46. Weapon Upgrade
Rangga let out a long breath after finishing his final bite. He leaned back for a moment, patting his stomach.
"Haa... There we go... Finally full."
It had been a long time since he'd experienced such simple satisfaction.
A plate of warm rice. Grilled meat. And a peaceful night.
Rangga stood up from the campfire and stretched before turning toward his crafting bench.
"Hmm... What was I supposed to make again?" He thought for a few seconds. "Oh right... Armor."
He immediately walked to the warehouse. On one of the shelves, the Armor Blueprint he had obtained from the Mechanical Simosuchus was neatly stored.
He picked up all three blueprint fragments and carried them back to the crafting bench.
The moment he placed them on the table, the three blueprint scrolls began glowing.
They slowly drifted toward one another before merging into a complete blueprint. It then dissolved into countless particles of light and disappeared.
A blue screen appeared.
Swamp Armor
Materials:
10 Reinforced Synthetic Hide
5 Synthetic Hide
20 Reinforced Synthetic Fiber
10 Synthetic Fiber
15 Dried Hide
5 Copper Ingots
Rangga slowly read through the materials list. The farther down he read, the higher his eyebrows rose.
"Damn... That's a lot."
Fortunately, he had already gathered almost everything over the past few days.
He opened the warehouse and took out the materials one by one.
Reinforced Synthetic Hide. Synthetic Hide. Reinforced Synthetic Fiber. Synthetic Fiber. Dried Hide. And five Copper Ingots.
After confirming everything was there, he pressed Craft. Every material transformed into light and flowed into the crafting bench.
The familiar mechanical sounds echoed once again.
Click...
Krrk...
Whuuumm...
Several seconds later, the glow above the workbench gradually faded.
A brand-new suit of armor now rested on top and Rangga walked over, his eyes widening.
"Whoa..."
It looked nothing like the simple leather armor he had been wearing.
Its outer layer was covered with scales resembling those of a swamp crocodile, colored dark green with brown undertones, allowing it to blend naturally into forests and swamps.
Sturdy bone-like shoulder guards reinforced the upper body, giving the impression of a hunter who had survived in the wilderness for years.
The chest armor consisted of multiple overlapping layers, much thicker than his previous armor while still fitting snugly enough not to restrict movement.
The forearm guards and shin guards were reinforced with overlapping hardened leather plates, ready to withstand claws and heavy impacts.
The entire suit looked far tougher. Far more refined. It no longer belonged to someone merely struggling to survive.
It belonged to a hunter who had fully adapted to the Pioneer World.
Rangga gently ran his hand over the shoulder guard. A smile slowly spread across his face.
"Awesome..."
Without another thought, he picked up the armor.
"I'm not making the same mistake this time."
He glanced up at the night sky.
"Still watching, aren't you?"
He chuckled softly. Carrying his new armor, he walked inside the house. A moment later, the wooden door closed tightly behind him.
The door slowly creaked open.
Creeeak...
Rangga stepped outside.
As the evening sunlight illuminated his body, even he stopped for a moment to admire his new armor.
"Damn..."
His hand slowly brushed across the chest plate.
This Swamp Armor was worlds apart from the leather armor he had worn before.
Its entire surface was covered with tightly packed dark green and brown scales resembling the hide of a swamp crocodile.
Each scale overlapped perfectly with the next, forming a thick protective layer while remaining flexible enough to move naturally with his body.
Perched upon his left shoulder was the preserved head of a Simosuchus, transformed into an imposing shoulder guard.
Its jaws remained open, exposing rows of teeth, making it appear as though a predator constantly watched over his shoulder.
The chest plate consisted of layered reptilian hide reinforced with synthetic fibers and hidden metal plates beneath, making it significantly sturdier than his previous armor without sacrificing mobility.
His arms were protected by slimmer overlapping guards that still allowed him to draw a bow and wield a spear comfortably.
From his waist down to his knees hung long overlapping scale plates that moved naturally with every step.
