"…It's a unique armor."
"Is it strange?"
"What kind of golem is this? Alchemists would love the look of it."
It's a bit disappointing that I can't see it without a mirror. I never thought I would regret not being able to see my own appearance directly. I think it looks quite impressive, like the stylish heavy armor from a game I played long ago. I even attached antlers, no, horns to the helmet and processed the tree bark well, so it doesn't look shabby and crude, but like a knight wearing a green-tinted heavy armor.
"But can you move while wearing that?"
"No problem."
Although it looks heavy, it's surprisingly light. If I had made it like a real full plate, I would have collapsed from exhaustion while walking. I'm not the kind of person who would make armor without considering such things. I had made something similar before. Back then, I got caught up in the skill and made it without considering my skinny body condition, and I almost died while wearing it, but I'm different now.
"Can you fight? It seems like it would be incredibly uncomfortable to fight while wearing that."
"It's fine. There are ways."
This isn't the first time I've made this kind of armor. Naturally, I had prepared means to make use of it to some extent.
Anyway, now I need to have Renny wear it too.
"Come here. You need to wear it too."
"That looks really hot… Phew. I have no choice."
"Take off that half-crumpled armor."
That level of armor wouldn't protect her; it would only hurt her more if she got hit. Renny followed my words and threw off the cumbersome armor. As the armor that had been covering Renny's figure disappeared, Renny's well-trained body was revealed.
Hmm, this side is not bad either… Although she doesn't have eye-catching large breasts like Karina, the faintly visible six-pack on her slightly exposed stomach and her healthily tanned skin were quite attractive. She was literally a beauty overflowing with a healthy charm. The reason it wasn't emphasized was probably because the brutal image from the game still came to mind.
"Why are you staring at me like that! Hurry up and put it on me!"
"…Stand still for a moment."
I need to check the size. I circled around her once, examining her body, partly to check the flexibility of the armor. It seemed that about one-third of the materials would be less needed. Since Renny's muscular strength was far greater than mine, it would be better to make it a bit thicker if possible.
I kept revising the blueprint in my head and scrutinized Renny's body from top to bottom. Perhaps because she had taken off her armor, Renny was shivering. Was she cold? Even though the weather here maintained a temperature above 20 degrees Celsius all year round. I should quickly make the armor and have her wear it.
"Spread your arms. Until they're at right angles."
"Like this?"
Renny, who had spread her arms as if measuring her waist, looked at me with somewhat uneasy eyes. What was the problem? I didn't really understand.
I should just do what needs to be done.
"Crafting."
The necessary materials were drawn towards me. It was fortunate that I didn't have to put in effort at times like this. The materials began to slowly take shape according to my mental design. Making the lining with hide, wrapping bones over it, and then covering it with tree bark. The armor, created over the span of about a minute, revealed itself in front of me, imbued with a greenish hue.
"Not bad."
"This feels a bit stuffy?"
"Where is it stuffy?"
"…The chest area is a bit."
"Got it. Repair."
This should be enough. I looked down at Renny, who was wearing the small golem… no, the armor. I couldn't help but sigh at the appearance that reminded me of a golem, unlike what I had imagined in my head.
Is it a small golem or a large golem?
Is this the extent of my aesthetic sense?
"…Why are you drooping? We need to go scouting!"
"…Understood."
I nodded my head weakly.
————————
"Ah, the smell is really foul. It seems worse than the smell of sulfur…"
Renny grumbled as she crossed the pool. Fortunately, the armor I made withstood the poison in the pool well. I followed behind her, examining the surroundings.
It was quiet.
Why was it quiet?
The fact that it was quiet even though we had entered the most dangerous place in this forest was concerning. Were the snakes all… dead? Or… No way. I didn't want to imagine such ominous possibilities. That would be the worst outcome. It meant a sudden increase in difficulty level. I tried hard to turn my head and shake off the distracting thoughts, focusing on scouting again.
However, until we passed the fifth pool, there was no sign of a snake.
What's going on?
"Are there really snakes here? I don't see a single living thing, let alone snakes."
"…The snakes should have popped out by now."
Even if the other snakes had all melted away, why was the hydra so quiet? That guy wasn't the type to like uninvited guests entering his territory. Could it be that he was also exhausted from blocking the zombies? Or was there another reason? There were too few clues to make a judgment. This purple-tinted forest was eerily quiet.
It was when we had walked for an immeasurable amount of time.
Renny and I almost simultaneously stopped and looked at each other. Although only our slightly exposed eyes were visible, I felt like I knew what she was trying to say.
Hiss-
Hiss-
We quietly gripped our weapons. The unpleasant friction that had spread through the quiet forest. It was obvious what the source of the sound was.
Although the field of vision was narrowed due to the helmets covering our faces, reducing the information we could obtain visually, our highly sensitive hearing caught the sound once again.
Sweat seeped into the leather covering my hands. It was unpleasant, but that wasn't the problem right now.
That sound.
The sound of those reptiles made my nerves sharpen. They were definitely targeting us from somewhere. It wasn't a suspicion but a certainty.
I had to kill them.
Listen carefully.
My heart was pounding. The sound was getting closer and closer. The moment of choice was short.
Where would they pop out from?
Left? Right?
The sound alternated between both sides. If that was the case…
"Renny. Take the left."
I swung my shovel towards the right. Immediately, a heavy impact was transmitted to my hand. My shovel was stained with the snake's bodily fluids and blood.
A terrible stench squeezed through the helmet and entered my nostrils. It was agonizing. But I had to endure it.
I couldn't lose my life just because of the smell. As always, with familiar movements, I aimed at the snake that had charged at me.
Even though half of its mouth was cut off, the snake, large enough to swallow an adult male, was slowly approaching to eat me, ignoring its mouth being torn by the shovel blade.
These damn snakes, I wondered why they were so quiet…
"Zombie snakes. The world is coming to an end."
"This is the first time I've seen a snake become a zombie in my life."