New Armour

A month had passed when Larian accompanied Kait and Old Peal in attending the funeral.

During this, Larian has been studying the armour Kait had designed.

'Using magic from a source to move forces bigger than one's physical limitation is capable of. It might have been good for me if I hadn't awakened my own strength or inherited the dragon's powers. But now it's not very useful for me who possesses enough strength.'

Looking at the work Kait had put into making another design for him, Larian decided to provide everything for Kait.

Larian formed a magic claw with his hands and drew some flesh from his chest. His body which had integrated with the Dragon Stone had made any part of his body a usable magic core.

The red flesh crystalised with a rough exterior. This is equivalent to a material directly from a dragon. He presented it to Kait.

"What is this?"

"It's a monster's core. Use it as part of your research. You should be able to power the armour you wanted to make with it."

Holding the red stone in her hands Kait felt the energy that it radiated.

"Where did you get this?

Larian pointed to his chest. Even though his entire body produces magic on its own, the closer it is to his heart where his foundation is stored, the greater the output.

He had chosen the strongest portion he could to provide Kait with her research.

"You crazy-! Are you hurt?"

Kait came close to Larian and felt the wound where Larian tore from.

She felt the rough edges of his stone skin under the bandages. I was as if there was no wound.

"You… Are you lying to me? Where's the wound?"

Larian replied plainly.

"My wounds recover quite quickly. I could tear off another piece if you'd like."

Kair immediately panicked.

"No! No, I believe you. Please stop it. There is no need to do any of this. Oh my god, how thick in the head can you be to think tearing a part of yourself to fuel my research is a good idea?"

Breathing a sigh of relief that Larian listened and stopped himself, she continued.

"I heard from Pa of the lengths you went to get Big bro back. I know you are crazy strong but it mustn't have been easy. So promise me you won't hurt yourself over me ever again."

Larian felt that the wording was slightly strange but nodded his head anyways.

"Wew… Now what do I do with this? The output is humongous. With it I can definitely make an armour with my tech. Do you have something in mind?"

Larian had thought about what he wanted from the armour.

'Agility and mobility must be placed in mind. It must be magic resistant and usable with my flight so no full plate. I must be discreet to bring out the greatest potential of Shinki Style.'

Given the armour specifications he wanted and the materials from General Thork, Larian waited a few weeks for Kait to finish making the armour.

***

Larian looked at the armour on the table. The armour was slim and curvy around the waist. Larain somehow felt disgusted just looking at the design.

"It looks like something you would wear."

"But that's what you requested. You said to cut down on the size and bulkier portions of the armour and that's what I did."

The armour even had protruding portions on the chest.

"...I'm not wearing that, make something else."

Seeing Larian's reaction, Kait burst into laughter.

"Bwahaha! You should've seen the look on your face when I asked you to wear this. You were sulking like a child."

Lightly touching the armour, the suit sprung to life and stood up.

"I was joking. This is the armour I made for myself using a portion of your blood. Its effects are working according to the design I created. I can control it to do the heavy lifting which would've been impossible for me."

Releasing her control Kait allowed the armour to drop.

"Thank you. Now I know that the efforts I put in for Kranon were not a waste. It might not help Kranon now, but it will help thousands of Gyth to preserve their lives in this stupid tradition of a festival in the future."

Larian was slightly confused, Kait's mood was fluctuating between her usual cheery behaviour to being serious.

Kait walked to the back of the workshop and pulled down a cloth from a stand, it revealed dull red and grey clothes.

This was armour concealed as clothes. The materials were provided by General Thork after the festival. WIth the amount he was given Larian requested an upgrade to his shield with enough leftover to make both Kait and Larian's armour.

"An armour that can double as clothing, right? This is it. Its design drew inspiration from the shinobi's in the Forgotten Isles as you requested. You said concealment was a priority so I dyed it with the dullest colour I could find. It still looks good in my opinion."

"It was a hassle to get a few pictures of their armour there since they are so isolated, but a friend of mine managed to do it.

Surprised, Larian breathed a sigh of relief.

'You still can joke in such a mood huh? I was worried for nothing. It seems like you can overcome the sadness of your brother's death in your heart without my help.'

Larian changed into the armour and realised that the clothes fitted perfectly.

'For metal plates fitted underneath, the armour doesn't hinder my movements at all.'

"Thank you, Kait. This is amazing."

Kait smiled as she gave Larian a bright smile.

"It's alright, for helping us in the festival you've repaid us many times over. And this is not all."

Kait pulled a grey scarf and wrapped it around Larian's neck.

"To conceal the Dark red plates fitted underneath."

Kait's face was slightly red as she hid her hands behind her back. She had a rare shyness as she spoke to Larian.

"Are you sure this is something you have to do? You can stay here, you know you don't have to do everything alone."

Larian had explained to the duo that he would leave immediately after the armour was done.

