Take Off Your Clothes and Lie Down Here.
I froze, my brain short-circuiting at the sheer absurdity of it. After waiting outside the workshop for an hour while Jung Sun-ah did her reinforcement work, she finally called me back in... and this is what I get?
"Hoo... What are you doing? Hurry up and strip. I'm already exhausted from the reinforcement on the way back—don't make it worse. Strip already."
Drenched in sweat from head to toe, Jung Sun-ah panted heavily as she hurled those terrifying words at me. Is this woman truly insane?
Constellation 'Sung Hyun-sook' worries about her son's chastity!
Yeah. I'm terrified of this situation too, Mom.
"Wh-why are you doing this to me...?"
I instinctively crossed my arms over my chest and backed away, and she went, "Ah?"
Only then did she seem to realize her words could be misinterpreted, her face flushing bright red.
"Ah, no! Damn it! That's not what I meant! Listen, Legendary Son-in-Law! You've got some seriously filthy demon possessing your head!"
"Who wouldn't think dirty things when you tell them to strip and lie down out of nowhere...?"
"If you know it's a misunderstanding, can you drop that contemptuous look already?!"
Even right after reinforcement, she's overflowing with energy, this girl. As expected, all S-rank players are total monsters.
After that silly skit wrapped up...
"...This is way different from what I expected or hoped for."
"Don't say that. This is a custom piece handmade by none other than the Hammer and Anvil Sovereign himself. Once you grasp what it really is, you'll faint from shock."
"Hmm. Is that so..."
I'm lying face-down on the bed—topless, of course, just the top.
...With plastic cupping jars attached to the backs of both my shoulders.
What the hell? Did I wander into a local acupuncture clinic instead of a workshop?
'I thought some killer defensive gear was waiting...'
Sudden medical procedure vibes. Well, I can guess this isn't your average cupping therapy.
'Normal cupping draws out blood... This is the opposite. It's injecting something into my body.'
My upper back has felt heavy since it started, and now it's getting hotter, like boiling water seeping through my pores. As I lie there getting drowsy...
"Done!"
Pop! Pop!
Jung Sun-ah yanked the two cups off my shoulders with a satisfying sound. She handed me a small hand mirror and grinned.
"Transplant successful. See for yourself."
"...Transplant? Whoa."
Reflected in the mirror, a shield-pattern tattoo gleamed sharply on my shoulder.
I already have the Spirit King's Favor engraved on the back of my hand. Another one?
"What is this?"
"You said it'd be better to show once than explain a hundred times, right? Activation phrase is 'Protect me.' Say it."
"Pr-Protect me."
Constellation 'Sung Hyun-sook' blushes at the activation phrase!
I didn't even have time to retort that it was embarrassing for me too.
Shwaaak—!
From the tattoo on my shoulder, black wave-like tendrils spread out like a net, enveloping my entire body in an instant.
As I flinched in panic...
"Oh...?"
When I came to, a sleek black bodysuit hugged my form perfectly.
If it were just the bodysuit, the contours of my body would be too obvious and embarrassing, but...
"Black bodysuit with a gray overcoat on top... Your constellation has some unique fashion sense, huh?"
'Sung Hyun-sook' proudly blows on her nails: "My son's fashion sense is top-tier, after all!"
"Your expression says you like it?"
"The design's my style."
"Why not test if the performance suits your taste too?"
At her words, I immediately tried appraising the item.
◈ Crafted by the Hammer and Anvil Sovereign with masterful artisanship.
◈ Reborn under divine hands, this Living Armor will eternally serve and protect its wearer as its master.
◈ 1. Transforms into defensive gear suited to the current field's environment.
◈ 2. Transforms into defensive gear suited to the current enemy's affinities.
◈ 3. Detects traps within a 300m radius.
◈ 4. Converts accumulated physical damage into attack energy.
◈ 5. Increases HP and mana recovery rates.
◈ 6. +50 to all stats even when deactivated.
How many effects are packed into a single piece of defensive gear? And above all, effects 1 and 2 are just...
'Pandora's Box, but for armor?'
The item's performance dynamically adjusts to the situation, as if the armor has a will of its own, changing its form accordingly.
'No wonder the design didn't resemble typical Living Armor—this is what it meant.'
