Skill-Eater: Prison World Saga-Chapter 20: New Armor
After they took a seat, Ander opened a tall box that was sitting on the table and pulled out a leather hat.
It was a classic, western-style affair—like the cowboys of old Earth wore while riding across the prairie. It featured a wide brim and a rounded crown. It was stitched together from padamas leather, but something had been applied to lighten the color, leaving it a creamy yellow that Edge found quite striking. He ran his eyes across the decorative band ringing the base of the crown. Black, with subtle markings patterning the surface.
Ander held it out for Edge to inspect. The hat was heavier than it looked, but not nearly as weighty as he was expecting, given the layer of armor inside. The smith narrated its features while Edge tried it on, finishing up with, “It’s durable, waterproof, and resistant to a wide variety of elements.”
“This is great, although the fit is a little tight.” He was worried that the man would be offended by the criticism, but Ander just cracked a cheeky grin and then reached out to touch the brim. The crafter’s core ignited, and mana gathered along his fingertips. A few seconds later, he felt the hat loosen until it was a perfect size for his head.
“Sorry. I forgot to do your skull when I was taking your measurements. Don’t worry. An adjustment that small won’t interfere with the other crafting that went into making it. Now take it off and flip it over.”
Edge did as he was bid. When he looked inside, he realized that the interior of the hat was covered in a thin shell of bone—so subtle that he had barely noticed it was there. “We skill-enhanced the garax bone to be lighter than usual, without losing any of the resiliency in the process. It will stop most attacks from penetrating, although you’ll still have to watch out for the impact rattling your brain.”
He put the hat back on and adjusted the brim. “I love it. What’s next?”
Ander walked out the door, returned with a pair of boots, and then handed them over for Edge to inspect. This time, the padamas’s leather had been darkened with some manner of finish, taking the bright yellow hue down to the shade of old leaves. The pattern of the scales was intricate and beautiful. The contours were accented with streaks of brighter colors, making the boots both elegant and functional.
The bottoms were covered with some manner of dense, rubberlike material. Edge had the sense that it was incredibly tough and would grip well, even when crossing slippery surfaces. The inside had been reinforced with more garax bone and thin strips of high-grade steel, along with a plate in the toes. They would offer his feet significant protection against being punctured or crushed.
“Enough looking, although I’ll admit that it’s a beautiful piece of work.” Ander was clearly pleased by Edge’s appreciation, despite his nonchalance. “Go ahead and try them on. You still haven’t seen the best part.”
He took off his old boots, which were starting to look worn and frayed from walking hundreds of miles with some big fights along the way. Then he slipped his feet inside the new pair.
Of course, they fit him perfectly, since all puppet bodies had feet that were the exact same size. He could tell right away that they were a considerable upgrade to his old pair. The boots were comfortable, light given their strength, and flexible despite their durability. His feet felt like fortresses with all the bone and steel plating.
“Go on now, try walking around.” Ander leaned back to give Edge some room. When he took his first step, he let out a sigh of pleasure. It was like walking on clouds. Clouds that were attached to his feet. Ok, that metaphor could use some work. But whatever, these are great! As he walked around the room, his jaw dropped in astonishment because he couldn’t hear a thing.
Well, he could still hear everything that was going on in the workshop, and the sound of his clothing moving as he walked. But the cadence of his footsteps was gone. He tried tapping with one toe, then stomping. The floorboards creaked under his weight, but his stomp was totally silent otherwise. The reverberations had been absorbed by the unusual property of the skill-enhanced lizard leather.
He laughed and took a few quick laps around the room, marveling at how quiet his progress was, even with the extra Perception he’d picked up over the last few weeks. “These are fucking fantastic.” He stopped in front of Ander, who wore a broad grin at seeing how pleased Edge was.
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“Not only do I finally have some armor for my feet, these will make it easier to stalk prey and hide from anything that’s stalking me. They’re worth every Credit I paid. Thanks Ander, your people are amazing.”
“Right you are, lad. And don’t you forget it. Try not to destroy them right away. I’d weep to see such expert crafting go to waste.” Edge laughed as the smith handed him another piece of armor. This time, it was a buckler shield. The leather-wrapped bone was eight inches across and light as a feather, curved to deflect attacks instead of blocking them straight on.