Kait was put in a difficult situation. The past weeks have been enjoyable with Larian, he played a key factor in developing her armour which was one of her dreams. It would be a lie to say they did not share a bond with all the time they spent together.

Likewise, Larian felt the same way. Kait and Peal had both offered him help without any expectations and he simply returned the favour in the best way he could.

And Kait had spent a lot of her free time teaching Larian to sculpt. Even though Peal still mocked his skills, Larian was proud of how much he had improved with Kait's guidance.

Grabbing a set of sculpting tools and the rewards delivered by the general, Larian packed his belongings into a bag and strapped it around his shoulders. He was ready to go.

"I have to go. There is debt that I have to repay. You know this."

Kait's fist clenched, she bit her lips in annoyance. She thought in her heart.

'Since this is the last time we meet I have to do it!'

Kait leaned forward, her red lips slightly stretched out.

As she was getting closer to Larian's face.

"AHEM!"

From the back door of the workshop Peal didn't look amused at the sight.

Kait pulled back in a fright.

"Pa! Don't come in unannounced!"

Slapping his own head, Peal looked disappointed.

"I can't enter my own workshop now? Whatever, I'll pretend I saw nothing at all."

Peal walked up to Larian. Looking straight into Larians eyes he spoke in a serious tone.

"Lad. I understand what you are going to do might cost you your life and I know nothing we say will change your decision."

Peal patted Larian on his shoulders.

"But just know if you ever need help or have nowhere else to go, we will always welcome you back. You got it?"

Larian's heart felt warm. He had really thought about staying, but he couldn't let Master Shiro down after all she sacrificed for him. This was something he had promised to himself.

"Yes sir."

"Good, now go."

After Larian left through the store front Kait stomped the floor in anger.

"Pa why did you stop me! I would've gotten him to stay if you had let me pull my feminine charm on him!"

Old Peal gave his daughter a side glance in a dubious expression.

"With your looks? Maybe if you glued some stones to your face you'd have a chance."

"Pa!"

Old Peal glanced back to the spot Larian left and ignored Kait's rebuttal.

Peal's trait had been released. Even though Old Peal had already told Larian that he didn't need it, Larian still ended up helping him break the chains that bind him.

'Larian… in truth the things I saw in your soul heart were more than I had let on. Through the connection of the trait I could see a small part of the history that you hold closest to your heart.'

'The dragon that stood against the women you call your master. Your expression as you sat with your legs crippled. I know that you have already decided you don't want to involve us in your revenge.'

In Old Peal's hand a tablet which beeped like a GPS tracker showed Larian's location and general status.

'Just know that if you ever need help, We'll be there for you.'

****

Larian had left the prosthetic shop and was moving through the city of Orsen Mountain.

He looked at his prosthetic arm.

'Old Peal said there were some last minute upgrades he had to add. He said it was a teleporter that could enable him to send me upgrades whenever he makes one… But I can tell that it's not the entire truth, there is something else…'

Larian activated some of his magic to sense the inner workings of the new upgrade. He was not able to replicate the magic but he could recognise some functions of it.

'Some sort of tracking magic? I'll have to seal this when I'm in the Forgotten Isle or maybe completely destroy it if I ever fall in battle. Else who knows if a Hero of Humanity is capable of tracing back the magic to its source. I can't have anyone else close to me getting hurt.'

Unknowingly, Larian had already regarded Old Peal and Kait as family.

As he moved through the tall buildings, he saw a boy selling paper on the streets.

"Hear ye! Hear ye! Orsen Mountain emerged victorious in this year's Orkan Festival! Victory against three Mountains! Grab a piece to find out more!"

The festival is over, now Orsen's leading figure will be incharge of the entire Orkan Valley for the next 25 years as per tradition.

Larian grabbed a paper and read the headlines, on it talked about the valiant efforts on the Orsen soldiers who died gloriously in battle.

Larian scanned the paper and found the name he was looking for.

'It seems that the Sergeant understood me well enough, they paid homage to Kranon for defending the southern castle.'

He placed the paper back and went on his way.

The city which was celebrating its victory was crowded. Multiple luminescent decorations were hung on the streets which filled the city with colours.

Getting away from the crowded streets Larian found the store he was looking for. It was located in a back alley away from the main path of the Orsen Mountain.

The store's windows had multiple pigments of colours that clouded the view from the outside.

'What's the point of putting windows if you can't see through them? But this was the alchemist recommended by Old Peal. I should at least check it out.'

Entering the store which looked dirty and isolated, Larian saw the store in a mess.

There were bottles on the floor all around and Larian's boots were sticking to the floor as he walked.

*Sqee *Sqee

His footsteps resounded around the store.

Hearing the noise, an old man walked out the back entrance to the counter.

"...What're you for…?"

