Chương 60: Chapter 58 – Armor Variants.

"How does it look?"

"Hm… not bad…"

"It would have been better if it didn't look so boring…are you sure that we couldn't""We're not adding any horns or spikes Aburdon."

"Killjoys the both of you!" Two orbs of light, one white and the other black, floated around an armored suit. Rusty, the owner, looked different than usual since almost all his parts had been replaced. His body had lost much of its symmetry and was now fully made of iron. All areas that might reveal the hollow interior were covered by a combination of cloth and chainmail, making it look more like something a human would wear.

"That was the point. The humbler it looks, the better. No one will bat an eye at him now."

"I'll need to get used to this…" Rusty felt strange with the material stuffing out his body. There was chainmail along with thick blue fabric covering his joints and emerging from under his waist. His helmet had also been altered to include quite thin eye slits, much smaller than those on his old one. The main plan was to use the possession skill initially to get through the first stretch, but he wasn't planning on keeping it up forever.

He wasn't sure if he would be able to fight in the same fashion with someone inside his body. The increased weight could probably slow him down. Aburdon informed him it would be like controlling a flesh puppet, but Rusty wasn't quite sure what that entailed. This marked the first time he had altered his helmet design. It had been a strange feeling throughout, different from replacing all his other parts.

First, he needed to transfer everything directly into his stash tab and pull the parts towards his main status screen. After being exchanged, his body and limbs were replaced almost instantly as they popped into this world. On the other hand, his helmet remained in place, and instead of being instantly replaced, it shifted around to fit the new design. The metal bent into the form he had created, and his monster core never lost its connection to the body.

"The chainmail isn't as constricting as I thought it would be… but I won't be able to use my skills with this shell."

"If someone realized that your armor is made from Twilight Iron, they could get suspicious." Responded Alexander while hovering around Rusty's head. Twilight Iron had a slightly lighter tint than regular iron, and any blacksmith could tell them apart. At this point, Rusty didn't have any way of masking the material his body was made of. This meant he wouldn't be able to fully utilize his elemental skills, though his hands could still channel this power.

In difficult moments, he could use his skills, but he wouldn't be able to use the rest of his body parts. Fortunately, this space provided a lesser version of iron, which he used to create his armor. Creating armor from regular iron weaponry wasn't necessary as he could just use the ones he received from the adventurers, which also included superior steel weaponry. Weeks had passed, and Rusty had grown accustomed to the constant work.

The continuous, rigorous forging sessions had paid off, and the iron shell he now inhabited felt quite adequate. It was made from lesser metals but was thicker than his previous form. The added weight provided more stability but reduced his agility. He realized this after a battle in the training chamber, which opened his eyes to new possibilities. He could create variants of his body and use them depending on the situation. If he faced a sturdy opponent, he could produce a more reinforced frame to match them.

If someone was too fast, a lighter form with flexible joints could help him win the battle. Inspired by the centaur's armored body, Rusty realized he wasn't as limited to this body shape as everyone had assumed.

"Oh, what are you doing there?"

"Just testing something out…" Rusty had been stuck crafting for close to the time limit of his previous stay in the Soul Forge. Time was potentially running out, but luckily he had been able to fashion the basis for his new plan. With some potential time left, he decided to experiment with the joints and metallic limbs to measure the limits of this body of his.

"That joint will snap off if you make it like that… What about the elbow protection?"

"Who decided that I need an elbow?"

"Huh? What do you mean?" Alexander responded in surprise as Rusty examined an adjusted link to his forearm. Humanoid creatures had joint limitations in their elbows and knees. The living armors in the dungeon mimicked this appearance and had the same limitations.

"Just look at this!" Rusty presented his arm to Alexander. The usual elbow joint had been altered and replaced by something resembling a ball joint. With this structure, he could bend his entire arm back to nearly a ninety-degree angle. No normal human could bend their arm back without breaking it, but with this adjustment, Rusty had almost unlimited range of motion in this joint.

