Two days after the meeting with Kyoju, leader of the Library Clan, Azusa—now Pepper in Shanfro—logs in after juggling university lectures and a convenience store job. He spawns in a rest area bed within the Rabbits' Grand Palace.
"Right! Time to grind! First, to Siksenbelt to retrieve Madness Breaker's evolved form!" Pepper declares, checking the time—past 3 p.m. He sends a message via Shanfro's synced email app: Pencilgon, just logged in. Grabbing repaired weapons, then heading over. Wait a bit.
"Aitouil, you there?" he calls.
"Hoi, Pepper-han! Ya called?" Aitouil pops out from under the bed, as unpredictable as ever.
"Pepper-han, got something from Big Sis Bilac," Aitouil says, revealing two Madness Breakers crafted by Bilac using ores mined from the grueling Marsh Wastes. The weapons match their predecessors' quality, a testament to the master's skill.
"Bilac, thank you," Pepper says, awestruck. "Aitouil, open a gate to Siksenbelt."
"On it!" Aitouil creates a portal from the palace to Siksenbelt. Pepper hides her under his Traveler's Cloak and steps through to claim his evolved weapons.
"Sorry for barging—whoa!" Pepper exclaims as he enters Siksenbelt's weapon shop.
"Knew you'd show up soon," the shopkeeper greets with a bright smile. "Your order's ready: Madness Breaker, now Gilfeed Breaker, enhanced with drive ore. Plus, a book detailing its crafting method."
On the counter lies a sleek, iron-colored hammer with interlocking gear patterns and a circular toothed surface, radiating a dark glow. The crafting book merges into a secret manual, vanishing. The hammer feels smooth yet weighty, fitting perfectly in Pepper's hand, as if molding to his body with each swing.
Pepper inspects the new weapon and manual:
Gilfeed Breaker (Unique Weapon): An evolved form of Madness Breaker, enhanced with Gearmetal from the Ancient Iron Ruins. It channels ancient memories to shatter enemies, objects, and barriers. Its great earthworm soul hungers for more ores to reach full awakening. Increases damage against the nearest enemy or player, adding a destruction attribute to attacks on weapons, armor, or shells. Breaking mineral items restores durability based on rarity.
Lock-on Breaker Crafting Manual (Revised): A recipe for crafting and evolving Lock-on Breaker. Present it to a blacksmith with materials to forge. Non-inventory item, immune to PK loss, indestructible.
(Badass name, steampunk vibes, awesome design. Destruction attribute? Mineral-breaking durability recovery is standard for Lock-on Breakers. Revised manual? Will it become Ultimate next?) Pepper muses.
"Thanks. I'll treasure it," he tells the shopkeeper, leaving for the back alleys. He slips through Aitouil's gate, returning to the palace, then prepares to head to Snake's Apple in Thirdrema to meet Pencilgon.
"Pepper-han, leaving me behind lately? Not cool. Take me along, or no gate!" Aitouil pouts, a rare tantrum.
"Fine, you're in," Pepper relents, risking Pencilgon spotting her as they head to Snake's Apple.
At Thirdrema's back-alley tavern, Snake's Apple, Pepper, with Aitouil hidden under his cloak, navigates a long route and opens the door. The cozy atmosphere greets him, and Pencilgon sits at their usual table, legs crossed, exuding a chic Parisian café vibe—perfect for a screenshot.
"Kept you waiting?" Pepper asks.
"Nah, got here ten minutes ago. Weapons repaired?" Pencilgon replies.
"Yeah, perfectly done."
Pepper hopes Aitouil stays hidden, underestimating a woman's intuition—especially Pencilgon's knack for sniffing out secrets. She leans in, smiling. "A-kun, you avoided it with Saiga-100 and Kyoju, but today… I smell something off."
Pepper freezes. What are you hiding? her whisper chills him, raising every hair on his body.
No way… He recalls her hug after Saiga-100 left, likely sniffing him then. "Towa, you planned this from that hug?"
"The hug was obvious, but I caught a beastly scent on you," she teases.
Pencilgon's cunning strikes again, cornering him in the discreet Snake's Apple, ideal for extracting secrets. Completely outplayed.
"What're you hiding, A-kun?" she presses.
Sighing, Pepper opens his cloak, revealing Aitouil clinging to his side. She ducks behind him under Pencilgon's gaze.
"Black-furred Vorpal Bunny?" Pencilgon asks.
"Yeah, an NPC from a special quest. Name's Aitouil," Pepper says, truthful but deceptive—hiding that Aitouil joined via the Unique Scenario: Invitation from Rabbit Land tied to Lycaon's curse.
"Special quest with an NPC party member?" Pencilgon probes.
"Yup. Clearing it might yield a new weapon, so she's helping."
(The reward's a full Legacy Weapon set with gauntlets, but I'll let her think it's just a weapon.)
"Hmm… quite the samurai-style Vorpal Bunny. A wanderer vibe?" Pencilgon observes.
"Y-yeah, sure," Pepper stammers, hiding Aitouil again. Revealing her gender would spark another misunderstanding.
"Alright, mystery solved. Let's head to the leveling spot," Pencilgon says, pulling a map and fishing rod from her inventory.
"Why a fishing rod?" Pepper asks.
"We're going to the Ancient Iron Ruins, to a hidden area accessible by a specific route. The rod's needed there. You'll see," she explains.
"Let's go, A-kun." With Aitouil in tow, Pepper follows Pencilgon from Snake's Apple to the Tear-Glimmering Underground Lake in the Ancient Iron Ruins—a prime leveling spot later used by two other players, but that's a tale for another time.
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