My Computer Leads to an Instance Dungeon-Chapter 151 - 126: Combat Plate Armor

Fang Zhen chose "Yes" without hesitation.

He'd been suffering from a low carrying capacity for a long time. He was also frustrated by the fact that he couldn't buy firearms without a spatial item.

Now that a solution was available—or at least a clue toward one—he had to check it out.

"You have spent 7 Merit Points to display the search answer.

Your query included one specific question and one open-ended question. The split answers are as follows:

The minimum requirement for obtaining a spatial item is a chance to find one in a Nameless World dungeon on Hard difficulty."

Fang Zhen's eyes widened in surprise when he read this.

'I can get a spatial item in a Nameless World dungeon?'

'The requirements are much lower than I imagined.'

'Even on Hard difficulty, it's much easier than having to wait for an Elite, Heroic, or Epic world like I thought.'

'Besides, isn't the Fallen Knight dungeon a Nameless World on Hard difficulty?'

Energized, Fang Zhen continued reading.

"The quality, stability, and difficulty of obtaining spatial items vary depending on the world setting. In a Nameless World setting, the items are of relatively poor quality and are difficult to acquire. The higher the world level, the easier it is to obtain spatial items, and the higher their quality.

Searching player Fang Zhen's current queue... both the 'Fallen Knight' and 'Bloody Lord' dungeons contain a potential spatial item. This information is a probabilistic assessment, not a guarantee. Whether a spatial item can be obtained depends on the player's own efforts."

Fang Zhen's eyes lit up.

He had been about to search further to see if the dungeons in his queue offered a chance at a spatial item, but the system had answered his question preemptively.

'Even though it's just a probability, it's still solid information. It means there's definitely a spatial item inside the dungeon. Whether I can find it and get my hands on it is up to me.'

He felt a surge of excitement.

'It seems like getting firearms is now within reach.'

He now had an additional personal goal for the Fallen Knight dungeon: find a spatial item.

Fang Zhen was filled with motivation.

He checked the start time for the Fallen Knight dungeon.

The original queue time for the Nameless World Act III dungeon, "Fallen Knight," had been nine days. It took Fang Zhen three days to clear the "Ancient Castle Caverns" dungeon in the Curse Seal World, leaving him with six days to prepare.

There was a lot to do in those six days.

During that time, he needed to find a way to buy a set of plate armor. He also needed to buy a compound bow to test its effectiveness as a ranged weapon in various scenarios.

He also had to expand the trading company he'd set up for social security purposes. He needed to hire employees and at least one vice president to help him gather resources and manage his affairs in the real world.

If he had time, he also needed to buy a car for easier transportation.

Finally, he had to set aside some time to rest and relax, preparing himself both physically and mentally for the next dungeon.

Time was a bit tight.

Fang Zhen decided there was no time to waste and got started immediately.

He closed the dialog box, and before shutting down the Dungeon Life Game's peripherals, he glanced at his base attributes again.

To his surprise, he found that his base attributes had increased.

His Strength attribute, originally 11, was now 12.

And another attribute, Source Power, had gone from 17 to 18.

Fang Zhen wasn't surprised by the increase in Strength. He'd been very active lately, doing push-ups and lifting weights in his spare time, so an increase was to be expected.

'But Source Power... why did that increase?'

Fang Zhen considered it for a moment. The most likely reason, he concluded, was learning the basic cultivation method of the Curse Seal World Power.

'If that's really the reason, then in the future, no matter what world I enter, I can look for that world's equivalent of a 'Cultivation Technique' to practice. After one or two more worlds, I'll be able to test if this theory is true.'

Fang Zhen made a mental note of it.

He shut down the peripherals, took a shower, and emerged in a bathrobe. Picking up his phone, he sent a message on WeChat to a friend named "Sword Dance Armor Yang Family Lang."

This "Sword Dance Armor Yang Family Lang" was an online friend Fang Zhen had met in his early twenties. They were from the same gaming guild and had met in person a few times, so they were on pretty good terms.

As time went on, they gamed less and fell out of regular contact, only messaging each other every few months or so. But they never lost touch completely.

Fang Zhen had always called this friend Jianwu. He knew Jianwu was part of the historical combat community and had even competed in full-contact fighting tournaments abroad, making him a true insider.

So when Fang Zhen decided to buy a suit of plate armor, this friend was the first person he thought of.

"Jianwu, you there? Quick question—do you know anywhere I can get custom plate armor made?" Fang Zhen sent the message.

About a minute or so later, a reply from Jianwu came through on WeChat.

Jianwu: "I know a few places, yeah, but why are you asking? You getting into the historical combat and armor scene too?"

"Just suddenly got interested in this stuff. Thought I'd get a suit of plate armor for fun," Fang Zhen replied.

Jianwu: "I wouldn't recommend that. Starting with plate armor is jumping in the deep end. Try some light armor or other types first, and if you're still interested, then go deeper. You don't have the foundational knowledge for plate armor yet, and custom plate is really expensive. Don't go straight for the top tier, how are us old-timers supposed to compete? (doge)"

Jianwu: "If you're serious about getting into this, how much do you know about armor? Are you looking to collect it, or use it for actual combat?"