Plus, the descriptions for effects 3, 4, and 5 were straight out of top-tier items. Integrating all that into one piece of gear? And as a finishing touch, +50 to all stats!
I could only gaze at Jung Sun-ah with slightly misty eyes of gratitude.
"H-hey... Don't look at me like that. You know I didn't make that gear—my constellation did."
"Please convey my deepest thanks to him. I wouldn't even know where to begin."
"No need. He's watching everything in real-time right now. Hmm... He says since he got to unleash his artisan passion thanks to you, we're both winners."
"Your constellation is one hell of a guy."
'Sung Hyun-sook' resolves: "I should pay him a visit soon!"
Good idea, Mom. I was thinking the same—getting close to the Hammer and Anvil Sovereign wouldn't hurt, unlike the others.
Just then, as Jung Sun-ah stared into space checking system messages, she let out an exclamation.
"Eh? For real? Whoa, isn't this way too generous, human-wise? What, are you some max-level protagonist from a fantasy novel who hit the jackpot?"
"Huh...?"
"Hey, Legendary Son-in-Law. My constellation says that suit has one more hidden function."
"There's another one here?"
"Yup. Hold on."
A moment later, she handed me a ring-shaped artifact from the display case.
"You're giving this to me?"
"...As if. Quit with the nonsense that won't fly. Stroke the metal ornament embedded in the center of your chest."
Come to think of it, there's a crystal orb-like thing right in the middle of the upper body.
As instructed, I stroked it...
Vwoong—!
A brilliant beam shot from the crystal, sucking in the ring like a vacuum cleaner.
Wait. Right before leaving the workshop earlier, she told me to leave the Igor's Necklace behind.
"Don't tell me this is..."
"Bingo. Fused the Igor's Necklace with the Divine Living Armor."
"Wh-why? No, I'm not upset. It actually seems even better."
"Well... According to the creator's official word, wearing a necklace in real combat isn't ideal. The chain could get grabbed by the enemy. So he extracted just the essence and merged it into the suit."
"...That's a solid intention, but extracting essence and merging? Was that even possible?"
"...Don't ask me. I'm dying to know how he did it myself. Argh, seriously! Keeping secrets from his agent like this is too much!"
Agents don't remember what happens during reinforcement. So Jung Sun-ah could only lament like someone who'd read a comic with key pages ripped out.
Anyway. What started as a successful deal turned into pure ecstasy, and I prepared to leave the workshop.
'Deal might not be the right word.'
No matter how much she prioritizes the fun of commissions, she doesn't work for free. But this time, she handled it gratis. Her constellation, fired up with creative zeal after so long, was sponsoring her lavishly.
And she gave one more reason.
"It happens sometimes. After reinforcement, the agent inherits a portion of their constellation's true power. Who knows—maybe I'll grow a tiny bit from this."
"...Inherit your constellation's true power? Never heard of that."
"It's not common. It only happens to agents as close to their constellation as I am."
...If that's true?
I looked up at the empty air with hopeful eyes.
'Sung Hyun-sook' glares sharply at 'Our Son♡': "You think reinforcement is a walk in the park?!"
'Sung Hyun-sook' sternly warns: "Reinforcement consumes massive God Coins per attempt, and above all, it's a huge burden on the agent's body—you can't just do it lightly!"
I'm doomed...
Shoulders slumped in defeat, Jung Sun-ah chuckled knowingly.
"Got an earful from your constellation, huh? Even if you inherit some power, it's just a sparrow's tear. Enduring reinforcement side effects for that... hmm."
"Not great value, huh."
"Yeah. No need to get your hopes up."
Of course. If the efficiency sucked, Mom drawing a line makes sense.
As we chatted, we reached the workshop entrance.
"If you've got another fun commission next time, come to me first. Oh, but not too fun. I don't want my constellation stealing my rice bowl again."
"Where else would I go for a master smith like you? Don't worry."
"Oh? Did you inherit that silver tongue from your bloodline too?"
'Sung Hyun-sook' denies: "My son is just a sly fox like that!"
I smirked, waved goodbye to Jung Sun-ah, and left the workshop.
Cranky personality, zero dignity... but I had a good feeling we'd keep a solid relationship going forward.
'Being on good terms with a top-class item maker... Not bad at all.'
Thanks to that, my steps were light...
"...Hold up."