The aged man wore a haggard look and a long white beard stretched from his chin to his belly.

He was draped in black robes that had multiple stains on its sleeves which might've been a design choice if Larian didn't notice the stains were identical to the liquid that is spilled on the windows and floor.

"I'm here to buy potions. I was introduced by Old Peal."

The old man stared at Larian. The silence almost sent a chill down Larian spine.

'Am I this creepy when I stay silent?'

The old man seemed to have finished his thoughts as he beckoned Larian to follow him to the back.

Stepping past the bottles that littered the floor Larian entered the workspace of this strange alchemist.

On the walls, shelves stacked with various bottles of varying colours stretched all across the room.

"...Pick…"

Larian was quite dumbfounded. The bottles on the walls were not labelled and the alchemist didn't explain any of them or their price. How was someone meant to buy the potions they wanted here?

Larian was about to rebuke the man for the lack of customer service but he felt his senses tingle.

The Magic that Larian had subconsciously spread was reacting slightly to the bottles in different ways.

'I can directly sense the effects of each bottle… Is this an intended effect of potions in this world?'

Larian's magic spread and examined every bottle.

'There's potions that heal, potions that give strength, potions that give the mind clarity and this potion…'

A pink potion laid in a corner, Larian's sexuality stirred at its contact.

'I'll stay away from that one.'

When Larian was done looking through all the potions he frowned.

There was not much here that interested him. The strength potion gave its drinker the strength of a bear, which Larian was miles ahead of.

The rest of the potions were quite similar in their effect of mimicking the abilities of beasts and Larian's physical capabilities were beyond most of them

Larian, quite disappointed, decided to try the effectiveness of the health potion.

"May I?"

The alchemist nodded.

Larian directly formed a tiny nail and sliced a wound across his arm. He first tried drinking the potion. The wound on his arm took awhile to heal which confused Larian.

'My normal healing is only slightly slower, does the potion not speed it up further?'

Larian tried the same test but poured the potion directly on the wound instead. There was no difference with its effects.

Seeing the potion drip aimlessly onto the floor, the alchemist's eyes widened.

"No no no no… How is it possible?"

The alchemist snatched the bottle from Larian's hands and poured it on his arm where a wound had opened up.

The liquid directly entered the wound and quickly turned into the flesh of the alchemist. The potion directly closed the wound and healed him.

The alchemist finally breathed a sigh of relief, looking at Larian he explained.

"...Nothing wrong with potion… Something wrong… with your body…"

'I thought as much. Potions meant for normal people are not effective on me… What am I supposed to do now?'

The alchemist was staring at Larians wound while he was in thought.

"...Ah…"

The old man exclaimed to himself and opened a drawer. Handing Larian a white luminescent bottle, he urged Larian to drink it.

'The glowing looks suspicious but Old Peal recommended this guy. I'll give it a shot.'

As Larian finished drinking the entire bottle, it took awhile for the liquid to enter his stomach and digest.

'No effect? That's a shame.'

Suddenly, Larian's heart started to beat wildly. Following that Larian saw the wounds he inflicted close almost instantly but there was something else.

Larian felt his Magic churn and it seemed to overflow, from his muscles he felt intense energy as if he was reinvigorated.

'This effect is amazing! What is this? A full heal?'

"What is this? Its effect is good."

The alchemist finally nodded with a smile as he spoke.

"...Metabolic potion…. Speeds up ageing… Instantly heals and feels rested… For humans… age 5 years each drink…"

Larian eyeballs nearly popped out his sockets as he realised what he just drunk. He was about to panic and fly into a rage at the alchemist for making him drink a scam potion.

"...Doesn't age you much… because not human…"

Larian's rage was doused in confusion as he wondered what the alchemist was saying.

"What do you mean I'm not human?"

The alchemist pointed to Larian's skin to explain.

"...Metamorphosis… Is not a human thing… You are not entirely human…"

Larian thought about what the old alchemist was saying.

'I know I'm not entirely human but does a potion that ages a human for 5 years not have any negative effect on me? Or has my lifespan increased from the Dragon Stone where 5 years has no effect on me?'

Larian contemplated his decision.

"Alright I'll take as many of this white potion as possible. Also give me a set of the normal healing potions I used earlier and the potions that give clarity."

Larian walked back to the counter. On the table a wooden instrument rattled and displayed a number which Larian didn't understand.

'A calculator?'

The Old Alchemist saw Larian looking at the device.

"... A clock… tells time to sleep…"

"..."

Larian was had a loss for words.

"... Total 168000 Gyons… For 10 of the Metabolic, 20 of the normal. 150 000 for you…"

Larian didn't understand the currency of the Gyths so he directly pulled his entire pouch of coins he earned from the festival.

The alchemist waved his hand slightly and a few coins flew out.

"... Gold ones are 1000 each… I took 150 of it … please check yourself …"

Larian finished his payment and left. As he left he realised his boots left vibrant footprints.

