Chapter 106 Start Grinding!

Even though he had mentally prepared himself before stepping into the blacksmith shop, Xia Nan couldn't stop his heart from aching when he heard the "death sentence" pronounced on the Chainmail Shirt he had spent 50 gold to buy.

Noticing his gaze lingering on the chainmail, the burly man in front of him, "Rockhammer" Barn, offered a comforting smile.

"A true blade never fears breaking, only that it has never drunk its fill of blood."

"There's no need for regret."

He reached out a thick arm—about the size of an ordinary man's thigh—and patted Xia Nan firmly on the shoulder.

"The fact that you can still stand here safely already proves its value."

It wasn't a collector's item displayed in a glass case, nor did it ever need any flashy decorations.

The entire purpose of armor was to block the damage that would otherwise tear into flesh and blood.

Every spark struck by the forging hammer, every gleam of light reflecting off its chain links—all were born for this very purpose.

It had endured damage far beyond its defensive limits, its metal structure collapsing in the process, but it had also reduced a near-fatal blow in a fierce battle into a minor wound that didn't hinder his movement.

Whether it cost 50 gold or 500 gold.

The Chainmail Shirt had fulfilled its mission.

"If you're willing, you can sell it back to me," Barn offered.

Barn held the chainmail up with one hand and shook it in the air a few times.

The interlocking rings rubbed and collided, producing the distinct, light clinking of metal.

"Fifteen gold. Whatever intact parts remain will serve as components for other gear, putting their leftover value to use."

It was completely totaled, holding no value for repairs.

Naturally, Xia Nan couldn't keep wearing this Chainmail Shirt.

Barn's proactive offer to recycle it also saved him a trip to Hickory Forge.

In terms of price, considering the gear's current state of ruin, the blacksmith's offer wasn't exactly a steal, but it was well within a reasonable range.

"Deal," Xia Nan agreed, nodding.

He shifted his gaze to the other piece of equipment resting on the counter.

The Light Plate Armor he had stripped off a corpse, which had also been pierced clean through by a bone spike.

"If I were to get this fixed, roughly how much would it cost?" he asked.

Due to the forging techniques and materials required, heavy armor was inherently much more expensive than other types of protection.

Even though this Light Plate Armor had been modified from the mass-produced standard issue worn by town bailiffs—making it closer in size to a breastplate that only covered a few vital spots on the upper body—both its monetary value and defensive capabilities were vastly superior to any gear Xia Nan had previously owned.

If it could be repaired, he definitely wanted to get it fixed.

"Hmm—let me see." Barn's thick, calloused palm brushed over the damage on the plate armor's surface as he carefully inspected it and pondered.

After a moment, he slowly spoke up again.

"The internal metal plates need a complete replacement, and the joints must be fused and reinforced, otherwise they risk splitting apart."

"It will take at least 40 gold."

Without waiting for Xia Nan to reply, Barn curled his fingers and lightly rapped his knuckles against the armor's metallic surface, adding, "Even though I've said this before, I still have to remind you again."

"With a piercing wound of this severity, even I can't guarantee it will retain the same defensive strength it originally had after being repaired."

"And if it takes another attack of the same caliber in the exact same spot, its remaining sliver of durability will be completely depleted."

"I suggest you think this over carefully."

Barn's attitude was sincere, and the excellent reputation he had built up over the years made Xia Nan lean toward believing him.

Following the blacksmith's advice, he couldn't help but seriously consider his options. As an adventurer who didn't excel at defense—lacking any active defensive gear or combat techniques aside from a flimsy, hastily crafted Arm Shield—his margin for error relied almost entirely on his armor.

Given that premise, the stability of his equipment—whether it could provide him with reliable, long-lasting protection—was what he valued most right now.

The Light Plate Armor was undeniably expensive, but it was already in a state requiring major repairs.

According to Barn, even if he spent over forty gold coins, its future durability and defensive strength couldn't be guaranteed.

Wearing it would leave him constantly on edge, forcing him to be overly cautious in every fight.

He definitely didn't want to be distracted in the heat of battle, constantly watching his angles to prevent enemy attacks from landing on the plate armor's welded joints.

He made up his mind then and there.

Xia Nan looked up slightly at Barn behind the counter and asked, "How much would you buy this for?"

"Since you drop by every few days, I'll count you as a regular. I'll take a smaller cut—how does 35 gold sound?"

"Deal."

A single mission had completely totaled both pieces of his armor. Xia Nan felt like his heart was bleeding.

Even the coin pouch he accepted from the man didn't seem to have that familiar, reassuring weight to it.

With his two old pieces of gear dealt with, it was naturally time to spend some money.

Heavy armor was far too cumbersome, and the blacksmith shop didn't stock the lightened versions used by bailiffs, which reduced weight by drastically cutting down on volume and coverage area.

