"What? Are you telling me that Lohad’s Mirror Armor is not a crafted item but an artifact obtained from an ancient tomb?" Jared's face showed utter disbelief.
In <Paradiso>, the Mirror Armor was one of the artifacts Jared had desperately wanted. This was because it provided almost 99% immunity to arrow attacks, which were particularly dangerous among long-range attacks.
The armor was said to be imbued with the spirit of the legendary blacksmith Lohad, causing incoming arrows to get caught in a strange force field in front of the armor and fall.
This artifact was unique on the continent of Nas, but in <Paradiso>, it was worn by another user, not Jared. Jared remembered asking that user about its origin. He had said he met the spirit of the deceased Lohad and was taught the crafting method.
"That guy, I gave him a huge sum of gold coins as a manuscript fee and for his cooperation, and he blatantly lied?"
It was something from a past life, so there was nothing Jared could do about it. It was just absurd. Regardless, he had obtained an artifact that he never thought he would come across here. It seemed that no one had dared to raid this tomb until now, allowing him to take the armor worn by the armored officer.
"Actually, the sweetest honey is the one you secretly taste first."
Jared smiled. He quietly held the Mirror Armor. Before looking at its options, he changed the descriptions in the system from physical defense and magical defense to see them as physical defense (PD) and magic defense (MD) respectively.
[Lohad's Mirror Armor]
[Classification Grade: 5 Stars]
[Option 1: Increases PD by 100]
[Option 2: Increases MD by 50]
[Option 3: The mysterious power of the mirror neutralizes arrow attacks deployed from more than 20 meters away by 99.9%. However, this does not apply to magical arrows.]
[Option 4: Infused with all of Lohad's essence, the highly polished side of the armor can safely dissipate the impact of glancing or oblique attacks.]
[Option 5: It is crafted to be ultra-light and ultra-thin, making it very lightweight and slim enough to wear under clothing. It is easy to carry.]
"For more active maneuvering, defense is essential. This is perfect. Moreover, it doesn't hinder agility, so I can wear it with peace of mind!"
With a look of happiness, Jared immediately put on the armor. It was so thin that even after taking off his outer clothing and wearing it over his undergarments, then putting the outer clothing back on, it was not noticeable.
Jared then invested all of the 15 attribute points he gained from leveling up into magic and checked his status again.
[Jared – Lv. 11]
[Strength: 35]
[Stamina: 35]
[Magic: 1334]
[Wisdom: 170]
[Agility: 35]
[Charisma: 205]
[PD: 135]
[MD: 189]
[Remaining Stats: 0]
"My magic defense is nearing 200. At this level, it's almost like being immune to basic level 1 class magic. That is, unless I'm caught off guard and ambushed while looking elsewhere."
Defense is an attribute that fundamentally reduces the damage value received upon being attacked. Therefore, the more, the better.
Having equipped Lohad's Mirror Armor, Jared had bolstered both his defense attributes, leaving him nothing but happy.
Then, Ella asked with a smile, "No matter how you look at it, the armor worn by the warrior who was guarding the tomb, isn't it a bit too pleasant to wear?"
"Exactly. It might be cursed. In these underground tombs and dungeons, curses can come out of nowhere."
Isabelle shared a similar concern.
"It's okay. I can clearly distinguish whether it's cursed or not, so there's no need to worry."
"Amazing! You can even tell if there's a curse?"
Jared nodded at Ella's keen question. "That's my strength, being able to see through the essence of things. Let's continue moving. We still have a long way to go."
Shifting the group's focus quickly away from himself, Jared took the lead towards the next direction. It was now time to use the pendant he took from Prua, the Tear of Mahat III, since the previously open-ended basement would now continue into a series of closed stone chambers.
"I've received a pleasant gift."
Jared felt content as he moved, gently stroking his chest and abdomen, savoring the texture of the armor. It was akin to obtaining an invincible cheat key for annoying great archer battles, comparable to fighting against mages. There was no way not to feel secure.
"So incredible, really incredible."
From a certain moment, Ella had been marveling at everything about Jared. Whether it was using the pendant to open the stone chamber doors or preemptively creating strategies for the expected clay guardians inside, everything was so perfect.
For someone visiting for the first time, there wasn't a hint of panic or hesitance, only composure. As a result, her disciple Chloe was gaining a wealth of practical experience in the tomb, which Ella had thought was lacking.
There were moments when Chloe's agile movements were essential, especially when maneuvering through the traps scattered throughout the stone chamber.
With Jared securely covering their backs and only pointing out the necessary moves in a timely manner, it felt like a smooth and steady road.
Every time they conquered the golems in the chambers, they acquired magic stones, all of which went to Isabelle and Chloe. Initially, they thought that collecting magic stones wouldn't amount to much, but as more chambers were conquered, the magic stones rapidly piled up.
As a result, Ella found herself unexpectedly taking on the duties of a porter in addition to her initial escort role.
Chloe, who managed to earn a considerable amount of pocket money on her own, showed a determined expression, eliminating the golems with fervor. With Jared or Isabelle drawing attention head-on and persistently attacking from the rear, the golems fell easily.
