Lorin first stripped the Leather Armor off Soron.
This set of Leather Armor had been struck by his Burning Hand far too many times. It was completely beyond repair and could only be tossed aside.
He then dug out one Gold Coin and seven Silver Coins from Soron’s pockets. Now he finally understood why the man had attacked him.
They were way too broke.
Now Lorin’s cash amounted to a full 8 Gold, 19 Silver, and 7 Copper, along with a large pile of scrap metal. You could say he had reached the absolute peak of his wealth.
He picked up the sword Soron had dropped on the ground and inspected it carefully.
[Gray Steel Sword]
Equipment Type: One-Handed Longsword
Quality: Ordinary (White)
Weight: 1.4 kg
Length: 36 inches
Durability: 65/80
Equipment Effect:
[Solid]: Not easily damaged.
Note:
"Practical! Durable! That’s all you need!"
—Ironforge Equipment Wholesale Market, Shop No. 17, Balin Anvil.
"This sword is far inferior compared to Rusted Throat. I’ll just sell it when I get back. It’s made by Dwarves, so it should be worth quite a bit of money."
Lorin strapped the One-Handed Sword to his back and continued rummaging.
He found a Bow similar to the young man’s.
And a bunch of miscellaneous junk.
He wondered, "Huh, what is this?"
Lorin pulled a metal piece from Soron’s shirt pocket.
It was a Dark Silver metal badge, about half the size of a palm, with slightly worn edges.
The relief in the center depicted a Raven spreading its wings, its eyes inlaid with two tiny pieces of Obsidian, and its claws grasping a broken sword.
Lorin looked at it closely.
[Raven Badge]
Type: Magic Accessory
Quality: Rare (Green)
Weight: 0.1 kg
Note:
"Hmm? This Magic Accessory actually doesn’t have any Equipment Effects?"
Lorin touched the badge in confusion, but he didn’t feel any fluctuations in Magic Power or any strange sensations.
"A Fine Quality item... that shouldn’t be the case."
His only Fine Quality Magic Item was the Ring of the Flame Speaker, which he had obtained through sheer luck. If he were willing to sell it, it would be worth at least one or two hundred Gold Coins.
He wondered, "Could it be an entrance key to some Secret Realm?" Lorin recalled the classic tropes in certain novels.
Unable to figure it out for the time being, he casually stuffed the badge into his backpack.
"Looks like this is everything."
Lorin tidied himself up.
He now had Longsword Rusted Throat slung at his waist, a backpack full of miscellaneous items on his back, along with two Bows and a One-Handed Sword.
"Hiss... it really is quite heavy."
Lorin had Master Level Weight Carrying, but even so, walking was extremely strenuous, and it faintly aggravated his wounds.
"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step..." he consoled himself.
"HISS... HAA..."
Outside Shallow Beach Town in the early morning, the gravel road had formed a thin layer of frost, which was slightly melted by the sun, making it very easy to slip and fall.
Lorin had no choice but to walk on the bare ground by the roadside.
"This weather is way too cold. The Leather Armor just isn’t warm enough. I need to buy some thicker clothes," he said, rubbing his hands together.
Because of his injuries, the journey that only took a day on the way there had taken him a full three days on the way back.
Fortunately, he had bought plenty of dry rations before setting off, and Soron and his companion had also carried some, which was just barely enough to eat.
After three days of healing, the wound on his chest was basically fully recovered, though he would still feel some chest tightness if he ran vigorously.
As for why he had to run vigorously...
Halfway through the journey, he had encountered a pack of wild wolves. They had trailed behind him for a full day and night, preventing him from getting any sleep and forcing him to push forward blindly.
Perhaps sensing that he wasn’t to be trifled with, they hadn’t actually launched an attack on him. Now, he had finally made it back safely.
Carrying a huge pile of things on his back, Lorin entered the town feeling quite exhausted. The pedestrians on the road all stopped and turned their heads, watching him intently.
Knowing that his current getup was far too flashy, he quickened his pace and headed straight for the blacksmith shop.
"Mr. Horton, do you buy things here?"
Lorin dumped all the junk from his bag onto the table.
The bald Horton stared wide-eyed at the pile of items, took a sharp breath, and exclaimed, "Where did you go to stock up on all this?"
"And this sword needs to be sharpened again," Lorin added grumpily.
"Alright, put it there," Horton nodded and began inspecting Lorin’s loot.
He held up the One-Handed Sword, squinting as he carefully examined the blade. He then flicked the edge with his finger, producing a crisp hum.
He then picked up the Short Bows from the table one by one, drawing them forcefully to check their condition.
"Two Ash Wood Bows, with the tip of the ox horn, and Hemp Bowstrings. Hmm... the limb on this Bow is a bit cracked and needs repairs. I’ll give you a bundle price of 1 Gold Coin and 15 Silver Coins."
He then pointed at the messy pile of miscellaneous items on the table. "I don’t accept this junk. You’ll have to sell it to the general store."
Lorin raised an eyebrow and asked, "That cheap?"
After all, buying an ordinary iron Longsword would cost 10 to 15 Gold Coins. This one forged by a Dwarf using Gray Steel should be worth at least double that.
"This is secondhand equipment! I still have to bear the risks of buying and selling. Take it or leave it," Horton said, tapping the table.
"Fine, fine, fine."
"Hmph."
Horton rummaged behind the counter for a moment, took out the coins, and handed them to Lorin. "I’ll sharpen your sword for free this time."
"Then please help me sharpen these two as well, thanks!"
Two daggers were also placed on the table.
"You... get the hell out!"
"Alright, alright."
Lorin left the blacksmith shop beaming with joy. He now had a total of 20 Gold, 14 Silver, and 7 Copper. And how many days had it even been!
"High risk truly brings high reward," he sighed with emotion.
"Remember to come get your sword tomorrow!" Mr. Horton’s voice rang out from behind.
"Will do!" Lorin smiled and waved his hand.
Having dealt with the items on him, he returned to the Adventurer’s Guild in Shallow Beach Town, which was also the tavern.
"Finished your business?" the tavern owner asked casually when he saw who had walked in.
"I was almost killed by your scam. Give me a glass of iced malt beer and a bowl of stew," Lorin said, rolling his eyes.
"What do you mean?" the owner asked curiously.
"HISS... PHEW... That quest had been posted for over ten days. It said there were only seven or eight rats, but when I got there, I found an entire nest of them."
Lorin gulped down the iced beer, his eyes narrowing in satisfaction.
The tavern owner wiped away the water droplets on the bar counter and burst into loud laughter. "Young man, adventuring is always full of surprises, but that’s exactly the most interesting part about it!"
That was true.
"No, wait! It’s all because you didn’t tell me when this quest was posted!" Lorin said angrily.
"Haha!" The owner laughed it off and continued, "That was a quest posted by the client themselves; the Guild won’t intervene too much. But I suppose it’s partly my fault. This glass of beer is on the house."
"That’s more like it. By the way, I still don’t know your name," Lorin said, curling his lips.
"Just call me Hiv."
Seeing that Lorin wasn’t going to pursue the matter, the tavern owner, Hiv, casually praised, "Not bad, kid. To be able to handle so many Demons all by yourself, are you on the verge of becoming a Professional?"