System Made Me a Tank [LitRPG-Evolution]

"Two Steel Wyvern Scales, one Queen's Claw, and one Wyvern Egg dropped. Thorin wanted the Scale, we'll take it to him. I'll look at the other items later," said Boran, sitting at a table in the Infinite Tavern.

"I'm really curious about what the egg is for."

"Just omelet ingredients."

"Boran!"

"Kidding, kidding. It'll probably give us a pet or something when we raise it."

"That would be great! Imagine having a Wyvern as a pet!"

"I can't stand the sight of them anymore. I'm not too sure about this, but I'll think about it."

"Now that we've eaten our meal, since we got 2 scales, let's go make that armor of yours."

After Boran nodded in agreement, the pair left and went to Thorin's.

"🎵 BANG BANG! I forged the steel! CLASH CLASH! I bent the arm—"

"You're a terrible singer!" said Boran as he entered, half-joking. "We brought what you wanted. Let's see if you'll keep your word."

"Welcome, welcome! What can I do for you?"

"We just talked this morning!"

"Aaaah! Yeeees! Did you bring the materials?"

"I just said we did..."

Thorin weighed the materials in his hands, looking admiringly at the Steel Wyvern Scale.

"Perfect! Exactly the kind I wanted. These scales are truly rare."

Thorin took the scales and carefully placed them on a schematic he had prepared earlier. As soon as the scales touched the schematic, a bright light appeared. When the light faded, only a matte gray sphere remained.

Thorin extended the sphere toward Boran. "Take it. This is your new armor."

Boran looked at the sphere in astonishment, then turned to Thorin. "This doesn't look anything like armor, are you trying to trick us?!"

Noemi looked just as surprised as Boran. She narrowed her eyes, examining the sphere.

Thorin stroked his beard and smiled. "Just take it and equip it."

Boran hesitantly took the sphere and weighed it in his palm. Despite being light, it felt like it contained powerful energy.

"How am I supposed to equip this? There's no use option or anything," Boran asked skeptically.

"Just press it to your chest and think about wearing the armor," Thorin said patiently.

Boran still looked doubtful but pressed the sphere to his chest and closed his eyes. A moment later, the sphere began to glow, its light intensifying. As the bright light enveloped Boran's body, Noemi had to raise her hand to shield her eyes.

When the light faded, Boran had completely changed. He now wore dark gray armor, almost black, that looked like it was made of leather. The armor fit his body perfectly, moving in harmony with his every movement.

"This... is incredible," said Boran as he moved his arms. The armor was so light he could barely feel it on him, yet his fingers could feel its hard surface.

"Thank you, son!" Thorin said proudly. "From now on, when you level up, your armor will evolve with you."

Noemi approached Boran in amazement, reaching out to touch the surface of the armor. "This is amazing..." she murmured. "It adapts to your body as you move."

"Also," Thorin continued, "it can transform into normal clothes when you think about it. That way, you won't attract attention when walking around the city. But in times of danger, it immediately turns back into armor."

Boran closed his eyes and thought of his normal clothes. Instantly, the armor disappeared and was replaced by his usual t-shirt and pants.

"Wow," said Boran, genuinely impressed. "This... was unexpected."

"Of course it was," said Thorin, puffing out his chest proudly. "I'm not an ordinary blacksmith. I'm the best! Just be careful not to let it get stolen. As I said, its value could be hundreds of thousands of gold. Its usefulness is worth even more than its value, let me tell you."

"Good, good. I forgive you, Thorin. Don't try to rip me off again," said Boran.

"We'll see. However, the armor process isn't completely finished. I need to add two more components, but I couldn't find a place selling them today. I posted a notice at the Adventurer's Guild. It's already been accepted, the materials will arrive tomorrow morning. You can come pick up your armor then," said Thorin.

"Okay," said Boran, imagining the armor disappearing and turning back into a sphere. Instantly, the armor shimmered and returned to its matte gray sphere form. Boran took the sphere in his hand and extended it to Thorin.

"Here you go. We'll come get it in its complete form tomorrow."

"Very good, very good," said Thorin, carefully taking the sphere. "Come early tomorrow morning. I'll take care of yours first thing."

Boran nodded in agreement.

When they left Thorin's shop, the evening market was still bustling. Stalls decorated with lights, people filling the streets, and the shouts of vendors echoed in the air.

"Would you like to take a walk?" asked Noemi. "I want to explore the market."

"Sure," said Boran. "We might find something useful too."

As the pair proceeded along the crowded streets, they examined various stalls. They passed by weapon vendors, looked at fruit and vegetable stalls. At one point, Noemi stopped at a stall selling precious stones, examined a shimmering blue crystal, but then gave up when she saw its high price.

When they reached a quieter corner of the market, Noemi suddenly stopped. They were in front of a small, almost unnoticeable stall. The stall displayed various bottles, herbs, and strange-looking objects. A middle-aged woman sitting behind the stall was knitting something with her fingers.

"Hello," said Noemi, approaching the woman.

The woman looked up, her pale eyes examining Noemi. "Welcome," she said, her voice cracked and hushed. "What are you looking for?"

Noemi leaned over the stall, starting to examine the bottles. "Do you have any sleeping pills?"

The old woman smiled, missing a few teeth. "Of course." She pulled out a small, purple bottle from under the stall. "This might be what you're looking for. It's very powerful, you must use it carefully."

Noemi took the bottle in her hand, examining it carefully. "How much?"

"For you? 25 gold."

Noemi took the gold from her inventory and handed it to the woman. As she put the bottle in her bag, Boran was looking at her suspiciously.

As they walked away from the stall, Boran couldn't help himself. "Why did you buy sleeping pills? Is there a problem?"

