Grand Voyage : Surviving on a Ghost Ship
Ch. 145 - Trying on clothes

Two days later.

In addition to fishing and training, Yang Yi had a new task: testing and trying to control the lost Armour of the Penitent.

Testing revealed that its strength attribute was estimated to be around eight, about the same as Yang Yi when he was in a berserk state.

However, its raw destructive power far surpassed his, since it was, after all, a solid suit of armour.

The method for testing strength was simple, measured by snapping a specific number of chopsticks.

It was just a rough estimate anyway; precision wasn’t necessary.

Yang Yi also tested its durability.

Even when hit by the Roaring Flintlock in standard mode, it only showed faint dents, which would quickly self-repair.

The spikes on the armour weren’t decorative either, they were sharp and acted like iron thorns, increasing its lethality.

But it had its flaws, and serious ones at that.

It was rebellious, loving to do the exact opposite of what it was told: tell it to go east, and it would go west. Order it to stand, and it would sit.

It wasn’t particularly smart, either.

And it didn’t recognise a master, it would obey anyone’s orders, with the last command heard taking precedence.

If it received conflicting commands at the same time, it would freeze, perhaps overloaded with information it couldn’t process.

Suna joined in on the testing for a while, clearly intrigued by the self-moving armour.

If they could figure out how it worked, they could be able to replicate various self-operating machines, saving even on electricity.

"Should we try melting and reforging it to see if it still works afterwards?"

Suna maintained a safe distance as she proposed the idea.

"If we use Fire Liquor as a fuel for a blowtorch, the temperature could reach nearly 2,000 degrees, enough to melt most common metals.

We could start by melting just one finger and recasting it. Then we test if it can still control that finger — it might lead to a new discovery..."

Yang Yi kept his eyes on the armour and noticed it tremble slightly, but it made no other move.

"Let’s not," he said.

It was a top-tier piece of equipment, so he couldn’t let Suna damage it. Besides, it could resist and that could cause serious damage. 

Suna didn’t insist. The armour’s ability to move was likely related to magic anyway, something not easily unravelled.

Her understanding of magic was still in its infancy if it could even be called that.

After sending Suna away, Yang Yi examined it alone.

It stood over two metres tall, its surface covered in spikes and grime, stains that looked like old blood splatters, soaked deep into the metal over the years, impossible to wash off.

But the spherical, radial pattern on the chest, and the intricately designed sections, hinted at the armor’s masterful craftsmanship. It must have once been a majestic sight.

The patterns were all ruined, especially the protruding orb on the chest, which was slashed and clawed beyond recognition, exuding a sense of despair rather than beauty.

Running a finger along those claw marks, Yang Yi realised they were likely left by the armour’s previous owner.

Someone who had tried to pry it open but failed.

So… should he wear it or not?

If not worn, it hardly deserved the title of “top-tier gear”.

After some hesitation, Yang Yi decided to give it a try. He stored the full armour in the Charred Worm Ring, leaving only the right gauntlet out. That way, it was no different from any ordinary piece of equipment. 

Without the helmet, the armour wouldn't respond to any commands.

Carefully, Yang Yi slipped the gauntlet onto his right hand, and he realised it felt no different from putting on a spiked glove.

Suddenly, all the spikes retracted inward, piercing into Yang Yi’s palm like needles, only there were a lot of them.

However, Yang Yi had anticipated this and remained calm. It was just the gauntlet, meaning he could always find a way to take it off.

To his surprise, the pain was fleeting. Aside from the initial sting, there was no real discomfort.

At the same time, a new visual field appeared in his mind as if he’d gained an extra pair of eyes, observing a different space.

He immediately understood and released the full Armour of the Penitent. And in that second field of vision, he saw himself.

"So that’s how it works!"

Yang Yi had a moment of clarity.

By wearing part of the armour, he gained a connection to it, like an extension of himself, responding to his will without the need for spoken commands!

Under Yang Yi’s control, the Armour of the Penitent did a backflip, then picked up a piece of Ironbreaker (imitation) from the ground and started slashing at the air…

On the other side, Suna hadn’t actually left; she was hiding behind the hatch.

She’d guessed Yang Yi would eventually try wearing the armour, with it being only a matter of time.

After all, he even dared to use self-immolation spells; there was no way he’d just leave a top-tier suit of equipment untouched. 

When she heard movement, Suna peeked out. Surely enough, Yang Yi was playing with it like it was a new toy, fully engrossed in controlling it.

He wore the gauntlet on his right hand, and tiny beads of blood were slowly seeping from the tips of the spikes on its surface.

Those spikes were probably hollow like syringes, which explained the slow, continuous bleeding that wouldn’t easily clot.

But since the openings were small, the blood loss was minimal, not enough to be fatal...

Yang Yi, completely unaware, continued testing the armour’s combat capabilities.

…

Half an hour later, as evening approached.

Yang Yi had long since finished testing the armour, but he was in big trouble, as removing the right-hand gauntlet proved nearly impossible.

“Retract spikes!”

Nothing happened.

“Extend spikes!”

Still no response.

It was bad. He couldn’t get the gauntlet off.

The spikes were embedded deep in his flesh and still bleeding, any attempt to forcefully pull it off would only make the pain worse and shred his hand to ribbons.

However, sometimes it’s better to rip the bandage off.

Yang Yi prepared to transform into his werewolf form and use brute force to tear it off.

Just then, Suna appeared on the deck.

“Let me try.”

Her voice cut through his thoughts.

“Extend spikes!” she ordered.

Immediately, all the spikes retracted, both from the gauntlet and from the nearby armour.

Yang Yi seized the moment to pull off the gauntlet. His right hand was dripping with blood, as if it had been bitten by a swarm of insects…agonising.

He downed a vial of regenerative potion, and the pain quickly turned to itching. The wound soon stopped bleeding.

With the monstrous healing speed of his werewolf physique, it would probably be fully healed by the following day.

“You showed up just in time,” Yang Yi said, flexing his right hand.

But Suna clearly wasn’t interested in small talk. She spoke seriously:

“This armour wasn’t designed to protect the wearer. It’s more like a torture device or a shackle. It requires someone else to issue the command for it to be removed. If there’s no one to do that… you’d probably wear it until you die.”

Her analysis of the situation perfectly matched Yang Yi’s own suspicions.

No wonder it was called the Armour of the Penitent, it was likely created for criminals.

But Yang Yi didn’t really mind. With Suna around, he could take it off whenever he needed to.

As long as he didn’t wear the entire set, his werewolf constitution could easily handle the piercing damage.

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