The God of Forging, Goibniu

The streets were packed during the day.

The thoroughfare was bustling with crowds; the cacophony of hawkers and haggling voices rose and fell, making one feel as if they were submerged in a sea of activity.

Various sounds wove together, forming a noisy tapestry.

In front of the shops lining the street, clerks in various uniforms stood ready to greet passing customers.

Some clerks held flyers high, loudly proclaiming their shop's promotions or discounts to passersby, their arms cradling thick stacks of identical leaflets.

These shops ranged from taverns and eateries to clothing and equipment stores.

A young man standing before a weapon shop intercepted a passerby and thrust a flyer into his face.

"Sir, we are a newly opened weapon shop. Would you be interested in taking a look?"

"No need, I already have gear."

The passerby reached out and pushed the flyer away.

"You really should take a look. We have opening discounts, and you could even buy something as a backup weapon. We also offer free long-term sharpening and maintenance after purchase."

The clerk persisted with his pitch even after being rebuffed.

"Do you carry Level 1 weapons?"

The passerby asked the clerk.

"You're joking, right? We're just a standard equipment shop; there aren't many weapons of that caliber in all of Orario."

The clerk chuckled awkwardly in response.

"Just take a look at the contents, and feel free to stop by if you need anything."

He didn't press further, instead forcing the flyer into the passerby's arms before returning to the shop entrance.

The clerk resumed calling out to those nearby.

The passerby glanced at the returning clerk, then at the flyer in his hand, and shook his head helplessly.

He folded the flyer, tucked it away, and dropped it lightly in front of him; the paper gradually vanished into thin air.

Liber continued walking down the street, peering at the surrounding shops as if curious about the items on display.

However, he never stopped to ask about prices.

After turning a few corners, the flow of people began to thin out.

The environment was no longer as noisy as before, becoming much quieter.

Leaving the shopping district, Liber looked at the sparser shops and dropped his inquisitive expression.

He sized up the people walking in the opposite direction.

The crowd here was much thinner, and compared to the casual shoppers in the commercial district, these people were equipped with far superior gear.

Most wore calm, serious expressions, their strides hurried and busy.

Liber reached into the air, pulled a slip of paper from his personal storage space, and checked its contents.

He scanned his surroundings as if verifying information, studied the nearby buildings for a moment, then turned into a small alley beside a structure and stopped after a few steps.

Liber looked at the workshop before him, watching the thick smoke rising from the chimney and listening to the rhythmic clanging echoing from within.

"Found it."

He verified the information in his hand once more, returned the slip to his storage, and stepped forward to knock on the workshop door.

After knocking for a long time without a response, Liber hesitated before tentatively pushing the door open.

He stepped inside slowly and was met with a scene of intense, fiery activity.

Dazzling flames illuminated the workshop walls, and a scorching atmosphere permeated the air.

The craftsmen wore leather aprons and boots, wielding heavy hammers and iron tongs; some had stripped to the waist, their torsos bare.

Beads of sweat formed on their foreheads, tracing the lines of their faces before dripping from their chins onto the glowing red metal, vanishing with a sharp hiss.

Their entire upper bodies were drenched in sweat, flowing in dense, continuous streams like a shower.

The flames in the furnace spread, gradually forming a swirling ring of gray-white sparks. As the craftsmen worked, the metal softened and deformed in the intense heat.

The craftsmen grew increasingly focused, swinging their hammers with force, striking the clamped metal with relentless precision.

A deafening cacophony of metal clashing rang out, the sound of hammers hitting steel mixing with the hiss of the furnace.

"Excuse me, I'd like to ask a few questions."

Seeing the craftsmen busy at their tasks with no one to attend to him, Liber spoke up to the group.

One craftsman gripped a glowing shortsword tightly with iron tongs, his other hand wielding a hammer with force, striking the blade with pinpoint accuracy.

