Episode 20: Elemental Armor! Here Comes the Melee Mage!

Where... is this? That ceiling looks so familiar. I must be in my own room. My whole body ached terribly. I tried to sit up, but the movement tugged at my wounds, making me grimace in pain.

Ah~ What happened? Why am I in bed? I remember fighting Monaluna... I lost, but what came after? How did I pass out?

"Young Master Klath, you're awake?"

"Helle? What are you doing in my room?"

"Taking care of you, of course—young master with the blunt tongue."

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"You confessed your weird quirks right in front of the young lady, but play dumb with me?"

Weird quirks? Me? I'm an honest person! We're close, but I'll sue you for slander if you spread nonsense!

"I didn't. I really don't remember. What happened yesterday?"

"Hmph, faking amnesia? Do you think I'm an idiot? If you love playing around so much, change your own bandages." Helle turned and left the room, slamming the door shut.

No sympathy at all. I'm a seriously injured patient! Fine, don't take care of me—but did you have to slam the door that hard? My whole body hurt. Wasn't this just training with Monaluna? Why such heavy injuries? Someone help! Am I really supposed to change my own bandages?

As if heaven heard my plea, the door creaked open again. Had Helle changed her mind to help me? Helle really is kind-hearted—even if her words say no, her actions are honest. Heh, I'll forgive her rudeness just now.

"Klath, are you feeling better?" Monaluna peeked half her face from behind the door, asking timidly, "I just ran into Helle... she said you insisted I come change your bandages..."

Heaven, I was wrong! I'll change them myself—please, send her away! I'm still young. Dying in bed by a girl's hands might sound romantic, but no thanks!

"I've never changed bandages before, but I'll try my best!" Monaluna stepped into the room as she spoke.

No! Some things don't reward effort—especially when someone's life is on the line!

"Maybe I should do it myself. I can manage!" I replied shakily.

"No need to be polite. After all, I'm the one who hurt you."

Who's being polite? This is survival instinct! Wait—you really injured me? Did I sneak into your room at night or peek at your underwear?

"But who told you to say those things to me all of a sudden?! Any girl would panic!"

What did I say? Why is everyone being so vague? Something to make a girl panic? Holy crap! Did I propose to Monaluna? No way! My brain must be broken!

"Though you deserved a beating, I really went too far. Luckily, Grandpa cast a defense spell on you in time, or it would've been a disaster."

Girl, how badly did you want me dead? Did I just get a second chance at life? Old Mage, I finally understand why you didn't push Monaluna to get stronger.

"Do you really like black lace that much?" Monaluna muttered softly. I was too busy celebrating my narrow escape to catch it clearly.

"Sorry, what did you say?"

"N-nothing..." Monaluna's face flushed red as an apple. "Rest well. I'll go now."

She rushed out of my room like she was escaping. Hey! What about changing my bandages? Are you all messing with me? I'm a patient! Heaven, send me a gentle, cute nurse in white!

The door opened again. Little Bobo floated in on a water bubble, wobbling gently. Seriously? Did you all plan this? Did you only hear the word 'sister' in my prayer? Heaven! So you sent me a 'sister' two hundred years older? Heaven!

"Brother~ Brother~ Are you okay?"

"Bobo, be good~ Brother's fine. Just changing bandages is tricky."

"Why is Brother wrapped in so much white cloth? Is it decoration?"

"These are bandages. They help Brother heal faster."

"Oh! I didn't know human cloth was so magical. Tying a bow on your head makes you heal quicker?"

"Yeah, yeah, human culture is profound... bow?"

"Yep! A huge bow right on your head."

This is bullying! Don't you have basic humanity? Gotta change the subject fast, or my image in Bobo's eyes is ruined.

"Why didn't Bobo go play with the two sisters?"

"I wanted to, but they're busy."

"Busy? Doing what?"

"Sister Helle is making some ointment for your wounds."

*Sob* Helle, you really care.

"I helped too! I found chili oil and itching powder for her. She was so happy and called me clever and obedient!"

Alright, I must find the Star Absorption Gloves immediately. Before Helle's next 'bandage change,' I'll heal all my external wounds with Holy Light and Life Magic!

"Sister Nana is sorting her clothes. She said she'll take me shopping this afternoon to buy new outfits!"

Unbelievable! The homebody is actually going out to shop for clothes? No wonder the Old Mage was in such a hurry for me to level up. The apocalypse really is coming!

"Brother~ Brother~"

"Huh?"

"Bobo wants a story. You've slept since last night—I've been so worried!"

Does anyone actually care about the patient in this bed? Who's asking after my doctor?

Finally, with the Star Absorption Gloves, I successfully activated 'Blossom of Life' and basic 'Divine Blessing.' I healed just in time before Helle could 'help' with my bandages. Internal injuries couldn't be fixed by magic—they'd need slow recovery—but at least I regained mobility.

Next, I'd fully upgrade my Rune Engraving Tools. A single magic glove no longer cut it. Though my memories of the fight with Monaluna were fragmented, I deeply felt a mage's helplessness against warriors. I needed combat exoskeletons—Elemental Armor!

Mages had devastating power but fragile resilience—glass cannons. Against extreme warriors, mages could toy with them from afar. But once a warrior closed in, a mage's frail body couldn't compare in direct combat.

So mages were strategic weapons in war, never the main force. Swords and bloodshed still ruled the battlefield.

But I disagreed: warriors surpassed mages due to close-combat skills and physical strength. They had battle auras; we had magic—we started equal. Skills were hard to master—you couldn't have it all. But physical limits could be overcome with gear—human exoskeletons!

In my past life, advanced nations secretly developed such armor to boost soldiers. But physics and materials held them back.

This world was different! Rune Engraving Tools met every need: magic provided perfect power and stat boosts; activated arrays granted solid offense, defense, and mobility; Spatial Magic solved equipment storage. A spatial bracelet or belt could carry everything, and a mental command would equip it instantly.

If past-life exoskeletons were like Iron Man, my Elemental Armor would be Kamen Rider style. Once built, I could flex at others: "I'm just a passing melee mage. Remember that well!—Elemental Armor!!!"

Just thinking about it thrilled me! If magic wasn't for showing off, what was the point?

'Overlord's Might' and 'Cloud-Stepping' were parts of this armor. I hadn't planned it when making those tools, but now they'd save effort.

Lightning: fast transmission, quick to form and fade. Perfect as the central processor. A lightning-element belt would serve as the system's core, regulating the whole armor.

Fire: strong offense, high lethality. Ideal for attacks. All offensive runes on hands, feet, elbows, and knees would use fire!

Wind: lightness and sharpness. It'd boost overall combat finesse and amplify fire's range and power when combined. So all support runes would be wind-based.

Water: gentle, with mild healing. Its offense was decent but clashed with fire. So only hydraulic runes at joints and muscles would use water, enhancing physical strength.

Earth: unmatched defense. Perfect for inner armor runes. It coexisted well with other elements, making it ideal for structural arrays.

Headgear needed Life and Holy Light runes to keep me alert and efficient in crises. The Elemental Sniper required no changes.

The Star Absorption Gloves needed a major overhaul. All back-of-hand runes would shift to the palms; the backs would hold Elemental Armor's attack magic. The magic-diversion array on the back would merge functionally with the palm's magic-concentration array, saving space.

If warriors could boost lethality with magic, why couldn't mages enhance survival and combat the same way?

Let me show you what it means to tear a Gundam apart barehanded!