Chapter 70：Core (1/2)
*Ting!* A sound of warning about a visitor coming from the outside was heard from the inside of the smithing shop.
”It's you. Welcome back.” The man sitting on his usual spot greeted his visitor.
Yman did not reply through words but nodded his head slightly.
”I'm here for the item I ordered yesterday, Mister Smith.”
He said directly his main reason for coming. Actually, just yesterday he found out that this man was the blacksmith Sar Smith himself, the owner of this smithing shop.
”Ah that. Don't worry it's finished. It's here. Now, where is that crystal?”
Yman got excited when he heard his reply and saw the item on top of the glass table in between them. He then handed the Magic Cryst to him.
Sar Smith took it and pointed against the light and meticulously checked on it against the pinch of his fingers.
The Magic Cryst was seemingly alive as it twinkled when Yman took it from his Cyber Storage and handed it to the smith. It was in bright red color and sparkled whenever the smith rotated it slowly.
After checking on it for a couple of seconds. He glanced at Yman with a little doubt. Then he opened his mouth, ”Really. How did you even able to acquire such a valuable item?”
Yman's lips extended to one side. Probably the smith didn't mean bad at his words. So he smiled with a smug.
After another couple of seconds, Sar Smith took it in the next room together with the item.
*Gluggglug!* *Clang!* *Bzzzzzzzt!*
Sistela who was sitting on his left shoulder asked him in doubt. The two of them heard some scraping noises from the next room where Sar Smith went to with his Magic Cryst and the item.
”He must be peeling the Cryst,” Yman replied.
”It was a skimming process of peeling the outer layer of the Magic Cryst in order to inlay it to the equipment of choice.”
”Ah, that? It is because the outer part of the Magic Cryst is just a normal crystalline. The real Magic Cryst was the core of it.”
”Mhm.”
”How big, huh. Hmm, I think..... half as big as the nail on my shortest finger.” Yman replied and lifted his left hand to show Sistela his fingers.
Sistela glanced at Yman's shortest finger then she glanced at his nail and shouted,
”Ahaha, right.”
After an hour and a half of waiting, the smith Sar Smith finally returned.
Yman and Sistela noticed a box in Sar Smith's hands.
”It's been ages since I last inlay such a rare crystal in a piece of equipment.”
Mister Smith said while wiping the remains of sweat on his forehead using his left arm. The eye patch on his eye made a slight movement when his arm unintentionally touched it.
Yman noticed a bluish glow in it. He wondered what it was.
Sar Smith handed the rectangular box to Yman.
Yman grinned in excitement and asked for the total price.
”Hmm... 5,000 GP for the equipment and 300 GP for the labor.”
Upon hearing his reply, Yman's eyes slightly widened but he already expected it. After all, the materials he chose yesterday for making the equipment was of rare materials.
And if he's not been mistaken. The actual item was made at the tailoring shop then delivered here to attach other materials. And today for skimming and inlaying the actual Magic Cryst, or the core of it.
Yman paid the total price through a trading system after checking the item. It was made of good materials from the high ranking beast. It was colored in black and a small chip on its back in red color sparkled when hit by the light. The tiny chip on it was no doubt the core of the Magic Cryst.
Yman caressed the crystal chips and felt the smooth and chill on it. Like touching the water surface of the tranquil swamp.
Yman excitedly wore it on his right hand and his five fingers went through each hole of the glove, not so tight and not loose. It fitted well on his hand.
A kind of joy when a kid received a new toy from his/her parents. But at this moment, he was unaware of that expression he was wearing on his face.
He repeatedly closed and opened his hand. Checking if it's comfortable on his hand. After realizing that there was no issue. He smiled in appreciation to Sar Smith.
Suddenly, he felt a surge of power from it. Like, his strength increases a little. For certain, with this item, he had the feeling that he could dispatch those rats a little bit easier than before.
In truth, his first choice was to inlay the Cryst in the weapon. But after appraising the Magic Cryst, Yman and Sar Smith found out that it was in a strengthening category.
Then Sar Smith recommended him to inlay it in a glove while saying that it would be a waste to inlay it in a weapon if the one who used that weapon was not proficient with it.
Yman was surprised that Sar Smith knew that he was not proficient in any weapon. But he thought that maybe he was found out based on the equipment he bought the other day.
Since a man who was proficient in swords probably stared at the sword only when buying a weapon. While him, he bought different kinds of weapons.
The second reason why Sar Smith recommended him the glove and not armor or anything else is that gloves can be used in both offense and defense.
The Cryst he got was looted from a rank D+ beast, so it increases his strength for a certain percent only.
After Yman and Sistela left the shop, he checked his money and noticed that he had 200.50 GP left on his Wallet Section. He sighed then checked his mission status:
Current Quest:
Title: Gross Evil Rats!
Quest rank: Bronze