Chapter 298 A Huge Sum, A Report, and An Inquiry

Solar Flame Iron Plating Powder was the official name for this special substance as it circulated throughout the world.

Among the Dwarven Clans with ancient heritages, it went by another, far older name that inspired awe upon hearing it—

"Blazing Sun Shards."

The name, naturally, stemmed from its exceptionally dazzling and radiant appearance.

In its normal state, Solar Flame Iron Plating Powder was an extremely fine powder that emitted a faint luster. It presented as a deep, dark gold, resembling solidified dusk.

But when subjected to a heavy strike, high temperatures, or magical stimulation, every microscopic particle in the powder would instantly burst with a blazing, golden-white brilliance like the midday sun.

Every strike of the forging hammer was like smashing a miniature sun, filling the room with blinding light.

Solar Flame Iron Plating Powder was not a naturally occurring mineral. Instead, it was refined from a raw ore known as "Solar Flame Stone" through an ancient and complex ritual.

Solar Flame Stone typically only formed in extreme regions where the elemental planes and the Material Plane overlapped: the molten core of a dangerous volcano, a massive magma pool deep underground, or an unextinguished crater left by an ancient falling meteorite...

This ore, characterized by the natural corona-like, flame-gold veins on its surface, was already incredibly rare on the market due to its extreme formation conditions.

Extracting Solar Flame Iron Plating Powder from it required a magical ritual as complex and exacting as an arcane experiment.

A high-ranking dwarven blacksmith who had reached Mastery in forging Fire Elemental items would have to wait for high noon, when the sunlight was at its fiercest. Atop a towering, unshielded rocky peak close to the sky, they would offer their devout faith to the God of Craftsmen and Minerals. Within an expensive, pre-arranged magic circle, they would chant ancient spells, guiding pure solar light to strike the Solar Flame Stone, causing it to "photolyze" and melt, ultimately expelling the impurities and leaving behind the essence known as "Blazing Sun Shards."

This was already the absolute minimum and simplest process, optimized over countless years.

Back in ancient times, it might even have required live sacrifices and blood burials.

Fortunately, the quantity produced in a single session was relatively large. While rare, it wasn't to the point where a slight rumor of its appearance would whip up winds of blood and rain of gore.

It was incredibly rare on the market, but not completely unseen.

It was just exceedingly expensive. A thumb-sized bottle was enough to bankrupt a veteran Class Holder.

As for its specific effects...

If one were to argue its absurd price—countless times that of gold of the same weight—might just be a consumer trap cooked up by merchants and nobles working together...

Then the fact that the ancient Dwarven Clans, who were always practical and upheld the traditions of their ancestors, were willing to spend massive amounts of time and manpower setting up "flashy" magic circles to refine it was enough to prove its worth.

During forging, just a tiny pinch sprinkled in would perfectly integrate into the base metal. This eliminated minor internal flaws within the material and reduced the number of stress concentration points in the final product, granting it hardness and wear-resistance that approached the theoretical limits of the material.

At the same time, the unique properties of Solar Flame Iron Plating Powder, akin to the essence of the sun, helped the metal absorb excess energy when subjected to massive impacts, enhancing its toughness.

It also evenly distributed the heat conducted between the metal's surface and interior, preventing softening due to localized overheating. It served as an excellent thermal conduit, making it particularly suitable for forging weapons and equipment enchanted with fire, ice, or lightning attributes, as it was highly efficient at conducting energy generated by magic.

One could only say that Barn certainly had good ideas.

Gray Steel and [Molten Ash Silver Ingot], both Fire Elemental metal materials, paired with the somewhat neutralizing Petrification Condensate.

Solar Flame Iron Plating Powder was indeed the most suitable auxiliary material for the current situation.

And the blacksmith shop actually happened to have a small bottle of it in stock.

Xia Nan had arrived at just the right time.

Of course, it was impossible to use that much.

After repeated discussions with Barn, they finally determined the most appropriate amount needed to reforge the Decapitating Longsword:

9 grams.

It sounded like a lot, roughly the weight of a quail egg.

But considering the metallic density of Solar Flame Iron Plating Powder, visually, it looked pitifully small.

It wouldn't even fill a teaspoon.

To put it bluntly, by comparison, there was probably more pepper sprinkled into a bowl of cream of mushroom soup.

As for the price...

On the market, the average transaction price for a gram of Solar Flame Iron Plating Powder was 275 gold.

There was certainly a premium to it.

Its excessive rarity and its outstanding efficacy during the forging process meant that every time this material appeared on the market, it sparked a buying frenzy.

It was generally sold at auctions through bidding; it rarely had a fixed price.

