Chapter 145: The Elder's Visit

Chapter 145: The Elder's Visit



"Matteo, come in," said Rain as he entered the forge. His eyes immediately fell upon the brand-new two-handed great hammer in the hands of the barbarian girl, Ragle. The hammer was nearly complete and currently undergoing the polishing process.

Matteo's eyes widened at the sight of the dense spikes on the hammer's head, leaving him momentarily stunned.

This exaggerated, even grotesque, design was something he had never seen before.

"Deputy, is this black warhammer your new weapon?" Matteo asked, recalling that Rain's bronze warhammer had shattered during the attack by the Iron Maiden Dummy the previous night.

"Yes, how's it look? Ragle's craftsmanship is pretty good, right?" Rain also admired the nearly completed 'Boar Head Hammer,' his face showing satisfaction.

"Indeed! It's incredibly imposing!"

"Sir, how heavy is this hammer? It looks extremely heavy!" Matteo circled the hammer with great interest, examining it closely as it was being polished, examining it closely.

Rain estimated that the Boar Head Hammer weighed over a hundred pounds, significantly heavier than the Radiant Greatsword.

However, he wasn't entirely sure about its weight.

"It's almost 150 pounds!" Ragle, the barbarian girl, who was polishing the hammer, looked up and rolled her eyes.

"Sigh~" Matteo couldn't help but gasp, his eyes widening again.

It was unimaginable to think of the impact of a spiky warhammer weighing nearly 150 pounds.

Terrifying! Terrifying!

"Oh, right, Matteo, have you found a house yet?" Rain turned to Matteo, asking.

Matteo suddenly remembered his purpose for coming to the forge. "Oh, right, sir, I've checked a few houses near the town's administrative hall. Is that it? Is that it?"

"Well, let's go see them now."

"Okay! Let's go now." Rain nodded.

He wanted to settle the housing matter quickly so his parents could start moving in.

Additionally, the warhammer was almost finished, and he wouldn't gain much more blacksmithing experience from it.

Rain then said to Ragle, "I'll go out for a bit to look at the houses. You've got the rest covered, right?"

But as soon as Rain took a step out, he seemed to remember something and immediately turned back. "Oh, right, how about using the bloodvein steel ingots to forge a shield?"

Ragle was taken aback, stopping her work and looking up at Rain with her beautiful eyes. "That's a great idea."

Rain nodded and smiled, saying, "Then I'll go back and get the bloodvein steel ingots for you. Remember to make yourself a new shield."

Ragle looked at Rain with a hint of reluctance, but also some hesitation.

"Never mind, it's too precious. You don't have to," she started to say, but Rain interrupted her.

Rain waved his hand, saying, "Don't refuse. Your oak great shield was damaged in last night's battle, and you can't fully utilize your strength without a shield."

"If there's extra bloodvein steel, you can make me a bloodvein steel shield, too."

Ragle's face turned slightly red, and she lowered her head slightly.

"Also, what if the church's forces come in a couple of days and we have to go back to Night Song Forest? You won't have a shield then," Rain shrugged.

Rain's last sentence made Ragle stop refusing, and she nodded, saying, "Okay, I won't refuse anymore. Thank you, Rain."

Rain smiled and left the forge.

As soon as he stepped out, Rain decided to go see the houses with Matteo first.

Once they settled on a house, he could have his parents start moving in, and he could also pick up the bloodvein steel ingots on the way.

"Matteo, which house should we see first?" Rain asked.

"Sir, we'll go see the house that belonged to McAvoy Degado's family first."

"McAvoy was a good man. Unfortunately, his entire family died in the church's ceremony, killed by the Black Flame Cult," Matteo explained.

"You know him too, sir? Yes, that's right," Matteo was initially surprised but quickly realized that since both McAvoy and Rain were from Shangjin Town, it was normal for them to know each other.

Rain was, of course, familiar with that house.

He had often bought meat pies from McAvoy, and McAvoy's meat pies were one of his sister Mint's favorite pies, second only to the ones made by their mother, Emma.

