Chương 273: Armory of Drago

Vale leaned deeper into the couch, allowing his head to rest against the soft fabric as his gaze drifted upward toward the ceiling of Drago's office. The distant sound of waves crashing against the cliffs outside barely reached the room, muffled beneath layers of stone and ancient enchantments woven into the tower itself. For a few moments, he remained silent, genuinely thinking about the question Drago had asked him. What kind of equipment did he truly want?

Until recently, Vale had fought with whatever he could get his hands on. Survival had never left room for preference. A blade was a blade, armor was armor, and if either broke during battle, then he simply adapted. Yet things had changed now. He was no longer wandering blindly through ruins or barely surviving encounters with beasts stronger than himself. Now he had a role to play. A mask to wear. A name to create. And perhaps most importantly… a future to prepare for. Before he could answer, Drago spoke again.

"Just so you know," the old man said calmly from behind his desk, "you'll need a stage name for the colosseum. Something the crowds can identify you by." Vale's eyes shifted away from the ceiling.

"A stage name…" he muttered. The idea sounded ridiculous at first, yet strangely fitting. The masked warrior who had dropped from the balcony into the arena no longer entirely felt like himself. The moment he had put on the onyx mask, something about him had shifted. His movements, his confidence, even the tone of his voice had changed. Perhaps a new name truly was necessary. He frowned slightly, deep in thought. Korin eventually broke the silence.

"Maybe," he suggested carefully, "we should go to the vault first. I assume you have one for your equipment?" His gaze settled on Drago. The old man narrowed his eyes briefly before nodding once.

"Very well." He snapped his fingers again. The library shifted around them once more. Massive staircases folded and rearranged themselves with deep mechanical groans, pathways spiraling downward through the tower's immense interior. Vale opened his eyes fully and sat upright.

"…That would definitely help," he admitted before standing. A faint smile appeared on his face as he looked toward Korin.

"Thanks for the suggestion." Korin smiled back warmly.

"You're welcome." Drago rose next, though with considerably less enthusiasm than either of them. His shoulders slumped slightly as he started toward the staircase.

"Come on, you two," he muttered dryly.

"We've got shopping to do." Vale chuckled faintly at the old man's exhausted tone before walking after him.

"Of course, sir." Korin, however, remained seated for another moment, clearly uncertain whether Drago had actually intended to include him. Drago glanced back over his shoulder.

"Hey, big guy," he said flatly, "I was talking to you too." Korin blinked in surprise before quickly standing. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

"My apologies," he said awkwardly as he hurried after them.

"I didn't think I was allowed inside your armory." Drago rolled his eyes so hard it looked physically painful.

"You belong to the royal guard," he replied.

"Why wouldn't you be?" Korin scratched the back of his head awkwardly, clearly unconvinced. Vale noticed immediately and reached up, smacking Korin across the upper back as hard as he could manage, which, given their height difference, still wasn't particularly impressive.

"Don't worry about the old man," Vale said with a grin.

"He always talks like that." Korin looked down nervously.

"Should you really call him that?"

"It's fine."

"It isn't," Drago answered without even turning around. An awkward silence followed. Vale cleared his throat.

"Well… you don't exactly complain about it." Drago merely glanced back at him once before continuing down the staircase without answering. Eventually, the shifting pathways brought them to one of the middle floors of the tower. Unlike the open library above, this level was entirely sealed behind massive steel-like walls covered in glowing runic engravings. The atmosphere here felt different, heavier somehow, as though the very air carried the weight of the countless artifacts hidden within.

At the center of the chamber stood a single reinforced entrance. No windows. No visible weak points. Only an enormous vault door equipped with a complex locking mechanism. Vale's eyes widened slightly.

"So this is the vault?" Drago stepped forward toward the lock.

"Yes," he replied while entering the code.

"Quite secure. More than large enough too." Vale approached curiously.

"Sure," he said slowly, "but what happens if someone already knows the code? Couldn't they just steal whatever they want?" Drago rolled his eyes while undoing the final lock.

"We have our own guard for that." He paused before glancing back toward Vale.

"Turn around." Vale raised a brow before doing exactly that. At first, he saw nothing. Just the vast open library behind them.

"I don't get it," Vale admitted.

"There's nothing-" Something moved. Barely. A distortion in the air near the railing. Vale narrowed his eyes immediately. Drago smirked faintly before reaching into his pocket and retrieving a chunk of raw meat roughly the size of his hand. Without warning, he tossed it toward the empty space. The meat never hit the ground. Something invisible caught it. Vale's eyes widened as the chunk of meat slowly rose upward through empty air before disappearing entirely into an unseen mass.

Only now, knowing where to look, could Vale barely make out the faint outline of an enormous creature crouched near the edge of the library floor. Its body blended perfectly with its surroundings, warping light around itself so effectively that even focusing on it directly made details impossible to distinguish.

"Impressive, isn't he?" Drago muttered casually before pushing open the vault door. Vale stared at the invisible beast for another second.

"… Of course this place has an invisible monster guarding it," he muttered sarcastically before finally following the others inside. The moment he entered, he stopped entirely. The vault was enormous. Rows upon rows of weapons stretched endlessly through the chamber, each carefully displayed upon racks, pedestals, or sealed containers. Armor sets lined the walls like silent warriors standing at attention.

Ancient artifacts pulsed softly with strange energy from behind reinforced barriers, while rare materials and relics occupied entire sections of the room. Everywhere Vale looked, there was something extraordinary. Blades forged from black crystal. Spears crackling with lightning. Armor covered in glowing inscriptions. Even the air itself felt saturated with power. Korin had already wandered off, completely absorbed in inspecting nearby items with open fascination. Vale let out a low whistle.

"Quite the collection." Drago snorted dismissively.

"Kid," he said, "this isn't even half of it." Vale turned instantly.

"…What?" There had to be hundreds of artifacts here already. How could this possibly be less than half? Were powerful relics truly that common? Or had Drago simply spent decades gathering them one by one? Before Vale could ask, Drago waved a dismissive hand.

"No point standing around gawking. Pick something." Korin looked up as well.

"Me too?" Korin asked uncertainly while pointing at himself. Drago narrowed his eyes.

"Yes, you too." Korin's expression immediately brightened like a child being handed sweets.

"Thank you, sir." He bowed quickly before disappearing deeper into the vault with renewed enthusiasm. Vale chuckled softly before beginning his own search. For a long while, he wandered between the displays without settling on anything. Some weapons looked powerful but impractical. Others were elegant but too heavy, too decorative, or simply didn't feel right. Then he saw it. Vale slowed. At the far end of one section stood a suit of armor unlike anything else in the chamber.

Deep azure and onyx plating covered its surface, layered together in a way that balanced mobility and defense perfectly. Intricate lion patterns had been engraved into the chestplate and shoulders, giving the armor a regal yet predatory appearance. It was thick enough to withstand devastating blows while remaining streamlined enough for agile movement. It looked less like ceremonial equipment and more like the armor of a conqueror. Vale stepped closer. Something about it immediately resonated with him.

He could already imagine himself standing within the arena wearing it beneath the golden sunlight, onyx mask hiding his face while crowds screamed his future stage name from the stands. A grin slowly spread across his face.

"…Hey, old man." Drago looked over. His eyes immediately shifted toward the armor.

"It seems," Drago said calmly, "you've made your choice." Vale smirked.

"What gave it away?"