Chapter 171: Infernal Set
Jack approached the workbench, his eyes drawn to the equipment laid out before him.
The armor was unlike anything he’d seen before.
Four pieces, each one crafted from Cho’s bones and worked with such skill that they barely resembled their original material.
The metal was deep crimson, almost black in certain light, with veins of darker red running through like frozen blood vessels.
The chest piece was the largest, formed from Cho’s ribcage and spine, shaped to fit a human while maintaining the intimidating presence of a demon.
A skull sat at the center of the breastplate, its empty eye sockets seeming to watch Jack with hollow attention.
The craftsmanship was incredible. Malsyn had preserved the demonic essence within the bone while transforming it into functional armor.
The gauntlets were sleek, covering from fingertips to forearms. They looked like they’d been forged from Cho’s arm bones, with clawed fingers that could serve as weapons during a fight..
The leg guards were similar, protecting from foot to knee with overlapping plates that wouldn’t restrict movement. Small demon bone spikes jutted from the knees.
The helmet was the most striking piece. Formed from what must have been portions of Cho’s skull, it featured a T shape for Jack’s eye to be seen.
Two small horns curved back from the temples, not ostentatious but unmistakably demonic.
Next to the armor lay a spear.
It was beautiful in the way a weapon of war could be beautiful.
The shaft was reinforced demon bone, dark and smooth, with the same crimson-black coloring as the armor.
The spearhead was long and leaf-shaped, its edges so sharp they seemed to cut the air itself. Carved along the blade were runes that pulsed faintly with red light.
"Cho’s bones were exceptional material," Malsyn said, pride evident in his voice. "The demonic properties are woven into every piece."
Jack reached out and touched the chest piece. It was warm, almost alive, pulsing with residual demonic energy that resonated with something inside him.
[Set: Infernal Set]
[Each piece gives 12.5% Fire Resistance]
[Set Bonus: Blood Feast | After absorbing a set amount of blood, a hellfire explosion will erupt from your body in a 10 meter radius. Damage is determined by Magic × Magic Talent]
[Spear: Infernal Spear]
[+20 Strength, +20 Agility, +20 Stamina]
[Special Skill: Demon’s Rage | Every Demon killed grants +1% Strength for every demon killed for 60 seconds. Caps at 10 stacks]
Malsyn gestured to the armor pieces.
"It’s okay Maslyn, my eyes are different, I can tell how impressive they are."
Jack did the quick math. At ten stacks, that was a ten percent strength increase. Combined with his existing buffs and the spear’s base bonus, he’d be hitting significantly harder than before.
"This is great armor," Jack said quietly.
"That demon bone is properly utilized," Malsyn corrected. "I’ve been a smith for three centuries. This is some of my finest work." He set the spear back on the workbench. "But there’s one more thing you need to know."
He pointed to the skull embedded in the chest piece. "See that cavity behind the skull’s jaw? That’s where you’ll place a demon heart. The armor needs power to function at full capacity. Feed it a heart, and it will live there forever, sustaining the enchantments and the blood absorption ability."
Jack stared at the hollow space behind the skull. "Any demon heart?"
"The stronger the better," Malsyn said. "The heart’s power will determine how efficiently the armor functions and how quickly it accumulates blood for the hellfire explosion."
Jack reached into his system storage and pulled out one of the Nightmare-class demon hearts he’d collected during his fights.
The organ was dark and pulsing, still warm despite being stored for days. He could feel the demonic essence radiating from it.
"Will this work?" Jack asked.
Malsyn’s eyes widened slightly. "More than adequate. Place it in the cavity."
Jack approached the chest piece and carefully positioned the heart behind the skull. The moment it touched the armor, the heart seemed to sink into the bone, merging with it.
The skull’s eye sockets flared with red light, and the veins running through the armor began to pulse like living tissue.
[Equipment Detected: Dread Sovereign Armor Set]
[Rank: Unique]
[Chest Piece - Fire Resistance: +12.5%]
[Gauntlets - Fire Resistance: +12.5%]
[Leg Guards - Fire Resistance: +12.5%]
[Helmet - Fire Resistance: +12.5%]
[Set Bonus (4/4): Blood Feast - Absorb demon blood from slain enemies. Upon reaching maximum absorption, trigger Hellfire Explosion]
Jack read the notifications twice, making sure he understood every detail. This equipment was leagues beyond what he’d been using. The fire resistance alone would be invaluable against the flame-wielding demons he’d encountered.
