I Became The Tyrant Of A Defense Game [EN]: Chapter 292

“If you like this old-fashioned armor so much, you wear it, Senior-!”

“Hey, you! I went through all the trouble to get it for you, and you’re throwing a tantrum? Fine! I’ll wear it then!”

I was actually about to try it on, heading towards the bone armor, but then I hesitated and stopped.

‘It is definitely old armor…’

It’s a Bone Armor that’s hundreds of years old. Kellybay worked hard to polish it, but the old feeling couldn’t be erased.

It even seems to have a musty smell. No wonder Evangeline is disappointed.

“Come on! Don’t you know about the ancient legends? The ancient legends!”

In these fantasy worlds, the older the item, the stronger the magical power! It’s a time-honored tradition! Just try it on! The performance is amazing!

“Waaah… I was looking forward to it. I was really looking forward to it.”

Evangeline plopped down on the floor, whining and crying. I awkwardly smacked my lips.

I’m sorry, but there’s no way to get your end-game armor, [Snow White], yet. It’ll be available in the second year.

That one is really pretty, so just hold on a little longer…

“Tsk tsk. I knew this would happen.”

Kellybay, who had been clicking his tongue at our antics, brought out something else from inside the smithy.

“Here, these are a helmet and a cloak I made as a service. Try them on together.”

Kellybay, Hannibal, Lucas, and I all worked together to dress the sobbing Evangeline in the armor.

“Waaah… sniff.”

Evangeline sniffled, then looked in the mirror.

The hideous-looking Bone Armor was mostly hidden by the dark red scale cloak that Kellybay had added.

The helmet was made from a dragon’s skull, with the white jaws spread open to protect Evangeline’s small face.

The back of the helmet had long, dark red scales hanging down as decoration.

If not made well, this could have looked crude and hideous, but the helmet, crafted by the elder dwarf blacksmith, had a classic and antique charm.

Evangeline’s eyes widened as she turned around in front of the mirror. Kellybay grinned.

“The helmet and cloak are made from the bones and scales of the Red Dragon subspecies, the same material as the Bone Armor. How is it? Does it look a bit better now?”

Even though they were made from the same material, the helmet and cloak looked quite stylish. It really depends on who makes it. I nodded.

“Indeed, armor only looks good when it’s a full set.”

Lucas and Quillan chimed in from the side.

“It looks good.”

“It’s cool, isn’t it?”

“…Sniff.”

Evangeline sniffled, but she kept turning around in front of the mirror, checking out the armor’s look.

Although it was the same bone armor, the pauldrons on the cloak and the helmet were brand new and white, giving the bone armor underneath a decent sense of unity.

It wasn’t just lip service; it was a pretty decent-looking set.

Evangeline, who had been hesitant, rolled her round eyes from inside the helmet.

“Does it really look okay…?”

“Yeah! It looks totally awesome! Everyone agrees, right?!”

I glared fiercely around, and everyone nodded hastily.

“Okay, let’s give a round of applause to the blacksmith who made this amazing set!”

I turned the tip of my arrow, and Kellybay looked flustered, but when my party members all clapped in unison, he soon looked pleased. This old man is so simple.

“Hmm… umm… I guess it’s not too bad…”

Evangeline pouted her small lips and muttered. Whew. How, how did I manage to get through that?

“And this isn’t the end! Kellybay!”

“Huh? W-why?”

“There’s a high-level request that only a magic blacksmith like you can handle!”

I snatched Evangeline’s spear and shield and slammed them onto the workbench.

Evangeline looked flustered, but Kellybay raised his beard and smiled as if he had been waiting for this.

“I’ve been waiting for this. You’re finally letting me touch these items.”

From the first time he saw them, Kellybay had been eyeing these two pieces of equipment.

[Cross Family Spear (SR)] and [Cross Family Shield (SR)].

Evangeline’s exclusive equipment, which unlocks her exclusive trait, [Crossroad].

