Chapter 105 Scrapped

"Clang!"

Refracting the fiery glow, the metal forging hammer whistled through the air and slammed down against the anvil.

Sparks scattered.

The glowing red iron ingot, steaming under the searing heat, compressed and deformed beneath the violent impacts. Its loose internal structure gradually grew solid and tough under the rhythmic, powerful strikes of the hammer.

"Stop!"

A voice brimming with dissatisfaction suddenly rang through the room.

Barn, a "dwarf" whose bulging muscles, burly frame, and towering height made him look two sizes broader than a typical Bugbear, stood off to the side.

He stood with his arms crossed over his chest. Veins bulged beneath his skin, his naturally swollen arm muscles pressing firmly against his solid pectorals. The sheer physical power contained within him was palpable just from looking.

His brows were furrowed tight, his face fixed in a grim expression that the vast majority of Adventurers who visited Rockhammer had never seen before.

"Wrong again!"

"How many times have I told you? Watch your rhythm! Carefully feel the pulse within the steel!"

"Don't let your breathing fall into chaos!"

Before him, a tender youth—whose facial features bore some resemblance to his own, though noticeably softer—set down his forging hammer. He lowered his head slightly, facing his father's lecture without a word.

"In our line of work, you must pour your heart into it, again and again!"

"You must strictly control the quality and make everything perfect."

Barn's tone carried the feeling of wishing iron would turn into steel. Gripping a pair of tongs, he plunged the still-glowing iron ingot from the anvil into the water.

It rapidly cooled.

Then he tossed it onto a nearby scrap pile.

"Every second of distraction during the forging process is a disrespect to the [Soul Forger]."

"Every single mistake can cause a life that should have survived to perish."

"And any instance of half-heartedness or carelessness could get us swept right out the door, left to beg on the streets where even then people would despise us."

"You—"

The reprimands fell like a torrential downpour.

Behind him came the sound of the shop's front door being pushed open, followed by the faint, somewhat confused greeting of a customer.

Barn's chest heaved, the pent-up emotions causing him to unconsciously pant with heavy breaths.

"Keep going, don't stop!"

With that said, he turned and strode toward the front hall of the blacksmith shop.

The oppressive atmosphere in the air gradually dissipated, like a storm coming to a halt.

After a long while, a barely perceptible sigh finally broke the dead silence of the room.

"Clang!"

The crisp ring of the forging hammer rhythmically sounded out once more.

Standing at the counter of Rockhammer, Xia Nan watched Barn hurry out from the back room, feeling inwardly puzzled.

The shop owner of Fey Wind had been exactly the same just a moment ago. Why were none of them tending to their storefronts?

Was today some kind of special occasion?

"Sorry, sorry." The high heat of forging left sweat clinging to Barn's rugged face, and his smile wasn't as natural as usual.

Xia Nan didn't pry.

He simply handed over the two pieces of armor he had long since taken off.

"Take a look. Can they be fixed?"

Both the Light Plate Armor worn on the outermost layer—which had once belonged to Ingram, the bailiff of Kalanfor—and the Chainmail Shirt he had previously bought in this shop for 50 gold had been pierced straight through by the flaming bone spikes shot by the Spined Devil during their battle.

Fortunately, the protection of this double-layered armor had greatly weakened the power of the bone spikes, significantly reducing the actual injuries he suffered.

Otherwise, even with half a Healing Potion left, it would have been very difficult for him to recover his combat strength so quickly at the time and subsequently master his combat technique to slay the Spined Devil.

Armor was an Adventurer's second life.

Whether it could be repaired or had to be scrapped, he naturally needed to make plans for it early upon returning to Rivervale Town.

Receiving the two pieces of armor with both hands, Barn subconsciously cast a glance at the black-haired youth before him.

His expression was odd.

He didn't know what to say.

As a highly acclaimed premium blacksmith shop in Rivervale Town, Rockhammer was featured in the [Adventure Manual].

Countless Adventurers came and went to select equipment, and new faces could be seen every day.

Under these circumstances, no matter how good Barn's memory was, it was difficult to match all the names in his head with every single face that stood before him.

He only remembered the regulars who patronized his shop year-round, or Adventurers who had already attained a Class Level.

Normally, he would at most find the black-haired youth at the counter somewhat familiar; it would be impossible for him to recall the young man's name.

But just now, even before a word was spoken, the moment that face with its sharp features entered his line of sight, Barn had recognized him almost instantly.

"Xia Nan."

As for the reason—

His gaze swept over the scars on the surface of the two pieces of armor in his hands.

Adventurers replaced their equipment at a rapid pace; he knew this better than anyone.

The Misty Forest's air, laden with a high concentration of magic particles that accelerated the corrosion of ordinary materials, along with the frequent battles sparked by the sea of dangerous monsters within it, all took a toll on an item's lifespan.

Only this massive market demand could sustain so many blacksmith shops in Rivervale Town.

But even so, the rate at which Xia Nan replaced his equipment was truly a bit absurd.

Through the details and signs of wear all over the armor, he could clearly determine the rough number of battles it had seen.

One? Two?

Three at the absolute most!

It was as if after every single quest, he came back needing major repairs or even having to scrap and replace his gear entirely.

To some extent, a joke he had once made to Xia Nan actually seemed practical now.

"Since you have to buy it all over again when you come back anyway, save yourself some effort and skip the maintenance. Just swap it out for a brand-new set when the quest is done."

On the other hand, what was even more bizarre was something else.

It was one thing for the armor to break.

But it broke in a completely different way every single time.

The leather armor Xia Nan bought on his first visit to the shop looked as if it had been trampled by a forest elephant; the inner lining was nearly torn to shreds, and it still lay in the scrap pile in his back room.

The Chainmail Shirt he brought in after that looked as though it had been roasted in a fire pit for several rounds. Even the locking clasps beneath the surcoat had melted, forcing Barn to swing a hammer for half a day just to fix it.

And now, on the third time, following blunt trauma and fire damage, it had sustained a penetrating rupture.

He didn't know if this kid just had good luck, or if he truly possessed some real skill.

You could see the pedestrians across the street through the gaping hole spanning both layers of armor, yet Xia Nan was still able to stand steadily right in front of him.

'He isn't even a Class Holder. A typical Adventurer just hacks at some goblins or catches a few gray-furred rats. Where does he get all these bizarre injuries from?'

Barn grumbled inwardly, but his meticulous, serious gaze swept up and down the two pieces of armor countless times.

Compared to earning an extra dozen or so gold coins, word of mouth was undoubtedly more important.

With no intention of hiding anything, he gave Xia Nan his professional assessment.

"The Chainmail Shirt had a major overhaul before. Although its defensive capabilities haven't been weakened too much, its durability has taken a massive hit."

"Now it's suffered a penetrating wound on top of that—I suggest it be scrapped."

"This Light Plate Armor is actually alright. Even though it's been ripped open with a massive gash, the internal structure is barely intact."

"It can be fixed, but it will probably cost quite a few gold coins, and I can't guarantee its defensive strength after the repairs."

"So, what are your thoughts?"