What should I do with the rest of these scales? Zhang Rui gazed at the lake, watching silver fragments drift in the blood-tinged water. Leaving them here would be a waste of loot.
His fingers tapped against the bow resting beside him. "Should I send them to Bai Lian?" he murmured. That idea lingered for a moment before he nodded slightly. "That could work—for her talisman lettering."
But his gaze didn't leave the water. Another thought crept in. What if there's something else I can try with them?
He leaned back, mind turning. I originally planned to get a few traits in the second half of the tutorial—Savior and Mind's Eye—and shift my path strategy then. But… why wait? Couldn't I gain a different trait here?
His eyes narrowed as ideas began to branch. I could start by crafting something the Tower acknowledges without infusing essence. Let's begin with something simple—a chest piece using the extra scales.
Decision made, he stood and stepped toward the railing. One breath—and he dove into the lake again.
The cold rushed around him as he plunged below the surface. He cut through the water with powerful strokes, gathering loose Iron-Scaled Carp scales one handful at a time. They glittered faintly underwater like submerged stars. He surfaced, tossed them over the railing onto the bridge, and dove again.
On his fourth dive, his hand brushed against something heavy. He reached down and pulled, lifting the half-eaten corpse of a carp. Its spine was exposed, bite marks shredded through the muscle, but most of its scaly hide was still intact.
Perfect.
He dragged the carcass up to the bridge and dropped it beside the growing pile of scales. Kneeling, he pulled out one of his arrows, testing the edge with his thumb before slicing into the carp's underside. The creature's flesh parted wetly. He worked methodically, cutting beneath the flesh and peeling away a long sheet of skin. Steam rose faintly from the exposed tissue, the stench of raw blood spreading across the bridge—but he didn't flinch.
Piece by piece, he stripped the hide and laid it flat. Then he used the arrow to scrape away chunks of flesh still clinging to the skin, cleaning it enough to work with. He split the skin into long, sturdy strips—leather bindings.
He smirked faintly. Good. This is better than cloth anyway.
He sat cross-legged and began working. Piece by piece, he layered the scales, overlapping them like reptilian armor. Using the leather strips, he pierced holes into the scales with his arrow tips and threaded them together, tightening each knot with practiced tension. It was slow, rough work—nothing polished, nothing refined. But his hands were steady. His focus unbroken.
Minutes passed. Then half an hour. The pile of scales shrank steadily.
He finished the chest piece first—a crude breastplate of overlapping iron-fish scales laced together by monster hide. He gripped both ends and pulled. It flexed—but didn't break.
Not bad for scrap. He kept going, crafting shoulder guards next. Then bracers. Then greaves. No essence. No enhancement. Just pure construction.
The Tower had to be watching. And if it was watching, it would eventually acknowledge effort—especially innovation.
He tightened the final knot on a scale-bracer and set it aside.
A soft blue notification finally shimmered into existence before him.
[Trait Unlocked – Improvised Craftsman]
Grade: Uncommon
A trait born from resourcefulness and practical creation under limitation.
Effect: Increases success rate and durability when crafting with raw or improvised materials. Unlocks basic crafting synergy with future traits.
A slow grin touched Zhang Rui's lips.
"Good," he said quietly.
The Tower was paying attention.
Zhang Rui picked up the chestpiece, feeling the rough edges of the overlapping carp scales. It was crude, the leather bindings uneven, and the scales themselves still slick with remnants of blood and water—but it was functional.
A soft chime sounded from the Tower, and a translucent panel appeared before him:
[Iron-Scaled Chestpiece (Improvised)]
Defense: +4
Durability: Low
Effect: Minimal damage reduction
Note: Poor craftsmanship, but functional
He scowled briefly at the "Low" durability, then shrugged. Better than nothing.
He flexed his arms and slipped the chestpiece over his head, feeling it settle across his shoulders and torso. The leather straps rubbed roughly against his skin, but the scales held firm, layering neatly over one another. He tested it by pushing and twisting—there was some give, but the structure remained intact.
Not elegant, not perfect… but it will take a hit.
Next, he reached for the shoulder guards, bracers, and greaves he had crafted. One by one, he strapped them in place, listening to the faint clatter of scales overlapping. Each piece fit awkwardly, but together they formed a crude, coherent armor set.
The Tower chimed again as the full set was equipped, faint blue runes flickering briefly along the edges of the scales.
The Tower acknowledges practical work. Good.
Zhang Rui flexed, testing the range of movement. The armor was stiff in places, restricting some motion, but overall it allowed him to bend, twist, and draw his bow without major hindrance.
Functional, improvable… and it unlocked a trait. That's all that matters for now.
He glanced down at the water and the remaining scales, already calculating his next steps. I feel like I've gotten a bit more confident in surviving the next round, but this isn't enough; I still have ten kill essences, and I don't want to use all of them.