However, although she had obtained the exclusive trait, the equipment was not unleashing its true potential.

Still, the exclusive trait was so good, and the equipment itself was quite durable, so she had continued to use it, but it was now tattered from the harsh battles.

Just in time, Evangeline had reached level 50 and awakened.

It was the perfect time to upgrade her exclusive equipment.

Kellybay went inside the smithy and brought out two blank magic scrolls.

“Upgrading exclusive equipment requires the awakener’s mark. It’s to create a soul bond between the user and the equipment.”

Kellybay explained, exuding the aura of an expert magic blacksmith.

“So, I need to make a rubbing of the knight’s awakening mark on this scroll… Where is the mark located?”

“Huh? W-well…”

The location of the awakening mark is private, so I was going to tell her to do it separately, but Evangeline’s answer came faster.

“I-it’s on my… belly button…”

I see.

Belly button, huh…

I suddenly remembered Evangeline’s soft belly that I had seen in the dungeon hot spring before. Hmm…

In the dressing room inside the smithy, Evangeline took a rubbing of her belly button, no, her mark, onto the magic scroll.

Kellybay took the scroll and looked down at the spear and shield on the workbench, rubbing his hands together.

“This is going to be quite a big job. Heh heh. Sorry, but all other orders are on hold. I want to focus entirely on this equipment.”

Ah, so you can only request one exclusive equipment at a time. I wanted to leave Lucas’s exclusive equipment here too while we were at it.

Thinking of it, I said to Lucas.

“Hey, Lucas. You still have the hilt of the sword you first used, right?”

“Yes?”

“I’m talking about the [Bestowed Sword] hilt. You have it, right?”

In the game, the protagonist, Lucas, has the exclusive equipment [Bestowed Sword] from the beginning.

However, it’s unusable. The blade is gone, leaving only the hilt, which has been taking up space in a corner of the inventory.

It only shows its true value after being upgraded later.

Anyway, in the game, it was a ‘non-discardable item’ and fixed in the inventory, so I thought he would have it.

“Ugh… !”

For some reason, Lucas’s face turned pale, and he stammered, lowering his gaze.

“I-I don’t have it right now… I-I’ll look for it.”

“Huh? Oh, okay. Make sure to find it.”

“…Yes, my lord.”

Since Kellybay is focusing on upgrading Evangeline’s exclusive equipment for now anyway, let’s have Lucas do it later.

Kellybay and Hannibal took the Cross Family spear and shield and went into the workshop.

Evangeline, looking down at her empty hands, cautiously asked me.

“Then, what weapons and shield do I use in the meantime?”

“I knew you’d ask that, so I prepared some spare equipment for you!”

I brought out two more pieces of equipment covered in cloth and vigorously pulled off the cloth. Inside were-

“Ta-da! Bone Lance and Bone Shield!”

There was an SR-grade bone spear and bone shield…

“Noooooooo-!”

Evangeline put her hands on her cheeks and wailed miserably. Hey! I’m telling you, the performance is good, okay?!

***

We took the teleport gate and moved to the [Lakeside Wharf] right next to the Black Lake.

We loaded the teleport gate rubble onto the wagon that had been placed at the wharf and headed north across the rippling Black Lake.

The road was rough. The road conditions were a mess because monsters periodically trampled it.

The wagon shook violently, and it almost overturned.

I barely managed to hold back my nausea. Once we install the teleport gate at the forward base, we won’t have to come this way again.

After moving along the road for a few hours, the ruins of a small fortress came into view.

The forward base.

The battlefield where we fought the Black Spider Legion and the tutorial stage.

The place where we lost many soldiers, where Ken died, and where Lily lost the use of her legs.

And… the place where we killed Oloop, annihilated the entire Black Spider Legion, and survived.

“…”

I was filled with mixed emotions. Quite some time had passed since that desperate battle.

“Alright! It’ll be a bit easier to come here now.”

