"Kid, you're going to crush yourself like this."

  Metal whirled and clanged as Baiyun climbed the mechanical staircase persistently, a giant pile of weights strapped all over his body. 150 kilograms of force pressed hard upon him as he breathed heavily, but he slowed his steps subtly to maintain a bare equilibrium.

  The blacksmith's test demanded he endure the climb for 5 hours, carrying as much weight as the armour he wanted. If he wanted to tide though, he would have to cut as many corners as he could.

  His leg wounds from overexerting himself in the training room ached, but he ignored them. If anything, he could treat them like an ace and reveal he was wounded all along afterwards, to further raise his evaluation.

  The blacksmith only shook his head at the sight, getting back to work. He reached into his storage bag and pulled large chunks of dull metal, stirring the forge awake and smelting them. At the same time, he placed a half-complete sword atop the hot surface of the forge like a stove, hammering the sword as it warmed up.

  Baiyun cursed as he felt the air of the forge growing hotter. Was the old man trying to cook him alive? His muscles that screamed from the strain of overwork wore down even faster, but somehow, he managed to push on with soul mending.

  Had he bitten off more than he could chew? There was no need to even ask himself, as he knew perfectly well he had.

  Even with the strength the black earth elixir provided him, 150 kg of armour would halve his mobility and quickly exhaust him. Such strain would also make using the Whirlwind Art impossible, greatly reducing his combat power.

  But it was not without reason he chose it.

  If Baiyun was able to gather abundant spoils in the conflicts against the beasts, it meant his strength would rapidly increase. Perhaps for the first time, he would no longer would he be strapped and starving for resources.

  When that time came and he grew stronger, it wasn't as if he could ask to replace his armour immediately. Anyone would get suspicious about a servant suddenly getting so much stronger in such a short time.

  Even if it meant getting armour beyond his limits, he needed to get the best he could right now!

  Heavier armour would also make his combat more stable, as he would no longer need to worry about launching himself away with every attack due to his light body.

  It would also protect him better, lessening his worries about failing to dodge. In the chaos of a battlefield, being unable to react instantly meant he would be forced to take hits every now and then.

  As such, he could not afford to get weak armour that would dent and break easily.

  Even as Baiyun tried to distract himself with his thoughts, the climb was still insufferable. He was used to agonising pain due to experience in his past life, but it was not often he faced the suffering of unbearable heat.

  He tried to slow his steps further subtly, only for the gaze of the blacksmith to land on him. Tsk! Why wasn't the old man paying more attention to his work? He cursed inwardly as he resumed his previous pace.

  Hour by hour passed, each slower than the next.

  When the 5 hours were finally up, Baiyun halted his steps and tumbled forward, crashing onto the staircase. 150 kg of weights made his loud fall rather painful, but he stopped caring at this point.

  "Done. 5 hours have passed." he said weakly.

  What an inhumane old man, making a "kid" like him suffer like this.

  "You were keeping track?" the blacksmith raised an eyebrow. "Fine. I'll honour my promise."

  The old man shut the forge, instantly lowering the heat. Baiyun grimaced, wondering if the lazy bastard had been raising the heat intentionally in an attempt to undercut him.

  He tossed off the weights and hopped off the staircase, finally able to wipe his sweat off. A sense of relief came over him, his body now feeling as light as a feather without the restraints.

  "Can you walk? You might have pushed yourself too far." the blacksmith reached a hand towards him.

  Baiyun nodded, intentionally stretching his legs to show his wounds before getting up. The blacksmith eyed them but didn't comment.

  He decided to cut to the chase.

  "Since you're making the armour custom, can I ask for a few specifications?" he said carefully.

  "Go on. You've earned it.

  Baiyun began to tell the blacksmith of various ideas he had for the armour.

  The man nodded with every word at first, but as the demands piled one upon another, his eyes twitched.

  This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

  "Kid! You're asking for too much, stop pushing your luck!" the blacksmith roared, slamming his fists onto the forge like a table.

  "Alright, alright! I'm sorry." Baiyun raised his hands in insincere defeat.

  "The most I'll do are the shield attachment and tendons you asked for. If you want me to do more, that will have to come out of your own pocket."

  "I do have some funds-" Baiyun said, but was cut off by a dismissive wave.

  "Save it. We only accept contribution points here at the border." the smith huffed. "Come back after you've received some salary. If you even survive until then."

  Baiyun nodded. He had already gotten more than he bargained, so he was satisfied.

  "Here. Use this for now." the blacksmith grunted.

  He tossed a small set of armour over, covered in dents and somewhat rusty. Baiyun frowned slightly as he picked it up.

  "Songbird will let you know when I'm done with your order. Now scram!"

  With those words, the blacksmith chased Baiyun out of the smithy and slammed the doors shut.

  "They just get greedier and greedier by the year." a muffled voice grunted from the inside. "No consideration for the elderly."

  Baiyun stood there for a moment and took in the breeze. He sensed his surroundings but Songbird didn't seem to be present, likely having already returned to the prison compound.

  After being stuck in such an insufferably hot place for so long, even the polluted air felt refreshing in its coldness.

