"Where did you get this thing?"
The dwarf blacksmith marveled at the magnificent shell, circling it and occasionally running his hands over its frosted texture.
"I've only heard travelers mention one in the Ebony Forest—but ordinary people can't get into a place like that."
"Deepwell."
Tang Qi had no intention of explaining much. He just wanted to get this over with.
"Name your price."
"You want to sell something this precious straight to me?"
"What else would I do?"
"It's an essential material for forging an [Anti-magic Shield]! Those things are incredible—you know Fireball? If one hits your shield, the worst you'll feel is like you're soaking in a hot spring!"
An [Anti-magic Shield] was a very rare piece of armor. While attuned to the shield, its surface would emit a faint anti-magic field, deflecting any magical effects or spell attacks to a certain degree.
Very few things in this world could counter spellcasters.
That made equipment like the [Anti-magic Shield] something every non-spellcasting adventurer dreamed of owning.
A legendary warrior holding an Anti-magic Shield might not be able to swagger around in front of spellcasters, but he would at least make them wary.
That was already quite an achievement.
"You mean you know how to forge one?"
Tang Qi's interest stirred.
The dwarf blacksmith was quite honest. He scratched his scalp.
"If I could forge something that advanced, would I still be stuck in little old Dragon Gold City? The Wizard Tower would send a griffin-drawn carriage to hire me!"
Tang Qi had encountered so many magic items along the way that they seemed practically free.
But that didn't mean they were commonplace.
At the Adventurer's Guild, at least, most adventurers he had met were considered well-off if they owned a Nordic steel weapon forged by a dwarf from