In this regard, Barn had shaved a bit off the top for Xia Nan:

270 gold per gram.

Nine grams added up to a total of 2,430 gold.

Plus the extra auxiliary materials needed during the forging process, including the labor fee, and after tallying up various odds and ends...

Barn gave him a slight discount again, helping to wipe away the extra numbers at the end of the order.

This brought the overall cost of reforging the Decapitating Longsword to exactly a round number:

—3,000 gold.

Well, it was entirely foreseeable that the green-skinned goblins in the Misty Forest were in for a world of hurt.

Even though he had been mentally prepared earlier while listening to Barn's introduction of the production process and effects of Solar Flame Iron Plating Powder, when Xia Nan heard this number come directly out of the man's mouth...

He still felt a sharp pang in his chest.

Doing the math, he would have to hack down over eight thousand goblins just to earn that much money.

Even at a rate of one per second, he would have to chop for over two solid hours.

Converted into the White Chickadee's cream of mushroom soup, it was enough for him to eat three meals a day for over forty years.

By the end of his calculations, Xia Nan didn't even dare think about it any further.

He just comforted himself in his mind with phrases like, 'Money is meant to be spent once earned,''Three thousand gold is a bit steep, but I'll make it back quickly once I have the new weapon,' and 'I just need to chop up a few more goblins.'

...It pained him.

Fortunately, thanks to the profits from his previous quests and the contribution made by the Petrification Lizard, Xia Nan's net worth now reached 1,435 gold, 9 silver, and 7 copper (852 gold in savings + 583 gold from Petrification Lizard loot materials).

Once he turned in the Petrification Lizard hunting quest at the Association later, if he ignored the points allocation and exchanged it all for gold coins, he should be able to gain another 1,000 gold.

Adding the two together, he was only short a little over five hundred gold coins from the 3,000 gold needed for the reforging.

There was no need to take out a loan. If he just gritted his teeth and did a few more quests, with good luck, he could scrape it together in two or three months.

It barely fell within an acceptable range.

Since he was an old customer, Barn and Xia Nan had worked together many times and had already built up a rather deep mutual trust.

Even after Xia Nan proactively admitted his limited finances and said he might need some time to scrape the money together...

Barn still straightforwardly accepted only 1,000 gold coins as a deposit and began the forging process.

He told him he could just pay the balance once the finished product was out of the furnace.

If money was truly tight, he even agreed to let Xia Nan defer payment for a while.

Xia Nan wasn't the type to like owing people things to begin with. Seeing Barn offer such leeway, he had even less desire to run up a tab.

He stayed at the blacksmith shop to discuss a few more details about the longsword's reforging, then took his leave and headed straight for the Adventurers' Association.

Mainly for three things.

One: turn in the Petrification Lizard hunting quest and get his hands on those thousand gold coins.

Two: report his discovery regarding the suspected devil or demon in the forest.

Three: find a few suitable, quick-paying bounty quests and work hard to make money!

...

"Mr. Xia Nan, we have received the quest report you submitted, and we will verify it for you as soon as possible."

"Your quest rewards will be credited to your account in three days at the latest."

In a small meeting room on the Association Second Floor.

Molly, the beautiful receptionist with smooth, short blonde hair, smiled and leaned forward slightly as she reported to Xia Nan, who sat across the table.

"Also, just to confirm with you once more."

"Are you certain you want to exchange your entire points allocation for gold coins? After all, the exchange between points and gold coins is one-way. Once converted to gold, they can't be exchanged back into points."

"I'm sure."

Xia Nan nodded slightly, his face devoid of any extra expression.

In his mind, however, he couldn't help but grumble.

'Of course points are useful. I can exchange them at the Association counter for all sorts of materials and secret intelligence you can't find on the open market.'

'But with my current financial situation, naturally I can't afford to consider all that.'

'To make earning money a little easier later on and avoid falling into debt, of course I have to convert all the quest rewards into cash.'

"Very well, Mr. Xia Nan. We will process this for you as soon as possible."

Molly nodded repeatedly, her attitude warm and entirely unobtrusive.

"By the way, I made a bit of a discovery during this quest, and I might need to report it to the Association."

Seeing that the commission-related matters were mostly settled, Xia Nan took a sip of the tea she had specially prepared for him and spoke slowly.

"Please go ahead."

The moment he spoke, Molly's expression instantly turned serious. She sat up straight, adopting a posture of earnest listening.

Having already organized his words before coming and omitting some details that might expose his personal information, Xia Nan told her about the traces he had discovered in the Petrification Lizard Lair.

Unexpectedly, Molly's reaction seemed even larger than he had anticipated.