Soon, the two arrived at the first house, a two-story building just over a hundred meters from Shangjin Town's administration hall.

The house had a separate fence and small yards in both the front and back, but the front yard alone was larger than Rain's family's front yard.

Rain nodded slightly, thinking that this small courtyard was perfect for digging and that his sister Mint would surely love it.

After a quick tour around the house, Rain discovered that there was a backyard behind the house, slightly smaller than the front yard.

Considering the overall layout, the house was similar to Rain's own, but in terms of area, it was significantly larger, almost double the size.

Matteo had already prepared the keys in advance.

"Click!" Matteo opened the door to the house.

As Rain stepped inside, he noticed that the decorations were relatively new, and most importantly, the house was spacious.

The first floor consisted of a dining and kitchen area, along with a drawing room featuring a fireplace. The second floor had four bedrooms and a storage room, which was currently empty, containing only a few simple tables and chairs.

Additionally, the basement provided ample space for storing non-perishable items like vegetables, grains, and even wine.

The overall structure of the house was well-designed, at least two or three levels better than Rain's own home.

Rain nodded slightly, impressed by the house.

"Matteo, how much is this house?" he asked.

"Two hundred and eighty gold coins, and the transfer can be done immediately," Matteo replied.

"Alright, we'll take this one," Rain decided.

"Sir, won't you take a look at the other house?" Matteo asked, puzzled.

He felt that the other house was also quite good and even had a separate stable.

"No need," Rain shook his head.

Rain had his reasons for choosing this house, and Matteo had briefly mentioned that the other house was located in the eastern part of the town center, farther from Abber's Alchemy Shop and even more distant from the Administrative Hall.

"Matteo, let's go back home first, and then you can accompany my parents to handle the transfer formalities," Rain instructed.

"Yes, sir," Matteo agreed.

As the two of them headed back, they soon passed by the entrance of Abber's Alchemy Shop. Unlike usual, Rain noticed from a distance that the shop's door was tightly closed.

This puzzled Rain, as it was rare for the shop to be closed, even when Abber or Molly was busy.

However, Rain had other matters to attend to and didn't delve further into the situation.

Upon returning home, Rain briefly informed his parents about the matter and handed over a purse containing three hundred imperial gold coins to his mother, Emma. He then asked them to take Mint and accompany Matteo to handle the transfer procedures.

Meanwhile, Rain took ten bloodvein steel ingots and returned to the blacksmith's workshop.

As soon as he opened the door, Rain saw Ragle wielding a brand-new boar head hammer, but her movements seemed slightly sluggish, indicating that she was struggling with the weight.

When Ragle noticed Rain's arrival, she smiled.

"Rain, you're just in time! I've finished the final steps. Come and try out your new weapon," she said, handing the hammer to Rain.

As soon as Rain held the hammer, he felt its weight. It was slightly heavy to grip.

However, with the addition of grooves and bindings on the handle, the hammer felt comfortable to hold and could be wielded with one or both hands, making it very convenient.

Excitedly, Rain stepped into the open backyard of the workshop and started swinging the hammer, demonstrating a few hammer techniques.

After a few swings, Rain found the hammer quite manageable.

The only minor issue was the weight of the boar head hammer. Being made entirely of hardened steel, it was heavier than Rain had anticipated, resulting in slightly slower swinging speed during attacks.

However, after a moment's thought, Rain concluded that this wasn't a significant problem.

After all, when facing a formidable enemy, he would likely be in his 'Second State' or 'Third State', which would enhance his physical abilities.

With the previous addition of a small amount of power, the 'Breaking Limit' value on Rain's Knight (Extraordinary) panel had further increased to 45%.

By simply activating 'Breaking Limit', Rain's strength, agility, and constitution would be boosted by 45%. The slightly heavy boar head hammer would immediately feel much more manageable.

Furthermore, Rain estimated that the hammer might even feel slightly lighter when he unleashed his full power.

