A New Day

In the backyard of the dilapidated mansion in Changhe City, Xia Lin once again became the venue for him to sweat.

But this time, he no longer pursued offense blindly.

The Kobold God-Chosen's indestructible golden skin and its unreasonable Strength had taught him a good lesson.

"Just hacking people is useless; you have to be able to stand your ground first," Xia Lin panted, holding his wooden sword horizontally in front of him, mimicking a blocking posture.

He imagined a fierce Chop coming at him.

He didn't try to block it head-on. Instead, he slightly twisted his wrist, allowing the "strong sword body" (the part near the guard) of the wooden sword to meet the "weak sword body" (the part near the tip) of the imaginary enemy, forming a clever angle.

"Clang!" he simulated the sound of weapons colliding.

With a flick of his wrist, he simultaneously stepped forward with his left foot, his body sliding away from its original position like a civet cat, causing the imaginary attack to miss—this was the so-called "method of controlling the enemy."

Immediately after, taking advantage of the gap when the imaginary enemy's old strength was exhausted and new strength had not yet arisen, he reversed his wrist, and the tip of the wooden sword darted forward like a viper, aiming straight for the opponent's chest.

A standard [Block Counterattack] move.

He repeated the actions over and over.

Sometimes he would parry the attack with the flat of his sword, using the momentum to spin his body and deliver a short backhand slash; other times, he would actively meet the attack, using the sword body to press down on the opponent's weapon, then twist his wrist to find an opening for a thrust.

These movements were far more complex than simple chops, requiring a high degree of coordination between his body, footwork, and wrists.

He often failed to manage everything, either blocking half a beat too late or counterattacking weakly.

[Block Counterattack Proficiency +1]

The notification that popped up in his vision was insignificant, but the sweat on his forehead and the soreness in his arms made him feel a little more at ease.

At least he was moving in the right direction.

During breaks from sword practice, he would also sit cross-legged, attempting to "communicate with the magic net" as mentioned in Old Green's notes.

"Empty your mind, feel the flow of aether, and let your mental tendrils scatter like dandelion seeds."

"What kind of nonsense is this?" Xia Lin couldn't help but complain every time.

He closed his eyes and tried to empty his mind, but the result was either his stomach growling from hunger or him falling asleep directly.

"Useless." He opened his eyes, patted the dust off his pants, "Old Green must have hidden the most crucial part, or maybe he himself only had a superficial understanding."

He had witnessed the power of magic in Lila, and even more so in that damned candle and the mutated kobolds.

Especially the moment he successfully broke through the God-Chosen's defense by enchanting his weapon with Arcane Energy, the shock was far beyond imagination.

"I must find a way," Xia Lin clenched his fist. "Relying solely on brute force, the next time I encounter a monster like that, I won't even know how I died."

Unfortunately, in Changhe City, finding a reliable magic teacher was harder than finding an honest rat-man.

"Forget it, I'll go get my new toy first." He stretched, his bones cracking, pushed open the heavy oak door, and walked onto the streets of Changhe City again.

As he passed an alchemy shop with a sign depicting a mortar and pestle and herbs, Xia Lin considered whether he should bite the bullet and buy a bottle or two of healing potion as a backup.

Last time in the mine, if Kasimir and Liana hadn't given him medicine in time, the grass on his grave would probably be knee-high by now.

No, he had to be prepared.

He counted out five heavy silver coins and placed them on the counter, feeling his heart bleed.

Xia Lin carefully put the potion into his space bag, feeling the bag suddenly become much lighter.

Spending these five silver coins had truly drained him.

It was also conceivable that Barrett and the others had spent a fortune last time.

Anvil Alley, Stone Fist Blacksmith Shop.

Grum Stone Fist was a notorious old stubborn man in this alley.

It was said that he was a skilled fighter in the mountains in his youth, but for some unknown reason, he left his kin and came to this desolate place called Changhe City to open a shop.

He didn't like to talk, only recognizing good blacksmithing and money. His only pleasure was probably banging on red-hot iron.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The deafening sound of blacksmithing could be heard from afar, mixed with the unique smell of coal smoke and scorching metal.

Xia Lin pushed open the creaking wooden door and walked in.

"Old Man Stone Fist, I'm here to pick up my order!" Xia Lin shouted at the back of the Dwarf who was working hard.

Grum turned around, his furry eyebrows knitted together, and sized up Xia Lin with his bloodshot eyes.

"Hmph, still alive? You've got a tough life, kid," he grunted, but the corner of his mouth twitched upward almost imperceptibly. "The item is ready. Follow me."

The Dwarf led Xia Lin to a relatively tidy workbench at the back of the shop.

On it were neatly placed a set of leather armor and a brand-new longsword.

On the chest, shoulders, and outer forearms of the hard leather armor, there was a layer of dark golden luster.

