Chapter 6: The Kind-hearted Craftsman

"Freshly imported Popo fruit! Crispy and sweet, a must-try for adventurers!"

"Red bean cream-filled potato balls! Purple yam-filled potato balls! Salt-flavored potato balls!"

...

The continuous shouts from both sides of the street caught Qi Shaoyun attention. When he heard about the potato balls, he couldn't help but stop and turn his head to locate the source of the sound.

Tall stature, innocent appearance, bronze skin, and revealing attire—just by looking at her features, it was evident that she belonged to the Amazon race.

Clearly, she wasn't the Blue Ribbon Goddess.

Feeling the remaining 700 vali in his pocket, Qi Shaoyun reluctantly took out 100 and approached to purchase two red bean cream-filled ones.

Considering it as breakfast, he continued his search for the blacksmith shop while eating.

Even among the blacksmiths of Hephaestus lineage, there were differences in skill and quality. Not all members had the privilege of selling equipment within the Tower of Babel.

Success often favored the prepared.

Since he chose to join the lineage of Hephaestus, he had to be fully prepared. He couldn't just rush to their doorstep and shout, "I want to join your lineage!"

Being one of the most sought-after lineages in the entire Orario, the number of people wanting to join the lineage of Hephaestus was staggering.

If they accepted everyone they encountered, the lineage of Hephaestus would have long become the largest in Orario

Qi Shaoyun was searching for the blacksmith shop of the Hephaestus lineage to gather information from insiders.

Of course, he only had until this morning.

Because in the afternoon, he had to venture into the underground dungeon to hunt down some goblins from the upper levels to sustain his daily expenses.

If he were searching for other shops, it might take some time, but finding a blacksmith shop would be much simpler.

Following the dull, rhythmic pounding sounds of "ping ping pong pong," Qi Shaoyun quickly found a blacksmith shop with the distinct Ηφαιστος (Hephaestus) mark, which was exclusive to the lineage of Hephaestus.

Wiping off the potato ball crumbs from the corner of his mouth, Qi Shaoyun stepped into the blacksmith shop. The moment he entered through the door, he could feel the noticeable temperature difference between the inside and outside.

Inside, a massive forge burned fiercely, raising the average temperature in the room by at least five degrees higher than the outside.

Perhaps sensing someone's presence, a muscular man with his bare upper body in front of the forging table slowly stopped his work.

He returned the sword blank, which had been brought to temperature, back into the forge.

Setting down his forging hammer, the man turned his head with a smile and looked at Qi Shaoyun, who stood at the entrance. Then he spoke, asking, "Are you here for a custom order or equipment repair, sir?"

Staring at the blacksmith, who still had a kind and gentle expression, Qi Shaoyun took out his remaining 600 Valis and answered with a slightly puzzled look on the blacksmith's face.

"May I borrow your forge with this money for a while?"

"The forge?"

The muscular man looked at Qi Shaoyun with a bewildered gaze. After years of working as a blacksmith in Orario, he had never encountered such a customer before.

But when his gaze fell upon Qi Shaoyun and saw the image of someone who had clearly fought all night in the dungeon, he instantly understood.

With a hearty laugh, the man didn't accept the 600 Valis.

"As long as you can handle it."

Without saying much, the man turned around and pulled out a smaller spare forging hammer from the forge.

"Catch..." The man was originally planning to toss it casually to Qi Shaoyun, but he stopped halfway.

In his eyes, from head to toe, every piece of armor, even the young man who could only produce 600 Vali, was likely a newcomer to Orario with a level of around Lv1.

If he was an agile adventurer, there was a high chance he wouldn't be able to catch it or even get injured by the forging hammer.

"Give it a try. See if you can swing it."

As the conversation went on, the blacksmith handed the forging hammer to Qi Shaoyun.

Understanding that the man was willingly letting him use it for free, Qi Shaoyun didn't waste time on pleasantries in this awkward situation. He reached out and took the small, dark hammer.

At the moment the muscular man let go, Qi Shaoyun realized just how heavy this fist-sized forging hammer was.

His right hand dropped about thirty centimeters before he managed to exert enough force to hold onto the hammer.

Based on his estimation, this spare forging hammer weighed at least a hundred kilograms.

If he were at his system's Lv1, he might not have been able to lift the hammer with both hands, let alone one hand.

Witnessing this scene, even the muscular man from the Hephaestus family couldn't help but show astonishment on his face.

He knew well the weight of his own forging hammer. Even some Lv2 adventurers who weren't particularly strong would struggle to lift it with one hand.

However, being able to lift it was one thing, being able to wield it was another.

But soon, he was surprised once again.

Qi Shaoyun, holding the forging hammer in his right hand, approached the forge and made a hollow strike on the anvil with a "ding" sound.

Then he took an arrow from his quiver, removed the arrowhead, and clamped it onto the anvil with iron tongs. Following that, a series of "ding-ding-dang-dang" sounds echoed as he struck the arrowhead.

Qi Shaoyun, focused on sharpening the arrowhead, continued his work without turning his head.

"The past few days I just arrived in Orario and haven't decided which family to join yet."

He didn't explicitly mention that no family was willing to accept him, as that would inadvertently lower his own value.

"You haven't joined a family?!"

Upon hearing Qi Shaoyun's response, the muscular blacksmith showed surprise and disbelief.

His gaze once again fell upon the wounds on Qi Shaoyun body, and he hesitantly asked, "You didn't go into the dungeon on your own before joining a family, did you?"

Upon hearing this, Qi Shaoyun stopped his hand movements and turned to the blacksmith with a grin, resembling the innocent and sincere protagonist in an anime.

"Orario is a romantic sanctuary for every adventurer. Whether I become a member of a family or not, it can't stop my longing for the dungeon!"

Staring at Qi Shaoyun back as he earnestly hammered the arrowheads, the blacksmith remained silent for a long time.

The young man's words just now stirred up memories of his own past. He, too, had once arrived in Eulerli with the same passionate fervor, disregarding all opposition.

With these thoughts in mind, the blacksmith picked up the forging hammer again, approached Qi Shaoyun, who was struggling with the arrowheads, and complained with a touch of frustration, "By randomly hammering like this, the arrowheads will be ruined sooner or later."

He took the tongs from Qi Shaoyun hand and personally began to reshape the arrowheads.

Under the blacksmith's exceptional craftsmanship, all thirteen arrows were transformed into pristine condition in less than ten minutes.

"You truly deserve to be called a master of the Hephaestus family. These arrows look as good as new."

Qi Shaoyun never hesitated to give praise when it was free.

Satisfied with the well-placed flattery, the muscular blacksmith displayed a hint of pride on his face. He patted his hands and tried to appear composed as he replied, "Without such skills, how could the divine allow me to open a shop?"

Suddenly, something came to the blacksmith's mind, and he regained his composure.

"Are you heading to the labyrinth next?"

Putting the thirteen arrows into his quiver, Qi Shaoyun nodded. "I ran out of money on the way to Orario, so I need to earn some living expenses in the labyrinth."

"Also, thank you very much for your help!"

After saying that, he turned to leave the blacksmith shop.

However, just as he took a step forward, he heard the abrupt voice of the blacksmith behind him.

"Wait!"

Turning back, Qi Shaoyun saw a black object flying towards him and instinctively reached out to catch it.

When he saw what was in his hand, a genuine surprise appeared on his face. The blacksmith had thrown him a short sword.

"This is a loan from me. Remember to return it twofold in the future."