Lunar Legacy: Rise Of The Beastlord-Chapter 289: Shroud of Whispers

Jayden sat at his desk, the dim glow of his desktop screen casting shadows across his face. After leaving Cassandra's house, he'd returned home… but made sure to stop by the park to complete his daily quest. Now, he was back in his room, doing some research.

Outside his window, the city lights twinkled in the darkness—peaceful, oblivious to the chaos churning inside him.

He couldn't stop thinking about Cassandra's face. The hurt in her eyes. The finality in her voice.

His hands clenched into fists on the desk.

He needed a distraction. Something—anything—to redirect his spiraling thoughts before they consumed him completely.

His gaze drifted to the corner of his vision where a system prompt stood before him.

[Shop Points Available: 2,000,010]

Jayden had been ignoring the system shop for weeks now. Not because he didn't want to use it, but because he'd been waiting. Making sure he spent his points wisely rather than impulse-buying the first shiny thing that caught his eye.

But tonight… tonight he needed something to focus on that wasn't Fred Walker's knowing eyes or Cassandra's broken expression.

"Alright," he said mentally. "Open shop."

[Opening System Shop…]

The familiar interface materialized in his vision—a sleek, holographic display organized into neat categories:

<Shop>

[Consumables]

[Weapons]

[Armor]

[Artifacts]

[General Items]

[Skills & Abilities]

But something was different.

Jayden's eyes narrowed as he noticed sections that had previously been greyed out and locked were now fully accessible. The weapon, armor, and artifact tabs glowed with a soft golden light, no longer dimmed by restriction overlays.

"Finally," Jayden breathed, a spark of genuine interest cutting through his foul mood. "About time."

[Looks like you hit the level threshold] Luna's voice echoed in his mind, carrying a note of approval. [These sections must have gotten unlocked when you reached Level 16. Congratulations on not dying before you got here]

"Your confidence in me is inspiring," Jayden muttered, but he was already selecting the Artifacts tab. It sounded more interesting than the others.

The screen shifted, and suddenly dozens—no, hundreds, of items scrolled before him, each accompanied by detailed descriptions, buffs, and price tags that made his 2 million points seem suddenly less impressive.

Jayden leaned forward, his analytical mind immediately cataloging and sorting.

-----

[Artifacts- Legendary Tier]

The first section was populated with items that seemed to pulse with their own inner light, even through the holographic display.

[Cloak of Nyx -

*Description:

A shadowweave mantle said to have been torn from the goddess of night herself. Grants the wearer enhanced stealth capabilities, allowing them to blend seamlessly with shadows. In complete darkness, the wearer becomes virtually undetectable to both technology and enhanced senses. Moderate resistance to psychic intrusion.

*Stat Boost:

+20 Agility, +10 Perception, +5 Defense

*Mythological Origin: Nyx, the primordial goddess of night, was said to have woven this cloak from the fabric of eternal darkness. Even Zeus feared to cross her threshold.

*Price: 850,000 SP]

Jayden's finger hovered over the description. A cloak that made him invisible in shadows? It was an artifact that granted advanced invisibility. That could be useful. Very useful.

He made a mental note and kept scrolling.

[Mask of Anansi -

*Description:

Crafted from the chitin of the great Trickster Spider's molt. This mask obscures the wearer's identity completely—not just physically, but mystically. Facial recognition software fails. Memory retention of the wearer's features becomes hazy in observers. Minor enhancement to strategic thinking and pattern recognition.

*Stat Boost:

+30 Charm, +5 Stamina

*Mythological Origin: Anansi, the spider god of stories and wisdom, was known for wearing many faces. This mask was said to be his favorite, allowing him to walk among mortals without ever being remembered.

*Price: 400,000 SP]

Jayden's heart rate picked up slightly. A mask that made people forget his face? That was… that was perfect for what he might need in the future.

He bookmarked it mentally and continued browsing.

[Gauntlets of Ares -

*Description:

Battle-worn gauntlets forged in the fires of war itself. Grants significant boost to physical strength and impact force. Each successful strike builds a "War Stack" that increases damage output. Maximum 10 stacks. Stacks reset upon taking damage.

*Stat Boost:

+50 % Increase in Strength, +40 Defense

*Mythological Origin: Ares, god of war, was said to have worn these during the siege of Troy. Each punch could shatter castle walls. Each strike could break divine shields.

*Price: 1,200,000 Points]

Luna purred. [Now this is something fit for a brute fighter like you] she chuckled.

"It's tempting," Jayden murmured, "but not quite what I need right now."

Then he continued scrolling.

[Boots of Hermes -

*Description:

A replica of the Winged sandals blessed by the messenger god. Grants enhanced movement speed, reduced stamina consumption during extended running, and the ability to make impossible directional changes mid-sprint without losing momentum. Cannot grant true flight, but allows for brief moments of air-walking.

*Stat Boost:

+200 Speed, +150 Agility, +20 Stamina

*Mythological Origin: Hermes, swiftest of the gods, used these to travel between Olympus and the mortal realm. It was said he could outrun even his own shadow.

*Price: 950,000 Points]

Jayden paused. Speed was always valuable. But something about these felt… redundant with his Lycan form's natural speed boost.

He moved on.

[Artifacts - Epic Tier]

The next tier down was more affordable but still carried significant power.

[Shroud of Whispers -

*Description:

A hooded cloak woven from magic silk and nightshade. Muffles all sound produced by the wearer—footsteps, breathing, even heartbeat. Particularly effective in urban environments. Limited durability—tears and burns reduce effectiveness.

