With the second crate in front of him, Auren eagerly opens it—this one isn't secured with a lock.
Not worth as much, huh? Probably considered junk by most people.
Inside, he finds a few old suits of armor. They look medieval, as the separate pieces are put on a mannequin: a few armors are made of chainmail, and others composed of heavy, dented plate.
Using Gyo, Auren confirms his established requirement—there's lingering Aura surrounding the pieces. That alone makes them worth his attention.
"Interesting," he mutters as he inspects them.
The amount of Aura surrounding them is truly minuscule... they are probably good, solid pieces made by really talented blacksmiths, hundreds, if not thousands years ago. They have some value as collectible pieces, but that's all. Anyway, I'll gladly take them.
He moves from crate to crate. Within minutes, he uncovers a wide assortment of relics—ceremonial daggers, large, sturdy shields, spears, swords, axes, clubs, even ornate silverware, still sparkling brightly under the dim, cold lights of the underground garage.
There are also lighters, chalices, odd tools, bits of clothing, hats, and coats of all kinds. It reminds Auren of a flea market, but he can't complain. Every single piece he inspects has an Aura surrounding it, qualifying it for his collection.
Was it a mistake to branch out this much? I initially only wanted to gather weapons, then expanded my search to armor pieces, and now to clothing, various tools, and trinkets. Well, I might as well accept them, since I don't lack funds. I need to hire people at home to categorize all of them.
He continues opening crates—one after the other. In total, he finds over five hundred distinct items, all containing lingering Aura, making them a treasure in his opinion.
"I'm sorry, Auren," Goreinu says, shaking his head as he watches the process with an increasingly puzzled expression, "but I don't get why you're collecting this stuff. Some of it looks like junk, I would throw away. Granted, some items look old and expensive, yeah—but this all belongs in a museum. I don't get why you collect these things"
"I told you already. Just look at these beauties."
"I am looking," Goreinu replies. "I get that they have Aura... but I just don't see why that matters."
A real savage. Can't even recognize true art when it's staring him in the face—art created by geniuses, no less. Or am I really such a weirdo?
After browsing a while longer, checking out the final crates briefly, Auren takes a second look at the more interesting items. Auren's eyes land on something glittering under the lights that immediately grabs his attention.
He reaches down and pulls out a pair of bracers—made of some unknown black metal. On the inside, there's a lining of mysterious, strange-looking gray leather, and matching leather straps that allow the wearer to fasten them. He tightens them the best he can around his arms. They don't fit perfectly—his arms are still on the thinner side, not fully grown yet despite his muscle mass—but they're snug enough to somewhat stay in place.
"Tell me more about these bracers," Auren says, stretching out his arms to admire them.
There are tiny, deep, and sharp grooves etched around them—subtle, but recognizable.
He presses a finger against one of the grooves—and immediately feels pain, blood flowing onto it.
They're sharp.
"I can't tell you much," Ura replies. "We included them because of the dense Aura. That alone made them stand out." She activates Gyo, examining them closely. "Actually, the Aura they contain is extraordinary—stronger than the Ben's Knives, even. Brother, what do the records say?"
Oron, who has been lounging nearby, finally snaps back. He groans and hands the documents over without even glancing at them.
"Lazy bum," Ura mutters, flipping through the pages. "Here we go—'Unknown bracers. Metal unknown. Leather unknown. Aura detected. Purchased from an antique store in the Federation of Ochima. Final price: 26,700 Jenny. Originally listed at 35,000 Jenny.'"
They even haggled down that low of a price... Makes sense, though. Keeps the sellers from getting suspicious. If they would instantly buy them at full price, they would probably hesitate to sell them just like that.
"They feel special," Auren says, rotating his wrists. "Actually... more than special. These might be genuinely useful gear. Despite the metal, they're weirdly light. What a hidden gem."
As he speaks, Auren activates Ren—and immediately feels the bracers tighten around his arms. The leather expands slightly, adjusting to the shape of his forearms.
What is this?! Incredible... they're adjusting themselves. They fit perfectly now! This has to be the work of Nen—left behind intentionally. A true genius must've made these. This isn't just a find... it's a Regalia. Something worth handing down through generations. A king's heirloom, maybe. I can't believe my luck!
"I gotta admit, they look sweet," Goreinu says, still unaware of Auren's ecstatic, wide-eyed expression, which he desperately tries to hide.
"Punch me," Auren suddenly says, raising his arms in a defensive stance and pouring more Aura into the bracers. "Don't hurt yourself, use Aura. They have sharp grooves on the outside, so don't overdo it."
Goreinu blinks, then grins, catching on.
He activates Gyo, channeling a solid amount of Aura into his fist, more than half of his total Aura output.
"Don't blame me if I break them," he says cockily. "I'm not paying for them."
Goreinu takes his stance and punches forward with full force.
Auren defends, pouring an equal amount of Aura in relation to Goreinu into his forearms, focusing it on the bracers.
The moment his fist connects, Auren barely feels the impact. He blocks it effortlessly, the bracers absorbing the blow without issue, not taking even a hint of damage, in fact looking smooth and clean, the Aura perfectly integrating itself into them.
"Damn," Goreinu hisses, pulling his hand back and shaking it wildly in pain. "Fuck, that hurts. I nearly broke my fist!"
"Not bad," Auren says with a grin.
