Chapter 490 Delivering the Commission

Before setting sail for the Twin Canyon mission, Xia Nan had already paid a 1,000-gold deposit for [Abyssal Current]. For a piece of Rare blue-tier equipment—especially a full set featuring both an inner lining and outer armor—that was naturally far from enough.

While the [Darkscale Coiled Guard] was also Rare blue-tier gear, upgrading it at Rockhammer under Barn had only cost him around 1,000 gold. He hadn't needed to buy the arm shield's main material: the serpent scales from the Snake Den Secret Realm.

Later, when custom-ordering the [Ember Fall] straight sword, the addition of Solar Flame Iron Plating Powder meant Xia Nan spent a full 3,000 gold just to secure the half-purple-tier weapon, which perfectly complemented his [Ember Echoes] combat technique.

Now, although [Abyssal Current] couldn't quite match [Ember Fall] in quality, the bodily materials harvested from the Shark Beast provided the vast majority of what was needed to craft it.

However, as Celianne had warned him beforehand, while the Shark Beast's bones were incredibly resilient, their pure defensive strength fell slightly short. To guarantee the final product's quality, a special metal had to be added to bolster the armor's hardness.

This meant that on top of the labor fee, Xia Nan also had to cover the cost of a primary material.

Factoring that in, alongside the expenses for various auxiliary materials, the remaining balance Xia Nan had to settle—on top of the 1,000 gold already paid—came to 1,500 gold.

This pushed the total price of [Abyssal Current] to a staggering 2,500 gold.

Even with his unprecedented, astronomical haul from the previous mission, his final payout had only hovered around 1,700 gold. It wasn't even enough to cover the crafting and material costs for [Abyssal Current].

Fortunately, he had deep pockets. He didn't indulge in any bad habits, so aside from food, drink, and buying equipment, he had saved the vast majority of his earnings. That was the only reason he wasn't forced into the awkward position of asking for credit.

After deducting the 1,500-gold final payment for [Abyssal Current], Xia Nan's savings dwindled to 412 gold, 6 silver, and 8 copper.

While this was a steep drop from his peak savings of nearly 3,000 gold, it was still a massive sum to an ordinary citizen—more than enough to live comfortably in town for years.

Because of that, Xia Nan didn't feel much anxiety.

Considering Lorraine was still processing their loot, he figured he would receive another hundred or two gold in a few days. That thought gave him peace of mind.

Xia Nan's strength had grown far faster than that of other adventurers. In just the two short years since he transmigrated, he had already set foot on the true path of a Class Holder. His rapid advancement was partly due to engaging in much more frequent and higher-quality battles than other adventurers at his level.

To some extent, that was exactly why his armor wore out so quickly.

He could earn over a thousand gold from a single mission, but custom-ordering a piece of equipment cost a four-figure sum just the same.

That was simply the reality of being an adventurer.

They earned big, and they spent fast.

It was a completely different world from that of ordinary people who held stable jobs, stayed far away from monsters, and lived safely within town walls. Even his sense of value regarding money and material goods had shifted.

A set of Fine Plate-Chain Composite Armor sitting on a blacksmith's shelf could be treated as a treasured heirloom by a regular household, passed down from generation to generation. To Xia Nan, however, it was a disposable commodity, something he could casually toss aside in the heat of battle the moment its defenses failed.

On the flip side, most veteran adventurers had spent years deeply entrenched in the trade, easily pulling in dozens or even hundreds of gold per mission. It would take an immense amount of willpower for them to return to the "hard days" of earning a fixed monthly wage, where they had to save up and carefully weigh their options just to enjoy a decent meal or a few good bottles of wine.

When Xia Nan first transmigrated into this world, he had considered finding a safe city to settle down and live an ordinary life.

But the further he walked down the adventurer's path and the more bonds he forged with this world, the more his mindset changed.

Since he possessed the Golden Finger of the Attribute Panel, boasted excellent innate talent, and had fairly decent luck, there seemed to be no reason to just stop here.

And even if a day came when he finally grew tired of endless Association missions and wanted to stop and rest... he first had to save up a massive sum of money, at least enough to guarantee his "cream of mushroom soup freedom."

