Chapter 187 The Terror of the Blacksmith
The private dining room, usually spacious and airy, felt cramped. Weapons and armor, gleaming under the soft light of the enchanted chandeliers, filled every available surface. Rosewater, used to dealing with large quantities of goods, found herself struggling to keep track as she tallied Eric's wares.
Over two hundred pieces of Bronze, all level eight and above. More than three hundred pieces of Bronze armor, similarly high level. Seventy pieces of Dark Iron weaponry, level nine and above, alongside eighty pieces of matching armor. And then, there were the Silver Dawnrift pieces – twenty of them, gleaming with an otherworldly light, each one a masterpiece.
Nearly seven hundred pieces of equipment in total, enough to outfit a small army.
The Silver Dawnrift pieces, in particular, were breathtaking. Their stats were far superior to anything Rosewater had seen, even surpassing Valkor Titanhelm's prized Giant Bear Battleaxe.
She vividly remembered the rumors surrounding that axe, the whispers of the elite squad lost securing it from a Leader-level Wilderness Boss. Such bosses were rare spawns, coveted by guilds, and even with a large, well-equipped force, taking one down often came at a steep price.
And here Eric was, casually offering up twenty pieces of Mithril weaponry, each one more valuable than that axe.
Rosewater didn't know what to think. Eric's strength was already astonishing, but his blacksmithing skills were simply unheard of. To craft Mithril at this stage in the game… it defied logic.
The realization of a blacksmith's potential hit her with full force.
A guild with a blacksmith like Eric wouldn't need to rely on risky boss runs for equipment. As long as they had the materials and the blueprints, they would have a steady supply of high-quality gear. It was efficient, cost-effective, and utterly game-changing.
"Rosewater, you seem a bit pale. Are you alright?" Eric's voice, laced with concern, snapped her out of her thoughts.
"Me?" She blinked, wiping a bead of sweat from her brow. "I'm fine, perfectly fine."
"Perhaps you're overwhelmed? We can always scale back the transaction," Eric offered, misunderstanding her flustered state. He knew even the largest guilds would struggle to absorb such a large influx of high-level equipment all at once.
"No, no, Blackflame, I'll take it all," Rosewater said quickly, her voice firm despite the slight tremor in her chest. "But… would it be possible to conduct most of the transaction in credit points? My gold reserves, while considerable, aren't limitless."
To leave even a single piece behind would be a crime against her guild, against her own ambition.
High-level equipment was the lifeblood of any guild, and pieces like these, especially those above level eight, were in incredibly high demand.
A single piece of level eight Bronze equipment could fetch upwards of twenty silver on the open market. Weapons, even more. Dark Iron pieces? Fifty silver for armor, eighty for weapons, and those were conservative estimates. As for the Silver Dawnrift pieces… they were priceless, collector's items that no one in their right mind would ever sell.
If she had to put a price on them, each Silver Dawnrift piece was worth at least two gold, maybe more. Twenty pieces… that was forty gold, nearly half her current holdings. And that was a lowball estimate.
"Of course. How about we use the forging materials, plus fifty gold, to offset a portion of the cost? We can settle the remainder in credit points," Eric suggested after a moment of contemplation.
"That…" Rosewater hesitated, torn between her desire for the equipment and the thought of her dwindling gold reserves. Finally, she gritted her teeth, "Alright, Blackflame, it's a deal."
As much as she hated to part with so much gold, she knew it was a small price to pay in the long run.
A small, traitorous part of her wished she could somehow recruit Eric to her guild. But she quickly dismissed the thought. What could she offer him that he couldn't get himself? He had a constant supply of top-tier equipment, a lucrative trade, and while his current reputation might be limited, it was only a matter of time before the name "Black Flame Blacksmith" became synonymous with quality and prestige.
She wondered, briefly, if he had a partner. Her elite team boasted several stunning women, each one beautiful and accomplished, pursued by countless admirers. If one of them could catch his eye…
No, it was too early for such thoughts. She needed to focus on building a rapport, on subtly learning more about him.
If Eric knew what was going through her mind, he'd probably run for the hills. The elegant, cheerful Rosewater, harboring such ruthless ambition… it was a side of her few ever saw.
They finalized the transaction quickly.
Eric walked away with forty-three gold worth of forging materials, fifty gold coins, and a staggering two million credit points.
In just three days, he'd turned a meager ten gold investment into a small fortune. He was, by far, the richest player in Silvercrest Dominion.
Rosewater, for her part, was ecstatic. With this equipment, her legion would become a force to be reckoned with, solidifying her position within the guild and silencing any doubts the elders might have.
"Blackflame, how about we schedule our next meeting for four days from now? It coincides with the Shadowwing Citadel auction," she suggested, her tone shifting effortlessly from business partner to something approaching friendship.
"Sounds good. Saves me a pass," Eric agreed. He had a lot of forging to do, and since Rosewater's people hadn't managed to secure additional passes to the Citadel, a slight delay worked in his favor.
After parting ways, Eric went to buy many Frostbite Grenades. A set of 200 intermediate Frostbite Grenades cost 18 gold, and five sets of 1000 basic Frostbite Grenades cost 13 gold 50 silver, spending a total of 31 gold 50 silver. But Eric didn't feel any pain, as the gold coins earned from Rosewater were just a small part.
The real prize, the one that would make him truly wealthy, was still tucked away safely in his inventory: the sturdy stones. While Whetstone of Precision might be relatively common in Rosewater's mineral-rich homeland, it was a different story in Eldoria, especially in the resource-starved Silvercrest Dominion.
Guilds were desperate for sturdy stones, willing to pay a premium to keep their weapons and armor in top condition. He could practically hear the frustrated cries of guild leaders, tearing their hair out as their members' equipment degraded at an alarming rate.
And the thought of those same guilds flooding Silvervale City, rendering Whetstone of Precision obsolete? He wasn't worried.
Even if every player in Silvercrest Dominion migrated to Silvervale City, the problem of equipment durability wouldn't disappear. If anything, it would become more pronounced as players ventured into increasingly dangerous territories. No, Eric wasn't worried about finding buyers. He was worried about setting the right price.
As he made his way back to Silvervale City, his communication rune flared to life. It was Tonny.
"Eric, we have a problem. A big one. Every guild in Silvercrest Dominion is looking for you. They're demanding an explanation on the official forums. They say if you don't address this soon, they'll… well, they'll hunt us down."
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