The stone ditch to the west is narrower than it is shown on the map.
The rock walls on both sides slope inward, and at their narrowest point, only three or four people can walk side by side. Lin Yuan didn't bring a map, so he found the mineral vein by the gravel that had been repeatedly trampled on by people along the roadside. The shiny black mineral lines were exposed on the rock wall, but two rock oxen were squatting below them.
He did not draw his sword immediately.
The first cow lowered its head and pawed the ground, bending its front legs before its hind legs suddenly straightened. It charged towards the opposite rock wall, its horns smashing into the rock, sending pebbles tumbling down, then turned back as if nothing had happened.
After watching it a second time, Lin Yuan changed his position.
He wasn't worried about the bull monster's strength; the force from its hind legs to the tip of its horns was more complete than a typical swordsman's thrust. If he held the sword in his hand, he wouldn't need to shift his weight forward with his body, allowing him to stop just as he passed his opponent.
He stepped into the ravine. Both rock bulls raised their heads at the same time, and the one on the left charged first. Lin Yuan took a half step aside, and his short sword slashed down from the base of its horn. The bull monster missed its target and shattered into pieces before it could regain its footing. The other bull charged next, but he did not retreat. His heel pressed into the gravel, and with a twist of his waist, the blade of his sword swept past its neck.
As the second burst of light dissipated, Lin Yuan's sword tip was already pointing at the mine.
The two monsters left him nothing. No experience, no materials, and no inventory space. Lin Yuan was used to this; he just glanced at the nick in his short sword. If he used it to chop rocks again, he probably wouldn't even be able to bring the sword back today.
He picked up a sharp-edged stone shard from the ground and used it to chip open a crack along the outer edge of the ore line. The rock wall was harder than he had imagined; the stone shard broke into two pieces before a corner of the ore was loosened. Lin Yuan gripped the edge and pulled the entire piece of black iron ore out of the rock wall.
A crisp notification sound rang out from the stone ditch.
He looked around, but there was no one there. The voice seemed to have been directed at a non-existent gatherer before immediately falling silent. The ore was still firmly pressed in his palm, about half the size of a fist.
On the way back, Lin Yuan wrapped it in bandages and carried it in his hand. Without a backpack, a single piece of ore took up one hand; if he had to make this round trip every time he changed swords, the trouble was only just beginning.
Upon reaching the city gate, he saw Kirito standing by the roadside. The cloaked rapier was not beside him; the two had indeed not followed either of their routes together.
"Did you get it?" Kirito asked.
Lin Yuan handed over the ore. The moment Kirito caught it, the item's name and weight appeared before his eyes, as if he had received an ordinary material that had not yet been stored away.
"Did I give you a hint?" Lin Yuan asked.
"Yes." Kirito tried to put it into his inventory. The ore disappeared from his palm, and a new slot appeared in his inventory. "It seems the item itself isn't broken; it just doesn't recognize you as its owner."
"It's fine as long as it can be given to Nezha."
When they arrived at the blacksmith's stall, there were several people gathered around it.
"I gave you my sword to enhance yesterday, and it's gone today!" a player shouted. "You said you should return the sword even if it failed!"
Nezha stood behind the anvil, his face pale. "I showed you the results yesterday. You confirmed them."
"What's confirmed is enhancement, not the disappearance of the sword!"
Upon hearing "the sword has disappeared," those around him immediately checked the weapons at their waists. Lin Yuan stopped outside the circle. He had only witnessed Nezha's sword-repairing techniques once, which was insufficient to determine who was lying; moreover, the sword he needed had not yet been truly forged.
Kirito didn't immediately squeeze in. He first assessed the two sides arguing, then whispered to Lin Yuan, "Was there anyone there when you came?"
A customer took the repaired dagger, checked his inventory, and didn't make a fuss.
Kirito nodded, noting down the detail. He didn't assume the blacksmith was innocent just because Nezha had agreed to forge the sword for Lin Yuan.
The rapier user walked from the other end of the street, his gaze sweeping over the onlookers before heading straight for Kirito: "Another one?"
"I haven't figured it out yet," Kirito said.
She saw Lin Yuan, nodded slightly, and then turned to the player who had filed the complaint. "Please recount the records before and after yesterday's enhancement. Missing even one step means we can't know where the sword went."
The woman was still angry, but she finally began to recount what had happened. Kirito went over and checked the details with her, one on each side. No one asked Lin Yuan to investigate for them, and no one asked him to hand over the secret as a witness.
Lin Yuan and the other complainants only reached out their hands to Kirito after they finished talking about receiving the sword. Kirito took out some ore from his inventory and handed it to him; Lin Yuan placed the ore next to Nezha's anvil. Nezha looked up at him, looking somewhat embarrassed.
"I haven't forgotten your order. The rough blank has already been made."
"Let's clarify the matter at hand first," Lin Yuan said.
You doubt me too?
"I don't know." Lin Yuan looked at the sword blank behind the anvil, "But I'll wait until you can fight with peace of mind before I take my sword."
Nezha gripped the hammer handle tightly, and after a long pause, he nodded.
Lin Yuan didn't stay at the stall to see who would win. The ore he wanted had been delivered, Kirito and the rapier fighters were investigating what needed to be investigated. As he walked out of the crowd, he touched the old sword at his waist: it could last for a few more battles, but not for too long.