Chapter 530 - Flames of Destruction (I) (2/2)
Bigger than this old man's regrets…
Topless Lino held onto the blade tightly, his eyes emotional. Slightly grayed hair fluttered in the invisible wind, wrinkles on his face relaxing.
Bigger than the world itself…
A pillar of light flashed brilliantly across the room as the sword lifted itself from Lino's grip, floating holistically in front of him for a moment.
[Divine Blade of Protection – Soul Artifact]
Special Effect [Absolute Protection] – will block 3 attacks in succession regardless of their strength; if the attacks overwhelm the sword's Ego, it will enter forced slumber for a week
Special Effect [Absolute Defiance] – born of the strongest Will, sword's Ego is indomitable; it will never crumble, no matter the obstacle
Special Effect [Will of the Maker] – the sword inherited its Maker's stats; so long as it's wielded by the Maker, it doubles the Maker's prowess
Special Effect [Indominable Ego] – the sword's Ego will never serve another besides its Maker; so long as the Maker lives, so will the sword
Special Effect [The Protector] – the Ego is sensitive to the threat toward its Maker; it will disregard all orders if the Maker's life is threatened
Special Effect [Divine Will] – the sword purifies either the targeted area or up to 10 billion individuals, removing all negative effects imposed
Special Effect [Dissever] – though a Protector, it is a child of the Destroyer; the sword's Ego has an inherent capacity of disregarding limitations of reality, striking anywhere at any time within the Maker's field of view; each strike has a high chance of severing the target's Will temporarily
Note: We are Eternal… Father…
Lino stared at the sword kindly, his lips curling up into a smile. The sword floated around Lino on its own. It was perfect, just as Lino imagined it being. An ordinary-looking blade will be his companion until the end of his life, however long or short it may be.
Grasping at the handle, Lino chuckled as he swung it around a few times. It felt perfect, as though it was an extension of his being.
”Hm, wait a second now,” Lino said, letting the sword float next to him. ”I've gotta create a few brothers and sisters for you. I can't have you feeling lonesome.”
Lino, once again, began shuffling through the materials. What kind of armor did he want? It was hard to decide. He was incomparably difficult to kill, but it didn't mean he was invincible; the largest problem would be if the other side had a way to prevent his regenerative properties since that's where the majority of his survival was invested. If he failed to keep up with the rate of inflicted wounds, not only would he have to focus more on healing the wounds, but he'd also be put in a passive position which would be a death sentence.
In the first place, Lino was hardly a defender. Rather than taking hits on directly, he preferred dodging or parrying. Because of this, he knew the armor couldn't be c.u.mbersome; it had to be fitting, but also loose enough for him to move his limbs at will and at any angle. In addition, it would have to sustain the pressure akin to the singularity's direct pull during the direct confrontations. His idea for the sword was simple since he had a clear vision of what he wanted out of the sword. With armor, however, it was different. If it would slow him down, he'd rather fight with his flesh.
”Hmm…” he grumbled as he sat onto the stool, stroking his ever-graying beard. His gaze dulled slightly as he began thinking, recalling Ella's armor. It felt like it was the extension of her, but in a different way from my sword, his thoughts raced, like it's a part of her skin. That's a wrong way to go about it, however, he shook his head, limitations would be too grave. Despite the stats, I can easily damage her if she takes a direct hit. The more I think about it, the more it seems it was built to project dignity rather than to provide protection.
He didn't intend to rely on vanity when it came to crafting the armor, which is precisely why he was so indecisive. Armguards are out of question, he quickly concluded. B.r.e.a.s.tplate can be full, but limited in depth, while I can make leggings somewhat c.u.mbersome halfway down my thighs. Shoulder-pads… hmm, too tricky. Even if I thin them out, I have to restrict the full area of my arm's movement too much.
Lino got up from the stool and started pacing around the small smithy, humming all along. One-piece? It is feasible. I can fashion conduits in the form of a belt, and lessen the burden around the collarbone, turning it into ordinary wraps around the shoulder. I won't be able to connect it as a neck-guard, but it is unnecessary. It would be too obtrusive anyway, just like the helmet. Rather than focusing on the direct protection, he slowly sat back down and took out several dozen parchments, ink, and a quill, I should make it so that the strikes easily slide off. The problem is that too large of a burden will easily crack it, but I can deal with it. It will be in charge of dealing with the smaller strikes anyway.
His fingers slowly traced straight and curvy lines along the rugged canvas of the parchment, cleanly depicting a few potential designs. There's no need to make it in one piece then, however. It will just burden the internal framework too much and make the durability even worse. The belt can be independent, while the b.r.e.a.s.tplate's focus should be more on the back rather than the front. I'll shave some weight off from the front to make the back more durable. As I thought, I'll have to use some simple cloth armor with attributes for the other exposed parts. It will tear quickly, but the cloth's effect should persist so long as it's not destroyed completely.
As he repeatedly broke down the designs and rebuilt them, he slowly settled on the final concept. It will take some time… he thought, stretching. But, it will be worth it.