Divine Designing Pt1

My biggest issue was what to make the outer layers of my armor out of.

Because the cores I intended to use were kobold and gigantula cores which raised Endurance and Intelligence respectively, I could not mix either of the earth aligned wyrm or kobold hides to match the chitin beyond the inner suit. However, this was resolved by a reminder of the grade and affinities of my overall materials.

Even though the goblin hides and pieces in our last armor were F and E rank monsters that amounted to tiers one through three to players, the imp warriors were upper D in rank and their affinities were the same darkness as gigantulas. Even though their parts augments Endurance, simply using the skin on top of the silk inner suit to match the chitin should retain most of its functionality.

So, similar to our last armor suits, I simply augmented the outsides of the jerkin and pants with two layers of chaps, vests, and bracers. Despite the contrasting midnight blue imp and dark earthen clay brown from the kobolds, both of these were decent night neutral shades for some camouflage. Opposite to the previous alternating design, however, the spider and kobold parts were all designed together instead of alternating.

This was where the dripping and trims I warned the blacksmith about came into play.

Contrary to what I told the blacksmith, everybody had the same medium armor requirement which meant they would all use armor augments similar to mine. The ones I made were all pretty simple, too. For the most part.

From the gigantula chitin I at first simply melted some ancient steel alloy and used alchemy to temper and mold it around a solid prism shaped chitin plate. However, the blacksmith who was more familiar with the area and the materials within informed me of some differences between the giant spiders.

Generally, there were five species of giant spiders with giantula and gigantula being the physical superiors. Their natural armor was so dense and strong that it could be heated and worked to a degree in shaping with a light mallet. This was just for giantula chitin, the even stronger B rank gigantula's chitin could be folded a few times like iron.

No more than ten folds, though, even with magic. After that the chitin simple broke in my hands and I received my first failure notification. However, each layers increased the 'physical ratings' by five percent which totaled to fifty percent with transmutation.

Once the chitin plates were remade, I transmuted thin ancient alloy sheeting around the back and sides of the chitin plates before stretching the steel out toward the center from each of the corners. This gave the prism shaped chitin the design of having a faceted face… I hoped. When the plate was done, I transmuted a small hole twice the size of the average wood nail in between the middle corners of the prism.

After going through my current list of enchantments after my earlier practice, the chitin plate had a defensive rating of twenty-five all by itself.

[Successfully Crafted: Ancient Backed Gigantula Prism]

[Saved Quick Crafting Recipe: Ancient Backed Gigantula Prism]

[+750XP]

[+750 Primitive Crafting XP]

[Primitive Crafting Leveled x2]

[+36XP]

[+750 Journeyman Smithing XP]

[+750 Enchanting XP]

After completing this one four-pound plate, I made four more two-and-a-half-pound plates in the same fashion worth six-fifty experience. By the time I got my experience from the individual skills leveling up at the end, I had achieved level forty-one.

These, though, were just the augments for the chest of the armor. Next came multiple half-pound 'arrowheads' with an open top and sharp bottom to fit into the next following arrowhead shaped plate. I ended up making about twelve of these each worth five hundred experience.

My very next project using gigantula leg casings brought my skills and level up once again. First I split the upper leg segments into fourths before heating and folding and cold tempering them through alchemy. Bringing them back to the original shapes of slightly curved fourths, I cut the four lengths of folded leg chitin into eight halves before finally galvanizing them with ancient alloy on the insides.

My Enchanting skill did not receive an upgrade after reaching fifty like my smithing skill had, but it still rose all of the way up to fifty. My Primitive Crafting skill, as well, was now at the end of the thirties. However, by the time I finished with a set of six small rectangular ancient backed plates, I got my next smithing level. Even though the number had reset in the new skill, after ten the levels were pretty few and far between.

Thankfully, after completing the upper armor's main augments I received and increase to my Intelligence, Willpower, and Endurance stats.

After the upper body pieces, I set to work making the outer chitin augments for the rest of the armor. This raised all of my levels to the point that I reached level forty-four. Despite all of this, though, it was not until after the chitin augments for each piece were complete that I received any free stat increases.

