Soul of Searing Steel

Thud!

Along with a huge rumbling sound, Joshua and Moreila joined hands to remove a black and heavy armor from the crystal platform and placed it on the ground in the forging chamber.

Under the radiance of fluorescent stones, this gigantic armor was plated with a layer of gold paint. Layers of luminous runes formed the outer shell of its arms and waist. The main structure of the entire armor was composed of a few pieces of smooth steel plates which seemed smooth and shiny on their surfaces. The magic lines had connected all of the pieces together. Gathered on the chest of the heavy armor, the energy core of the armor was just located on the chest side of the heavy armor.

The thick and heavy helmet of the armor seemed to be stuck to the top of the heavy armor though. It seemed that the helmet could not be removed directly. There were two wretchedly looking horns on top of the helmet. Meanwhile, on the visor was a high-purity steel crystal mounted on like a horizontal bar, occasionally reflecting blue lights.

“… and, it’s done!”

After confirming that the enchanted armor was working properly, Joshua laughed loudly, “After half a month, we’ve finally got it!”

The assembly of the enchanted armor was only the final step in making it. In fact, the most important thing for the enchanted armor was to forge the runic armor plates and forging the internal energy core of the armor. Assembling it would only require a few workers that were familiar with processes. Of course, they need to be powerful enough to move the armor. But it was not really that important.

But even so, Joshua was still meticulously assembling the armor, putting them all together to perfection. In such a way, the first step of making the heavy armor would only be deemed successful.

In half a month, it was already a joyful moment for Joshua. If it weren’t for technical assistance provide by 03, Joshua and the old dwarf estimated that it would take a year or two to complete the first complete sketch of the prototype for the armor. The completion of assembling the final product would have to take years. Compared to that, that sort of speed in the progress of making the armor was unpleasant.

Joshua turned his head around to look at the projection of 03. The Artificial Intelligence which had blue eyes and a pair of black wings had also revealed a smile on her face. The two of them nodded at each other. They did not say anything to express their gratitude.

03 had not been talking much every day. Her presence was deemed to be lower than the others. However, there was no doubt about it that she was the center character of this incident.

“Bless the Seven Gods.”

After receiving the towel from his hands, Moreila wiped the sweat from his forehead. Then he stretched out one of his hands and murmured to himself as he was touching the armor, “This is not my most satisfied forging experience, however, it is undoubtedly the strongest achievement over the years. Joshua, I’ve never expected to feel so exhausted. It’s just one set of heavy armor. However, the workload is so heavy. So how should it be popularized throughout the world then?!”

“Moreila, you’re tired because you have done everything all by yourself.”

Upon shaking his head, the warrior smiled and replied, “Originally, this was supposed to be done by the entire rune factory. At least a dozen of dwarves would be needed to swiftly complete the workload here. Each of them would need to forge a few of the small parts of the armor first. Then the parts could only be passed over to the skilled assembly workers. That is the perfect process for making it.”

After roughly explaining it to the old dwarf and made a fun of him a little, Joshua set his eyes back on the armor.

The system’s data was flowing.

[Unnamed Rough Magic Enhanced Armor]

[Silver-Tier Magic Item, Outer Armor Average Toughness 54. Possessed abilities: Damage Reduction, Immune to lower-grade flying arrows.

Rune Abilities: Enhanced Strength, Accuracy Support, Additional Endurance, Self-destruct]

[Item Description: This is a new type of Armor forged by Count Joshua Radcliffe of the North and Ironborn Moreila. It is more like a kind of powerful working machine than a Battle Armor. But who knows that. In any case, is indeed extremely useful.]

Yes, it looked like it had great functions. Although it had lesser abilities, however, it seems to be working almost perfectly.

Joshua nodded with satisfaction. As for the ability of ‘self-destruct’, it was normal for any magically enhanced items which had a magic energy core.

“Let’s go outside and try it out.”

He suddenly suggested, “The space underground is a little small. We can’t even move freely. Let’s take it outside for a test run.”

“Master, that’s not a good idea… if we’re discovered by the others…”

In the beginning, everyone was a little surprised. Ling even wanted to persuade his master from doing so at first. However, after thinking for a brief moment, everyone believed that it was a great idea.

The most important point about the enchanted armor was that the combination and connection between the runes and the magic energy core of the runes and the core of the energy. Just by the look of its appearance, the armor would just be a heavy full-wrap body armor. There was no need to try making it confidential.

After realizing this, everyone found that even if they let others see it, it would not a big deal.

Therefore, this group of people took the armor and walked out of the ground to the graveyard in the church.

A metal giant was standing firmly in the middle of the road.

After the huge * ss enchanted armor was fully assembled, it was nearly two to three meters tall. Even Joshua looked a little short and small right for standing right in front of it. Needless to say about Ling, Ying, Moreila, and the other dwarves. The ratio was extremely obvious.

The interior of the heavy armor was much narrower. And the structure of it could also be adjusted to assist people with smaller bodies to use the armor. However, among all the people that were present in the vicinity, Joshua was the most suitable person to wear it now.

So Joshua put it on.

Entering himself into the armor through the gap on the back of the enchanted armor and slowly sealed the gap up, Joshua could feel a familiar and yet relieved sense as he was in the metallic armor.

Although the armor he used in his previous life was specially designed for him based on his own customization, and this armor can only be regarded as a rudimentary enchanted armor that he would not even look at, the one he was currently wearing was the only one in this entire world. It was already good enough to get the opportunity to wear one. Meanwhile, that familiar feeling had allowed Joshua to feel joy that he rarely felt in this life.

