Becoming a Regalia Owner

As I was leaving, I noticed something that shouldn't be there. It was a short sword with a blade seemingly made of red stained glass and a rich dark brown leather hilt stuck in the ground. Which is strange as boss rooms are instanced, so they should always be the same. Every boss room is a carbon copy of every other, and there should not be a knife there.

While picking up a suspicious sword sounds like a bad idea, my instincts were telling me the sword was as much a part of me as my arm.

<Acquired Regalia: The Devil's Right Hand>

"What once was a simple goblin's dagger has now ascended by blood, both friend and foe"

Provides an increase corresponding to bloodshed in melee damage, strength stat, endurance stat, but also bloodlust

When I picked it up the red sword, the pig iron sword that I have been training with for the past couple of weeks transformed into its twin, except the blade was blue and the hilt was light brown leather.

<Acquired Regalia: The Angel's Left Hand>

"What once was a sword has now ascended by focus and effort"

Provides an increase corresponding to sword skill in melee damage, dexterity stat, agility stat, precision, bodily control, and focus

I realized what these were, they were regalia. Some items could like adventurers ascend beyond their origin. They were rare as they had to be part of their user's legend or were deeply connected to them.

While these were fairly weak ones, they were virtually invincible outside of one condition. The only way to destroy them was to invalidate the purpose of their existence.

Regalia all had an innate purpose; a protector's shield regalia could become as strong as their conviction to protecting. If their conviction ever broke so too would the shield.

In a similar fashion, my swords were the embodiment of my two sides. If I was to ever give in to the beast, The Angel's Left Hand would break and empower The Devil's Right Hand. If I was to give up the beast to live alone in my head again, the opposite would occur.

Luckily the swords came with two brown leather sheaths corresponding to their hilts. which covered up their conspicuous blades.

After I was teleported out of the boss room, I arrived at the sixth floor. When I did, I was confronted by a thug wearing ratty clothes and reeked of alcohol. The only positive thing I can say about my first impression of the man was that he had a really cool hat.

It was a beautiful rich brown. It seemed universally applicable, both formal and casual. I really had to get one of those.

"Hand over 200 vali if you want to leave." (Unknown Man)

For context, a meal at a restaurant would cost about 15-25 vali.

"What if I want to leave and not pay?" (Nemo)

"Then bad things would happen." (Unknown Man)

"Oh, really?" (Nemo)

"Really." (Unknown Man)

"Let me think for a minute." (Nemo)

"What's there to think about? pay or get hurt." (Unknown Man)

"I'm thinking that I can't just beat you down and leave. You'll just come back with more force later when I'm not prepared." (Nemo)

"I'm thinking about what kind of man I am. You see the thing about me, is that I'm still figuring out who I am. I woke up in the woods not knowing. I'm thinking about if 200 vali and a hat is worth making this the day I become a murderer. If the cost I put on a life is 200 vali and a hat." (Nemo)

"I'm thinking if I'm a man that's going to back down to resolve conflict. Something is telling me that this decision is quite important." (Nemo)

"You seem awful confident in your victory." (Unknown Man)

"I am." (Nemo)

"If you kill me, you will never be free of the soma familia." (Soma Familia Member)

"Something tells me if I back down, I will never be free of this moment. Once I back down once, I will keep doing it. It will decide what kind of man I am. The coward or the killer. The man or the beast." (Nemo)

"Sounds like quite the choice." (Soma Familia Member)

"It is and I think I made it. I am the killer. The beast. At least in this moment I am" (Nemo)

You would think an experienced thug would see my attack coming, but I guess the alcohol and his laziness kept him from that. One swipe and his head left his shoulders. After I did a little bit of black appeared in my red blade.

<Regalia Strengthened: The Devil's Right Hand>