He used a small brush dipped in soap to meticulously scrub it, finally rinsing away the stubborn Moss, grease, and dust clinging to the crevices with clean water.
After nearly half an hour of repeated scrubbing, this exotic gold coin, at least several centuries old, finally regained its original luster.
The abstract depiction of a certain evil dragon on the coin face was exquisite and clear, the overall color was coppery-yellow, sparkling and quite pleasing, even Zhu Pa, who had been tinkering with Explosive Bombs, couldn't help but come closer.
"So pretty, meow! It looks just like gold, meow!"
Wiping the water off the gold coin with a towel, Gordon tossed it twice and said, "Gold is softer and heavier than this, but after cleaning, it's indeed newer than I thought. The ancient people's refining techniques are truly amazing."
Saying that, he rummaged through his belongings and found a sturdy animal sinew rope, threaded it through the small hole on the gold coin, which was likely drilled by the Qimian Tribe with crude tools, and then hung it around his neck.
The psychological effect was incredibly powerful; Gordon felt as if all his bad luck had been dispelled in an instant.
Rationally, he knew it was an illusion, but emotionally, he firmly believed that if he were to touch a Qimian Tribe corpse now, he definitely wouldn't find any half-eaten dried mushrooms.
At least a whole one, right?
Thus, with infinite anticipation for good fortune in the future, Gordon drifted into slumber.
Everything was there in his dream, but it was ultimately just a dream. When morning came and Gordon sat up from his bed, scratching his head, the beautiful memories from his dream last night had mostly faded away.
There was nothing to regret.
Compared to fleeting dreams, today was his first time participating in a Three-Star mission!
Wasn't the reason he left his hometown to challenge new monsters and constantly grow stronger?
He picked up Zhu Pa, who was still rolling around in his small nest, quickly washed up, changed into his armor, and only when he saw the empty weapon rack did Gordon recall that his Burst Blade was still undergoing repairs.
The assembly and departure were scheduled for the afternoon, and his excitement was thus stuck in his throat.
To get his weapon as soon as possible, Gordon spent an entire boring morning squatting at the Workshop. The Workshop Owner, finding him in the way, slightly expedited the process, allowing him to retrieve his newly repaired Burst Blade before lunch.
It must be said that to gain widespread recognition from countless hunters in a large city like Minagarde, the Workshop Owner's craftsmanship is absolutely top-notch.
The deformed hook blade seemed to have been removed and re-forged, with no trace of bending visible anymore.
The extra 300 gold maintenance fee was also well worth it; the internal mechanism of the blade was re-oiled, making the blade's ejection and retraction smoother, and the metallic friction sound was significantly reduced.
The bloodstains hidden in the tiny crevices of the blade were thoroughly cleaned, the blade was re-sharpened, and a thick layer of blade oil was applied. The entire blade looked gleaming and was indistinguishable from a new one.
Before he left, the Workshop Owner, who was about to take a break, suddenly called out to Gordon.
This Old Wyverian, who appeared to have a stern personality but was actually cold on the outside and warm on the inside, crossed his arms and asked, "Kid, do you have a plan for the Burst Blade's upgrade path?"
Gordon paused slightly at the question but still answered truthfully, "They said it can be upgraded into the 'Explosive Blade - Modified'. It seems to require lark stone and a high-grade ore called kiryulong stone, right?"
The Old Wyverian popped a piece of chewing tobacco into his mouth, and while chewing, he mumbled, "That's right. I heard Vanti gave you a half-star recommendation? She thinks highly of you. As long as you make good use of this opportunity and participate in a few more Three-Star missions, your strength will improve quickly, and it won't be long until you truly become a Three-Star hunter.
By then, although the Burst Blade won't be outdated, it will be, well, not excellent enough. I suggest you consider weapon upgrades as soon as possible.
The Explosive Blade - Modified is a good weapon. Its weight will increase slightly compared to the Burst Blade, but the improvement in sharpness and power is significant. It's perfectly stable for hunting Flying Wyvern."
The Workshop Owner's words made Gordon somewhat excited. His strength had increased considerably over the past year, and the increased weight of the Explosive Blade - Modified was nothing to him.
Most importantly was the phrase "can be used to hunt Flying Wyvern." If it weren't for the material grade of kiryulong stone exceeding his Two-Star hunter purchase limit, he would have placed an order immediately.
"Actually, besides the 'Modified' version, the Burst Blade has another derived lineage, do you know?"
Gordon was stunned again by the Workshop Owner's words, then shook his head.
He really didn't know that.
"There's a Flying Wyvern called 'Strange Dragon'. Using its materials, the Burst Blade can be upgraded into the 'Electric Dragon Chainsaw', which is a thunder-element Great Sword."
Gordon's eyes lit up at the news. Was he really this close to obtaining an elemental weapon?
The astute Workshop Owner immediately saw through Gordon's thoughts. He snorted coldly and said, "I knew it. You younglings lose your minds when you hear 'elemental weapon'.
Kid, remember, don't upgrade the Burst Blade into the Electric Dragon Chainsaw. It won't do you any good."
"Huh?"
"Setting aside the element, the Electric Dragon Chainsaw's Attack Up is at least 20% lower than the Explosive Blade - Modified, and its sharpness is only mediocre. As for so-called elemental Attack Up, hasn't anyone told you that Great Sword isn't very suitable for elemental Attack Up?"
Gordon blinked. Senior Amos had indeed said something similar before—Great Sword has a slow Attack Up frequency, and compared to Dual Blades and the like, the former has no advantage in elemental Attack Up.
"Strange Dragon is at the bottom among Flying Wyvern. Sometimes you can see them in Three-Star missions. Don't be foolish enough to turn your Burst Blade into an Electric Dragon Chainsaw just because you get some materials. You'll regret it later."
Gordon nodded quickly.
Listen to advice, eat your fill. As for elemental weapons, let's put them aside for now.
"Before you reach High Rank, the only elemental Great Sword worth using is the Rathalos derived lineage. Oh, why am I telling you all this?"
Seeing Gordon's obedient behavior, the Workshop Owner also became talkative. "Anyway, at the Three-Star hunter stage, you should honestly make a trip to Latio Volcano, get some kiryulong stone, and make the Explosive Blade - Modified.
It's not a loss to make a special trip to the volcano for this weapon, understand?"
Gordon nodded earnestly again.
The Old Wyverian, satisfied with his lecturing, patted Gordon's muscular arm and smiled, signaling him to scram.
After respectfully thanking him, Gordon left with his Burst Blade on his back. On the way back to the Gathering Hall, he kept pondering.
Unlike Hayata, who had a master by her side to guide her away from wrong paths, he was traveling alone.
Martial arts could be diligently honed, and hunting experience could be accumulated on his own, but when it came to choosing armor and weapons, if he didn't know, he simply didn't know.
Just like the Electric Dragon Chainsaw the Workshop Owner mentioned.
If he fell into that trap, it wouldn't just be a waste of money and materials, but also a significant amount of time to re-collect materials.
He still needed to find a way to build a good relationship with the Workshop Owner. When it came to familiarity with armor and weapons, no one in the entire Minagarde city could probably compare to this old man.
As long as he was willing to offer a few pointers like today, Gordon could avoid countless detours.
.
P.S. Although most readers might not care, I'll mention this extra point here.
The reason the protagonist has to go mining in Latio Volcano (Lava Canyon), thousands of kilometers away, instead of the closer Old Volcano, is because the Old Volcano is too close to the Schurete City ruins. Considering the special nature of the ancient city, the Old Volcano map will be temporarily sealed.
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T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/Kazenova223
If you guys wanna check it out.