Chapter 193 Steel and Bone, the Beautiful Changes in the Greaves

[Bone-Bound Iron Greaves]

Type: Greaves

Grade: Fine (Green)

Effects:

1. Durability +30%;

2. Hostile beasts with a Challenge Rating of "1" or lower have a chance to be intimidated;

3. Gain a minor balance bonus when you are about to "fall".

Description:

Even when combined with steel, this hard bone retains a trace of its owner's aura, much like rotting wood buried deep in a swamp.

Remarks:

"True civilization begins the moment you stop biting and start forging."

— Molten Throat, Red Scale Quencher, Kobold Forging Grandmaster Zik

...

This was a complete set of leg armor, consisting of greaves for the calves, cuisses for the thighs, and poleyns for the knees.

Despite the pale, rigid coldness of the primary material, the surface maintained the smooth texture characteristic of bone. Likely due to the blended metals, however, its overall color had darkened to a light gray.

The vertically sliced bone plates were connected and reinforced by specially crafted metal rings, polished into a smooth curve that hugged the calves. Dark brown cowhide laces threaded between iron rivets that gleamed with a metallic sheen, all set against a backing of double-stitched tanned leather.

The edges of the bone plates had been carefully rounded off, stripping away their originally sharp corners. The metal fittings had also been treated for rust resistance, their colors darkened to match the armor's primary tone.

At a glance, one might not even notice the defensive capabilities of these greaves.

Yet through those bone plates, rivets, laces, and leather lining, one could feel the harmonious blend of natural materials and artificial components, brought together by the masterful craftsmanship of intelligent beings.

There was nothing abrupt about it, nothing jarring or unpleasant to the eye.

It looked like a piece of tree bark, or a solid steel ingot.

It was exactly as it should be.

"Well, how is it? Looks decent, right?"

Barn stood with his hands on his hips. The solid muscles he had built from years of swinging a forging hammer bunched together, and his smiling face radiated a deep sense of accomplishment.

"It really is," Xia Nan said.

Xia Nan kept his eyes on the leg armor in front of him, feeling quite satisfied as the translucent text of his Attribute Panel floated in the empty air beside it.

He had been a little surprised at first—he'd originally thought it would be a chest piece or something similar—but once he recognized it as leg armor, he found it completely acceptable.

Before this, prioritizing mobility, Xia Nan hadn't worn any special protection on his legs during missions.

He usually wore a pair of durable adventurer's trousers, thick and sturdy boots he wouldn't mind stomping through the mud in, and at most, a pair of lightweight shin guards.

Thanks to his highly mobile and agile combat style, he hadn't suffered any major injuries because of this.

Truth be told, compared to his upper body with its double-layered armor, he did sometimes feel a bit insecure and exposed when it came to his lower limbs.

Now, with this leg armor, his overall margin for error in combat would skyrocket.

Setting aside the fact that the greaves' simple and natural design perfectly matched his aesthetic tastes...

As a genuine piece of enchanted equipment (green gear), its attributes were exceptional.

The effect entries alone, listed separately on the Attribute Panel, totaled three!

First, the most unpretentious—but in his opinion, the most useful—was naturally the thirty percent durability bonus.

This attribute meant the greaves possessed defensive capabilities and durability far exceeding other equipment of the same tier.

It was worth noting that the Decapitating Longsword currently strapped to his back had only managed to stay with him all this way, perfectly intact, for a specific reason.

While careful daily maintenance was certainly a factor, its "Durability +50%" attribute bonus was the true key.

He figured that these greaves, sharing a similar durability trait, would provide solid defense without needing to be replaced as frequently as his current chest armor.

Next was the intimidation effect against hostile beasts with a Challenge Rating of "1" or lower.

This was equally impressive.

The number "1" might not seem like a big deal at first glance.

In reality, the bugbear—an elite goblin subspecies infamous as the "adventurer killer" for crushing the dreams of countless low-tier adventurers with its hammer—only had a Challenge Rating of Level 1.

Having a chance to intimidate a creature of that caliber was already beyond the standard for a piece of green gear.

Furthermore, taken literally, this special "intimidation" effect didn't seem to have a target limit.

