Chapter 132 - 45: [Edge of the Heart of the Remains]

Chapter 132: Chapter 45: [Edge of the Heart of the Remains]

"A set of Demonized Armor." The gray-eyed Knight held the large chest in her arms.

"We need to inspect it. Please understand, Sir Knight," the officer said with a nod.

The gray-eyed Knight looked displeased, reluctantly opening the chest.

Inside lay a set of Rusted Copper Armor gleaming with a faint, ghostly blue light. The helmet, rusty copper breastplate, shoulder guards, arm guards, faulds, leg guards, and armored boots were all there, neatly dismantled and arranged. It emanated a strange chill.

Tucked inside the rusty copper breastplate was a small wooden doll of an Exiled Knight, equipped with a sword and shield, and wearing a cape. Its carved lines were smooth and exquisite.

The officer paused for a moment. He instinctively reached out for a closer look but was cleanly swatted away by the gray-eyed Knight’s black arm guard.

"It’s mine." She slammed the lid shut and hugged the large chest containing the Rusted Copper Armor tightly. Pressing her cheek against the lid, she glared warily at the officer.

"Ah... uh, apologies, my lady." The officer snapped back to reality. His upbringing as a minor noble prompted an automatic apology.

This set of Rusted Copper Armor was clearly a beloved possession of the Black Armor Knight before him. Inspecting it further would be inappropriate. Clearing his throat, he waved his hand. "However, according to the Empire’s tariff laws, Demonized Armor is subject to tax under the standard for Category Two Demonized Equipment."

"Will do, sir," Old Duke replied briskly, counting out the corresponding dozen or so Gold Coins and handing them to the nearby tax official.

"That will be all. Thank you for your cooperation." The officer led his soldiers to step aside from the carriage, giving a slight nod.

The carriage convoy departed, heading toward the nearby Adventurer’s Alliance stronghold, Gold-digging City.

Along the border surrounding the Hai Xin Plain, there were more than twenty Adventurer’s Alliance strongholds. However, all were situated close to the habitable zone, only a few kilometers away. Adventurers were greedy but not stupid—venturing deep into the Hai Xin Plain was never a wise choice.

Gold-digging City was one of them, located just six or seven kilometers from the border outpost, almost hugging the Empire’s border. The Adventurer’s Alliance seemed to fear some unimaginable terror lurking within the Hai Xin Plain, so much so that they had to rely on the powerful biceps of their Ederic Empire allies just to get a good night’s sleep.

"Um, can I come out now?" Samael’s voice drifted from the chest amid the RUMBLE of the carriage wheels.

"This feels so weird!" Talia couldn’t help but laugh as she set the chest on the floor and opened the lid.

[Powerful joint magnetic cohesion enabled.]

The scattered pieces of Rusted Copper Armor in the chest began to CLATTER wildly. They rolled all over the floor, connecting and piecing themselves together as if magnetized. Half a leg guard found an armored boot and kicked around next to it, only to send a shoulder guard flying. An arm groped around the carriage for the rusty copper breastplate, while a Nether Copper Hand Armor scurried across the floor on its fingers like some bizarre Nether Copper crab.

"I’d better help you." Talia stifled a laugh. She reached out, grabbed the Nether Copper Hand Armor crawling on the floor, and stuck it to the adjacent arm guard.

"Watch your fingers! My powerful joint cohesion is enabled. The gaps in the joints can snap steel!" Samael’s helmet rolled across the floor. A Copper Helmet Spider, cast from a mix of Nether Copper and Witch Gold, tumbled out of it. Acting like a hermit crab, it scurried around with a CLICK-CLACK, carrying Samael’s massive helmet on its back.

"I know, I know! Stop running around! Let me piece you back together." Talia caught the hermit-crab-like helmet. She casually plucked the little Witch Gold spider from inside and plopped it onto her own head, then placed Samael’s helmet onto the rusty copper breastplate.

With a loud CLANG, the helmet snapped tightly into place.

"No, but seriously, this is really creepy, you know?" Driving the carriage, Yaki turned around to watch the absurd scene unfolding inside. "It’s like a dismembered murder victim whose body parts are crawling around on the floor, piecing themselves back together... I suppose it just proves you truly are an Undead, Mr. Samael?"

"Hey, not all Undead are as fun as I am," Samael said earnestly, tapping his rusty copper breastplate with his newly attached arm.

"Right, right, you’re the absolute best Undead in the whole wide world. Truly one of a kind." Talia pressed a curved shoulder guard against his shoulder, and it snapped securely into place with a CLANK.

Samael reached down and grabbed his faulds, leg guards, and armored boots. Lying on the floor, he kicked his legs as if putting on a pair of pants, reattaching his waist joints.

"By the way, haven’t you guys ever seen other Undead that can talk?" He hopped up from the carriage floor with a CLATTER, dusting himself off amidst a chorus of metallic scraping and colliding.

"An Undead that can talk?" Yaki shook his head exaggeratedly. "Under normal circumstances, the Undead only do one thing—try to kill every moving, living creature."

"And humanoid Intelligent Races take priority," Talia added, reaching out to help dust off Samael’s Armor. "If a Magical Beast, an animal, and a humanoid Intelligent Race appear at the same time, an Undead will prioritize attacking the humanoid. The Demon Race, humans, Elves, and Dwarves—the four humanoid Intelligent Races—share the same priority level, so they’ll start with whoever is closest. This was one of the research tests my mother conducted."

"What?" Samael paused, stunned.

"You’re an Undead yourself, and you didn’t know this?" Talia looked at him. "Have you never had the urge or desire to kill humanoid Intelligent Races?"

"Why would I know something like that?" Samael threw his hands up. "Do I look like someone who slaughters innocents?"

Yaki turned around, gazing at the heavy, towering, and icy Nether Bronze Armor, and staring at the void of shadows within the empty gaps of the helmet. He pondered for a moment.