Nightmare Despair

Chapter 66 Gift, Armguard

The closer you get to the Willow People, the hotter the air becomes, and the fewer monsters there are.

When Zhou Kai entered the area within 80 or 90 meters of it.

With the bright firelight, the surrounding environment even gave the illusion of an ordinary rainy night in a small town, and the darkness and fear were dispelled.

Zhou Kai moved in the shadows of the building, avoiding the direct light of the fire, searching for a suitable vantage point.

This process didn't take long; he quickly found an excellent vantage point.

Through the gaps in a row of stone railings, Zhou Kai's gaze swept back and forth between the raging fire and the willow-woven body, searching for any unusual signs.

Finally, Zhou Kai's pupils contracted sharply as he spotted a clue at the boundary between the flames and the vines...

"That was... a package?"

Zhou Kai's heart stirred slightly, because the silver patterns on the package were exactly the same style as the two notebooks left by Chen Xing.

"Left by Morning Star?"

It's important to know that Morning Star was a pioneer who entered this desolate place a full century before him, and might even be an explorer who navigated the nightmare with ease.

Zhou Kai didn't think he would leave something useless on a monster that was clearly not an ordinary being.

Nine times out of ten, the key to breaking the deadlock lies in that package.

How can I take it?
The fire looked extremely strange; the chain-hammer armored warrior only brushed against it and was instantly burned to ashes!
have to say.

Chenxing, that old rascal, has left Zhou Kai with a difficult problem, but it's not necessarily a bad thing.

"After all, anyone who's played Soul Game knows that the higher the difficulty, the richer the rewards usually are..."

The contents of the package were worth the gamble.

With his breathing slowed, Zhou Kai gradually retreated, his footsteps silent.

Then, without hesitation, he turned around and headed straight for the shelter.

Having figured out the details of the Willow People, this trip back is imperative.

It's not that I was a coward and ran away.

Instead, they adopted a completely new, tough-guy approach.

For a lone wolf to hunt, it must sharpen its claws and teeth.

A few minutes later, Zhou Kai returned to the decaying swordsman's corpse, intending to carry it back as fertilizer.

But when he bent down to retrieve it, he found that the corpse was stuck to the ground as if it were glued in place.

It looked like a wax figure that had been soaked by the rain and was about to melt into the ground.

Zhou Kai took this unusual situation to heart, increased the force in his hands, tensed his muscles, and with a hiss, forcefully pulled the decaying swordsman out of its sticky grip on the ground.

Then, they returned at full speed.

……

After stripping the swordsman of his full plate armor, Zhou Kai buried the body in the nursery, specifically choosing a spot closest to the gastrodia elata.

In a state of vitality, it could very well become a life-saving trump card when facing that eerie flame.

We don't need complete immunity; as long as he can hold on to his last breath and run back to the shelter, we'll consider this a win!
"I'm just waiting for you to turn into mud."

While waiting for the dialog box to appear above the nursery, Zhou Kai didn't just sit idly.

His fingers traced the rust patterns on the metal and the raised rivets, his attention shifting to the full plate armor.

The plate armor was badly rusted, and its surface was covered with a layer of blackish-gray stains.

The overall material is the same as that two-handed sword, which is high-quality steel.

Scraping away the black ash reveals a silvery sheen underneath, gleaming with a cold light.

This thing's defensive capabilities are ridiculously high; Zhou Kai couldn't even cut through the weakest part of its neck armor before.

As for the thickest part of the breastplate area...

Zhou Kai pulled out the Gran 02 pistol from his pocket. He seriously doubted whether this small pistol could penetrate the five- or six-millimeter-thick curved steel plate of the breastplate at medium to long range!

However, even though the metal suit looked reassuring, Zhou Kai never felt like wearing it.

The biggest problem is that this thing is too heavy and too bulky.

Even the thinnest neck, hand, and arm armor has a metal thickness of two to three millimeters.

