The Axel sky was beginning to be tinted a deep orange, almost violet, as the new party of adventurers walked along the main path back to the city gates. The echo of their boots on the dry earth was the only sound accompanying the end of a productive day. Theo, walking between the two women, felt the soft brush of his new trench coat against his arms. It wasn't as heavy as leather armor, but there was something about the texture of the fabric that felt... different. Dense.
"Hey, Chris" - Theo began, adjusting the collar of the garment. - "The other day you gave me this and said it was high-level protection with some simple enchantments, but you didn't really explain what I'm wearing."
Chris stopped for a second, tilting her head with an expression of confusion that bordered on comical. Her purple eyes blinked under the twilight.
"Didn't I tell you?" - she asked, scratching the back of her neck. - "I could have sworn I explained it."
"You just said it was a graduation gift and that it would protect me" - Theo replied with a sigh. - "But after seeing how the one-eyed crows barely left a mark yesterday when one tried to peck my arm—and that I barely felt it—I realized this isn't just dyed leather."
Chris let out a mischievous giggle and resumed her pace, gesturing with her hands as she spoke.
"Well, it's true I exaggerated a bit when I said 'high-level' for effect, but we aren't that far from reality. You see, that trench coat isn't a garment you'll find in just any tailor shop in Axel. It's crafted from Refined Cave Spider fibers, which were meticulously woven with threads of pure Mithril."
Theo stopped dead in his tracks. Darkness, who was walking a step behind listening to the conversation, also stopped.
"Cave spider fibers and Mithril threads?" - Theo repeated, incredulous. His new knowledge of this world told him that those materials were not exactly cheap. - "Are you being serious?"
"Completely" - Chris nodded, enjoying her student's reaction. - "Thanks to that combination, the trench coat has a defensive capacity that doesn't envy any standard plate armor. It's practically immune to cuts or tears by normal means and offers considerable magic resistance against low-level spells. Plus, I managed to have some convenience enchantments put on it: it has automatic cleaning, environmental comfort so you won't get too cold or too hot, and best of all, a self-repair function that consumes a tiny amount of your mana if it suffers any serious damage."
Darkness nodded with a hand on her chin, analyzing the piece.
"It is an exceptional piece of equipment for someone who depends on agility as you do, Theo" - the crusader commented.
Theo, however, did not share Darkness's calm. His mind was doing rapid calculations and the result was giving him an immediate headache. He looked at Chris with a mixture of gratitude and horror.
"Chris! What the hell are you giving me?" - he exclaimed. - "I thought it was a decent piece of protective clothing, not the equivalent price of a small mansion! How can you spend so much money on me just like that?"
Chris brushed it off with a wave of her hand, as if she were shooing a fly.
"Don't be dramatic, Theo. That gift came from a treasure I got while you were busy... well, training those two weeks. At first, I thought about giving you a part of the loot in cash, but I know you. I know you would have made a thousand excuses saying you didn't help get it and that you couldn't accept it."
In reality, she hadn't gotten any treasure, neither while he was training nor when he was taken to wherever he had been taken by Seleneia. In reality, that trench coat is one of the gifts for the reincarnated souls sent here to kill the Demon King—one of a very low level, made only for defense and looking good—but it is still a high-level object. It wasn't like she could tell him that... at least not yet.
Theo, unaware of this, believed her and fell silent as he thought that, indeed, that was exactly what he would have done.
"So I decided to invest your 'part' in something that would keep you alive" - she continued lying with a softer tone. - "I thought about full armor, but I couldn't afford a high-quality set and I wasn't planning on using my own part of the treasure for that. I'm a thief, not a saint! And to give you more style, I thought a trench coat was the best option: it gives you mobility, style, and hidden protection. So stop complaining and accept it."
Theo felt out of place. He had been saving every coin from his missions to buy basic equipment in a few months, and suddenly he found himself wearing a piece of gear that many veteran adventurers would envy. He felt a knot of genuine gratitude in his chest.
"Thank you, Chris" - Theo said, looking her in the eyes with as much sincerity as he could muster. - "Truly. I don't know how to pay you back for this."
Chris seemed moved for a second; her cheeks flushed a light pink that she quickly hid by letting out a mocking laugh to break the tension of the moment.
"Oh, come on! If you're really that grateful, let me give the trench coat a name. Equipment of this caliber deserves its own name, don't you think? It's a tradition among adventurers."
Theo blinked, a bit confused by the change of subject, but he nodded.
"Sure, I guess that's no problem. What do you have in mind?"
Chris stopped, struck a dramatic pose pointing at the sky, and declared with a powerful voice: "From today on, this garment shall be known as the Trench Coat of the Imperturbable Globetrotter!"
Theo froze. The name was not only long and pompous, but the word "globetrotter" resonated in his head as a direct allusion to his nature as a dimensional traveler. He looked at Chris with a "you just caught me" expression, murmuring a low: "You..."
Chris returned a mischievous smile, a look that clearly said "I know much more about you than you imagine, but I enjoy keeping the secret." Theo suspected that Eris was enjoying this more than she should.
