Chapter 565: Chapter 286: [Task Number]: D-6027
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
Like “sofa time” after taking off work clothes, a brief lunch break amid busy work, a stolen moment of leisure.
Having just finished a long journey, Xia Nan spent the most leisurely and relaxing three days he’s had in months in River Valley Town.
Actually, he didn’t do anything special. Just like those days before, he filled his schedule with a regular training routine. In the evenings, he sat in the corner of the tavern hall, listening to adventurers from all over talk about this and that, and another day passed just like that.
But precisely this kind of life, not needing to eat and sleep outdoors nor constantly be on guard against potential dangers, being able to sleep on a safe and soft bed every night and drink steaming, delicious cream of mushroom soup at every meal, was something he couldn’t achieve before when trekking through the wilderness and gnawing on dry, salty cured meat.
Once, when Xia Nan first crossed over, he was troubled and bored by the lack of entertainment in this world, with no phones or computers to kill time. Every second after nightfall seemed particularly hard to endure.
Yet now, over a year has passed, and he had long become accustomed to this slow-paced, leisurely life.
On the way back, he occasionally encountered heavy rain and could sit alone by a cave’s entrance, staring at the curtain of rain dripping down, for several hours.
This was an unprecedented experience for him, who in his past life was buried day and night at the desk.
But… he didn’t hate it.
Today was just like any other.
At first light, when the street finally started to show signs of life, Xia Nan, having just finished his morning exercise, found a stream outside town to wash up. With wet black hair, he returned to town.
The “Rock Hammer” Blacksmith Shop opened its doors equally early. When Xia Nan stepped inside, the shop owner Barn was already standing behind the counter, wiping a single-bladed axe that had been sitting on the shelf for a long time with a piece of gauze.
“You came at a good time.” Hearing the footsteps, he looked up to see the black-haired young man, and Barn was not surprised, “I’ve pretty much done inspecting that silver ingot.”
He turned and went into the back room. Before long, he came out again holding a blackish-brown metal box.
He placed the box on the counter and opened it gently.
Scalding heat wrapped in fine mist surged out instantly, and what entered Xia Nan’s sight was the [Melted Ash Silver Ingot] he left in the shop for appraisal three days ago.
Compared to before, it hadn’t significantly changed in appearance, but judging from the blacksmith’s expression, he apparently had conducted a comprehensive and detailed examination of it.
“Although I don’t know where you got it, to be honest, this type of silver ingot… is the first time I’ve seen it in all these years.”
Not hiding anything, Barn stared at the silver ingot lying quietly in the box and spoke directly.
“Its self-generating heat characteristic is a bit similar to ‘Hell Metal,’ but neither its color nor its texture is the same, nor does it involve a soul aspect, so the possibility of it being a variant of Hell Iron is ruled out.”
“Its density is much higher than that of ordinary refined silver, but its thermal conductivity is unexpectedly poor, which is unusual. I suspect it may require some special energy to activate the metal’s full potential.”
“Moreover, although it superficially exhibits high-temperature molten features, the silver ingot’s own tensile strength far exceeds ordinary metals, and it’s quite resilient. During testing, it even exhibited slight shape memory characteristics.”
“In summary, it is a high-strength material suitable for forging most types of equipment.”
“Unfortunately, the amount is too small and can only be used as an admixture.”
“Otherwise, if this metal were the main ingredient, crafting an armor plate might even last you until you change professions.”
The burly man stroked the braid on his chest, his weathered face full of regret, seemingly still fixated on how the armor he forged had an abnormally high drop rate on Xia Nan.
“I’ve only got this one piece.”
Xia Nan shook his head, though inwardly he breathed a sigh of relief.
Although the attribute panel had already indicated he might be able to use it as a forging material, he only felt at ease once Barn, as the blacksmith, confirmed it.
“What about compatibility? How compatible is it with the ‘Gray Steel’ of the Beheading Longsword? Can it be used for reforging enhancement?”
Hearing his inquiry, Barn’s expression momentarily hesitated, his face showing a hint of reluctance. Fresh chapters posted on 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡⁂𝔣𝔦𝔯𝔢⁂𝘯𝘦𝘵
“I’ve tested this over the past few days as well, the result… it can be done, but there might be a slight issue.”
“I should have introduced it to you earlier; the main material for the Beheading Longsword, Gray Steel, comes from a new pit my Steelbeard Clan opened at ‘Flame Cast Peak.'”
“Materials like Gray Steel are not unfamiliar to us blacksmiths, but even the most common copper and iron on the market have subtle differences due to their place of origin.”
“The Gray Steel used in making the long sword should technically match the silver ingot, but perhaps due to Flame Cast Peak, my inspection reveals there is… indeed a minor conflict between them.”
With this, Barn’s tone became somewhat awkward.
“Forcing the silver ingot into the reforge is surely possible, and the conflict between Gray Steel and it wouldn’t affect your regular use. However, in intense battles, if you encounter a special situation that I haven’t identified, it could very well lead to the blade cracking or even breaking.”
“It’s a flaw with a small likelihood but disastrous consequences.”