Becoming an adventurer by copying monster abilities

Chapter 101 Preparations Before Departure

"Kid, do you think this place is a slaughterhouse?"

Inside the moss-covered hut, the halfling Marilyn pinched her small nose and rummaged through the bag Luca had brought with some disdain.

Inside the bag was a huge pile of messy, bloody, mangled pieces of flesh.

Because it had not undergone any anti-corrosion treatment, coupled with the sweltering heat of summer.

The materials were emitting a nauseating stench, a mixture of sulfur and rotting flesh.

The fleshy wings of the Kassarion, the sharp horns of the imp, the feathers of the eagle demon...

There was also half of the Mad Toad Demon's rough webbed feet.

Luke's bag was indeed a bit messy.

All of these things were taken before he left Sunset Forest.

Picking and choosing from the ruins of that battlefield ravaged by high-level adventurers and demon armies.

Those high-level adventurers looked down on these worthless scraps.

Luke took advantage of the break when the main group was resting to stuff his backpack full.

Although he is not short of money now, this frugality is ingrained in his bones.

However, it was not properly stored and handled.

After frowning and picking and choosing for a long time, Marilyn only offered a price of one hundred gold.

As for the pair of huge forepaws that Luke had cut off from the owl-bear, the other party did not retrieve them.

This thing isn't worth studying, Marilyn suggested he ask at some high-end restaurants.

Grilled bear paws over charcoal, then brushed with a layer of black pepper and honey sauce.

It appears to be a relatively well-known and expensive delicacy among the upper class.

Luke accepted the reward, pondered for a moment, and said, "Twilight Town is likely to be in a very turbulent situation. The demons in the forest are preparing to counterattack. I don't know if this town can withstand the onslaught of demons. My suggestion is to lay low for the time being."

Marilyn understood what Luke meant and waved her hand, "Thanks for reminding me, you're a pretty good guy."

That's all for this.

The two sides had only a superficial cooperative relationship to begin with, and Luke was not prepared to interfere too much in the other party's decisions.

Moreover, this halfling woman, who has an almost obsessive fanaticism for researching abyssal demonic creatures, is no ordinary person.

At least at Luca's current level, he still cannot see through the true strength hidden beneath that petite body.

A halfling who can single-handedly and steadily run a high-end magic shop in a chaotic adventurer town.

They must possess many extraordinary skills.

"Take care of yourself."

Luke nodded slightly in acknowledgment, then turned and pushed open the wooden door of the moss-covered hut, which was adorned with wind chimes.

Walking on the still bustling streets of Twilight Town, Luca felt no relief whatsoever.

He still has a lot to do next.

They arrived at "Good Buddy Blacksmith Shop" with ease.

The fire in the blacksmith's shop was burning brightly, and the dwarf boss, Durek, was standing at the counter.

He was trying to sell his supposedly "indestructible" iron shield to a few new adventurers.

After catching a glimpse of Luke crossing the threshold, he immediately made an excuse to leave the guests to the apprentices behind him.

He then trotted into the heavily guarded rear warehouse with his sturdy, short legs.

Before long, he came out carrying a heavy, huge wooden box.

Inside was Luke's custom-made armor.

"Don't let the ordinary materials of this armor fool you; thanks to my unique forging technique, its defensive capabilities are absolutely top-notch!"

The dwarf boss was very satisfied with the work.

Before Luke even opened the box, he had already started to boast incessantly.

Luke, intrigued by what Durek said, opened the wooden box.

Lying quietly inside the velvet lining is a set of custom-made armor that exudes a unique aesthetic.

The breastplate, backplate, and greaves of the limbs are all a deep gray-black.

The surface of the metal has been specially matte-finished, giving it a cool and understated look.

This was something Luke specifically requested when he ordered it.

The bright silver armor that reflected the sunlight looked very cool.

But in battles in the wild, he still tried to conceal his presence as much as possible.

At the very least, you shouldn't let the reflection of your armor give you away.

The armor felt slightly cool to the touch and was surprisingly heavy.

The joints are secured with specially made ribbons that are also dyed black, creating a visually harmonious effect.

Luke immediately took off his already somewhat tattered armor and prepared to try on the new equipment.