This was something that couldn't be achieved at the moment, as there was a significant difference in Rain's physical abilities between his normal and powered-up states.

"How do you like it?" Ragle asked with a smile, watching Rain's demonstration.

"I'm very satisfied, thank you, Ragle," Rain replied.

"In that case, I'll start working on the clay mold for the shield. By the way, what size shield do you want?" Ragle inquired.

"If there's enough bloodvein steel ingots, I'd like one similar to yours. If not, a slightly smaller one would be fine," Rain replied after some thought.

After all, he rarely used shields, so it could serve as a backup for Ragle.

"Alright!" Ragle nodded, understanding that Rain rarely used shields.

Taking advantage of Ragle's absence, Rain placed the ten bloodvein steel ingots into the blacksmith's forge.

Following the previous method, Rain used the sorcery 'Scorching Touch' to melt the ingots into a liquid state.

Soon after, Ragle returned with the clay mold for the shield.

Having experienced this process before, she wasn't surprised by the swift melting of the steel ingots. After placing the mold at the outlet of the forge, Rain opened the valve.

Rain watched as the bloodvein steel liquid slowly flowed into the clay mold's pouring hole.

He glanced at the system prompt and felt a surge of joy.

【You have performed bloodvein steel smelting work, and your understanding of related skills has improved!】

【You have learned a new skill - Bloodvein Steel Smelting】

【Your Bloodvein Steel Smelting skill has improved, gaining +72 experience】

【You focused on smelting bloodvein steel ingots, gaining +39 blacksmithing profession experience】

【You have performed shield forging work, and your understanding of related skills has improved!】

【You have learned a new skill - Shield Forging】

【Your Shield Forging skill has improved, gaining +2 experience】

【You focused on shield forging, gaining +3 blacksmithing profession experience】

With Ragle by his side, Rain's blacksmithing profession level was rapidly increasing! After an hour, Ragle held the brand new bloodvein steel shield, her face filled with joy.

Rain checked his blacksmithing profession level, and although the system's experience rewards were still generous, his blacksmithing profession had just leveled up, currently reaching Blacksmith Lv. 4 (329/1000).

When Rain and Ragle returned, they found Matteo leading a group of night watchmen to help with the move.

Nearby, Anna seemed to be sorting through clothes, probably notified by her sister, Mint.

Soon, Rain and Ragle joined the moving crew.

Meanwhile, in Shangjin Town, Rain's new home was bustling with activity after several hours of moving. With the help of many night watchmen, the relocation was mostly completed.

Rain looked at the busy crowd, sweating profusely, and decided to treat his night watch colleagues to a meal as a gesture of gratitude.

He asked his mother, Emma, to go to the market to buy some chicken, duck, fish, vegetables, and fruits, and his father, Old Ryan, to purchase some fine malt wine and fruit wine.

For the repairs to the old house, Rain entrusted Matteo to find someone to fix it up and then sell it directly.

After settling these minor matters, Rain gazed at the vacant storage room on the second floor, deep in thought.

Soon, he stepped out and made his way to Abber's Alchemy Shop, which was still closed.

Peeping through the door crack, Rain confirmed that no one was inside. He then circled around to the back entrance of the shop and knocked on the residential door.

"Who is it?" a hoarse voice asked, and Rain immediately recognized it as Abber's.

"It's me, Rain," he replied.

"Creak!"

The door opened, and a tall, thin figure with bloodshot eyes and disheveled hair appeared, startling Rain.

Fortunately, Rain's heightened senses allowed him to identify the familiar aura of Abber, the alchemist, without a doubt.

"Are you Mr. Abber?"

"How did you know...?" Rain couldn't help but ask.

Abber raised his head and looked at Rain with bloodshot eyes, saying only one sentence.

"Molly is dead."

"What? How did Sister Molly die?" Rain was taken aback and immediately asked.

The beautiful and gentle Molly, whom he remembered as having recently married, was gone at the tender age of twenty? Rain couldn't help but feel a sense of fragility about life.