*Price: 280,000 Points]

Jayden's eyes lingered on this one. Combined with the Mask of Anansi, it would make him a ghost. Untraceable. Unidentifiable.

[Aegis Pendant -

*Description:

A small bronze shield pendant that can expand into a full-sized shield when activated. Provides protection against energy-based attacks and can absorb one fatal blow before shattering. Single use, then becomes inert.

*Price: 500,000 Points]

"One-time use for half a million points?" Jayden scoffed. "I think I'll pass."

[Come on, it's not that expensive] Luna urged [Besides, it's an Epic grade item. That's like… super cool]

Henry scoffed. "An artifact that I can only use once is definitely not cool," he muttered. "Heck, it doesn't even grants me any form of stat boost."

[That's because only Legendary Tier Artifacts can affect stats] Luna explained. [Unlike weapons and armors that always grant additional stat, artifacts are mostly focused on the skills they possess. Increasing stats is not their primary function]

Jayden hummed. "I see," he murmured. "That explains why the Epic Tier cloak didn't have any stat boost."

[Indeed. Although they are some rare and exceptional Epic grade artifacts that possess the ability to increase certain stats]

"Oh," Jayden chuckled. "Now, that would be cool."

[Yeah, yeah. Whatever] Luna rolled her non-existent eyes.

Jayden turned his attention back to the screen and kept scrolling.

[Oracle's Eye -

*Description:

A crystalline monocle that enhances perception. Allows the wearer to see heat signatures, detect lies through micro-expressions, and identify weak points in structures and opponents. Prolonged use causes severe eye strain.

*Price: 520,000 Points]

Interesting, but Jayden's Dragon Eye ability already covered most of that territory.

[Are you going to actually buy the goods, or just keep passing them?] Luna jeered.

Jayden shrugged. "I guess I haven't found any item that suits my current needs."

Luna scoffed. [And what exactly are your current needs?]

Jayden chuckled. "You'll see," he said, then continued scrolling down the page. He switched tabs, curious about what protective gear the system had to offer.

[Armor- Legendary Tier]

[Nemean Chestplate -

*Description:

Forged from the hide of the Nemean Lion, this armor is impervious to conventional weapons. Bullets, blades, even low-tier energy weapons cannot pierce it. Provides no protection against blunt force trauma or suffocation.

*Stat Boost:

+50 Defense, +10 Strength

*Mythological Origin: Heracles wore the Nemean Lion's pelt after slaying it as his first labor. No weapon forged by mortal hands could pierce it.

*Price: 1,400,000 Points]

"Over a million points for something that doesn't even stop a good punch," Jayden muttered. "No, thanks."

[Okay, I admit that one is a bit… uncool] Luna giggled. [But keep scrolling, I promise you'll find something nice] 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Jayden moved his gaze lower, his eyes landing on the next option.

[Raven's Mantle -

*Description:

A dark, feathered coat that seems to absorb light. Provides moderate physical protection while enhancing agility and reaction time. The coat's feathers can harden defensively or soften for mobility. Self-repairing given adequate rest time.

*Stat Boost:

+50 Agility, +20 Speed, +30 Defense, +10 Perception

*Mythological Origin: The Morrigan, Celtic goddess of war and fate, was often depicted as a raven. This mantle was said to be woven from her own feathers, shed during the carnage of battle.*

*Price: 680,000 Points]

[Now that's more I like it] Luna said in excitement. [This one is flexible, and it wouldn't slow you down. There's no way you find this unimpressive]

Jayden chuckled. He couldn't deny it. The coat was perfect in many ways. Not to mention cheap for its function. He added it to his mental shortlist.

After exploring the list of Armors the system had to offer, Jayden decided to move to another section… Weapons. He hesitated over the weapons tab before selecting it. He wasn't particularly weapon-focused—his claws and raw power usually sufficed—but options were always good.

[Weapons- Legendary Tier]

[Gungnir's Echo -

*Description:

A spear that never misses its mark once thrown. Returns to the wielder's hand after impact. Can pierce through most conventional armor and energy shields. Requires attunement period of 7 days.

*Stat Boost:

+20 Strength, +5 Perception (Optic Accuracy)

*Mythological Origin: Odin's spear Gungnir was said to be so perfectly balanced that once thrown, it could not be stopped or dodged. This is a lesser echo of that legendary weapon.

*Price: 1,800,000 Points]

"A spear that never misses sounds great until you remember I fight things that can tank a direct hit," Jayden said dryly. "I'll think about it."

[Ugh!] Luna groaned. [You must at least like something. I even thought you liked spears]

"I do," Jayden said flatly. "That's why I said I would think about it."

Luna sighed. [You are impossible]

Jayden shrugged and kept exploring. He went through the descriptions of multiple weapons… from Daggers, to Energy Rifles, to Swords. And eventually, he found one that piqued his interest.

[Kusanagi Blade -

*Description:

A legendary katana capable of cutting through nearly anything. The blade ignores conventional durability—if it can be cut, this sword will cut it. Enhanced sharpness, self-sharpening edge, and slight increase to wielder's speed while drawn.

*Stat Boost:

+10 Defense, +20 Speed, +5 Strength

*Mythological Origin: The Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, one of Japan's three Imperial Regalia, was said to have been found in the tail of an eight-headed serpent. The blade could command the wind itself.

*Price: 2,100,000 Points]