Did that mean it could also trigger in the future if Xia Nan faced a swarm of beasts relying on sheer numbers, like the rat pack in the Nym Sewers?

Looked at that way, it was incredibly useful.

He would have to test it out when he got the chance.

Finally, there was the last entry—a balance boost when about to fall.

The effect seemed to overlap a bit with his professional feat, "Tidal Stabilization". He wasn't sure if they would stack.

Well... compared to the first two, it was slightly weaker.

But for a mere green item, Xia Nan was already more than satisfied.

Having it was better than not; there was nothing to complain about.

Looking at the whole picture, even though he had provided the primary material...

Still...

Those 500 gold coins were well worth the price!

The only things left to consider were whether the equipment's weight fell within his tolerable limit, how it felt to wear, and whether it would hinder his combat or daily movements.

Barn, however, appeared extremely confident on that front.

He helped Xia Nan take the greaves off the equipment rack and began strapping them to his legs.

"Hurry up and try them on. See how they feel. Any issues?"

The process of putting them on wasn't all that complicated.

Fasten the iron buckles, pull the leather laces tight, and connect the hooks at the joints to the iron rings at the bottom...

Once familiar with it, he could complete the entire process of equipping or removing this set of leg armor in under a minute.

His leather boots hit the floor. As he moved his legs, the light gray bone greaves caught the sunlight spilling in from the door, reflecting a lustrous, sturdy sheen.

He lightly brushed his fingers over the bone armor on his thighs, feeling a cool, crisp sensation against his fingertips.

It took a little getting used to at first.

But after Xia Nan walked a few laps around the blacksmith shop wearing the greaves...

He felt just how light and form-fitting the equipment truly was.

"When I made these greaves, I paid special attention to their weight," Barn said. "While ensuring their defensive capabilities, I selected lighter auxiliary materials."

"During the polishing and fitting process, I also adjusted everything according to the body measurements we took before you left."

"Your build hasn't changed much over the past two months, right? If anything feels off, just say the word and I'll tweak it for you."

Long before leaving Rivervale Town for Nym, when Xia Nan first paid the crafting fee, Barn had taken detailed measurements of his body. The blacksmith had carefully referenced them while forging the equipment.

In a way, calling them custom-made wouldn't be an exaggeration.

The result of this effort was that, in just a few minutes, Xia Nan gradually grew accustomed to the new greaves on his legs.

"They fit perfectly," Xia Nan said. "Nothing needs changing."

"That's good to hear."

His long braided beard swaying gently against his chest, Barn kept his eyes on the bone armor on Xia Nan's legs and took the initiative to explain the enchanted equipment's effects.

Unaware that Xia Nan had an Attribute Panel, Barn naturally felt the need, as the equipment's creator, to explain its specific properties to his client.

"I don't need to say much about its defense," Barn said. "The primary material you provided was of excellent quality. The gear made from it boasts far higher defensive power than other armor of the same grade."

"The greaves themselves also possess a certain intimidating effect against beast-type creatures. Because of the limited time, I haven't had the chance to test the exact strength of this effect, but it definitely won't have any issues handling ordinary beasts."

"If you want, you can leave the greaves at the shop for now. I'll find someone to determine the exact limits of this ability before you take them into real combat."

Barn proved to be very responsible, wanting to carefully calculate the intimidation effect before officially handing them over to Xia Nan.

Having already checked the equipment's complete attributes through his Attribute Panel, Xia Nan naturally didn't need him to go through all that trouble.

But he couldn't exactly just say that out loud.

His expression unchanged, he put on a casually dismissive attitude and waved his hand.

"Don't worry about it. Whether the effect works or not, it just saves a bit of effort," Xia Nan said.

"I can't run from the tough fights anyway."

"There's no need for all that hassle. I'll just test it myself in real combat."

Hearing him put it that way, Barn didn't insist.

He gave a somewhat hesitant nod.

"Then... alright."

Pacing slowly around the shop, Xia Nan waited for the blacksmith to continue his explanation and said no more.

To his surprise, the air suddenly went quiet.

He subconsciously turned his head, only to see Barn intently watching him test the greaves.

Noticing Xia Nan's gaze, Barn asked, "What is it? Is something uncomfortable?"