Durek picked up the old armor Luca had taken off, examined it for a moment, and asked with some surprise, "Did you deliberately damage this armor like this because you're getting new armor? Let me make it clear, I can't offer a high price for it after it's been damaged like this."

No wonder the dwarves were making a fuss.

The plate chainmail armor that Luke had worn earlier had reached the end of its lifespan during this commissioned journey in Sunset Forest.

The shoulder armor bears exaggerated gnoll claw marks, and the back bears the terrifying banshee's finger marks that almost tore the steel plate apart.

The dent on his chest, caused by the owl bear's impact, looked particularly gruesome.

"Just give me whatever you think is appropriate."

Luke was too embarrassed to ask for a high price for that piece of equipment that was almost scrap metal.

It has to be said that Good Buddy Blacksmith Shop, although it focuses on cost-effectiveness.

But the dwarf Durek's craftsmanship is quite good.

If the money is right, you can still make something that can be considered a high-quality product.

Luke put on the entire set of gray-black armor made of streamlined steel plates.

You can feel that it is significantly heavier than the previous one.

However, this also provides a sense of security, as all vulnerable areas are covered by thick metal plates.

This is something that was not present in the previous equipment.

Moreover, given Luke's current strength and physical attributes...

You can easily handle this extra weight.

The custom-made size made Luke's tall and slender figure fit the gray-black full-body armor perfectly.

He exuded an aura of mystery and menace.

Even the boss, Durek, couldn't help but show his admiration.

Just this outfit alone would probably charm many noble ladies and wives living in seclusion in the city.

Luca tried several large tactical rolls and slashes.

After confirming that there was no stiffness or resistance in the joints, he nodded in satisfaction.

Instead of paying the final installment, he placed the silver-white longsword he had bought from Ryan City on the counter and made a new request: "I'd like to pick out another one-and-a-half-hand sword."

The appearance of this silver-white longsword was equally tragic.

The blade was covered with countless nicks and slits.

It's less of a longsword and more like a saw.

Normally, the half-sword is a very versatile weapon type.

He can advance with both hands and strike hard, or retreat with one hand holding a shield.

It can perfectly handle complex combat actions such as stabbing, picking, flicking, and slashing, and the wear and tear rate is not too high.

But Luke was different.

Perhaps it was the first habit formed from learning "Gluttony Chopping".

He relies heavily on violent hacking and slashing in combat.

The wild fighting style also meant that ordinary steel weapons would hardly survive several high-intensity life-or-death battles.

Therefore, considering that it might be difficult to find a skilled blacksmith to perform maintenance while leaving Twilight Town and traveling, it was decided to proceed with the plan.

Luke planned to go all out and buy a weapon that was enchanted and not easily damaged.

In other words, weapons with the "characteristic" attribute.

After spending a long time browsing through the dazzling array of displays, Luke finally chose his target.

A longsword with a rather unusual design.

The longsword was pure black, which matched his newly donned armor quite well.

Compared to a regular hand-and-a-half sword, this sword is half an inch wider and looks heavier.

It seems to have been specially designed to accommodate slashing, sweeping, and other similar maneuvers.

Of course, this design also requires more strength from the user.

After all, one must be able to wield the sword with one hand at crucial moments in order to bring out the inherent flexibility of the half-sword.

Fortunately, with Luke's current stats, this is not a problem at all.

As for the price...

"1200 gold coins, a friendly price."

The owner, Durek, was not lying; the price was only slightly higher than the cost.

This sword is very solid in both its craftsmanship and materials.

A small amount of "blackwood iron essence" was incorporated during forging to increase toughness.

It also possesses the two terms: "sharp" and "reinforced".

It not only increases the blade's destructive power but also adds a certain amount of durability.

As a magical weapon, its only drawback is that, in order to allow "Blackwood Iron Essence" to fully exert its effect, the blade was made slightly wider and heavier.

This has put it in a rather awkward position.

It's a bit too flimsy for a two-handed sword, and too heavy for a half-handed sword.

That's why no one has paid attention to it.

Now that Luke has taken a liking to this weapon, Durek is no longer prepared to wait for a high price.

They readily offered a cost price, as a discount for this regular customer.

"make a deal."

The tattered silver-white half-sword and plate chainmail armor are only worth a few dozen gold when recycled.

The two new pieces of equipment cost a total of two thousand gold.

Luke's savings were instantly halved.