  Baiyun wandered the premise, searching the area as he prodded the ground with his walking stick. A well came into view, and he quickly marched over.

  Good.

  He was looking for somewhere to wash his armour, already prepared for the possibility of having to use the polluted ocean water, but it seemed he had overthought things. Clean water wasn't an issue at the border, thankfully.

  Formations beneath the water pulsed faintly, drawing in tainted seawater and cleansing it. He didn't understand how they worked but memorised them with divine touch anyway, much like how he copied the formations at the Myriad Herbs Manor. It was hard to say if they would ever be useful, but it was good practice to grab every freebie he could.

  Baiyun took his mortar and pestle purchased from Qinghe, quickly crushing some herbs. It was a quick solution for cleansing metal, made simple by how he already had the prerequisites; the exact same ingredients he used to remove the metal stain in his cauldron.

  Water was drawn from the well in a bucket and placed close by. The crushed herbs were slathered all over the armour, then scrubbed hard by a wooden brush of horsetail hair.

  He let it soak for a moment and washed it all off with water, admiring his quick handiwork. The armour was now free from stench and rust, sparkling to the point where it could be mistaken for brand-new, if not for the scratches. As for the dents, there wasn't much he could do without a hammer.

  Baiyun shook off the water and tossed the armour into his bag. No sense in complaining about minor details; it wasn't as if he would use it for long.

  Swoosh!

  The sound of a sword cutting air suddenly rang out, and he turned around in alarm. It was unmistakable. That was the same blade he heard when he followed Songbird to the smithy earlier!

  Far in the distance, he felt the presence of a young man holding a gleaming blade, practising as he swung it through the air with graceful strokes.

  So strong was the man's presence that Baiyun felt it like a gaze, as if there was a white outline in the darkness of his blinded vision.

  The pale silhouette of the man paused his sword, turning over to smile and wave.

  Baiyun bowed respectfully and hastened his steps, quickly leaving the scene. Whoever or whatever that was, he did not want to tangle with it.

  He carefully sensed his surroundings with divine touch to check for anything following him as he prodded onwards, only letting out a sigh of relief when he re-entered the prisoners quarters. He noted to himself that it was unsafe to explore at night here at the border.

  Baiyun return to his room and went to bed, placing his textbook beneath his pillow and letting his body sleep. Rabbit began to bother him, but he shooed it away.

  His wounds and fatigue melted away as his soul got to work.

  Morning soon arrived, the last of his wounds patching up as he read leisurely. A knock came from his door and startled Rabbit, and he reluctantly stashed his book away.

  Baiyun trudged over to the door and opened it, revealing a giant and a kid.

  "Good morning!" Stone said cheerfully. "It's still 6 in the morning and quite early, but patrol begins soon. I won't always be here to wake you up, so you'll have to make a habit of getting up early, or there won't be any breakfast left."

  Gale didn't seem interested in talking.

  Baiyun nodded as he followed the two, heading down the passage and entering the dining hall.

  The unpleasant stench of unwashed inmates struck him as loud voices argued and laughed, accompanied by clashing cutlery and the most boorish eating sounds he had ever heard. Even without eyes, he frowned at the unsightly display.

  "This is our table." Stone said, stopping suddenly.

  Next to them was a round table with a small carving of a lobster in its midst. Its claws were huge and menacing, but the creature laid peacefully on the seafloor as if asleep.

  Baiyun examined the surrounding furniture with divine touch from his walking stick, noting some of them had animal carvings as well, though most tables were unmarked. There were also many that were scratched out uglily and replaced with other animals.

  An odd way to reserve tables through reputation...

  "I can lead you to the food trays if needed, but there's nothing I can eat here, so I've brought food of my own." Stone said.

  "I can lead him too!" Gale said. "You can sit tight and eat happily in the meanwhile!"

  Stone laughed heartily and tousled the hair of the kid, who squirmed and grumbled.

  "Oh? Look at you being all responsible. I'll happily lounge then!"

  The monk reached into his bag and pulled out an enormous rock-like wheel. Small grains and seeds that fell from the towering disc, faintly dusting the ground.

  It was a truly absurd pastry, its uneven cragged surface embedded with a sea of crushed seeds, nuts and beans.

  Baiyun stood blankly as Stone chomped on the monolith, his massive teeth instantly pulverising it with the loud sound of grinding rocks.

  "Hm?" Stone said with his mouth full. "You want some?"

  He casually broke off a piece and tossed it over.

  Baiyun stared at the chunk of pastry and felt its texture, heavier and harder than mortal stone. Nuts and seeds had somehow been compacted so hard, its durability rivalled that of the shoddy armour the blacksmith had temporarily tossed him.

  There was a bit of sauce on the inside which he tasted. Sweet red bean paste, nothing special.

  "Thanks." he said out of courtesy.

  He put the chunk of pastry away, deciding he could use it as an emergency throwing rock if needed. 5 kilograms of blunt force packed quite the punch.

  "Let's go, Blindfold!" Gale said, grabbing his hand.

  Baiyun grimaced as he was dragged away. He didn't know if he could get used to being called such a nickname constantly. Perhaps Stone was right that he should have thought it through more.