piratefiction Chapter 36 Rhodes' "Enchantment"
Chapter 36 Rhodes' "Enchantment"
"How does it feel?"
Avira was taken aback by Rod's question.
She tried rotating her shoulders, then did a large chest-expanding movement.
The heavy, restrictive feeling that pressed down on my body vanished into thin air. The steel plates were no longer a burden; they clung tightly to the original lining, creating a comfortable fit.
She stared incredulously at her hands, trying to jump in place, the sound of her metal boots landing becoming faint and short.
"Hey, take it easy!"
Rod was afraid that the woman would stomp a few holes in the ground, otherwise he would have to pay compensation to that stingy landlord.
"This is incredible!" Avira's eyes widened, her voice filled with undisguised astonishment. "It feels at least 30% lighter, yet the quality of the armor hasn't diminished in the slightest. This level of craftsmanship can only be compared to the high-grade pieces forged by the old blacksmiths in the capital using mithril!"
She paused for a moment, then used a fitting metaphor to describe the current value of the plate armor: "If it were taken to an auction house in New Bordeaux, those cowardly wealthy merchants would absolutely be willing to trade three top-of-the-line merchant ships for it."
This is not an exaggeration.
In this world, a set of mithril alloy plate armor is worth enough to buy the land deeds for half of Rust Harbor's outer city.
Rhodes achieved the same effect using only some unwanted bone scraps.
"This is just the beginning."
Ignoring her astonishment, Rod turned back to the messy long table, his gaze sweeping over the remaining materials.
Having decided to venture deep into the Darkwoods for his mission, he also needed to upgrade his weaponry to its current limit.
Rhodes picked up the paw pad that had been completely peeled off from the lurking cat demon's claws, channeled his mental energy, and guided a ball of dark blue light to slowly emerge.
Immediately afterwards, the light seeped into his finely crafted hard leather boots without any obstruction, as if being greedily devoured by the leather.
[Entry loading: Silent Stealth (Blue Excellent)]: Footsteps land silently, and movement creates a faint shadow, resulting in a visually blurred effect.
Immediately afterwards, Rhodes' fingers touched the basilisk's hard hide, forcibly extracting the toughness attribute contained within and incorporating it into the hard leather trench coat lining the chainmail.
The surface of ordinary leather develops a dull, oily sheen, making the texture rough and hard.
[Entry Loading: Petrified Skin (Blue Excellent)]: Upon impact, the skin instantly exhibits rock-like hardness, providing excellent deflection against puncture and cutting damage.
Finally, there was the jar of gel that was still slightly wriggling, like a living, breathing slime.
Rhodes extracted the essence and infused it into his own small, round steel shield.
The hard shield softened for a moment, ripples spreading across the steel surface before returning to its original state, its luster becoming even more lustrous.
[Entry Loading: Liquid Buffer (Blue Excellent)]: Gives the shield a soft feel under normal conditions, but hardens instantly when hit by a heavy blow, and can transmit and dissipate the impact force to the edge of the shield.
The series of "enchantments" flowed smoothly, and fine beads of sweat appeared on Rhodes' forehead—the price of high-intensity mental energy consumption in a short period of time.
The [Mental Solidification] attribute almost completely negates the negative effects of Dragon Blood, so it cannot provide him with any more mental energy.
Rod put on his modified boots and took two steps on the stone pavement.
The hard-soled leather boots felt extremely strange underfoot, the stone slabs felt like a thick, soft carpet.
The soft rustling of clothes completely disappeared as the invisible magical field swallowed up all movement.
"In the depths of the dungeon, silence is often more important than armor." Rhodes stamped his foot in satisfaction, raised the small round shield on his left arm, and gestured to Ivira, "Use the hilt of your sword and smash it down with half your strength."
Avira hesitated for a moment, but under Rhodes’s unwavering gaze, she drew her longsword and gripped the hilt in reverse.
The wind howled as the sword hilt struck the center of the small round shield.
The expected crisp metallic clang did not occur; instead, a dull, strange low hum was heard.
