Matthew came back to his senses upon hearing Brody's words. He put the dark red "crystal cluster" fragment back into the dark brown leather pouch, tied it securely, and hid it close to his chest.
Although this thing could be fused into weapons, the village blacksmith certainly lacked the skill, and the blacksmith in Anda Town would likely not be up to the task either.
Therefore, Matthew would have to go to Abilan County to have it smelted.
Still, despite the difficulty, it was at least something to look forward to.
With these thoughts in mind, he pulled out the completely black, ice-cold, and heavy iron bar. The blurry, ancient symbols on both ends appeared even more mysterious under the faint green glow.
Matthew held it up before Brody's eyes, his voice completely devoid of warmth.
“What is this?”
Enduring the intense pain in his waist and the dizziness from blood loss, Brody looked at the iron bar with tears and snot streaming down his face.
Squinting through eyes blurred by blood and sweat, he studied it closely for a moment. Finally, he shook his head with great difficulty, his voice halting due to pain and fear.
“Th-this... I really don't know. I've never seen these symbols before. It might be related to ancient magic or some lost arts. Among the things my father collected... there seemed to be similar patterns... but as for what it actually is and what it's used for, I have no idea...”
Matthew nodded. Brody's answer aligned with his intuition.
He hesitated no longer. His eyes turned cold, and the Finely Forged One-Handed Sword in his hand flashed with a cold light, precisely sweeping across Brody's neck.
Brody's terrified expression froze on his face forever as his head rolled onto the ground, blood spurting out.
Matthew flicked the blood droplets off his blade, quickly bent down, and began to loot the corpse.
This was also Matthew's favorite part. He pulled off the chainmail; it felt heavy in his hands, its steel rings glinting under the faint green glow.
Although there was a tear at the shoulder and arm area where he had slashed it, the main structure was intact, and its defensive power far surpassed the ordinary leather armor he was currently wearing.
The moment he touched it, small words popped up before his eyes:
【Detected equipment 【Steel Chainmail】. Equip?】
【Equipment: Steel Chainmail
Quality: Green
Equipment Requirement: Constitution: 3
Description: Fine defensive gear crafted by the Fiery Lion family for its members. Tightly woven from steel rings, it has a resilient structure and moderate weight, effectively defending against slashes and thrusts from sharp weapons.
Effect: Slightly increases defense against blunt attacks.】
Matthew quickly scanned the information, pausing slightly at the description: “Fiery Lion family?”
He knew nothing about them, but he could sense that this family was extraordinary.
After all, being able to provide such fine defensive gear to their family members was not something a declining family could do.
The breathing technique Brody practiced was violent and fiery, causing a faint red mist to rise during battle, which also indirectly proved that this family possessed a unique heritage and foundation.
His gaze then fell on the 【Effect】: “Slightly increases defense against blunt attacks...”
The effect was somewhat singular, but on second thought, woven armor like chainmail was inherently strong against slashes and thrusts from sharp weapons. Its weakness lay precisely in its inability to disperse the impact of blunt weapons like hammers and clubs.
This chainmail's ability to provide extra defense against blunt attacks could be considered as making up for its shortcoming, actually increasing its practical utility.
“After all, this kind of armor is most afraid of blunt impacts. With this effect, it might save my life at a critical moment.”
Matthew did not hesitate and silently muttered "Yes" in his heart.
Upon his confirmation, the small words before him vanished, and he instantly felt a slight weight on his body. The steel rings fit tightly against him, bringing a solid sense of security.
Although a chill still seeped through the tear on his left shoulder and arm where he had slashed it, the overall protective capability was undoubtedly far superior to before.
After all, Matthew had no armor prior to this.
“It looks like I'll have to find an opportunity to repair this armor.”
Having put it on, he immediately continued looting Brody's corpse.
Besides the chainmail, Brody had quite a few good things on him.
Matthew first picked up the steel rapier that had fallen to the ground.
【Detected equipment 【Steel Rapier】. Equip?】
【Steel Rapier
Quality: Green
Strength: 3, Agility: 3, Constitution: 3
Description: A fine rapier crafted by the Fiery Lion family for its members. The blade is slender with a fuller, designed specifically for precise and swift thrusts.
Effect: Slightly increases thrusting damage.】
“Green quality, not bad.”
After Matthew put it away, the valuable equipment on Brody had been completely looted.
After another round of searching, Matthew's harvest was as follows:
A small glass bottle sealed with a cork, a badge engraved with a lion's head pattern, a notebook wrapped in oilcloth, and several pieces of soft flannel cloth used for cleaning and maintaining weapons.
Looking at the items before him, Matthew frowned and couldn't help but say:
“Where are the gold coins?”
He had searched very carefully, checking every single inch of Brody's body.
Yet, he found absolutely no coin pouch.
“Do noble young masters not carry gold coins with them? Do they think it smells?”
He couldn't help but grumble in a low voice and shook his head.
As for the possibility of the other party hiding the coin pouch beforehand, Matthew didn't think so. After all, he had deeply experienced Brody's overconfidence.
Disappointed as he was, Matthew quickly inspected his limited harvest.
He first picked up the small glass bottle.
The bottle was cold, containing a small amount of dark red viscous liquid. Bringing it closer, he could smell a faint, strange odor that was a mix of herbs and metal.
“Probably a healing potion or some kind of stimulant.”
Matthew deduced, carefully putting it away.
In the wilderness, anything that could potentially restore one's condition was worth treasuring.
Next was the badge engraved with the lion's head pattern.
It felt heavy in his hand, seemingly made of some kind of alloy. The craftsmanship was exquisite, and the lion's head was lifelike, carrying a sense of majesty.
This was clearly a symbol of status for the Fiery Lion family.
“A troublesome item.” Matthew frowned.
Although this thing couldn't be shown to others, it might prove useful at a critical moment. He put it away.
Then, he picked up the notebook wrapped in oilcloth. The oilcloth was waterproof, keeping it well-protected.
'Looks like a diary.'
Matthew made a quick judgment and then put it away.
After all, now was not the time for reading.
“The harvest is decent, even though there are no gold coins.” Matthew felt a slight pang of regret, but quickly adjusted his mindset.
He took a deep breath, the foul air inside the cave making him frown.
The situation outside was unknown. Instructor Calm was facing Flynn alone, his life or death uncertain.
He had to leave this place as soon as possible.
Matthew gripped the Finely Forged One-Handed Sword tightly. Casting one last glance at Brody's headless corpse and the messy ground, he did not linger.
He set off. Relying on the faint light from the glowing moss on the walls, he walked vigilantly and swiftly along the path he had come from, heading toward the cave exit.
Rate on N.U.
