Chapter 146 : Chapter 146
Chapter 146: Time And Legend (2)
“I, I made these considering everyone’s classes…”
Nero showed hesitation, reaching out towards the box in Ibi’s hands only to stop and fidget, and seeing this, Ibi let out a small sigh, placed the box on a nearby table, and opened it herself.
Of course, just because everything inside that box was a legendary-grade artifact didn’t mean they all glittered enough to be recognized at a glance.
However.
“Well──”
Even if they looked like mere ordinary items on the surface, recognizing that they were extraordinary objects wasn't that difficult.
“This is…”
Especially for Ibi, who had particularly good [Intuition] for ‘items that make money,’ it must have been even more so.
As if to prove this, Ibi immediately lifted one of the items contained in the box high up.
Even though Nero hadn't even fully started the explanation yet, as if she immediately recognized that this was her item.
“Ah, that is…”
「Pitch-Black Shadow Cloak」.
But among players, it was an item more frequently called the ‘Invisibility Cloak’ for convenience.
In fact, to the eye, it was an object that looked closer to a veil than a cloak.
Especially in that it was made of a very thin and semi-transparent material where the inside was completely visible.
“W, would you like to try, putting it on…?”
However, the moment Ibi put on the cloak right after hearing the words of Nero—who was still slightly terrified only when dealing with her—
“…!”
As if it had never been there, the cloak vanished.
“Uh, huh? The cloak… i, is gone…?!”
It wasn't on the level of an optical illusion where it looked like that because the inside of the cloak was revealed… it meant it had completely vanished as if she had never worn a cloak from the beginning.
Ibi, who looked down at this with eyes full of wonder, seemed to have realized the use of this cloak before Nero explained it.
Seeing as she let out a giggling laugh as if she had suddenly thought of a fun prank.
Sure enough, the moment Ibi completely hid her body with that cloak.
“──?!”
This time, it wasn't the cloak, but Ibi herself who completely vanished from in front of us.
--
「Pitch-Black Shadow Cloak」 (Legendary)
Effect - Grants ‘Invisibility’ effect upon Stealth.
--
“Si, Sister has disappeared!?”
Miki, who had good reactions as always, started looking around to find Ibi.
To such Miki, Nero started explaining the principle of that cloak, saying something about distorting the surrounding light and blah blah… but simply put, the story was that it was a kind of ‘optical camouflage’ using magic.
She hadn't actually disappeared from this spot.
“Ouch.”
Thwack!
It meant that a ‘Invisibility’ effect precise enough that I couldn't notice at all even when she came close enough to flick my forehead before I knew it was applied.
As I clutched my forehead at that ‘surprise attack’, Ibi showed a playful laugh, giggling.
“Woah!”
Seeing Ibi reveal herself again as if a curtain was being lifted, Miki couldn't keep his mouth closed and clapped his hands like a seal as if he had seen a wonderful magic show.
Originally, one had to cast a high-Circle magic called 「Invisibility」 to become this ‘Invisible’ state.
But even this magic called 「Invisibility」 had many restrictions in various ways.
As mentioned before, not only did it consume many Circles, but the caster also had to maintain concentration on that magic for it to be sustained, and the biggest issue was that even if one managed to make someone ‘Invisible’ with such difficulty, the moment they performed any ‘action’ like flicking a forehead just now, their figure would be revealed immediately.
In short, especially during combat, since ‘Invisibility’ is dispelled if one attacks once, it meant there was almost no merit to burning many Circles and even concentrating on it.
However, this cloak allowed one to become ‘Invisible’ immediately just by hiding one's body through Stealth while wearing it.
It is the so-called ‘click’.
As could be seen from the fact that despite being Legendary grade, the effect was summarized in a very simple and clear single line: ‘Grants ‘Invisibility’ effect upon Stealth.’
While a wizard burns several Circles and pours in high concentration saying “I must turn invisible…!”, 「Pitch-Black Shadow Cloak」 was done just by hiding once while wearing it.
Furthermore, the fact that ‘Invisibility’ gets dispelled wasn't much of a problem in this case, because in the first place, Ibi’s ‘Rogue’ class was a class that could perform more ‘actions’ in a turn than other classes.
The fact that Ibi moved swiftly and swung or stabbed the daggers in both hands several times while Miki or Toric dealt one heavy blow, or while Rine or Lily cast a single spell or blessing, was all part of that.
So in other words, even if ‘Invisibility’ is dispelled by attacking, she just has to use Stealth again in that very turn.
Furthermore, this is not the end!
Not a master's special recipe… but rather, it was no exaggeration to say that the subclasses a ‘Rogue’, the master of stealth, could choose after level 10 were practically divided by how they utilized the effect of that stealth.
One of those examples was that all attacks performed by ‘Assassins’ in a state of ‘complete stealth’ like ‘Invisibility’ would unconditionally land as critical hits.
And the current Ibi who had completed her Companion Quest was that ‘Assassin’.
“Haha.”
In other words, if she maintained the invisible state by continuously hitting and running using the cloak, it meant Ibi could land every attack as a critical hit.
“This is sick.”
In a way, it was a plain(?) remark compared to such tremendous performance, but interpreting ‘Ibi-language’, it was practically no different from high praise on the level of ‘I should pass this down as a family heirloom for generations’.
