Chapter 92

"Well then, let's meet again, you three."

Having conveyed all he wanted to say, Dragon quickly stood up and walked back towards the labyrinth.

He really is a hardcore addict, or something like that.

"I'm sorry, you two, for being left out."

"It's fine, really."

"It's okay!"

Since Dragon wanted to talk to them alone, the two had been moved to a slightly distant table until just now.

I felt a bit guilty and apologized, but they didn't seem to mind at all.

"Since we still have time, why don't we stay for a bit more tea? It seemed like you two were having a good time. What were you talking about?"

"About this?"

"Ah, mainly about weapons. The Red Wolf Armor is already quite famous, but the Shadow Sewing is a new weapon. It's really good, with a blacker-than-black feel to it."

The two pointed to the Shadow Sewing, which Nana had commissioned and completed. It was a piece that eliminated all visual and integration mechanisms, focusing solely on the strength of the pure material.

It was indeed powerful. In terms of pure firepower, it could rival a named weapon right after creation. Of course, it had no special abilities, so it was inferior overall. However, considering its virtually indestructible durability, no player could match Nana's endurance in prolonged battles.

Until this weapon was created, Over Heavy Metal was basically scrap metal.

It was incredibly heavy, limiting its users, and required a high skill level for refining, using valuable materials.

The refining cost-effectiveness was the worst, and forging took a very long time. It was difficult for impatient players to even shape it into a weapon.

Once made, it had only a slightly higher attack power and durability, with no other redeeming qualities.

It was supposed to be scrap, used only by a few eccentrics.

"But Shadow Sewing is really a great weapon..."

"Hehehe"

"I was surprised by its performance. Maybe I'll get a large shield made of Heavy Metal too."

"Speaking of which, you use a large shield, don't you?"

While Nana laughed lazily while holding the Shadow Sewing, I looked at Bloom's equipment leaning against the seat.

Shields are quite interesting weapons, with different uses depending on whether they are one-handed or two-handed.

It's important to note that shields are not considered armor in this game. While they are primarily used for defense, they are also a type of impact weapon.

Shield Bash is a clear example of an attack method. By charging and attacking, you can deal damage while protecting yourself.

Especially with Bloom's large shield, the weight adds to the tremendous power.

While they are very difficult to handle, they can also provide a stable fighting style and have advantages against various magic depending on the material.

The downside is their clumsiness, but if used well, they are incredibly convenient weapons. They are among the most popular weapons for tank players.

"I want to be a hardcore tank. I'm not the type who can adapt well, so I'm doing the most standard large shield tank."

"Well, that's good. Regardless of future trends, there are always reasons for what becomes popular. Large shield tanks are strong all-around, so that's good."

"Is that so? It's reassuring to hear that from you, Rinne."

His words were not a lie.

Large shield tanks can indeed be powerful defensive walls, and while they lack in firepower, their defense is undoubtedly the best in the game.

Tanks are relatively rare, and players who can properly tank are valuable.

At the very least, his ability to tank up to the challenging Fieras as a beginner shows that he is a very skilled player.

"I don't like them because they're hard to break through."

"Let's not say things you don't mean."

"That's harsh..."

Nana, who showed no particular shock, understood that it was just a joke.

After all, impact weapons are advantageous for shield users compared to bladed weapons.

The reason is simply the difference in the strength of the shock generated by the weapon. Bladed weapons, whether slashing or piercing, are inherently less powerful in terms of pure shock compared to impact weapons.

The energy generated at the moment of impact is greater with heavier impact weapons.

Impact weapons, which lack special effects like cutting or piercing, are designed to have higher pure power.

If the shock is transmitted well, some damage can be dealt even from the shield.

This is a characteristic of heavy and durable impact weapons.

On the other hand, slashing weapons have powerful effects like cutting and bleeding, and piercing weapons have the added effect of penetration. They are also easier to target vital points compared to impact weapons.

Nana is just exceptionally good at targeting vital points, but in general, impact weapons, which have a large impact area but a narrow range of maximum power, are harder to target vital points.

"Recently, the popularity of impact weapons seems to be rising, maybe thanks to Sukuna."

"That's good. I'd like to try various weapons, but this one feels the most natural. But I want to use a two-handed staff again."

Seeing Nana say this while holding the Shadow Sewing, we couldn't help but smile.

"Did Sukuna use a two-handed staff?"

"I used it off-stream and broke it in one day."

"Take better care of it."

"The opponent was too strong... I used a finishing move, so it broke."

Nana's use of a two-handed staff was probably during the battle with Rau.

Receiving a transformable two-handed staff and breaking it immediately is an impressive story, but even so, the blacksmith Haruru, who makes weapons for Nana, is quite skilled.

If I were the maker, I would be speechless at the idea of breaking it on the same day.

Moreover, as far as I remember, Haruru was supposed to be a master swordsmith... The ability to refine and forge Over Heavy Metal means he has a high level of expertise in making impact weapons.

It's odd that he happily accepted Nana's request to make a gold bar out of Over Heavy Metal.

"Nana uses finishing moves without hesitation when cornered."

"It's a great art to get early in weapon skills. But it's impressive that you can so easily discard your weapon."

"Hmm... Well, a weapon is just a weapon. If it's gone, I can just punch."

For Nana, who trusts her body more than anything, this might be true.

However, in this game, having a weapon is generally stronger than being unarmed. The reach is significantly better, and it can also be used as a shield.

The Unarmed Combat skill is given higher performance to compensate for these disadvantages, but being unarmed is still a significant disadvantage.

"Didn't you have the Unarmed Combat skill?"

"I raised the proficiency a bit. The skill has many arts from the start, so it's easy to use."

"All the arts are unlocked from the start."

The Unarmed Combat skill has 10 arts.

The number of arts doesn't change no matter how much proficiency is raised.

All 10 arts are unlocked from the start and can be used freely.

I remember Nana using some of these arts in her streams, including the maximum combo art, "Ten Layers of Cherry Blossoms."

Since the game began, the maximum power "Ten Layers of Cherry Blossoms" has never been used.

This means that the ultimate "trump card" of the Unarmed Combat skill has never been used.

"Maybe if I raise my strength a bit more... I want to develop Unarmed Combat too."

"Hmm, really? I've never seen a player fight with Unarmed Combat, so I'm looking forward to Sukuna's stream."

"Hmm, I need to level up more, so it might take a while. At least a week, I think."

"If things go well, you might have enough levels by the last day of the event. But the problem is that there's no one to hit. There are no monsters that can withstand 'Ten Layers of Cherry Blossoms.'"

The three of us sighed and then laughed together.

We laughed because our actions were synchronized for no reason.

We were excited just talking about weapons and skills.

This is one of the joys of being deeply involved in the same game. When you play, you can get excited just talking about weapons.