Free Web NovelChapter 12: All-Seeing Eye
Luke’s first customer was having the worst morning of his life, and he urgently needed Luke’s help.
Just an hour ago, the front doors of the clinic were slammed open, and the man, whose name was John, ran inside, his clothes covered in grease and blood.
"Hey! Someone, please help! Please help!"
Cradled in his arms was his summon, a Steelback Orangutan, a creature covered in tough fur that resembled metal plates. But John wasn’t a hunter, so he used his beast for labor, not power, relying on its strength at the factories to earn a living.
But today, something deadly had happened at the factory. An old gear in a cutting machine had snapped, releasing a steel cable across the room like a whipping blade. The cable struck the orangutan’s chest, tearing through its metal hide and leaving a deep gash. Now, the poor beast was whimpering and bleeding helplessly. freēwebnovel.com
The clinic nurses and doctors rolled out a gurney and carried the big monkey into the emergency room, doing their best to help John.
After forty minutes, the doctors successfully put the monkey in good condition. The orangutan was sitting up, licking its paws, but it looked very tired.
The doctor walked out and gave John some advice.
"He’s going to make it, John," the doctor said. "But listen to me carefully. You cannot take him back to the factory line like this. His hide is severely compromised. If something even less dangerous hits his chest before it fully heals, you might lose your companion. He needs a couple of weeks of rest. Or, if he really has to work, he needs proper body defense."
John put his head in his hands.
"I wish I could get the right body armor for my companion," he groaned. "But the guilds charge a fortune just for a basic chestplate. I’m just a factory worker. I don’t have that kind of money, but I can’t afford to lose my buddy either."
Hearing this, the head nurse behind the desk suddenly snapped her fingers. She remembered Luke, who had been in the clinic just a little while ago.
"Wait, John," she said over the counter. "A young boy told us he just opened a smithing shop right down on the street near the warehouses. He claimed he could fix or forge beast armor. We thought he was just bragging, but since you’re in a pinch, maybe you should go look?"
John didn’t even wait to ask more questions. He thanked the medical staff, ran out of the clinic, and followed the directions until he saw Luke’s messy cardboard sign.
Now, he was the same customer standing before Luke. He was a man who needed to keep his companion safe, and Luke was his last hope.
After hearing his story, Luke felt bad for him. He knew he had to give this worker the best service possible to save his beast.
"Don’t worry, mister," Luke said. "You came to the right place. I can make exactly what you need."
Then, he looked down at the wooden crate. "Hey, buddy, stop hiding. We have a job to do."
The Astral Tortoiseling slowly popped its head out of its silver helmet. Its big black eyes blinked at John, which made John gasp and take a step back.
"Wow! What is that thing?" John asked, pointing a shaking finger.
"This is my assistant," Luke said proudly. "Now, please summon your Steelback Orangutan so we can see what we are dealing with."
John complied. Soon, a magic outline formed in thin air, and the Steelback Orangutan appeared. The monkey was about five feet tall with muscular arms and its trademark metal fur. But right across its chest was an ugly gash covered in white medical bandages that were already turning red with blood.
"Alright, assistant, do your thing," Luke instructed.
The Astral Tortoiseling hopped off the crate, crawled toward the monkey, and suddenly, its eyes began to glow. The monkey looked down at the turtle, perplexed.
〖Skill Triggered: All-Seeing Eye!〗
Two beams of green light shot out of the turtle’s eyes and scanned the monkey from head to toe. At the same time, Luke could see numbers and green grids reflecting on the turtle’s shell.
"Master!" the Astral Tortoiseling chirped. "The target is a Primal 3.0 grade. Its steel fur is broken by 45%. To keep it safe from factory dangers, we need a two-armor set. A ruggedized chestplate to cover the wound and a reinforced helmet."
"Great job," Luke said. "What are the exact measurements?"
"Chest width is 42 inches, head circumference is 22 inches, and we need extra thickness on the left side near the heart!"
"Perfect. I’m ready to forge," Luke said with a nod.
Meanwhile, John looked nervous as they made their diagnosis. He was not confident in Luke at all. Firstly, Luke’s shop didn’t look like a forge. There was no furnace, there was no black coal, there was no smoke, and there wasn’t even a bucket of water to cool hot iron. Luke was just a teenager wearing a very dirty school uniform and a talking toy turtle.
