Chapter 21: A Man Must Pilot a Zaku—What’s This Strike Freedom I’ve Never Heard Of?

Under brilliant sunlight, I tested the newly formed Elemental Armor—Zaku—with the Old Mage. Naturally, he disliked this meaningless name. He insisted it should be called the "Multi-Attribute Elemental Magic Rune Multi-Functional Composite Power Armor." Seriously, he names magical beasts so casually, but academic inventions get absurdly long titles?

Hmph, he’ll never grasp it. Zaku is a true man’s romance! Piloting a Gundam to slash Zaku? Pathetic. Real men pilot Zaku to blast Strike Freedom.

“Elemental Armor!!!” I struck a flashy pose and activated the spatial belt at my waist. Instantly, fourteen Rune Engraving Tools appeared: a helmet, one pair of shoulder guards, one pair of elbow guards, one pair of wrist guards, an outer chest plate, an inner armor vest, trousers, one pair of knee guards, and combat boots. The belt emitted countless traction arcs. Under their pull, the tools swiftly and precisely armored my body.

Clang! Clang! Clang!... A rapid, rhythmic sound of Magic Arrays activating followed, marking the system’s sequential startup. As the final five-element Magic Array formed on my back, the Elemental Armor—Zaku—fully activated!

Wind swirled around me, pulsing with immense magical energy. Each Rune Engraving Tool bore element-gathering and element-diverting Magic Arrays. Compared to mere gloves, its power and gathering speed were incomparably stronger. With this gear, spells like "Molten Serpent" or "Blazing Cage" wouldn’t need long casting times. Inexhaustible magic, immense mental strength, negligible spell startup—I’d be a walking magic artillery platform!

“Not bad, but it demands extreme mental focus,” the Old Mage said. “Each Magic Array requires divided attention. Only a freak like you could handle it. Most with your mental power are Archmages or Saint Sorcerers. To them, this armor is redundant. Also, not all areas have dense magic. In thin-magic zones, you’d be helpless while others use their reserves.”

“Hehe, I thought of that!” I grinned. “Zaku has thirteen built-in magic crystals, storing pure elements equal to a high-level mage’s reserves.” Hmph, after suffering low phone battery in my past life, did you think I’d forget a power bank? And I won’t budge on the name.

“Also, armor-up takes twelve seconds!” he snapped. “In a real fight, you’d die multiple times. Four seconds wasted on weird lines and bizarre poses before arming. Three seconds staring slowly at your palms after.”

What do you know?! Poses matter! Without them, what’s the point of this armor? Of Zaku? Besides, invincibility during transformation is a universal law! Magical girls and Kamen Rider take over a minute to transform—how dare they greet anyone? Ultraman’s intro animation lasts thirty seconds! Enemies never attack mid-transformation. You’re just narrow-minded.

“Enough,” he said firmly. “Combat isn’t child’s play. Pack up. We’re gathering materials in the mountains today.”

“Huh? Why suddenly?”

“Nonsense. In your half-month here, you’ve exhausted my decades-old rune materials. If you hadn’t created something remarkable, I’d have skinned you alive.”

Don’t say “skinned alive” with that smile. I’ll go. And I don’t trust you alone in the mountains!

“Master, are we going the wrong way?”

“Young man, don’t assume I always get lost. Today, we head to the Transverse Mountains, not the Blackrock Mountains behind the Forest of Fear. They’re southwest of town. Follow me.”

“But we’re heading southeast!” At mid-morning, facing the rising sun, you claim southwest? Is your world round too? Should I try a reverse Q? Is it too late to nap instead?

We adjusted direction promptly.

“Master, what materials today?”

“Mainly magical plants: Purple Umbrella Flowers, Red Canopy Caps, Cockscomb Vines. If we find useful beasts, we’ll collect blood, scales, feathers, or bones.”

“What happened to the Tusker Boar skull in your lab? It looked cool.”

“Ground into powder. What do you think your rune ink’s base is?”

“Huh? Isn’t it Moon Orchid and Purple Umbrella Flower mix?”

“The base requires bone powder. Without it, you’d get fast-evaporating paint.”

“Tch~ So what? I rescued it from the old lab!”

“If you hadn’t blown up the lab, there’d be no rescue!” The Old Mage nearly lost his temper.

The forest thickened around us. Distant growls echoed—we’d reached the deep woods. The Old Mage stopped, scanning the area.

“Split up. I go south; you go north.” He strode off.

“Master! Wait!”

“Relax. Few aggressive beasts here. You’ll be safe.”

“No, that’s north!”

You can’t even pick between two directions, Master! I suspect you’re doing this on purpose.

“I’m scouting for you...” He nimbly turned south. I cast a tracking spell on him. Whether he finds the path or not, I’ll find him.

Watching Master Joseph leave, I shook my head and headed north. Zaku burned out my inspiration. I need rest before creating anew. For now, I’ll study Rune Studies and craft traditional tools. I urgently need basic rune materials and carriers.

The Old Mage’s stockpile is rich! Dual-Beast Lava Lizard throat leather is perfect for pants—it handles fire and earth elements without conflict, saving logic-determining runes. Azure Wind Falcon feathers and Thunder Roar fangs make crafting blissful. But this small jungle won’t have such beasts, let alone materials.

I crept toward the growls. That roar signaled a whole Tusker Boar clan. Books say one male leader, ten females, and many young. They’re gentle herbivores but fiercely protective. Avoid the young, and they won’t attack.

Unfortunately, I need their skulls today. I crouched behind a bush, slowly parting leaves to observe.

Roughly twenty—a big family. Tusker Boars resemble Earth’s wild boars but with muddy yellow skin covered in black patterns, three manes from back to tail, and huge chilling tusks. Earth-element beasts are most common, likely due to good elemental compatibility.

“Twenty-three? Tricky,” I muttered, stroking my chin. “Wind magic has bonus damage against earth types, but I know little. Fire magic is weak here. If only Monaluna were with me.”

I need a hidden spot to armor up. Gloves alone won’t suffice. Earlier, I made Zaku’s arrays flashy to show off. Armoring here would scare them off. But with Zaku, I fear nothing—not even Strike Freedom, Justice, or Unicorn Gundam. These are just big pigs. As a kid, I lived near a slaughterhouse in the slums. I slept to death cries and walked blood-soaked paths to school. Butcher Zhang said I had slaughtering talent and wanted me as his son-in-law. If not for his daughter’s 200-pound weight and sub-150cm height, I might have agreed for free pig head meat. Ah~ those days are gone.

I stepped back slowly, planning to armor elsewhere. Suddenly, a hand patted my shoulder. The Old Mage? Not lost? Progress!

“Um, sir? Can I bother you?”

“Huh? Who are you?” I turned to see two hunters. Patched coarse cloth formed their inner layers, covered with unknown beast leather. Gleaming knives filled their hands.

“You say it,” the gray-leather youth told the other.

“Alright, I’ll say it. It’s not shameful—why shy?” the yellow-leather youth replied.

“What do you want?” I grew impatient, unsure of their intent.

“Well, sir, if convenient... we’re here to rob you.”