Goreinu used about as much Aura as I did. In terms of raw output, we're pretty evenly matched in the first place—maybe I'm slightly ahead, being an Enhancer and all. Still, he is an Emitter, so not weak at all with Enhancement. That level of protection... incredible. What luck! These bracers aren't on Eternity's level, but they're a damn good defensive option. They could easily block bullets... or cold weapons. They perfectly fit, and they are quite dangerous to any attacker. They are defensive items that can also deal damage to an unsuspecting attacker—I like them.
Satisfied, Auren's eyes fall on Goreinu's hand. His fist is bleeding badly—deep cuts on his knuckles and fingers, the exact part he struck the bracers with.
"Damn," Goreinu mutters, grimacing, blood dripping onto the floor. "My fist is ruined."
I'll patch him up later... but for now.
"Can you provide some first aid for my friend?" Auren asks, looking at Ura.
"Grab the first aid kit! There should be a few lying around," Ura shouts, her voice sharp with urgency. "These bracers are... fearsome. I didn't realize there were such treasures hidden among the items. They looked like ordinary antiques—useless in my opinion. But now I see... with the right amount of Aura, some of them transform into powerful pieces of Equipment. I am getting why you are so interested in these items. It looks like they amplify Nen, even the seemingly dull pieces from earlier, might perform at a high level."
Oron scrambles away, returning quickly with a kit and helping Goreinu tend to his bleeding hand.
Auren, meanwhile, turns back to Ura, his mind racing fast.
Wait a minute... I have an idea. Could it be??
"Ura! Check your list. Did you get anything else from the same store?" he asks, his eyes narrowing with anticipation.
"Yes," Ura answers, suddenly intrigued. "A pair of boots and a pair of gauntlets. About the same price, slightly more expensive at 46,500 and 58,000, Jenny respectively."
She and Auren rush to the same crate that held the bracers. It doesn't take long before they pull out both the boots and gauntlets.
The gauntlets are sturdy yet light, and are made of leather on the inside only, allowing Auren to touch things without cutting them.
The boots are quite tall, covering his shins.
"A little too large," Auren says, trying them on. "But not by much. They'll probably fit me in a few years if I use some padding."
I'd better not mention that the bracers adjusted themselves to fit me. Maybe... just maybe... these boots and gauntlets can do the same.
It's a shame I only found three items. The material must be so rare, so precious, they probably only managed to forge a handful of smaller pieces. If I had found a full set of armor, I would have become invincible.
Just like the bracers, both the gauntlets and boots are crafted from the same black metal. Inside, they're lined with that same gray leather. The same subtle grooves mark their outer surfaces—sharp and deadly to anyone who dares to touch them.
Auren slips them on and activates Ren.
Instantly, he feels the items respond—tightening around his limbs, fitting him more comfortably than before.
Too bad I can't use my claws while wearing them...
Then his eyes widen.
Or maybe...! If they can change size... could they adapt to my transformation?!
He turns around slightly, his arms hidden, then shifts his right hand into a claw.
He gasps in shock as his hand transforms effortlessly.
The right gauntlet immediately begins to change. It grows larger. The leather pulls tight, stretching and adapting to the new form. Within seconds, the gauntlet has reshaped itself completely, now fitting his enlarged, monstrous claw like a second skin.
The transformation is flawless and his hand looks almost demonic, like his usual claw, only surrounded by sharp, sturdy black metal.
It looks terrifying, even I have to say so myself.
However, forget their looks! They... they're alive. It's like they can read my thoughts... or maybe it's simpler than that. Maybe they're responding directly to my Aura.
I can't believe this. These items are similar to Eternity! They're mysterious Nen artifacts—objects with abilities almost on par with a Hatsu!
I can't believe my luck... they were practically free. I would've paid a hundred billion for just one of them. Hell, I'd give up almost all my money. They're priceless. You can't buy things like this—not with money. With the boots, bracers, and especially those gauntlets... how would a spar against Uvogin go?!
Maybe... maybe there are even more items like these hidden among the hundreds I just acquired?! I need to check them all. And more importantly... I need more. Way more.
It cost me less than ten billion to secure these three priceless pieces. I'll call them Nen Regalias. If I spend a hundred billion... I'm bound to find even more! If I spend a trillion... I'll have a whole collection of Regalias
It was just a faint hope—that I might find something even close to the level of the original Eternity. But I've done it. I've actually done it.
I need to stay calm. This is business. I can't reveal my emotions just like that. Yes, dealing with these Kakin brokers is risky... but they've proven themselves surprisingly competent. I need to change my assessment of them.
I need to strike a deal.... Now. I can't let this information spread. If word gets out about what some of these items are capable of... leeches and opportunists will swarm in, trying to cut in on my business or snatch them away and then blackmail me to take them off their hands.
Right now, I'm the only one paying attention to these things. No one else is interested in lingering Aura—just like Goreinu, who thought I was crazy. Most people simply don't care. They think these items are meaningless.
Usually, items like these are just a bit sturdier than normal items. Lingering Nen might enhance them a little, protect them from the passing of time, maybe amplify Nen just slightly when covered in it.
But these beauties? These are the real thing. Genuine treasures. I'm getting excited.
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A/N: Always thankful for Power Stones, Comments, and Reviews. Thank you for reading!
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