Isendra's Protection

Ethan looked at the Ring on his left index finger and tested it briefly.

Using this Ring was truly simple. More importantly, the enchanted Magic Array was made exceptionally stable; it wouldn't lose its effect from simple bumps or knocks.

He thought back to the two Bracers he had made before. They were only hit once, and even though the Bracers themselves weren't damaged, the inscribed Magic Array was completely destroyed. The difference in skill level wasn't just a little bit.

"Thank you, Zul."

Zul, who had accepted the thanks calmly, stepped back, yielding his spot to Isendra, who had been waiting nearby.

"Charsi and I made this together for you. Your old pair of Bracers was broken, wasn't it?"

Ethan hadn't expected Isendra to make him a pair of Bracers, and ones that were extremely similar to his previous pair but even more exquisite.

"This..."

As soon as he held them, Ethan noticed that the metal on the surface of the Bracers was mixed with Mithril, which was more suitable for conducting Magic Power and Mental Power. Furthermore, the precision of the Magic Array was far better than his previous work. While the structure was more stable, the effect was also greater.

"This Bracer is enchanted with more than one magic?"

Putting them on and trying to inject a little Mental Power, Ethan immediately discovered the excellence of this pair of Bracers.

"The one on your left hand, besides adding Frost Damage to the six Short Arrows it holds, can also cast an Ice Shield."

Isendra instructed Ethan on how to use this magic. Ethan, who understood the trick after just one listen, controlled his Mental Power according to Isendra's instructions and gave a 'command' to the Magic Array in his left Bracer.

A cold Freezing Aura emanated from the Bracer, then in the blink of an eye, it condensed into a translucent Round Shield about a meter in diameter.

"Besides providing a certain level of defense, it will also have some effect on anyone who gets close to you."

When the Frost Chill was cast, it would inevitably cause a drop in temperature, which would have some effect on people. However, Ethan, protected by the Frost Shield, would not be harmed, at most feeling cool.

The drawback of the Ice Shield was that it required continuous channeling of Mental Power to maintain. Before Ethan's Mental Power reached a certain level, he wouldn't be able to maintain it throughout a battle.

But even so, it was an excellent defensive Magic Equipment. Moreover, this Bracer had six Short Arrows, and these six Short Arrows could also be imbued with Frost Magic to damage enemies.

Ethan also tested it, firing an arrow at a stone not far away. The power of the Freezing Aura was much stronger than he had expected; the entire stone was covered in a layer of frost.

"If it hits a person, even if it doesn't freeze them to death, they will suffer severe frostbite and lose their ability to fight."

Furthermore, the number of arrows on the Bracer was three more than the one he had made before. Combined with this power, his combat ability had practically doubled.

"What about this one?"

He had been focusing on the left Bracer until now. Ethan wasn't stupid; how could he not guess that the effect of the right Bracer was completely different from the left?

"The magic on this Bracer is mainly for offense."

The right Bracer was inscribed with a Fire Attribute Magic Array that Ethan was quite familiar with. He had previously inscribed a fire attribute Magic Array on his own Bracer, but the Magic Array on this new Bracer was incomparable to Ethan's in terms of both effect and power.

Similarly, it could only attach Fire Damage to the Short Arrows fired. However, compared to the slight fire on Ethan's that could only cause some interference to enemies, the one Isendra made was much more powerful.

A Fire Arrow was fired, directly creating a small pit in the ground. If a normal person were hit by this, they would definitely be dead.

"Besides that, this Bracer can also fire five Fireballs."

Fireball?

Fireball could be said to be a basic magic spell for all Elemental Spellcasters. Although it was just an entry-level spell, its power varied greatly depending on the caster.

Although Isendra was not a Sorcerer specializing in fire magic, her understanding of the fire element was sufficient to create a qualified item.

The Fireball inscribed on the Bracer given to Ethan was not an entry-level small Fireball. After having those Fire Arrows, attaching a small Fireball wouldn't be very meaningful. Therefore, the Fireballs condensed by this Magic Array were all quite powerful and could be used for area-of-effect damage. This still didn't reach the power of the large Fireballs she cast.

This was a standard Isendra had set after much thought, considering Ethan's strength, Mental Power intensity, and his future progress speed.

"Thank you!"

Ethan, who had thoroughly understood the two Bracers, then learned the names of these two Bracers, which made him want to laugh and cry:

The one on the left that could use Ice Shield and fire Ice Arrows was actually called Isendra's Passion! This meant that it protected the user with Isendra's passionate friendship; while the one on the right that could use Fireball and fire Fire Arrows was called Isendra's Ruthlessness, meaning ruthlessness towards enemies.

Together, the two Bracers were called 'Isendra's Protection', which was a slightly more normal name.

