“…”
Celes had been brooding about who knows what the whole trip, but we’ve finally made it back to Lif’el.
“We’re finally home…”
The haggard knight grumbles after knocking on Wayne’s door.
Rurika cheerfully answers the door but her expression sours after seeing Celes in her sorry state.
“She’s been like that ever since stopped by a village and lifted a curse.”
“Huh… more importantly right now though, go take a look at your grandpa.”
“What’s wrong?!”
Did his condition worsen?!
Sensing something amiss, Celes perks up and rushes inside.
In his room was the scene of Wayne striking a pose at us; his muscles glistening.
“Oh, welcome home! Somethin’ the matter?”
That’s our line! We were worried something happened to you, you old fart!
“Mu!”
Muu flexes too and begins imitating Wayne.
“… umm…”
We all turn our eyes toward Rurika.
“Since he hasn’t been able to work for so long, all of his pent-up energy is being unleashed all at once. Please, do something about him…”
That’s what it was? Jeez…
“So? What’d y’all bring home? I’ve come up with a few plans of my own too. I can work all night!”
… ugh. I wouldn’t have guessed that Wayne and Arleaf are related. He’s more like the proprietress—they’re both monsters br.i.m.m.i.n.g with energy.
“Uhh… in that case…”
We hand over all the minerals we got from slaying the ore monsters and from mining.
“Whoa! That’s quite the biggun you bagged!”
“Yeah, we couldn’t have taken down Safkrym without Celes, so save the best parts for her.”
“You got it. Now, stand back and watch my hammer sing, boy.”
After giving the mats a once-over, Wayne starts the work on our equipment.
Rurika—though exhausted from dealing with him—watches on with a tender smile.
Still, better to be too full of energy rather than how he had been before.
We head on over to the forge.
While Celes already had an idea what she wanted to get made, Wayne planned something good for us.
Everything’s been paid for already and our armor is finished too.
Elba Leather Coat (Toxic)
Quality: Legendary
Required level: 45
Bonus effects: Extreme Toxicity, Low Chance of Contracting Bloodflower or Dorimsvoyta, Magic Proficiency Increase (Medium), Water Resistance (Greater), Self-Regeneration, Cloaking, Camouflaging Skills Increase, Footstep Noise Reduction, Sensing, Curse Resistance (Medium)
The hides of Elbatoxin—whose toxins are still imbued within— Crocgator, and King Boss Rat are st.i.tched together to form this formidable piece of armor.
Drains Mana while toxins poison the user.
In exchange, all poison damage is maxed when this armor is equipped.
Tougher than the average metallic armor and grants user Self-Regeneration at the cost of Mana.
This magnificent work protects the user while granting the user deadly powers.
It’s called a coat, but it’s more like leather armor. The collar kinda looks like the frill on Elbatoxin’s neck.
Maybe he chose leather armor for me because my skills are quite Ranger-like.
It’s a huge leap from what we’ve been using up till now, eh?
At least it’s leagues ahead of my old Smoke Armor.
‘The toxic nature of the armor would not normally allow any other human equip it. But for thee, ‘tis nothing but a boon.’
It’s so toxic, it could transmit deadly diseases. That said though, I haven’t caught either of them yet.
Plus, I could use the Extreme Toxicity effect with my Poison Absorption to send my stats sky high.
I tried it on and I could feel the warmth of Self-Regeneration slowly seeping into my body.
And, it also slowly replenishes my stock of poison.
The only downside is that my natural recovery rate would be reduced. Still, it’s way better than my previous equipment all in all.
I feel quicker on my feet than ever before.
It’s just like the times where I had been in the poisonous swamp.
Of course, they drilled into me the fact that no one else must put equip this Elba Leather Coat.
The average joe would no doubt drop dead from putting this on.
I’m not sure exactly what it’s made of, but Arleaf received a beautiful set of robes. If I were to hazard a guess, it’s probably of a combination of Elbatoxin, wolf, and rat hides.
From a cursory glance, it doesn’t look that much different from what she had been wearing before though.
Wayne’s a blacksmith, right? All this sewing and st.i.tching must be Rurika’s handiwork then.
Elba King Leather Vestment
Quality: Superior
Required level: 55
Bonus effects: Poison Resistance (Medium), Miasma Resistance (Medium), Magic Proficiency Increase (Greater), Magic Correction, Casting Time Reduction (Lesser), Voice of the Soul (Miniscule)
The hides of Elbatoxin—whose toxins have been thoroughly removed—and other monsters have been cut incredibly thin and sewn together for this combat-ready dress.
Drains Mana to repel poison and miasma, making gas masks redundant in light miasma.
However, the voice of the dead would be ever so slightly perceivable to the user. In exchange, it grants the user resistant to dark magics.
Allows user to slightly drain Mana from the souls of the departing.
The description is giving me real bad vibes. Will Arleaf really be okay equipping this?
She said that after trying on the dress, these… triangular things would swarm onto her.
That’s probably images of the King Boss Rat’s last moments, I’m guessing.
Completing her set is a new staff.
It’s a simple staff with a crystalline object affixed to the top of it.
Elba Lens Rod
Quality: Superior
Required level: Base level 50
Bonus effects: Magic Proficiency Increase (Medium), Dark Magic Proficiency Increase (Medium), Magic Attack Increase (Greater), Magical Accuracy Increase (Medium), Familiar Proficiency Increase (Medium)
Low chance of bacterial magic activation under normal attacks.
This staff uses the lens of Elbatoxin’s eyes as a catalyst.
Elbatoxin is really making himself useful after his death.
It was a huge pain in the a.s.s, but I guess the useful mats redeems it.
‘This is proof of the blacksmith’s skills… but never had I thought his work would be this splendid. Even in my h.o.a.rd, I have nothing that can hold a candle to these treasures.’
Such high compliments from a connoisseur like you, Veno?
Well… the Smoke Armor you gave me was pretty good too, wasn’t it?
Not to forget, the stuff you gave me in the beginning was for easy to use for novices; of course, it’s going to be a huge difference.
Oh, and since Muu is a Warrior, it got a helmet and a cuira.s.s made of metal.
It must’ve been tough making armor to fit them.
But it’s not like we haven’t tried stuffing him in regular armor though.
‘Forget not that Muu is a Myconid. In the past, I have seen before a Myconid in the shape of a particularly muscular human.’
Will Muu evolve into that? Despite sounding selfish, I would much rather Muu stay the way they are now.
‘Thou art being difficult for Muu… ‘tis not such a bad thing to become muscular, is it?’
Isn’t it?
And suppose that Muu will naturally evolve, will it really become like that?
‘Let us worry about it when it happens.’
Right. He grew out of some mold on my robe.
I think Muu still has that robe.
I remember seeing it use it as a mat to sleep on top of.
In any case, Wayne seemed to have made all of that while we were out on our trip.
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