Blacksmith Buka
"Remember, there are two Shields available for exchange but BigSoftie wants the Kite Shield. As for the rest of White Fangs, buy whatever you feel might be suitable for the Party."
Stivi instructed as she handed over the 22 White Fangs in her inventory to me.
"As you command, Your Majesty," I joked and entered the Village before she had a chance to respond. I went straight to the Blacksmith's tent, following the coordinates shared by Stivi.
When I reached my destination, I saw many players lining up in front of a shabby tent.
Apparently, these players had finally figured out where they could get their equipment and weapons. Still, this number was less than a tenth of the thousand players active in the village.
I joined the queue and waited for my turn to come. Fortunately, I did not have to wait for long. My turn came in less than fifteen minutes.
As soon as I entered the tent, hot air and the smoky smell of burning charcoal assaulted me. Inside, I saw racks, shelves and tables made from wood all around the place.
These racks and shelves were filled with a variety of shields and blades. There were also a few mannequin stands that displayed heavy armors like chainmails and breastplates.
In the center of this organized chaos stood a small counter. Behind it sat a middle-aged Barbarian, whose black scraggly beard almost reached his slightly bulging belly.
He was currently sharpening a dagger on a whetstone. Hearing my footsteps approach the counter, he spoke without looking up, "Take what you need. Prices are on the goods."
Straightforward without much chatter. I was already happy with the service and moved to the stands which housed swords and sabers.
I checked out a simple looking longsword placed at the most prominent spot.
— -
Simple Sword
Grade: Ash-Grey
Equip requirements: Lv 3
Attack: 7 - 9
—
This sword had the highest possible attack any Ash Grey sword could have. It was even 1 point higher than Stivi's sword.
All in all, it was the best Ash-Grey Sword.
I wondered why Stivi didn't pick this weapon as I turned my gaze to the price tag.
"30 Rat Horns!?"
I almost yelled in surprise. Horned Rats were Lv3 mobs. These rats liked to swarm players in groups.
Though they had low HP, it was impossible to deal with their horde in a short time without an AoE skill. At this stage, entering their rat hole only meant certain death for the players.
Hence, few would be foolish/brave enough to venture into their nests.
Stivi was obviously not one of them and so, I could see why she did not buy this sword.
I put the Sword back in its place wordlessly and went to the daggers section. The very first dagger I checked managed to hook me with its specs.
—
Sharp Slit Dagger
Grade: Ash-Grey
Equip requirements: Lv 5
Attack: 5 - 6
—
This dagger had twice the attack of Zamir's Lv 2 dagger. It was even comparable to attack power of Stivi's Lv2 sword.
When I checked the price, it cost only 5 White Fangs!
I immediately decided to get it and went to the table that displayed the Shields. There were two types of Shields available for sale - A round wooden shield and a metal kite shield.
The Wooden Shield was a one handed shield and it was lightweight. It also had just 4 points in defense and 2 points in attack.
On the other hand when I picked up the Kite Shield, I almost groaned from the weight.
—
Two-handed Kite Shield
Grade: White-Wood
Equip Requirements: Lv 5, STR 10
Defense: 8
Attack: 5 - 7
A masterpiece created by the Blacksmith Buka with his crude techniques. It is the pinnacle of his abilities and allowed him to break through his bottleneck in smithing.
—
I clicked my tongue when I saw the stats. It had as much attack as a top-tier Ash Grey dagger and its defense was even more outrageous.
A Lv 1 normal player only had around 5 defense. If he did not add points in Strength and Vigor, it was difficult for his defense to surpass 10 points even when he reached Lv 5.
Yet, this shield gave 8 points in defense by itself!
With this shield alone, BigSoftie would become an impregnable wall. I could already see the sorry state of the Wild Dogs as they tried to claw through this shield.
Getting the shield, I browsed through the other sections too but could not find a bow or a quiver of arrows.
Sighing with regret, I brought the Shield to the counter.
"I would like to purchase this."
The Barbarian still did not look up from his sharpening work and said, "Put your byproducts there."
He pointed me to a large bowl placed on a weighing scale on the counter. After I put 10 White Fangs in the Bowl, it suddenly announced, "Received 10 White Fangs."
The announcement not only startled me but also shocked the Blacksmith. His hands trembled and he almost cut himself with the dagger he was sharpening.
The Blacksmith looked up at me with shock and then at the item in my hands.
The Shield in my hands evoked a complicated expression on his face. His gaze contained nostalgia, unwillingness to let go and also amazement.
As if making up his mind, he closed his eyes and released a sigh. When he opened his eyes again, he looked at me with a smile.
"I never expected my prized shield would fly off the shelf so soon. Use it well, Deathless Hero for it was my first masterpiece."
[Exchanged Two-Handed Kite Shield.]
[Blacksmith Buka looks at you favorably.]
Nice! I had received favorability just for exchanging an item!
Since Blacksmith Buka was now looking at me with friendly eyes, it meant he would probably answer a few of my questions.
And I was desperate to know answer to one question in particular -
"Blacksmith Buka, do you not sell Bows and Arrows?"