Happily tucking the Crystal Card Xia Nan had handed him into the counter, Celianne saw the young man staring blankly in thought. Assuming Xia Nan was agonizing over the total cost of 2,500 gold coins—which was, in fact, partially true—the half-elf spoke up to explain.

"Actually, the biggest chunk of these expenses is the special metal used as the armor's primary material..."

Xia Nan never cut corners when it came to crafting equipment. He was a purist who chased performance stats; to secure even a single point of improvement, he wouldn't mind spending five or even ten times the gold.

Back when Celianne first consulted him about which metal to use for the main material, the tailor had offered several options. Some were cheap and versatile, while others struck a highly cost-effective balance between price and quality.

He hadn't chosen any of those.

What Xia Nan selected was the most expensive, highest-quality special metal available:

—[Abyssal Steel]!

As the name implied, it was a special mineral metal found exclusively on the deep, abyss-like ocean floor.

No one knew the exact reason behind its formation, but because shipwrecks and dead, cooled submarine volcanoes were often found near its excavation sites, experts in marine minerals speculated that its origins were tied to the residual negative energy of lingering spirits fusing with solidified, high-temperature magma.

Because it only formed under the extreme environmental conditions of the deep sea and its surrounding terrain lacked obvious markers, the amount of this metal circulating on the market was incredibly scarce. Supply could only slightly fill market demand through trading with oceanic races, or through outright plunder.

Under normal circumstances, Abyssal Steel presented a dark blue hue reminiscent of the deep ocean.

Most of the time, it looked pitch-black from the outside. But if held up to the sunlight or placed in brightly lit shallow water, one could see a faint azure glow rippling across its surface.

Abyssal Steel's density was far higher than that of ordinary steel, making it significantly heavier by volume. Naturally, it was also harder and extremely resilient, almost perfectly meeting all the requirements for crafting high-quality armor.

At the same time, forging equipment with this metal demanded masterful blacksmithing skills and a meticulous, intimate understanding of the material itself.

There were countless details to monitor throughout the forging process, but just one point was enough to separate exceptional artisans from clumsy, ordinary blacksmiths.

The forging of Abyssal Steel required excruciatingly strict control over the fire's temperature.

Unlike ordinary steel, which was hammered and shaped while white-hot, exposing Abyssal Steel to excessively high temperatures and relentless hammering would only make the metal increasingly brittle. The slightest lapse in attention would cause it to snap outright, ruining the final product's defensive capabilities.

Abyssal Steel had to be heated to a dull red, then carefully and gently worked with a small hammer. The force applied couldn't be too heavy or too light, and the temperature had to be maintained within a relatively stable range. Only then could the metal's high-quality properties be fully realized.

Experienced blacksmiths would even sprinkle a handful of sea salt—harvested from the waters near the metal's discovery site—over the softened Abyssal Steel as they hammered it, which would grant the finished piece extra resistance bonuses.

Celianne, of course, belonged to that "experienced" category. Because of this, under the special effects column on the Attribute Panel for Xia Nan's [Abyssal Current] armor, the fire resistance bonus read "25%" instead of "20%."

Naturally, given the half-elf's proud and meticulous personality, he didn't go out of his way to claim credit for this minor contribution during the forging process.

As a perfectionist, Celianne believed this was simply expected. Since he had accepted the order, he had to do the absolute best within his power.

Xia Nan might have ached over the exorbitant forging fees for [Abyssal Steel], but seeing the long strings of special effects practically filling his vision on the armor's Attribute Panel, along with its inherently outstanding hardness, made him feel that every coin spent was worth it.

'I should be able to make this last until the Lunar Tide Banquet ends...'

"How about it, do you have any other work for me? We're old acquaintances now. Depending on what it is, I can give you a discount," Celianne offered proactively, in an excellent mood now that the final payment was settled and his meticulously forged work had earned the buyer's approval.

Knowing the half-elf's superb craftsmanship, Xia Nan truly did want to custom-order a few more pieces of enchanted gear from the Pearl Spun Yarn tailor shop, if his finances allowed it.

Unfortunately, his pockets were somewhat light.

After settling the final payment for [Abyssal Current], his savings had dropped below five hundred gold coins.

