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“This… is it a cloak? No, a robe?”
I picked up the object inside the box.
Swoosh. A pitch-black fabric slid out into my hands. Or, was it even fabric? It was incredibly light, warm, and had an inexplicable softness that was astonishing.
Without hesitation, I activated the Eye of Mimir.
[Item Information]
[Name: Black Wings of Evolution (Unique)]
[Modifiers: Strength +20, Agility +20, Intelligence +20, Defense +1300]
[Details: A unique item. A special cloak meticulously crafted by the Three Fates—Undrethred, Thanatnix, and Ceresis. Grants a unique skill when worn. Only a contractor of the Fates can wear it, and it grows stronger by absorbing miasma.]
[Upgradable Times: 0]
“Ba, ba, ba… a defense of 1300?!”
The fact that it bestowed boosts to Strength, Agility, and Intelligence was surprising, but the defense value itself was so high it almost made my eyes pop out.
‘Really, what kind of defense rivals my own HP?!’
According to what Zenon had told me, systemized armor protects its wearer based on its defense value.
When you wear armor, the defense stat overlays onto your HP, so it’s like each strike absorbs damage up to the defense limit before dissipating. Once depleted, the armor reverts to a simple piece of cloth or scrap metal unless repaired.
Of course, exhausted defense can be restored through a consecration ceremony at a Temple.
And the “Black Wings of Evolution” possessed a defense value of 1,300.
By wearing this alone, it effectively doubles my total HP.
I stared intensely at the cloak in my hand, then quickly turned my head toward the Fates.
“So, um… is this the average defense for gear at my level?”
I hoped the answer would be negative.
If all other armors were this strong, everything I’ve suffered until now would feel deeply unfair.
I glanced down at the worn-out shirt I had on and the ragged leather armor over it.
[Name: Leather Armor]
[Modifier: Defense +5]
[Details: Basic equipment given to novice heroes. No special performance should be expected.]
[Upgradable Times: 5]
Defense 5. Just 5!
Comparing it to the Black Wings of Evolution… it was a 260 times difference.
And the added stats? They weren’t even comparable. The defense alone was already 260 times higher.
No. No way. That can’t be. I’ve been surviving with 260 times less defense the whole time.
It can’t be. This hell world… This can’t be how it works.
Relieved by my desperation, the Fates all shook their heads.
“Hmm… not quite.”
“It’s something we worked very hard on, especially for you.”
“It’s better than even the special equipment made by other lesser deities! You can trust it.”
“You’re special to us.”
“Smells of death are great, but we couldn’t let you break.”
“So we made it durable.”
Thankfully… this was a blessing. I let out a deep sigh of relief that rose from deep within my chest.
But then, the Fates added casually,
“Other armors are probably only half as good as this at best.”
“But look. The defense value is nearly on par with your HP.”
“Isn’t that impressive? Come on, give us some credit.”
You shouldn’t have said that if you wanted praise.
You’ve just confirmed that I’ve been suffering about 130 times harder than I needed to.
“Life… is crap…”
I muttered absent-mindedly as I draped the cloak around my body.
Suddenly, the cloak adjusted itself to fit my form perfectly. Such convenience—unthinkable for a Defense +5 Leather Armor—elicited a gasp of awe.
“Wow…”
And it didn’t stop there. Parts of the cloak extended and wrapped itself around my torso and legs seamlessly. After a short moment, from head to toe, an elegant all-black ensemble was automatically tailored to perfection.
It wasn’t even uncomfortable. It felt incredibly comfortable to wear.
“Wow, w-wow…”
Having only ever worn that measly Defense +5 leather armor, I couldn’t help but marvel at the impressive visuals.
And it wasn’t over yet.
As if on cue, a distinctive notification sound played and a series of panels popped up.
[Black Wings of Evolution Special Skill – “Fatal Thorns” Unlocked.]
[Black Wings of Evolution Special Skill – “Black Wings” Unlocked.]
[Skill Information]
[Name: Fatal Thorns (LV.1)]
[Effect: Manipulate up to 10 thorn-like tendrils for offense. Duration: 30 seconds. Cooldown: 5 minutes.]
[Details: The first transformation mode of the Black Wings of Evolution. The cloak can transform into thorn-shaped tentacles that you can control. Attack power follows the wearer’s stats, and the number of thorns increases with skill level. Cannot be used simultaneously with other transformation modes.]
