Chapter 21: Weapon

“Rockhammer,” one of River Valley Town’s most renowned blacksmith shops.

Its armor and weapons were known for their durability, popular among the town’s low-tier adventurers.

Rumors even claimed that professional adventurers from the guild’s second floor often commissioned custom gear here.

This made the shop’s business increasingly brisk.

Today, preparing for an upcoming mission with the [Adventurer’s Handbook] as a guide, I, Xia Nan, finally met the shop’s owner.

Barn·Steelbeard, a name brimming with dwarven flair.

His massive, iron-like muscles and reddish-brown braided beard reaching his chest fit the traditional dwarf image.

But his height, half a head taller than a bear goblin at two meters thirty, didn’t quite match his claim of “dwarven” blood.

“More like a barbarian from the icy plains,” I thought, eyeing the burly figure in the shop.

My feet didn’t stop, stepping straight inside.

Surprisingly, despite claiming “Steelbeard Clan” lineage, Barn, the owner of Rockhammer, wasn’t the rough, brash dwarf I’d imagined.

Instead, he was like a typical, warm-hearted shopkeeper, eagerly introducing items when I showed interest in buying.

“This ring mail is the lightest among heavy armors, its iron rings effective at blocking slashes from swords or axes.”

“This chain mail is good too, with better defense than ring mail, but it’s also a dozen gold coins pricier.”

Barn’s detailed explanations filled my ears as my gaze swept over the display racks.

I paused.

“This set…”

Before me was a full-body suit of armor made of sturdy iron plates and metal clasps.

Iron gauntlets, heavy leather boots, a helmet with a built-in visor, and thick, tough cowhide padding beneath, paired with metal plates gleaming coldly under interwoven belts and clasps.

At a glance, it gave the impression of a mobile fortress.

If I wore this super-heavy armor, I could stand in a goblin horde, let their little sticks pound for two hours, and not lose a hair.

But the heavy metal plates, while granting formidable defense, came with a weight most couldn’t bear.

With my current physical condition… I’d probably struggle to walk.

“Full plate armor, crafted from top-quality steel, every piece hammered by me personally,” Barn said proudly, seizing the moment to pitch. “The defense speaks for itself—you can tell at a glance.”

“Buy the full set, and Rockhammer offers three free maintenance sessions.”

“1500 gold, no credit.”

The price instantly killed my interest.

Clearly, this gear was beyond my consideration. I needed to be practical.

Fortunately, Rockhammer had a wide variety of equipment, and after a tour with Barn’s brief introductions, I had a rough idea.

Armor came in many styles but generally fell into three categories:

Light armor, medium armor, and heavy armor.

Heavy armor was too cumbersome, severely limiting my mobility, unfit for my current fighting style.

So, I ruled it out.

Medium armor was decent, balancing weight between heavy and light, with strong versatility and good defense.

But perhaps because of this, it had the highest average price of the three.

Even the cheapest “chain shirt” cost a whopping 50 gold coins.

That was well beyond my budget.

After much deliberation, I spent 10 gold on a custom leather armor set from Barn’s shop.

This armor offered high flexibility and minimal weight, its leather hardened in boiling oil for added toughness.

Coming from the renowned Rockhammer, its quality was excellent.

Its overall performance was several times better than the second-hand junk my predecessor had scrounged.

With armor settled, next was…

“A shield?” I blinked, waving at Barn. “Nah, I don’t think so. I’m not good with them.”

The real world wasn’t like a game, where raising a shield instantly blocked attacks or, with perfect timing, triggered a “parry counter.”

Especially in the complex Mist Forest, without proper shield techniques, even the sturdiest shield was just a board in your hands.

What I needed most was a weapon suited to me.

Luckily, as the owner of Rockhammer, weapons were Barn’s forte.

“Flails, light hammers, poleaxes…”

A dazzling array of weapons, light or heavy, lined an entire wall.

“Long-handled blade, single-edged, great for open combat.”

“Iron mace, armor-piercing. One swing, the armor’s fine, but the guy inside’s done.”

“…”

My gaze followed Barn’s introductions, scanning the weapons.

My thoughts grew clearer.

First, the weapon couldn’t be too light.

I wasn’t like Erji, with an assassin’s agile fighting style. The two short daggers at my waist were just for emergencies.

The highly flexible light leather armor and the freedom of not needing a shield made me prefer a weapon I could wield with both hands.

My predecessor’s one-handed sword was sharp but left one hand awkward in combat; Gagu’s double-handed axe was powerful but often felt clunky.

Second, the weapon had to suit [Whirlwind Slash].

Though this trump card, thanks to my predecessor’s efforts and the attribute panel, was maxed at lv5, as natural as daily movement,

I could unleash [Whirlwind Slash] with anything from a short dagger to a field hoe.

But given the choice, I wanted the best fit.

So…

As I pondered weapon options, Barn, who’d been eyeing me while explaining, seemed to misunderstand.

He let out a hearty laugh, pulling the bewildered me aside.

“No shame in it—who hasn’t been a newbie?”

“Not enough gold? No problem. We don’t do credit, but we’ve got cheaper stuff too.”

“Take a look, anything catch your eye?”

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