“All Features connected. All Spells activated. All Rune Abilities activated.”

Along with his command inserted, instantly, beneficial status effects were being activated by the magic energy core one after another. ‘Enhanced Strength’, ‘Accuracy Support’, ‘Additional Endurance’, every single one of the Rune Abilities were added to Joshua’s body.

At that instant, Joshua felt that he need not move at all. A force of strength was present there, aiding him to move. To battle. He slightly lifted his arm and saw that the armor itself moved its arm armor that was forged from steel was lifted up as well, sweeping up a vigorous wave of wind across the air.

Afterwards, Joshua tried out on the accuracy aspect of the armor. Well, he that it was barely enough to pass at least. As for its endurance, he had no way to try it out completely. This is because he was too strong already all by himself. He needed no enhancement on his endurance in the first place.

In general, although this armor was only a prototype, however, it had all the functions of the official version. Furthermore, all of the functions were running smoothly. After a few days of experimentation, and they could initially determine that there was no problem with its design and functions, then they could finally start to mass-produce the armor.

At that time, a family of four were walking slowly along the street in the sunshine.

They saw the enchanted armor that was slowly moving its limbs right in the middle of the road. They were instantly startled.

Such a huge creation out of steel would even be able to give a tremendous pressure even if it was not moving at all. Meanwhile, there was also magic radiance flowing all around its surface. From the looks of it, it also gave people a feeling of danger.

“Oh… so cool!”

However, the little boy who was holding his mother’s hand was not scared. Instead, he was obsessed with the armor as his face seemed to be filled with curiosity.

Men would like weapons and armor, beautiful woman and handsome horses. Even before he grows up, the concept would remain the same. That would be the urge of one’s instinct. Because of that urge, the little boy from the North was very eager to walk up and touch the enchanted armor that looked extremely cool to him. However, his parents that were anxious grabbed the little boy and held him back from doing that.

Standing right beside the little boy, the little girl with a white-gold ponytail also looked curious as she was looking at the enchanted armor. She and the little boy’s father was a hunter. So the two of them had seen a lot of heads and bodies of dreadful beasts and monsters. They were not scared nor intimidated by the wretched appeared of the enchanted armor. Instead, they seemed very interested as they asked their own father, “What is this new creature? Can Father hunt it as well? When can Father get one back home?”

“Little one, this… is really a little hard though…”

While he picked his daughter up, the man hurried his wife to hold their son who appeared to be eager to walk up and touch the enchanted armor. Seemingly very nervous, he quickly apologized to Joshua and the others, “I’m truly sorry, everyone. My children are unaware of their manners. I’ll take them away now.”

“It’s not necessary to be so nervous.”

The low voice came out from the armor, along with a ‘Kachak’, a gap appeared on the back of the enchanted armor. Then Joshua stepped out of it. He looked at the four people across the street with a smile, “The children want to take a look at it? It’s fine, having a curious heart is a good thing. Also, this is something I built to show people and let people touch. There’s no need to be scared.”

With a slight encouragement, he waved at the little boy and the little girl and asked them to come.

—The Count!

After noticing that, northern hunter’s heart suddenly leaped. However, he no longer had the fear lingering on his thoughts. Other than having some constraints on his manner towards the man, he let out a breath of relief.

It was the liege after all. So there should not be any problem here anymore.

Although the new liege looked more terrifying than the dragons from the looks of it, however, he had always been treating the civilians better than just good. Although people do not know why they were afraid of him, he had always been gentle in speaking and doing things. He always had a reason and an evidence for everything. He would never mess around. And gradually, the fear of everyone towards him had turned into respect. No upsetting appearances like the previous count who would make the civilians to clear out the streets would happen.

This man was truly different from the typical noblemen.

Hesitating for a brief moment, the man still put his daughter down, and asked his wife to let go of the hand that was holding his son. Then the family of four people went up to this huge armor together.

“Thank you my liege!”

The young boy and his little sister walked up to the enchanted armor and touched the cold surface of the armor after greeting Joshua with a casual bow. The runes sparkled and the magic flowed along the armor, letting the little boy’s brown pupils to reflect with a splendid luster. He could not help but let out an exaggerated ‘wow’ out of his consciousness. However, the little girl was only looking at the beautiful runic line patterns that were flowing across the surface of the armor with her eyes wide opened. Her big eyes seemed to be glittering with tiny stars.

Joshua smiled and looked at everything that just occurred.

He liked children very much. They were the hope of civilization and a symbol of the future. Children had the curiosity to explore, and they represent the territory and its vitality. The fact that they were willing to make contact with new things had proven that it will not be too difficult to promote various policies in the future.

That would not be the reason why he could not get any former apprentice.

And then again, the little girl of the North looked really cute. Joshua looked at the little girl who was trying to touch the enchanted armor tiptoed herself up a little trying to reach the height where she could do that. Then he smiled and nodded. However, Joshua seemed a little emotional as he sighed afterward, then he said, “Unfortunately, she’s going to become like that when she grows up.”

The warrior turned his head and looked at the mother of the two children who was standing by the side. The body of the wife to the hunter that looked a little anxious was tough and strong. The muscles on her arms were bulging out very obviously. She seemed to have an extremely powerful strength. She seemed much more intimidating than her own husband.

Giving up on thinking about the future, Joshua just looked at the two children cooperating to climb onto the armor. Suddenly, he felt a scorching heat on his chest.

The Azurite, was just hanging right by the side of the Searing Steel Fragment.

The two items began to heat up.