[Name: Black Wings (LV.1)]
[Effect: Grants buoyancy. Flight possible. Duration: 1 minute. Cooldown: 30 minutes.]
[Details: The second transformation mode of the Black Wings of Evolution. The cloak transforms into large wings allowing temporary flight. The duration increases with skill level. Cannot be used simultaneously with other transformation modes.]
“Wow, oh, wow!”
The special capabilities far beyond the Defense +5 leather armor made me feel like fainting.
I’m too happy. High-performance gear with room to grow? This feels too perfect. This has to be an incredible gift.
Still. Even so…
“Hey, why am I crying…?”
Eventually, I collapsed to the ground, sobbing loudly into my hands.
A requiem for the hardworking past version of myself.
“Keep going, contractor. We’re sorry.”
“Yeah. Sorry. It’s time to pull yourself together.”
“Hey, contractor. Let’s change your class, huh?”
I sat there, my mind vacant, staring blankly at the void as the Fates anxiously approached me with these words.
Class change. Right. I need to change my class.
After all, that’s why I braved the trip to the Temple. I couldn’t just stay stuck in the past forever.
With considerable effort, I composed myself and turned to face the Fates.
“Alright. What classes can I switch to?”
“Dark Knight.”
“Night Stalker.”
“Enigma.”
Each of the Three Fates gave a single word in turn. Apparently, these are the three classes available for me to advance into.
Before I could ask for an explanation, Dong*. An information panel appeared in front of the Fates.
It seemed they had prepared the panels in advance.
[Class Name: Dark Knight]
[Details: A class upgrade available to those favored by the Fates. High defense and high attack are its main weapons for excelling in one-on-one combat.]
[Class Name: Enigma]
[Details: A class upgrade available to those favored by the Fates. Curses, illusions, and other support magic are its primary weapons for excelling in large-scale and many-on-one battles.]
[Class Name: Night Stalker]
[Details: A class upgrade available to those favored by the Fates. High agility-based, specialized in stealth and infiltration, excelling in special operations.]
Honestly, there wasn’t much to think about here.
It seemed the variation of classes themselves fell into three categories: strength, agility, and intelligence. Given my personality and current stats, there wasn’t really any other choice.
“I’ll go with Night Stalker.”
I quickly made my decision without much hesitation, which startled the Fates.
They began muttering amongst themselves again.
“Wow, he decided quickly. This contractor is different from that person.”
“Yeah, didn’t choose Dark Knight.”
“I thought for sure he’d go with Dark Knight because that person felt similar.”
At their excited chatter, my brows furrowed instinctively.
“… That person? Someone else besides me has taken a class upgrade from you?”
At my question, the Three Fates blinked for a moment and then nodded in unison.
Their sparkling eyes seemed distant, as if remembering something fondly.
“Yeah… though, when we met them, they were already a Dark Knight.”
“Contractor, they were really similar to you.”
“They were a Witch Knight.”
Hold on. Who?
For an instant, my thoughts froze. My gaze instinctively fell on the twin swords at my waist.
Witch Knight Han. That name came up again. Who the heck is this person? Why does his name keep popping up everywhere I go?
Coincidence? No. This doesn’t feel like a simple coincidence. Not with how often it happens.
“Who exactly is this Witch Knight?”
I asked with a layered tone. To be honest, if you were to ask me exactly what I wanted to know, I couldn’t have given a clear answer.
In response to my question, the Fates simultaneously smirked, their lips curling upward.
It was a different kind of smile than the pure, innocent ones they’d shown earlier—this was truly a Fates-like smirk.
“We told you, contractor. Someone very, very similar to you.”
“You could say they were the key reason for the current Hero system.”
“A romanticist who turned the world against him to protect the Witch.”
Their responses were wildly different, but every one of them carried weight.
I closed my mouth and turned away from their sticky gazes.
I shouldn’t dig deeper. My instincts were warning me against it, and so I followed my instincts.
“… Just hurry up and initiate the class change.”
Right. Be it Witch Knight or whatever, what does it really matter? My nose is already three feet long.
At my changing of the subject, the Fates immediately perked up once again.
Was it just me, or did their eyes seem particularly gleeful today?
“Alright.”
“Shall we begin?”
“The contractor’s class change trial.”
