Weapon Grade

"Don't be disheartened. Didn't Tarud himself say that you are talented?" Jack tries to console him.

Kyle exhaled slowly, "But when compared to you…"

"I was just lucky." Jack was telling the truth, but Kyle didn't believe him.

Looking at his friend's strange gaze, Jack added. "Besides, I have no interest in becoming a blacksmith," before adding inwardly, 'It will use up a lot of my time. I prefer learning some kind of material arts or sword technique and entrust Tarud to forge my weapons.'

"Really?" Kyle asked in disbelief. When he witnessed how easily Jack saw the flaw in his creation, he thought that Jack also wanted to become Tarud's apprentice.

Jack nodded before approving. "Yeah. I prefer to hone my fighting skills.

"I am kinda hungry. How about lunch before we spar? My treat."

Kyle's mood improved after hearing Jack's answer. "Good Idea. But as your senior, I will pay for the food."

Jack politely declined it. "No! I just signed a business contract with Tarud, so I am loaded. Let's celebrate it. You can order anything you want."

Both of them keep laughing as they walk toward the cafeteria. Kyle felt kinda bad and guilty, so he planned to order an ordinary meal. But when he saw Jack buying two servings of today's special dish for himself, he changed his mind and ordered the same meal. He figured that doing so would be impolite and unappreciative.

While eating, Jack begins to draw conclusions about his prior experimentation.

'After inspecting most of Dragon Hammer's weapons and armors, I can classify them into several grades. They are Normal, Uncommon, Epic, and Unique, respectively, from low to high, just like in a game.

'Normal weapons have minor defects that don't affect their overall performance, while the uncommon ones are basically the better version of them. Their shape and balance are nearly perfect.

'To qualify as an Epic grade, a weapon must contain a unique mineral besides iron or steel. I find a lot of question marks (???) while inspecting Epic-grade equipment. Of course, it must meet the criteria of the lower grade first. Which is to have a perfect shape and balance.

'Unique grade has even more strict requirements. Aside from the former criteria, the weapon or armor must possess unique traits such as having a certain degree of magic resistance or higher durability.'

'Hmm… Why didn't I find any magic equipment in the Warehouse? I have seen some mage carrying a magic staff, which means magical weapons exist.

'Didn't the Dragon Hammer Workshop have a blacksmith who could make it? Is the method too tough? Or did the production methods only monopolized by a specific organization?

'The one in the Warehouse didn't have any exaggerated effect like giving additional stats bonus, stealing enemy HP, double strike, or increasing movement speed. In fact, they didn't have any magical properties at all. Instead, all of them carry an option that decreases speed.

'Well, a pair of steel boots that could increase movement speed is indeed illogical. Even if they could somehow recreate the effect using magic, it will need a constant supply of mana to maintain the effect.

'Talking about weight, it also plays great importance in determining a weapon's grade. The higher the grade, the heavier it will be. I need to reach a certain level or have a certain amount of strength to freely wield high-grade weapons.

'This logic is often used in a game. The higher the grade of a weapon, the more stats needed before one can equip it. Besides, If two identical weapons clash, the heavier one will have an advantage over the other.

"Huff…"

'In a game or novels, we could see the stats requirement on the weapon description. But in reality, there is no such thing. I need to test it one by one to grasp my limit.'

Jack took a mouthful of strawberry-like juice before contemplating it again.

'Using higher-grade equipment means carrying more weight. With my current stats, wearing uncommon grade crow armor for fighting is still too much. My movement would become dull, and my stamina will drain faster because of the weight.

'I need to find a way to increase my level. But I must kill a monster to get experience. To do that, I need strength, and my strength only increases if I level up.

'Sh*t!' Jack cursed inwardly.

'Is this what they call a poor man syndrome? A cycle that bound poor people in poverty.'

Jack's mind raced, trying to look for another option he could take. After about ten minutes, he suddenly realized something.

'No...! Keep thinking about it would never solve the problem. I need to ask old man Izack for advice. But before that, I need to find a weapon and a fighting instructor.

'I could get the weapon from Tarud. For the latter, I need to find Francis.'

Seeing that Kyle had finished his meal, Jack shoved the rest of his food into his mouth and swallowed them after chewing it a few times.

Kyle's eyes widened, his mouth twitched. For a moment, he was at a loss for words when his new friend showcased an ability that resembled a snake.

"Let's go!"

Jack's voice snaps him back to reality. After making a joke out of it, they walked toward Adventurer's Guild Training Area.

"Wow!" Jack was mesmerized by what he saw.

"The training area is wider than what I had imagined." Jack blurted it out without thinking.

He could find an outdoor and indoor training ground, sparring area, archery ground, and a place that looked like a gym. A perfect place for someone that is eager to improve their combat ability.

Some train with a dummy or friend, while others try to deflect an arrow with their weapon.

"Is this your first time coming here?" Asked Kyle.

"Yup!"

"Let's rent an indoor arena. The one in the back should be available."

After showing a golden badge with dragon, anvil, and hammer logo, Kyle receives a brass key from the guild staff. Usually, adventurers need to pay a fee if they want to rent an indoor area. But as one of the official workshops, Dragon Hammer seems to have a special privilege.

Kyle picks up two wooden swords from the weapon rack and skillfully plays with them. After a few seconds, he pointed one of them toward Jack and said.

"Pick up your weapon Jack. Let's duel!