"Aren't these two names reversed?"

But upon hearing the meaning behind them, he felt that the names Isendra had given were quite reasonable and very fitting.

Isendra gave a few more simple instructions and then yielded her spot to Charsi, who had come with her.

This Blacksmith from the Rogue Encampment was actually a very enthusiastic person. Ethan hadn't interacted with her much before, but when he needed help, Charsi put aside what she was doing and crafted that pair of Bracers for Ethan in the shortest possible time – even though Ethan said he wasn't in a hurry to use them.

He hadn't expected her to specifically come to see him off, and from the looks of it, she seemed to be giving him a gift?

"Actually, I didn't have much time to prepare, and I don't have suitable materials to craft things for you Sorcerers. This set of Light Armor is something I made before by mixing in some strange metal particles. I'll give it to you for protection."

It was a very lightweight set of armor, consisting of only a few parts.

Chestplate, Gauntlets, and Greaves. Besides protecting the vital chest area, it only protected the hands and legs, which were often used to clash head-on with enemies. It could be said to be targeted armor.

What surprised Ethan the most was that this set of armor wasn't heavy at all; it was even lighter than Leather Armor. Wearing it felt like wearing ordinary cloth clothes. This was also why Charsi gave him this set of Light Armor; heavy armor would only be a heavy burden for Ethan.

"I'm not very clear about the specific effect of those strange particles. Currently, I only know that they make this set of Light Armor lighter than cloth clothes and able to float on water. I don't know if it will be useful to you."

Ethan, who had been thinking if he had successfully become a Bronze Saint, almost twisted his mouth into a smile when he heard Charsi's words.

"Useful! It's incredibly useful!"

His world was all water. No one could guarantee that they would always maintain sufficient physical strength or clear consciousness if they fell into the water. Having such a 'life jacket' would undoubtedly provide more security for his life.

Ethan, who had been wondering if he had successfully become a Bronze Saint, almost split his sides laughing when he heard Charsi's words.

"Useful? It's incredibly useful!"

His world was entirely water, and no one could guarantee they would always have enough stamina or stay conscious if they fell in. Having such a 'life jacket' would undoubtedly provide more security for his life.

If Isendra and Zul hadn't been watching nearby, Ethan wouldn't have held back his excitement, which might have made it seem like the things they gave him weren't good enough. Ethan really wanted to give Charsi a big hug—though, given Charsi's physique, it was hard to say who would be hugging whom.

"Also, I helped you repair this weapon."

Charsi was equally happy to see that Ethan liked her gift. She casually pulled out an iron rod from behind her.

It was the iron rod Ethan had obtained earlier when clearing the Den of Evil. After defeating Blood Raven and returning to the encampment, Isendra had asked for the rod. He hadn't thought much of it at the time and just handed it to Isendra.

He truly hadn't expected that Isendra had given it to Charsi, and Charsi had repaired the iron rod. She had fixed the broken connection point where the hammerhead used to be, removed various stains from the surface, polished it, and even added some decorative patterns.

The rod now had a silvery-white body with irregular patterns and a completely remade grip. Its appearance was vastly improved compared to before. Combined with its inherent impressive Lightning Power, there was no trace of its previous miserable state; it looked like a brand-new weapon.

"This weapon doesn't have a name yet. Maybe you can name it?"

This seemed to be the custom in this world, but Ethan couldn't think of a good name on the spot.

"Ten Thousand Volts?"

"Big Generator?"

"Lightning King?"

"Human Mythology - Lightning Descent?"

One after another, names related to lightning flashed through his mind, but none of them seemed right.

"I'll think about it later. I can't come up with a name right now."

Just then, the last bit of Space-Time Energy on Ethan's body began to fluctuate violently. A Magic Array pattern appeared out of thin air where he stood, emitting bursts of light.

"My teacher has started the Teleportation Magic. It seems I'll be leaving soon."

He quickly picked up the several packages on the ground. He remembered that anything not 'carried' on his person couldn't be taken back. The most important things inside weren't the small amount of food and water, but the books and notes given to him by Akara, Isendra, and Kashya. He absolutely couldn't forget to take them.

The others, who had wanted to chat with Ethan a bit longer, saw the situation and stepped back a few paces. They weren't sure of the exact range of the Magic Array. Getting accidentally caught in it would be one thing, but being stuck in an in-between position and torn to shreds by powerful Magic Energy would be truly unlucky.

"It was a pleasure fighting alongside you all as comrades. I will always remember this time."

The gradually intensifying light slowly obscured Ethan's appearance. Even Ethan's final farewell words became indistinct as the fluctuations of Magic Power grew stronger. As the Space-Time Energy finally erupted, Ethan vanished into the dazzling light.