After going into the sea, I met the witch.

The pound was the main currency of the Kingdom of Augustus, made of a mixture of silver and other metals. One pound could be exchanged for 10 pence, and one pence could buy half a pound of black bread (one pound was roughly equal to 10 yuan), so its purchasing power was quite strong.

The price of £10,000 for a small three-masted sailing ship with a displacement of 300 tons is really too low. According to the market price, it should sell for at least £30,000.

But after thinking about it for a while, Ryan did not refuse, after all, Freyne's bottom line was 5000 pounds.

"I can accept this price, but I also have a few small requests."

"Please go ahead," Sman said, his smile unchanged.

"First, consider this supply as a bonus."

“No problem.” Supervisor Sman nodded. It was just some supplies, negligible compared to the profits from acquiring the ships.

“Second,” Ryan held up two fingers, “I need the Black Agate Merchant to introduce me to the most skilled blacksmith on Wolf Fang Island, preferably a ‘Spirit Blacksmith’.”

“'Spirit Blacksmith'... that’s not difficult either.” Supervisor Sman agreed immediately; as a local bigwig, it was no problem for him at all.

“Thus, the deal is done.” Ryan’s eyes lit up with joy. He hadn’t expected that there would actually be a “spirit blacksmith” on Wolf Fang Island.

The transaction went smoothly, and both parties were very satisfied with the settlement of payment and goods.

Ryan returned to the Black Rose, handed over the details of the transaction and the money to Freyne, and then set off with Sman to visit the "Spirit Blacksmith".

As for the Ice Fang Saberfish materials and money needed to forge the greatsword, they were stored in the spatial ring he wore on his finger.

Yes, a spatial ring, but this is not the dark blue ring on Freyne's hand, but another silver spatial ring with a volume of only ten cubic meters.

This was given to him by Freya.

The spatial ring belongs to the category of "rare items," and its rarity is directly proportional to its internal volume.

A space ring with a capacity of ten cubic meters is classified as a [low-level rare item], which can be crafted by a first-level professional using the "craftsman path".

"Spirit Blacksmith" is not a profession, but a branch of [Tier 1 Craftsman]. Each [Craftsman] has different areas of expertise. Some are proficient in weapon and armor forging, some are skilled in construction, some specialize in shipbuilding, and so on. "Spirit Blacksmith" is an honorific title for [Tier 1 Craftsman] who is proficient in weapon and armor forging.

The roads in Langya Island's harbor are extremely wide, enough to accommodate four horses galloping at the same time. Every fifty meters, there are kerosene streetlights along the roadside, and with the bright moonlight, the road is quite well-lit.

As they walked, Ryan and Sman chatted casually.

“A ‘spirit blacksmith’ named Master Orucci has settled on Wolf Fang Island. He came with the Black Agate Merchant Guild and has been there for several years now.”

"If you want him to forge weapons, you'll have to provide your own materials, and a generous fee is also essential."

Sman spoke eloquently.

Ryan nodded. "I understand."

The Black Agate Merchant Guild only helped him find the person; as for the follow-up matters, he would have to handle them himself.

"By the way, did you encounter any sea monsters during your trip to Wolf Fang Island?" Sman then changed the subject.

"Have many ships been attacked?" Ryan's eyes flickered.

“That’s true.” Sman sighed. “Didn’t you see how few ships are docked at the port tonight? It’s because of this incident.”

"It is said..."

Sman suddenly fell silent at this point. Seeing this, Ryan handed him a few silver pounds, and Sman then continued with a beaming smile:

"On the night of the full moon some time ago, a rare second-tier monster called the Moon Wolf appeared on the Whirlpool Islands. It is said that the Moon Wolf only appears on the night of the full moon. This monster is not only extremely powerful, and even professionals of the same tier are hard to beat, but its appearance often foreshadows the birth of some kind of treasure on the next full moon. Therefore, it often causes the surrounding monsters to become restless."

"Wolf Fang Island is hundreds of nautical miles from the Whirlpool Islands, but it has also been affected by some of the aftershocks, causing the sea monsters to frequently attack ships."

"Upon hearing this news, many pirates rushed toward the Whirlpool Islands, hoping to find traces of the Moon Wolf on the next full moon night. If they could obtain treasure, all the better."

Chapter 38

“Moon Wolf… Whirlpool Islands… Treasure… I see.” Ryan understood.

"Hehe, sir, I think you'll also want a piece of the pie. If you find anything good, just come to the Black Agate Merchant Guild, and we'll buy it at a high price." Sman squinted, rubbing his hands together as he laughed.

“No problem, no problem,” Ryan said with a smile.

In fact, whether or not to go to the Whirlpool Islands is not up to him, and second-tier monsters are far beyond his current capabilities. However, it's just a polite remark, so he can say whatever he wants.

On the way thereafter, Sman briefly shared some rumors, such as the destruction of a certain pirate group or the rise of another. Ryan kept these in mind but did not offer any opinions.

Before long, the two arrived at the entrance of a large workshop.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The sound of heavy metal hammers striking echoed from inside the workshop, and standing at the doorway, Ryan could feel a distinct wave of heat hitting him.

Above the entrance to the workshop hangs a sign with five large characters: Copper Hammer Blacksmith Shop.

“‘Master of the Copper Hammer’ Orucci is inside. Sir, we’ll meet again sometime.”

After leading Ryan to the destination, Sman bowed and prepared to leave.

However, his large belly made the elegant bow look somewhat comical and strange.

"sorry to bother you."

After saying goodbye to Sman, Ryan stepped into the "Copper Hammer Blacksmith Shop," which was still brightly lit at night.

