[CC] Chapter 50

The hammer’s clanging continued to echo in the smithy.

That would explain why when I spread the lumen too thin, it doesn’t coalesce anymore and breaks apart. I had a hunch it was connected to the threads’ density, but now I can pinpoint to a deeper reason: the lumen purity.

Shouren watched in fascination as the old blacksmith adeptly struck the red-hot metal to draw out the blackened flakes. When his lumen was in a single thread, the impurity didn’t seem to matter much as it could still maintain its form and function. However, the more he split them, the threads lost their substance and the quality of the original lumen became more important to hold the energy together.

If Shouren was already struggling to split his lumen into four lumen threads with his existing purity, then reaching the six threads mark would be impossible. Shouren knew he needed to purify his lumen, but was it even possible?

Shouren had no idea, but he lodged this thought away for later. It was yet another clue regarding his lumen.

Tang. Ting. Ting.

The sound of the metal ringing reverberated in the hot room. Blow after blow, the old blacksmith worked the glowing metal without pause. Shouren quietly watched for the next twenty minutes until the hammer struck for the final time.

“It’s done, young sir. I hope you will repay me one day by showing your cardsmith forging skills similarly.”

The old man smiled gently at Shouren. He then wiped away the sweat with a handkerchief from his pocket and put the finished ingot aside using his tongs. The blacksmith didn’t expect Shouren to have a recipe at the moment, as the boy was too young.

Shouren brought his hands to his side and gave the old blacksmith a respectful bow.

“Thank you for letting me watch, Mr. Blacksmith. I will definitely pay you back one day.”

Shouren could show his card forging skills to the old man, but it was too dangerous to do so at present. After a few years, he would return and pay back the favor. Watching the blacksmith had given him important clues to the direction of his lumen training.

Shouren was about to leave the smithy when a stray thought came to him.

“Mr. Blacksmith, what weapon would you recommend for me?”

The old man didn’t answer right away and instead looked at the young boy through his glasses. His topaz eyes washed over Shouren’s frame, his muscle ratios, and finally guessing as to what the boy intended to do with a weapon. Could this boy actually be thinking of going into the dungeon to fight monsters, or is it for self-protection?

“For protection or to attack, young sir?”

“To attack.”

Shouren replied decisively, his young face firm.

“May I ask the extent of your funds for this purchase?”

The old man kept his respectful tone throughout the conversation. He liked the dark-haired boy, as he didn’t pepper him with useless questions in an attempt to impress him or earn his favor. However, he couldn’t just hand his goods for free. It cost him chronas to buy the ores and keep the forge running, not to account for the labor time as well.

“I can trade in cards.”

Shouren pretended to take out two [Common] spell cards from his back pocket while, in reality, he grabbed them from the vault. This was the most he was willing to spend on a weapon.

The old blacksmith glanced at the two cards and gave a slow nod in comprehension. Those two cards were not enough for even the smallest sword or a well-crafted dagger, but he had a few weapons lying around that would cover the cost of its materials. The blacksmith went over to the back of the smithy and shuffled around with a pile of crude weapons. These were items he crafted that didn’t fulfill the requirements of displaying in the shop, but were still of good quality.

Unfortunately, the boy’s two cards were only worth about 150 chronas, so he had only two options to show Shouren. And that was already discounting his own labor cost when he gave the price to the boy. Transporting ore to their desolate town was expensive, and the merchants charged a pretty chrona for them.

“Young sir is still growing. I think this nail and this knife are the best options available to you.”

The old blacksmith held out the two light weapons to Shouren and let him examine them. He then returned to the anvil and started to close the place for the night.

Shouren ran his fingers through the two weapons, unsure of which one to pick. He would have preferred a sword, but he couldn’t afford a weapon of that caliber yet. He accepted the two options laid out before him and not once did he question whether the old blacksmith was trying to rip him off or not. The old man gave off that rare, sincere aura that the old crafters like his grandma had.

The nail reminds me of the fox bone spike I used in my first dungeon run. It was a good weapon, but it had its shortcomings. On the other hand, the knife’s body is thinner than a dagger, but it’s more versatile compared to the nail.

Shouren held each weapon individually in his hand, getting accustomed to its weight and feeling. Shouren wanted to have a weapon as a backup in case his Dimensional Vault strategy ever failed. He had been lucky so far in evading the monsters, but he couldn’t always count on that to save him.