At the same time, he also realized how precious it was for his family to be together safely!

Furthermore, Rain instantly understood why Abber had become like this.

The pain of losing one's beloved spouse must be utterly devastating!

"Last week, Molly was killed by heretics while worshipping in the church."

"What!" Rain's pupils constricted, he hadn't truly expected that Molly was among those who died in the church last week.

"Rain, what brings you here?"

Rain stammered a bit, he knew this wasn't the right time to speak up, but after thinking, he said, "Mr. Abber, I want to learn how to make potions."

Abber waved his hand and said, "I don't have the mind to make potions right now, let alone teach you."

"But if you really want to learn, you can try to teach yourself."

Abber took out a diary from the room and said, "This is a record of some of my potion-making experiences. If you truly have the talent, it should help you."

Rain immediately took it, feeling a bit disappointed but also expecting as much.

It was a plain black notebook with a leather cover, and from the material, it seemed quite old.

Additionally, the black leather surface was stained with various colorful potions, and due to the potion residue, the notebook also emitted a faint unpleasant odor.

But seeing how Abber cherished it, this notebook must contain his heart and soul.

If not for his current state of deep sorrow, Rain guessed that Abber might not have given it to him.

"Mr. Abber, thank you very much!"

After thinking for a moment, Rain added, "Mr. Abber, if Sister Molly were still alive, she wouldn't want to see you so despondent. I hope you can cheer up and live a good life."

After leaving Abber, Rain went to the grocery store and purchased some basic utensils for potion-making.

Then, Rain returned to the second floor of his new home, in the junk room', preparing to try making a mutation growth elixir.

At the same time.

At the entrance of Rain's old home, an elderly man dressed in a black robe and holding a wooden staff appeared. The man wore a hood, concealing his face.

Looking at Rain's old home, now empty, a hint of confusion appeared on the old man's face.

He thought to himself, Norman's actions are becoming less and less reliable.

But soon, he saw a young man in a standard leather armor, a night watchman, entering Rain's home, seemingly carrying something.

The young man approached and asked, "Young man, does Rain live here?"

"Yes, he does. Would you like me to take you to his new place?" The young night watchman replied enthusiastically, apparently mistaking the old man for Rain's friend.

"Thank you!"

The old man followed the young night watchman and soon arrived near Rain's new home.

However, just as they were about to reach their destination, the old man spoke in a low voice, "Young man, you just had a dream, and now you've awakened."

"Hmm, what did you say, old man?"

As the young night watchman turned his head, he caught a glimpse of the old man's deep eyes, and suddenly, he froze, his eyes losing focus for a moment, his pupils dilated as if unfocused!

But the next second, the young night watchman returned to normal, showing no signs of strangeness.

He muttered to himself for a while before walking away, seemingly oblivious to the fact that he had just guided the old man.

The old man soon arrived at the entrance of Rain's new home and saw more than a dozen night watchmen coming in and out, frowning slightly.

So many people.

This makes it difficult to act.

I'll come back later tonight.

But there's one more thing to do. The old man turned and looked around, quickly noticing a little girl digging in the front yard.

"Little girl, is this Rain's house?" The old man approached and asked Mint through the wooden fence.

When Mint's innocent eyes looked up at the old man, her eyes suddenly lost focus, and she nodded woodenly, "Yes, Elder."

"Then go and get me a piece of clothing belonging to your brother Rain. If there's any hair, that would be even better."

"Okay, Elder."

Immediately, Mint turned and left, soon arriving in Rain's room, where she found a linen tunic belonging to her brother Rain and took it downstairs.

Anna, who was tidying up the room, witnessed this scene. Although she didn't know what Mint was doing with Rain's clothes, she didn't ask further.

After a few minutes, Mint shook her head, feeling dizzy and unable to recall what had happened.

And the old man disappeared into the evening sunset.

Thanks to the reader who rewarded 100 starting coins!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end