Chapter 180 - 174: Beer
"So, what do you think our chances are, these days?" Tulland asked.
"Our chances?"
"You know. Of making it out of all this alive. You aren't ever wrong, Necia. What do you think is going to happen?"
Tulland and Necia were sitting under the stars, enjoying a campfire made of the same wood as the stumps they were sitting on. They were a ways from the town, enjoying the gentle green of the growing patch of grass the town sat in. They were hopeful it was working.
"Since we planted the grass, there's been no dungeons popping up within it. That's not proof that they can't, but normally, we would have seen at least one this close by now. I'd say that's a pretty good sign."
"It's just a small island of safety, if so."
"We can make it grow." Necia pointed her war club and waved it across the horizon. "The whole continent, just this grass, with little islands of crops inside of it. It could work. Plus, I have this new armor."
One of the most recent groups to wander into the village had included a blacksmith so thin that he had literally been carried in on the back of his son, a giant of a boy who had also dragged a cart loaded with what the old man claimed were the most precious metals they could loot from a half dozen ruined cities. They offered to trade some small amount of them for food.
Once Necia had explained they could have all the food they wanted for free as long as Tulland could grow it, the old man had proclaimed all the metal hers. Not Tulland's, for some reason, but hers. When she had handed over her armor and some wood to burn down to charcoal, and the old man had gone a bit crazy.
Amrand claimed that the old man wasn't that far off when he claimed he had the best metals in the world with him, and that Necia's armor was probably a step above as a result. Necia herself didn't really even need the extra protection, but was as relieved as Tulland had seen her to be shiny again.
She was not, however, as thrilled about the new description.
| Armor of Radiant, Shiny Love You have a paramour, an object of your passion in human form. He or she also cares for you, having made armor for you in line with the most ancient traditions of love shared between warriors. These traditions are honored throughout the universe, known world to world by different names but always carrying the same feelings and results with them. This particular armor is crafted from large chunks of the Dark Steel Cedar, a magically constructed plant of unusual hardness and toughness. As an armor set, it heals itself of all but the most destructive of damage, and will regenerate lost chunks just as it slowly repairs cuts and dents it incurs as a cost of battle. While not as durable as the finest of metals, this wood is a more than adequate substitute for many more mundane and less rare materials. As a natural, living armor, the Armor of love will absorb magical attacks with a greater efficiency than an armor made primarily of metal would. Where fire should burn or ice should freeze, the armor will do away with much of the ill effects, dissipating them before they ever damage your health. These effects pale in comparison to the deeper meaning of the armor. As a symbol of love, it burns ever brighter than mere status enhancements could. It is a powerful, perfect reminder of what you feel and, as time goes on, an undying link to what you once felt. You, discontent to let the world pass by without knowing of the burning passion within both your chests, found a craftsman. He bound the armor in ancient, powerful metals, each pound of which was more valuable than a city. Now everyone will know about the incredible intensity of your undying love for Tulland Lowstreet, Farmer Master. As before, when you stand within ten yards of the object of your love, the effectiveness of this armor becomes slightly stronger. This effect stands so long as your love remains with the artisan themselves. The defensive power of this armor has been increased, and the magical nature of the metals involved have included them in the armor's self-repairing function.
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