Chương 52: Stelan

I wake up, only to be subjected to pain. My head aches, my ears are ringing, and it feels like my body has been bruised just about everywhere. Of course, it isn't actually, this is just the result of such a long crafting session. With a groan, I manage to get up off the floor and lean against the wall. That was a very bad position to sleep in, if my back is any indication. But this is a great opportunity to check all of my notifications, of which there are a couple.

'Ding', Magic Smith has advanced to level 40. Stat points distributed.

'Ding', Skill acquired, [Steel Form (Common)]'Ding', New blueprint formed, Medium glintsteel armor (excl. Gloves and boots)'Ding', Skill upgraded, [Fundamental Forging (Common)] -> [Initiate Forging (Common)]'Ding', skill upgraded, [Fundamental Mana Imbuement (Common)] -> [Initiate Mana Imbuement (Uncommon)]'Ding', Notice: Tools of The Trade quest rewards available (normal boon, greater boon) The pleasure at seeing so many upgrades and such somewhat offsets the pain.

Checking the clock, I figure it has been about ten days. I would guess the crafting took about six days, with a four day recovery period. Though without Luma's help, I bet it would've taken far longer. I would give her some headscratches, but she is currently sleeping very cutely in the window. I am shocked to have only gained a single level. Maybe I have just been spoiled by how fast I have been leveling. This is probably normal, now that I think about it.

After all, it isn't like Stelan was a particularly powerful piece. It was one well within my means and skill to make. I am not complaining about a level up of course. Any bit of extra power is nice. I throw the unallocated stat points right into wisdom to boost my mana capacity. That domain stuff showed me that I am going to need far more if I want to do anything too fancy. Like making any armor better than Stelan, for instance. Speaking of Stelan, I pull out the suit of armor and set it on my bed.

Then I inspect it, to see just what sort of result I ended up with. Stelan (Common) A set of medium armor forged by the Magic Smith Orn, to be worn by himself in battle. The armor has been forged with only the protection of its wearer in mind. As such, its defenses are the best that can be expected of its base material, glintsteel. As a side effect of the material, the armor improves the effectiveness of all light magic cast by the user. On top of that, the materials used have resulted in additional effects.

When mana is channeled through the chestplate, it provides a minor regenerative effect. Additionally, at a much higher cost, this effect can be used to repair the armor, as long as the central orb remains. The helmet provides immunity to drowning, and protects the head significantly from water based attacks. In addition, the horns are very pokey, and might be useful for stabbing things. The leggings embrace the concept of light in its most primal form.

While worn, they make the wearer slightly harder to detect visually. In addition, they can light up a small area when infused with mana. Most interestingly however, is the armguards. A strange mana-absorbing stone has been used in their forging, giving them the power of magic nullification. Any magical effect that hits the armguards will have its potency cut in half if at apprentice tier or below. The effect is negligible against higher tiers.

Imbuements: Apprentice magical nullification, Initiate Light Conductance, Initiate Glimmer Veil, Initiate Regenerative Plating, Initiate Drowning Immunity, Fundamental Water Resistance Penalties while worn: -5. 4% Agility, -3. 2% Endurance Requirements: 150 Vitality, 75 Agility, Endurance 50, level 30 in any class Now, I am no expert in the equipment of this world. But I think that is pretty damn good. Guess all that prep work paid off massively. The self repair and magical nullification alone would be massive.

But add all that other stuff on, and I fail to understand how it is only common. Then again, no one really understands how the system gauges rarity. Sometimes it makes sense, but at times it boggles the minds of even the most scholarly scholars. I am practically shaking with excitement as I put the armor on. It takes a bit of fiddling around, as it has been several years since I have worn proper armor. But the knowledge hasn't left me, yet.

I could just put it on with the system, but that would feel weird to do, at least for the first time. There is just something satisfying as I slide into the armor, and feel it hold me nice and tight. It is like a metal blanket, covering me, and protecting me from all that would do me harm. Master, do you always have such relationships with your equipment? Dovey asks. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. I fail to see what you mean. This is perfectly normal.

Ah, right, of course it is. How could I ever question you of all people, master! Maybe this stupid bird isn't as stupid as I thought. If he too can understand the satisfaction of slipping into new armor, then we might be destined to be fast friends. Perhaps I should make him armor of his own. Wait, would that make it hard for him to fly? It would have to be super light and flexible…

"Yip!" A fluffy ball crashes into my chest, and I fall backwards onto the bed with a thud. Yet not a single bit of damage! Mostly because it is a bed, but I must attribute a small part to my fancy new armor. I give Luma a few headscratches as she tries to find a comfortable spot to sit on my chest. Guess metal isn't the most comfortable to sleep on… Now that I think about it, I won't have a hood while in armor. So where is Luma going to sleep? I panic as I realize the true cost of this new armor.