"It looks kind of floppy… I'm not sure if you can use that without altering your wrists to turn with the elbow movement…" The hero was intrigued. He had faced monsters that moved their limbs at odd angles, but those limbs weren't usually holding swords or using techniques dependent on the human form. While this type of movement looked interesting, Alexander wasn't sure if it could be used effectively in battle.

"Well… it's still not finished! And it doesn't need to only be used for battle either." Rusty imagined creating a centaur form for himself without changing through regular evolution. Even if he couldn't fight in such a form, beasts were usually faster than humanoids. He could use such alterations to boost his capabilities to escape or perhaps to hide. Creating a smaller form with limbs capable of grappling was also possible.

Inside the library, he had seen many types of interesting creatures he had never met, and it seemed his crafting journey had only begun. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Rusty's focus shifted as he examined the various designs and configurations he could create. The freedom to modify his form provided endless possibilities, each adaptation potentially offering new strengths and advantages. His excitement grew as he continued to experiment.

However, creating something resembling a centaur body within the Soul Forge wouldn't be easy. It was a difficult form to shape, and first, he would need to see how easy it was to control multiple limbs. At first, he attempted cutting a hole in his backplate to connect one of the arms he had from the other living armors. It wasn't as easy as he had thought; the arm kept falling out, and his body didn't accept it as a part. It seemed that the new limbs would need to be remade from the ground up to integrate properly.

Perhaps his project to have four arms would need to wait.

"Let's try something a bit different" Rusty said, grabbing some metal plates and starting to forge a new piece. His idea of creating additional limbs would need to wait as he was running out of time. All the weapons had been made, and his disguise was as good as it could ever get. Instead, he could focus on creating two other shells fit for different extremes.

"What are you thinking?" Alexander asked, floating closer.

"An alternate form, something more compact and stealthy. I want to see if I can create a smaller, more nimble version of myself. But that's not all!"

"Oh? Perhaps you are thinking about a form that is more defensive and robust."

"That's right! Sometimes the best offense is a good defense!" Rusty began shaping smaller, lighter plates, fitting them together to allow for greater mobility and speed. He crafted joints that could swivel and bend in multiple directions, envisioning a form that could slip through tight spaces and move silently without generating as much noise as his previous body.

"How about this, Rusty?"

"It looks like a snake."

"Indeed!" Aburdon proved useful in this endeavor, as his schematic-creating capabilities continued to improve. He could take an idea from Rusty and present him with some designs. Then Alexander, who knew more about crafting, could correct these designs. The process was a collaboration that played to the strengths of each participant. They played around with concepts of bodies that lacked an upper body or had insect legs.

Rusty only needed his head to survive, so attaching a small base with just limbs to propel him forward would allow him to crawl through small openings in walls and dungeons. The tunnels the ants had used would be possible to navigate with a form like that. Such a form wasn't actually that difficult to make as he just needed to alter his helmet and include smaller legs to it. The experimentations continued, and time ticked by as Rusty fashioned a new frame for himself.

This one was slimmer, with longer upper limbs than usual. It was designed with agility in mind and more reach. The armor was light, made of thinner but sturdy plates, and the joints were modified to allow for silent movement. The torso was divided into segments, which in theory would allow him to contort in various ways during combat or while moving. Escaping in this shape would certainly be easier, and reaching platforms where he could hide would also be more feasible.

This armor's hands included claws that could dig into hardened walls for better grip, and the feet were designed similarly. Soon after, the focus shifted to the creation of Rusty's defensive form, designed to withstand powerful attacks and provide unparalleled protection. With Alexander and Aburdon's combined knowledge, a plan was quickly made, and the crafting process started.

"This one will be the opposite of the previous form: heavy, durable, and with maximum coverage." Rusty said while hammering an ingot of Twilight Iron into shape. Alexander, as before, kept watch over him and offered tips whenever needed.

