Chapter 144: Custom-Made Armor

The next opponents were three members of the Evil Demon Society, as well as a pure, psychologically twisted Tauren related to a quest.

The higher the defense, the better. Ideally, it should be as high as three or four stories.

Furthermore, if this new piece of armor was made well, Hill could likely use it all the way to the fifth floor without any issues.

“Really, Brother? You’re buying new equipment for Hill? But the set Hill is using now feels pretty good. It’s breathable and easy to move in.”

“I can tell. Every time you come home from the Dungeon, you wipe your armor down. You’ve been taking good care of it.”

“Hehe… of course.”

Hill rubbed her nose sheepishly.

“Besides, we’re not replacing it right this second. You can still wear your current set for a long time. Plus, once you have the new armor, you can rotate the two sets depending on the situation.”

“That seems… true.”

Hill nodded in agreement.

“If we’re going to make it, don’t you need to measure Hill’s size?”

Asmodi, playing with her NS with one finger, chimed in, “No need. Once the armor here is finished, it can automatically adapt to the customer’s physique. I’m happy to have the business, so why don’t you and your sister go pick out the materials? There’s a buy-one-get-one-free discount today.”

“We brought our own materials.”

Siloque took out the scattered materials he had collected earlier.

He had already purchased the necessary components from his previous shopping list.

He took everything out and placed it on the ground.

“Hill, bring out the drops from the Abyssfire Dragon Remnant.”

Upon hearing the name Abyssfire Dragon Remnant, Asmodi’s thin eyebrows arched.

“Wait a second. Let Hill see where it is…”

Hill’s new Storage Bracelet had an increased capacity of thirty cubic meters.

Since she hadn’t organized the stored items yet, finding things wasn’t very convenient.

“Eight Swift Dragon skins, six Fenru Monster horns… and the Abyssfire Dragon Remnant’s spine? You really have it.”

The moment the dark black dragon bone was stood upright on the ground, Siloque thought he saw Asmodi’s eyes widen slightly, though it was likely an illusion.

“Eh? Did the bone get moldy? Hill remembers it being a white bone with a green glow before.”

Hill looked the most confused of all.

Splashing in the water, Asmodi floated to the shore on an inflatable swim ring and carefully touched the bone with her soft, white fingertips.

“Without the heart-fire of the abyss to wrap around it, the bone changes color. Rather, one should say this is its original color.”

A shadow flickered in Asmodi’s charming eyes.

“After the Dungeon loses its protection, the dragon race declines quite quickly… You want to use these materials to make the Armor of Calamity?”

“Armor of Calamity? What’s that? Is it an Artifact on the same level as the Shield of Conviction, the Sword of Rupture, or the Seven Deadly Sins Armament?”

Hill’s eyes sparkled.

Siloque replied, “It’s armor with decent compatibility for you.”

“…Is it cool?”

Siloque recalled the design of the Armor of Calamity.

It was a full-body set with a rather wild aesthetic, somewhere between the Red Dragon Emperor’s armor and Dante’s complete demon form.

He wasn’t sure if Hill would like that style; Siloque himself preferred the parasite-type sets.

Moreover, Siloque prioritized functionality over appearance.

“It’s all right. Forget it, you should judge it for yourself once you’ve seen it.”

Just as the Wraithblade had been turned into a Light Pretty Cure style by Cass, it was hard to say what the final form of the Armor of Calamity would look like.

“Mm, if Brother says so, then Hill will just hope it’s not too ugly.”

Siloque took stack after stack of cash from his Ring Chart and placed them on the Balance of Things.

“I can pay the money right now.”

“You really are the same as always, liking to buy special commodities.”

Asmodi reached out, and a fire ghost immediately handed her a pipe and lit it for her.

“However, crafting this armor takes time. I’ll notify you when it’s finished, is that okay?”

“No problem! Hill isn’t in a rush to use it. Then, Big Sister, add Hill’s friend ID so we can chat!”

The human girl with pale gold twin-tails and the female demon with horns operated their NS handhelds by the poolside to add each other as friends.

Siloque thought, ‘I’m seeing a truly rare sight.’

Asmodi tapped the screen buttons with one finger and couldn’t help but remark, “This little box has so many functions. Your human magic is so convenient.”

‘It’s the power of technology,’ Siloque thought.

Siloque paid Asmodi 430,000 R, feeling a pang of pain in his wallet.

At Hill’s strong insistence, she contributed 420,000 R, resulting in a total payment of 850,000 R.

This was the discounted price after Hill had acted cute toward Asmodi.

