After inquiring with the Instructor of the Social Image Management class, Durin learned that Instructor Rocov, when not teaching, usually liked to tinker with small gadgets in his detached house in the Instructor Residence Area.
So, Durin, who had no classes in the morning, ran all the way towards the Instructor Residence Area.
Today, he was also returning the book containing his insights on Mage Armor to Instructor Ashley; Durin had already copied all of it within these ten days.
On the hills relying on the sea, there were scattered, well-arranged three-story detached houses. Durin climbed the mountain path, occasionally passing Mage Apprentices with the same purpose.
Instructor Rokoeff lived on the mountain top, perhaps because forging would create noise. His house was located in a relatively secluded area. Continuous clouds covered the mountain top, and a lush, life-breathing forest, along with a serene blue lake, made the place seem like a fairyland.
"Secluded paths lead to deep tranquility" was the most fitting description for this place.
As Durin gradually approached the house, he found a simple blacksmith shop built in the lush woods. Its four corners were supported by stone pillars, and a large granite slab served as a roof.
The blacksmith's anvil and hammer were placed in the center, with various weapons hanging around, and the quenching furnace fire burned red. Clearly, someone had been forging weapons here and had only recently left.
"What do you want from me?"
Just then, Instructor Rokoeff, with short hair but a two-meter tall, tightly-clothed physique, walked out of the house, revealing his muscular body.
He chewed on half-cooked beef expressionlessly. In the quiet woods, only the sound of his chewing and the tearing sound of his teeth ripping through beef fibers could be heard.
"Instructor Rokoeff, I would like to hire you to forge an enchanted shield for me," Durin said respectfully. "I heard that you are the most skilled forging master in the entire Magic Academy, so I presumptuously wanted to ask for your help."
"Poochie!"
A creature the size of a football, with white fur all over its body, a pair of curved goat horns, and the appearance of a small lamb, ran out of the house grunting and puffing. Its legs seemed too short, preventing it from leaping over the threshold, and it crashed straight into it.
Bang!
A solid collision sound rang out. The thick, white-furred little creature shook its head, climbed up again, and then laboriously stepped over with its front paws.
Is this a Poro?
When Durin saw this classic little creature from the game for the first time in reality, he couldn't help but be surprised. It was indeed very cute.
It was even cuter than a Shiba Inu on Earth, with a pink tongue hanging from its mouth, greeting him with a smile.
This Poro circled Durin, then excitedly huffed at him, and then directly rolled over to expose its belly, constantly rolling playfully on the grass, purring so loudly it almost took off.
[Affection with Poro +5, Charm +1. Current Charm proficiency: 18/25]
"It seems to like you very much." Instructor Rokoeff, who had been expressionless, showed a slight smile. He squatted down and poked the Poro's armpit with his fingertip, making it roll all over the ground.
Then he picked it up, avoiding its licking tongue while stroking its fur, with extremely practiced movements.
"What kind of shield do you want to forge?" Instructor Rokoeff swallowed the half-cooked beef in his mouth, let out a loud burp, and asked.
"A knight's buckler, made of steel. It needs to be tough enough, and preferably have some bulletproof effect," Durin thought for a moment and told him about the enchanted shield he envisioned.
Instructor Rokoeff rubbed the Poro's fluffy fur, sat down on the threshold, and said with a smile, "Okay, I just got a new Rune Stone called 'Aftershock.' It will be a bit expensive, but it can achieve the effect you want."
Aftershock?
Sounds familiar?
Isn't this a famous Rune in League of Legends?
In his impression, the effect of the Aftershock Rune was: [After immobilizing an enemy champion, the user's current armor and magic resistance are increased for 2.5 seconds. Then, after 2.5 seconds, it deals magic damage to nearby enemies.]
But what is the Rune Stone that the other party mentioned?
Durin's face showed a puzzled expression.
Instructor Rokoeff seemed to notice the confusion on Durin's face and couldn't help but pat his own head, saying annoyed, "I forgot that you haven't officially started the enchanting course content yet. Hmm… Rune Stone, you can just understand it as a magical stone that can play a strengthening role."
"They are mainly divided into three types: Rune Stones that expand magical abilities, Rune Stones that enhance offensive abilities, and Rune Stones that enhance defensive abilities. They have all been adjusted, summarized, and optimized by thousands of generations of people, becoming truly stable and efficient structures."
Instructor Rokoeff explained seriously, "And enchanted forging is the process of melting crushed Rune Stones together during forging, allowing the Rune Stone to integrate with the molten iron. As long as a Rune Stone is used correctly, it can permanently enhance certain attributes of an item. Consuming a Rune Stone transfers the contained Rune magic to a specific item through forging, and this is the source of magical items."
"How much will it cost?" Durin asked cautiously.
"If I handle the entire process of forging and enchanting the shield, and I also provide the materials, typically an enchanted shield on the market costs 5 gold cogwheels. Because enchanted weapons are priceless and are snatched up as soon as they appear. Using the 'Aftershock' Rune Stone and other auxiliary materials, it will cost a total of 70 gold cogwheels. The 'Aftershock' Rune Stone accounts for the majority; I acquired it for nearly 60 gold cogwheels."
Durin was stunned at once. He was shocked for the first time by the exorbitant price of the Rune Stone.
70 gold cogwheels?!
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