The clanging and banging sounds were incessant. Upon entering, the first thing Ryan saw was a reception desk with a rough and rugged style.

A pretty girl, around fourteen or fifteen years old, sat behind the counter. When she saw Ryan, she smiled sweetly and said, "Welcome, sir. What can I do for you? We have all kinds of weapons here. If you want to customize one, you'll have to wait in line."

"Hello, is 'Master Copper Hammer' Orucci here?" Ryan asked. "I have a batch of precious sea monster materials and would like to commission Master Copper Hammer to forge a greatsword."

"A greatsword?" The girl blinked, somewhat surprised, upon hearing the name of the weapon.

Having worked at the copper hammer blacksmith shop for so long, this was the first time she had ever heard of someone wanting to customize a greatsword.

Wolf Fang Island is a gathering place for pirates, but the pirates have no need for greatswords.

Before the girl could speak, a deep, resonant voice came from behind: "You said you wanted to forge a greatsword using sea monster materials."

The voice was followed by a giant man over two meters tall.

He was shirtless, his muscular, bronze-colored body gleaming.

"Master of the Copper Hammer" Orucci was bald with a savage-looking tattoo on his forehead. He looked at Ryan, his large, copper-bell-shaped eyes gleaming slightly.

“...Yes.” Compared to Orucci, Ryan, who was only 1.8 meters tall, looked like a skinny little chick.

“Greatsword…it’s been a long time since I’ve heard that name.” “Master of the Copper Hammer” Orucci sighed, “Back then, the first weapon my teacher taught me to forge was a greatsword. This is the weapon a real man should use.”

"I've been on Wolf Fang Island for so long, and all I've gotten are small things."

"You're in luck, kid. You've whetted my appetite. Show me your materials."

Upon hearing this, Ryan's face lit up with joy, and he quickly released the corpse of the Ice Fang Saber-toothed Fish from his spatial ring.

"Hmm, not bad, the sea monster's corpse is quite well preserved." After examining the corpse for a while, "Master Copper Hammer" Orucci nodded in satisfaction: "The main bone of the Ice Fang Saberfish is not only hard but also very tough, making it a good choice for the main material of a greatsword."

“I’ve accepted your commission. The fee is £1000. It will take about six hours. You can wait here or come back to collect it later.”

Ryan glanced at the clock on the wall; it was around 7 p.m., and six hours later it would be 1 a.m. After thinking for a moment, he replied, "Then I'll keep you here."

"what ever."

With a nonchalant wave of his hand, "Master of the Copper Hammer" Orucci picked up a hook, pierced the mouth of the Ice Fang Saberfish, and dragged it into the processing area behind.

With nothing else to do, Ryan looked at the various weapons on the weapon rack while chatting with the girl at the front desk.

"I am Ryan. May I ask how I should address you, Miss?"

"Just call me Xiaoyun." The girl's smile gave people a very friendly feeling.

"Miss Xiaoyun, what are you doing on Wolf Fang Island?" Ryan asked curiously. "This is a gathering place for pirates, after all. It must be dangerous for a girl like you to live here alone."

You see, pirates live a life of constant danger and are under immense pressure. Fine wine and beautiful women are their greatest loves. For a delicate girl like Xiaoyun to be in such a place is like a lamb entering a pack of wolves.

"Hehe." The girl covered her mouth and chuckled, "Thank you for your concern."

"But with my father's protection, I don't need to worry about safety."

“My father? You mean Master Orucci?” Ryan asked, somewhat taken aback.

He could hardly believe that such a rugged man's daughter could be so beautiful.

“Yes.” Xiaoyun smiled. “Mr. Ryan, what other weapons do you need? I can introduce them to you.”

“Hmm, I also want a ranged weapon,” Ryan said.

He's had this idea for a long time.

Ranged attacks have always been his weakness, or rather, a common problem for melee fighters.

Long-range weapons, on the other hand, can compensate for this to some extent.

"Have you ever used a ranged weapon?" Xiaoyun stood up from behind the front desk and walked to Ryan's side.

Ryan shook his head: "No."

“In that case, I recommend you buy a crossbow,” Xiaoyun advised professionally. “Archery training cannot be completed in a short time, but crossbows are different. Once you learn how to use them, you can get the hang of them quickly. They are also very accurate, and their destructive power at short distances is no less than that of a flintlock musket.”

"If it is a crossbow made from monster materials and of low-level artifact quality, its power can be increased even further."

"We don't have any low-level rare crossbows in the shop right now, but you can take a look at this one. It's the best among low-level rare items."

Xiaoyun pointed to a crossbow on the shelf and said.

“Okay, this will do.” Ryan nodded. “I’ll use it for now, and then I’ll trouble Master Orucci to make me a low-level artifact crossbow.”

Low-level artifacts contain spiritual energy and can be brought into the traveler's land. Although the small crossbow bolts can only cause limited damage to large monsters, they are still very useful for attacking vulnerable parts such as the eyes.

“Okay.” Xiaoyun smiled. “Chenghui, 300 pounds, plus 5 pence for each crossbow bolt.”

Of the 10,000 pounds from the sale of the ship, Frey gave Ryan 3000 pounds, which he used to buy weapons without any hesitation.

"Then let's get another 400 crossbow bolts to make it a round number."

"Please wait a moment."

Ryan was in high spirits after acquiring the ranged weapon.

"Miss Xiaoyun, could I borrow that greatsword?" Ryan asked, pointing to a worn-out greatsword in the corner.

"Sure." Xiaoyun readily agreed to the big client's small request.

After receiving permission, Ryan picked up the greatsword.

The moment he held it, the weighty feel gave him a sense of security.