Living Armor

For the chapter or episode of the same name, see Chapter 6, Chapter 7, and Episode 6.

Living Armor
Information
Japanese	動く鎧
Rōmaji	Ugokuyoroi
Type	Shellfish
Size	170-210 cm
Habitat	The Island, Level 3-5
First Appearance
Manga Debut	Chapter 6
Anime Debut	Episode 3
Navigation
← Previous	Big Bat
Next →	Golem

Living Armor (動く鎧, Ugokuyoroi^?, lit. "moving armor") are a type of monster in Delicious in Dungeon.

Anatomy and Appearance

Living Armor resemble hollow suits of armor that move by themselves, and until recently were thought to be actual suits of armor animated by an unknown sorcerer. However, they are in actuality a kind of mollusk that mimics armor. They consist of colonies of individuals that gather together when older, linking up their bodies, and then move by contracting themselves like muscles. Like land snails, they drown if placed in water.

Their associated weapons can be used as actual weapons, but adventurers should be warned that they can house a Living Armor themselves.

Behavior and Weaknesses

Some Living Armor will only attack those who approach it within a 1m radius, with movement limited to the upper body. The more commonly seen Living Armor appear to move of their own accord, and will actively chase and attack those who are within a 3-5m radius of it. If protecting something, they will move to block the path of those approaching even if not within said radius.

Different colonies of Living Armor (whole suits of armor) tend to gather together. Their goal is to protect the egg sac that the largest colony produces. Their egg sacs typically contain hundreds of eggs. When hatched, they are approximately 5mm in length. As they grow, they form a carapace. Once mature, they gather together with others and slowly begin to form a colony in the shape of a suit of armor (if found during this process, the colony resembles crumbling, discarded armor). A fully adult Living Armor will search for other Living Armors. It is proposed that different colonies of Living Armors will mate by holding 'hands'.

Cutting off the limbs of a Living Armor is not effective in stopping them as the rest of the body can still move and attack, as well as reattach any lost limbs. However, cutting off the head can impair its judgement. This suggests that the various pieces of a living armor may have actually developed for different reasons, for example, the head's mollusk developing for heightened perception, or other parts of the body being specialized for other reasons. The best way to defeat one is to separate one piece of armor from the rest of the body, and then stab it at the gaps between the armor shell. This prevents the separated piece from being able to connect back to the main body.

Culinary Usage

Living Armor are similar to mollusks, and can be cooked as such. If the helmet is cooked whole, however, the smell will get sealed inside and it will taste rather musty.

They have been used in the following dishes:

Living Armor Dwarf-Style Stir-Fry and Living Armor Soup

Grilled Living Armor

Steamed Living Armor

Gallery

Living Armor front view.

Living Armor side view.

Living Armor back view.

Living Armor (Boss) side view.

Living Armor (Boss) back view.

Living Armor (Body).

Living Armor (Body) 2.

Trivia

• The mollusks that make up the Living Armour appear similar in appearance to abalone, known for their extremely durable shells and chewy texture. Some abalone are also recorded to be hermaphroditic, like the Living Armour.
• The Boss version looks like it had some inspirations from Dragon Slayer Ornstein from the famous FromSoftware RPG Dark Souls.