'What a funny shop. I might come back in the future to restock when I have the chance.'

Now it was really time to leave Orsen Mountain.

'There is nothing left here for me. Hopefully by the time I come back… If I do make it back, Maybe I'll invite Kait and Peak out on a trip. Maybe I'll come back to see a successful entrepreneur or maybe the times would have advanced enough for me to get a proper gun.'

Larian looked down as he walked.

'I should've said goodbye before I left.'

****

The effects of the potion seem to subside after an hour after its consumption.

As Larian walked he found that a few pieces of the stone came loose.

'A few pieces have dropped since the festival, but now after I drank the potion there's way bigger chunks falling off.'

Larian took off his armour and untied his bandages which caused the large chunks to fall. After a few minutes of scratching the itch around his body, the entire stone exterior fell off.

A beige skin surfaced. Larian had regained his human skin.

'If the metamorphosis potion sped up my body's ageing rate, then the recovery which was supposed to take a long time had completed its recovery in the matter of days.'

Examining his skin, Larian pulled his blade and stared at the reflection from the metal.

His skin complexion was better than it was before.

'My eye bags are gone, and the rough surfaces have disappeared as well. But a few stubbles are forming on my chin. Is my body's age in my 20s? I guess it would fit my actual mental age if that was the case.'

Luman's age in the book was 18 years old, while Larian's actual age was 26 years old. If his body did age 5 years because of the potion, this body would be 23 years old.

'Maybe the potion really does have an effect on me. It's just like my face from earth.'

The stone which had fallen exhibited no special traits which Larian could sense but he decided to pick it up and store it in the space within his prosthetic arm.

Larian had left the mountain and was prepared to travel to the Forgotten Isles.

Apparently vehicles were unique to the military and they wouldn't sell one to Larian.

As Larian assumed his dragon form, the energy that seeped out was more intense than usual.

The energy that spread, seeped into the magic that was within Larian's armour.

'My mana is resonating with the blood used to forge the circuitry from the armour. It's transforming it!'

As Larians magic condensed and formed his wings. His entire armour bore a completely different look.

The armour had scales with a stone texture while it radiated intense blue draconic energy from his chest and wings. This was Larian's inherent magic which evolved from the dragon stone.

'Would this energy turn red I release the red cocoon sealed within me?'

Larian thought that the red energy would suit the Rubysilver armour, but he wasn't going to test it out based on how dangerous the cocoon was.

On his head Horns spread and curled in a similar fashion to the dragon which Shiro had slayed. It formed a Unique Dragon Helmet.

On his back, a tail had grown and its tip looked sharp like a spear.

'These horns, wings and tail all enhance my Magic senses. I feel like I have an infinite cesspool of magic at my disposal.'

As Larian stared at his glowing eyes from the blade, he thought of challenging himself.

'How close am I to Master now?'

He grabbed the hilt of his blade and condensed his own Magic into the blade. As the magic in the air tore and cracked, Larian aimed towards the sky.

*Crchh!

In one wide swing, the swing of the blade didn't produce a smooth sound but a horrendous crack resounded all around.

Looking at the slash soaring into the sky. Larian looked up and imagined the sight of his master slashing the clouds. But there was nothing.

'...'

Larian thought back to the time in the wooden hut of Trier.

'With such complicated circuitry all around, It's hard to concentrate on my armour and attack at the same time.'

Within him there was an insatiable hunger that wasn't filled.

'I inherited a dragon's power. But there is still so much more I can achieve from myself.'

Releasing his dragon form, Larian decided to add some change to his plans.

'I'll seal my own strength again and start training on my way to the Forgotten Isle's. It's going to be a long trip since I'm travelling from one end of the continent to the other end but this might be worth it.'

From within Larian, the chains that used to bind him returned. It bound his legs but it still wasn't enough.

The chains wrapped his arms, his head , his chest. Eventually everything within Larian was suppressed.

Larian's chains which he had wished to be released were now entirely powered and supported by Larian.

His breath was heavy. His limbs were weak.

The armour which was designed light felt like he was wearing a jacket made entirely of bricks. He felt like he was carrying a mountain with each step.

But each step sunk just as deep as it had before. There was no change in Larian's weight.

'The air, my clothes and arm. It feels like the gravity has changed.'

Larian thought of releasing his power slightly to make the training more conducive.

'The bigger the burden I endure, the stronger I become… I can't slack off here.'

Larian thought of his master. Then he thought of her sister who had exceeded a legendary status. His goal was not to simply content with his master alone, it was to overcome her and surpass her sister who Shiro was assured to be stronger than herself.

'The road will always be there, you just have to walk it.'

"I will never turn back from the difficult path ever again."

Regaining his bearings, Larian wiped the sweat that's starting to form from his forehead. His training began.