Chapter 12

'What luck!' Lucas thought as he examined the item. He picked it up for closer inspection. The Bracer of Six Arms had six circular stone slots on top. It was made of steel, although the specific type remained unknown to him. Certainly not iron, and probably magical steel. Unfortunately, EO couldn't provide information about the materials, which was a bit disappointing.

"Sir, how much does this cost?" He asked the shop owner.

"It is 50 Margs." 

A quick note about the currency. The Maguza Kingdom utilized a currency known as Margs, presented in the form of paper money. To put it into perspective, 50 Margs was equivalent to 4 or 5 average-quality dishes. For broken or failed magical items, the price seemed reasonable enough since it would end up as an accessory anyway.

Lucas made the purchase and immediately wore the bracer. Immediately, he could sense his mana vibrating, establishing a connection with the bracelet. He used EO and saw the change in the description.

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<Name: Bracer of Six Arms (Activated)< strong>

Type: Magical Item — Bracelet

Grade: SSS rank

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Description: The Bracer of Six Arms is a magical item forged and once owned by Tier 7 Archmage Poldansius. However, the bracelet lacks the six stones that empower it fully. Without the stone, the Bracelet's only abilities are to empower the wearer and track the stones' locations. However, only those who have read the secret of Poldansius and inherited his legacy can use it. It can store mana and is able to last up to 1 day due to a lack of maintenance.

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First Ability: Empower the wearer physically by doubling their physical attributes.

Second Ability: Tracks the stones' locations 

Third Ability: Locked

Fourth Ability: Locked

Fifth Ability: Locked

Sixth Ability: Locked

Seventh Ability: Locked

Eight Ability: Locked

Ninth Ability: Connected with EO, allowing EO to utilize the second ability of the bracelet.>

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Lucas could feel the change on EO, feeling a subtle tug toward the locations of the stones. Unfortunately, they weren't in this shop, but one of them was nearby, likely in another store or stall.

'This is nice, but let's check the others,' he thought. Unfortunately, the rest of the broken or failed products held nothing special or remarkable. If only he possessed advanced skills in enhancing and repairing such items, then he might be tempted to purchase them. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case.

Seeing there were no more interesting items among the broken ones, Lucas proceeded to purchase the other magical items. A necklace for protection, a ring for his mana regeneration, and another ring to provide a sense of danger.

"Brother, why did you buy that bracer? Isn't it just a failed product?" Liliya asked once they left the store.

"It is, but doesn't it look unique?" Lucas showed the bracer on his arm to her with a grin on his face.

"Eh, it looks normal to me. You're weird, Brother."

Lucas shrugged. Explaining why he bought the bracer would mean he also had to reveal EO to his family, and Lucas wasn't prepared for that. Perhaps, he would tell them in the future, but not at the moment.

'Now, where is the stone?' Lucas scanned the surroundings and noticed a brown-colored light on his right side.

'That side….. is it in the regular market?' Lucas thought. He should have expected this. The individual who discovered the stones might perceive them as nothing more than ordinary, much like the shop owner considered the bracer a failed or broken product. Unfortunately, he couldn't immediately head to the regular market. To avoid raising suspicion, he decided to spend some time exploring the magical market first before making his way there.

'No…. Mother might already have suspicions, but she hasn't questioned me. She understands that I wouldn't buy something that looked worthless unless I knew its value.' Now, Lucas wasn't confident about concealing the truth if his mother inquired about his reason. 'Ugh…. I will cross that bridge later.'

After browsing around the magical market and buying other essential materials, they finally made their way to the regular market and the store where the stone was located.

The stone was within a pawn shop, and Lucas quickly identified it. It was a brown-colored gemstone crafted into a round shape with a flat bottom.

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<Name: Stone of Earth (Deactivated)< strong>

Type: Magical Item—Gemstone

Grade: A rank

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Description: A component of the Bracer of the Six Arms. This brown-colored gemstone signifies the manipulation of earth elemental magic in a vast variety. To utilize its power, it needs to be affixed to the bracer.>

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"Why are you buying this gem?" Liliya frowned, puzzled by her brother's antics.

"Watch." Lucas placed the brown gemstone into the slot on the bracer. "It fits, right?"

"So you just want to decorate it?"

"Yes, but not just any ordinary gem. They need to be special in my eyes."