Never mind the exorbitant cost—with Xia Nan's current physical condition, it would be extremely difficult for him to shoulder the burden of a full suit of plate armor, complete with boots and gauntlets.

So, he dismissed the idea entirely.

His previous Chainmail Shirt had stubbornly lasted through two missions, and even after major repairs, it had still maintained decent defensive capabilities.

The user experience had been excellent.

Without hesitation, he pulled out 50 gold, bought a brand-new Chainmail Shirt, and threw it on over his clothes.

On the other hand, perhaps having tasted the sweet benefits of wearing two pieces of armor simultaneously for "double-layered protection," Xia Nan carefully weighed his options and spent another 45 gold to buy a suit of studded leather armor to wear underneath.

The dark brown leather, as tough as sheet metal after being tanned, featured two rows of brass rivets trailing from the shoulders all the way down to the waist.

It was light and form-fitting without feeling restrictive.

Its defensive properties were practically the highest tier of leather armor available in the shop.

Furthermore, the two daggers that had accompanied him the longest out of all his gear—originally belonging to Gnome Elki from the Ragtag Party—had been lost during the fight with the Spined Devil.

So, he spent another 2 gold coins to buy a replacement.

Whether for harvesting monster materials, cutting food, or even for combat in special circumstances, it had a wide range of uses.

At this point, his total spending at the Rockhammer blacksmith shop came out to 50 + 45 + 2 = 97 gold.

After returning the 50 gold he had earned from selling his two scrapped pieces of gear, Xia Nan only had to pay 47 gold out of his own pocket.

Only then was the matter of his equipment finally sorted out.

He changed straight into his new armor and walked out of the blacksmith shop.

He couldn't help but reach out and touch the supple surface of the studded leather armor pressing snugly against his underclothes beneath the chainmail.

Feeling the solid weight on his body that perfectly balanced mobility and defense, Xia Nan breathed a sigh of relief.

His gaze swept over the bustling street.

With his new equipment purchased, next up was...

The Adventurers' Association (Rivervale Town Branch).

In the corner of the hall sat a shop with a sign reading "Alchemists' Association."

Xia Nan shifted his feet carefully as he navigated through the shelves stocked full of various alchemical potions.

He walked with his body turned slightly sideways to prevent the twin swords on his back from accidentally knocking into the bottles and jars lining the shelves on either side.

He had been working as an adventurer for a few months now, and he was only one combat technique away from officially becoming a Class Holder.

Yet, this was still not a place he could afford to spend money in.

[Blight Resistance Potion], [Oil of Slipperiness], [Kafton Elixir]...

With price tags casually hitting the triple digits, accidentally knocking over just two bottles would be enough to bankrupt him and drain every last hard-earned gold coin he had on him.

He couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

'Now this is true profiteering...'

He wondered if becoming an alchemist required any special talent, or where one could even learn the relevant knowledge.

Unfortunately, his golden finger currently only had the ability to display information about his equipment and his own attributes.

If it were just a little more useful and could extend the "proficiency" system beyond combat techniques—just like the games from his past life, where he could rapidly level up skills like "Gathering," "Forging," and "Alchemy" simply through practice—then he wouldn't have to brave the elements in the wilderness, suffering for over a dozen days just to earn meager scraps. He could simply hole up in an inn, brew a few dozen potions, and be set for life.

Walking past a [Water Breathing Potion] with a "230 gold" price tag slapped on it, Xia Nan's eye couldn't help but twitch.

'Just what kind of people shop here?'

Grumbling in his mind, his footsteps suddenly came to a halt.

Reflected in his eyes was a golden potion, the froth on its surface refracting a brilliant, dazzling glimmer.

[Radiant Resistance Potion], 300 gold.

His mind couldn't help but drift back to the battle against Sheriff Ingram in Kalanfor many days ago.

Back then, even though he had relied on the Fate Coin to trigger [Bronze Sinews and Iron Bones] and immune himself to the physical damage inflicted by his opponent, the Holy Light shockwave attached to the [Divine Smite] had blasted directly into his body at full force.

Even now, Xia Nan could still clearly recall that burning pain, which had been far fiercer than roasting over an open flame.

If he had preemptively chugged this potion to counter it back then, his post-battle injuries would have likely been much lighter, and he wouldn't have needed to take such a massive risk.

For veteran adventurers who could rake in several hundred or even four figures of gold from a single mission, these kinds of potions that drastically increased survivability were undoubtedly worth the price.

If his future mission targets were monsters clearly possessing a specific type of special damage, maybe he could also... Xia Nan shook his head, scattering the chaotic thoughts.

A single potion cost more than half his net worth; it was far beyond anything he could consider right now.

He involuntarily quickened his pace, grabbing a Healing Potion off the shelf right in the middle of the shop.

He walked toward the front counter.