He is also the kind of adventurer who is very good at making money.

After all, a lone wolf keeps whatever he earns from accepting a commission.

Adventurers who team up for missions need to carefully consider the consequences of each completed mission.

Will the profits we receive be enough to make up for the losses we suffered in battle?

No wonder there's a saying that's been circulating among adventurers:

Money earned on adventures is spent on more adventures; don't even think about taking a penny from the aristocratic family.

He tucked the newly purchased longsword behind his back.

Luke also swore an oath to the old dwarf about the demon army deep in the Sunset Forest.

Even if he hadn't said anything, the news of those high-level adventurers arriving would have spread throughout Twilight Town in less than two days.

Luke was simply offering a friendly reminder to those he had some connection with.

With the equipment issue resolved, the next step is to replenish consumable supplies.

After the fierce battle in the secret arena of Sunset Forest.

Luca had only one bottle each of his healing potion and antidote left.

Now that I have a ring that can access storage space, I don't need to stuff all those bottles and jars on my person like before.

He decided to buy more and put them in his rings, just in case.

After walking through several streets and alleys, I arrived at the long-unseen iron plate refining shop.

Unlike when I visited before, this little shop seems to be very popular now.

Luca had only been standing at the door for a short while when he saw two or three adventurers come and go.

I pushed open the door and went inside.

Old Hui, the orc, was haggling with an adventurer.

What he was holding was the most popular product in the store right now—a healing potion whose quality was in no way inferior to the Adventurers' Guild Alchemy Shop.

"No, it's 13 gold medals, so it's 13 gold medals!"

"I heard your shop used to sell it for only ten gold coins a bottle, you're just raising the price!"

The orc rolled his eyes and ignored him.

His gaze passed over the adventurer and landed on Luca, who had just pushed the door open and entered.

His face, which had been fierce from the argument, instantly broke into a smile, and he took the initiative to greet her warmly: "Long time no see!"

Luke politely replied, "It seems business has been good lately."

"Thanks to you, the three people you recommended before have helped me with a lot of promotion. Plus, with the first customers who have tried the medicine recently, my stock is almost not enough to sell."

Iron Fang chuckled and patted the display case: "How about it? Want to buy some healing potions? Still only 10 gold coins a bottle, an insider price!"

The adventurer haggling nearby: "?"

The adventurer glanced at Luca, who was fully armed and clad in gray-black armor, and then at the towering, imposing iron plate.

After a few reluctant arguments, Zui Li obediently took out thirteen gold coins from his purse and placed them on the table.

He held the bottle of medicine like it was a precious treasure, then left, grumbling and cursing.

There's no way around it; even if the price negotiation fails, the price and quality of this healing potion are absolutely perfect.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Luke listed his needs.

In addition to the healing potions and antidotes, he also specifically planned to prepare several incendiary gel bombs this time.

Previously, Luke, confident in his ability to unleash fireballs, had only prepared a bottle of kerosene for the sake of saving money.

As a result, they almost suffered a great loss in that arena where they couldn't activate their abilities.

Therefore, this "incendiary bomb" only requires pressing the firing pin mechanism before use, and it will ignite upon contact with air after being thrown out.

Luke felt it was necessary to stock up on some.

Of course, it is significantly more expensive than kerosene bottles.

Even if the iron plate gave him a friendly price, a single fiery rubber bullet still cost 8 gold coins.

Luke thought for a moment and decided to prepare 20 of these small gadgets that didn't take up much space.

In addition, there were bottles of life-saving healing potions and five bottles of antidotes.

A total of 335 gold coins were spent.

If it weren't for his gratitude and trust in Luke, Tieban would have thought that Luke was going to take his goods and resell them.

Luke's shopping trip finally came to a complete end late into the night.

From spare clothes and camping gear, to enough dried meat and compressed rations to last him a long time in the wilderness...

It's like stockpiling goods before the apocalypse.

Luke stopped walking only after he roughly estimated that his backpack and storage space couldn't carry any more things.

The last rays of the setting sun gradually faded from the rooftops of Twilight Town.

Luke walked with heavy steps to the familiar Old Oak Barrel Tavern.

Unlike before, this time he ordered several of the most expensive dishes and the finest wines from the menu.

Luke is here, spending his last night in Twilight Town.