Beast Slayer Online: Initialization
Copyright© 2026 by CaffeinatedTales
Chapter 40
A day passed quickly. There was not much in this city for Lannor to enjoy.
The things he did want to try always cost far more than expected, like one shop that sold arcane amulets.
They had amulets against ill fortune, amulets to cure hiccups, and the like, but even trying them out cost money.
And judging by their effects, Lannor could not shake the feeling that these things were what sorcerers peddled to fool people.
There was also a clinic that sold magic face cream on the side. Rumor had it the stuff could greatly improve relations between husband and wife, letting rich women win back their husbands’ hearts.
Those shops were all run by sorcerers.
Naturally, their prices fit that fact perfectly.
Once one set aside the most alluring thing of all, magic itself, Gors Velen lost much of its appeal for Lannor.
After all, in his homeland, a large shopping mall might easily hold more than five or six thousand people during a holiday.
Only the fish market on Round Street caught his fancy. It gathered catches from all across Velen, and the strong reek of fish drew every cat in the neighborhood.
Those furry little beasts, able as they were to sense Chaos energy, disliked coming near Witchers.
But even just watching them from a distance improved Lannor’s mood.
He ate, drank, wandered a bit, and at last the time came to collect his armor.
Lannor tightened the strap of his swords and felt a quiet thrill at the thought of new equipment.
He had never yet worn this full superior School of the Bear armor in one complete set. He imagined that once the steel lining settled against his body, it would bring with it a deeply satisfying sense of safety.
With armor thick enough to withstand the attacks of monsters, the margin he had in future battles would grow immensely.
A light chime rang as he stepped through the smithy door, the bell announcing a customer.
Lannor entered again and found only Fergus and Yennefer there.
“No use looking around. Once the master finishes his work, he rests. And he’s not especially keen to see the fellow who brought a free voucher.”
Fergus stood behind the counter on a stool, arms folded.
That made his head level with Yennefer’s.
With a heavy clatter, the two of them together set a great heap of steel down on the counter.
These were the repaired parts of the armor.
Lannor slipped a hand into the main body of the mail, pressing and rubbing hard, feeling the steel beneath his fingers.
“There’s no trace at all of that great rent in the belly ... excellent work.”
“Of course it is.” Fergus puffed out his chest proudly. “This is Master Butcher’s handiwork.”
Lannor gave a slight nod, but by then he was wholly engrossed in the hard solidity of the steel.
With Yennefer’s help, he stripped off the outer layer of his padded jack.
The armor went on piece by piece. First the mail, then the plate segments guarding the vital areas.
Then the leather protection at the groin and knees.
By the time the padded outer layer was drawn over it all again, Lannor’s whole body had gained a full tier of thickness.
He raised an arm.
Beneath the padded coat, layers of steel slid against one another, making a faint chiming sound.
He flexed with a little force, and the strong muscles of his arms swelled at once with blood.
Creak, creak.
The joints of the armor groaned under the strain, but the structure held perfectly.
The clash between swelling muscle and rigid steel gave Lannor a fierce, intoxicating pleasure, like wrestling iron itself.
Heavy, but safe and strong.
In plain terms, it felt wonderful.
Barring attacks meant purely to pierce, once the full harness was on, Lannor’s resistance to slashing and cutting damage was on an entirely different level from before.
That was the meaning of a fine suit of armor, a greater margin for error.
“Hah. Fine craftsmanship.”
Lannor relaxed and praised it again.
He relaxed, yes, but Fergus and Yennefer beside him both swallowed hard.
A dwarf and a human looked at one another and found the other’s eyes just as wide.
Th, they had never seen anyone adapt to armor like that.
The two of them worked in Tul Butcher’s shop and dealt with plenty of customers. They had seen a great deal.
Ordinary folk, once armored, found the sudden added weight enough to throw off their whole sense of balance.
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