Second Life Ranker

Inside the iron box was a set of neatly folded leather armor with a strange-looking black mask on top. Yeon-woo examined the box to see if it contained any other artifacts, but there was nothing else inside. "I think you got the wrong box. I can’t find Gyges’ Eyes inside," Yeon-woo said as he turned to Henova. From what he knew, Gyges’ Eyes was an amulet that was usually worn as a bracelet or pendant.

"Those are yours." Henova confidently replied with a curl on his lips.

"But it’s not an amulet."

"Just take a look first. Once you figure it out, you will be so full of respect for me that you won’t dare to grind my gears anymore."

Yeon-woo cast Draconic Eyes skeptically and examined the leather armor.

[Gyges’ Magical Armor][Classification: Chest Guard, Amulet][Rank: A-][Description: An amulet named after Gyges, a giant that has hundreds of eyes and thousands of limbs. Dwarven blacksmith Henova used the tail feathers of a long-tailed jackdaw, a bird known to dwell in Bladed Bushes, and combined them with the amulet, creating an amulet in the form of a chest armor. It is very lightweight and has excellent resilience and exceptional durability that can easily repel any ordinary sword.

Reveals hidden eyes and arms when infused with mana. The eyes can see through attacks and curses, and its invisible arms can block those that might cause harm.]

[* Hundreds of Eyes][Perceives any external change by making the owner’s senses keener. In times of crisis, it increases reaction speed by up to 20%.]

[* Thousands of Arms][Reduces damage received from 5 types (physical, fire, ice, electric, and holy). Also increases resistance against three types of statuses (curse, poison, arcane) and has a 15% chance of cancelling or deflecting the effects.]

[* Forestalling Gigantomachia][Converts a portion of the damage taken into health. If the owner’s health falls below 15%, the owner can restore their health up to 50%. Usage limited once per day.]

Yeon-woo’s eyes dilated with surprise after reading the description of the magic armor. Gyges’ Eyes was one of the most desired artifacts of many rankers because of its various defensive abilities, including protection from invisible threats and a reduction in physical and elemental damage. It could even cancel or deflect damage back to the opponent. But the best option was Forestalling Gigantomachia. An item that could restore your health was like a spare life that could be used as a hidden ace.  

Despite such extraordinary options, not many players owned Gyges’ Eyes. One reason was the difficulty in gathering all the necessary materials to make it, and the other was the rarity of blacksmiths skilled enough to craft the artifact. However, Henova hadn’t just made the artifact but also taken a step further and enhanced its defensive function by turning it into a chest armor.

It was so sturdy and resilient that most physical impact would not even leave a scratch on it, and best of all, it was so light that Yeon-woo felt like he wasn’t lifting anything when he picked the armor up. It was perfectly designed to fit someone like Yeon-woo, who valued mobility in combat.

"Don't just stare at it. Put it on." Henova pointed at the armor with his chin, his pipe in his mouth.

Yeon-woo put on the Magic Armor. As he expected, the armor was very light and so comfortable that it was like second skin. After stretching a few times, he slowly drew mana from his Magic Circuit. ‘Gyges’ Eyes has another function not indicated in the description window.’ It was the reason why Yeon-woo needed Gyges’ Eyes, and would even waste a whole month collecting materials to make it.

Whomp! The moment he infused mana into the armor, lines on the surface of the armor suddenly opened to reveal different-colored pupils within the seams. They rolled around as if they were alive, some swiveling from side to side as if they were looking for something, others blinked within the armor.

"They never fail to gross me out no matter how many times I see them." Henova frowned and shuddered in disgust. Indeed, an armor full of eyes moving on their own was a horrifying sight, but the eyes gave Yeon-woo a new realm of sensation that he had never felt before. As the armor connected to his Magic Circuit, the sight of the eyes and the information they received began to transmit into his brain.

[Your senses can now scan objects with a 150% greater area and analyze them in detail.]

[‘Gyges’ Eyes’ has begun to assimilate with your senses. It will now be considered part of your body.]

[Synesthesia has been unlocked.]

[‘Sense Strengthening’ skill proficiency has increased. 37.2%]

Gyges’ Eyes provided the owner with every single detail of their surroundings, perceiving anything that could not be seen, transmitting the details not only visually, but also through smell and, sometimes, sound. This was called “Synesthesia”, the hidden feature of Gyges’ Eyes.

[Body improvement has been confirmed. The halted succession process will resume. 98%...99%...]

[Current progress: 99.1%]

‘Even the succession process?’ Yeon-woo stared dumbfounded at the message for a while, but soon came back to his senses when he realized the reason behind it. ‘There must be something more to this armor. The Gyges’ Eyes inside this armor is better than the original one in every way.’ Perhaps it had a hidden effect that speeded up mana circulation. Whatever it was, Yeon-woo could tell that Henova had worked very hard to create the artifact.

