While I spent the next few days allowing my body to adjust to my new stats I began experimenting with my recent discoveries. For example I remade the water ring with this new information and it was easily twice or more times as powerful as the original. The original five gallon limit had rose to twelve and the distance limit changed from a set distance to "within sight". The best part was that the cost of the ability was still the same as the original. This made me think that the structured nature of the discovered method had more to do with efficiency than power.-
Sure the power went up for the final result but my gut told me that was actually because the efficiency of my previous products were just that abysmal. That made my eye twitch a bit but I let it go. Anyways thanks to this new efficient method of cursed tool crafting I went back to one of my old designs that I had dropped when I thought it was not feasible, the reflector shield. For those that forgot what that was I had tried to make a shield that absorbed the energy of attacks before sending all the energy out at once at a time of my choice.-
The original attempt at this worked but had such a low thresh hold for overburdening that I deemed it a failure. My hope was that with this new method I could possibly get the idea to work decently. So long as the shield could withstand a full strength hit from me as I am right now I'd consider the idea a success. This was no small amount of strength either as at this exact moment my strength was sitting on the lower end of a middle level threes.-
My update had pushed me firmly past the level of a level two and into the realm of a level three before taking it a step further. By my calculations I'd be about as strong as a new level four when I was finally ready to level up to three. Such exceptionalism came with a massive downside however in that my requirements to level up are now probably as high as a level threes to hit level four. It will only get worse the higher I get unfortunately but it was a price I was willing to pay for a shot at godhood.-
Anyways if I could get a shield to be able to absorb a full strength strike from me then it meant I could in theory return that exact same amount of power at a target any time I wanted which would definitely come in handle. I wouldn't need to wait for an opening anymore to counter attack, I could make one instead. Before any of that though I had to succeed in creating the thing first. For materials I was honestly rather spoilt for choice thanks to my metal detector and the drops I had hoarded over the last month.-
Obviously it was only stuff from floor one to sixteen so at most level two materials but there was a good selection of monsters I had harvested parts from. In the end I went with some Minotaur horns and Almiraj hide that had a cross shaped plate of mithril across the face like a big "+". Naturally I first refined and shaped the horns into a standard circular buckler that I the fused the Almiraj hide to the back of as straps and padding. Finally I fused the mithril onto the center of the shields face.-
The final result was pretty plain looking but was a deceptively sturdy shield that would likely even survive without issue under an assault by myself. That wasn't what I was after however as I wanted that reflective technique or the shield would just be a normal shield for me. Don't get me wrong I was fully intending on adding a shield to my fighting style because I REALLY needed a way to defend against magic or ranged attacks. But I didn't want that shield to just be a tough but otherwise ordinary piece of equipment.-
I had plans for my eventual load out that would make me a nightmare to fight against for literally everyone. You want to talk about match up? Imagine having to fight against someone in a full kit that was purposefully designed to counter every environment, type of attack and that was next to impossible to damage. That was what I had in mind for my loadout in the future and the best part was that it was totally possible if I deck myself out in special grade cursed tools. For now though I needed to work on this shield.-
For the restriction I started with the standard issue sort like "this will never be alive" and "this can only be used by Alexander Drake". The rest after that were more technique specific restrictions that were supposed to make sure the technique I imbued at the end functioned exactly how I said and ONLY how I said, none of that backlash shit. Once this hollow gem cage was formed out of restrictions I began to pour in the technique I wanted which "filled" the hollowness of the cage. With this done I imbued the cage gem structure into the center of the shield.-
The shield shuddered for a moment as the curse technique and restrictions settled in it's new vessel. The center of the "+" swirled and formed a symbol but that was the only change the shield underwent.
'So far so good, now to test the limit.' I thought calmly as I set the shield down and grabbed my weapon from nearby.
I lifted it high and breathed out as I smashed down with my full power.
The sound of the collision reverberated through the air, walls and floor of the workshop as the shield didn't move at all but developed a cracks across it's form.
'Hmm, it couldn't handle that amount of power but wasn't far from being able to so perhaps it's possible with some tweaking?' I though while examining the shield closely.
There were about a dozen hairline cracks on the shield that ruined it's structural integrity but the shape held and was otherwise undamaged which meant that it had been a fairly close thing. I overwhelmed the technique which in turn overwhelmed the shield itself but I didn't do so by so much that it could be considered a complete failure. In fact quite the opposite really as in the hands of a normal level one or two adventurer this technique would be perfect for any normal monster they would likely face.-
'I'll replace the technique from the shield with one made for Lili and shrink it a bit before giving it to her since she is not as durable as Bell and needs better defenses.' I thought as I repaired the damage and removed and replaced the technique with similar restrictions but made for her rather than me.