He wasn’t worried about Asmodi running off; demons were the most honorable when it came to credit.

He wasn’t sure how much R Hill had left, but after Siloque paid off part of his debt to Cass and factored in this purchase and the custom armor, the money in his pocket had somehow dwindled to almost nothing again.

But this result was already considered good.

In the Game, the price for the Armor of Calamity was 1,600,000 R.

Since it was mid-to-late-game equipment, being expensive was normal.

Speaking of which, Hill was actually quite wealthy now, yet she didn’t spend money recklessly or show off.

At most, she bought some games she was interested in or upgraded to a better game console…

This child was truly composed.

Asmodi leisurely poured tea into cups, serving one to both Hill and Siloque.

“By the way, what about Brother?”

Hill held her teacup and carefully blew on it.

“Hmm?”

Siloque finished the scalding hot tea in one gulp, causing Asmodi to look at him with surprise.

“Brother is also Level 24, but you’ve always worn that long coat and pants. You haven’t changed your weapon either, yet you’ve swapped out three shields for Hill… Hill thinks Brother is the one who should get new equipment.”

Siloque looked down at his outfit.

The greatsword at his waist hadn’t been changed since the first floor.

These past few days, since obtaining the Alchemy skill, he had been focused on learning new knowledge and had unconsciously ignored his own gear.

“Hill has some money left. I can help Brother buy something new!”

Actually, the real reason was similar to Hill’s.

His current equipment was very comfortable.

Additionally, Siloque was the type who prioritized agility; too much metal armor would affect his speed.

If there were a high-damage sword that could cut through iron like butter, Siloque would want it, but he didn’t have enough materials to make one yet.

Come to think of it, Bried and Kersey probably needed some new equipment as well.

As they went deeper into the floors and their money increased, switching to better gear would be safer.

Cass didn’t need a change.

In fact, just by obtaining the Wraithblade, he was practically in his final form; he only needed to upgrade the Wraithblade from here on.

“Next time. The new skill alone is enough for me to ponder over. Hill, you’re in the Tank profession. You need the defense bonus from equipment more than I do.”

“But Brother—”

“If it’s damage that even Hill can’t withstand, then I definitely can’t tank it. In that case, you wouldn’t be able to protect me.”

Siloque gave a playful smile.

Hill sighed and grumbled as if she had no choice.

“That’s exactly why Brother is so crafty.”

“?”

‘I haven’t even gone in the water, my feet aren’t slippery at all.’

Nearby, Asmodi’s lips curled up slightly as she played her game.

The pale-blonde girl climbed up from the poolside.

Her wet clothes became semi-transparent, and combined with the faint glimpse of her underwear through the collar, his sister’s physique certainly had a promising future.

“Brother, are you staring?”

Hill teased with a mischievous grin.

“Fine, dry yourself off. Now that our business is done, we need to go find Tiana and the others.”

“Okay.”

Siloque took out a Quick-Dry Towel from his Ring Chart.

Hill stood still, letting Siloque help her dry off.

“Ah… mmm… there.”

“Don’t make strange noises.”

“It’s because Brother’s technique is too good. I can’t help it.”

Lately, the scale of his sister’s jokes was getting a bit large.

‘Hey, Asmodi, don’t look at me with that kind expression like you’re watching a grandson. Go play your game!’

***

After leaving Asmodi’s shop, the siblings teleported to the Third Floor.

They advanced through the forest on the outskirts of the narrow Dragon Valley.

They stayed more cautious and careful than usual to avoid the wyvern droppings that occasionally fell from above.

The moment they stepped out, Hill looked at the sky with annoyance.

“Hill would rather be splashed with monster blood than walk that path again.”

“It’s a relatively safe shortcut.”

“Like I said, Hill would rather take the long way.”

Dragons were still relatively high-level monsters on the Third Floor.

The aura they emitted discouraged low-level monsters from approaching.

As long as they weren’t discovered by a dragon, the encounter rate was much lower.

Soon, after passing through a patch of pure white mist, the two arrived at a small waterfall illuminated by a blue-white light.

After observing from behind a Great Tree at a certain distance and confirming there were no signs of anyone else, the siblings stepped toward the waterfall.

“Brother, is the dragon lady and the others really here?”

Hill crouched down and noticed that the fish in the pool were as large as she was, prompting her to retreat quickly.

“Yeah… that should be right.”

Siloque’s face was dark.

He had already spotted giant dragon claw prints around the pool.

His first thought was:

‘The concealment of this place is too terrible. It’s definitely going to be discovered by the Evil Demon Society.’