Thus, the advance continued for about three hours. Though there were many stone chambers, their difficulty level was not high. Ella thought this was thanks to Jared. Above all, having a pendant that could be used as a master key and being warned of dangers in advance made all the difference.
"Could he be hiding his powers?"
Ella briefly entertained this thought, wondering if Jared possessed more abilities and was deliberately concealing them. Such was her strong curiosity. She wished to know more about him.
Judging by his dazzling use of magic and composed movements, he seemed to possess skills equal to or even beyond those of a 5th-class mage studying at a renowned academy.
"At last."
Seeing the entrance to the stone chamber, distinctively painted in a crimson hue, I recognized that I had arrived at the long-awaited destination.
Mahat III's Tomb. The underground grand stone chamber where Mahat III, the cursed ancient emperor and its owner, was said to be at rest.
"From here on, I'll be going in alone. The three of you wait here."
"Jared, what are you talking about? You said it's the toughest place. Yet you're going in alone, not with all of us?"
Isabelle tilted her head in confusion, echoing Chloe's puzzled look. It was strange to exclude them in the final act, after having moved forward together all this time.
"Neither you nor Chloe can withstand even a single attack here. Mahat III is a being that unleashes all sorts of curses. Even a graze will drive you insane, turning you into his eternal servants wandering the tomb."
"But you?"
"I have some things I can rely on."
I showed them the Saint Gracia's Ring. A 4-star artifact. Saint Gracia's blessing protected the soul, rendering any mental debuff ineffective against me.
Additionally, I took out another artifact I had retrieved from Deluc's hideout in the subspace, named Sara's Sparkling! Magic Tool.
[Sara's Sparkling! Magic Tool]
[Classification Grade: 2 Stars]
[Option 1: Magical circles drawn using this tool can be instantly activated by infusing mana.]
[Option 2: The process of drawing one magical circle consumes mana equivalent to ‘class × 10’.]
Sara's Sparkling! Magic Tool. With a name as charming as its fascinating backstory, it's an artifact left behind by a prodigy of the magical world who died young, appearing perhaps only once in a thousand years.
I don’t know why it was in Deluc's hideout, but it's certainly an artifact I need now. It's the key to conquering Mahat III.
Before entering, I provided Isabelle and Chloe with the parts they had to perform while I was engaging inside.
"Isabelle, while the battle is taking place inside, Mahat III's evil energy will continuously leak out through this hole. Do you see the hole big enough to fit two fingers?"
"Yes."
"This energy is quite similar to the illusions you use in your incantations. It has a very extreme nature."
"You mean… I should implement an illusion using this energy, then absorb that energy again?"
"Bingo. This energy isn’t the shady energy wielded by dark mages. It’s more like pure venomous energy. Though it may involve some pain, if you can absorb it..."
"I can take it all as my magic power! Right?"
"It's nice not having to explain twice. Don't miss a single second, and keep training until the battle ends. Got it? Not only will your magic power be enhanced, but your illusion incantations will also be strengthened."
"Got it!"
Isabelle nodded immediately. Now accepting everything as a given, she didn’t even ask how I planned to fight inside. While I induced the situation myself, it feels a bit disappointing that she doesn’t seem worried about me?
Regardless, I decided to pass a tip to Chloe as well. While I fight with all my might, should there be anything my companions can sneakily gain, I should let them.
"Chloe."
"Yes."
"When Mahat III wakes up and starts moving, a golem soldier will be generated at 15-second intervals from this spot."
I pointed to a spot in front of the stone chamber door where a red X mark was engraved, adding more information.
"Once generation is complete, they'll become as tough as the warriors we faced earlier, but before then, they're as easy to smash as soft tofu. Kill the continuously generated golem soldiers. Make sure they don't get into where I'm fighting."
"What happens if they get in?"
"As soon as they get engulfed in the evil energy, they transform into almost invincible monsters. From this mark to the stone chamber entrance, it's five steps. You must kill them before they cross that."
"Understood."
"Try to kill them in various ways. Until their generation is complete, they absolutely cannot attack, so it’ll be good training for you."
Chloe bowed and expressed her gratitude, clearly thankful for the opportunity given to her.
Then Ella asked, "Is there nothing for me?"
"There is."
"Oh! What is it?"
"Do you see the rectangular space over there on the right?"
"Yes, I see it! Will something come out from there? Is there something to train on?"
"When the battle begins, it will become like transparent glass. You'll quietly watch from there."
"Wha…"
"Then I'm going in. Absolutely do not enter. For those who don't know the strategy, the tomb will become a hell where your breath will be cut off in just one second."
Leaving a clear warning message for the three, I opened the stone chamber door with the pendant and stepped inside with determined strides.
At that moment—
"Who dares disturb my rest! I will deliver divine punishment personally!"
From afar, a man who was half-leaning on the throne raised his arms high into the air and rose from his seat.
At that moment, a quest was activated.
Episode 50