For Rare blue-tier equipment, throwing that amount of money at it wouldn't even make a splash. Nor was he willing to settle for less, spending money to craft entirely unsuitable items just to chase the prestige of owning enchanted gear.

He shook his head, signaling that they could work together again next time the opportunity arose.

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, he was just about to leave when he suddenly remembered something. Xia Nan subconsciously touched the [White Flask] pocket watch, currently tucked securely between the inner lining and outer plating of his [Abyssal Current] armor. He pondered for a moment before speaking slowly.

"I don't have any major orders left, but I might need your help making one or two small things..."

With that, he shared his idea with the tailor.

"I can certainly do that, and let's just forget about the money." Having just finished a massive order, the half-elf acted incredibly magnanimous toward the customer who had already dropped several thousand gold coins in his shop. "A little trinket like that won't take much effort. Just come pick it up the day after tomorrow."

...

...

Leaving Pearl Spun Yarn, Xia Nan didn't head back to the Three-Legged Sea Dog Tavern; instead, he made a beeline for the Adventurers' Association.

Actually, earlier on his way to the tailor shop, he had dropped by the Association to have the receptionist, Mar, notify Ellison to come over so they could officially hand over the commission.

He remembered his first meeting with the middle-aged man on Cliff Rock Island. At the time, Xia Nan had assumed the man was just a kind-hearted fishing enthusiast. He hadn't expected to discover later that Ellison was the buyer of his [Tide-Surge Lure Pole], which was how they had established contact.

Before Xia Nan departed for Twin Canyon, the two of them had discussed the sale of the [Tide-Surge Lure Pole], and the transaction had gone off without a hitch. At the same time, Ellison had submitted a commission, hoping Xia Nan could search for and record any strange phenomena or anomalies while sailing the waters near the Twin Oceans.

Now, having returned from his mission, Xia Nan felt he had successfully completed the man's commission. The Secret Realm that had descended upon Twin Canyon, with its otherworldly architecture seamlessly fused into the canyon's environment, perfectly matched Ellison's requirements.

So, he figured he would use the opportunity of returning to Barracuda Bay today to wrap the matter up entirely.

By the time Mar led Xia Nan into the meeting room, Ellison was already seated inside. However, judging by his heaving chest and unsteady breathing, the man had clearly just arrived as well.

Xia Nan glanced back to thank Mar, then stepped into the room. He closed the door, unstrapped the twin swords from his back, and leaned them against the wall.

Ellison remained silent the entire time. He looked completely composed on the surface, but his unconsciously quickening breath and the faint, rhythmic tapping of his toe against the floor betrayed his inner turmoil.

It wasn't until Xia Nan was firmly seated across the table that he finally asked, "How did it go? Did you find anything?"

Since he had asked Mar to call the man over specifically to complete the commission, Xia Nan naturally had no intention of hiding anything.

Omitting his personal encounters in the core of the Secret Realm and anything related to his Attribute Panel, he recounted his experiences and discoveries in Twin Canyon to Ellison in their entirety.

He could see that, as he explained, the hope glittering in Ellison's eyes—despite his seemingly unchanging expression—gradually faded away. By the end, all that remained was the deep exhaustion and disappointment that followed shattered expectations.

It was exactly the same reaction Lorraine had shown when they first arrived at Twin Canyon and laid eyes on the otherworldly architecture.

Xia Nan was intrigued.

From his current reaction, and the fact that both of them had grown interested in the Twin Oceans due to otherworldly items circulating in the black market, it was obvious they were searching for the exact same thing.

And while the Secret Realm items in Twin Canyon looked similar, they clearly weren't what the two of them were actually after.

"Thank you for your hard work," Ellison said slowly, leaning back against his chair, a profound exhaustion lacing his voice.

"I've already deposited the commission reward with the Association. Just ask Mar for it later."

Xia Nan's mind unconsciously drifted back to their second meeting. He recalled the unnatural look that had flashed across the man's face when he mentioned the Blade of Vengeance squad.

He also remembered later learning from Lorraine that she and Ellison were siblings.

Looking at the middle-aged man before him—a man with stellar fishing skills now radiating deep weariness—Xia Nan blinked and asked in a completely unoffensive tone, "Why don't you just go ask Lorraine?"