"Welcome, guests! What can I help you with today?"

Edgar remained as hospitable and enthusiastic as ever, immediately greeting them as soon as they entered the shop.

"I'd like to buy an iron thornwood bow."

Having a clear goal in mind, Miriam didn't beat around the bush and got straight to the point.

"Excellent! They're in this display case over here. Please take a look and see which one you prefer."

Miriam stared at the row of several bows on the shelf, momentarily finding it difficult to make a choice.

It wasn't just because she was a novice—even an experienced ranger might struggle to pick out the best bow from a selection of iron thornwood bows with similar craftsmanship.

Lin Mo glanced over and noticed Edgar's workmanship remained somewhat inconsistent as usual, but the blacksmith couldn't possibly point out flaws in his own merchandise. Since they were all priced similarly, making a poor choice could mean getting a bad deal.

"How about... this one?"

Evan looked toward a bow with a relatively shiny finish, picked it up to test it, but couldn't really tell anything special about it.

"I'd recommend this one instead..."

Lin Mo pointed to the bow next to it. Compared to the others, this bow had the best overall attributes without any obvious defects.

Miriam glanced at Evan, then looked at Lin Mo, her brow slightly furrowed.

"Choose this one."

Bern also pointed to the bow Lin Mo had suggested. Although he couldn't tell which bow was the best among them, he could easily recognize that the one Evan had chosen was the worst.

"This guest certainly has a keen eye..."

Edgar looked at Lin Mo with some surprise. If he hadn't forged these weapons himself, even he might have struggled to pick out the best one.

"You flatter me."

Lin Mo waved his hand dismissively: "I'd like to purchase a lightweight one-handed sword, plus a set of leather armor."

"The one-handed swords are on that shelf over there."

Lin Mo glanced in the direction he pointed. He had seen those swords during his last visit—there were indeed some decent ones, but...

"Do you have anything better?"

If this were the previous Lin Mo, a one-handed sword priced at 3-4 gold would have been quite satisfactory, even somewhat luxurious.

But now, having just earned a substantial sum, money wasn't an issue, so naturally he wanted better weaponry.

"Haha!"

Edgar laughed heartily, "Please follow me, guest."

With that, he signaled to his shop assistant and led Lin Mo toward the back area.

As the curtain was drawn aside, intense heat immediately washed over them.

Lin Mo followed behind the young dwarf, looking at both sides of the pathway.

The walls were hung with numerous weapons and armor, their quality similar to what was sold out front—likely inventory stock.

Edgar stopped before a black iron door. Not far from this door stood his forging furnace.

He pulled out a key to unlock the door, and Lin Mo followed closely behind into the small chamber.

"Everything here represents my proudest work."

Edgar patted his chest proudly, standing tall: "Each piece is an absolute masterpiece. Please see if any catches your interest."

Lin Mo looked at the exquisitely arranged shelf before him, which held only about twenty weapons, including five one-handed swords.

He casually examined one of them.

[Flawless Trial Sword]

Weapon Type: One-handed Sword

Grade: Common (White)

Attributes: Durability +50%, Sturdiness +30%, Sharpness +20%

Hidden Attribute: Hardness I: 10% reduced chance of breaking upon impact

Edgar wasn't exaggerating—the quality of this sword was on a completely different level compared to those sold outside, far surpassing the ordinary merchandise in Old Rail's shop.

Of course, whether an experienced master blacksmith like Old Rail had better weapons hidden away remained unknown.

"How much for this sword?"

"5 gold, 30 silver. No bargaining, I'm afraid."

Lin Mo nodded; the price seemed reasonable.

But he wasn't in a hurry to decide yet. He continued examining the remaining swords.

Each sword was of excellent quality, generally similar to the first one, until he reached the final sword.

Lin Mo maintained a calm expression, but internally he was utterly astonished.

[Wolf Bone Sword]

Weapon Type: One-handed Sword

Grade: Superior (Green)

Attributes: Durability +30%, Sturdiness +10%, Sharpness +10%

Hidden Attribute: Bleeding I: +10% bleeding rate from wounds caused

Equipment Enhancement: Wolf Soul: Strength +1 when using attack skills

This was actually a green-grade superior sword!

This was Lin Mo's first time seeing green-grade equipment—not only did it have hidden attributes, but it even provided enhancement effects.

Strength +1 when using attack skills meant that when Lin Mo used skills like [Slash], his strength would temporarily increase by 1 point.

With his current base strength of 5 points, this skill could now deliver the power equivalent to 6 points of strength!

This sword—he absolutely had to have it!

Lin Mo continued maintaining his calm composure, casually asking as if it were nothing special: "How much for this sword? Same price?"

"Tsk tsk tsk..."

Edgar shook his head: "Guest, you're an intelligent person with sharp eyes. Why don't we speak openly and honestly?"

Well, trying to treat a dwarf blacksmith—especially the very forger of this weapon—as a fool had been rather presumptuous.

Lin Mo nodded in acknowledgment.

"This sword was forged using the hardest spine bone from an elite monster—a bloodthirsty wolf—as the primary material, combined with high-quality steel. Wielding this sword in battle allows you to receive empowerment from the residual soul of the bloodthirsty wolf within the blade, enhancing your strength... You should understand its value."

"So how much?"

Edgar slowly extended three fingers: "Discounted price—30 gold!"

"At that price, one could afford a full set of plate armor, couldn't they?"

Lin Mo curled his lip skeptically.

"Does the guest believe this sword's value is less than a set of plate armor?"

Edgar picked up the sword from the shelf. "The production cost of this sword alone is nearly 28 gold. Normally, this sword could easily sell for 35 or even 40 gold. If you went to the association's second floor, similar weapons might even fetch over 50 gold!"

Indeed, though he couldn't admit it now, such a sword was easily worth as much as—or even more than—a full set of plate armor.

"So why sell it to me so cheaply?"

"This is an investment..."

Edgar said with a smile: "You must understand that for a young blacksmith like me, the most important thing is to build my reputation."

With fame would come more adventurers visiting his shop, allowing him to expand his business and potentially open stores in Lania City or even larger locations.

"I offer you a favorable price now. If you become a famous adventurer in the future, I'll engage in some promotion within reasonable bounds."

"But what if I remain a novice forever? Wouldn't you lose out?"

"Business naturally involves both gains and losses—it's no big deal. Moreover..."

He raised his head, meeting Lin Mo's gaze: "For dwarves, such precise and quick discernment of weapon quality represents a remarkable ability. I believe someone who understands weapons so well won't remain a marsh frog forever."

Lin Mo smiled slightly and proactively extended his hand, meeting Edgar's fist with his own.

"Deal!"