Chapter 26 – Pirate Captain

The package soon arrived at Kerni Fishing Port, and Su Mo paid the fee of two silver coins to take out the contents. No matter what it was, there was a handling fee of one silver coin, and the packaging for the gold coins was another silver coin.

Of the 20 gold coins, Su Mo gave 18 to the blacksmith and kept two gold coins for supplies.

Even though two gold coins seemed like a lot, it was only $100 or so, and he could not buy too much. Su Mo decided to stop using cheap arrows and decided to start using Wolf Tooth Arrows, which cost five silver coins for a bundle. He would buy at least ten bundles in one go, and that would be half a gold coin gone.

He also needed to buy bullets, or the arm cannon would be unusable.

Normally for Rangers, they did not need to spend much on potions. However, now that Su Mo had the Boss monster chat group, he would be fighting monsters higher level than him more frequently.

If he did not prepare potions when fighting monsters of higher levels, it would be the same as throwing away his life.

He also needed to reserve some money for repairing his equipment, which would cost at least ten silver coins every day. It was no wonder that there were players complaining on the forum every day that they did not have enough money.

That was just how people were. Even though there were many people complaining about aspects of New World, the number of active players quickly rose to the millions, and it became the most popular game on the market.

"Finally done, this is my proudest work… well, one of them," Soni Junior held the metal claws he had made, continuously praising it.

"Let me see." Su Mo felt much anticipation as he looked at the small but exquisite things in the blacksmith's hands.

"20 gold coins is much too cheap." 

The blacksmith reluctantly stroked the sharp metal claws before giving them to Su Mo, but his gaze never left them.

Barbaric Claws (Blue): Damage: 18-32, Agility +2, Strength +4, Attack Speed +3. Equipment requires Level 20, Durability: 26/26.

That was all?

Su Mo looked up in disbelief, and he could not understand how something like this could be worth 20 gold coins or even 50 gold coins. Why was this blacksmith so proud of it?

"Hmph, I knew you wouldn't be able to see its value. You think it's just a simple piece of equipment?" 

Soni Junior coldly harrumphed as he said, "If I guessed correctly, you want to equip this on this wolf's claws, right?"

"That's right, but these stats aren't exactly amazing."

"Before that, have you seen pets wear equipment before?"

Pa! Su Mo smacked his forehead and only just realized why he felt that something was off. It was most likely because he could log onto Lafu's account and control it so he had thought of Lafu as an existence different from other people's pets. However, others did not know about this. Soni Junior did not know either, so why had he helped Lafu make a pair of metal claws without asking anything?

"Strictly speaking, this is not pet equipment, because according to the rules, pets can't equip equipment." Soni Junior took the metal claws and squatted down as he put them on Lafu's claws.

"If you press here, the blades will retract, so they won't affect your pet's running and fighting," Soni Junior pressed on Lafu's paws and said as he demonstrated.

"If you press here, the blades will come out again. The most important thing is that this was made from the iron ball that I refined for ten years, so its ductility surpasses most precious metals. No matter how your pet's body changes, it will always fit well. Now, do you think 20 gold coins was too expensive?"

"Not at all, not at all; it's perfect." Su Mo was convinced.

"However, I have a question—since you have such skills and can make equipment for pets, which other people can't do, why don't you rely on this to make money? After earning a lot of money, you can make your smithy better…"

"And then?"

"You can receive more jobs and earn even more money."

"And then?"

"When you have enough money, you can leave this foggy place, go to a sunny beach, and live an easy life."

"It's difficult, as long as Pirate Jack of the Dark Straits Pirates doesn't die, it will be hard for me to ever be happy. He killed my father, and recently, I keep dreaming about when my father was alive. When I walk\ through Kerni Fishing Port's fog, I will never be afraid because I know that my father will be waiting for me ahead."

"What a pity…"

"I helped you solve a problem and only took 20 gold coins, so shouldn't you help me solve a problem?"

"Err, I'll just give you 50 gold coins then."

"50 gold coins is not enough!"

"How about I refund these metal claws then…"

"Are you even a man?!"

"In actuality, there's nothing wrong with a woman dressing as a man."

"Ai, looks like you're not going to help me. Since you've paid for the metal claws, just take them." 

After a series of exchanges, Soni Junior became dispirited and said, "I've already decided to find Pirate Jack to take revenge tomorrow. It's a pity for my unique skill of crafting pet equipment. In the future, you won't be able to find someone who can make metal claws like this. It's a pity for my family's bow-making skills that have been passed down for 300 years…"

"You can make bows?" Su Mo had originally felt annoyed listening to him ramble, but hearing that Soni Junior could make bows, he immediately became interested.

Hunters could use crossbows and guns, but their main weapons were still bows and arrows.

The drop rate for bows in New World was quite low and even lower for good bows. Su Mo had asked in the chat group before, and he found out that no Bosses under Level 30 dropped Silver grade bows.

Su Mo was still using a Level 20 Blue grade bow, which had mediocre damage and stats, and it did not have any Special Effects.

"The Soni household's bow-making skills are famed across the entire Eastern Continent. My great-grandfather once forged a true god weapon, but it's a pity that after he forged it, he was struck to death by lightning and the god weapon disappeared," Soni Junior said with a look of admiration on his face. However, when he thought to the glory of his ancestors, he felt even more pain.

"If you can help me kill Pirate Jack, I will definitely help you forge a godly bow."

What a bragger, his great-grandfather had been struck to death after forging a god weapon and he still dared to have such thoughts. Moreover, how could it be that easy to forge a god weapon? Su Mo did not have great expectations for Soni Junior.

However, he could not help but admit that Soni Junior was a very interesting NPC.

Even if he could not forge a god weapon, Dark Gold or Violet equipment should be no problem, right? Su Mo inwardly apologized to Pirate Jack.

Since he had been asked so desperately by Soni Junior, he could only borrow Pirate Jack's head.

"We'll put aside the god weapon for now. If you can give me an advance payment of a bow with good stats, I'll help you kill Pirate Jack." In the end, Su Mo chose to accept.

It was a good deal.

"I have a long bow left behind by my father, and that can be advance payment. However, you have to kill 60 Dark Straits Pirates to prove yourself and show me your worth."

"Deal." Su Mo did not hesitate to accept.

The system notified him that he had triggered a large-scale quest: Soni Household's Revenge. The end goal was to kill Dark Straits Pirate Captain Jack.

It was a pity that Soni Junior did not know anything about the Dark Straits Pirates. Before his father had passed away, he was just a child who focused on forging and never went out.