He raised the hammer high amidst the firelight, striking rhythmically. After a final blow, he lifted the shortsword with the tongs, inspected it briefly, and passed it gently through a small pool of water at his side to quench it.

After repeating the process a few times, he set the quenched shortsword and his tools aside.

He walked over to Liber, looked at his somewhat youthful face, and asked what he needed.

"Are you here to pick up a custom-made weapon you ordered?"

"Uh, no. I came to the Goibniu Familia to inquire about ordering a weapon and to ask about the pricing."

Liber watched the brawny, sweat-drenched blacksmith standing before him, shifting his body backward discreetly as he replied.

The blacksmith, who was wiping sweat from his forehead with his arm, noticed Liber's slight movement. He wiped his face with his hand, shook the sweat off, and spoke nonchalantly.

"We rarely get strangers coming here for custom orders. How did you find us, kid?"

"I'm Liber Miller, a newcomer to the Loki Familia. The weapon I bought at the shop doesn't feel quite right, so I wanted a blade that suits me better. I only came here after asking my seniors in the Familia."

Liber responded politely to the blacksmith.

"The Loki Familia, huh!" The blacksmith scratched his head and asked Liber, "So... what kind of weapon are you looking to have made?"

"As for the design, a standard longsword will do. My highest priority is durability; I would prefer equipment with the Indestructible attribute." Liber stated his requirements earnestly.

"Equipment with the Indestructible attribute? That's a tall order. For gear of that level, you'd need the god Goibniu himself to step in." The blacksmith said, looking troubled.

"Wait here a moment, I'll go ask the god for instructions."

Having said that, he turned and walked toward the interior of the workshop.

Liber waited for a short while before seeing him emerge from the back, gesturing with his finger for Liber to follow him inside.

Seeing the signal, Liber walked up to him and followed him to a separate construction room.

"The god is inside. You can go in yourself."

The blacksmith stood before the door, lifted the curtain, and extended his arm to let Liber enter.

After Liber stepped into the room, the blacksmith lowered the curtain and left.

Liber took a look at the deity inside the room.

The god had the appearance of an elderly human male, short in stature, with a face full of wrinkles, a high-bridged nose, and refined features.

He had white hair and a beard, and his bare upper body revealed muscles comparable to those of a Dwarf.

He was holding a Rapier in his hand, pushing it back and forth against a whetstone, the bracelets on his wrists swaying with the motion.

Seeing Liber enter, he stopped what he was doing, gently wiped the blade with a towel nearby, and set the Rapier aside.

He picked up a water flask, took a few sips, and spoke.

"Young man, I hear you're looking for a weapon with the Indestructible attribute?"

Hearing this, Liber nodded and waited quietly for the god's questions.

The god Goibniu, the patron deity of the Goibniu Familia.

He was a god renowned for his forging. Although his Familia was much smaller in scale than the Hephaestus Familia, which was also famous in Orario for its forging and production, his forging capabilities were on par with them.

Unlike the Hephaestus Familia, which sold everything from top-tier boutique weapons to common, low-grade gear in vast quantities and varieties, most of the weapons here were crafted only upon receiving requests from adventurers.

Many members of the Loki Familia carried weapons produced by the Goibniu Familia, and the two had a close working relationship.

"Weapons with that kind of attribute are all high-grade equipment, and the price won't be cheap."

Goibniu said, setting down the water flask and slowly putting on the clothes around his waist.

"I've already inquired. The price varies depending on the weapon and materials, but the minimum cost is 150 million Valis."

Liber said calmly to Goibniu.

"Since you already have a rough idea, that's good. As a rookie adventurer, I doubt you have that much money, do you? Or is the Loki Familia willing to cover the costs for you?"

Goibniu looked Liber over and said calmly.

"I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you; I don't have that much money. This visit was a sudden impulse, and I haven't applied for funding from the Familia."

Liber said to Goibniu earnestly, "There is one thing I would like to consult you about: is it possible for you to forge a weapon that levels up alongside an adventurer?"