Primordial Expanse: I have the Strongest Talent!

Rothwind let out a slow whistle, shaking his head. "I'll admit, I've been treatin' ya like a couple of clueless pups. But to clear a mission like that? You've got some fight in ya, don't ya?"

Alex raised an eyebrow. "Wait, did you not know what kind of mission the token came from?"

Rothwind shook his head. "Aye, I didn't. I hand these tokens out when certain guilds or organisations request 'em, but I rarely get the details since the rewards they give me in return are enough to satisfy an old man like me."

Alex frowned. "I get that, but why's it matter? We're just trying to figure out what the token was for."

Rothwind grinned, his earlier cocky attitude returning.

"It matters 'cause if you can handle a Variant C tier mission, then you ain't just your run of the mill adventurers. You're capable of somethin' far more dangerous than most who walk into my smithy. Means I can craft ya somethin'... a bit more special."

Alex and Mira exchanged confused glances, unsure of how to respond.

They hadn't walked into Rothwind's smithy expecting anything, much less the promise of something custom crafted for them.

"You mean… you're willing to craft some armour for us?" Alex asked, his tone a mixture of confusion and curiosity.

Rothwind chuckled, clearly amused by their reaction. "Aye. I might not be a Grandmaster like Mikhail, but I am a Master smith!"

Mira crossed her arms, frowning in thought. "We've never really worn armour before… didn't seem necessary."

Rothwind raised an eyebrow, looking between the two of them with a sceptical expression. "Never worn armour, eh? Well ain't that somethin'. And you've made it this far without it?"

Alex shrugged while Mira retained her stance.

The dwarf let out a hearty laugh. "Ah, well that's what they all say until somethin' bigger and meaner than them lands a blow they didn't see comin'. You two might be fast and skilled, but armour ain't just protectin' you from a hit. It can enhance your abilities, make you stronger, faster, more resilient. The right gear can change the way you fight."

Alex's interest was piqued at that. "Enhance your abilities?"

"Haven't you already experienced it with your fancy sword there?"

Rothwind was confused that Alex would even ask this, considering the calibre of weapon he was wielding…

Alex looked like he had a realisation strike him, and his curiosity turned into excitement when he thought about the kinds of effects he could gain from more gear.

Rothwind nodded, the gleam in his eye returning as he gestured toward his workbench, where a variety of strange materials and blueprints lay scattered.

"This ain't your standard iron and steel, lad. I work with rare materials from the Expanse, things that can amplify abilities, reinforce your natural strength, or even adapt to your movements. You think armour's just heavy metal? Not what I craft. What I'm offerin' you is a different kind of gear altogether."

At this point, the duo were brought out of their delusions to ask one simple, but crucial question.

"Why would you do all this for us?"

Rothwind just smiled a little. "Call it a smith's intuition."

Rothwind's grin broadened, clearly enjoying the excitement he'd stirred up in the duo. He scratched his beard thoughtfully, his eyes glinting with the anticipation of a new challenge.

"But I'll warn ya," he said, his voice more serious now. "It might take me a while to gather the right materials for gear as special as what I've got in mind."

Alex and Mira's expressions shifted almost immediately, their excitement dimming.

They hadn't planned ons staying in the Primordial Expanse for long. In fact, they didn't even plan on staying there at all, since this whole thing started with sabotage by the Red Demons.

They had a war to return to – a race on the brink of extinction — and time was not something they could afford to waste on their own luxuries at the moment.

Alex frowned. "How long are we talking, Rothwind?"

The dwarf leaned back in thought, arms folded across his chest.

"Well, dependin' on the exact materials I need to find… I'd say about a month, tops."

Mira and Alex exchanged worried glances.

A month? Could they really afford to stay here for another month?

They had assumed that whatever Rothwind was offering would be something quick and easy, not a long, drawn out process.

But the tension in the room began to ease a bit, though they still had their reservations.

Alex glanced at Mira, silently asking her what she thought.

She gave a small nod, seeming to relent to the idea.

"We haven't met the requirements to leave yet, anyway," Mira said with a sigh.

"We couldn't leave even if we wanted to."

Rothwind grinned, clearly pleased with their decision.

"That's the spirit! I'll get to work gatherin' the materials I need. In the meantime, you two can go back to whatever you were doing before we met."

Mira folded her arms, still looking slightly sceptical. "And you're sure it'll only take a month?"

Rothwind let out a hearty laugh. "Aye, lass! A month, give or take a day or two, dependin' on how cooperative the Expanse is. But I'm confident I can get it done in that time."

Alex smiled faintly, feeling a renewed sense of excitement for something to look forward to.

"Alright, we'll trust you on this. Just make sure it's worth the wait."

The dwarf's grin wouldn't get any wider as he clapped his hands together. "Oh, don't you worry, lad. By the time I'm finished, you'll be wonderin' how you ever fought without it!"

With that, Rothwind turned back to his workbench, already sketching out designs.

As the sounds of hard labour began to echo out through the smithy, Alex and Mira shared one final look and took that as their que to leave.

Though the month wait wasn't ideal, they had no idea how long it would take them to find a B+ rank Variant class beast for Alex to kill anyway.