She even lost control of her expression slightly. The professional smile vanished from her face, and her brows furrowed:

"So you suspect it might be a demon from the Abyss, or perhaps a devil from one of the layers of the Baator Nine Hells?"

"I feel there's a high probability." Xia Nan nodded gently, providing the basis for his speculation. "I've encountered a Spined Devil before, so I'm somewhat sensitive to this type of aura."

"The residue deep inside the Petrification Lizard Lair has a very obvious, scorching sulfur stench. Even the magic particles in the air were restless, and there were clear traces of negative energy."

"In my experience, the only things with similar characteristics should be those fiends from outside the Material Plane."

Molly treated Xia Nan's report with utmost importance.

She carefully recorded his findings and analysis in a document. After she finished, she cross-referenced and confirmed it several times before closing the file and carefully setting it aside.

"Please rest assured, I will report your findings to my superiors in their entirety."

Seeing the blonde girl across the table acting so solemn, Xia Nan felt a surge of curiosity. He asked tentatively, "If it's something you can disclose... what kind of verification measures do you plan to take?"

"Of course I can!"

A smile blossomed across her fair face once more as Molly responded enthusiastically.

Compared to other organizations on the continent like various divine cults, brotherhoods, or secret societies, the Adventurers' Association maintained an almost completely neutral stance.

Rather than an organization, it was more like a platform dedicated to serving adventurers.

Naturally, it had core members who considered everything from the Association's perspective, as well as the corresponding armed forces.

But the vast majority of the time, its interaction with the outside world was essentially conducted through issuing quests.

"According to standard practice, we will set up a time-limited investigation quest based on the intelligence and location you provided. We will then specifically issue it to professional adventurer squads with relevant handling experience, whom we've worked with many times and have a solid relationship with."

"Then, using the information they gather from investigating in person to confirm the specific situation, we will take further action."

Gently rubbing the earring beneath her short blonde hair, Molly explained things to Xia Nan with a focused expression.

"As you know, even though our Rivervale Town is remote and located on the kingdom's frontier, it is still the only major adventuring hub near the Misty Forest, so it bears a very important responsibility."

"Fiends from outside the Material Plane, like the ones you mentioned, require even greater attention."

It would be fine if it were a demon. Being chaotic by nature with no concept of good or evil, they acted only to satisfy their own murderous desires. They might cause massive losses to the surrounding area right after descending.

But by the same token, the commotion they created would quickly be noticed by adventurers in the vicinity, leading to a targeted encirclement and kill.

However, if it was a devil from the Baator Nine Hells, or even a noble among them... things would be a bit troublesome.

After all, for these highly intelligent entities who excelled at using sweet words to bewitch sapient creatures and tricking souls with hidden clauses in contracts, hiding their own existence was the easiest thing in the world.

Just like with a goblin—when you saw one green-skin in some corner of the forest, there was a high chance the entire forest was already swarming with those filthy, ugly goblins.

When the tracks left by a devil were discovered, it was entirely possible that the plot it had been brewing in the shadows was already quietly reaching its endgame.

"Thank you again for your warning. This is exceedingly important to us!"

Standing up, Molly bowed to Xia Nan with sincere gratitude.

"It's nothing. Just something I did in passing."

He waved his hand, signaling that there was no need for such formality.

Subconsciously, however, Xia Nan thought, 'Isn't there any substantial reward? Even a few gold coins would be nice.'

"Well, aside from that, there's nothing else of particular note."

"Did you bring the quest booklets? I'll pick a few suitable ones to accept before I head back."

"I have them right here!" Molly nodded repeatedly, her movements brisk as she pulled a thick stack of booklets from the documents piled beside the table.

A sense of admiration welled up in her heart.

'No wonder he obtained a Class Level at such a young age. Mr. Xia Nan works far too hard!'

'If it were me, and I had just earned a full 1,000 gold all at once, I would definitely rest well in town for a few days before thinking about what to do next. I could never push myself as hard as he does.'

'There really is a reason why he's made a name for himself in town, while I'm just a lowly receptionist at the Association.'

With faint ripples in her heart, Molly quietly watched Xia Nan flip through the quest manual.

Seeing that he had finished handling all his urgent business and that she had a chance to speak, she lowered her voice and said, "Mr. Xia Nan, there is one more thing."

"Over the past two days, an adventurer has inquired about the price of the equipment you put up for consignment at the Association. Do you think it would be convenient to meet with them at some point to discuss the specific details?"

'Oh?'

'Is the Fishing Enthusiast here?'

Xia Nan's heart stirred, and he looked up at Molly across from him.

"Which piece? The stone spear?"

"It's the flail, sir."