And the blood absorption ability meant every kill would bring him closer to a devastating area attack.
"Try it on," Malsyn encouraged. "I want to make sure the fit is perfect."
Jack began removing his old armor, the blood-stained pieces that had served him through countless battles. He set them aside and started donning the new equipment.
The chest piece settled against his torso with surprising comfort, the demon bone somehow conforming to his body.
The gauntlets slid on smoothly, the clawed fingers flexing naturally as Jack moved his hands. The leg guards attached with satisfying clicks, and the helmet... the helmet made him look like something from a nightmare.
When Jack caught his reflection in a polished metal surface, he barely recognized himself.
The crimson-black armor, the skull at his chest, the demonic horns, he looked like a demon lord rather than a human.
He picked up the spear, and it felt perfect in his hands. Balanced. Deadly. An extension of his will.
"How does it feel?" Malsyn asked.
"Like I could fight an army," Jack said honestly.
"Good. That’s exactly what I intended." Malsyn crossed his arms, satisfaction evident on his face. "Now get out of my forge and go put that equipment to proper use. I want to hear stories about what you accomplish with it."
"Thank you, Malsyn," Jack said, genuine gratitude in his voice. "This is incredible work."
"It’s what I do," the smith replied simply.
Jack was about to leave when the forge door opened behind him. He turned, hand instinctively moving to his new spear, then relaxed slightly when he saw who it was.
Seryth stood in the doorway, her luminescent form casting soft light across the forge. Her wings were folded against her back, and her expression was carefully neutral as she took in Jack’s new appearance.
"Soul Warden," she said, herl voice carrying a note of surprise. "I heard you’d returned to collect your equipment." Her eyes moved over the armor, lingering on the skull embedded in the chest piece. "Impressive."
"Seryth," Jack acknowledged. "I was just leaving."
"Actually," Seryth said, stepping further into the forge, "I came looking for you. I wanted to see how you were doing after... everything that happened at the mine."
Jack studied her carefully. Her tone was friendly enough, but there was something else beneath it. Concern? Suspicion? He couldn’t quite read it.
"I’m fine," Jack said. "Better equipped now, as you can see."
Seryth nodded slowly. "I also wanted to thank you. For stopping Pho’s assassins. For discovering the truth about the mine. The information you provided has been... illuminating."
"Has it changed anything?" Jack asked.
"We’re discussing our options," Seryth said carefully. "Knowing that Pho has been manipulating us changes the situation significantly. But ending a four-year war isn’t simple, even with new information."
Jack saw his opening. This was the moment. If he was going to go through with his plan, he needed to set it in motion now.
"I have a plan," Jack said, his voice steady. "A way to stop the war and bring peace to your people."
Seryth’s eyes widened slightly. "A plan?"
"Yes." Jack met her gaze directly. "But it requires cooperation. I need you to summon Vok’thar and his champion to your castle. All of us will meet in private, and I’ll explain how I intend to end this war."
Seryth was quiet for a long moment, her luminescent eyes studying Jack’s face. He could see her mind working, weighing possibilities, calculating risks.
"You want me to invite the Thal’Gorin war chief and his champion into my stronghold?" she said slowly. "That’s asking for a lot of trust, Soul Warden."
"I know," Jack said. "But if you want this war to end, if you want to stop losing demons to a conflict that only benefits Pho, then you need to take a risk."
"And your plan involves all of us meeting together?"
"It does. In private, where we can speak honestly without our armies watching." Jack kept his voice calm, confident. "I’ve discovered something that changes everything. But I need both sides present to explain it properly."
Seryth was silent again, her wings shifting slightly as she considered. Finally, she nodded.
"Very well. I’ll send word to Vok’thar. Request a meeting under the banner of truce, citing the Soul Warden’s involvement." She looked at Jack seriously. "This plan of yours better be worth the risk. If this goes wrong, it could reignite the war worse than before."
"It won’t go wrong," Jack said, hoping his voice carried more confidence than he felt.
Seryth turned to leave, then paused at the door. "One more thing, Soul Warden. Whatever you’re planning... I hope it truly brings peace. My people are tired of this war. We all are."
"Don’t worry, when this is over, your people will live in peace. We all will. And your people will never forget me, as long as they draw breath."