But why have I felt so uneasy since earlier? Like I'm missing something important...
'Sung Hyun-sook' snaps her fingers: "She didn't return the ring!"
...Turned out later, that ring boosted Intelligence and Agility by 8 each. A total honey item.
"Want me to tell you a piece of history Mom doesn't know?"
Constellation 'Sung Hyun-sook' nods with an intrigued expression!
Shweeeek—!
Soaring with Ascender's Flight, I rocketed across the vast West Sea coast like a bullet, opening the tale.
"Three years after you and Dad killed the Destroyer. Multiple gates on Heuksan Island outbreakted simultaneously. One was even a blue gate."
'Sung Hyun-sook' sighs: "Must've been total chaos!"
"Chaos doesn't even cover it. For nearly two years, Heuksan Island was called a land of hell."
A massive outbreak on a small, remote island. Naturally, the whole place got overrun by monsters, and the residents faced unimaginable tragedy.
"Elite raid teams were deployed in droves, but the monsters bred even faster."
'Sung Hyun-sook' furrows her brow seriously: "Just hearing it, even I'd struggle."
"Right. Tough terrain for smooth combat, plus exponentially growing enemy numbers. Things got so bad they considered just abandoning the island."
But the gods didn't abandon that tiny West Sea plot. Well, saying that after the residents were wiped out is kinda ridiculous.
"Then, a player who awakened the starter skill Absolute Breeding appeared in Korea."
Constellation 'Sung Hyun-sook' listens intently to your story!
"Top-tier taming skill. She used Absolute Breeding to dominate the monsters overrunning Heuksan in a flash, becoming their queen. And claimed the island as her private domain."
Feeling the faint earthy scent mixed in the sea breeze, I continued.
"That woman was Korea's fifth S-rank player, the 'Taming Master' Jin Soo-hyun..."
Beyond the serene sea fog, what was once called Heuksan Island gradually came into view.
"And the land she rules as overlord? We now call it Wild Island."
Caaaw.... Graaah....
Pricking up my ears, beastly howls echoed ominously from the distant wilds. An otherworldly aura, as if I'd crossed a gate without one.
Goosebumps rising, I prepared to descend.
'Sung Hyun-sook' asks: "So why come to a creepy place like this?!"
"I didn't plan to come here from the start. Too risky for the adventure."
Not just life-or-death risks. Wild Island is Jin Soo-hyun's private property, approved by the state. Sneaking in without permission spells trouble.
Just get permission and come openly? Easier said than done. Leaving aside her extreme aversion to outsiders...
"But after getting a certain skill recently, I had such a fun idea that I figured the risk was worth it."
Thinking about what I'm about to do, permission? Hell, she might try to kill me—and it wouldn't be surprising.
Of course, dying in a dump like this? Pass.
"This is the real deal."
Right before entering the fog, I activated Ice Mask.
Feeling the chill of the mask covering up to my nose, I loaded the embedded data for one person.
Naturally, "It's a cheat skill, for real."
A member of Mad Dog, Kang Tae-sik.
Perfectly disguised as Kang Tae-sik—not just looks and outfit, but voice too—I folded my wings and slowly pierced the fog, landing on the island.
"You asked why I'm here, Mom?"
Constellation 'Sung Hyun-sook' urges your answer!
"Got the best defensive gear, so now it's time to snag the best familiar, right?"
Skill Kirius's Residual Thoughts, second effect: Turn slain foes into familiars.
I'll use it to claim Wild Island's strongest monster as my first familiar.
'Sung Hyun-sook' tilts her head: "Then disguising as Kang Tae-sik is pointless, no?!"
Mom's sharp point. Fair enough.
Even if I act like Kang Tae-sik now, if Jin Soo-hyun sees me commanding the familiar later, it's all for naught.
But, "Don't worry about that."
I'm not dumb enough to overlook it.
I've got ways. That's why I'm here.
Then.
Caaaw...!
Touching down, the beasts' howls dominating the island pierced my ears more vividly.
"......"
I have a plan. Contingencies too.
But I don't delude myself everything will go smoothly.
Worst case... 'I suffer like hell and leave empty-handed.'
Life's unpredictable even five minutes ahead, right?
But one thing I can guarantee.
'Tae-sik. How's hell treating you?'
The Mad Dog bastards are in for some bloody payback soon.