Sanctuary Paradise

Chapter 821 Gathering
External equipment.

In fact, this was not the first time they had come into contact with this type of equipment. The armors they had made from black dragon scales back in the DanMachi world were actually classified as external equipment.

Unlike equipment from the notarized system, the biggest feature of external equipment is that it can take full effect without the need for branding or equipment slots. However, its drawback is that its durability and equipment effects will also follow normal physical laws. That is, if it is damaged, its defense will decrease, and if it is missing its core effects, it will become ineffective.

However, as a benefit of being free from the restrictions of branding and notarization, external equipment itself does not have any clear restrictions on wearing or using it. In other words, as long as the conditions are right, there will be no problem even if you pile up a dozen or twenty pieces of equipment on your body.

However, under normal circumstances, almost no one would do this, since equipment without the protection of a notary system would have a terrifyingly high rate of wear and tear and maintenance costs.

Taking melee weapons as an example, a white-quality knife weapon, as long as its durability is not 0, even if it only has 1 point of durability left, the user does not need to worry about whether it can cut people. However, an external weapon made of the same material, let alone being worn down to only 1 point of durability, even if the blade is slightly chipped, its effectiveness in actual combat may be greatly reduced.

The expeditionary combat suits they possess are also examples. As external equipment that can be used without an equipment slot, although they are free from the restrictions of many notary systems, they will immediately become scrap metal if their internal design structure is severely damaged.

Of course, considering that this is a special 'uniform' for expeditionary forces, its actual durability is definitely much higher than that of normal external equipment. At least from the item information, the combat uniform in their hands, in addition to its self-repair function, also incorporates a large number of 'redundant structures' for various unexpected situations, so as to ensure that even if it suffers a certain degree of damage, it can still function completely.

As for its specific effects...

"Let me see... I think it should be activated by injecting magic power and soul energy into this place, right?"

Inside the living pod, Xin Lailai, having removed all her clothes, fumbled around with the instructions that came with the combat suit for a while before placing her hand on a spot behind the collar. The next second, a cold, electronic voice, accompanied by numerous energy circuits emitting a ghostly blue light, rang out from the combat suit in front of her:
[Authentication information detected...]

[Identity verification in progress, confirmed. The current user is Pioneer No. 83112. According to the user agreement, user's genetic information and soul fluctuations are being entered...]

【Scanning...】

[Scan complete, automatic equipment process about to begin...]

Crash——!!

As the cold electronic voice faded, the black combat suit in Xin Lailai's hand seemed to come alive, instantly transforming into a pool of black liquid. Like Venom from Spider-Man, it rapidly wrapped around Xin Lailai, engulfing her entirely, and finally stabilizing into a black combat suit that flowed with a ghostly blue light like a data stream.

"They even covered the face and internal organs..."

Having witnessed the entire process of donning the combat suit from a microscopic perspective within the Star Luo Domain, Xin Lailai glanced at the dressing mirror beside her. Looking at the face on it that was no different from a normal human face, she curiously pinched her own cheek, only to find that it was like an invisible barrier covering it, rapidly increasing in hardness as they exerted force. When they slammed it down with great force, it suddenly became exceptionally hard, as if a hard barrier had been deployed.

"This physical strength... even a typical legendary weapon probably couldn't break through its defenses, right?"

"Hmm... I wonder if wearing this while doing it will affect the feeling?"

After a brief test of the combat suit's physical defense capabilities, Xin Lailai looked at herself in the fitting mirror and calculated its approximate defensive performance in her mind, while Ling Yuzi curiously reached out and pinched it, a thoughtful look appearing in her eyes.

"Lingyuzi, stop messing around. I've set the sensitivity to 0% right now, so what you're doing won't make a difference."

"Tsk, Lai Lai, really. I was just a little curious."

After casually reminding the playful girl, Xin Lailai had a sudden thought and conjured a fireball the size of a human head out of thin air, then slapped it onto her face.

Bang!
The next second, a terrifying heat wave that could easily incinerate metal erupted from Xin Lailai's face, but Xin Lailai simply let it fall on her without dodging or flinching. After the flames dissipated, she looked at herself in the mirror, not even a single hair of hers had been burned, nodded slightly, and a look of satisfaction appeared in her eyes.

