I'm not a goblin Frankenstein's monster.

Sinda dropped the handkerchief in her hand to the ground, her little eyes widening in surprise.

"You survived encountering those ruthless bastards?"

He scrutinized Xia Lin from head to toe, as if he were some rare monster. "Not bad, kid, you've got a tough life!"

"I was lucky to have a few reliable teammates," Xia Lin said simply, his mind flashing back to the battle scenes with Gus Jimmy and the others.

Xinda clicked her tongue, didn't ask any more questions, bent down to pick up a handkerchief and wiped her hands.

"Consider yourself lucky. So, what kind of equipment do you want? Armor or a shield?"

I just got a batch of 'cleared' goods a couple of days ago; they're in pretty good condition.

"Let's look at the armor first," Xia Lin thought for a moment, then added, "It's best if it's not too heavy, as it will affect agility."

"Lightweight yet sturdy..." Blacksmith Sinda stroked his beard, pondered for a moment, then turned and walked towards the backyard.

"Wait, there are a few things that should suit your taste."

Not long after, he returned carrying two pieces of armor and slammed them onto the worktable.

The first item is a finely crafted leather armor, the main body of which is dark brown tanned hard leather.

The key areas, such as the chest, back, shoulders, and elbows, are cleverly inlaid with tiny silver-gray scales that gleam with a metallic sheen.

They are arranged closely together, like fish scales.

Bathed in the glow of the fire, the scales shimmered with a soft light.

"This," the dwarf Sindar patted his leather armor, his tone tinged with pride.

"Silverscale Breastplate, sold to me by a tauren druid who was doing quite well."

That kid later got rich by selling equipment, saved up enough money to buy an enchanted chainmail shirt, and then this old guy switched to me.

The leather used is from the back of a swamp crocodile, and it is treated extremely well, making it tough, durable, and waterproof.

These silver scales are genuine scales from the valley silverfish, tanned and inlaid using a special technique, and their defensive capabilities are no less than those of hard steel materials.

The key is lightness! It won't affect your combat movements.

Xia Lin recalled a game she had played and nodded, "I've heard of it."

【Silver Scale Breastplate (Forged by a Shady Merchant - Green Rare Item)】

Type: Armor (Light)

Effect: Defense resistance +2, the "Lightness" enchantment slightly increases the wearer's agility.

description:

A set of fish-scale-shaped breastplates shimmering with cheap silver light, with a faint smell of salted fish occasionally wafting from between the plates.

With inflation, its value has also risen accordingly.

Years ago, a Tauren Druid was selling this for years, adding a sincere sales pitch: "Silverscale Breastplate, green quality, five pieces per piece, ten times the price back if fake."

As for whether the compensation is "ten apologies" or "ten fish scales," the final interpretation rests with him.

The second item was a completely black metal breastplate, simple and heavy in design, with fine forging patterns on the surface, and a dark luster under the light, indicating that it was quite heavy.

"This is the Black Iron Guardian Breastplate," the blacksmith Sinda explained.

"Proper dwarven blacksmithing uses black iron from the Gray Rock Mountains, mixed with a little mithril powder to increase its toughness."

It's a bit heavy, but the protection is unparalleled; a typical sword or knife strike will only leave a white mark.

Moreover, the inner lining is padded with double-layered, soft bison leather, providing good shock absorption.

Suitable for those who prefer a steady, methodical approach and a head-on, ruthless style.

Xia Lin carefully examined the two pieces of armor and weighed them in his hands.

The Silver Scale Breastplate is indeed much lighter, while the Black Iron Breastplate is heavier.

"How much?" he asked directly.

Xinda chuckled and gestured with his stubby fingers: "You're a regular customer, I won't rip you off."

Silver-scaled breastplate, twelve gold coins.

Black Iron Guardian Breastplate, fifteen gold coins.

How about that, pretty good, right?

Xia Lin did not answer immediately, his gaze shifting between the two pieces of high-grade armor, silently calculating the weight of his purse and the potential risks of the upcoming mission.

He weighed his money pouch in his hand, then recalled the urgent need for agility when fighting the gnolls, and finally made his decision.

"I want this silver-scaled breastplate."

With the added benefit of darkvision and the enhanced agility attribute, lightweight and flexible armor is clearly more suitable for his hit-and-run style.

"A wise choice." Sinda nodded.

"Twelve gold coins, the usual price. And your tattered clothes..."

He disdainfully picked up the gear that Xia Lin had changed out of, which was covered in claw marks and bloodstains.

"Fine, considering you fought with gnolls this time, plus the depreciation of your equipment, ten gold will do."

Xia Lin paid the money readily and put on the brand-new silver scale breastplate.

The dark brown, hard leather clung to the body without feeling restrictive, and the inlaid silver scales formed an effective protective area on the chest.

I moved my shoulders and arms around, and I didn't feel any hindrance at all. My defensive capabilities were also visibly improved.

"very good."

Xia Lin nodded in satisfaction, then asked,

"And what about the shield? The requirements remain the same: lightweight and flexible, not too restrictive to movement."

"The shield..."

Sinda scratched his messy beard, looking troubled.

"This is a bit difficult."

Of the recent shipments, most were heavy and large shields; the kind of light shield you're looking for... we don't actually have any.

"A medium-sized shield will do," Xia Lin said after thinking for a moment.

He has a mimicry gel on his body, which he can use to firmly fix the shield to his arm, increasing stability.

However, if the shield itself is too heavy, it will still slow down the overall speed and coordination.

"Ideally, it should be close in weight to the standard round shield I used before."

"A lightweight medium-sized shield... Let me look for it."

Sinda turned around and went back into the backyard. A little while later, she came back carrying two shields, looking quite tired.

The first shield is a rectangular kite-shaped shield with a wooden body covered by iron edges and a raised metal hoop in the center, which looks very sturdy.

"The Shield of the Towering Heroes, a high-end product," Sinda explained.

"The core was made of hard ironwood from the forest, and the outside was wrapped in wrought iron."

The advantage is stability, increasing the stability of combat and providing extra protection against heavy attacks; holding it feels like having your feet firmly planted on the ground.

Xia Lin cast an Identify spell: [Standing Shield (Green)] +2 Stability Resistance and +1 Critical Strike Resistance when blocking. The dwarf wasn't lying; it is indeed a defensively focused piece of equipment.

The second shield is a round, iron-clad wooden shield with a slightly raised, curved surface and smooth, polished edges.

"The Guardian Round Shield is a good thing too," Sinda patted the shield.

"The shield's curve is well-designed, making it adept at deflecting attacks."

It provides considerable damage reduction, and if used properly, it can redirect the direction of ranged arrows, making you fearless against ranged ambushes from monsters in the forest.

【Guardian Round Shield (Green)】When blocking, gain +3 ranged impact resistance and apply the "Arrow Direction Deflection" effect.

Xia Lin picked up the two shields one at a time and tried them out.

The Shield of the Steadfast One is indeed sturdy, giving people a feeling of immovability like a mountain;

The Guardian Round Shield appears more agile.

But after carefully examining their properties and feel, Xia Lin still shook his head regretfully.