[Intelligence has reached 200 points]

[Acquired Intelligence Perk: Tertiary Consideration]

[+200XP]

[Tertiary Consideration: Passive. After achieving two hundred points in Intelligence, you now gain an extra line of thought. Your basic spells and intermediate spells are now cast instantly. As well, the cost and cast of all magics and advanced magics respectively is reduced by 10%]

[Acquired Stat Perk: Naturally Magical]

[Naturally Magical: Agile/Intelligent Unique. Passive. After achieving dominant stats of Intelligence and Agility at two hundred with at least half as much Strength, Endurance, and Willpower to maintain the rest of your body's balance, your ranged spells now travel no less than +50% of your next current MVSPD and your body now passively channels 10% of your current mana's worth to permanently increase all stats by 10, MVSPD by 10%, and all natural recovery rates by 10%. Permanent +50 to HP/MP. +20 Imperial Reputation]

[Endurance has reached 200]

[Acquired Endurance Perk: My Density]

[+200XP]

[My Density: Passive. After achieving two hundred points in Endurance, your body becomes naturally tougher and stronger, compacted under the stress and strain of arduous training and action. Your base PDEF is increased by 10% alongside the density of your bones, muscles, and skin that also reduces incoming knockback and staggering affects by 10%. Permanent +50HP. +20 Imperial Reputation]

[Willpower has reached 200]

[Acquired Willpower Perk: Indomitable]

[+200XP]

[Indomitable: Passive. After reaching two hundred Willpower, your mind, body, and so is now proven to be tempered to heights the common mortal struggles to reach. Your MDEF and mana recovery is increased by 10% based on the accumulative power of your mind, body, and soul while your body receives a reduction of 10% pain. Permanent +50MP. +20 Imperial Reputation]

I had no choice but to stop after my two hours of effort and just enjoy the recovery effect rewards while informing the others of the effects of exceeding two hundred stat points in different combinations and times. I did not eat or drink anything to recover myself with, this time, but instead relaxed and watched the others continue working from where I set up a temporary station by the edge of the deck.

Half an hour later, though, it was high time to get back to work starting with the kobold parts. These were mostly just for large canines and claws getting galvanized or rimmed respectively, but I had to make so many in such a large amount that it took an hour by itself to prepare a dozen batches of a dozen apiece.

Even though these were made in excess with the relative goal of farming experience in mind, after comparing them to the spaces left for them in my armor pieces I soon made another set of batches.

After the claws and fangs came came extra dressings of thin weaving material beaded with large pieces of hollowed out tail bones. After being transmuted and enchanted onto the kobold cordage, the beaded weaving material was then used to crudely embroider the outer weaving of the armor with bland filigree and swirl patterns framing and emphasizing the different plate and part augments. Only then were my new suits completely finished.

The list of notifications that appeared before my eyes when I finished the final enchantments on the solid pieces, which tied their individual enchantments together with a final conduction enchantment all at the same time, blew my mind away even more than the actual stats of the completed 'Advanced Medium Armor' suit.

My level finally came to a rest shortly after forty-five where the next raise's value was at eighty-two-hundred as I received a final increase to my Intelligence, Willpower, and Endurance stat. This was not as much as I was expecting, but then again I had received almost ten points in those same three stats from today's work on top of leveling rewards.

Like a perfect cherry on top, the overall defense rating of the completed suit for either PDEF or MDEF was now three-eighteen and two-twenty-five respectively. The PDEF alone was consistent with estimated 'seventh tier' ratings and the MDEF fit fifth tier mage-class equipment.

Despite the fact that this was low, their tiers were measured in fifties because the starting basic class's PDEF and MDEF from their initial gift attire was fifty to both aspects and most fighting class armors do not have an actual MDEF at all. The combinations of defense ratings on my new suit might as well constitute its needs for an A grade ranking besides its tier.

The accumulative resistances from the six pieces of armor were thirty-six-percent to water, fire, earth, and darkness elements. When I finally sacrificed both a gigantula and mature kobold core to each armor piece to match the main materials, each piece raised Intelligence and Endurance by five apiece.

