Chapter 38: (Third update, seeking follow-up reads) New Weapon, [Famous Sword: Rusted Wind]

There was a profound, lingering emotion hidden within Ms. Sophia’s simple words, though its source remained unclear.

"Then, I shall go and collect my sword from Miss Anna."

After a brief silence, Mowen turned and headed toward the blacksmith’s workshop, waving a hand in farewell. Sophia stood still, her hands clasped tightly against her lower abdomen, watching the young man’s retreating figure in silence.

...

At the blacksmith’s workshop, Mowen found Anna standing before a mechanical workbench, using a heavy press to hammer away at something.

"Miss Anna, is the longsword reforged?"

Hearing his voice, Anna ceased her work. As Mowen glanced from the side, he caught a glimpse of something resembling a glove resting on the machine.

"It was finished yesterday."

Anna leaned over and pulled a long, wooden box from beneath the table, handing it to Mowen. "Mr. Mowen, please, have a look. If there is anything that doesn't feel right, I can adjust it further."

Mowen accepted the box with anticipation. Upon opening it, he was not met with the "prank-like" absurdity of the Scarlet Ring, but with a longsword that could only be described as magnificent. The middle of the blade possessed a rusted-cyan hue, while the edges gleamed with a cold, silvery white. The contrast between the rusted cyan and the silver was like a cool breeze flowing through moonlight—gentle, yet concealing a sharp, hidden edge.

"A fine blade!"

Mowen could not help but reach out to stroke the blade, whispering his praise. The next second, he gripped the hilt.

*Cling—*

The blade sliced through the air, emitting a faint, melodic hum.

"It fits perfectly. Your craftsmanship is exquisite, Miss Anna." Mowen paused. "Does this sword have a name?"

"As long as you are satisfied, I am content." A smile appeared on Anna’s face. "It does not have a name yet. As its master, it is only fitting that you name it yourself."

With the sword in hand, he practiced a few flourishes; the custom-fitted balance was incomparable to his previous standard-issue weapon. Mowen mused for a moment.

"Let’s call it... Rustwind."

The sword was reinforced with a small Rust-Element Stone, and his fighting style was the Thousand-Wind Swordsmanship. Taking one character from each, the name "Rustwind" felt entirely appropriate.

At the same time, as his Scouting skill took effect, the detailed information of the new sword appeared before his eyes:

[Artificial Wonder: Famous Sword - Rustwind]
[Description: A high-quality standard-issue longsword. Through the addition of "Rust-Element Stone" and other materials, supplemented by secret forging techniques, this sword has been granted a brand-new form.]
[Attributes: Durability Lv.1 (Increased durability), Sharpness Lv.1 (Increased sharpness)]
[Advancement Path: 1. Conventional: Continue smelting Rust-Element Stones to improve the sword's quality. Each smelting requires an increasing quantity and quality of stones. 2. Mutation: Imbue the sword with special attack attributes by adding rare elemental materials.]
[P.S.: The newborn wind.]

The newborn Rustwind had no special effects. What it did possess was a level of durability and sharpness far exceeding anything he had used before. For Mowen, these were precisely the traits he needed most in a weapon. Compared to flashy "enchantments," a weapon that could block attacks and cut down enemies was the best tool of all.

The unique guard-breaking nature of the Thousand-Wind Swordsmanship forced Mowen to frequently clash his blade against enemies in combat, placing a heavy test on the weapon's durability. Meanwhile, facing military puppets with increasingly thick armor, the increased sharpness would significantly boost his efficiency in clearing them out.

Perfect.

As for the advancement path of [Famous Sword - Rustwind]... Mowen didn't dwell on it too much. After all, he didn't even know when he would obtain more Rust-Element Stones, let alone the precious materials required for the mutation path.

Carefully securing the Rustwind sword to his waist, Mowen bowed respectfully to the puppet blacksmith. "Thank you for your help."

Anna was startled, hastily returning the bow in a flustered manner. "Mr. Mowen, you are too kind."

"You have done so much for the shelter; this is the least I can do to assist you through my forging."

"Haha," Mowen smiled lightly. "In that case, let’s stop being so formal with each other."

"Mm-hmm," Anna smiled, pursing her lips.

...

With a new weapon in hand, Mowen was in high spirits. How could he not test it out? And what better targets were there than the patrolling soldier puppets outside?

After killing the Black Rust Demon manifestation, not only did his conversion rate soar, but he also gained a generous amount of experience—a full 1,000 points! Including what he had saved previously, he was only 190 experience points away from leveling up again. And those 190 points were merely the cost of two common soldier puppets. With his current strength, dealing with those puppets—now lacking their exoskeletons—posed almost no danger.

...

Returning to the Great Furnace area, Mowen was about to greet Ms. Sophia and mention he was going out for a walk when he noticed a small figure standing beside her. Upon seeing him, the small figure’s eyes lit up, and she trotted over.

"Wendy?"

Looking at the delicate, porcelain-like little girl who appeared anxious, Mowen asked with surprise, "Is something the matter? By the way, where is your father? I need to ask him about something."

Hank was the hunter in the shelter who knew the layout of Clark Town and its architecture better than anyone. He had intended to ask Hank which areas were best for clearing out patrolling soldiers.

"Brother Mowen," Wendy said anxiously, "Father... Father went out this morning, and he hasn't returned yet."

"The Night of Silence is coming soon. It’s very dangerous outside."

"I thought... I thought you might know where Father is."

Hank hadn't returned to the shelter? Mowen frowned. As a veteran hunter, Hank would never stay out at night unless absolutely necessary. Unless... he had met with an accident. But Wendy had only just recovered from a serious illness; why would the man run off now?

Inexplicably, he recalled Hank's distraught and abnormal behavior when he had first obtained the Sealing Box. Could this be related?

Mowen looked at Wendy. "Don't panic. Tell me, has your father acted strangely over the last two days? Or do you know where he usually goes?"

Mowen’s calm tone was infectious, helping Wendy settle down. She furrowed her small brow, thinking hard for a dozen seconds before saying uncertainly, "Father hasn't been acting strange... but if I have to say, he’s been looking at Mom’s photo a lot more."

"Oh, right! Before Father left this morning, he gave me a music box. He said he found it in the warehouse Brother Mowen just cleared out."

"I used to love music, and I was so happy to receive the gift..."

"The place Father has been going to more often lately... it’s only the warehouse!"

The old aristocratic warehouse? Mowen nodded. Regardless, he had to go there and check.

"Don't worry, Wendy. I'll go to the warehouse and look. I promise I'll bring your father back."

Feeling the warmth of the flower wreath the girl had given him on his wrist, Mowen spoke with resolve.