You Need to Equip Up Before Fighting!

Thanks to the abundant energy supply from the Well of Eternity, the masters of Eldre'Thalas have been able to let loose and get to work. They have turned many of their previous concepts into reality. Because there were simply too many new inventions, the Mage Research Institute decided to hold a unique exhibition, allowing more people to recognize and understand their creations, as well as providing an opportunity for others to offer suggestions for improvement.

"These small trinkets are inscribed with special magic circles that emit constant arcane fluctuations, which insects find extremely repulsive," a mage explained enthusiastically to a merchant about his invention.

"A Mosquito Repellent?"

"You could say that. Furthermore, it is rechargeable—see this small Arcane Crystal? A single charge lasts for a year. This button here is the switch."

"A rechargeable Mosquito Repellent Machine with a switch? Hmm, this is quite good. There must be a great market for it among the Jungle Troll territories."

...Scenes like this played out continuously in the outer exhibition area. At this moment, Azar, accompanied by Gandalf, entered a secret base.

"Your Highness, these are the armor designs. Since you are a master of melee combat, please offer your feedback," the Archmage said with a respectful expression.

"What are the specific parameters?" Azar asked while putting on a set himself.

"Pure Steel Plate Armor, with a minimum thickness of 1 millimeter, 2 millimeters at critical points, a deerskin lining, and surface mechanical enchantments to increase flexibility."

"Hmm, it feels comfortable to wear and doesn't feel heavy. Who do you intend to sell this to?"

"This is the entry-level Standard Plate Armor. We plan to sell it to the Warrior Legion of Zin-Azshari; Afanti has already nearly finalized the negotiations."

"You can offer some customization based on client requirements; don't be so rigid. Officers shouldn't wear the same things as common soldiers. Also, people over there love luxury, so you must keep up with the colors and decorations of the exterior. Otherwise, if a dispute reaches me, I won't be able to take your side."

"You can rest assured about that; we will arrange everything properly." At this moment, Gandalf showed no trace of his usual arrogant mage persona, looking entirely like an Earth-based salesman.

"Is this one prepared for us?" Azar picked up another set of armor and began to try it on.

"Yes. This is for our own use. It is a new alloy, adding a certain proportion of northern Sulfuron Fel Iron and southern Ghost Iron, along with a little bit of Thorium. It offers stronger protection, is thinner, lighter, and has much better flexibility. The key is here: while maintaining sufficient performance in all aspects, we have inscribed magic-defense circles, which can effectively reduce magical damage."

"Hmm, very good. The texture is better, and the edges are polished very well," he said while performing a few movements.

"The Arcane Tool Machine handles the integrated molding, followed by manual finishing. Parts for every section can be replaced individually. This is the Standard Kaila Armor for the soldier rank. We will have more enhancements for the corresponding officers. For those above the rank of chiliarch, we provide custom tailoring."

"What about other troop types?"

"Please, this way." The group arrived at another table.

"This is the Leather Armor, also divided into domestic and export models. The domestic version uses whole bear hide, wrapped in copper wire, with whole pieces of Thorium and copper alloy at critical points. The skirt is made of Mageweave Cloth, with multiple enchantment options available. The export model is much simpler, using thin steel plates directly."

"Very good. I have a small request: every set of domestic-use equipment must be equipped with a full-body cloak, the kind that completely wraps around the body, to regulate temperature—warm in winter and cool in summer."

"That is no problem at all. We already have similar products; we only need to adjust the dimensions, though the material cost is a bit high."

"You don't need to worry about that. By the way, why haven't I seen any equipment for mages?"

"The issue is that the Mage Legion is somewhat special; there are too many personalized elements, making it difficult for us to produce standard mage equipment."

"Then let's just standardize the cloaks." Azar pondered for a moment and felt that his reasoning was sound—it was based on actual strength and was very practical. However, for an army, certain aspects must be unified.

"Is it time to introduce the weapons now?"

"Yes. Your Highness, please look. A One-handed Sword, 1.5 meters long with a 1.2-meter blade, designed according to the average height of a warrior at 2.00 meters. It is paired with a shield. Look, the crossed-sword pattern on the shield is simple and elegant. It looks imposing at a glance. You don't need to worry about the materials; they are absolutely the latest research results."

"Hmm, I trust you on this. For the sake of your own research funding, you certainly wouldn't dare to pass off inferior goods as quality ones."

"The equipment for the legion commanders must be privately customized, with the extra costs coming from the Prince's private treasury. Also, the exterior design of the domestic-use equipment should be plain and practical; combat camouflage is a must."

"You can rest easy; Daphne has been keeping a close eye on things. Actually, there are two most important things for which I invited you here today."

"What is it? Do you need more money? Forget it!"

"No, no, no. Leaving the money-making to Afanti is fine. We have calculated that the profits from export orders are enough to cover the costs of the domestic-use models; we don't need subsidies from City Hall anymore."

"Then what is it?"

"The first thing is that we intend to use the best materials and top-tier craftsmen to hand-craft a set of equipment for you. We need your measurements, and we want to see if you have any special requirements, especially regarding your Quel'Serrar—do you want it remade? The second thing is the weapons for the Elf Hunter." Changing from his previous playful demeanor, Gandalf spoke with a serious expression.

"You don't need to worry about my equipment; I can handle it myself. What is the problem with the Elf Hunter's weapons?"

"It is like this: a mage invented an Arcane Energy Launcher. Please, take a look—it is this." As he spoke, he took a Rifle out of his spatial bag! That's right, Azar subconsciously rubbed his eyes. He hadn't seen wrong; it really was a rifle. Where was this mage? Did he transmigrate? Otherwise, how could he make something that looked so much like a 98K!

"How do you use this?"

"The principle of this weapon is to use arcane energy to impact a small ball, causing it to shoot out at high speed to kill the enemy. By designing specific parts and inscribing special magic circles, you flip this switch to let the Arcane Crystal release energy to impact the ball." After the introduction, he handed the gun to Azar with both hands.

"Are you asking for my feedback?" Azar asked while holding the gun and observing it carefully.

"Yes. We believe this weapon is better than the bows and arrows currently used by the Elf Hunters. However, Daphne disagrees, saying it is imperfect. She cannot quite put her finger on what is wrong, so we had to ask you to take a look."

"Have the hunters seen this weapon themselves? What did they say?"

"They didn't completely reject it. They said this weapon saves effort and space, and it is especially quick for beginners to pick up. An average Elf Hunter needs a long time to master bow and arrow skills, but this new weapon is easy to learn. The downside is that it is not accurate."

"Then I will give you a few points. First, replace the spherical projectiles with pointed ones. Second, on the head—right here—add a folding dagger, increase the overall length, and replace these parts with wood to reduce weight. Third, here and here—add a small protrusion at these two spots. Three points in one line! Don't ask why; that's just how it feels. You all should study it carefully. I can only say that I feel this weapon will have a very promising future."