"Is this a scam?" John thought to himself. "Did the nurses play a trick on me? How can anyone make armor in a shed with no fire?"
But John was so desperate that he didn’t have any other choices. The big guilds would laugh at him if he showed up with only a handful of cash. So he just decided to let Luke take his time, even if it turned out to be a disaster.
"I’m going to step into the back room to work," Luke told John. "My assistant will watch the shop. Don’t touch anything."
The little turtle sat on the floor, staring at John with its big, unblinking eyes to guard Luke’s body. Behind, Luke sat down on the floor, closed his eyes, and plunged his mind into his soul space.
WHOOSH!
Luke opened his eyes, and he was back in his workplace.
Usually, if Luke wanted to forge an armor like the Molten Triceratops Mask, he needed a Draft Card, but that rule was only for Ancient and Mythical grade armor. Because the Steelback Orangutan was just a regular Primal beast, Luke didn’t need a Draft Card at all. His system allowed him to forge basic armor using just raw metal ingredients and his own imagination and intent.
"Let’s see what I have," Luke muttered, checking his inventory.
After that, he closed his eyes and imagined a chestplate that could withstand a snapping steel cable and a solid helmet that was just as durable.
Summoning his gauntlet, Luke picked up the hammer and channeled his Flame.
〖Cost: 2 Flame Points〗
"Huh... very cheap," Luke thought as he swung the hammer down with all his might.
BAM!!!
An explosion of sparks filled the smithy as the iron and embers melted together. When the light faded, two pieces of armor were left sitting on the anvil.
〖Item: Steelback Orangutan Chestplate (Primal)〗
〖Description: Excellent protective armor for the Steelback Orangutan against all types of mortal impacts〗
〖Item: Steelback Orangutan Helmet (Primal)〗
〖Description: Excellent protective armor for the Steelback Orangutan against all types of mortal impacts〗
It took less than two minutes. Satisfied, Luke smiled, grabbed the two pieces, and snapped his eyes open back in the real world.
Returning to the front of his shop, Luke presented the chestplate and the helmet, still warm and smelling like a real forged product.
"Where... where did you get those? You didn’t even have any metal in here!" John exclaimed dumbfoundedly, his eyes popping out of their sockets. fгeewebnovёl.com
"A real master doesn’t show his secrets," Luke replied. "Let’s put them on him."
He walked over to the monkey and armored it with the new pieces. The chestplate covered the bloody bandages, creating a thick shield of solid iron over the wound, while the helmet fit between its ears.
As soon as the armor was secure, the orangutan stopped shivering. It looked down at its new chestplate, tapped it with its big knuckles—Clang, clang!—then let out a loud howl of joy.
The orangutan leaped to its feet and threw its arms into the air, all signs of fatigue and pain gone. The new armor was perfect, protecting the beast’s current wounds and ensuring it would be fit to head back to the factory tomorrow.
"Oh my god, it’s wonderful! He’s safe! You actually did it, kid!" John cried as he hugged his big monkey. "Thank you so much, Luke. You have no idea what this means to me. Now...
It’s time for payment. I know custom armor from the big guilds costs a fortune, but..."
John reached into his pocket and pulled out a crumpled wad of money. He looked a bit ashamed to present the price.
"This is all the money I have right now. It’s 2,000 scrips."
"Two grand?!" Luke thought, his brain exploding, though his face was calm. "I was about to ask him for 100 because I felt bad for him! But he’s offering two thousand?!"
Luke quickly coughed into his hand to hide his shocked expression. He needed to act like a big-shot, so he leaned back, putting his hands in his pockets.
"Well, John," he said. "Normally, a custom forge like this would cost way more than that. But since you are the first customer to walk through the doors of Luke’s Legendary Workshop, I’m going to give you a special first-time discount.
I’ll take just 1,700. You keep the rest to buy your buddy some good bananas for his recovery."
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A/N: Thanks for reading! I’ll be happy to answer any of your questions here and even in my review to come. In the meanwhile, kindly support with powerstones, as it gives me the motivation to continue writing.
