He could barely afford it, but spending this much would almost completely drain his savings. He wouldn't be able to buy anything else.
Shaking his head, he could only give up.
If Old Riel's shop was already like this, he couldn't imagine how expensive the weapon shop on the second floor of the Association must be. No wonder only the rich could afford their wares.
Lin Mo reluctantly put down the sword and turned to leave.
Old Riel remained slumped in the chair he had forged himself, a roll of tobacco jutting from his mouth. He didn't look up at Lin Mo even once during the entire process.
He was long used to customers like this. He got at least a hundred window-shoppers a day.
After leaving Old Riel's forge, Lin Mo saw a strapping young Dwarf standing at the entrance of the shop next door, hawking his wares with a weapon in hand.
Unlike Old Riel's deserted forge, this shop had far more Adventurers gathered around it. The young Dwarf answered every customer's question with patience, seeming to have boundless energy.
Lin Mo slowly ambled over. Before he even set foot inside, the enthusiastic owner waved at him. "Hello, customer! Can I help you with anything?"
"I'm just looking..."
Lin Mo waved his hand, a bit uncomfortable with such an aggressive sales pitch.
"Alright then, take your time."
Lin Mo walked into the shop. Rows upon rows of weapons were displayed on the racks, far more than in Old Riel's shop. Adventurers in twos and threes were clustered around the shelves, examining the merchandise. Some had even come with their entire parties.
"Evan, you've been using that sword for almost two years, right? We made a good bit of money on our last mission. Aren't you thinking about getting a new one?"
The young man named Evan scratched his head and glanced at the chipped sword in his hand, hesitating. "Nah, I'll pass. It might look a little beat up, but it still handles well. Besides, I don't have enough money for a good weapon anyway. I need to save up some more..."
After speaking, he turned to a short-haired girl in a sharp, emerald-green outfit. "Millian, see any weapons you like? If you're short on cash, I can lend you some."
The girl, Millian, was carefully studying the rack in front of her. It held three rows of Wooden Bows of varying quality. Due to the different materials used, their prices varied wildly.
The bows on the top row were crafted from sturdy Iron Thorn Wood. They were lacquered black and gleamed beautifully.
But the price was also quite steep—a full 5 Gold Coins!
The middle row held White Oak Bows, which were white in color and also sturdy and durable.
The price was 1 gold and 80 silver coins.
The bottom row held the more common mulberry wood bows, the most frequently seen type of bow, priced at only 90 silver coins.
Millian had used a mulberry wood bow before. On her last mission, a Goblin got too close, and her bow snapped in a few hits when she used it to block the Goblin's attack.
If Evan hadn't rescued her in time, her bones would have been next.
Haunted by that memory, Millian really didn't want to buy another ordinary mulberry wood bow.
But the Iron Thorn Bow on the top row was too expensive. A price of 5 gold coins was simply out of reach for a Black Iron Level Adventurer.
The White Oak Bow in the middle, however, at 1 gold and 80 silver coins, was just barely within her reach.
She took out her coin purse, counted her money, and looked at Evan beside her. "Can I borrow 80 silver coins?"
"Of course!"
Without a second thought, Evan handed his entire coin purse to her.
The party's leader, a middle-aged Knight named Bain, shook his head helplessly, though he wasn't surprised by the scene.
Everyone, including Millian herself, could see what Evan was up to. But since one was eager to please and the other was happy to accept, there wasn't much he could say.
'Young people these days...'
Lin Mo averted his gaze and looked at the weapons in front of him.
Compared to Old Riel's shop, the young Dwarf's forge did indeed have an advantage when it came to price.
The cheapest swords cost only 40 silver coins, but they weren't much better than the Broken Sword Lin Mo was currently carrying, so he didn't even consider them.
The decent-looking ones were priced at around 1 gold coin, about 20 silver coins cheaper than at Old Riel's.
'However...'
[Newbie Sword]
Weapon Types: One-Handed Sword
Level: Ordinary (White)
Attributes: Durability -20%, Sturdiness -10%
Introduction: A perfectly unremarkable One-Handed Sword. Due to the young Blacksmith's lack of patience and still-developing craft, it might not be particularly sturdy or durable.
