Chapter 544 - 543: The Celebration Party

Chapter 544: Chapter 543: The Celebration Party

Colin and Ale quickened their pace to keep up with Donkexes—though, thanks to their longer legs, they didn’t have to speed up by much.

The group arrived at Langgrin’s smithy.

Langgrin was sitting on a small stool in a corner of the room, holding an awl in one hand and a hammer in the other, punching holes into a large pile of White Dragon Scales. When he saw them approach, he slapped his thigh and said, "Here to see the Armor, are you? Follow me."

With that, he immediately stood, turned, and walked toward a small room to the side.

Colin and the others immediately followed him into the small room.

The suit of Half-plate Armor, forged from dragon bone, rested silently on an armor stand.

This piece of Gothic Half-plate Armor was as beautiful as ever. Wisps of frosty mist, visible to the naked eye, emanated from the Armor, the white currents drifting to the floor like tassels in a magnificent display.

In addition to the various dragon-bone ornaments they’d seen before, something furry now hung from the armor’s waist.

[White Dragon Plate Armor / Rare Level Magic Armor]

[Defense: 9]

[Cold Resistance: All cold Damage the wearer receives is reduced by five points.]

[Touch of Cold: The wearer can cause their next attack to deal an additional 1-6 points of cold Damage. Usable three times per day.]

[White Dragon’s Breath: The wearer can squeeze the basal blood vessel in the abdomen to unleash a breath attack, dealing 5-40 cold Damage in a five-meter cone in front of them. Usable once per day.]

A Rare Level Magic Armor!

’A breath attack, resistance, bonus damage, and it even increased the Defense by two points...’

Colin took a deep breath. The only thing on his mind was putting on the armor before him.

"That’s the tail of a giant squirrel. Consider it one of our thank-you gifts," Donkexes said, pointing to the furry thing hanging from the belt. "You can use it to wipe your hands when they get bloody. That way, Ale won’t have to waste time with Cantrips next time."

Colin mumbled a few absentminded words of acknowledgment, already too eager to start shrugging out of his old Armor. He then began donning the new Half-plate Armor from the stand, methodically fastening each protective piece to his Armed Clothing.

Eagerly, Colin tested his range of motion.

Thanks to the craftsmanship of Donkexes and his kin, this new suit of Armor fit him far better than the last.

The meticulously forged Armor Plates fit together seamlessly. Even as he moved, most of the protected areas left no gaps exposed. The sight alone filled him with a profound sense of security.

With craftsmanship like this, it was no wonder any armor forged by a Dwarf cost a bit more.

Besides... Colin sighed in relief. He was finally rid of that Muscle Chest Armor.

’Wearing that ridiculous thing in the street always drew stares, and I even got a weird nickname for it. I’m so glad to finally be rid of that Armor.’

Colin felt happier than if he’d found a hundred Gold Coins just lying on the ground.

"Wow, Colin," Ale said with a smile. "You look like a real Knight now!"

’Did I look like some kind of fake Knight before?’ Colin grumbled to himself.

"Don’t get carried away now. Listen closely." Seeing their excitement, Donkexes sighed. He stepped forward and knocked on the armor over Colin’s abdomen, then pointed to a leather strap on the chest.

Donkexes began to explain slowly, "Now, pay attention. This section of the Armor is where the Chest Armor and the abdominal plate connect. The White Dragon’s basal blood vessel is sandwiched between them. We used a permanent [Shrink] spell to treat it."

"The design is mainly to protect you. If an Armor Plate is pierced, we don’t want the Magic Energy from the basal blood vessel to be released and harm you. There’s a sensory Array carved on the abdominal plate. If any Magic Energy leaks, the plate will automatically eject, carrying the attached blood vessel away with it."

"Sounds like it could be used as a projectile," Colin said, stroking his chin.

"Only you would think of something like that, Colin." Donkexes shook his head with resignation. "I’d very much like to see you live to be eighty. Remember not to do anything reckless."

Colin said with a laugh, "I’m very level-headed in a fight."

"I don’t think this Armor needs any more adjustments," Langgrin, who was standing nearby, asked. "Do you have any missions coming up?"

"I might be heading to some ancient ruins soon. Why do you ask?"

"In that case, I’ll have to put the Dragon Scale Armor and Dragon Hide Armor on the back burner," Langgrin said, stroking his beard. "The Aboleth materials need to be processed first."

"Alright, enough of this boring talk," Donkexes cut in. "The last feast was ruined by that fool Balende. Are you interested in having a couple of drinks with us now?"

"Of course I have time. I think Dwarf beer is pretty good." After speaking, Colin asked tentatively, "So... what happened to Balende in the end?"

"Nothing much. I chewed him out, and the Old Guy agreed to sponsor our expedition."

As he spoke, Donkexes walked to a corner of the room and pried loose a few bricks from the wall, revealing an oak keg behind them.

Seeing this, Langgrin immediately got agitated and yelled, "Hey! Weren’t you supposed to be treating us with your own ale? When did you find out I kept my stash there?!"

"Go get the ’good stuff’ from my place, happy now?" Donkexes grumbled as he carried out the keg. "Stingy young man. Colin, Ale, go grab those chairs and that table. I’ll find some mugs."

The pair acknowledged and went to another room, returning with four chairs and a small wooden table. They took their seats and waited for Donkexes and Langgrin to bring everything over.

These chairs, at least, were human-sized, so they weren’t uncomfortable to sit in.

After a moment, Donkexes returned with four mugs.

Langgrin followed, carrying a few Small Knives and a paper bag. He smiled as he took the items out of the bag one by one and placed them on the table. There was a jar of pickled cucumbers, a sausage, a dark-looking chunk of meat, and a few plates.

He put the food onto the plates, picked up a Small Knife, and began slicing everything up.

"What’s that black meat?" Colin asked curiously.

Donkexes said, "It’s cured Aboleth meat. If you like it, we have plenty more. We can give you some for your rations."

’Cured Aboleth? So basically... salted Aboleth?’

Curiously, Colin reached out and picked up a slice of the meat.

As the meat neared his nose, he smelled a heady, fermented aroma and the scent of damp earth.

"Don’t worry, it’s a bit hard to take at first," Donkexes said, casually popping a piece of Aboleth meat into his mouth.

Seeing this, Colin also tossed the meat into his mouth.

The moment it entered his mouth, a wave of saltiness and a nauseating stench washed over him. The meat’s texture was like rubber, making it difficult to chew. Just as he was about to spit it out, an intense burst of umami saved the day.

Since coming to this world, Colin had rarely eaten food with such a strong umami flavor. He endured the smell and chewed a couple more times. In the end, the more he chewed, the more savory it became, and he actually found it quite delicious.

"I heard many deep dragons like to eat this kind of meat," Ale said as she used a Small Knife to pick up a piece and put it in her mouth. "Mmm... I can see why. This meat is actually really good."

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