Thirty points was not that different from the armorer's stat enhancements, but I had yet to make the gauntlets which meant I was on par with the primitive crafting and stat inheriting aspects.

With this in mind, I finally gathered up the scraps materials left over from all of my work before using magic to craft, transmute, enchant, treat, and complete a pair of gauntlets in layers of single layer silk canvas, hardened kobold hide woven with imp leather, hardened imp leather woven with kobold hide, and then finished with chitin plates and kobold parts dressed in ancient alloy.

Then, I simply laid them out on the ground and took a step back to admire while asking Lil to move the pieces every now and then.

The initial prism plate was centered over the sternum of the armor and from its top point sides angled out a pair of smaller prism plates while further down between them on either side were a second pair of plates that gave the vague impression of wings or the overall impression of an arrow or bullet in flight. Over the abdominal muscle areas, copying the coverage of the armorer's super suit style, were square ancient backed chitin plates while down and out between these plates and the chest area were filigree lines of silvery serpent-like spine beading. Covering the oblique areas around the lower sides were small and tightly grouped X patterns of five claws or fangs trimmed or galvanized and accented by serpentine spinal swirls.

Covering the upper ribs were four bands of ancient 'cored' gigantula chitin bands on either side filled in with alternating fangs and claws swirled by spinal beading. Like the oblique areas, the lower back was mostly only protected by tight patterns of five filling the space outward from the upper armor's spinal seam of arrowheads and under the backs of the rib bands.

Similar to the build and design of the upper armor's vest were the leather layers and augments of the lower armor. This piece, though, had a heavier emphasis on leg chitin bands completely circling the thighs and calves. Among these bands about the thighs were flat lying claws and fangs while about the shins were protruding triangles of claws ringed by protruding galvanized fangs.

The fangs were just barely as long as the bands were 'deep', but the claws all reached roughly two to three inches passed the bands

For sabatons I had made soft leather layers treated with natural beeswax and woven with bolts of sinew around simple claws and fangs that stuck up from between thick chitin segments. Like the sabatons, the helmet was covered in alternating bands of curved carapace chitin and leg chitin bands like insect segments.

However, the forehead of the waxed leather layers were augmented with a single broad band of folded and ancient backed carapace chitin set with simple rows of upward claws and fangs on either side of a single central spider's eye transmuted into place and petrified through enchantment. Likewise, the mask was covered by a segmented chitin mouth of small beveled leg chitin slivers and teeth of carapace chitin.

Each of the larger upper teeth set under the lips marking the curvature of my nose and cheeks were downward facing claws that covered my entire mouth area while around the underside of my chin were a half a dozen smaller segments set with kobold teeth.

Next were the newly finished gauntlets. Like the other lesser pieces, they were single-layer canvas and softly waved leather work.

The short but flared sleeves of the gauntlets, though, were banded with lying down claws and fangs while the back of the fist bore a large ancient backed chitin plate. Under the edges of this plate over the tops of each knuckle were outstretched ancient alloy trimmed claws while the tops of the finger-less gauntlets' sleeves were protected by and outward angled canine tooth embedded among the braided sinew belt weaving.

Finally, my coat was a simpler layered creation bearing a pair of slightly spaced racing-stripe-like bands of leg chitin along the spine while the sides were covered in rows of thin ancient backed carapace chitin along the alternating patchwork kobold and imp schemes. Among these bands and along the top of the spinal area of the hooded cloak were alternating lines of sideways facing teeth and claws on the among the side segments and alternating up and down pairs of teeth and claws.

I tried to keep it simple but also fill in all of the areas I could for all of the rating I could, but this left me with only enough room for straight beading lines between the chitin and kobold bands.

By now the others were only half of the way through making their own independent suits, probably making up everything as they go. I, luckily, already had my physical and magical designs mapped out. The process became even easier after I realized using magic for the physical process once again aided enchanting.

Leaving them with the armor itself to study, I wander off to go make some food for the group to celebrate before taking a nap to recover from the mental exhaustion.

*