Noemi shrugged slightly. "I've been having sleep issues lately. It helps me sleep."

Boran studied her carefully. "Since when? You never mentioned it before."

"For the last few days," said Noemi, averting her eyes from Boran. "Sometimes at night, there's so much going on in my mind... Especially after what we've been through recently. Falling out with my friends..."

Boran's expression softened. "I understand. I wish you had told me sooner."

"I didn't want to worry you," said Noemi, with a forced smile.

Boran put his hand on Noemi's shoulder. "Hey, you can tell me from now on, okay? You're not alone."

Noemi nodded, gratitude in her eyes. "Thank you. I hope it will pass after a while."

"It will," said Boran, in a reassuring voice. "We're all going through tough times. But together, we're stronger."

When they left the market and returned to the main street, Boran's eye caught the furniture displayed in the window of a shop they were passing. "My room is nearly empty," he said, pointing to the handmade wooden furniture in the window.

"Shall we take a look?" asked Noemi, noticing Boran's interest.

"Maybe I can buy something to make myself more comfortable," said Boran, moving toward the door of the shop.

Inside, it smelled of freshly cut wood and varnish. The shop displayed various wooden furniture — tables, chairs, cabinets, and beds were neatly arranged. All the pieces looked unpretentious but sturdy and elegant.

A middle-aged man with thick arms smiled at them from behind the counter. "Welcome, young friends! I am Ferris the carpenter. How can I help you?"

"Thank you," said Boran. "I need a few basic items."

"Of course!" said Ferris eagerly. "What kind of furniture are you looking for?"

Boran scanned the shop with his eyes. "A bed and perhaps a wardrobe. Simple but durable is all I need."

Ferris guided them to the back of the shop. "These beds here are perfect for you. All made of oak, durable and comfortable. They come with a set of sheets and pillows. And these wardrobes over here... completely handcrafted."

Boran examined one of the displayed beds. It was a simple but sturdy-looking single bed. The wood was polished and smooth, with simple but elegant carvings at the corners. Then he looked at the wardrobe beside it — medium-sized, with two doors and small drawers at the top, a beautiful piece.

"What are the prices?" he asked.

Ferris ran his fingers through his beard. "150 gold for the bed, 90 gold for the wardrobe. If you take both together, I'll let you have them for a special price of 220 gold."

Boran looked at Noemi, as if asking for her opinion.

"The prices seem reasonable," said Noemi. "And you've really done quality work."

"Thank you, my lady," Ferris replied proudly. "I spend at least a week on each piece. Here we work with traditional methods, without using magic. Some find this outdated, but I think furniture has a soul."

Boran had made his decision. "I'll take both," he said, taking out 220 gold from his inventory.

"Excellent!" said Ferris, taking the gold. "Let me package them for you right away. We have a special packaging spell — it shrinks all furniture to make it portable. Under the spell's effect, the items feel only a tenth of their weight."

Ferris stepped aside and murmured a short spell. The furniture glowed and began to shrink. Within seconds, the bed and wardrobe had transformed into small packages the size of a hand.

"Here you go," said Ferris, handing the miniaturized furniture to Boran. "When you want to place them, put them on the ground and say 'Expand.' But be careful, make sure there's enough empty space."

Boran carefully took the packages and placed them in his inventory. "Thank you, Ferris," he said. "You've been very helpful."

"You're welcome, son. You might also want to look at a table and chair set. A new batch is coming next week."

"We'll keep that in mind," said Boran, turning to Noemi to leave the shop.

"Now your room will be more livable, I suppose," said Noemi as they exited the shop.

"Definitely," Boran replied, pleased with the new items in his inventory.

As the night progressed, the crowd in the marketplace began to thin. Vendors were packing up their stalls, and buyers were returning home.

"I think we should rest too," Boran finally said. "Tomorrow will be another busy day."

Noemi agreed. "Yes, you're right. We need to go to Thorin early."

"Good night," said Noemi when they reached Boran's room. "See you tomorrow."

Boran nodded. "Sleep well. Try to get some rest."

As Noemi walked away, Boran sighed and entered his room. When he opened the door, the almost empty room greeted him as usual — just a thin mattress in the corner.

"That's about to change," he murmured to himself as he closed the door behind him.

He took out the newly purchased miniaturized furniture from his inventory. First, he placed the bed package in the center of the room and whispered, "Expand."

The package began to vibrate, a soft glow spread, and it suddenly started to grow. Within seconds, a solid, polished oak bed stood where the small package had been. Boran pushed the bed to a position close to the wall of the room.

Then he placed the wardrobe package in the other corner of the room and gave the same command. This time the wardrobe expanded, reaching its full size and adding an elegant touch to the room.

"That's it," said Boran, examining the new look of the room with satisfaction. Now the room really looked like a livable place.

He picked up his old mattress and set it aside. For the first time in days, he would sleep in a proper bed, and even the thought of it relaxed him.

Boran removed his armor. He took off his dusty boots and left them in a corner of the room, then lay down on the bed in his everyday clothes. He took a deep breath as he felt how the soft, comfortable bed embraced his body.

While gazing at the ceiling, he thought about the day's events. Noemi's behavior still worried him a little. She might have had a falling out with her friend, but was it serious enough to cause such sleeplessness? Perhaps there were other things she hadn't fully explained to him.

Boran turned in bed and tried to sleep. About half an hour later, just as he was about to drift off, he received a message.

[Noemi: Are you asleep?]

[Boran: Not yet. What's up?]

[Noemi: Can I come over?]

Boran raised his eyebrows. Why did Noemi want to come over at this hour? There wasn't anything between them; they were just friends. Maybe she had something important to talk about? Or maybe... Boran shook his head. Pushing aside unnecessary thoughts, he wrote back.

[Boran: Sure, come over.]