Harem Online: My Party Is Full of Beautiful Celebrities-Chapter 55: Spear

Once Martin finished his report to Cassandra Selfmore about his and his party’s contribution to the guild, he sent it straight to her and looked at the screen with a wide smile. Reports usually drained him, but this time, he had genuinely enjoyed writing it all down: their findings, his theories about what the blue crystal could mean for the entire academy, and everything else.

His passion had flared back to life, and Martin could barely wait to log back in.

After a shower and a meal his mom had made, he dove back into the game world.

The familiar scenery of the Forest Hidden Monster Hunter Academy unfolded before him. With fewer players around in the early morning and more NPCs out and about, the place felt less like a crowded game hub and more like a living academy already moving without him. Martin called Ao Tenshin out of her dimension pocket and settled her on top of his head.

"Enjoy this spot while you can," Martin said with a chuckle.

Ao Tenshin let out a faint growl.

According to other NPCs, Ao Tenshin would eventually grow so massive she could rival a small island. Martin still had trouble picturing it.

Players raising a pet into something that enormous, something that could stand as a territory in her own right, sounded less like normal progression and more like the kind of late-game rumor people passed around with shining eyes. Even so, the thought of Ao Tenshin growing that far made his grin widen.

That would be fun to see.

"I want to level up too," Martin mused aloud. "Maybe we should finish this week’s runs and finally leave the academy to grind some levels. Having lots of unique skills and items is great, but level is still level, right?"

Ao Tenshin let out a softer squeal, as if she agreed.

"Yeah, it’s not just you who can evolve. The same goes for us. With enough levels, I can branch out from the Guardian Class, take a path fewer players choose, and eventually build my own class. Damn, I really want to level up soon."

He glanced at the corner of his vision.

None of his friends were online yet. Their names stayed dim and quiet, waiting for later. Real life had them tied up for now, so the four of them would not be able to meet until the afternoon.

Martin opened his inventory.

Besides the two kinds of blue crystals, one formed from the crystallization debuff on his skin and the other excavated from the throne room, the crystal spear still rested inside. He meant to sell it to Cassandra Selfmore today and split the profit between himself and his teammates.

That was the sensible choice, yet his eyes still lingered on the spear for a second longer.

He did not want to use it, or even take it out and attract unnecessary attention, but Chaosgraphy’s words kept circling back in his mind. He could learn different weapons to pair with his shield.

He could become the kind of tank who did more than plant his feet and take hits. He could adjust, adapt, and answer whatever kind of fight the game threw at him.

That would make him far more dependable. And, if he was being honest with himself, a lot more attractive too.

"We’re going to your favorite spot," Martin said.

Ao Tenshin squealed with joy.

She knew exactly what he meant. The river where she had first spread her wings had clearly claimed a place in her tiny heart.

She had ruled it like a River Queen, splashed around like it belonged to her, and even pulled a prank on him there, which made the place memorable for more than one reason. Robert and his partner in crime, Scunko, were there too, though Ao Tenshin cared far more about the river itself.

Martin smiled and started down the familiar path. He meant to do his part of the deal, hand Robert a heap of blue crystals for new blueprints, and ask for a favor while he was at it.

Before long, the turtle-shaped smithy came into view, crouched by the riverbank like some old iron beast basking in the heat. Fire mushrooms glowed around it in orange clusters, their light mixing with the hotter pulse of the furnace inside. Even from outside, Martin could feel warmth leaking through the seams of the place, and the air already smelled of iron, soot, and heat baked so deeply into the walls that the whole smithy seemed to breathe.

He walked past it first and crouched by the river.

Ao Tenshin wasted no time. The moment he set her down, she slipped into the water with a delighted splash and vanished beneath the surface like she had been waiting for this all morning. A second later, her head popped back out farther ahead, and she let out a smug little squeal as if to remind him that this stretch of river was hers now.

Martin snorted.

She circled once through the water, leaving a rippling trail behind her, then flicked her tail hard enough to send a playful splash in his direction before diving again.

"I trust you not to leave me behind!" Martin shouted after her.

Another splash answered him from farther out, cheeky enough to sound like a promise she had no intention of keeping.

Chuckling, he turned on his heel and headed for the smithy.

He knocked on the steel ring four times, just like Rangar had done before.

Robert’s voice boomed from inside. "Get in! Ohhh! Martin! How’s the warhammer?"

The heat hit Martin the moment he stepped in. It wrapped around his face and arms at once, dry and heavy, carrying the sharp tang of worked metal and the rough bite of ash.

The furnace roared in the back, throwing restless orange light across the turtle-shaped interior. It was too hot to be comfortable, but that was part of the place’s charm. Robert’s smithy never felt dead; it felt awake.

"Great," Martin said with a chuckle. "I came to do my part of the deal and ask for a favor. You got an empty chest?"

"Yep!" Robert called back at once.

The blacksmith strode toward one of the many chests tucked into the corner, moving through the heat like it was nothing. He looked completely at home in it, broad grin, easy energy, and all. There was no complaint in his voice, no suspicion either. Just the same warm, ready welcome Martin had come to expect from him.

Robert flipped open the empty chest and propped the lid in place. Martin stepped up beside him and opened his inventory.

A crack split the air above the chest, and a flood of high-quality blue crystals came pouring down in a bright, clattering avalanche.

Robert jerked back half a step.

His eyes widened. "Damn!"

The sound drew Scunko out almost instantly. The little fire skunk popped up from near the furnace and stared at the crystal downpour with round, bright attention. His tail flicked once, then twice. Very few things, or people, could pull his focus away from the flames for long, but this spectacle clearly managed it.

Crystal after crystal piled into the chest until the whole thing glittered like a hoard stolen from some underground king.

Robert stepped closer again the moment the last few crystals settled. The surprise on his face shifted fast into something warmer and sharper, the look of a craftsman already imagining what his hands could do with all this material. He bent slightly, picked one crystal from the top, and turned it toward the furnace light.

"Oh, this is beautiful," he muttered, and that quiet line somehow carried even more excitement than his shout had.

Scunko planted his paws on the edge of the chest and stretched up to sniff at the pile. He made a tiny, sharp noise, then looked at Robert as if demanding to know why they were not already making something out of it.

Martin smiled despite himself.

Martin glanced at Robert. "Could I borrow a level one spear?"

"Yeah! You trying to master every weapon?" Robert asked.

He did not hesitate. He just hooked his boot under another chest and kicked it open like he was unveiling treasure. After rummaging around for a moment, he pulled out a long spear with a steel tip and offered it over.

It looked plain at first glance, but not crude. The shaft felt sturdy in Martin’s hand, the balance clean, and the whole weapon carried that practical kind of craftsmanship that did not need decoration to prove its worth.

Martin wrapped one hand around the shaft and tightened his grip. The difference hit him at once. It felt lighter than the warhammer and cleaner in the hand, trading brute force for control. Even the way he held himself shifted a little with it.

The warhammer always asked for weight, force, and commitment. This one asked for timing, spacing, and precision, and Martin could finally feel why someone would build an entire fighting style around a spear.

"I want to find the best weapons to pair with a shield and become more versatile, so I can adapt to any opponent, any hidden phase, anything."

"Haha! I like that resolve!" Robert laughed.

Scunko gave a sharp little noise from the side, as if he approved too, then hopped closer to peer at the spear in Martin’s hand.

Robert did not question the request or try to talk him out of it. He simply handed the weapon over like it was the most natural thing in the world for Martin to ask. Between that easy trust and Scunko’s curious inspection, Martin could feel just how welcome he was here.

He looked up at Robert. "Is there anything I should know before practicing with this weapon?"