The chicken feathers had barely left JP's hair by the time he and Lyra wandered into the blacksmiths' street.
The air rang with the steady clang of hammer on steel. Forges roared, smoke curled from chimneys, and burly craftsmen bellowed prices over the din. Shops lined both sides, their displays glittering with everything from rust-patched swords to finely etched armor polished like mirrors.
JP slowed, eyes gleaming.
"Armor variants, blade weights, reinforced plating..." He whispered to himself, activating Appraisal+—his newly upgraded ability. Numbers and notes floated across his vision.
Iron Shortsword (Common) – Sturdy, basic. Needs sharpening.Possible upgrades: Oil tempering (Blacksmith Grade 2), resin-hilt reinforcement (JP's Alchemy available).
Chainmail Vest (Uncommon) – Strong against slashes, weak to blunt force. Requires leather padding.
JP's brain started firing like a broken slot machine. Resin reinforcement... resin! Wait, I can combine wolf sinew with that copper scrap—ooh, and the hides could layer into flexible padding!
He practically drooled as they passed a stall filled with crystal-edged daggers. "Lyra... do you see this? If I splice a mana filament through the hilt, I could stabilize—"
Lyra cut him off with a dry look. "You're muttering again. People are staring."
Sure enough, a pair of smith apprentices gave him the same look one might reserve for a man loudly explaining the mating habits of goats in public. JP coughed and rubbed the back of his neck.
They finally stopped at a weapons stall where a dagger glimmered faintly beneath the torchlight. Unlike the others, it wasn't for sale. It sat on a black cloth, its blade etched with strange marks.
JP's Appraisal kicked in automatically—then glitched.
Item: ??? (Unregistered)Material: Shadow-iron alloy, traces of blood-binding.Effect: Tracks owner's aura. Whisper-bound.Note: Dangerous. Recently attuned.
JP stiffened.
The stall keeper caught his glance. A little too quickly, he covered the blade back with its cloth.
Lyra's hand brushed her bowstring. "You saw it too?" she murmured low.
JP swallowed hard. "That... thing's not for hunting rabbits."
A chill spread across his shoulders. For the first time since arriving in the city, he realized: this wasn't just about merchants, or rivalries, or coins. Someone was watching. Someone had marked him.
The dagger whispered, faintly, like a hiss only he could hear through Appraisal:
Found you.
JP snapped the Appraisal off with a shudder.
"Lyra," he said, forcing calm into his voice, "we need to talk. Away from here."
Her eyes hardened, flicking over the crowd. For once, no teasing remark came. She only nodded.
As they slipped back into the busy street, the clang of forges behind them, JP couldn't help but feel every shadow was now leaning closer.