I'm not a goblin Frankenstein's monster.

In the end, after deducting the cost of the breastplate and shield, Xia Lin had twenty-five gold coins left in his purse.

Thanks to the profit sharing from the "black market" equipment he had previously entrusted to the dwarf Sindar and the unexpected gains from the caravan missions, he still had some leftovers.

With his equipment completely renewed, Xia Lin felt even more confident about the adventures to come.

Xia Lin was examining the shield he had just received, his fingers tracing the spot in the center of the shield where a scale was missing, pondering where he could find suitable repair materials.

Just then, Woody, perched on the shoulder, poked his head out, his dark eyes fixed on the shield, and suddenly spoke:

"The craftsmanship isn't bad. If you really want to find something to repair this..." It paused, seemingly searching its memory.

"Why not kill a few kobolds and use their scales?"

That thing is quite similar in nature to the scales that were originally missing from this shield.

"Kobold?"

Xia Lin was taken aback, turned her head to look at Woody on her shoulder, thinking she had misheard.

"Kobolds and dragons? These two creatures are completely unrelated, aren't they?"

A diminutive monster mining and digging in a cave, and a legendary creature flying in the sky—the difference is too vast.

"That's because you don't understand." Woody puffed out his chest, his tone carrying a hint of "Let me teach you a lesson."

"The kobold lineage does indeed have a trace of dragon blood in their ancestors, although it is so thin as to be almost negligible, and the degeneration is quite horrible."

However, according to the oldest genealogical theories, they are indeed the lowest and most humble branches of the dragon's bloodline.

They could be considered the dragon's true "poor relative."

Xia Lin's eyes widened in surprise: "One is from heaven, the other from hell, yet they're related?"

The information was quite shocking. He imagined the scene of a grotesque, short dog-headed man standing side by side with a colossal dragon that blotted out the sky, but he couldn't make sense of it at all.

"Bloodlines get distorted over time," Woody said casually, rubbing the tip of his wing against his beak.

"Just like a nobleman's illegitimate son who ends up on the streets, he might become a pickpocket or hoodlum after a few generations."

But some connection at the root still remains.

The dull scales on the kobolds are worlds apart from real dragon scales, but in terms of the basic properties of the material...

Not only is it lightweight and resilient, but it also has a slight affinity for fire elements, which makes it bear a tiny, pitiful resemblance to other materials.

It's barely good enough to patch up your replica shield; it's better than using other miscellaneous materials.

Xia Lin processed this information, his gaze returning to the missing scale on the shield.

If Woody is telling the truth, then the prospects for repairing this shield suddenly seem much clearer.

While kobolds are troublesome, they are infinitely more real than the ethereal dragons.

"I see, I've learned something new."

He nodded, already having made up his mind.

Since this shield can be upgraded and repaired, this deal is even more worthwhile.

"Looks like I'll have to take on a few more missions to clear out the kobold lairs."

"Gather some scales, and I'll have Sinda try it out later. Maybe it really will improve the shield's quality."

He weighed the shield on his left arm, a hint of anticipation in his eyes.

Xia Lin pushed open the half-wooden door of the Moonlight Tavern, and a mixture of aromas of ale, barbecue grease, and wood wafted out.

"Hey! Xia Lin! Over here!"

A familiar, gruff voice came from near the bar.

Xia Lin looked in the direction of the sound and saw the dwarf Gondor sitting at a round table, waving his short, thick arms at him.

Beside the dwarf sat a robust human waitress named Kaelin, dressed in a plain linen dress, her long reddish-brown hair simply tied in a ponytail at the back of her head. She was wiping up a wine stain that someone had spilled on the table with a rag.

On the other side of the round table, the dwarf Tyr was already lying on the table, snoring softly.

"Sorry I'm late." Xia Lin walked over quickly, pulled up an empty chair and sat down. "I was delayed at the blacksmith shop."

"I understand, I understand!" Gondor grinned, taking a sip of his mead. "Adventurers, you know, their schedules are never fixed."

The waitress, Karen, stopped what she was doing and looked up at Xia Lin.

Her eyes were light brown, appearing especially gentle in the dim light of the tavern.

"Mr. Charlin," Karin said softly, her voice filled with genuine gratitude, "Gondor told me everything... Thank you for saving his life."

Xia Lin was slightly taken aback.

Gondor scratched his thick, unruly beard sheepishly and muttered, "I told you not to bring this up..."

"How could we not mention it?" Karin turned her head, glared at the dwarf, and a hint of anger appeared on her originally gentle face.

"You two almost died at the goblin's dinner table! I told you before, the area around town is unsafe lately, so many people have gone missing at the riverbank docks."

I told you not to keep taking on those field assignments, but you wouldn't listen!

Her voice wasn't loud, but the worry and lingering fear in her tone were obvious.

Gondor shrank back and muttered an explanation, "I... I just wanted to earn more money... As a man, I have to take responsibility..."

"Take on responsibility?" Karin laughed in exasperation, reaching out to pinch the dwarf's fleshy ear. "You're going to take on responsibility to the point of risking your life out there? What am I supposed to do then?"

"Ouch! Be gentle, be gentle!" Gondor winced in pain, begging for mercy, "I was wrong, I was wrong! I won't do it again! Really!"

"I bet those two are having an affair, a dwarf and a muscular human woman, tsk tsk tsk..." Woody had already started gossiping.

Seeing this scene, Xia Lin couldn't help but smile.

He coughed lightly, changing the subject: "What happened at the docks? I've been on missions out there lately, so my information isn't very good."

Karin then released her grip, sighed, and sat back down in her chair.

She draped the rag over her knees, her brows furrowing slightly.

"We ordinary people don't really know the specifics of what happened."

Karin lowered her voice, as if afraid of being overheard, "It started a few days ago, and several workers have gone missing from the docks one after another."

"At first, everyone thought he had fallen into the water or left on his own. You know, dockworkers are very mobile, and it's not uncommon for one or two to run away occasionally."

"But then," her tone turned serious, "one after another, workers disappeared, numbering nearly a dozen. That's when the guards took notice."

The tavern was quiet, with only the crackling of the firewood burning in the fireplace and the occasional notes of a bard tuning his lute in the corner.

The dwarf Gondor leaned closer and added in a gruff voice, "I heard it wasn't an ordinary disappearance; something unclean from the water came ashore."

"Something unclean in the water?" Xia Lin raised an eyebrow.

"Mm." Karin nodded, a hint of unease appearing on her face.

"The town's guard has already sent men to Waterdeep for help, and they've reportedly even invited a priest from the Holy Church to come and cleanse the 'evil creatures' from the water."