The road between one city and the next was quiet — something rare for that group.
Jay walked a few steps behind. The weight of the shield on his forearm felt heavier than usual. His eyes never left it as he murmured, almost in a trance:
"Big hammer… attack and defense… just defend… just defend…"
Sienna, still irritated about Kaelyn and the nickname "Shortstack," suddenly turned around.
"Jay… if you're going to keep sulking because the other guild's tank has a bigger toy, we can go back there right now and settle this."
Jay swallowed.
"I–it's not that… it's just… that guy… Boros… he held the line and hit back."
His voice dropped.
"I only defend. I just… endure."
A pause.
"And what if the shield isn't enough?"
Sienna scoffed.
"You're already an excellent tank. You just need to stop acting like a sad support."
Ethan, who was walking ahead, stopped. He turned calmly, but his eyes were sharp.
"Jay… if you want to change something, brooding won't do it."
"We need equipment."
He pointed forward.
"The portal to the Second Floor is nearby. Let's visit Taiga."
The decision was accepted for very different reasons.
Jay wanted to be more than just a wall.
Sienna wanted something far more noble: finding a potion that would make her grow ten centimeters and rub it in Kaelyn's face.
"Exactly," she added. "Before you start writing sad poetry in your diary because of some random tank with a hammer…"
She took a few steps, glanced back over her shoulder, and smirked.
"…and I still have some things to tell Taiga about you."
Jay went pale.
"What?! What did I do?! Sienna, DON'T—"
Laughter echoed as they crossed the bridge toward the Second Floor.
The heat wrapped around them before they even entered the forge.
Sparks cut through the air like tiny orange stars. Taiga hammered a glowing piece of metal, the anvil vibrating like a war drum.
"Taiga!" Ethan called.
She lifted her soot-stained goggles, revealing a crooked smile.
"Well, look at that… you came back in one piece. A miracle."
She wiped her hands on a grease-stained cloth and looked at Jay.
"So? Did you bring rare materials, or did you just miss me?"
Jay took a deep breath and stepped forward.
"Taiga… I need a favor."
She narrowed her eyes.
"Speak, shield-boy."
Jay raised his shield — the Guardian of the Second Floor.
"I want to change this."
"I want a weapon. A hammer. A heavy axe. Something that deals damage."
The workshop fell silent. Only the furnace breathed.
Taiga took the shield, felt its weight, its dents, its balance. She slammed it onto the workbench.
"And why this idea now? You've always been the protector. The wall."
Jay lowered his gaze, but his voice stayed firm.
"We met another group."
"Their tank defended… and counterattacked."
"He was dangerous."
He inhaled deeply.
"If I can't bring enemies down… I'm useless."
Taiga stared at him for a few seconds. Then she spoke, flatly:
"You're an idiot, Jay."
"What?"
"An idiot. You want to copy someone you watched for five minutes?"
She hit the shield.
"If I give you a two-handed hammer, you drop this."
"And when an attack comes that even Marcus can't handle, who holds the line?"
"When Ethan is casting, who protects him?"
"HEY!" Sienna shouted from the back. "I fought a queen of seduction!"
"You can tell me later," Taiga replied without turning.
She took a deep breath.
"That group's tank is offensive because their group needs that."
"Your group needs you."
"The Jay who doesn't fall."
Jay rubbed his face.
"So I stay just a wall?"
Taiga smiled. A dangerous smile.
"No."
"You stay a wall…"
She pulled out a blueprint and started sketching.
"…but a wall that hits back."
"What do you mean?!" Emanueru's eyes widened.
"Kinetics."
"Impact converter."
"Every hit becomes charge."
"When it fills up… you release it all at once."
Ethan tilted his head.
"A frontal blast?"
"Strong enough to knock a troll backward."
She added another line.
"Retractable spikes."
"Pull the lever…"
"…and the shield becomes a punch full of blades."
Jay's eyes shone.
That was when Sienna leaned over the table.
"By the way, Taiga… I have something to tell you about Jay—"
Instantly, Ethan, Elenya, Marcus, and Emanueru covered her mouth.
"IT'S NOTHING!" they shouted together.
"MMMF! IT'S IMPORTANT!" Sienna tried to scream.
Jay turned white.
"IT'S NOT IMPORTANT!!!"
Taiga crossed her arms.
"…What exactly did he do?"
Ethan laughed far too nervously.
"Nothing! Jay stuff. Jay being Jay."
"Stop talking," Marcus whispered.
Taiga sighed.
"You're the worst liars in this entire game."
A few hours later, she called them over.
The shield was different. Heavier. Metallic lines pulsed with orange energy.
"Name it."
Jay planted the shield on the ground.
"Aegis of Retaliation."
"Now that's more like it," Taiga smiled. "Go on. And try not to break it."
From the back of the workshop, she shouted:
"AND I HEARD WHAT YOU SAID, ETHAN!"
Marcus and Elenya laughed.
Sienna crossed her arms, staring at Jay.
"So, big guy… gonna test it, or are you going to stare at it like a newborn baby?"
Jay took a deep breath.
"There's a clearing near the portal."
Sienna was already walking.
"Perfect. I want to see that shield blow someone up."
Emanueru whispered to Marcus:
"She definitely hasn't gotten over Kaelyn."
"She never gets over anything," Marcus replied. "She just turns it into evolutionary hatred."