Henova exhaled a stream of smoke with a contented expression at Yeon-woo’s reaction. "I feel much better now after seeing your expression. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but that armor also eases the flow of mana and increases mana recovery by ten percent. The basis of all the options comes from mana."

'I knew it.' Yeon-woo had only been half-correct. It not only sped up mana circulation, but it would also help him refill it. The artifact had already surpassed simply being Gyges’ Eyes and was something even more incredible. Furthermore, Henova's gifts did not end there.

"There’s one more thing. Check out the mask."

Yeon-woo picked up the black mask, which glowed like obsidian. There were three red marks painted next to the eye holes. It reminded him of a devil’s mask from ancient mythology.

[Henova’s Magic Mask][Classification: Headpiece][Rank: A][Description:  A mask which Henova, a dwarven blacksmith, put his blood into crafting. It was made with a mixture of Gon-O iron and Han iron which are found only in special environments, based on the Beast Lord’s Lion Mane Helm.]

[* Recognition Interference][The magic circle engraved on the mask interferes with the opponent’s cognitive ability. It also helps the mask stick to the face, it will never come off without the wearer’s permission. Can restore itself when damaged.]

[* Attack Enhancement][Increases attack power up to 30% in proportion to the number of monsters killed within the last 30 seconds, with each kill increasing attack power by 1%. Also reduces the duration of crowd control skills on the user by 10%.]

[* Territory of Terror][Borrows the power of the Beast Lord, inflicting the surrounding enemies with the status ‘Fear’ for 15–20 seconds. Also weakens enemies’ defense by 20%.]

[*This is a growth artifact. The artifact can grow along with its owner, and its growth speed depends on the owner’s familiarity and proficiency with this artifact.]  

*This is a unique artifact. No other artifact like this exists in the Tower, and it will be bound to its owner. It cannot be transferred or traded between players.

*This is a set item with Henova’s Magic Bayonet. When used together, they provide the wearer with bonus effects.

- Current bonus effect2 pieces: Attack speed +8%]

Henova once again exhaled a puff of white smoke. "I just thought whatever you had on your face looked uncomfortable and stuffy, and I had nothing to do in my spare time, so I made it. You won’t get sweaty in that mask, and I bet it’ll fit you well." Henova spoke as if it wasn’t a big deal, but Yeon-woo knew that it wasn’t as simple as that.

The Lion Mane Helm was an artifact he had given Henova as part of his payment for Gyges’ Eyes. But Henova had torn it apart, turned it into something completely different, and given it back to him.

Yeon-woo asked as he fiddled with the Magic Mask. "This is too much. My payment is far from enough."

Henova snorted as if he had said something absurd. "Did you really think you could get your hands on the works of the great Henova with the insignificant payment you had? Just take them for now. I’m selling them to you on credit. Pay me back later."

Yeon-woo looked at Henova, who was standing with his arms akimbo and his belly sticking out. The tips of his ears were slightly red, making Yeon-woo chuckle. Though Henova spoke lightly, Yeon-woo didn’t miss the heat still lingering inside the smithy. Through his Draconic Eyes, he saw the image of Henova working all night long in front of the scorching furnace to give Yeon-woo the best artifact he could make. He knew Henova had been hiding something, but he never thought it was to give him a present like this.

Yeon-woo’s eyes grew thoughtful. ‘Or maybe it was because of Bahal.’ It seemed like Bahal did pay a visit to Henova, who must have hammered all night long to forget about him. But even so, items like these could not have been made in a day. Even though working all night could speed up the process by a bit, Henova had clearly been working on the artifact for a long time—all for Yeon-woo.

This made Yeon-woo feel a lump in his throat. ‘Maybe he just missed having people around.’ Henova was an old man with a loving heart who had no one to give his love to, and then Yeon-woo had shown up. 'He never changed.' Yeon-woo was sure of it.

"What are you doing standing there with your mouth shut? What’s the matter? Are you that deeply moved by the grace of Henova?" Henova chuckled.

That only made Yeon-woo’s heart ache even more. He was thankful that the mask was covering his face. "I will put it to good use." Yeon-woo bowed in gratitude. But as soon as he turned away, Henova caught him and cleared his throat.

"Oh, by the way…" His nose was a little red as if he were ashamed of something. "Ahem! I don’t think I’ve ever asked your name. So, what is it?"

Yeon-woo's eyes widened briefly and for a moment, he couldn’t answer.

"Come on, what’s your name? Tell me already.”

Below the mask, Yeon-woo said something silently over and over. Then, after a long silence, he said, “Cain…it’s Cain.”