Chapter 105: Scrapped

"Clang!"

The metal forging hammer reflecting flame light whistled down fiercely, landing on the anvil.

Sparks scattering.

The reddish iron blank rising with smoke under high temperature scorching compressed and deformed under violent collision. The originally loose internal structure also gradually became solid and tough amid the hammer's rhythmic, powerful striking sounds.

"Stop!"

A voice filled with dissatisfaction suddenly sounded in the room.

Muscles knotted, burly and robust—in height and build appearing two sizes larger than general bear goblins—the "dwarf" Barn stood to one side.

Arms folded across his chest. Veins protruding beneath skin. Naturally swollen arm muscles and chest muscles solidly colliding and compressing—just through visual level could feel the power contained within.

Brow tightly furrowed, on his face was a serious expression the vast majority of adventurers who'd visited "Rock Hammer" had never seen.

"Wrong again!"

"Said how many times—pay attention to rhythm! Carefully feel the rhythm between steel!"

"Breathing absolutely cannot be chaotic!"

Before him, a green youth whose facial features resembled his but were obviously more gentle.

Put down the forging hammer in hand, slightly lowering his head. Facing his father's teaching, not saying a word.

"Doing our line, must be attentive, attentive, then attentive!"

"Must control quality well, make everything perfect."

Barn's tone carried disappointment at failure to meet expectations. Gripping tongs, he immersed the still molten-red iron blank on the anvil into water.

Rapid cooling.

Then threw it toward the scrap pile to one side.

"Every second of distraction during forging is disrespect to the 【Soulforger】."

"Every mistake will make a life that should have survived perish."

"And any perfunctoriness or carelessness might get us swept out, even begging on streets people would find annoying."

"You..."

Scolding fell like a rainstorm.

Behind came the sound of the shop door being pushed open. Could vaguely hear a customer's somewhat puzzled greeting.

Barn's chest heaved. Emotions accumulated in his heart made him unconsciously gasping roughly.

"Continue, don't stop!"

Finished speaking, turned toward the smithy's front hall direction.

The oppressive atmosphere in the air gradually dissipated with the rainstorm's cessation.

Long after, finally heard an imperceptible sigh, breaking the room's deathly silence.

"Clang!"

The hammer striking's crisp sound rhythmically sounded once more.

......

......

Standing before "Rock Hammer" smithy's counter.

I looked at Barn before me, footsteps hurried, just walking out from the inner room.

Inwardly couldn't help feeling puzzled.

Just now "Fairy's Breeze's" shop owner was also like this—how come one by one they're all not watching their shops.

Could today be some special day?

"Sorry, sorry." The high temperature from forging left sweat still remaining on Barn's rough face. The smile on his face also wasn't as natural as usual.

I didn't ask in detail.

Just handed him the two pieces of armor I'd already removed in hand.

"Look—can they be repaired?"

From former Karanfor sheriff Ingram, the light plate armor worn on the outermost layer, and the chain mail I'd previously bought in the shop at 50 gold's price.

In battle with the thorn demon, penetrated by the flame bone spike it shot.

Fortunately with this double-layer armor's protection, greatly weakening the bone spike's power, the actual injury I received was significantly reduced.

Otherwise at that time, even with half a bottle of healing potion remaining, I'd have had difficulty recovering combat power so quickly, and afterward completely mastering the combat skill, slaying the thorn demon.

Armor—as an adventurer's second life.

Whether repair or scrap, after returning to River Valley Town naturally had to plan early.

Receiving the two pieces of armor with both hands.

Barn instinctively glanced at the black-haired youth before him.

Expression strange.

Also didn't know what to say.

"Rock Hammer," as a quality smithy equally well-reviewed in River Valley Town, also making it onto the 【Adventurer's Handbook】.

Many adventurers coming and going to select equipment—saw new faces every day.

In this situation, no matter how good Barn's memory, hard to match all those names in his head with every face before him.

Only remembered some who frequented year-round or had already obtained professional level adventurers.

Normally, for this black-haired youth before the counter, he'd at most find him somewhat familiar—couldn't possibly call out his name.

But just now, even before speaking, when that sharp-featured face appeared in vision.

Almost instantly, Barn recognized him.

"Xia Nan."

As for the reason...

His gaze swept across the damage marks on the two armor pieces' surfaces in hand.

Adventurers' equipment replacement speed was very fast—this he knew all too well.

The air in Mist Forest permeated with high concentration magic particles having accelerated corrosion effects on ordinary materials, and massive amounts of dangerous monsters in the forest triggering battles all affected equipment lifespan.

The market's massive demand could support so many smithies in River Valley Town.

But even so, the speed at which Xia Nan changed equipment was truly somewhat absurd.

Through various details and usage marks on the armor, could obviously judge the approximate number of battles it experienced.

Once? Twice?

At most no more than three times!

Equivalent to every mission—coming back needing major repairs or scrapping and replacement.

To a certain extent, the joke he'd once made with Xia Nan actually had feasibility.

"Anyway coming back will need to buy new—save effort in the future, don't maintain either. Just directly change to new after missions end."

And on the other hand, what made people feel even more amazed.

Armor getting damaged was one thing.

But every time the damage method was different.

The first leather armor bought at the smithy, like being rolled over by a forest elephant—the armor lining inside almost split into fragments, still lying in his back room's scrap pile now;

The later chain mail seemed like being roasted in a fire pile several rounds—even the lock fasteners inside the covering melted, making him swing the hammer for most of the evening to repair;

Now the third time, after blunt force and flame damage, it changed to penetrating-type breakage.

Didn't know if this kid had good luck or truly had something.

Through the hole in the two layers of armor, could see pedestrians across the street—yet he could still stand steadily before me.

"Not even a professional—general adventurers just chop goblins, catch a few gray rats. Where do all these bizarre scars come from?"

Barn muttered inwardly, but his meticulous, serious gaze swept countless times over the two armor pieces.

Compared to earning a dozen more gold coins, reputation was undoubtedly more important.

Without any intention of concealing, he gave his judgment to me:

"The chain mail was majorly repaired once before. Although defensive capability wasn't overly weakened, durability drastically decreased."

"This time penetrated again... recommend scrapping."

"This light plate armor is still okay. Although also has a large gash, internal structure barely counts as intact."

"Can be repaired, but will cost quite a few gold coins, and can't guarantee defensive strength after repair."

"How about it—what are your thoughts?"

Gone...

Classic transition chapter writer's block. Sat from afternoon until now, head spinning before managing to write one chapter.

Fight again tomorrow, everyone!