Great, just as the item description says, ordinary high temperatures can't penetrate the combat suit's defenses at all, and not only that—

Wow!
A piercing sound of air being torn apart rang out. Xin Lailai suddenly swung her arm, and the air in front of her made a series of explosive sounds under the terrifying speed of the swing. She looked at her own body, her eyes slightly shifting.

Sure enough, their physical abilities also improved!

"Is the overall increase around 10-12%...?"

After doing a few simple sets of movements to test them out, Xin Lailai looked at the combat uniform in front of her, her gaze becoming more and more satisfied.

"Next, we'll move on to the most important compatibility test..."

After thoroughly testing the basic performance of the combat suit, Xin Lailai's eyes flickered slightly. She put the equipment she had initially taken off back on, then let out a long sigh, closed her eyes, and with a thought—

Om-! !

In an instant, circles of dark blue light, resembling pulse points, suddenly spread out from his feet and limbs, transforming into a powerful propulsive force that lifted him into the air.

So, even with their own equipment over them, it doesn't affect the flight capabilities of the combat suits at all?
"Wow, that's really luxurious..."

Having gained a general understanding of the various aspects of the combat suit before her, Xin Lailai sensed the nano-combat suit covering her body and a look of emotion appeared in her eyes.

Although only some preliminary tests have been conducted, he is certain that just by wearing this combat suit, their strength will increase by at least 15% on the original basis, and this is without taking into account the mobility advantage it brings in interstellar space.

It's fair to say that given the absurdly high power of the Expedition Potion, the fact that the guides on the Pioneer Forum unanimously recommend prioritizing the purchase of the previous Expedition Combat Suit before considering anything else is not without reason.

Keep in mind that this is just the basic combat suit. According to the item information and the contents of the expedition supply shop, if they obtain enough expedition contribution points and supply quotas in the future, they can further modify and upgrade it to add more functions.

That is, provided they can afford the repair costs.

Even with self-repair capabilities, external equipment is still a consumable item. If it is not repaired frequently, it will basically break down after a few uses.

"Alright, Lingyuzi, get ready. It's time to scout out the training grounds and combat areas inside the fortress."

"Um……"

After recording all the data related to the combat suit in the corresponding memo, Xin Lailai breathed a sigh of relief. She habitually reminded the girl and was about to open the teleportation interface to move to the training ground area inside the world fortress when she seemed to suddenly notice something. She looked at Ling Yuzi, whose mood seemed a little down, and suddenly lowered her hand.

To be honest, they've been so busy with all sorts of things lately that they haven't really had a chance to relax...

"Odds."

"Ok?"

"The plans have changed, we won't be going to the training ground today."

"Huh?" Inside the living quarters, Xin Lailai, having made her decision in her mind, looked at the girl before her with a gentle smile. Seeing the girl's somewhat surprised reaction, she gently patted her head and said:

"Didn't you always say you were curious about the food at the World Fortress? Let's go."

"Anyway, the others won't be here for several more days, and the nun and the legion members here are quite strict in protecting the information of the pioneers, so even if I use my main body to travel around for a couple of days, there shouldn't be any problems."

Xin Lailai smiled and took the girl's small hand. Ling Yuzi, upon hearing this, paused for a moment, then blinked, her ruby-like eyes gradually brightening with an unusual light. She nodded vigorously like a chick pecking at rice, then leaped into the black-haired youth's arms, excitedly responding:

"Ok!"

……

Two days later, at Andusia Fortress.

[Ring ring ring—!!]

"Two days already...?"

The shrill alarm clock rang in her mind. On the sheets, which were soaked with subtle traces, Xin Lailai slowly opened her eyes and stared at the living pod that was designed to simulate a starry sky to enhance the ambiance of the previous night. After a while, she was lost in thought before finally turning her gaze to the girl who was snuggling tightly in her arms, her face flushed with satisfaction and smiling innocently. A hint of emotion appeared in her eyes.

“Lai Lai…hehe…Lai Lai…”

A soft, dreamy murmur, tinged with a hint of chuckle, rang out, causing Xin Lailai to smile gently. She lightly stroked the girl's soft hair twice before flicking her delicate nose, reminding her:
"Lingyuzi, wake up, or Xiaobai will see you."