Several irregular, golden scales with strange patterns were firmly inlaid and riveted onto the leather using a special technique, integrating seamlessly with the original iron plates.

[Item: God-Chosen Scale Reinforced Hard Leather Armor]

[Durability: 75/75]

[Evaluation: A wondrous combination of Dwarf craftsmanship and unknown divine power. The hardness of these few pieces is beyond imagination; at least they'll let you endure a few more minutes when being beaten by monsters of the same level.]

"Heh heh, what do you think?" Glen proudly patted his chest plate, stroking it like a lover. "These strange scales are harder than Mithril! I almost broke my eating utensil getting them on! It took me a lot of effort to attach them!"

He picked up the longsword beside him and handed it to Xia Lin. "Here, the promised gift. Made according to your human customs. Good balance, give it a try."

Xia Lin took the longsword. It felt slightly heavy in his hand. The blade was slender, shimmering with a restrained cold light.

He casually swung the sword, feeling it was much more comfortable to wield than his previous mercenary standard sword.

[Item: Stone Fist Fine Work Longsword]

[Durability: 100/100]

[Kills: 0]

[Evaluation: Solid and reliable, honest dealing. Produced by Glen Stonefist. Everyone who uses it says it's good (mostly because anyone who dared say otherwise was smashed with his hammer).]

"Thanks, Stonefist, old man." Xia Lin nodded in satisfaction and began to take off his tattered old armor, changing into this "shining gold" new equipment.

"Cut the crap!" The Dwarf waved his hand, picking up the remaining two golden scales. His eyes gleamed green as he examined them closely. "These two are mine! I've lived for almost two hundred years and never seen such a strange thing! I need to study it carefully."

Xia Lin was fully armored, feeling a surge of security. He patted the Dwarf's sturdy shoulder. "I'll come to you next time I have something good."

"Get lost! Bring something normal next time!" Glen roared without looking up, his mind completely absorbed by the two scales.

Leaving the blacksmith shop, Xia Lin headed straight for the Adventurer's Guild.

The hall was as usual, noisy and chaotic.

He skillfully squeezed his way to the low-level quest bulletin board, his eyes quickly scanning the sheepskin parchments.

"Clear out Goblin harassment at the southern farm, reward 20 copper..." Too little money, not going.

"Missing Person: My daughter Susanna ran off with a bard! Find her and bring her back, bounty 2 silver!" Relationship disputes are troublesome, not going.

His gaze finally settled on a quest notice with messy handwriting and ink that was clearly newer.

"Escort Mission: Seeking Adventurers to escort the 'Golden Wheat Ear' merchant caravan to the provincial capital 'Orlando'. Requirements: Good health, bring your own weapons, armor, and at least three days' rations (must pass inspection before departure). Round trip is about five days. Reward: 4 silver coins. Depart immediately."

Provincial capital Orlando? Xia Lin rubbed his chin.

He remembered this road. When he was still young master Tolemo, he had gone to the provincial capital a few times with his father's merchant caravan.

The road conditions were decent, mostly safe. At most, they'd encounter some insignificant petty thieves, or occasionally a few foolish Goblins would jump out to rob them. For an armed caravan and its guards, it basically posed no threat.

Should he go to the provincial capital and try his luck?

Xia Lin's mind began to stir. Changhe City was, after all, just a small border town.

The provincial capital Orlando was the center of this region, more prosperous, and offered more opportunities.

Perhaps there, he could find more lucrative work, or even a way to learn magic?

Besides, his cheap sister, whom he had never met and only existed on the bills sent home weekly, had been sent by the family to study at a mage tower in the provincial capital Orlando.

Although his family said that girl was only good at spending money, and after several years of study, she had only barely mastered a not very useful [Light Spell], it was still a way to access the world of magic.

With that thought, Xia Lin made up his mind. He reached out and cleanly tore off the escort mission notice.

He walked to the counter and slapped the quest notice on the table.

Behind the counter was the same expressionless middle-aged man, seemingly always half-asleep.

He raised his eyelids slightly, glanced at the quest notice, then looked at Xia Lin's new attire, especially the faint golden sheen on his chest and shoulders.

"Escorting to the provincial capital? Heh, kid, you've been doing well lately, upgrading your gear." The man slowly took out the registration book. "This mission requires name registration."

As he registered, the man asked routinely without looking up, "Name."

"Xia Lin Tolemo."

The man's pen paused. He seemed to recognize the surname, but didn't ask further, quickly completing the registration.

"The Golden Wheat Ear caravan is gathering outside the East Gate. Hurry, they're about to depart."

Xia Lin put away his credentials and turned to leave the Adventurer's Guild.

The road ahead seemed slightly clearer, but also full of unknowns.

Regardless, he needed to earn these 4 silver coins first.

He tightened the new Leather Armor on his body, gripped the longsword at his waist, and walked towards the East Gate.

A new day had begun.