However, the atmosphere was broken when a sound of metallic scraping and a pitiful murmur came from behind. They turned to see Darkness writhing slightly, hands clasped and an expression of feigned anguish.
"Ah!... I'm being ignored..." - the crusader murmured between gasps. - "You two having such a conversation and atmosphere while I am treated like a mere background object... what a degrading treatment... what a lack of respect toward a woman like me..."
Theo and Chris shared a look of absolute resignation. Without saying a single word, both resumed their walk in unison, leaving Darkness behind.
"Wait! Don't leave me here while you enjoy your secret camaraderie!" - she shouted, although the tone of her voice betrayed that the situation was actually extremely pleasant for her.
The next day, the city of Axel dawned under a light mist that promised a cool day. Chris had informed them the night before that she would have "pending business" and would be busy for a few days, leaving Theo and Darkness on their own.
"My armor needs urgent repairs after that business with the crows" - Darkness said when they met in the central plaza. - "The blacksmith says it will take at least a day to hammer out the dents and polish the electrical marks."
Theo nodded. He also felt that he needed a break from group missions to focus on his own goals.
"Then let's take the day off" - Theo suggested. - "Tomorrow we'll continue with the missions when Chris returns. I have some things to buy and I want to dedicate some time to training."
After saying goodbye to the crusader, Theo headed toward the commercial district. Before going to his usual training spot, he needed something specific. Chris was right: a magical garment of that level needed to be formally registered with a naming object so that the enchantments would link correctly to the user.
His steps led him, almost by instinct or perhaps by the design of fate, toward a shop in a somewhat secluded alley. The sign above the door read: "Wiz's Magic Item Shop."
Theo sighed. He knew perfectly well who ran this place; it literally says it in the name. Upon entering, the sound of a bell announced his arrival. The interior of the shop was cluttered with gravity-defying shelves full of objects that vibrated with strange energies, potions of impossible colors, and a light scent of incense and magic dust.
"Welcome!" - a sweet and melodious voice emerged from behind the counter.
Theo stood still for a moment. Wiz was there, arranging some jars. Despite knowing that she was actually a Lich, Theo couldn't help but think she was a spectacularly beautiful woman. She had a curvaceous figure that her purple dress couldn't quite hide, a silky chestnut mane, and eyes that gave off a kindness that contrasted radically with the nature of an undead.
'God, she really doesn't look like a Lich with that body' - Theo thought, though outwardly he kept his serious adventurer face.
"Good morning" - Theo greeted. - "My name is Theodore. I'm looking for a Nominal Binding Seal for a piece of equipment."
Wiz lit up, clapping her hands with joy.
"Ah, a customer with good taste! I'm Wiz, the owner of this humble shop. Of course I have what you're looking for! It's a very useful item for adventurers who appreciate their gear. Wait a moment, I think I have one right here!"
Wiz began to search frantically, tripping a couple of times over her own skirt and knocking over a pile of empty boxes. Meanwhile, Theo looked around and could see different objects; some caught his attention, but remembering that Wiz has a tendency to obtain powerful objects with some questionable effects, he decided not to try and touch anything.
Finally, Wiz returned with a small translucent crystal that emitted a soft blue pulse.
"Here you go. You just have to place it on the garment, infuse a little mana, and pronounce the name out loud. The crystal will disintegrate and the name will be recorded into the item's magical matrix" - she explained with a bright smile. - "That will be 10,000 Eris, please."
Theo paid the sum with a slight ache in his wallet, but it was a necessary expense, thankful that Wiz didn't try to sell him any of those useless objects that usually bankrupt the shop. After a brief professional chat and a "hope to see you again soon" from the Lich, Theo left the shop.
He headed to the forest clearing where he always trained. Once there, he laid the trench coat out on a flat rock. He placed the crystal on the Mithril fabric and closed his eyes, focusing on the flow of his own mana.
"Trench Coat of the Imperturbable Globetrotter" - he pronounced with a clear voice.
The crystal burst into a myriad of luminous particles that were absorbed by the fabric. A brief vibration ran through the garment and then everything returned to normal, but Theo felt that the bond with the trench coat was now perfect.
With that matter settled, Theo put on the garment and prepared for the real reason he was there: to continue training his new skill.
"Inner Beast" - he whispered.
Once again, the adrenaline rush was like an electric shock. His senses sharpened, his eyes turned yellow, and that wild restlessness ran through his muscles again. This time, however, Theo didn't start throwing slashes wildly. He sat in a lotus position, trying to keep the transformation active while controlling his breathing.
He wanted to understand where the man ended and the beast began. He felt the urge to run, to hunt, to bury his fingers in the earth, but he forced himself to stay still. Training didn't consist only of brute force, but of maintaining rationality when the savage essence tried to take control.
He spent hours entering and exiting the state, analyzing how fatigue affected his control and how the impulsive behavior of the Rank C skill tried to cloud his judgment. He knew that if he managed to master this, he would have an unfair advantage in his next dimensional missions.
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I hope you enjoyed the chapter.