"Ah! No! Lai Lai, hurry up and get ready, we can't let Xiao Bai and the others go astray!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Lingyu, who had been lost in a sweet dream, sat up abruptly. She cried out in a flustered voice, looked around frantically for a moment, and then suddenly realized her embarrassing moment. Her face flushed red, and she glared fiercely at the black-haired youth.
"Lai! Lai!"

"Haha, alright, alright, don't be angry. Get up quickly. The Death Slayers should be coming today. It wouldn't be good if they saw us like this."

"Don't do that again next time!"

Having successfully witnessed the girl's embarrassing state, Xin Lailai smiled happily. After letting the other girl bite her shoulder hard twice as if venting her anger, she then helped the other girl sit up from the bed. While helping the other girl tidy up her hair, which was a mess from the previous night's craziness, she smiled and helped the other girl change her clothes.

"Let's go, judging by the time, they should be here soon."

"Ah."

After destroying all traces in the room and the scent on her body, Xin Lailai adjusted her collar and spoke to Ling Yuzi beside her. Ling Yuzi nodded slightly and returned to her soul space, entering the spatial portal with Xin Lailai in a state of synchronized perception.

[Notification: Teleportation complete. You have arrived at area G-01-03]

"Good morning, Lord Black Sword."

"Yes, Lady Chris is the same."

A faint spatial fluctuation flashed by, and after the scene changed, the blindfolded nun's gentle voice rang in Xin Lailai's ears. Xin Lailai nodded slightly, greeted her briefly, and then they both turned their gaze to the dock in front of them, waiting patiently for a while...

Humlong——! !

"My lords, this is Andusia Fortress. Lord Black Sword is just ahead."

A gentle voice, identical to that of the blindfolded nun beside them, rang out. As the UFO-like space elevator landed, an avatar identical to Chris emerged from the hatch. Behind it stood four figures they recognized all too well:

"Hey, Black Sword, we meet again? How have you been lately? I heard from Brother Yamu that you seem to have gotten quite a bit stronger?"

"Thanks to Brother Torandi, things are going well. Speaking of which, it's been a few months since I last saw you, and your progress is quite remarkable."

A flippant tone rang out first, and Randy, still dressed in the same unrestrained aristocratic attire seen in the Dark Star world, stepped out from the crowd, beckoning to Xin Lailai and casually tossing her two vials of potions:

"Here you go~! This is the portion from the last world. Tsk tsk, speaking of which, you're really stingy. It's only 3 soul coins for postage, and you actually managed to deduct it from your pay."

"I'm forced by circumstances, please forgive me, Brother Randy."

After catching the two bottles of elemental potions, Xin Lailai nodded slightly, tossed the 20 complete soul crystals she had prepared to Randy, and replied with a smile. Then, looking at the White Demon beside her, she said:

"Brother White Demon, how have you been?"

"Ah."

The indifferent response fell, and in the face of Xin Lailai's greeting, the White Demon, who was holding a long sword, simply gave a cold reply before shifting his gaze to the Death Keeper who was also staring down at him, with the blood energy on his body showing signs of bursting out.

"Uh, Captain Hei... you can decide for yourself. Anyway, I've already tried to persuade him, but you've seen the results."

Yamu stepped forward, coughed lightly, shrugged, pointed at the two people in front of him who were on the verge of exchanging blows, and complained to Xin Lailai with some helplessness.

"..."

Upon hearing this, Xin Lailai's eyes narrowed slightly. Looking at the two who were clearly about to fight, she sighed helplessly, stepped forward, and placed her hands on the shoulders of both Bai Mo and the Death Bearer, saying:

"Gentlemen, please give me some face and wait until you've registered your information before you call?"

"Besides, you don't want to be arrested by the Legion for disrupting the fortress's order as soon as you land, do you?"

As soon as the words fell, the White Demon and the Death Bearer glanced at Xin Lailai in unison, then nodded to each other, dispelling the chilling killing intent emanating from their bodies. Xin Lailai breathed a slight sigh of relief and looked at the blindfolded nun behind her who had merged the two avatars into one. The nun, with remarkable understanding, stepped forward and addressed the group before her:

"My lords, please follow me. His Majesty the Commander is already waiting for you."

……

(End of this chapter)