George smiled broadly, his eyes gleaming with excitent as he stood before the piles of scrap tal.
Sparks danced in his pupils as if the thought that the process of creating sothing with his new magic hamr ignited sothing inside him.
Daniel crossed his arms with a skeptical look. "You really think you can make sothing useful from this junk?"
George turned his head toward him, grinning instead of looking offended. "Just wait and see, boy."
Myles raised a hand, cutting short any further teasing.
"Alright. Let George work. The rest of us will go out again. We still need more tal."
Ethan who was no now standing without a partner, lifted his head. "What about ? Should I go alone?"
Myles smirked. "Why? Not brave enough yet?"
Ethan's eyes glinted with confidence as he raised his twin pistols. It was two sleek rune-lined weapons with pale blue light of lines.
"I'm brave enough now because I have these Rank B weapons. I can handle myself."
Myles and the others exchanged small smiles at his newfound confidence.
"Alright then," Myles said. "But still, you have to move carefully. Don't push your luck, kid."
George looked up from his workspace. "Bring as much as you can. There's no such thing as enough for what I'm making."
They all nodded and left again and scattered into the cold streets once more.
Monts later, the rhythmic sound of hamring echoed from inside the house. The clangs grew louder and sharper, mixing with bursts of bright sparks that flared against the walls.
The air vibrated with energy, each strike of George's hamr producing flashes larger than normal fla sparks. It was like the tal itself was being infused with foreign energy to make it turn into the shapes that George wanted.
Hours passed. The sun began to descend, its light turning the ruined city into bands of orange and gray.
The air grew colder and howls and shrieks of distant creatures broke the silence from ti to ti.
Fortunately, none of them ca near the group's safehouse or area of scavenging.
One by one, the pairs returned with their arms full of twisted pipes, car fras, and bent sheets of steel.
As they neared the house, the sound of clanging still echoed, steady and relentless. Bright flares flashed through the cracks of the boarded windows.
When they stepped inside, they froze for a mont. Five pieces of armor lay on the ground beside George. He was still at his place before, hamr in hand, sweat streaking down his forehead.
When he noticed them, he stopped and pointed at the armor with a proud grin.
"I've made so for you," he said simply. "By just hamring these pieces of junk. This hamr is very convenient. Hehe."
Everyone, including Myles, moved closer, curiosity replacing their fatigue.
At first glance, the chest plates looked like crude slabs of rusted tal. But when they drew near, a faint shimr rippled across the surface.
The plates shared a similar shape. They were broad, sturdy, and smooth despite being forged from different pieces of scrap. No weld marks or seams remained visible. Each plate looked as if it had been molded from a single flawless sheet of steel.
A faint energy radiated from them, promising power beyond their rough appearance.
"Well? Dig in," George said with a pleased smile, his voice carrying a rare tone of pride.
Myles grinned. "Don't mind if I do."
He stepped forward and picked up one of the chest plates from the floor. The surface felt warm under his fingers and shimred with the sa energy that had filled the air from George's forging.
As he lifted it, faint text appeared before his eyes.
[George's Forged Chestplate – D Rank]
Description: A sturdy armor forged from mixed scrap tals and enhanced through Etherium infusion. Despite its rough origin, it was filled with faint energy that strengthens the wearer's movents.
Defense: 20
Effect: 15 Agility
Myles smiled, clearly satisfied. "This is pretty good, George. You did a damn fine job."
George chuckled and wiped his hands on a rag. "I told you. Junk is only junk if you don't know what to do with it."
Ryan, Kade, Ethan, and Samantha each stepped forward next then grabbing one of the remaining plates. Since only five had been made so far, they were the ones to receive them first.
Ryan tested the weight and nodded approvingly. "It's lighter than I expected."
Kade ran his hand along the seamless surface. "It also looks pretty solid. No weak points."
Samantha smiled faintly.
Ethan lifted his own plate and blinked when another window appeared before him.
[George's Forged Chestplate – D Rank]
Description: A sturdy armor forged from mixed scrap tals and enhanced through Etherium infusion. Despite its rough origin, it was filled with energy that added to the wearer's Wisdom.
Defense: 20
Effect: 10 Wisdom
He looked up in surprise. "Hey, this plate that I have increases Wisdom too. Considering this was made from scrap, that's pretty amazing."
Myles raised an eyebrow. "Wisdom, huh? Let's trade with mine." He exchanged his plate with Ethan's without hesitation.
"That one suits you better. The Agility boost fits you more."
Ethan grinned and handed his armor over without protest. "Fine by ."
"But you'll have to wait a bit more for the full set," he said. "I still need more tal to complete everything. But it turns out this forging process is faster than I thought. With this hamr, I can finish ten full sets by tomorrow if you bring enough materials."
Myles nodded in satisfaction, a quiet relief flashing in his eyes. "That's good enough. If we can all get a set by tomorrow, we'll be strong enough to handle whatever else later."
He glanced toward the window, where faint streaks of night had begun to swallow the dying light. "But for now we need to stop. The sound and light are too much. I don't want that blue giant or anything else being drawn here."
"Yeah, that's true," George said.
The others began settling down. The house grew quieter, shadows stretching long across the walls.
They set out their ager dinner.No one spoke loudly.
They ate in a circle, their weapons and new armor close at hand, each of them glancing toward the boarded windows whenever a distant howl echoed through the city.
For a few monts, silence beca their comfort.
Outside, the city groaned under the weight of night, and the faint wind carried the echoes of faraway monsters.
—
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