BXBX NOVEL B2 | Chapter 33 - Partnership
The dwarf is about a little over a meter in height, standing at around four to four and a half feet tall. He has a thick beard with long brown hair and is wearing some sort of brown and silver armor that I suspect the man himself probably made. He has brown eyes and a strong build, especially around the arms. Likely due to swinging a hammer.
On the other side, his house seems to be rather small, with just a long hallway connecting to the door with a few rooms branching off of it. But that initial impression is proven wrong when he presses a slab of stone into the wall, making a hidden door open up to reveal stairs down. He then immediately goes downstairs while muttering to himself about the cracks in my weapon.
The man\'s dedicated to his craft, that\'s for sure. It\'s like the moment he started inspecting my weapon he just straight up forgot about me.
Which is surprising considering the way he was treating me earlier, ignoring Shawn who seems to have given up on slamming the front door. Considering that I don\'t hear him anymore.
Although it could also be due to the obvious soundproofing he has going on in this house. Something no doubt made by magic.
The hidden stairs eventually open up into some sort of underground workshop. And before I can even wonder where the smoke from the furnace used in his smithing goes, I notice a pipe leading straight into the wall from it. Meanwhile there are several balls of glowing light in the upper corners of the room, illuminating the workshop.
Dravik – who I haven\'t identified since I would rather not get on the bad side of the only crafter in the base even if he\'s respectful of me – moves up to a long metal table and sets my polearm down on it before inspecting it for a few more seconds. Then he finally turns back to me and says, "This\'ll take me a few days to repair, so in the meantime, would ya like ta browse me wares?"
I purse my lips at that offer.
Well… I do need a new blade to use temporarily while my polearm is out of commission, so… It also wouldn\'t hurt to learn what the crafter at the Retreat can make at this point.
Who knows? Maybe he can make something better than my polearm.
Although I doubt anything he makes would be able to use my quantum magic. Not like my polearm can.
"Sure," I tell him, deciding to just see what he has. After all, I don\'t need to buy anything if I\'m just browsing.
That reminds me though.
"How do you want me to pay for the repairs?" I ask with a frown, making the dwarf – who was just moving off to the side of the room – pause mid-step.
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"For other people? I would have them pay in resources or System Items," the dwarf says after turning back around to face me. "But for you?" His smile grows wider. "I just want ya to allow me to say that my forge has yer protection."
I blink in surprise before tilting my head with a frown and asking, "That\'s all? You don\'t want anything else?"
The dwarf nods his head, "That\'s all, missy. Nothin\' more, nothin\' less. Ye let me do that, and I\'ll let ya take a weapon fer free an\' even repair yer equipment all ya want."
Interesting. Also, his accent is coming out stronger now. Like he was suppressing it earlier.
And I guess being able to throw my name around would be some significant protection for the place. Plus it gives me a personal crafter that I can have repair my stuff whenever.
Although my armor doesn\'t need repairs. Just my weapons.
Plus I don\'t owe him anything in this deal. Other than going to protect him when I\'m here that is. And maybe some slight posturing.
"Very well, you have a deal," I tell him with a smile.
The dwarf grins from ear to ear and turns around again before walking to the other end of the room where he pulls a lever, making the wall roll up to reveal racks of weapons. He then turns back around and says with a wave at the weapons, "Take yer pick, lass!"
I walk up to the rack and immediately identify the first weapon I see.
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Dwarven Sword
Description: This sword is made out of dwarven steel – an alloy created only by the dwarves using their racial skill – and it is more durable than any other blades of its same Tier. The sword will repair itself and has a minor resistance to mana.
Stats Bonus: +10 STR, +10 DEX
Requirements: N/A
Item Tier: 2
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Interesting. So he can make dwarven steel. And judging by his weapon\'s Tier, despite what must be a low level for the dwarf considering the energy I sense coming from him, the dwarf must be pretty talented. More talented than I was expecting.
I begin browsing through all of the weapons the dwarf has lined up.
Unfortunately for crafters, they don\'t get as much EXP from making System Items as people get for killing monsters. But they do still get a bit of it, and it\'s a safe way of leveling up for them too. So a lot of crafters don\'t bother going into dungeons or even leaving their homes much.
That said, the higher the Tier of the item they make, the more EXP it\'ll give them for making it. And the Tier of the item is dependent on various factors, including but not limited to the skills of the crafter, their level, their own knowledge and ability in crafting, the materials they use, and their Feats and Legendary Feats if they have them.
In general it\'s not very easy to get into a crafting profession, since the System can sometimes be strict on what it decides passes muster to become a System Item.
Which is why I\'m glad I\'m not a crafter.
Anyways, I eventually settle on a slightly longer sword, giving me a bit more reach that\'s more akin to my polearm. And this one has the added effect of being mana conductive. So I can run my energy through it, even if it isn\'t all that efficient. Considering the fact that it\'s not an elemental weapon and is only Tier 2.
I turn back to find the dwarf already working on repairing my polearm, the man having started at some point while I was browsing.
Certainly dedicated, I\'ll give him that.
I glance back at the stairs while thinking about Shawn and their little interaction.
And amusing.