Behind him, a crocodile-like tail made from preserved hide extended from the armor, serving as additional protection.
His face was now partially covered by a Simosuchus jaw mask that concealed everything from his nose to his cheeks.
It made his gaze appear much sharper and considerably more intimidating.
The entire armor was dominated by shades of moss green, dark brown, and weathered gray.
Standing in a swamp, he would almost disappear into the surroundings.
Rangga clenched his fists. He rolled his shoulders. Twisted his waist. Raised his knees. Then mimicked drawing his bow.
Everything felt perfect. It wasn't heavy. It didn't restrict his movements.
"It really feels good..."
He picked up his spear then thrusted forward. Swept it sideways then performed several quick steps around the yard.
The armor moved naturally with every motion and Rangga stopped and looked himself up and down.
A satisfied smile slowly appeared.
"Wow... The old one looked like survival gear... But this... Now I actually look like a hunter."
He patted the Simosuchus-head shoulder guard several times.
"Thanks, Mr. Vegetarian Crocodile... You actually make a pretty cool suit of armor."
He chuckled to himself. He could truly feel how much he had changed.
No longer a construction worker lost in an unfamiliar world. But a hunter who had adapted to the wilderness and the mechanical creatures that inhabited it.
Rangga was still admiring his shoulder guard when his gaze shifted toward the crafting bench.
"Oh right... There's still something left."
He walked over, and the blue screen appeared again.
Crafting Bench Lv.3
Upgrade Requirements
30 Stone
10 Copper Ingots
10 Iron Ore
20 Hardwood
Rangga glanced at the warehouse and everything was available.
"Let's do it."
Without hesitation, he pressed Upgrade. The materials inside the warehouse transformed into light and flowed toward the crafting bench.
Whuuumm...
The entire workbench radiated brilliant light. Its wooden frame became sturdier. The tabletop expanded. Drawers and tool compartments appeared along both sides.
Metal clamps, molds, and small storage racks automatically materialized on top.
When the light finally faded, the crafting bench looked far more professional than before.
Rangga grinned.
"Now that's awesome."
He immediately opened the newly unlocked menu but after opening the very first category, he froze.
"...Huh?"
A brand-new category had appeared.
Weapon Upgrades
Bow
Spear
Hammer
Sword
Rangga immediately selected Bow and two branching upgrade paths appeared.
Crossbow
Power ↑↑
Range ↑
Attack Speed ↓
Accuracy ↓
Longbow
Power ↓
Range ↓
Attack Speed ↑↑
Accuracy ↑↑
Rangga reread both choices several times.
"Oh... So it's like a game... I have to choose one of two evolution paths."
"Which one should I pick?"
Instead of deciding immediately, he opened the next category.
Spear → Long Spear
Power ↑
Range ↑
Longer reach and excels at keeping enemies at a distance.
Spear → Javelin
Power ↓
Range ↑↑
Can be thrown with tremendous penetrating power while remaining effective as a melee weapon.
Rangga's eyes widened.
"Damn... I can throw this?"
He imagined the Vespersaurus charging from afar or a Protoceratops rushing toward him.
With a throwing spear, he might be able to kill them before they even got close.
"Hmm..."
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully before opening the next category.
Hammer
One-Handed Hammer + Shield
Defense ↑↑
Mobility ↑
Can equip a shield.
Two-Handed Hammer
Attack Power ↑↑↑
Range ↑
Attack Speed ↓
"Damn... Tank or barbarian."
Rangga chuckled before opening the final category.
Sword
One-Handed Sword + Shield
Defense ↑↑
Speed ↑
Balanced fighting style.
Two-Handed Sword
Power ↑↑
Range ↑
Speed ↓
Rangga stared at the entire menu for a long time.
Four weapons. Eight different evolution paths. Each one serving a completely different role.
He leaned against the crafting bench in deep thought.
"For the bow... I like shooting fast and for the spear..."
His eyes settled once more on the Javelin option. A faint grin slowly appeared across his face.
"Hehehe... I think... I already know which one I'm going to choose."