Chương 76: Cosmetics

Gozen and Gray spent a solid ten minutes navigating the halls of the Forge. The sheer number of branching corridors had transformed the place into a genuine labyrinth.

"Why did you build this place like a maze?" Gray asked as they entered yet another identical hallway.

"We've passed more than fifty workshops, and we're still not there."

"Exactly." A proud grin spread across Gozen's face.

"I designed it so visitors are forced to walk past as many smiths as possible before reaching their destination. Casinos use the same principle—they bury the high-roller tables in the back and pack the entrance with slot machines." He shook his head, feigning shame at his own brilliance.

"It gives every craftsman an equal opportunity to be noticed." Gray tilted his head. The logic made sense—it reminded him of supermarkets placing milk at the very back so customers had to pass dozens of shelves, and potentially buy things they never intended to. Still, this felt excessive. A man clad head to toe in gleaming golden armor strode past them, holding a tracking device at chest level nearly identical to the one Gray had used during the Guild Wars, his attention completely fixed on its screen.

Gozen jerked a thumb over his shoulder.

"That gentleman just placed a commission and received his alert device. It doubles as a navigator to help him leave the building, but it's also linked to whichever smith accepted his order. Once the equipment is finished, the tracker guides him back through the labyrinth and straight to the workshop."

"Wouldn't potential customers just get annoyed and never come back?" Gozen gave him a flat look.

"Where else are they going to go?" Gray's mouth rounded before he reluctantly nodded. Fair point. A few turns later, they finally reached a dead end, where a lone reinforced door sat flush against the back wall. Gozen marched toward it and tapped the tablet mounted on the door, pulling up the reservation schedule. A flashbang of red light immediately washed across his face—the display showed a solid wall of booked slots. He swiped downward. And kept swiping.

Gray watched for nearly thirty seconds before the first green availability box finally appeared. The first available slot was exactly a year out.

"A one-year wait?" Gray stared at the screen.

"How the hell did you get a reservation?"

"About that…" Gozen grabbed the handle and pushed open the door. A black sneaker came hurtling toward his head. A foot before impact, white energy flashed across its surface, and the harmless shoe instantly transformed into a heavy black-steel greave. Clang. The metal slammed squarely into Gozen's jaw. Before the greave could strike the floor, another pulse of light swept over it, transforming it back into an ordinary sneaker.

"Good to see you too, Esther," Gozen groaned, rubbing his stinging jaw. A woman sat cross-legged in the middle of the workshop, her profile turned toward the doorway. In one corner, a forge burned beside an anvil and several heavy hammers, but her actual workspace was buried beneath a sea of fabric—hats, gloves, shoes, shirts, and trousers covered the floor in an oddly organized chaos.

A white beanie sat snugly over her head, with long brown hair spilling down her back, and black-rimmed glasses framed a pair of sharp eyes. Despite the oppressive heat pouring from the forge, she seemed committed to a strict winter aesthetic: a thick orange scarf, a diamond-patterned knit sweater, heavy sweatpants, and plush cat slippers. Gray barely registered any of it. His attention locked onto the object hovering in front of her—a half-finished shoe floating in midair.

Esther held both arms raised at an angle like a conductor directing a silent orchestra, two glowing, ethereal needles darting around the footwear and weaving threads of pure light through the material with precise, rapid movements. Each pass drew another seam closed until the pieces blended together so cleanly that Gray could barely tell where one ended and the next began. Name: Esther Moore Class: Seamstress Level: 30 Rank: Kaiser"What do you want? I'm busy."

Esther's tone was stern, though the natural softness beneath it suggested she was usually far warmer.

"Well, you see," Gozen began, "there's something I was hoping you could fix." He pinched the collar of Gray's tattered Nimbus Robe and gestured for him to take it off. Gray quickly shrugged out of the ruined garment.

"All reservations are handled through the tablet outside," Esther replied with the exhausted cadence of a customer service worker who had repeated the same line a thousand times. She slowly turned toward them.