"Hmph, whatever," Lilya huffed, not bothering to understand her brother's explanation.

Meanwhile, Lucas sensed the connection, and one of the bracer's abilities was unlocked.

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<Fifth Ability: Enables the wearer to summon an arm made of solid earth or other minerals. It also enhances wearer's elemental magic.>

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'Sweet! But too bad, I can't use magic,' Lucas sighed inwardly. 'Also, does the summon count as direct magic? If so, then I might not be able to use the stone's power at all.' 

If that was the case, the stones would only function as accessories until he managed to dispel the curse.

'Since the brown gemstone represents earth magic, then the rest must symbolize other elements. Red for fire, blue for water, green for wind…. That's already four. What could the other two be? Lightning? Or perhaps the classic dark and light elements? But what if the other two aren't elements? Am I assuming too much? No, why am I assuming? I just need to check the records!'

"Hey, Brother! What are you thinking?" Liliya interrupted his thoughts.

"Nothing much, just thinking about what kind of stones I want for the remaining slots," he replied with a smile. Now, do you have any recommendations on where we should go?"

"Hmph! Finally, you asked! Come! I'll show you!" 

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*****

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The three Harrens concluded their tour with dinner at a restaurant. Upon returning to the hotel, Liliya immediately went to sleep after lying down on the bed.

"Lucas," his mother called.

"Yes?"

"That bracer—" 

Lucas' ears perked up, and he swallowed his saliva, preparing to answer the question that he had been waiting for.

"—is special, isn't it?"

"Yes," Lucas nodded. "And so is this stone."

"I see…. Will you tell me about it?"

"Umm…. It is in the book…. Biography of Poldansius, he mentions having a bracer with six stones on it." He decided to lie but also tell the truth in a twisted way.

"He mentioned that?"

Lucas nodded. The biography did mention his bracer in a proud manner, but there wasn't much explanation about it aside from its physical appearance.

"When I saw this bracer, it reminded me of Archmage Poldansius' bracer. When I touch it, I feel my mana flowing to it. Then, when I wear it, I can sense the locations of the stones."

"So that is why you went to the pawn shop after awkwardly looking around," his mother nodded in understanding.

"Er... am I that obvious?" Lucas inquired, sweatdropped.

"Not really, but to experienced people, they can see that you are eager for something and just faking yourself," she replied. "And I am quite experienced in human behavior," she finished with a smile.

"But, son, where are the locations of the other stones then? Are they here, too?"

Lucas shook his head. "No, in this city, I only sensed one. The rest are out there... I can't exactly pinpoint their location unless I am close to it, but I know the directions of their location."

"That will be difficult then. We can't just assume they are in the city or someone possesses them," she commented, and Lucas agreed. If the stones were in the possession of someone else, then they could narrow down their search to cities, towns, or villages. But if they were buried in the ground like treasures or lost, then they might be anywhere. If only they knew how the bracer and the stones got separated, then they might be able to narrow their locations too.

'Wait….' Lucas realized something was amiss. "Mother, are you trying to help me to get them?"

She tilted her head. "Isn't that obvious? As a mother, I will help my children. On top of that, this is the bracer owned by Poldansius, which is basically a treasure itself. That aside, can anyone use the bracer?"

Lucas hesitated but decided to take off the bracer and give it to his mother. She took it and wore it on her left arm.

"I feel nothing...." she murmured, giving the bracer back to Lucas. "Can you use its ability?"

"I think I can, but I don't know whether they are registered as direct magic or not."

"If it is capable of storing mana then I don't think you need to be worried about it. Just charge enough mana and let the bracer use the stored mana."

Lucas nodded and directed his mana toward the bracelet. However, due to his abysmal amount of mana, he could only charge it that much. It required several minutes of rest and charging before he managed to bring the bracer to an adequate level.

With his eyes closed, Lucas extended his hand to the bracer and invoked the power of the brown-colored stone. Sensing the mana within the bracer depleted, he observed something manifesting on its surface. When he looked up, he saw a brown-colored arm resembling earth on the ground.

"It must indeed be his," his mother commented. "Poldansius' Six Elemental Arms— fire, water, earth, wind, light, and dark. He only summoned them thrice. Against two fellow tier 7 mages and against the Beast of Nuvadeer, Akonla."

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