Starting with the goblin extermination

The wind chimes made a crisp sound.

Adele was leaning lazily against the counter, holding a meat bone in her hand, teasing a black dog.

She saw Logan, a look of surprise flashing in her eyes.

Logan's appearance at that moment was hardly respectable.

Although he tried his best to wipe the bloodstains off his clothes, his stiff gait, slightly heavy breathing, and the faint smell of blood on his body all told others what he had recently experienced.

As a former adventurer, Adele knew all too well.

A fierce battle.

But what surprised her most was that, although the northern boy was in a sorry state, he had become more reserved and sharper than he had been a few days ago.

He not only survived, but also overcame a major obstacle.

Your combat skills have advanced? So fast?

"Looks like you had a good night." Adele patted the black dog's head, stood up, and spoke with curiosity in her voice.

"Not bad, just ran into a few unreasonable people." Logan walked to the counter, cold sweat beading on his forehead. "Do you have any healing potions?"

"What happened?"

"Several bones are broken."

Logan answered casually, as if it weren't his own bones that were broken.

Adele frowned slightly and gently pressed on Logan's chest twice.

Logan couldn't hold back any longer and gasped in pain.

"You're lucky. Looks like you've used up the [Basic Healing Potion] I gave you earlier."

Adele turned and walked toward the cabinet behind her.

"Since you're still standing here, it means you don't need something as quick as a [Basic Healing Potion]."

She took a glass bottle containing a pale blue liquid and pushed it in front of Logan.

"【Basic Healing Potion】. Unlike healing potions, it doesn't work as quickly. You can't just drink it and immediately draw your sword to fight. Also, you absolutely cannot engage in strenuous exercise after taking it, otherwise the effects will wear off. But..."

Adele held up a long, slender finger. "As long as you behave and don't move around, your injury will be almost completely healed in just one day. More importantly, it's cheaper."

"How many?"

"3 gold coin".

Logan readily pulled three gold coins from his purse, uncorked the potion, and drank it all in one gulp.

Within seconds, Logan felt a warm current rising in his chest, like a group of tiny spiders scurrying back and forth between his broken bones, spinning silk.

He could even hear the cracking sound of his bones returning to their original positions, followed by a tingling, tooth-grinding sensation.

He felt much better; breathing was no longer painful. However, he also felt that his newly formed bones were still very fragile, and he could forget about wielding a sword.

"Much better," Logan breathed a sigh of relief.

The problem is solved, he should leave now.

Adele didn't mention the private commission regarding the ferocious rats.

But just as Logan turned to leave, he turned back and added a comment:

"I'll take care of your private request very soon."

Adele paused for a moment, then a bright smile flashed in her narrow eyes.

She jogged out from behind the counter, holding a handkerchief in her hand.

Before Logan could react, she casually raised her hand and wiped away a smudge that hadn't been washed off Logan's cheek.

"Don't die out there, little one. I'm not in a hurry."

She gazed tenderly at Logan, like she would look at her own troublesome younger brother. Then, taking advantage of Logan's momentary surprise, she lightly touched his cheek with her soft red lips.

A fragrant breeze wafted towards me, only to vanish in an instant.

Logan touched his cheek, feeling as if a warm hand had gently pinched a corner of his heart.

This Tiflin woman was as proactive as a flame, but he didn't dislike her at all.

......

After leaving the herbalist shop, Logan's next destination was clear: he needed to deal with the completely ruined leather armor he was wearing.

This is a memento left to him by his father. It accompanied him all the way from the North to the Ashwood, and now it is time for it to reach the end of its life.

Push open the door of the Giant Hammer Blacksmith Shop.

It was morning, but the furnace was not roaring as usual. There were few customers in the blacksmith shop, and the young dwarf Baron was nowhere to be seen.

Blacksmith Dalak wasn't working at the forge today. He was leaning back in his recliner, his huge pipe held in place by his thick knuckles, puffing out beautiful smoke rings.

He was engrossed in reading an unknown color magazine.

Logan immediately spotted the scantily clad, muscular dwarf woman on the cover.

Logan had little interest in the aesthetics of dwarves.

"Ahem!" Logan cleared his throat loudly on purpose.

"Damn it!"