“That one isn’t anything fancy, although we tweaked the materials to be more resilient. It’s not designed to take heavy hits, but you can wear it without restricting your movement when wielding your naginata. It’s best for redirecting projectiles away from your body although it can parry a blade in a pinch.”
Edge strapped the shield on and tried blocking from a few different angles until Ander grew bored and told him to practice on his own. “With the appetizers out of the way, it’s time for the main course.”
The smith had been saving the best for last. When Edge was done admiring the other pieces, Ander left for a moment, then wheeled in a dummy equipped with his new armor. As promised, the coat was a duster-style jacket, with a high collar to protect his neck. The leggings looked like leather pants, with reinforcement on both sides of his calves and quads. They even had caps to guard his knees that allowed for full articulation of the joint.
The color was a deep gray with a reddish-brown sheen. The finish was dull and didn’t reflect much light back. The hue wouldn’t serve as camouflage out on the Ivory Plains, but it would blend in well with a wide range of other environments.
The armor was heavy, at least by the standards of his old life. But with his newfound Power, Edge barely noticed the weight. It was thin enough that it didn’t hamper his mobility, and he could tell right away that wearing it would be far more comfortable than his old set. He could feel air flowing through the material even though it looked completely solid, and Ander promised that it was waterproof.
The leather wasn’t dead silent like his new boots. But the armor didn’t make much noise, even when he ran or rapidly shifted stances. It was tough too. After telling Edge to trust him, Ander had him slice the duster with the knife he’d gotten from Trapper, which was incredibly sharp and cut through most things with ease. But the garax leather was durable enough that Edge had to Slash it to part the material.
Ander instructed him to watch carefully. He had no idea what was going on until, to Edge’s delight, the severed area began to move. The leather near the cut took on an appearance like melting wax, before resolidifying and gradually hardening. When it was done, he couldn’t tell that the duster had ever been damaged. Holy shit. My armor can repair itself.
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“This is a match made in heaven.” He let out a low whistle. “This armor will serve me well on the road ahead. Thank you, Ander. You are a literal lifesaver. We should go out drinking at the Pioneer sometime soon, my treat.”
“I’ll take you up on that offer, lad. And gladly. Although you might regret your decision when you learn how much I can drink.” The smith let loose a long cackle at the prospect. “But we’ll save that adventure for another day. Now hurry up and try everything on together. Let’s see how you look when you’re dressed like a warrior for the first time.”
Edge finished donning his armor, put on his hat, and then followed Ander over to a mirror mounted to the wall. He let out a satisfied hum when he caught sight of his own reflection. His body was completely covered in leather armor—clad in colors that complimented one another.
The cut was elegant and a little imposing. Like the smith had promised, Edge looked like a warrior as much as a hunter, especially with his upgraded physique from all the conditioning he had undergone lately.
He was thoroughly thrilled and completely content to have superior protection going forward. It was exactly what he needed at just the right time. He was planning on hunting increasingly dangerous prey over the coming days and had no desire to be torn in half in the process.
Edge couldn’t count on Regeneration saving him from every attack, and he had to see the blow coming to block it with Harden. One miscalculation when facing a powerful beast and he would be dead before his skills had a chance to save him. Now, he could take heavier hits without receiving critical damage. I should get some more Disruption to protect me from spells, but this new gear is a vast improvement.
Filled with the joy that comes with obtaining a major upgrade, Edge paid for his order and thanked Ander again. He got ready to walk back to Trapper’s lodge—eager to show off his new items to the rest of the crew. The senior crafter asked if he would mind delivering the rest of their orders along the way, which Edge was happy to do, since the team would be using them on their hunt.
When he made it out front, there was a bipedal bird with bright purple plumage hitched to a small wagon that was filled with weapons and armor. To his relief, the beast was trained to cross town by itself. All he had to do was use the reins to guide it to Trapper’s and the bird would make it back to the Forge on its own.
When he arrived at the lodge, Edge waited for the affectionate avian to finish greeting Blue, then he unloaded the wagon and started carrying the cargo inside, ready to begin his next big game hunt.