Avira felt as if her strength had been thrown into a lump of deep-sea clay; the impact dissipated instantly, and the recoil that returned to her wrist was negligible.
"I gave it a cushioning enchantment that can absorb most physical impacts," Rhodes explained casually, deliberately linking his abilities to general enchantments. "Plus, with your lightweight plate armor, your sustained combat capability has undergone a qualitative change. Remember, you are my sharpest sword and my strongest shield; don't easily break in those dark corners."
"Yes, my lord." Avira knelt on one knee, her eyes filled with awe.
The man before me not only possesses meticulous thinking, but also wields a forbidden power that can turn the rotten into the miraculous.
If this ability were to become known, Rhodes would likely become a highly sought-after experimental subject for various powerful factions.
I must protect Lord Rhodes; it is my duty as his loyal knight and guard, even if it costs me my life.
Vera silently swore again.
"Don't rush to pledge allegiance. We still have one last main course."
Rhodes turned around, his gaze fixed on the glass bottle containing the dark red residue, one of the legacies left by old Hansen—the remnants of the Potion of Painful Embrace.
Originally, Rhodes planned to turn it into a single-use alchemical poison gas bomb—that would indeed be a deadly weapon, capable of clearing out an area if thrown out.
However, he is now hesitant.
Making a bomb might solve a crisis, but it's tantamount to killing the goose that lays the golden eggs or draining the pond to catch all the fish.
[Soul Tear] is an "Orange Epic" level affix; why would you treat it like a one-time consumable?
This is like using a top-quality ruby to crack a walnut; the walnut will break, but what you'll waste is a priceless gem.
"If I want to establish myself in this world for the long term, I don't need fleeting fireworks." Rhodes had made up his mind. "What I need is a deterrent force that I can hold in my hands for a long time."
He drew the finely crafted longsword from his waist.
This sword previously had a blue attribute—[Tearful Edge]: Wounds it creates are difficult to heal and have a level 2 bleeding effect.
Rhodes took a deep breath, focused his mental energy, and held the glass bottle loosely with both hands.
"Stripping: [Soul Tear (Orange Epic)]".
As he gave the order, a ball of orange-red, almost black light was forcibly extracted, accompanied by faint shrieks, like the roars of countless wronged souls.
Avira instinctively gripped the hilt of her sword.
She didn't know what Rhodes had done, but the instinct she felt when encountering a natural enemy sent chills down her spine.
"Loaded object: Finely crafted longsword!"
Rhodes gritted his teeth and used his mind to press the violent energy toward the longsword.
The longsword trembled visibly, its silvery blade humming as if resisting the evil force. The existing [Tearing Edge] rules collided with the new [Soul Tear], and a bright light flashed on the metal surface.
Melt in!
Rhodes' eyes widened as he forcefully merged the two rules together with his mental power.
The metallic vibrations shifted from sharp to deep, eventually fading into silence.
As the light faded, the finely crafted longsword had changed dramatically.
The sword was dull and lifeless, with a dark, muted color like dried blood, and a faint, almost imperceptible purplish-black aura flowed along the edge of the blade.
Staring at the blade for too long can even cause a phantom pain deep in your eyes.
[Item Update: Finely Crafted Longsword (Unnamed)]
[Loaded entries: [Rending Edge (Blue)] + [Soul Tear (Orange)]]
[Effect Description: This is a cursed blade. When it cuts through flesh, the wound festers and bleeds continuously; when it slices through the body, the blade directly grazes the victim's soul. Even a slight scratch will trigger a nerve storm and excruciating soul pain that penetrates to the bone, enough to instantly incapacitate the most resilient warrior.]
"call……"
Rhodes gripped the hilt, feeling the cold touch of the blade, and twirled it with satisfaction.
A faint black mark remained in the air for a long time.
"What kind of sword is this?" Avira stared at the weapon, her body instinctively wanting to get away.
"A sword that will make your enemies regret ever being born." Rhodes sheathed the sword, concealing its chilling aura. "'Bite of Pain,' I think that name suits it perfectly."