106 Dungeon Gentleman

"You designed all this?" Ye Qingxuan glanced around at everything scattered throughout the workshop.

"Yeah, you know, I’m the nationally recognized failure. Nothing works out no matter how hard I try to be a musician, so to kill time, I just make some weird things.

"There are a lot of mentions of machines from before the Dark Ages in ancient texts. All of them are so amazing they sound like myths. Apparently, they could shrink people and put them in a small box so you could watch them sing and dance. ‘Till this day, people still believe that people in the past could shake a steel box and create a pretty girl to enjoy the night with. It was such an incredible era…" As Charles spoke, his expression became dazed, but when he realized that he was getting off topic, he coughed and quickly refocused.

"Anyway, please don’t mind. I just wanted to make some things and maybe make some money, but I actually put a lot of money into this and now I’ve got loan sharks on my back, but I still made some pretty cool stuff."

He pointed at the giant bat-like iron structure with a membrane pulled over it, "Look at this one. It’s a flapping aero-machine! I got the inspiration from the Wright Brothers! I jumped off of the Tower Bridge with this and flew for more than a hundred meters!"

"…Senior, the Tower Bridge is one-hundred meters tall. It would probably be the same as if you had just jumped down directly."

"Uh, let’s not worry about specifics. Look at this!" Charles pointed at the mechanic carriage in the corner, "This carriage doesn’t need the power of horses. You can power it just by hand! Isn’t it great? It’s a totally revolutionary innovation!"

Ye Qingxuan’s face twitched, "Senior, bicycles have existed for a long time. What did you change other than turning the pedal into a bar for hands?"

"I changed a lot, alright? Look at this! It’s seriously revolutionary!" Suddenly excited, Charles jumped onto the carriage. He lifted a machine the size of a melon and placed it before Ye Qingxuan.

"Look, an aether engine! I designed an entirely new motor system so it’s powered by the aether! The metal inside is magnetized, creating a magnetic field that produces an electric current. This is just a model but it can…uh, it can kind of work, probably? But unfortunately we’re in a chaotic aether zone and it’s not stable enough. I can’t make it completely soundless." As he spoke, he stepped onto the motor. He stuck a handle inside and began spinning it furiously. Brought on by the spinning handle, the motor began shaking. As if it was already starting to run, it produced a thunderous and deafening sound!

Ye Qingxuan was unsure if they had the same definitions for words, "It’s not soundless…it’s practically a freaking explosion!"

In early times, when man first started researching mechanic power systems, they had thought it would be a revolutionary and world-changing invention. All of humanity would benefit from it. But soon, the natural environment cruelly rejected the power system. It was okay in the safety zone of the mainland, but once the density of aether was raised to a certain point, the activity would multiply exponentially. If the density rose too high, it would create the Dark World, which was the black zone on the map. The aether would react to any sound there. It was a vacuum, entirely void of sound. Even the sound of clothes rustling would lead to unforeseeable changes, not to mention the sounds of multiple power systems activating. The uncontrollable aether would create disastrous results. The most common was…explosion, explosion, explosion!

"Senior, your inventions will be seen as weapons!"

Charles face fell under Ye Qingxuan’s heartless criticism, but he became excited again quickly. Pointing at a small thing on the aether engine, he said, "Sh, don’t talk. Use your heart to feel…"

Ye Qingxuan stared at the glass shade the size of a thumb sitting on the aether engine. Some type of metal thread inside slowly lit up. It flickered with the weak light of a candle, but at least it lit up.

"What do you think? Isn’t it awesome?" Charles gestured excitedly, "This is an entirely new type of illumination. You can turn the heat of gold thread into light! I experimented with hundreds of materials before I found the best match. Do you want to know? Do you wanna know?" He batted his lashes in anticipation. He seemed to be waiting for a chance to brag, his eyes saying, "All you have to do is ask and I’ll tell you."

Ye Qingxuan helplessly looked away, "Am I even allowed to say no?" He could not bear to remind Charles that the ‘masterpiece’ he had worked so hard to light up was not even as powerful as a new student’s rune effect. He could only try changing the subject, "Uh, Senior, didn’t you say you have something for me?"

