Goblin Dependency-Chapter 685 - 344: Pulse of Purgatory

The "Rock Hammer" Blacksmith Shop was open for business as usual.

But when Xia Nan walked into the store, the person standing behind the counter was not the burly man named "Barn".

Instead, it was a young man with a somewhat similar appearance.

Unlike the robust man, the young man’s facial features were softer, and his demeanor was much calmer.

Though he still had a fairly tall stature due to the influence of his father’s "Dwarf" lineage, standing a head taller than Xia Nan, who was nearly 1.9 meters tall, his muscles were much leaner and more seamless due to the maternal lineage’s inheritance.

"Welcome to the Rock Hammer Blacksmith Shop!"

"Please feel free to browse what you need. If you’re not satisfied with the equipment in the shop, we also offer custom services at a fair price!"

The young man was very enthusiastic. Xia Nan had just walked into the shop when he proactively greeted him.

Having worked with Barn many times, Xia Nan had heard him mention it during idle chatter, along with some rumors circulating among adventurers at the tavern.

Xia Nan was roughly aware of the situation of the other party’s family.

The wife passed away early, leaving behind a son who studied in Neum and occasionally returned during holidays to help in the shop.

Obviously, the young man in front of him, whose facial features resembled Barn’s, should be the rumored heir of the Blacksmith Shop.

Surveying the young man with his eyes, Xia Nan slightly nodded and said: 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

"Hello, is Barn in the shop?"

"I have an order for equipment that needs to be delivered."

Upon hearing this, the young man was momentarily stunned.

Then, his smile grew even brighter as he hurriedly replied:

"Yes, he’s here, he’s here."

"You must be Mr. Xia Nan, right? I’ve heard your name from my father a long time ago. I didn’t expect this to be our first meeting."

The young man, dressed in simple brown hemp clothes convenient for forging, with muscles in his arms slightly bulging the sleeves, introduced himself:

"Barn from ’Rock Hammer’ is my father. You can call me ’Xiu’ or ’Little Xiu’."

"My father is in the back room. Please wait a moment, I’ll go get him now."

Saying that, Little Xiu swiftly pushed open the door and walked into the inner room of the Blacksmith Shop. Faint sounds of clanging came from within.

For some reason, Xia Nan always felt that after Xiu recognized him, his gaze lingered on the chain armor Xia Nan was wearing, with a peculiar and puzzled look.

Thinking it was probably related to his exaggerated armor breakage rate, Xia Nan found it amusing and said nothing, casually browsing the products on the shelves by the counter.

It didn’t even take a minute.

Little Xiu hadn’t been inside for a few seconds when the sound of the Forging Hammer striking the Anvil abruptly stopped.

Along with the sound of hurried footsteps, Barn’s familiar figure appeared in Xia Nan’s view.

Having just finished forging, he hastily put on a vest, revealing his Bear Goblin-like bulky, blood-filled muscles.

Holding a towel, he wiped the sweat off his face as he exited the room.

"You’re here?"

"How was the mission? Was everything smooth?"

His voice somewhat muffled, Barn greeted Xia Nan, but his eyes couldn’t help but glance at the chain armor on Xia Nan’s chest.

One could see residual scratches on the surface of the chain armor, but it was far from "damaged," much less "scrapped."

For a moment, a very complex expression appeared on the Dwarf man’s face.

Like when you have mentally prepared for something almost guaranteed to go wrong, having comforted yourself many times in advance, suggesting it’s just an unusual event apart from regular situations.

But in the end, discovering it didn’t actually happen, leaving you with an indescribable feeling of relief yet a hint of strange regret.

Noticing Barn’s gaze, Xia Nan deliberately patted his chain armor, causing the metal rings to clink and rustle.

"There were some unexpected events on the road, but overall, it wasn’t too dangerous."

"I can see that," Barn nodded, shifting his gaze from the chain armor and getting straight to the point.

"The enchanted armor you commissioned last time is finished, come with me."

The two of them moved to the workshop in the back room of the Blacksmith Shop.

The brand-new armor, with the Purgatory Demon Long Sword as its core material and supplemented by various other metals, was quietly resting on the display rack.

The overall appearance was a dull silvery-gray color, like the ancient hue after years of erosion, cold and serene.

Its structure resembled a Plate Chain Composite Armor, not a single piece, but comprised of metal modules with strong defensive qualities protecting the key parts, while the vast blank areas in between were filled with tightly woven metal chains, combining the defense of plate armor and the flexibility of chain armor.

The soul of the whole armor naturally lay in the slightly arched metal breastplate, forged from Purgatory Steel, melted down from the Beard Demon Long Saber and located in the center of the chest.

Its surface was smooth, reflecting the blurry images of the two standing in front of it when viewed under the light; upon closer inspection, faint dark red vein-like patterns, resembling solidified lava, could be seen on the metallic surface.

This was the characteristic of equipment forged from Purgatory Metal.

Approaching further, one could even detect the faintest whiff of a scent in the air, as if sulfur mixed with cold iron.