Chapter 22: Grey Sword

Facing Ba'en's kindness, Xia Nan didn't refuse.

Anyway, he hadn't made a decision yet, so looking at more was good.

"Rest assured, although these are all second-hand goods, since I dare to take them out to sell, the quality is definitely up to standard, durable!"

The thick, deep voice echoed in the shop, and Ba'en patted his chest to guarantee.

At this moment, in front of Xia Nan were many weapons with old appearances.

They didn't have their own dedicated shelves and were just simply stacked together, clearly not valued by the shop owner.

But through the metallic luster emitted from the surfaces of those weapons, and the cold light that occasionally flashed as his gaze shifted, one could at least see that Ba'en wasn't lying.

They were second-hand goods, no doubt, but they were well-maintained.

Xia Nan squatted down and patiently pulled them out one by one from the weapon pile, placing them in front of his eyes to examine them carefully, while asking:

"Do those high-level adventurers also use this kind of weapon? Not this type of second-hand goods, but that kind of white-board…… er, non-magic item, you know."

To this, Ba'en stroked his beard and said in a gruff voice:

"Many times, 'greenhorns' like you—no offense meant—always have many fantasies about those veterans who possess professional levels."

"But actually, they are also human; they need to spend money to eat, they will turn against each other because of the ownership of a piece of loot, and they will save up half a year's income for a house in a prime location."

"Magic items certainly appear more frequently in the hands of high-level professionals, but those wealthy enough to be covered in them from head to toe are only a very small minority."

"What about our shop?" Xia Nan's tone was flat, as if he were just chatting while picking out weapons. "Do we have that kind of legendary magic equipment for sale?"

Ba'en didn't respond, just smiled mysteriously.

Having obtained key information, Xia Nan stopped wasting time, patted the dust off his hands, and slowly stood up.

Facts proved that second-hand goods were indeed just second-hand goods; he flipped through them once and found no suitable choice.

With a net worth of over a hundred gold coins, it wasn't a lot, but it was roughly enough to buy a brand-new white-board weapon.

If possible, naturally……

Hum—

In the corner of his eye, a grey luster flashed quietly.

Xia Nan's gaze subconsciously followed it.

Within a few breaths, he paused, stared, frowned, and then returned to calm.

The translucent panel in front of him also faded and disappeared as his attention dispersed.

……

【Sturdy Decapitation Longsword】

Type: Two-handed Sword

Grade: Ordinary (White)

Effect: Durability +50%, Decapitation Damage +5%

Introduction:

A fine work produced by the "Rock Hammer" blacksmith shop; a small accident during forging seems to have caused this longsword to undergo some peculiar change.

Remark:

"One, two, three…… wait, how many times did I hit it with the hammer just now?"

—— "Rock Hammer" · Gangxu Clan 492nd Forging Competition 105th Place · Ba'en Gangxu

……

This was a two-handed longsword buried in the shadows.

The handle was about nine inches long, with spiral metal textures and protruding rivets that not only enhanced the friction between the palm and the handle when holding the sword but also gave it a certain feel;

The steel cross-guard didn't extend very far to either side, practically just slightly exceeding the blade by half a finger before neatly retracting, appearing exceptionally concise;

The blade was about four feet long, three fingers wide, thin-edged, with smooth lines and sharp edges.

A simple and capable style was carried through to the end; there were no patterns on the surface of the blade, only the occasional flash of sharp cold light as decoration.

Distinct from other weapons in the shop, this longsword was an extremely strange iron-grey, as if a thin mist had been cast over the blade, making it far less conspicuous than other blades.

Xia Nan had no ripples on the surface, but his heart was already surging.

He pretended to be casual and spoke without changing his expression:

"Why is the color of this sword so strange? Is it a defective product?"

Hearing this, Ba'en actually showed a slightly embarrassed expression and scratched his head apologetically.

"Hehe, I originally intended to forge a two-handed sword two days ago, but I was a bit distracted when sharpening the edge……"

!

No, I just said it casually; it's actually being sold as a defective product!?

Xia Nan pursed his lips, forcibly holding his expression.

Ba'en beside him didn't notice his reaction and just continued muttering:

"Sigh, it's a pity about those dozen pounds of grey steel. It was sent to me by my cousin in the clan, saying it was a new pit opened at Flame Cast Peak for me to test. I don't know how to explain it when they ask later."

"Oh?" Xia Nan raised an eyebrow and followed the other party's lead. "This sword only looks strange in color; where is the flaw?"

Ba'en still didn't notice the slightly fluctuating tone in his voice and just immersed himself in the feeling of regret.

He stepped forward, took the two-handed sword, and pointed at the blade:

"Normally, equipment forged with grey steel should be a light grey like quicklime. Look, isn't the color of this sword a bit deeper?"

"This is because I was distracted and hammered a few extra times when casting the blade, causing the entire process afterward to be dragged down."

As he spoke, Ba'en showed an even more regretful and sighing expression.

"Don't look at it as having no difference from other weapons on the surface; in reality, there might be a problem somewhere in the blade. It might suddenly break during combat, which is something you can't test for."

"You also know that equipment produced by 'Rock Hammer' has always been known for being tough and durable."

"For this kind of work where the quality cannot be precisely controlled due to errors in the forging process, I naturally won't sell it as a regular commodity."

"I can't lose my reputation for the sake of a few dozen gold coins in profit; the clan told everyone that before we came out."

At this moment, Xia Nan finally felt the convenience of the golden finger once again.

Information gap!

Ba'en's error during the forging process made him unable to guarantee the quality of the longsword, worrying that potential problems would damage the reputation of "Rock Hammer."

But Xia Nan, who possessed the attribute panel, knew clearly.

The other party's small error, far from lowering the quality of the longsword, had actually made the blade even sturdier and more durable, and even added some other traits.

Must take it!

He thought to himself.

Now that the other party had explained the reason for treating the longsword as a defective product, Xia Nan didn't hide it anymore and got straight to the point:

"I want this sword. How much?"

"Didn't I just make it clear?" Ba'en was stunned, then surprised. "This sword had problems during forging; the quality isn't certain."

"I think it suits me very well. That's the one!"

Seeing Xia Nan's determined attitude, Ba'en stopped talking and just looked at him for a few seconds.

Then he said helplessly:

"Fine, but let's agree first: don't come looking for me if it breaks later, and don't tell people outside that you bought this sword from me. Get what I mean?"

"Of course!" Xia Nan nodded sincerely. "I picked this sword up in a Goblin cave."

"35 gold, cost price."

(End of Chapter) ===== CHAPTER 23 =====