"Ah, I almost forgot. Just a second." Tapping his forehead, Charles began rifling through the pile of random trash. After a bunch of crashes and thuds, he finally cheered, pulling out something rolled into a ball. "Here it is! Try it on?" With that, he shook out the thing in his hand. "This is the result of all of these years of hard work and research."

"For some reason, hearing you say that makes me not want to wear it…" Ye Qingxuan sighed out of habit, but when his gaze fell on the thing in Charles’s hands, he froze and could no longer look away because in his hands was a black robe.

It seemed to be made of crude and rough leather. Not only had the marks not been wiped away, but there were even some scales still on it. Red scales flashed in contrast with the black leather, covering the left shoulder and arm, making it seem beastly.

Amateur cuts and skills sewed the leather into a crude robe. The beastliness was forced into the appearance of a gentleman, but rather than seeming civilized, it looked even more menacing. Rather than calling it a robe, it would be better to be called a strange leather vest. Only an explorer of the Dark World would wear something as unfeeling. Every corner was designed with a function in mind. Even the sleeve cuff had a place for a bow, and there were many slots for weapons on the belt.

Ye Qingxuan’s mind went blank as he glanced at the robe. He walked over subconsciously, feeling it, "What is this?"

"Last year, I signed up to explore the Dark World but I didn’t get chosen." Charles shook the robe, "This is what I made when I decided to sign up. It was designed with the trendiest style in mind. I call it the Dungeon Gentleman." His features danced as he showed Ye Qingxuan his design, "I made the outer layer with dragon skin, and the inside is made from some leftovers from when I made a parachute—it’s fabric from the web of the white copper spider. Its strength is no joke. It can withstand piercings from any regular blade. But just in case, I added steel plates in the vital areas.

"Because of how complex the Dark World is, this robe is fireproof. It keeps you warm when it’s cold, and is even resistant to acid. To deal with different situations, there’s also some extra buttons and hooks. You can hang or connect other objects. There’s also a slot for chant materials." Shaking the odd robe, he sighed, "The only downside is that I forgot to measure it. When I finished, I realized it was too small and I couldn’t wear it." He tossed the Dungeon Gentleman to Ye Qingxuan, "It should be perfect for you. Try it on!"

The black robe landed in Ye Qingxuan’s hands heavily. It was not as light as its counterparts. After hesitating for a second, Ye Qingxuan took off his jacket and put the beastly robe on. It fit him perfectly as if it were tailored for his body! After he pulled up the zipper and did the buttons one by one, he suddenly heard a light pop from behind him, and his stomach sank.

Crackle! Pop! An ice-cold steel plate in the lining stuck out as the robe was pulled tight, sticking to his spine. A similar feeling came from his arms, waist and joints, as if something had latched onto his body.

"What is this?" Ye Qingxuan thought of a myth, but he was not sure.

Charles smiled mysteriously, "Have you heard of the gospel armor of the Knights Templar?"

"No way." Ye Qingxuan refused to believe it. The gospel armor was the biggest military mechanism of the Church, and the weapon of the Knights Templar. The Knights who wore the mechanical armor were blessed with strength from God and fought with extreme power. Whether they were fighting a demon or a monster, the enemy was nothing before these knights!

"Haha, the formula for the alloy and design of the armor is top secret knowledge. How could I have gotten it? I just got the inspiration from the legends of Knights Templar. I call this Iron Bone.

"It’s a tight-fitting outer auxiliary bone. I replaced the heavy armor with leather and sacrificed the protection. This iron bone structure can bear the reaction force for you, so your own strength can increase. It’s like having a prosthetic. It’s a total savior when you need to run for your life. I swear on my soul that even a lame man can run faster than a regular person when wearing this!"

"…Senior, you used all of these fancy terms to describe it just to tell me I can use it to escape?"

"Hey, you’re lucky to get to wear it. Stop nitpicking!" Charles knelt down with a small wrench and began tightening and loosening various screws, tailoring the robe further. In the end, it was tight as a body suit and fit Ye Qingxuan perfectly.

"Okay, try jumping!"