“So? What do you think? It’s comfortable, isn’t it? You don’t have to be so impressed, because I’m not the one who made this armor.” Zahir said proudly with his arms crossed as he appreciated the armor the tall man in front of him was wearing.

Kaizen was motionless, static in one place since he put on the armor with the help of the dwarf.

The armor that Zahir mentioned was perfect for him. It was a classic medieval knight’s armor, full of metal plates and not that very comfortable adornments. Despite this, all the joints were flexible and did not limit Kaizen’s movements so much, which was perfect for a spear fighter.

On the back of the armor, there was a red cape. Kaizen didn’t totally reject this idea, mainly because he was too handsome by his look in the mirror.

“Oh! I almost forgot the helmet!” shouted Zahir, who took the helmet that was on his side and handed it to Kaizen.𝑶𝐕𝓁xt.𝒸𝒐𝑚

The rookie looked at the helmet that had a red feather on its top.

‘Um… That’s eye-catching.’

When he put it on and looked at himself in the mirror, he realized that he looked extremely similar to one of the Myth2 champions, a Tank type character named Lunko. In a way, it was satisfying for Kaizen to look in the mirror and see himself wearing something he normally only saw people wearing in movies or games.

[Item: Wen Chiu’s Plate Armor

This is an excellent piece of work by a blacksmith named Wen Chiu made in the Lost Dungeons. The user of this work can feel the great rage that Wen Chiu devoted to this armor while forging it.

*There is a chance to unlock the bonus called ‘Wen Chiu’s Fury’ (Strength +10)

Rating: Primal

Durability: 148/150; Defense: 65; Movement Speed:

-5%

Requirements: Level 20 or higher, more than 50 Strength (Attack).

Weight: 200]

The armor was nice, however, uncomfortable in some spots. Furthermore, the level required to wear it was still too high for Kaizen to even dare to do so.

“I don’t think that’s quite what I’m looking for. The joints are stiff, and I’m not saying that the plates are heavy, but I can barely move with it.” Kaizen said he put it on just 15 seconds ago after removing the helmet.

He would not admit to Zahir that he did not have enough level to wear a Primal Rank armor.

The blacksmith dwarf was not bothered by Kaizen’s rejection of Wen Chiu’s Plate Armor, as it was very common for people to not accept the first armor offered to them.

Zahir also knew that at some point during the search for the ideal armor, people usually went back to the first armor offered or found a favorite one.

However, Kaizen and Zahir spent the next whole hour searching for an armor that seemed perfect for the newcomer, and after such a long search, they found absolutely nothing.

The armor they were looking for should be light enough to not slow Kaizen down and strong enough to withstand attacks from the powerful Steel Claw Mantis Gods that inhabit the Howling Draughts. Finding something of such quality in a Starting City was an almost impossible search. However, just as Zahir’s Shop was not just any store, Zahir was not just any blacksmith. If his customer wanted armor with specific requirements, and he had no such armor, he would make that armor for the customer.

After Kaizen tried on the fifteenth armor, his eyes were already sleepily, showing his fatigue. It seemed that all the armor they tried had something that bothered him so much that he could not ignore it. After all, he intended to wear this new armor for a long time. At that moment of hopelessness, he looked at the dwarf, who this time didn’t even try to cheer him up about the new armor.

“Uaah! Zahir, thanks for the help today, but I will try to look for other armor in some other stores tomorrow. There must be at least one armor that fits what I want in this whole city. I bet it will be like looking for a needle in a haystack…” said Kaizen after yawning.

The blacksmith didn’t seem to like that idea. Zahir glared angrily at his customer and said:

“Go to your home and come back tomorrow. By then, I will have brand-new armor that fits what you are asking for. If you want strong, sturdy, lightweight armor, there is no other blacksmith in this town who can provide you with, no one other than me.”

This confidence from the dwarf was something Kaizen appreciated, so he agreed and left the store. As soon as he left, he already began to hear the sounds of hammering once again.

Since it was also getting late in the real world, Kaizen logged out, ate dinner, and went to sleep.

When he woke up the following day, he wanted to log into Rise Online immediately. Klaus Park was hooked on this new VRMMORPG.

Besides, the idea of being able to make a lot more money playing and having fun than working in central New York in a boring office and a crappy job was extremely appealing. However, Klaus knew that to try his luck with this possibility, he would have to quit his formal job and take a chance on his fate. It was too difficult a decision to make in such a hurry, even more so with $2 million in debt.

As Klaus thought about this in his morning shower, he realized he had spent more time under the shower than usual. Even so, it was still 6:30 in the morning. At least today, he was not late, so he would have time to eat breakfast.

When he arrived in the kitchen, he was surprised by an unusual sight. Michael and Chun Park sat at the small table with four chairs next to the refrigerator.

Michael was supposed to have left home for work more than two hours ago, so what was he doing at home at that time in the morning?

“Hey, good morning… What are you doing still here, Dad? Are you coming in later today?” Klaus asked as he approached, soon noticing that both Michael and Chun were looking at a white paper on the table.

When they heard Klaus’ voice, they were clearly more shaken.

His mother managed to disguise this well, and her signal was just to avert her eyes. However, Michael was someone more expressive, so he turned back and said:

“G-good morning, champ. I’m f-following today…”

“What’s that?” Klaus pointed with his chin to the paper on the table.

“That? It’s nothing, don’t worry. Just a utility bill.” Michael crumpled the paper.

Klaus Park clenched his eyes. “Dad, I’m not a kid anymore, you don’t have to lie to me. Ard isn’t even here, and he should be awake by now. You always let him miss school when something important happened, so tell me what’s the matter.”

At that moment, Michael didn’t know what to answer or how to lie. He looked at Chun, who nodded positively with a mournful smile.

“It’s a letter from the bank, Klaus.” The balding man replied and held out the crumpled paper to his son. “Remember the mortgage we took out on the house three years ago? The Hospital contacted the bank and allowed our house to be taken until we paid off the entire debt…”

…

Edited by: DrHitsuji

If you want to see original illustrations of Rise Online characters, consider helping me on pa treon: Pa treon.com/NandoFalske

More character images in:

https:///bpqq9u4gS8

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