"You can pay the expedite fee, but the wait will still be over six months—" Her gaze landed on the shredded robe. Esther's eyes widened. The ethereal needles weaving through the suspended shoe vanished instantly, and the half-finished sneaker dropped to the floor with a soft thud.

"What did you do to my robe?" She shot to her feet, stormed across the workshop, and ripped the garment from Gray's hands. Esther unfurled it and inspected the damage. Through the massive hole torn through the back, Gray could clearly see the horror twisting her expression.

"This is how you treat it? After stealing it from me?"

"I thought you said it was a gift," Gray whispered, leaning toward Gozen and shielding his mouth with one hand.

"It was practically a gift." Gozen folded his arms, a smug, nostalgic smile spreading across his face.

"I won it fair and square."

"I stand by what I said!" Esther snapped.

"You expect me to believe you went all-in on a three-seven offsuit without some kind of contingency? You cheated! Whether it was through that shady class of yours or some under-the-table deal with the dealer, I know you did!" Gozen gave an unapologetic shrug.

"You're the one who folded pocket queens. You did it to yourself." He clapped Gray on the shoulder.

"The System stripped the robe from me and gave it to the boy anyway." Esther's glare snapped toward him. Gray offered a stiff, polite nod.

"I'm sorry about the robe, ma'am. I tried to preserve it with a Legendary Repair Anvil, but I guess it got unlucky with its new owner." He gave her an awkward smile. Esther froze. Beside him, Gozen slowly shook his head.

"You…" Esther murmured.

"You wasted a Legendary Repair Anvil on this? A Common-tier robe?" She snapped the garment toward his face for emphasis. Gray nodded cautiously. Esther pinched the bridge of her nose and stared up at the ceiling.

"I would've repaired this for you a thousand times over in exchange for that artifact. That anvil is worth nearly a million Quants. More if you find a desperate buyer."

"A-a million?" Gray stammered, his gaze darting between the two Kaisers.

"As in… a million dollars?" Gozen and Esther nodded in perfect unison. Gray cringed internally. Sure, if the robe hadn't saved him during the fight against his shadow clone, he would be dead—in that sense, the trade had been worth it. But if he had to put a literal price tag on his own life? A million bucks felt excessive. Maybe a thousand, tops. Probably less. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

"Well, no use crying over it now." Esther tossed the ruined robe back to Gray and marched toward her workstation.

"I have a commission to finish. I'll repair it, but you'll have to make a reservation like everyone else." Without looking back, she made a dismissive shooing motion over her shoulder. Gray's shoulders sagged.

"Draconium chestplate," Gozen said.

"I'll forge it for you." Esther stopped dead in her tracks. She slowly pivoted on one heel and stared at the blacksmith, her eyes narrowing to slits.

"You're lying. You swore you'd never make one for me because you knew I'd turn it into a cardigan." Gozen's gaze drifted aside. He cleared his throat into his fist.

"If it means you'll prioritize the Nimbus Robe, I'm willing to set that grievance aside." His mouth tightened.

"Although I'd still prefer it if you didn't desecrate my work." Esther marched straight back to Gray and snatched the robe from his hands.

"I'll reshape the chestplate into a T-shirt if that makes you feel any better." She turned toward her workstation.

"Give me ten minutes." Gozen released a defeated sigh and slowly shook his head. Gray, however, broke into an eager grin.

"Thank you, guys!" Esther dismissed him with a wave and returned to her workstation, pointing toward a pair of chairs pushed flush against the wall, silently ordering them to sit. Once they settled in, Gray turned to Gozen.

"How exactly does Ms. Esther's power work? Is she a tailor or a blacksmith?"

"Both," Gozen replied, leaning back in his chair.

"Like I mentioned earlier, every blacksmith has a primary class. Hers is Seamstress. She's reached Kaiser Rank in both classes, and don't let the name fool you—Seamstress isn't limited to stitching things together." He mimed looping a thread around someone's neck and pulling it taut.

"It's equally capable of severing them apart." Gray grimaced at the demonstration.