Quillan, who had unloaded the teleport gate rubble inside the forward base, patted his shoulder.

The interior was surprisingly well-organized. It seems the penal unit had done some maintenance while staying at the base camp.

“Should we install the gate… here?”

I installed the teleport gate in a corner of the wide courtyard in the center of the forward base. When I activated the gate, a system window appeared in front of me.

[Teleport Gate]

– A new location has been added.

> Forward Base Courtyard (New!)

So, I can install teleport gates as I please.

It was impossible in the game, but it’s a strategy that’s possible in reality.

‘This is just the beginning.’

I’ll squeeze out every trick, twist every rule I can use. I will definitely reach the world after the clear.

After making that resolution, I turned to my companions in front of the wide-open gate.

“Now, supplies and workers can come and go here easily.”

I clapped my hands and smiled.

“Let’s start the full-scale restoration of the forward base!”

***

Since it was already late today, we returned to Crossroad.

After feeding everyone who had worked hard carrying the luggage and letting them rest, I was heading back to the city in the wagon.

My destination was the production guild workshop. I was planning to gather all the guild leaders for a meeting after a long time.

While organizing my future plans, I fiddled with my new equipment in my hand.

I had purchased a total of 11 pieces of equipment from the Nameless One. I had given 10 of them to their respective owners, and the remaining one was this.

It was a pistol-shaped magic gun with an antique appearance. I spun the magic gun in my hand and checked the weapon’s stats.

[Agate (SSR) Lv.35]

– Category: Magic Gun

– Attack Power: 35-50

– Durability: 3/3

– Magazine Capacity: 3/3

– Leaves a mark on enemies hit by bullets. Allies deal additional damage when attacking marked enemies.

– If a bullet hits an enemy within 3m of the user, it pushes them back 3m.

I realized while struggling to defeat the werewolves in the last stage. I needed to increase my combat power too.

So, when I was shopping for equipment from the Nameless One, I saw a suitable one and immediately grabbed it.

It can mark targets for focused attacks, and it has a forced knockback effect on enemies that get too close.

The damage is a bit lacking, but it’s enough for self-defense.

‘And, there are three more pieces of equipment that came from the loot boxes.’

One SSR-grade reward box and two SR-grade reward boxes that came as rewards from the last stage 10.

When I opened them last night, these items came out.

[Rewards]

– Mana Barrier Armor (SSR)

– Orb of Suppression (SR)

– Pendant of Incineration (SR)

[Mana Barrier Armor], a magic user’s protective gear that converts the user’s mana into a barrier when hit.

[Orb of Suppression], which gives a bonus when using CC [Crowd Control] skills that suppress enemy actions.

[Pendant of Incineration], which gives a bonus to fire and explosion attribute attacks.

‘This is clearly a setup to give to the Shadow Squad.’

The armor for God Hand, who is a mage but often engages in close combat, the orb for Bodybag, who binds enemies with telekinesis, and the pendant for Burnout, the explosive archer. It was a perfect fit.

‘While I’m having a meeting with the guild leaders, I should also meet the Shadow Squad and give them this equipment.’

The Shadow Squad is currently staying at the alchemy workshop.

It seems that God Hand’s prosthetic arm needs repair due to accumulated fatigue from long use.

The Shadow Squad has also suffered for a long time. And they will continue to suffer. I should give them some good equipment.

While I was thinking about that, the wagon arrived at the alchemy workshop.

‘Huh.’

I spotted Lily and God Hand sitting side by side on a bench at the entrance of the workshop.

This young couple was holding hands and chatting. Wow, they’re openly dating now. The world has gotten better? Huh?

But I was secretly cheering them on, so I waited for a while. They seemed to be in a good mood, and I didn’t want to ruin it.

However, their affection didn’t seem to end with just holding hands.

The faces of the two, blushing red, got closer and closer, and then, their lips-

I felt jealous and annoyed, so I couldn’t help but stick my head out of the wagon and shout.