"For actual combat," Fang Zhen replied, then sent another message. "Right now, all I know about armor is that the stuff that looks good isn't always practical. The pretty-looking armor sold on mainstream sites like Jingmao or Douyin is basically useless for combat. It's more like cosplay props than actual armor."

"What I need is something for actual combat. Something I could survive in if I were dropped onto a medieval battlefield. Looks are secondary; it just needs to be sturdy and practical."

Jianwu: "Your standards are pretty damn high, then."

Jianwu: "Combat Armor and collector's armor are completely different things. To be frank, whether it's replica ancient Xia Country armor or Japanese armor, in my opinion, it's all garbage."

Jianwu: "This is a bit complicated to explain over text. Are you free for a call? I can ring you."

"Okay," Fang Zhen replied.

A few seconds later, Fang Zhen's phone rang. It was Jianwu.

Fang Zhen answered the phone and heard a deep, gruff voice.

"Hey, it's Jianwu," the gruff voice said over the phone.

Just from the voice, you could tell he was a big guy, probably well over two hundred pounds.

And he was. The impression Jianwu gave online was completely different from how he was in real life. Fang Zhen had met him before: a pure, hulking giant of a man, six-foot-seven with knotted muscles, weighing nearly 330 pounds. He looked like a wrathful guardian deity; a single shout from him could silence a crying baby, and a single glare could make a street punk turn meek.

"So you're really serious about getting into the armor scene? Any budget constraints?" Jianwu asked directly.

Jianwu and Fang Zhen knew each other well enough to get straight to the point.

"I've come into some money recently," Fang Zhen said. "The budget is unlimited. Don't hold back."

"Holy crap, did you win the lottery or something? Hit financial independence? You sound calm, but I can practically hear the 'money is no object' vibe. If you found a way to get rich, you gotta cut me in," Jianwu said.

Jianwu's personality didn't actually match his appearance and voice. Many people were intimidated by his looks, but in reality, Fang Zhen felt that his online persona was closer to his friend's true nature.

Jianwu seemed to have just said it offhand, as he didn't pursue the topic. Instead, he returned to the subject of armor. "That's actually a pretty informed question. Don't mind all the people selling armor online. There are hardly any craftsmen in the country who can make true Combat Armor. The community is too small, and so is the demand. There's no capital investment in it."

"You could count the real Armor Craftsmen in the country who can make Combat Armor on one hand—you probably wouldn't even need all five fingers. There's just the Hu Ben Knight Order, Old Cao's small crew of two or three guys, and a couple of others who sell semi-finished parts."

"But you know how things have been the last few years. I haven't been competing or going to events much myself, mostly busy with work. I've lost touch with those guys, so I don't even know if they're still making armor."

"However, I do have one other connection. It's an Armor Craftsman over in Russia. I still have a way to reach him. If you're serious, I can contact him for you."

"It's just that it'll be a lot more expensive, plus a hefty shipping fee. You okay with that?"

"Yeah, as long as the quality is good," Fang Zhen replied. "Is your contact reliable? Anything else I should know?"

Jianwu said: "He's reliable. A lot of people I know have bought from him. The main thing to know is that these Russian Armor Craftsmen are very proud. They're former world champions, so they're extremely confident in their work. They don't do custom modifications. You get what they make; they won't alter the design for you."

"But there's a good reason for it. Once you've used Combat Armor for a while, you realize that the modifications you thought you needed were just wishful thinking. The designs the Armor Craftsman stubbornly sticks to are the ones that are actually practical. After all, those Russian Armor Craftsmen are also experienced Warriors themselves."

"Let's go with your contact, then," Fang Zhen said. "I need a full suit of plate armor, and the sooner the better. I can't wait too long."

"Alright. I'll send you a form for your measurements in a bit. Just fill it out and send it back on WeChat," Jianwu said.

"Okay."

Fang Zhen hung up the phone.

A short while later, Jianwu sent over the measurement form, asking for things like height, weight, and arm span.

Fang Zhen had already taken these measurements. He'd been researching armor for a while and knew his own specs, so he filled out the form quickly and sent it back to Jianwu.

Jianwu would probably need some time to handle things on his end, so Fang Zhen didn't wait around. He contacted Weilong Outdoor and placed an order for a modern compound bow and some accessories.

As it turned out, Weilong Outdoor dealt in that sort of equipment. After taking his order, they told him it would be delivered within three days.

Ever since his last delivery from Weilong Outdoor, the online merchant had become much more attentive to Fang Zhen, seemingly unlocking access to products reserved for long-term customers.

After finalizing the order, Fang Zhen set his phone down on the desk.

He had intended to rest for a while.

Suddenly, a clamor of voices outside his door made Fang Zhen frown.

'I'm the only one living on this floor. Why is it so chaotic out there? It sounds like a crowd.'

'Who could it be?'

Fang Zhen got up, went back to his room to quickly change into some casual clothes, then headed for the front door.