"The reason she's in such high demand," Gozen continued, "is her ability to transform armor into casual clothing. The Nimbus Robe is a perfect example." He raised his voice toward the seamstress.

"Why don't you show the boy?" Esther grunted without looking up. A second later, white energy engulfed her clothes. When the glow faded, her cozy winter attire had transformed completely—her beanie had become a hood, while the orange scarf now flowed down her back as a long cape, its end pooling against the floor. Her sweater and sweatpants had reshaped themselves into the layered pieces of a flowing cloak.

Another pulse of white light swept over her, and the armor instantly reverted to her comfortable winter clothes. Gray let out an impressed hum.

"It's like cosmetic skins." A faint smirk tugged at Esther's mouth as she turned her attention back to the robe. She raised both hands, lifting the crumpled Nimbus Robe into the air. The garment unfurled and stretched taut before her, invisible forces smoothing every crease from the fabric. Two ethereal needles materialized beside it, each trailing a wispy strand of glowing silk that extended about a foot before fading into nothing.

The needles darted through the air with effortless precision, weaving in and out of the cloth. Torn edges drew together beneath their passing, and threads of light stitched the ragged holes closed one after another. Gray watched with gleaming eyes.

"So, are all of Esther's creations Evolution items?" Gozen shook his head.

"No. There's only a small chance for the Evolution tag to appear during the crafting process. The higher your Blacksmith Rank, the better those odds become." Gray hummed thoughtfully.

"Okay, then how do you increase an Evolution item's rarity?" Gozen winced.

"That process is a little disheartening. To evolve, the item has to consume other pieces of equipment. Naturally, feeding it higher-tier gear accelerates the process." Gray swallowed and slowly nodded. For the next several minutes, they watched Esther work in silence. The needles flew around the suspended robe while the garment steadily rotated, presenting each damaged section in turn. Tears vanished beneath glowing seams. Frayed edges knitted back together until not a single blemish remained.

With one final sweeping stitch, the ethereal needles disappeared. The Nimbus Robe was whole again, looking exactly as it had on the day Gray first put it on. It drifted gently downward and settled into Esther's waiting hands.

"Is it fixed?" Gray asked, his voice jumping in pitch as he sprang from his chair. Esther nodded.

"It wasn't difficult. It's still at the Common rarity, after all." She extended the pristine robe toward him. Gray hurried over and reached for it. The instant his fingertips brushed the fabric, the robe tore itself from Esther's hands, zipped over her shoulder, and hid completely behind her back. Esther's eyes narrowed.

"How badly did you abuse this thing for it to react to you like that?" She reached behind herself, wrestled the robe back into view, and handed it over. Gray rubbed the back of his neck.

"Honestly, it probably deserves a better owner. I got into a lot of trouble during the competition." He cradled the robe carefully in his hands and brushed his palm across the restored fabric.

"Can you forgive me?" he whispered to the garment. Instantly, the robe sprang from Gray's hands. This time, it settled into its rightful place, draping neatly over his shoulders. Gray gave the fabric an affectionate pat. Esther fixed him with a scrutinizing stare.

"Tell me that's not how you've been wearing my creation."

"Uh… it is," Gray admitted. Esther released a long, exhausted sigh before snapping her gaze toward Gozen.

"Did you seriously not teach him how my cosmetic armor works?"

"It slipped my mind." Gozen scratched his cheek.

"We had more pressing matters to cover." Esther shook her head.

"In its disguised state, the armor still offers protection, but its durability is significantly reduced. You've been fighting in the cosmetic form this entire time. No wonder it fell apart." Heat crept into Gray's face.

"Focus your intent on the word Equip, the same way you would when activating a Skill," Esther instructed.

"The robe will shift into its true form." Gray nodded and concentrated. Equip. The Nimbus Robe fluttered. Its fabric swept around Gray's body, circling faster and faster until the white cloth became a blur, then constricted around his torso, snug but not suffocating. Gray flinched at the sudden pressure but forced himself to remain still. The binding sensation traveled downward, wrapping tightly over his stomach, hips, and thighs before finally cinching around his ankles.

