the Shield Hero, yet you treat me like anyone else. And you know so much insider information, too."

The shopkeeper chuckled. "I'm just an ordinary weapons shopkeeper. It's all things I've overheard adventurers chatting about when they come here to buy equipment. I'm just a tiny bit different from the residents who've spent their entire lives in this country."

He held his fingers a tiny distance apart and said with considerable pride, "I once traveled to Q'ten Lo-the country-to hone my skills, you know. I even spent some time as an adventurer. Naturally, my horizons are broader than those of an ordinary resident!"

Well, damn. He'd even studied abroad(?)

"Enough about me. Let's talk about you, young man. What are your plans for the near future?" the shopkeeper asked.

Chuan Wenwu considered it. "Originally, I planned to take Bruce to a monster merchant and get him some suitable weapons and armor. But now that I've activated the Companion Shield and heard what you said about the ancient heroes, I think I'll hold off. I'll take Bruce out to level up first and see whether he undergoes any strange changes. If this growth modifier causes major changes in him, any equipment I buy now would probably go to waste, wouldn't it?"

"You've thought it through, young man. Safe travels, then!"

"Haha, let's hope your good wishes come true. See you, boss. Time's tight, so I'm heading out of town to grind monsters!" Chuan Wenwu waved and started to leave. Just before stepping through the door, however, he remembered something and turned back. "Oh, right, boss. My name's Chuan Wenwu, and I'm the Shield Hero now. I still don't know your name."

"Haha, I'm Elhart."

"All right, Uncle Elhart. Remember to keep this a secret for me!"

"Don't worry. This weapons shop protects its customers' privacy..."