The goods in the small alchemy shop were prohibitively expensive. Even though it was located right inside the heavily trafficked Association hall, very few people actually patronized it.

Because of this, the balding man—presumably the shop owner, who had reminded Xia Nan about the [Adventure Manual] during his first visit to Rivervale Town—would usually just lounge lazily in his alchemist robes on the recliner behind the counter. From time to time, he would clasp his hands behind his back and slowly stroll out to chat with the other Association staff. He completely ignored his shop, which was stocked with tens of thousands of gold's worth of potions, seemingly entirely unworried about sticky fingers while he was gone.

Today was no different from any other day.

Xia Nan was the only person in the entire shelving area.

Upon reaching the counter, there was only one other customer.

They were similarly fully armed, clad in thick iron armor, with traces of blood still lingering on the surface of their elbow pads.

With their back turned to Xia Nan, he couldn't see their face, but judging by their clean, crisp short hair and robust physique, it wasn't hard to tell—

"Cut the crap and take the money."

'Huh?'

The voice was hoarse and low, yet the tone carried a faint softness and breathiness.

'A woman?'

His gaze subconsciously paused.

As if seeking confirmation, his eyes once again swept over the customer's short, fine black hair—which was practically a buzz cut—and their heavily muscled body.

She seemed to be arguing with the shop owner, and their exchange was growing increasingly heated.

"How many times is this just this month? What about the detoxifying ointment I sold you last time? Don't tell me you ran out again," the shop owner scolded.

"Now that they have Hobgoblins, those green-skinned bastards seem to have grown brains. They're using poison," she replied.

"Eighty percent of the gold you've earned over the last half year has gone straight into my medicine cabinet, hasn't it? Even Old Charlie next door, who's notoriously stingy, dared to bet me that you won't survive to see next year."

"Heh." She let out a cold sneer.

"If you ask me, you should save all this money you spend on potions and head to Nym—"

Bang! The loud thud of a coin pouch slamming onto the table interrupted him. Her tone brimmed with impatience. "All 50 gold is in there. It's just a single Healing Potion, stop wasting time!"

"Damn it—" With a heavy sigh, the sound of a glass potion bottle scraping across the wooden table echoed. "I bet him 300 coppers that you'd at least make it to late winter this year, so don't you—"

Clack...

There was no reply; only the sound of footsteps fading into the distance filled the air.

Seeing this, Xia Nan lowered his pricked ears, deliberately made some noise, and stepped out from behind the shelves.

"Healing Potion, 50 gold," Xia Nan said.

Having only met him once, the balding man didn't recognize the black-haired young man in front of him, treating him just like any regular customer.

Although Xia Nan was somewhat curious about the conversation he had just overheard, he kept his mouth shut.

He handed over the gold coins, slipped the Healing Potion into an easily accessible pouch on his belt, and walked out of the shop.

The Healing Potion came with a steep price tag, but there was no denying its exaggerated efficacy—capable of curing minor wounds in the span of a breath, and clinging to a thread of life even when facing heavy, fatal injuries. In Xia Nan's eyes, it was an absolute necessity before any adventure, one of his most important trump cards in battle.

He had chugged the last mouthful of his previous bottle during the fight with the Spined Devil. Now that he was back in Rivervale Town, he naturally had to restock it.

And then—

'Should I rest for a couple of days first?' Xia Nan pondered.

On this outing, even though he had paid the price of two pieces of armor and half a bottle of Healing Potion, his harvest had been equally abundant. Just by following behind the Barbarian and casually picking up a few things, his assets had skyrocketed to over 400 gold coins.

But more importantly, he had completed the critical prerequisite for obtaining a Class Level, mastered a new combat technique in [Fang Hunt], and acquired advanced knowledge regarding "Feats"—specifically, how the type of Feat influenced one's class advancement direction to some extent.

He had even learned some secrets about the Goblins and their chief god during his conversations with Forgan.

His next objectives couldn't be any clearer.

First, he needed to find a channel to acquire new combat techniques (preferably geared toward the Warrior class direction) to accelerate his pace in gaining a Class Level as much as possible.

Second, he needed to save up more money and then go to Rockhammer Barn to upgrade his Snake-Scale Arm Shield into a piece of Magic Equipment. Given the durability of that otherworldly serpent scale, having it forged into Magic Equipment would absolutely grant him a qualitative leap in actual combat power.

Finally, since [Fang Hunt] had officially reached the Novice tier, it was now displayed on his Attribute Panel.

Taking advantage of this period, he could earn money while simultaneously raising his proficiency in [Fang Hunt] through training and live combat.

As he plotted this out, his eyes unconsciously focused on his own reflection in the glass surface ahead.

Translucent characters promptly surfaced before his eyes:

[Fang Hunt] Lv1 (1/100)

'Forget it. Rest, my ass.'

'Let's grind!'