novelraw Chapter 74: Where’s My Handsome Galaxy Sword?!
Chapter 74: Where’s My Handsome Galaxy Sword?!
After placing the Palm Fossil on the back seat of the car and shutting the door, Leon returned to the spot where he had found it and rejoined the three women.
This time, however, he didn’t just hurry along the path. Under the shade of coconut trees and along cactus patches, he began collecting fruits that had long caught his attention but had been inconvenient to gather before.
Unlike the coconuts scattered beneath the trees, the cactus fruit had to be picked directly from the plant. That meant Leon had to stand on tiptoe to reach them. The cactus’s sharp spines might be a defense for the plant, but for Leon, they were simply an obstacle.
Fortunately, he was nimble and had a good eye, so he managed to twist off the round fruits without pricking himself.
“Cactus Fruit (Fruit): The sweet fruit of the prickly cactus.”
These spiny, flower-tipped cactus fruits weren’t very large, but they were quite attractive. The spines were soft, yet still stung the hand, so the moment he plucked them, Leon slipped them straight into his System Backpack.
He also didn’t leave behind the coconuts that had fallen to the ground along the way. Still, compared to the occasional naturally dropped coconut, the bunches clustered high at the tops of the trees tempted him far more.
Climbing wasn’t his strength, and while cutting down the tree could avoid that problem, it would waste too much time. He decided he’d come back for those coconuts when he was alone.
“You’re back already? Pretty quick.”
When Leon rejoined the three women, they were resting in the shade to escape the scorching sun. Though the shadows spared them from direct sunlight, the desert heat still left beads of sweat on their faces.“Let’s make it quick. Staying outside too long isn’t pleasant.”
Seeing this, Leon suggested it to Sandy, who didn’t refuse. They all quickened their pace for the rest of the trip.
A few minutes later, Leon finally saw the stone pillar shrine he had been eager to visit. The area was barren of plants, with only three round stone pillars arranged in a triangle, standing tall in the sandy soil.
The pillars tapered upward, each crowned with a golden orb. Two thick circular rings encircled the upper half of each pillar.
Up close, Leon noticed the pillars were etched with intricate patterns. At first glance they looked like a child’s messy doodles, but a closer look revealed a mysterious, unique beauty.
“Many people have tried to take the gold orbs and rings from the pillars, thinking they were made of real gold. But no one has ever succeeded. Everyone who tried climbing them fainted the moment their feet left the ground and they touched the pillars.”
As a local, Sandy took the chance to share the tale.
“A curse?” Abigail immediately perked up at the idea.
“I’m not sure. The people woke up without any other symptoms—just a bout of dizziness,” Sandy replied.
Hearing there was no real danger, Abigail eagerly approached one of the pillars. But before she could act, Leon grabbed her collar and yanked her back.
“Don’t mess around. Sandy says there’s no lasting harm, but what if it’s a slow curse? Fine at first, then—bam!—drop dead later.”
After scaring her enough to make her abandon the idea, Leon released her.
Ignoring Abigail’s resentful glare, he walked to the center point between the three pillars.
“I feel… an odd pull. It’s like these pillars are calling to me.”
The three women stared at him in surprise.
Of course, Leon felt no such thing. He just needed to set the stage for the next part—offering the Prismatic Shard in exchange for the Galaxy Sword. Without that, how could he possibly fool them later?
“They seem to want something. And I think I’ve got it.”
Continuing his act, Leon reached into his pocket and drew out the Prismatic Shard—actually retrieved from his System Backpack.
The moment the shard appeared, an irresistible force radiated outward from him. The three women, who had been within the pillars’ range, were pushed outside the triangle. They weren’t harmed, but they couldn’t step back into the pillars’ zone.
Leon, the only one unaffected, was captivated by the shard in his hand. Already dazzling in color, it now began to glow on its own. The red, yellow, blue, purple, and green lights blended together until only a pure violet glow remained.
The light was bright but not blinding—thankfully, or Leon might have gone blind. At the same time, he felt the shard’s shape change in his grip—from a block into something long and narrow. But the violet glow obscured his view.
When the glow finally faded, Leon felt the weight in his hand lighten significantly. Then he saw what the shard had become.
“What the hell is this? Where’s my Galaxy Sword?!”
Instead of the Galaxy Sword he had expected, he held what looked like a forty-centimeter watermelon knife.
Yes, a watermelon knife. The same type famously used by Hua Qiang for splitting melons. A single-edged, elongated blade, the kind that would be considered a restricted weapon.
The only difference was that this one was entirely violet, with a hilt that fit perfectly in Leon’s grip.
“Galaxy Watermelon Knife (Level 12 Blade): 40–60 damage, +6 speed, +3 critical hit. Special trait: Extend-Retract.”
The System Prompt popped up with the stats. The damage was impressive, with added attack speed and crit rate. In-game, this would be a top-tier, well-rounded weapon.
On top of that, it had a unique trait—Extend-Retract.
He hadn’t tested it yet, but from the name alone, Leon could imagine it. Like the Monkey King’s staff, able to grow or shrink at will.
But that wasn’t the point. The point was the name—Galaxy Watermelon Knife! No matter how grand the “Galaxy” prefix sounded, pairing it with “watermelon knife” made it feel tacky and low-class.
Compared to the Galaxy Sword, Galaxy Dagger, or Galaxy Hammer—proper, intimidating weapons—a watermelon knife felt like something for street brawls, not monster-slaying. Holding it, Leon couldn’t shake the feeling that he looked less like an adventurer and more like a thug out collecting protection fees.