It is not the agility and endurance penalties. But the fact that Luma will have to stay in my phylactery as we travel. Luma pokes my cheek with her nose and stares me in the eyes.

"Yipp-yi.. p!" She says, and I somehow get the sense that she is saying 'it is fine'. Also maybe something about 'because you will be safer'? I am wondering at what point I get a skill dedicated to speaking to foxes. Perhaps it is only Luma I can understand, though. At that thought, Luma seems to get a bit jealous and demands even more headscritches. While doing that, I focus back on the other notifications. I got a new skill, as well as some upgrades to my forging and imbuement ones.

Guess that means I am like, not half bad now. Definitely no longer a newbie. As for the new skill, it is very interesting. [Steel Form (Common)] Your body is weak. So reforge it, remake it in the image of the truest material of them all: Steel. For a small activation cost, change the composition of your body at a foundational level. Your skin becomes strong enough to stop a dagger. Your bones are strong enough to support an entire building.

Rumor also says that your blood is sharp enough to pierce the hides of your enemies. Effect: While active, your agility is cut by thirty percent, but all defenses are doubled. This effect applies triple to any worn metal armor. The upkeep is small, but do be aware that the effects take a moment to apply upon activation. Upon deactivation, you will also retain the agility penalty for one quarter of the time the skill was active.

"Hmm." The words escape me before I can stop them. Luma gives me a weird look before licking my hand in the cutest way possible. The skill does seem useful and it is very clearly meant for me to use. What with the extra bonuses to armor that I just so happen to have acquired moments ago. The agility penalty is a bit more than I would like, but I can see the skill coming in handy nonetheless. It does feel like the system is a bit confused about me though.

First I got that trait for being reckless in close quarters combat. Which would lead more into being fast and not getting hit. But this skill is far more tanky, plus I do have quite a lot of vitality. Maybe it is the system trying to tell me to be adaptable? That would make sense, monsters in this world are quite varied. Normally that would be countered by using a party, but It is going to be hard for me to make allies in a long-term capacity.

What with all the hero-ness, my extended lifespan, and the ridiculous danger associated with the whole saving the world thing. So I guess I just have to be versatile. Oh, and rely on the spirits I befriend along the way, as Luma reminds me with a playful nip. With the skill and armor and whatnot out of the way, there is one notification left. One reminding me about the quest rewards I may have forgotten about. You know, the ones I got when I forged Luxmore… I was totally going to remember to select those sometime.

You see, it was all a part of my grand strategy. But seeing as the system notified me, I might as well select them now. I get offered the same picks. So for the lesser boon, I pick knowledge. As for the greater boon, well, I pick the enhancement boon. Seeing how the market and such works in this world, I don't think it makes sense to pick the materials option. After all, I can either just find information and hunt for them myself, or just sell some random stuff to buy what I need.

Sure, I could get a really rare item or something. But what I lack is raw power, and that just so happens to be one of the options. I debated picking knowledge for both, given how useful the rewards from last time seemed. But I figure I have already had a large influx of knowledge lately, between the books and my more practical experience. The lesser boon's reward comes in the form of one of those crates. I waste no time opening it, and find a compass inside. I identify it, naturally.

Locator Compass: Lost Relic of Valdir (Legendary) The echoes of a lost relic of a lost civilization call to this compass. Follow it, and you shall find a treasure like no other. Do be wary though, as such relics tend to attract many powerful monsters. Well that is vague as shit. Guess knowledge doesn't always come packed in convenient crystal form. Plus it was only a lesser boon, so it makes sense I would have to put in some work to attain the knowledge.

Thus, I put the compass in my storage and shove the problem into my 'later' drawer. Now as for the other reward, well it is far simpler, yet far more powerful.

'Ding', Greater enhancement boon acquired: +50 to all stats. Okay, like, what the actual fuck?! I knew it would be powerful, but fifty points in all of my stats? That is three hundred and fifty points total! Honestly, I expected it to be a bit weaker, maybe give me some other sort of upgrade. But I guess the enhancement boons are just raw stat boosts, as crazy as that is. Of course, I am not complaining. That is a lot of extra power, and I can notice it already.

Like, my secondary stats just increased by around fifty percent. I guess there is a reason why quests are normally really rare. Us heroes have it really lucky, I suppose. Enough musing about and hiding in my hotel room. Now it is time to put all these upgrades to good use. By smashing things, of course.