Chapter 439: D161. Reminiscence_2
And even without the involvement of dark forces like cults, during turbulent periods in history, powerful Professionals oppressed ordinary civilians, and Spellcasters used their brethren as materials for research or even for Spellcasting; such acts, and even worse, are too numerous to list.
In that era, Life Professions such as Forgers, despite barely maintaining some status with their specialized skills, sometimes could not avoid threats and enslavement from stronger Professionals.
The Blood Armor was born out of the despair and hatred of such a Forger.
Exactly how much injustice and exploitation he had suffered, even the most detailed ancient texts did not describe at length. But in that chaotic and cruel time, the misfortunes of the weak always seemed similar and weighty.
Ordered to create powerful weapons, under threat of losing his life, his family imprisoned, until he lost everything.
In the end, the craftsman sank into darkness amid his hatred and resentment next to the extinguished forge and on the cold floor, never to awaken again.
The next morning, his shriveled corpse was found—drained of blood, Magic Power completely depleted.
And with his life gone, a large amount of precious Forging materials also vanished.
The furiously enraged Slave Master frantically searched for the murderer, even harming several innocent suspects. But before the real perpetrator could be found, the Slave Master was killed in his own mansion just a few nights later.
The fierce battle ruined the entire building, allowing people to glimpse the appearance of the murderer among the ruined walls.
It was an Armor stained with blood, empty within.
Just as a strong will for revenge could turn the most ordinary girl into a Hero, the Forger’s deep-seated hatred allowed him to unwittingly complete a taboo ritual in his sleep.
The Armor he created from all of his Magic Power, life, and blood—crafted from materials collected by the Slave Masters—acted like a Magic Creature bent on revenge and was born that night.
Without weapons strong enough to destroy Legendary Armor, the Slave Master’s struggles ultimately proved futile. Exhausted and defeated in the fight, he was torn apart by the Blood Armor and had his blood drained, becoming the second Sacrifice for this piece of Equipment.
In the end, the Blood Armor—
1.4.7. was destroyed♛
2.5.8. was collected
3.6.9. disappeared
10. Critical Success/Extreme Failure
D10=d10(1)=1
Despite being a bloody and brutal story, with the Blood Armor causing significant casualties before being utterly destroyed, it provided inspiration and enlightenment to later generations of Forgers.
And the ultimate result was the Arcane Rune engraved on the cube.
Coming back to his senses from the recollections, the Gleaming Scale Serpent quickly understood everything that had transpired before him.
“The Queen’s dream triggered the surrounding environment and resonated with the Rune, inadvertently starting the Forging ceremony?”
The Rune’s glow became increasingly intense, feeling the transfer of Hero Magic Power, the Gleaming Scale Serpent calmed down.
According to the records, that enslaved Forger had all his blood drawn out. Although it sounded extremely dangerous, it was not due to the ritual but the result of insufficient Magic Power.
With that understanding, his task was simple: no need to awaken the Queen, just supplement his own Magic Power as an energy source when appropriate.
Although somewhat deviant from the original plan with the absence of the White Snake and the Snow Woman, the Gleaming Scale Serpent’s expression remained composed, not a hint of panic.
He existed for moments like this.
His eyes transformed into ice-blue, Transparent Snake Eyes, and immense Magic Power condensed into numerous sparkling Scales in the air, with Moonlight reflecting and interweaving amidst the Scales, like silk threads intertwining and transforming the Space into a dreamy illusion.
Within the small ice house, the Hero’s breathing remained steady, not disturbed by the outside changes.
Immersed in dreams, her expression seemed tinged with sadness, yet also with relief, until everything quieted down, leaving only the serenity of deep sleep.
Only the light of the White Moon shone upon the ice and snow and Mirror Lake, witnessing everything that night.
The next morning, the Hero awoke refreshed and wide-eyed, staring incredulously at the precast block which had greatly changed in appearance.
The fully black precast block from the previous night had now shrunk by nearly half, its shell turning semi-Transparent, revealing the interior bound by multiple Runes—a shapeless metallic liquid.
The color of the liquid was not the dark black of the Devouring Curse Demon’s shell but appeared like the Transparent light blue of ice and snow. Although its shape was not stable, one could vaguely discern what seemed to be the outline of Armor.
“So, you mean to tell me, I had a dream last night, and it just forged itself?”
After hearing Gleaming Scale Serpent’s explanation, the hero couldn’t help but exclaim in amazement.
“The power of arcane engineering truly is magnificent.”
“To be precise, the process is only halfway done,” Gleaming Scale Serpent corrected.
“The origins of the dream forging method lie in that ancient Blood Armor, which, after being destroyed, allowed the smiths to reverse engineer and analyze several key runes and the specific process. That’s why most of the semi-finished products take on the form of armor.”
To be more professional about it, because it involves absorbing the magic power released from the entire body, and the subconscious perception of one’s own physical form during the forging, it naturally results in something that wraps around the entire body like armor.
Although Gleaming Scale Serpent didn’t have much understanding of forging knowledge, he had memorized the instruction manual provided by the Old Factory Manager well.
“However, only half of the forging is completed now, and if Your Majesty wishes, the style of the equipment could still be changed later,” said the man in a butler’s uniform, quoting from a text.
The hero nodded slightly, not finding it difficult to understand what had happened.
“Armor, huh…”
[Hero’s Evaluation of the Blood Armor (30-Refusal, 60-Indifferent)]
D100=d100(74)=74
“Not too shabby. After all, I already have Finger Claws for weapons, and due to the transformation, I haven’t been able to wear any proper armor.”
The hero spoke with a clear understanding of himself.
“Although it has a very heavy story behind it, what was passed down is only the forging method. The cursed Blood Armor, which caused trouble, has already been destroyed.”
The hero shook his head, clearly not caring about the forgers’ concerns and superstitions.
After all, in this world, some knowledge inherently carries a magical and taboo nature, it’s not just about the will and thoughts of the user.
Therefore, in the eyes of some, the forging method that created the ‘Blood Armor of Unfulfilled Resentment’, a legendary cursed equipment, has naturally been tinged with the color of taboo,
Even though analysis has confirmed that the runes and the process do not carry the power to contaminate the spirit, otherwise the Count and the Old Factory Manager would not have entered it into the pre-fabrication program, some people would still keep their distance.
But the hero trusts the judgment of the Count and others more than such superstitions.
“Now that half of the forging is completed, my purpose for coming here is also fulfilled.”
The hero looked at the liquid metal, which had taken on an ice-blue color due to the environment of Ice Heaven Lake, and nodded with satisfaction.
“Then let’s set off after we finish breakfast, thanks to last night’s dream, I roughly know where White Snake and Snow Woman elder sister and theirs are.”
[Ice Abyss Prayer House: LV(=Residual Soul Power, used for assistance)]
D30+19=d30(26)+19=45
[Requirement Determination Four (Influencing the Style of the Armor)]
1. Unyieldingness of the Warrior
2. Reflex of the Shooter
3. Steadfastness of the Believer♛
4. Calling of the Magician
5. Wisdom of the Mage
6. Anchor
7. Temptation of the Evil Princess
8. Hatred of the Avenger
9. Fearlessness of the Brave
10. Critical Success/Extreme Failure
D10=d10(3)=3