Chapter 23: Blacksmith Shop (2)

Besides weapons, the Blacksmith Shop also sold materials, like Refined Iron, Steel, Mysterious Iron, Divine Iron, and so on.

But the prices made Su Lun feel very painful.

Regular prices were quite reasonable, but for items like Hundred Year Mysterious Iron, the price soared to a hundred thousand Gold Nar.

As for higher grades like Thousand Year Mysterious Iron, Nine Heavens Mysterious Iron, and Jedi Tungsten Steel, they weren’t available at all.

In the game, these top materials weren’t just for making great gear.

They themselves had magical effects.

For example, Hundred Year Mysterious Iron had a healing power; wearing it could restore health over time and boost stats.

When he played the game before, this was something he always needed.

After looking at the catalog in the Blacksmith Shop, Su Lun also found some equipment blueprints.

Using them would teach the crafting method.

It also sold forging knowledge books.

Using them could improve a blacksmith’s skill, but they cost fifteen hundred Gold Nar each.

After browsing the Blacksmith Shop, Su Lun saw that he couldn’t even afford one full set of gear.

Of course, the Blacksmith Shop wasn’t only for buying weapons; you could also have a blacksmith make them.

Though the blacksmith’s skill level varied, the prices were much more friendly.

Like the Two-Handed Axe that Su Lun bought earlier for Barbarians at thirty Gold Nar each; getting the blacksmith to make one cost at most fifteen Gold Nar.

If he got his own iron mine later, this price could reduce more.

In truth, while the Barbarian army under Su Lun was strong, they weren’t at their best.

Barbarian Champions usually used gear like Two-Handed Axes, Chainmail, Hand Axes, or Throwing Spears.

Barbarian Greataxe Warriors even wore Iron Armor.

Only then could they show their full power.

Right then, all his Barbarians had only a Two-Handed Axe each, one Leather Armor each, and a Hand Axe each. That was the basic setup.

But with the Blacksmith Shop built, Su Lun planned to slowly get them better gear.

Su Lun built the Blacksmith Shop by the river.

He planned to install hydraulic machinery there once technology allowed.

For example, a Hydraulic Forging Machine.

This kind of machine wasn’t too hard and needed plenty of water.

Back in Caren City, his cheap father’s blacksmith workshop had used this tech long ago.

Now he was set to use it here.

With the Hydraulic Forging Machine, making gear at the Blacksmith Shop could cost less.

After the recent battles, Su Lun and his men seized thousands of metal weapons and armors.

The quality was generally low, but as raw material, they were good enough.

Bruce was the blacksmith slave he bought.

Blacksmiths were rare and wanted here.

In towns, blacksmiths were part of the middle-class group.

This guy had failed at gambling and owed lots of debts before; he lost his blacksmith shop and got sold himself.

“Lord, this Blacksmith Shop is fine. With materials, I can make farm tools and gear.” Bruce rubbed his hands and laughed flatteringly, tired of suffering as a slave for some time.

“That’s good. Then fix the Soldiers’ gear first, and make farm tools and other stuff. From now on, your supplies go up a level.” Su Lun nodded and said.

“Thank you, Lord. I’ll work hard.” After hearing Su Lun, Bruce said happily.

Supply raised meant he got fish to eat and didn’t share a room with others’ smelly feet or teeth grinding.

Su Lun’s way with slaves seemed kind for those times.

He made reward and punishment rules with matching treatment.

This gave the slaves hope and urged them to work harder.

If they just scraped by without rewards or with punishments for bad work, their effort stayed low.

But Su Lun’s rewards were like a carrot in front of a donkey; it made the donkey run to get it.

The lowest slaves were laborers, barely fed to stay alive.

These matched Kobolds and Goblins, and were the largest group.

For slaves with skills, they got better food.

Work goals were set; finish to get food.

Good work meant extra rewards.

If they moved up, treatment improved, like getting meat.

If a slave did great things or helped out, he could rise again.

He got even better food and his own place.

Further on reward, Su Lun promised that meeting the goal freed slaves as Freemen in the territory.

Of course, this didn’t mean Su Lun lost out.

His goal was ten times what the slave cost, so a slave had to give back ten times his own worth to go free.

And did freedom end it?

After becoming a Freeman, you paid him taxes, worked for him, and built the territory.

By his count, it could never be a loss.

After Su Lun shared these rules, slave work speed in the territory doubled that day.

Once the Blacksmith Shop was up, Su Lun brought the loot there.

He planned to have the blacksmith melt that scrap into iron ingots.

Then the ingots repaired the Barbarian Warriors’ weapons and made farm tools and armor.

Though Wilderness monsters were poor, Su Lun slew too many then.

Each group had some metal weapons, and step-by-step, the pile became big.

The main loot came from the latest fight.

Many attacking Gnolls and Trolls used Spiked Clubs.

Though crudely made with low-quality metal, they were heavy.

Each Spiked Club weighed at least a hundred pounds; even with junk inside, after melting, around seventy to eighty pounds each.

So they got several thousand pounds of iron ingots total.

Repairing weapons didn’t need much iron, so Su Lun aimed to forge the rest into armor.

The worst iron turned into farm tools.

With several thousand pounds of iron, he made about a hundred sets of armor.

Barbarian Warriors were fierce in attack but defense stayed weak.

If all Barbarians wore armor, their power rose at least one step.