A hint of hesitation flashed across Xia Nan's face as he recalled the three effect entries on the greaves' Attribute Panel.

He paused before probing, "So this leg armor's only special effect is that it intimidates beasts, right?"

Mistakenly assuming Xia Nan was dissatisfied with the equipment's effects, Barn patiently explained, "That's correct."

"I'm just a blacksmith at the end of the day, not some mage. I can't conjure things out of thin air."

"The specific effects of a finished piece of gear depend largely on the properties of its materials. For example, a weapon crafted from the body parts of a fish monster would never deal fire damage. We can only draw out what is already hidden inside the materials; we can't create it from nothing."

"The primary material for these greaves—that bone—likely came from some powerful beast monster in the forest, which is why it can intimidate beasts."

"It could certainly possess other abilities, but my skills are limited..."

"If you're not happy with it, you can ask for a refund on the crafting fee. I can also compensate you for the consumed primary material with gold coins or some other method."

"Our Rockhammer blacksmith shop at least has that much reputation to uphold."

"Of course, I hope this won't affect our relationship. It's just a situation that sometimes arises in this line of work."

"No, no, no, that's not what I meant," Xia Nan quickly interrupted, seeing the blacksmith straying further and further from the point.

He now understood that Barn was clearly unaware of the third effect listed on the greaves' Attribute Panel.

Xia Nan had no intention of hiding it.

He just carefully chose his words, omitting any mention of the Attribute Panel, and explained it to the blacksmith in his own way:

"Even though I haven't been wearing them for long, apart from the two effects you just pointed out, I felt something else."

The moment he finished speaking, a sharp gleam suddenly flashed through Barn's previously puzzled eyes.

Like an archaeologist discovering a lost ruin, it was a surge of professional passion and excitement.

"Oh? What exactly did it feel like?" he pressed.

"It's a very subtle sensation. When I take a step and my center of gravity shifts slightly out of balance, it makes me feel more grounded."

"Is it an Agility enhancement, or just a boost to balance? Or perhaps a special effect linked to the ground?" Xia Nan's words quickly plunged Barn into deep thought as he muttered to himself, "Is it because of those two drops of crystal-rock solution? Or did the light steel and Hazel-resin extract produce some kind of special reaction?"

A moment later, he snapped back to reality and apologized to Xia Nan.

"Sorry, I got a bit carried away there."

This was different from crafting ordinary equipment, where relatively simple and fixed materials allowed a blacksmith to maintain firm control over the entire process.

The production of magical items was not only a tedious and lengthy ordeal, but the sheer variety of materials required was often many times that of standard gear.

Moreover, the materials had to be specifically adjusted each time depending on the item's type and grade.

Under such circumstances, it was perfectly normal for unexpected effects to emerge.

And unless these effects were particularly obvious, they were generally very difficult to detect.

It was common for users to wear a piece of equipment for years and retire without ever noticing anything unusual about it.

For example, a one-handed sword that drastically increased in sharpness only after the wielder stabbed themselves and coated the blade with their own blood;

Or a pair of boots that granted a stamina bonus, but only while walking across the bottom of the sea...

It was only because Xia Nan possessed an Attribute Panel that he could instantly see the equipment's specific information.

Otherwise, he probably would have had to wait weeks, only noticing the greaves' effect when he was genuinely on the verge of falling over.

For a blacksmith, as long as it wasn't a piece of standard-issue gear with a fixed production process meant for mass sale, these strange variations during the forging process were undoubtedly beautiful and deeply fascinating.

Xia Nan could practically see the excited glint shining in the burly man's eyes.

Barn looked like he was itching to run straight back into the shop's inner room and test every single possibility all over again.

If he could truly track down the source of this variation, it would mean adding another secret forging recipe to his personal collection.

At that thought, Barn's expression suddenly turned solemn.

He clenched his right fist and, treating his chest like an anvil, slammed it twice like a forging hammer, letting out two muffled thumps.

This was the traditional hand gesture the Steelbeard clan used to express gratitude.

"My friend, thank you for your feedback," Barn said.

"I won't say much else. If you ever have any problems in the future, come find me anytime. The doors to Rockhammer will always be open to you!"

"Today, I'll give you a thirty percent discount on any purchases you make in the shop."