The blacksmith, Dalark, shoved the book under his bottom and then stood up nonchalantly, even with a touch of authority.

"Ahem, welcome to the Giant Hammer Blacksmith Shop! Young warrior, what do you need...?"

When he saw that the person was Logan, especially Logan's tattered leather armor, Dalark's beard bristled with anger.

"Damn it! You brat, I just sewed it up securely, and in the blink of an eye, it's turned into a piece of rubbish for wiping goblins' asses again! No! Look at this ridiculous tear, you practically used it to wipe trolls' asses!"

Darak scratched at the crack with his thick fingers, shaking his head repeatedly: "It's no use, it's no use. Even if Apolos descended to earth, he couldn't fix it this time."

Even Aplos, the god of blacksmiths, has been brought out, which means this leather armor is indeed beyond repair.

"Actually, I'm here today to get a new leather armor." Logan smiled and turned his gaze to the display shelf next to him.

He knew perfectly well that he only had enough money in his pocket to buy one piece of leather armor, after all, there was a piece of leather armor priced at 5 gold coins hanging there, but that didn’t stop him from looking at the other armors with an appreciative eye.

Armor styles are broadly divided into three categories: light armor, medium armor, and heavy armor.

Now that his strength attribute had been improved, Logan did feel an urge to try on the heavy armor.

After witnessing the orcs' ferocious slashes, Logan felt that wrapping himself up like a metal can would make him feel very safe.

However, when he saw that even the cheapest [Steel Ring Armor] cost 25 gold coins, he gave up the idea.

He still can't afford that price with his current financial resources.

The shrewd and experienced Dallak had long since noticed the longing in Logan's eyes.

"then!"

Dalark suddenly grinned and grabbed the heavy ring armor with one hand, throwing it at Logan.

Logan instinctively caught it with both hands.

The moment he held it, the cold, heavy metallic feel traveled through his palm. Unlike chainmail where each metal ring is interlocked, the metal rings of the ring armor were sewn directly onto the leather base. Logan tugged at them; they were very sturdy, and the surface of the metal rings felt slippery in his hand.

"Try them on. This is my masterpiece, which I spent a lot of time building!" Dalark said, puffing out his lungs and raising his chin high.

"I can't afford it." Logan shook his head honestly.

"Trying it won't cost you anything! What, do you think I'm that kind of stingy cheapskate?"

Unable to refuse the hospitality, and also out of curiosity about his own strength, Logan tossed aside his tattered leather armor and, with Dalark's help, donned the ring armor.

An unprecedented sense of security enveloped Logan.

Logan moved his arms, the metal rings making a soft rubbing sound as his muscles moved. He didn't feel it was very heavy, and he could stretch, punch, and move almost without any restriction.

It seems that even a mere 1 point increase in strength attribute can bring about a significant boost.

Dalark circled around him, his rough hands slapping hard on the key parts of the armor, making a loud thud.

"Not bad! You're stronger than I expected. Wearing this, you look even more like a proper soldier than when you first came in!"

Logan was indeed very satisfied. He'd definitely consider buying it once he earned more money. If he'd had it with him when facing the Scarface orc, things wouldn't have turned out so embarrassingly.

But he still has to be realistic.

Logan took off his ring armor and dutifully spent 5 gold coins to buy the brand-new leather armor.

Finally, he handed the longsword and dagger to Dalak and asked him to perform another maintenance.

This time, Dallac once again refused Logan's offer of maintenance fees.

"Alright, put the money away."

Dallak took the longsword and gave Logan a meaningful look.

"You're a talented young man, Logan. Others might not see it, but I've met adventurers my whole life. You've gotten even stronger since the last time I visited."

"I like to invest in young people with potential; you'll succeed."

Hearing such a direct compliment, Logan touched his nose somewhat awkwardly, his face turning a little red.

Dalark paused, his tone becoming sincere: "Besides, that brat Baron also said you're a reliable teammate. Remember to come to the shop more often in the future, and keep an eye on that reckless brat Baron for me when we go on missions."

"Definitely." Logan nodded solemnly.

In the end, when Logan walked out of the blacksmith's shop, he only had a pitiful 3 gold coins and 9 silver coins left in his pocket.