Grey Sword

Xia Nan did not refuse Barn's kindness.

Since he had yet to make a decision, it was good to look around some more.

"Don't worry. They may all be secondhand, but if I dare put them up for sale, their quality is definitely up to standard. They're durable!"

Barn's thick voice echoed through the shop as he patted his chest in guarantee.

Before Xia Nan lay a number of worn-looking weapons.

They had no dedicated display rack and were simply piled together, clearly not receiving much attention from the shop's owner.

Yet from the metallic sheen on their surfaces and the occasional cold glint that flashed as his gaze shifted, Xia Nan could at least tell that Barn had not lied.

They were undoubtedly secondhand, but they had all been maintained rather well.

Xia Nan crouched down and patiently pulled them out of the pile one by one, placing them before his eyes for careful inspection as he asked, "Would high-level adventurers use weapons like these too? Not this kind of secondhand stuff, but those plain... uh, non-Magic Items, you know."

Barn stroked his beard and replied gruffly, "A lot of the time, adventurers like you who are just starting out—no offense—have too many fantasies about those experienced people with Profession Levels."

"But they're people too. They need money to eat. They can turn against each other over the ownership of a trophy, and they'll save up more than half a year's income for a house in a prime location."

"Magic Items are certainly more likely to appear in the hands of high-level Professionals, but those wealthy enough to be decked out in them from head to toe are still extremely rare."

"What about your shop?" Xia Nan asked calmly, as though he were merely making casual conversation while picking through weapons. "Do you sell those legendary magic pieces of equipment too?"

Barn did not answer, merely giving him a mysterious smile.

Having obtained the key information, Xia Nan stopped wasting time. He brushed the dust from his hands and slowly stood up.

The facts proved that secondhand goods were still just secondhand goods. After looking through them all, he had found nothing suitable.

A fortune of more than a hundred Gold Coins was neither much nor little, but it should be enough to buy a brand-new plain weapon.

If possible, then naturally...

Buzz—

A flash of gray light slipped through the corner of his eye.

Xia Nan's gaze instinctively followed it.

In the span of a few breaths, he paused, stared, frowned, then returned to calm.

The translucent panel before him faded away as his attention shifted.

[Sturdy Beheading Longsword]

Type: Two-Handed Sword

Grade: Common (White)

Effects: Durability +50%, Decapitation Damage +5%

Description:

A fine work produced by the "Rock Hammer" Blacksmith Shop. A minor accident during forging seemed to have caused some peculiar changes in this longsword.

Note:

"One, two, three... wait, how many times did I just hit it with the hammer?"

—"Rock Hammer" · Steel Beard Clan's 492nd Forging Competition, 105th Place · Barn Steel Beard

It was a Two-Handed Sword half a man's height.

The hilt was roughly nine inches long. Its spiral metal patterns and raised rivets not only increased the friction between the wielder's palm and the Sword Hilt, but also gave it a satisfying feel in hand;

The steel crossguard did not extend far to either side, reaching barely more than half a finger beyond the blade before neatly tapering off, making it look especially clean and concise;

The blade was around four feet long and three fingers wide, thin-edged, smooth-lined, and razor-sharp.

Its simple, efficient style ran throughout. There was not a trace of ornamentation on the blade's surface, save for the occasional cold gleam of its sharp edge.

Unlike the other weapons in the shop, this longsword was an unusually strange iron-gray, as though a thin mist veiled the blade, making it far less conspicuous than the other swords.

Xia Nan's expression remained perfectly calm, but a storm had already risen within his heart.

Pretending to be casual, he asked without giving anything away, "Why is this sword's color so strange? Is it defective?"

At that, Barn actually looked a little embarrassed and scratched his head sheepishly.

"Heh heh, I was planning to forge a Two-Handed Sword a couple days ago, but I got a little distracted while sharpening the edge..."

!

No, I just said that casually. You really are selling it as a defective product!?

Xia Nan pressed his lips together and forcibly kept his expression under control.

Barn did not notice his reaction and simply continued muttering, "Sigh, what a waste of more than ten pounds of Gray Steel. My cousin from the clan mailed it to me. He said it came from a New Pit over at Flameforge Peak and told me to give it a try. I don't even know how I'll explain it when he asks."

"Oh?" Xia Nan raised a brow and followed up, "This sword only looks a little strange in color. Where's the flaw?"

Barn still did not notice the faint fluctuation in his tone, fully immersed in his regret.

He stepped forward, picked up the Two-Handed Sword, and pointed at its blade. "Normally, equipment forged from Gray Steel should be a light gray like quicklime. Look, isn't this sword's color a little darker?"

"That's because I got distracted and struck it a few extra times while forging the blade, which threw off the entire process afterward."

As he spoke, Barn's expression grew even more regretful.

"Don't be fooled by the fact that it looks no different from the other weapons aside from its color. There might be something wrong somewhere in the blade. It could even snap suddenly in battle. That's not something you can test."

"You know that equipment made by Rock Hammer has always been known for being tough and durable."

"As for works like this, where a mistake during forging means I can't precisely guarantee the quality, I naturally won't sell them as proper merchandise."

"I can't ruin our reputation just for a few dozen Gold Coins in profit. The clan told every one of us that before we left."

At that moment, Xia Nan once again felt the convenience of his Golden Finger.

Information asymmetry!

Barn's mistake during the forging process had made him unable to guarantee the longsword's quality. He feared that any potential problems might damage Rock Hammer's reputation.

But Xia Nan, who possessed an Attribute Panel, knew clearly that—

Barn's tiny mistake had not lowered the longsword's quality. On the contrary, it had made the blade sturdier and more durable, even granting it a few additional traits.

I have to get it!

He said to himself.

Now that Barn had already explained why he considered the longsword defective, Xia Nan no longer concealed his intentions and got straight to the point. "I'll take this sword. How much?"

"Didn't I explain it clearly just now?" Barn froze, then said in surprise, "Something went wrong while this sword was being forged. The quality isn't guaranteed."

"I think it suits me. This one!"

Seeing Xia Nan's firm attitude, Barn said nothing more and simply stared at him for several seconds.

Only then did he say helplessly, "Then let's be clear first. If something goes wrong later, don't come looking for me. And don't tell people outside that you bought this sword from me. You understand?"

"Of course!" Xia Nan nodded sincerely. "I picked this sword up in the Goblin Cave."

"Thirty-five Gold Coins. That's cost price."