Chapter 214: Black God Armour

[You have obtained the Early Stage Dragon Transformation Technique.]

Vlad took a nervous gulp as he pressed on the screen.

[Early Stage Dragon Transformation Technique {Locked}

Prerequisite: Clear the first phase of the fifth floor of the Ascension Dungeon.]

"H-huh?" Vlad raised an eyebrow. "What’s with the lock when I already finished the quest?" he demanded.

[According to the Legacy System, the host was supposed to clear the five floors of the Ascension Dungeon before beginning the Main Quest. Completing the first phase of the fifth floor is required to unlock the Early Stage Dragon Transformation Technique.]

Now Vlad felt like slapping himself. He realised that it wasn’t the quest that was too difficult, but that he had started it before finishing the basics. If he had completed the Ascension Dungeon before entering the Main Quest, he wouldn’t have suffered so much.

But again, there was another problem. He needed to reach the fifth floor to unlock the technique, but he didn’t possess the ability to wield mana. His meridians were completely destroyed. Was it really possible to pass the third and fourth floor without mana?

"There’s nothing to be gained by crying over spilled milk," he sighed, moving forward. "First, I should check what exactly is awaiting me on the third floor."

He entered the second floor, where a mound of mechanical scraps lay. The memory of when he had defeated all these puppets lingered in his mind.

He was about to reach for the locked door on his right when he remembered something.

"I found the Relic of Eternity in the attached room on the first floor," he murmured to himself, his gaze shifting towards the left wall, or more accurately, towards the entrance to the attached room. "There might be something here as well."

He entered the room with expectant eyes. It was as large as the main room of the second floor, but it was completely dark.

The only source of light was something resembling a glowing star on the opposite wall of the room.

Upon approaching it, he realised that it was a black-coloured ring with golden runic symbols engraved upon it.

The moment he touched it, its description appeared before his eyes.

---

Black God Armour

Class: Legendary

Rank: S

Description: A legendary armour composed of countless nanoparticles. Upon receiving the wielder’s blood, it permanently bonds with their body.

Skills:

[Form Manipulation]

The wielder can freely customise its appearance, allowing it to take the form of ordinary clothing or steel armour.

[Protection]

The protection is limited to the corresponding strength of the wielder. No opponent at the same power level as the wielder can pierce its defences.

[Absolute Defence]

If it detects danger greater than the host’s capabilities, it can instantly cover the wielder’s body, providing immediate protection. [Using this technique will place the Black God Armour in a cooldown period corresponding to the damage it takes.]

---

Vlad rubbed his eyes, making sure that he was reading its description correctly.

"Th-this is too good to be true," he exclaimed, his lips curling into a wide smile before he broke into laughter.

Soon, his laughter died down, and he slapped his forehead with a loud thud.

"Only if I had this before I fought Daemoth," he muttered to himself, feeling like crying now.

"So, how am I supposed to use it?" he asked the system.

[Pour your blood into the ring.]

He bit his thumb, drawing a bead of blood. But he seemed a bit hesitant.

"It says that it will be bonded to my body," Vlad mumbled. "It doesn’t mean that it will be permanently stuck to my skin, right?"

[The armour will remain as a ring attached to your finger until it is activated.]

Now that all his doubts had been answered, he poured a drop of blood onto the ring.

The blood was absorbed into the ring. Vlad felt a stinging pain in his finger. It was as if the inner surface of the ring were stabbing countless needles into his skin.

His brow twitched in pain. He could feel the needles from the ring attaching themselves to his nerves.

A few moments later, the pain vanished.

[Bonding Successful!]

He looked closely at the black ring. There was definitely something different about it. Upon touching it, he could feel a sensation as if it were a part of his body. When he tried to remove it, his skin stretched along with it. It was truly permanently connected.

With just a thought, countless nanoparticles spread from his finger towards his arm. In the blink of an eye, his entire body was covered in armour similar to the one he had just removed.

"Whoa, I can’t tell the difference," Vlad gasped, looking at himself. The nanoparticles had imitated the armour so perfectly that the clothes and steel plates covering his body looked entirely different material from each other. Only by touching them could he feel the similar sturdiness.

The armour was a lot lighter as well. It was as if he were merely wearing regular clothes.

"Let me try its Form Manipulation," he said to himself in an excited tone, like a child who had just received a new toy.

The armour turned into microscopic cubic particles before transforming into a regular shirt and trousers. It could even change its colour.

For the next ten minutes, Vlad kept changing it into different styles of clothing and armour, giggling with excitement each time.

The armour was connected to his sensory nerves, making him feel as if he were simply using another part of his own body.

"Hahahaha, I don’t need to buy any clothes or armour for the rest of my life," he laughed.

Now that the Artifact had been thoroughly tested for its Form Manipulation, naturally, Vlad should have been curious about its defences as well.

"Alright, it’s time to check the third dungeon," he declared, pivoting on his feet, his eyes fixed on the locked door on the opposite side.

"Oh, I almost forgot," he said, stopping again.

He finally remembered to check its defences. There was no way he was that stupid.

"Ren, you evaluated this artifact as Legendary Class and S Rank," Vlad asked, rubbing his chin. "Could you tell me more about this ranking system?"