He winced at the sudden mummification and drew a slow breath, trying not to panic as the fabric sealed around him. A white energy flared across his body. The material shifted and reshaped itself, conforming perfectly to his frame, and the oppressive pressure gradually eased until the armor felt almost weightless. When the light faded, an entirely different piece of equipment had taken the robe's place. Mist Carapace [Common] [Evolution] [Armor] Serves to protect the bonded.

The sleek white suit clung flush to his body, formed from overlapping, delicate, scale-like plates. Along the edges, translucent wisps drifted freely, swaying like strips of thin paper caught in an invisible breeze. Gray ran a hand across his chest. His fingers passed straight through the floating ridges as though they were made of mist. The solid layer beneath them, however, felt unexpectedly soft—almost like silk beneath his palm. His brow furrowed. Could something this delicate really stop a blade?

"You're wondering how something so soft could possibly protect you, aren't you?" Esther asked, catching his skeptical expression. Gray glanced up.

"A little."

"This is the Mist Carapace's true form," she explained.

"It becomes far sturdier when properly bonded to its wearer rather than absorbing damage on its own, because your body helps disperse the force of the impact." Esther folded her arms.

"The armor will only survive if you work with it as a partner instead of expecting it to bear everything for you. Are you willing to do that?" Gray gave her a firm nod.

"I am." Esther grunted.

"It's woven from the bark of aether trees. The material is designed for comfort, but it also cushions and disperses kinetic force. It's one of my finest pieces." She dabbed dramatically beneath one eye, wiping away an imaginary tear.

"It definitely feels comfortable, but also… weird." Gray patted his arms and chest, still adjusting to the skintight fit.

"I've never worn a full bodysuit before. It'll take some getting used to." He glanced down at himself, then tugged awkwardly at the material near his waist.

"I think I'll keep it as a robe for now. How do I change it back?"

"By willing the word Unequip, obviously." Esther smirked.

"Obviously." Gray returned the smile. Unequip. The carapace flashed bright white. A second later, the armor shifted back into the familiar robe. Only this time, the fit was completely different. The bulky, oversized garment had shrunk considerably, now tailored perfectly to his frame. Where the sleeves had once swallowed his hands, they ended neatly at his wrists with just enough room to move comfortably.

The rest of the robe followed the contours of his build without clinging too tightly, while a pair of drawstrings hung loose at the waist. Rather than tying them, Gray shrugged the robe off and draped it casually over his shoulders. Gozen immediately shook his head.

"You don't possess the Knight Class, boy, so stop wearing it like a cape." He lifted the garment from Gray's back, spread it open, and gestured for him to put it on properly.

"Besides, just because nobody else can equip it doesn't mean some thief can't rip it straight off your shoulders." Gray obliged, sliding his arms through the sleeves. Gozen turned him around, adjusted the collar, then pulled the drawstrings tight and tied them into a crisp bow.

"Like master, like disciple," Esther remarked, her gaze shifting between their matching white robes. Once everything was secured, Gray checked the item's status. To his surprise, the name still read Mist Carapace —it hadn't reverted.

"Is the Nimbus Robe name gone for good?" Gray asked. Esther gave a short nod.

"My creations can't carry two titles at once. It inherited the name that best reflects its true purpose." She clapped her hands together.

"Now, if you ever need to restore its durability, I'd recommend simply evolving it to the next rarity. Equipment fully repairs itself when it ranks up, similar to how an Awakened heals after leveling." She pointed at him.

"But if you desperately need repairs before a major expedition, you can come directly to me." Esther summoned a sleek alert device from her spatial ring and tossed it across the room. Gray caught it against his chest.

"No reservation required," she added. His eyes lit up.

"You'd really do that for me?"

"Well…" Esther slowly shifted her gaze toward Gozen.

"That depends on how good of a job he does on my chestplate." Gozen waved the concern away.

"You have nothing to worry about." He clapped Gray on the shoulder and turned toward the door.

"Now, let's go get something to eat."