As if she actually liked it very much, Ibi entered the ‘Invisible’ state once more and vanished from before us.
Then this time, she tried to flick my cheek from my side.
“──Uh, huh?”
Until I snatched Ibi’s wrist with a tak.
Ibi showed a greatly flustered appearance, as if she had never expected that I would not just luckily barely dodge the blow(?) thrown in an invisible state, but snatch it away entirely.
“How…”
Well, I have 「Moment of the Star」.
An ability that can make any action an unconditional Great Success once a day.
You’re using that power for this…?
Are you serious, you punk…?
Of course, the ‘Primordial’, the source of that power, was quite dumbfounded, but.
‘Doesn’t matter how trivial the prank is, it doesn’t suit my nature to just sit there and take it, does it? Whose vessel am I, anyway?’
When I asked back.
That is, true… Hmmm.
Indeed.
Eventually, he was strangely convinced and [Persuaded].
For that reason, before Ibi, who was surprised by her wrist being caught by me, could shake off my hand, I took a step closer first.
Like that—bringing my face, which she herself had confessed was completely her type, close so she couldn't look away from me—I grinned, lifting the corners of my mouth.
『Stay still.』
“…!?”
When I whispered a single word of 「Word Command」, Ibi froze right there, only opening and closing her mouth.
Since I hadn't taken off the 「Witch's Eye」, she wasn't ‘Charmed’, but with Charisma 30 rolling three dice, it was safe to assume it would work most of the time.
So even though I let go of her hand, Ibi still couldn't move from her spot and showed a docile appearance following my command.
Seeing her eyes glaring fiercely while trembling with a flushed face, it seemed she was quite resentful about being unable to move against her will.
“Reflect on what you did.”
Anyway, the 「Pitch-Black Shadow Cloak」 was an item treated as an ‘end-game item’ in all Rogue-based class builds.
And Ibi wasn't the only one who acquired such an end-game grade item.
“That, that is amazing, Lord Nero…!!”
Nero, who laughed “Ehehe…” while bowing her head low as if burdened by Miki’s sparkling eyes, sending applause in sincere admiration of the cloak’s performance.
“I, I also tried making, an item to give to the K, Knight…!”
Soon plucked up courage and took out another object from the box, indicating it was Miki’s turn this time.
“H, Here…!”
What Nero showed by carefully placing it on his hand and holding it out was.
“This is…”
A light ‘vest’ that seemed wearable inside the armor Miki usually wore.
And its identity was.
--
「Vest of Devotion」 (Legendary)
Effect - When equipped, user does not receive critical hits.
At the start of every turn, recovers HP equal to 25% of Mentality modifier.
--
It was an end-game garment that made a ‘tank’ like Miki into a true tank.
If the 「Pitch-Black Shadow Cloak」 Ibi received was an item that could make every attack a critical hit—though it did have conditions of needing to be in an ‘Invisible’ state and the user being an ‘Assassin’—this was an object that, on the contrary, turned every critical hit received into just a normal attack.
Furthermore, one-fourth of the Mentality modifier── adding the +@ increased through various items or buffs to Miki’s current Mentality stat of 16, he would recover about 4-5 HP every turn.
Considering that the damage Miki receives from general ‘trash mobs’ is usually under 10 when it’s not a critical hit, it meant that just by wearing this vest, he would become a ‘walking fortress wall’ itself from that moment on.
One that absolutely could not even be scratched by decent attacks.
So now, he could practically just wear this vest without armor.
It meant he could perform as a tank without any problems even in battles entered without wearing armor like now, or in battles where wearing it would be disadvantageous.
After trying on the vest himself.
“To think it is this light…!”
Just seeing him hopping up and down or moving his body lightly while demonstrating simple martial arts, it was to the extent that he could just wear it around all the time in daily life, let alone being restricted in action.
“Since the K, Knight said he does not use a separate weapon… I tried making an item focused on defense…”
Though Nero, who had crafted such a tremendous item, showed a somewhat worried reaction, wondering if she would like it.
“H, How is──”
“──T, Thank you so much, Lord Nero!!”
“W, Whoa?!”
Naturally, Nero’s voice, which was crawling further into a corner, was forcibly dragged out again by Miki, who grabbed his hands with a smile sparkling like the sun on his face.
“To make such an item for me…! It is an honor! I will make this a family heirloom for generations!”
“H, Heirloom, m, my item, becoming the Irons family’s…?!”
I could assert that it was an item worthy of that.
However, whether it was because of that shocking remark(?) or because of the sudden contact and sparkling eyes of Miki—who was an ‘insider’ type completely opposite to Nero—
“Ugh……”
Nero, who froze in place, ended up showing an appearance where her soul had just left her body.
“Uh.”
To the extent that even Ibi, who had escaped the influence of the 「Word Command」 before I knew it and approached my back to take revenge(?) on me, briefly forgot her goal and inadvertently looked at Nero with concern.
“I, isn't that guy dead…?”
“Yeah. Definitely dead.”
If the soul has left and only the shell remains, he's dead alright.
“Ehh──?!”
“What to do, Miki. You’ll have to turn yourself in.”
“T, Turn myself in!?”
You killed him.