As the armor charged Izroth, it saw that he did not make a second attempt to break free from its restraint. Nor did he try to escape.
Seeing that its target did not put up a struggle, the armor believed that he had given in and accepted his fate.
"Do not feel disappointed at your weakness, human. Once this lord has merged with you, you will have access to power far beyond your means!"
The armor opened up before slamming itself shut around Izroth!
It then slowly began to morph and change its shape to better fit its new host, and in less than a single breath, Izroth's figure could no longer be seen.
A helmet identical to the one Tigran wore now covered Izroth's head as a pair of violet eyes emerged from the darkness.
"Ahahaha! This human's not a bad fit for this lord! His talent is well above that of my previous host. As long as I can fully integrate myself, there is a good chance that I may finally break free of this shell. Once this lord has achieved their goal, there will be no one in this world that can suppress me! The Dragon Lord of the Abyss will rise at last!"
"I see. So you're the Dragon Lord of the Abyss. I have to say; your ambitions sure are bold." Izroth's voice sounded.
"?!" The Dragon Lord of the Abyss was surprised when it heard Izroth's voice as its armor trembled.
Whenever the Dragon Lord of the Abyss chose a new host, it would f.o.r.c.i.b.l.y suppress their will and actions until they learned to naturally submit to its control. It was the same process it used countless times to ensure absolute authority over its host.
However, this was the first time someone managed to maintain their will, let alone speak freely without its permission!
"Interesting! This is the first time anyone has been able to speak without approval while under this lord's control. It seems the host this lord has chosen this time is indeed worthwhile. But, the circ.u.mstances remain unchanged, human." The Dragon Lord of the Abyss stated confidently.
So what if its host could speak? It may have caught it off guard, but it was only a bit taken aback, that's all. In the end, it still had control over everything else with its new host!
"Indeed, the circ.u.mstances are unchanged. It is quite the glutton, after all." Izroth said calmly.
"What are you-"
Suddenly, the Dragon Lord of the Abyss felt that something was wrong. Its power and authority that it used to suppress its host abruptly started to tear apart at the seams!
"Ahhhhh!!! What have you done?! Roooooooar!!!" The Dragon Lord of the Abyss unleashed a mighty cry that caused the entire outpost to tremble!
Clink! Clink!
The next moment, the armor bound to Izroth began to crack apart and crumble. However, instead of turning to particles and disappearing, the broken pieces of armor sunk into Izroth as if they were being absorbed!
"To be tricked by a human… Unforgivable!" The Dragon Lord of the Abyss bellowed as it immediately began the process of parting itself from Izroth.
"You may live another day, but this lord will have you pay for your impertinence!"
Even though it had already suffered some minor damage, it could repair itself given time. However, it could not help but curse Izroth. Being forced to relinquish its new host right after losing its previous one—the Dragon Lord of the Abyss would never forget the humiliation!
Woosh!
The Dragon Lord of the Abyss managed to tear itself apart from Izroth successfully; however, just when it thought it was safe, its movements were suddenly restricted.
"What have you done, human?! What kind of sorcery is this?!" The Dragon Lord of the Abyss struggled to break free but inevitably failed.
At the same time, Izroth's Apparel of Insatiable Transcendence reverted to its original form as a long tongue made of strange black metal coiled around the Dragon Lord of the Abyss.
The metal tongue pulled the armor in as the mighty maw of a beast appeared with rows upon rows of razor-sharp bladed teeth at Izroth's torso.
"Wait, human! Release me at once, and I shall grant you untold power, wealth, fame—whatever it is that you d.e.s.i.r.e, this lord can make it a reality! Be reasonable, or once I escape, you won't know how you died!"
Izroth remained silent in the face of the Dragon Lord of the Abyss' words. A few moments ago, it wanted to strip him of his will, and now it tried to frighten him with empty threats?
Even if Izroth had the power to save it, why would he do so? Did he not warn the Dragon Lord of the Abyss that it was impossible? Yet, in the end, it still acted on its greed and anger. If it had just left after Tigran was defeated, then its fate would have been different. But, it was too late for it to regret.
After realizing that Izroth was not responding to its promises or threats, the Dragon Lord of the Abyss began to panic. If things continued to progress at this rate, then it would be swallowed alive!
"Human, do you dare?!" The Dragon Lord of the Abyss released a ferocious aura filled with deadly killing intent.
Before, it held back some since it did not want to kill its potential new host. However, seeing as how they were refusing its kindness, they only had themselves to blame!
Woosh! Bang!
A heavy wave of killing intent slammed into Izroth with the full might of a dragon's aura behind it.
But, what was that dragon's aura compared to the one he experienced from a true dragon like the third prince of the Dragon Palace, Kayn?
The armor may have been capable of releasing a strong dragon's aura, but, in the end, it was only an imitation of the real thing.
CRUNCH!
〈System Alert: The effect «Peerless Conduct» has been activated!〉
Izroth's Apparel of Insatiable Transcendence chomped down with great vigor on a large portion of the armor—as if it had just tasted a delicacy and could not wait to take another bite!
If the Dragon Lord of the Abyss had a face right now, it would have turned pale. How was this human able to endure its killing intent fused with dragon's aura?! No, that did not matter now. If this kept up, it really would be eaten alive without a second thought!
"I will serve you! Young master; I will serve you! Spare me! I am willing to submit! I am willing-" The Dragon Lord of the Abyss implored Izroth; however, as if it feared its food would be taken away, the Apparel of Insatiable Transcendence mercilessly gorged on the Dragon Lord of the Abyss.
CRUNCH! CRUNCH! CRUNCH!
The Dragon Lord of the Abyss' voice faded as the Apparel of Insatiable Transcendence swallowed the last few pieces of its existence.
The mouth on the front of the Apparel of Insatiable Transcendence curled into a smile as though it had just finished enjoying a delicious meal.
〈System Alert: The item «Abyssal Dragon Lord's Scales» has been destroyed!〉
〈System Alert: The effect «Overeater» has been activated!〉
The black metal tongue retracted into the mouth of the Apparel of Insatiable Transcendence before disappearing as the armor returned to its original state.
A couple of seconds later, it once again donned the appearance of the Attire of a Silent Night.
From the tranquil look of it, one would never have guessed that it had just finished devouring a living armor!
Izroth released a small sigh as he inwardly shook his head. In truth, he felt that it was somewhat wasteful to destroy a living armor.
If he could have used Heart of A Creator from his Unparalleled Craftsman skill, it would have given him invaluable insight into how living armors were crafted in RML by obtaining its production method.
But, even though Izroth tried to warn it, it refused to listen.
'It's a bit regretful, but what's done is done. Now… What will you do?'
Izroth thought to himself as he looked down at his torso where the mouth of the Apparel of Insatiable Transcendence had been just seconds ago.
To Izroth's knowledge, all living armors were growth-types; however, there was no such slot for equipment consumed with his armor's Overeater effect.
Common, Uncommon, Rare, Epic, Legendary, Unique, and Divine—these were the only options available, and yet, it had just absorbed a growth-type living armor.
This made Izroth wonder—what would the result be from a growth-type living armor having consumed another growth-type living armor?