The whole routine easily puts you over 120 pounds.

Wearing this thing would be tantamount to crippling Zhou Kai, who relied on agility and speed for his livelihood. Thinking about this, Zhou Kai shook his head; he realized he was being a bit too rigid… Who says full-body armor has to be worn in its entirety?

Wearing only a portion of the armor significantly increases protection without reducing speed too much.

Having figured this out, Zhou Kai immediately took action, selecting the relatively intact left arm and left hand armor, as well as the right arm and right hand armor from each of the two sets of armor, and removed them.

They were lined up in front of me.

Now he has to face the Willow Man head-on and snatch the package from the eerie pile of flames.

A pair of fire-resistant gauntlets should be a great help.

As for the fact that metal conducts heat quickly and if it's not removed in time, it will turn into a hot plate and cause continuous burns... Zhou Kai didn't care.

It's just about adding more points!

"Use the original soup to cook the original food. I just got a lot of experience points from you, so let's use those experience points to strengthen the fire-resistant arm armor!"

Zhou Kai immediately thought to himself: "How many experience points are needed to strengthen these arm and gauntlets while maintaining their protective capabilities, and also providing heat insulation and lightweight properties?"

【38】

Thirty-eight points, that's really not cheap.

Zhou Kai had a general idea in mind. His eyes flickered, and he immediately changed his mind, saying, "Only upgrade the right hand armor and right arm armor, and give up the lightness effect!"

Thirty-eight points is the price for upgrading a pair; upgrading only half a pair only requires nineteen points.

If we also abandon the requirement of "lightweight", then all we need is...

The decaying swordsman's tattered armor has undergone a new change!

[You have consumed 7 Universal Experience Points to obtain: Heat-Resistant Extended Arm Gauntlets]

[Item Effect: Enhanced arm protection and heat insulation]

[General Experience Points: 24 → 17]

The originally separate gauntlets and arm guards slowly connected into a single unit after a flash of light, with smooth lines and a cool, elegant sophistication.

Originally made of pure stainless steel, only about 70% of it was ultimately retained.

The remaining 30% was replaced by a composite material similar to carbon fiber.

These composite materials are mainly distributed in the joint movement area, as well as the part of the armor that fits against the arm.

"It's even cheaper than the Moonlit Orchid Amulet."

Zhou Kai simply picked up the gauntlets and put them on.

The lining is soft and breathable, and there is not much resistance when you try to clench your fist or bend and stretch your fingers.

...And all of this is based on the premise that the defensive capabilities have not been reduced at all!
"Great, it can be a permanent piece of equipment from now on."

Zhou Kai nodded in satisfaction.

As his strength steadily increased, he was often jolted by the powerful recoil when he wielded his greatsword, causing his hands and feet to go numb.

Now that he has the inner lining of his gauntlets to cushion his movements, he can unleash his power more recklessly!
……

Gauntlets, a greatsword, a short axe... Zhou Kai's attire is increasingly resembling that of a qualified survivor.

Surprises kept coming, and the nursery didn't let us down either.

A layer of yellowish-black mold rose above the decaying swordsman's corpse. After the mold dissipated, the entire corpse disappeared.

The nursery's dialog box popped up on time.

What is taken from her, return to her; what grows from the land, returns to the land after death...

[Gastrodia elata has received an ample supply of nutrients, and you have received a gift.]

[Status: Vitality (48h)]

"coming!"

A pungent yet refreshing scent lingered in front of Zhou Kai, and a resolute look appeared between his brows.

After gaining the "Vitality" effect, which continues to work even after leaving the shelter.

It can be said that everything is ready, and the east wind has arrived!
"start!"

Wearing gauntlets and gripping a greatsword tightly, the hard metal plates rubbed together, making a clicking sound.

With no more distractions in his mind, Zhou Kai rushed out of the shelter and headed straight for the Willow People!
(End of this chapter)