He needed to be ready in case things didn’t work out.

Shouren put the nail aside and bounced the knife in his palm. He was sure he didn’t want the nail, but the knife also felt awkward and clumsy in his hand. Using the knife felt clumsy whenever he resorted to a chopping or slashing motion.

“Did the young sir decide on the knife?”

The old blacksmith came back after a few minutes, his slender hammer in tow on his hip.

“Mr. Blacksmith, do you have a hammer for my size?”

Shouren’s mind flared when he saw the hammer on the old man’s side.

The blacksmith seemed to trace the boy’s gaze on his hammer and shook his head.

“A war hammer would be too bulky for you, young sir. It needs both hands to wield properly and I’m sorry to say, but those two cards wouldn’t be enough to buy one.”

War hammers were heavy weapons. The metal in a single war hammer would have been enough to make dozens of knives like the one the boy held.

“No, I mean, do you have another hammer tool, like the one you use to forge metal?”

Shouren put the knife away and asked eagerly. He didn’t want the weapon hammers. He wanted the tool hammer instead.

The old blacksmith stared at Shouren for a second, confusion plastered over his face as he explained.

“The hammer you’re asking for is a tool, young sir. It would be too light to kill any Tier 0 monster.”

“Do you have a small one that I can use?”

Undeterred, Shouren prayed the old blacksmith had one.

“Yes, I do have a couple of training hammers I let my apprentices use, but are you sure you want a hammer like that, young sir?”

The blacksmith was perplexed by Shouren’s insistence on a forging hammer. The tool was non-lethal and would at most irritate any monster. In the end, the boy was still a paying customer, so the old man obliged. He went to another corner and plucked a small hammer from the stand. The metal inside weighed even less than the knife.

“I’ll take it!”

Shouren immediately exclaimed when he saw the hammer’s size. It was much smaller than the one the old blacksmith had on his side, but its handle was similar in slenderness, albeit shorter in length. The old man walked back to Shouren, with the training hammer outstretched before him.

Shouren reached out for the hammer and gripped the handle in his palm. He then swished it around and the weight felt… right.

This is what I want.

Shouren’s thoughts raced with excitement as he ran through the various scenarios in his mind. This hammer would fit perfectly with the strategies he had in his mind. He didn’t need to kill the monsters outright in a single strike, he just needed to buy some time for the finishing blow.

“A single card will be enough for the purchase, young sir.”

The old blacksmith let out a sigh. The boy seemed like he’d already made up his mind and it was futile to dissuade him. He just hoped the youngster was not foolish enough to go alone in the dungeon with that training hammer. The training hammer was cheap, as it was just to let the apprentices get familiar with the hammering strokes.

“Thank you, Mr. Blacksmith!”

Shouren handed over a single card and shoved the training hammer in his waistband. It was getting late, and he needed as much sleep as he could tonight before he left for the dungeon early in the morning.

The old blacksmith took the card politely and waved at the boy as he walked to the door. Shouren stepped outside and before he continued on the street, he turned to face the old man and bowed once again.

“Your silver glasses make you look cool, Mr. Blacksmith.”

Shouren straightened his back and gave the old man a stiff salute before darting away in the night.

The old blacksmith blushed as he adjusted his spectacles and let out a soft chuckle at the funny boy. Oh, to be young and silly again.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On the outskirts of the desolate village, a petite figure stood waiting alone. Soon, a cloud of shadows surged around her before condensing into the form of a tall, bald man.

“So?”

Isola raised her brow tensely.

“The report was accurate. Sunspire has indeed lost that ‘item’ in question.”

Thalin stated without a fluctuation in his voice.

“I can’t believe those fools actually lost it!”

Isola whispered in disbelief. None of it added up. The clergy in Sunspire weren’t complete idiots, and for them to lose that ‘item’ in this rundown village didn’t line up at all.

“Any orders from the Leader?”

Thalin asked upon noticing that Isola was lost in thought.

“No, it’s time for us to leave as well. We need to locate that ‘item’ as soon as possible.”

Isola clicked her tongue, her auburn hair fluttering in the dark night.

If Sunspire didn’t have it… then who did?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Time to get that ‘B’ clear rating!

It was morning and Shouren raced from his house after bidding goodbye to his grandma. He was going to the dungeon and this time, he would only come out after 6 days had passed.