The Star-Armor Warrior who came to Muria's rescue was clearly equipped for long-range combat, as indicated by her external gear. Yet she had drawn her close-combat weapon, typically reserved for emergencies, and was engaging the creature directly in melee combat.
It was obvious that something had provoked this Star-Armor Warrior. However, even though she was fighting at a disadvantage, the monster facing her was still being thoroughly beaten, barely able to defend itself.
After all, her floating cannons, typically used for long-distance attacks, could still be devastating in close combat. Their power, which was effective even over dozens of kilometers, was even more lethal at close range.
In less than five minutes, the creature that had intended to kill Muria was struck down, its chest pierced and head severed. But the Star-Armor Warrior was not satisfied. She directed her floating cannons at the creature's remains, reducing it to ashes before its corpse could hit the ground.
After the creature was defeated, the Star-Armor Warrior's gaze swiftly turned to Muria, who was standing below. She guided her massive armor down to land before him.
The tremendous weight of the Star Armor caused the ground beneath it to collapse. The operator, however, was clearly unconcerned, her gaze focused entirely on the child watching her quietly.
"Jeros, are you hurt?" The Star Armor, a towering three-meter suit that was both impressively sturdy and ornate, disassembled, and a woman with a perfect figure stepped out. Her face was filled with concern as she pulled Muria into a tight hug.
"I'm fine!" Muria replied, somewhat helplessly. Over the years, he had been hugged by her countless times. This Star-Armor Warrior who had come to his aid was his mother, Susanna.
A gifted Star-Armor operator with a 68.75% compatibility rate, her talent was what had allowed her to meet and marry Ox in the first place. Otherwise, as the daughter of a small-town wealthy landowner, she would never have been able to marry into one of the empire's top families—even if her husband couldn't publicly claim his family heritage.
"As long as you're alright, that's what matters. These creatures are becoming more brazen by the day. It looks like I'll need to bring in my people and sweep this city clean!" Susanna breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing her son was unharmed, but her expression quickly turned fierce. Since her divorce, she had become much more carefree and less inclined to involve herself in various matters. However, when something within the city threatened her son, potentially putting him in harm's way, she became entirely different.
"Mother, what kind of creature was that monster that attacked me just now?" Muria asked. He had repeatedly tried to get information from his mother about these inhuman monsters, and he sensed this might finally be his chance.
"That was a Hellfire Beast, a high-level variant of these monsters. They're rarely seen, so I'm surprised to find one here in a small city like ours!"
"A high-level variant? What exactly does that mean?" Muria continued to probe, seizing the rare opportunity to get some answers.
"You know how Star-Armor Warriors are ranked, don't you?"
"Yes!" Muria nodded. Star-Armor Warriors were graded by the type of armor they fused with, in a straightforward system from Rank 1 to Rank 10. Beyond the tenth rank was the prestigious title of "Titled Star-Armor Warrior."
"Well, these high-level variants correspond to the strength of Star-Armor Warriors ranked between 7 and 9. The Hellfire Beast I just killed was roughly equivalent to a Rank 7 warrior."
"But, Mother, aren't you also a Rank 7 Star-Armor Warrior? Why were you able to defeat it so easily?" Muria asked, as the battle had been entirely one-sided, with the creature unable to mount any defense.
"My armor is the most advanced in the Federation; taking down a creature like that is practically effortless!" Susanna replied with a hint of pride. However, after speaking, her expression turned somber.
With her status, she normally wouldn't have access to the Federation's most advanced Star Armor. She had only obtained this gear due to her marriage to Ox and through the connections of the Douglas family.
Though she had severed all ties with Ox, the Douglas family hadn't reclaimed her Star Armor. Taking it back was both unnecessary and troublesome.
"Ahem. Mother, maybe you should notify Grandfather to send someone to handle this incident and prevent it from escalating," Muria quickly interjected, noticing he had touched a sore spot for his mother and hoping to divert her attention.
"Yes, of course." Muria's words snapped Susanna out of her melancholy. She shook her head, brushing off the memories lingering in her mind.
…
That night, once he had returned home, Muria made a request of his mother: "Could I take a closer look at your Star Armor?"
"Of course!" Susanna agreed without hesitation. She led Muria to a basement room he had never entered before, where her Star Armor was undergoing maintenance in a specialized setup.
"This is my custom-made high-grade armor, Instant," Susanna said, introducing the armor to her son. "I ordered it from the Empire's top research institute through the Douglas family. Its overall performance surpasses the Federation's Type VI Black Knight Star Armor by over 30%."
"By that much?" Muria's eyebrows raised slightly at the figure. The Black Knight Star Armor was a highly-regarded, advanced model in the Federation.
However, this type of armor was only issued to the military, and minor families could never hope to possess it. Occasionally, it would appear on the black market in major cities, each appearance creating a frenzy.
For top families in the Federation, though, this model was considered substandard. Every high-ranking Star-Armor Warrior in these families wore custom armor that vastly outperformed Federation-issued models.
His mother, it seemed, had managed to benefit from the privileges of a top-tier Federation family due to his father's connections.
"If it didn't outperform standard armor, why would we bother custom-making it?" Susanna smiled, ruffling Muria's hair. "If you ever become a high-level Star-Armor Warrior, you could use the Douglas family's connections to get a custom set of your own."
Muria nodded, eagerly examining the magnificent armor before him. Just its main components weighed over a ton, and with all its external gear, it exceeded five tons.
Yet his mother could wear this colossal suit and soar effortlessly through the sky. This was the essence of a Star-Armor Warrior, and where the astral-control talent played its part.
Star-metal, which could be manipulated by those with astral talent, was not particularly sturdy by itself. Using pure star-metal to forge weapons or armor would be extremely inefficient. However, star-metal had a unique characteristic: it was highly compatible and could be alloyed with other metals to create stronger materials with enhanced properties.
As long as the alloy contained at least 10% star-metal, a Star-Armor Warrior could control it, wielding it as an extension of their own body. This was the key to the rise of the Star-Armor Warrior profession.
Despite being a controlled resource, star-metal was abundantly available, and astral talent was universal—differing only in aptitude levels.
…
That night, lying in bed in his mother's arms, Muria opened his eyes, unable to sleep after the day's attack.
"This world has finally bared its fangs at me. It's time to prepare some means to protect myself. I can't keep relying on others—those bodyguards are hardly dependable!"
Muria recalled the fate of the guards who had tried to protect him earlier. Three were dead, and six were injured. The high casualties had been inflicted by underlings of the high-level creature that attacked him.
"But given my current status, there's no way I could recruit powerful Star-Armor Warriors, so I'll have to explore alternative options."
Muria glanced at his mother, who was soundly asleep, holding him close. "If only she could always be by my side as my protector… but she's my mother, not my bodyguard."
"It looks like I'll have to take a more unconventional approach. Let's see if my plan works."
…
"Young Master, here's the Black Scaled Hound pup you requested!" A bodyguard, still showing bandaged wounds, presented a small cage with a smile, bowing deferentially. Inside the cage was a pup sedated with tranquilizers.
"Good." Muria nodded. "Leave it here and go."
"Please be careful, young master. Though it may look small, it's quite vicious once it wakes up."
"I understand."
"I wonder if my plan will work!" After the guard left, Muria remained in the empty room, crouching down and extending his hand toward the caged pup.
Meanwhile, deep within his heart, his true self stirred and, with effort, cracked open an eye in alignment with his current actions.
_________________________
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