Compared to Old Riel's consistent quality, the young Dwarf Blacksmith, Edgar, was clearly lacking in experience.
Lin Mo shifted his gaze away, looking at the few swords on the top shelf.
Compared to the swords on the middle shelf, the blades of the ones on the top shelf were noticeably shinier.
It wasn't just the blades; the materials used for the hilts were different as well. The handguard was engraved with the symbol of Edgar's forge, clearly marking them as the owner's masterpieces.
In terms of craftsmanship alone, these swords were in no way inferior to the fine pieces in Old Riel's shop.
But the price on the tag made Lin Mo immediately look away without a shred of hesitation.
'3 gold and 20 silver coins. I couldn't afford that even if I sold myself...'
In the end, he fixed his gaze on the swords on the middle shelf.
Lin Mo examined the swords one by one. To an outsider, and perhaps even to Edgar himself, these swords all looked the same. But in his eyes, they were clearly different.
'This one's not bad...'
Finally, Lin Mo's eyes locked onto the sixth sword in the row.
'Durability +30%, Sturdiness +10%. This is the highest quality one in this batch, and the only one that surpasses Old Riel's craftsmanship.'
The price of 95 silver coins was also acceptable. Even if he bought this sword, he wouldn't have to worry about not having money for other supplies.
Just as Lin Mo was about to pick up the sword and see if he could haggle on the price, a rough-looking Half-Beastman Adventurer suddenly walked in from outside.
"Hey, boss, do you buy old weapons here?"
He said, slapping the sword in his hand onto the counter. "I found this in a Goblin Nest during my last adventure. See what you think it's worth."
Edgar didn't mind the Half-Beastman's gruff tone. He picked up the sword, examined it carefully, ran a hand along the blade, and shook his head. "The sword doesn't look half-bad, but the workmanship is poor and the materials are so-so. Plus, it looks like it's been used for a long time. If I'm just recycling it, I can only give you 50 silver coins."
"50 silver coins it is!"
The Half-Beastman's eyes lit up. Getting any money for it was a win, and this price was already beyond his expectations.
"Wait a second..."
Just as Edgar was about to get the money, Lin Mo walked over and addressed the Half-Beastman. "You're selling it anyway, so how about selling it to me? I'll also pay 50 silver coins."
Then he turned to the young Dwarf beside him. "You don't mind, do you, boss?"
"Not at all."
Edgar waved his hand magnanimously. "To be honest, I didn't really want to buy it. It's a hassle to refurbish, and I'd rather just forge a new one. If you want it, take it."
Lin Mo counted out 50 Silver Coins and handed them to the Half-Beastman Adventurer.
"Alright, alright."
The Half-Beastman Adventurer took the money and walked away, chuckling happily.
Lin Mo, on the other hand, picked up the sword and left the forge with a blank expression.
Only after he had walked some distance and ducked into a deserted alley did he pull out the sword, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
[Slightly Flawed Slash Sword]
Weapon Types: One-Handed Sword
Level: Ordinary (White)
Attributes: Durability -30%, Sturdiness -20%, Sharpness +10%
Hidden Attributes: Slashing Skills damage +5%
Without a doubt, Lin Mo had scored a major steal!
The sword's materials were just as Edgar had said—so-so. The craftsmanship wasn't great either. An excessive focus on sharpness had compromised its durability and sturdiness.
One had to admit, the Dwarf Race certainly had a keen eye for weapons.
But a sword's Hidden Attributes weren't something you could discern just by looking at its surface!
Especially for a low-quality weapon with such a subtle enhancement, one would normally have to use it for a long time and compare it with other weapons to notice the difference.
But Lin Mo was different. He had a cheat. He could see the weapon's Hidden Attributes at a single glance.
Although this sword had problems with durability and sturdiness, those issues didn't matter if it was just a short-term, transitional weapon. In fact, he came out ahead with a 10% bonus to sharpness, which would make killing monsters even easier.
Add to that the percentage bonus to slashing Skills—a trait that perfectly suited Lin Mo—and there was no question: getting this weapon for 50 silver coins was an absolute windfall.