"Make sure to reinforce the joints and double-layer the chest plate. The key is to distribute the impact across the entire surface."

"Don't forget to make it look imposing. What if we add some sharp teeth to the head this time around? You could bite your enemies to death!"

"Just stick to simple designs. Rusty isn't ready yet," Alexander said, scrutinizing the overzealous designer who couldn't grasp the limitations of the current Soul Forge and its current blacksmith. The chest plate was reinforced with additional layers of iron, and the joints were protected by overlapping segments to ensure high defense without compromising too much flexibility. The helmet was designed with a narrow visor and had become flatter.

Rusty could envision ramming people with it, so to Aburdon's approval they decided to add a horn onto the top. The horn, however, wasn't too extravagant. It was simple yet functional, giving Rusty a weapon that could be used in close quarters without impeding him too much. Alexander explained that having such modifications could backfire and one good hit to the horn could send his head flying. The rest of the body followed the same principles: robust and practical.

His legs were reinforced with thicker plates, and additional knee guards were installed to prevent any joints from being easily targeted. The final step was to ensure the pieces fit perfectly together. Rusty took his time moving the parts into his inventory. With them there he could switch out into the iron forms and test them both out. This armored form was heavier, and moving around in it felt similar to the time he spent in the swamp area.

His feet were sluggish but the added weight would not allow his body to be tipped over even without using the weight skill. His slimmer form felt almost exactly the opposite of his usual build. It was lighter and quite nimble, but it likely couldn't withstand as much damage. With these changes in movement, Rusty began to wonder if these forms directly affected his stats.

After confirming, he saw a notable change: the larger, defensive form reduced his agility stat while increasing his vitality, whereas the slimmer, agile form did the exact reverse.

"Interesting… I wonder what forms would increase the other stats, could I be able to increase my intelligence or dexterity?" As Rusty continued to work, he felt satisfied but also somewhat restless. There was not much time left and he could feel the end coming. The Soul Forge was giving him strange signals as if time was almost over. Fashioning these two armor variants would be the most he could do and even then, he wasn't sure if they would be any superior to the pre-fashioned body he would be given.

The moment Rusty finished with his tests, the Soul Forge began to tremble with a strange energy. It was pushing him toward the center of the Forge where the three bodies stood before him. At this moment, he still had the option to change forms, and the bulkier demonic one felt particularly enticing. However, after more than a month of crafting, he realized something: his true form didn't matter as much as he initially thought. He had the ability to fashion his body into whatever he pleased with his own hands.

The most important thing was to keep those skills alive. Looking at the hands of the other two bodies, he knew it would be a challenge. The demonic armor had bulky, clawed fingers that would likely reduce his dexterity, while the centaur form would risk knocking everything over within the crafting chamber.

"Thanks for the help."

"Sure, see you on the other side Rusty, just call when you need something."

"Just call me instead of the hero, we all know that I have more knowledge than him!" Responded Alexander and Aburdon while watching the end of this process nearing. From their point of view, the essence of Rusty was seeping into the middle-sized armor in the middle and when it ended, the bronze shell crumbled into dust. Once that concluded, the middle iron armor started vibrating and shone brightly before vanishing from within this space.

The two remaining forms then turned to nothingness as if they were never there to begin with.

"There he goes."

"Yeah…" The two balls of light were left behind in this space devoid of light. Once the owner was gone they were able to roam without being impeded. The Soul Forge remained in eerie silence, save for the occasional clink of stray metallic fragments settling into place. Aburdon and Alexander, now alone, floated amidst the remnants of Rusty's final moments in the forge"Well, that was something, tell me, hero, do you think we'll ever get out of this place?"

"I don't know… but …"

"I see, so you're still clinging to some hope~" Aburdon replied in a teasing tone while floating away toward a previously closed chamber. Within was a rather small space with a large ornate orb in the middle. Once there, an image appeared on it, one representing the passage Rusty had previously been in.

"What will our little monster friend do to entertain us today…"