Sogen exited Somaal City, and suddenly, a quest appeared from the system:
"Go to Hamar Town and convince Rudriger, a smith, to let you work in his shop. Reward: 1000 coins (system coins, not real-world coins)."
Sogen was surprised to see the system window since he thought it was all a dream, but now he believed it was real.
"What is the point of the system now that I have been banished from my clan?" he said.
With a sigh, he accepted whatever was happening.
"System, what can these coins be used for?"
The system replied that the coins could be used to exchange for items in the system shop.
He asked the system to open the System Shop.
"A notification appears, opening the system shop. Host cultivation level detected: low; shop adjusted to low level."
As he viewed the shop, he was shocked. "Grade 5 pills are available! Even our clan elders and counselors have only heard about them, and there are so many! If this is just a low-grade system shop, what about the mid and high levels? What! There are even precious herbs, manuals, techniques, and more!"
He explored the store for a few minutes, but each item was priced at 30,000 system coins or above. He realized he could only purchase low-grade pills that were available at a lower price.
He closed the system window and began his journey toward Hamar Town. It took him three days to reach there by cart. He paid the cart driver 30 silver coins and then looked toward the entrance gate of the town. He easily passed through the gate and took in the sights of the entire town.
The town looked like any other. He first decided to eat at a restaurant. While enjoying his meal, his gaze shifted toward a commotion. Five boys, around 20 years old, were collecting money in the name of protection, harassing the owner and the counter girl. Sogen thought about stepping in to help, but his cultivation level was too low, and all five were at the second stage of cultivation. It was unwise for him to make enemies on his first day; however, if they tried anything disgusting, he would intervene despite his low cultivation level.
Just then, the owner appeared. It was an old lady. She handed them money and pleaded with them to leave. As the boys exited the shop, one of them noticed Sogen and asked, "Boy, are you new in town?" Sogen nodded in agreement.
"It's your first time here, so we won't take protection money for the first month, but be prepared for next month, when it's five silver coins," the boy said. Sogen nodded again.
One gold coin equals 100 silver coins. While that seemed like a small amount compared to Sogen's money, some people were unable to earn 1000 gold coins in their lifetime.
After the boys left, the restaurant returned to normal, but there was still a look of sadness on the owner's and the counter girl's faces. Suddenly, a 'quest' appeared, instructing him to collect information about those thugs and Rudriger's Workshop, with a reward of 100 system coins.
Sogen stood up from his table and approached the counter. He paid his bill and asked the lady about the thugs. She informed him that they were members of the village chief's gang, a tyrant who was cruel and a bad person. He was a fourth-stage Earth Realm cultivator. They came every month to collect protection fees, and those who refused to pay were either beaten or had their shop furniture destroyed. "You're new, so be careful of them," she warned. He nodded and then asked if there was a workshop nearby.
The lady thought for a moment before telling him that there was a workshop in town owned by an old man named Rudriger. However, she mentioned that he rarely came out of his shop, talked very little, and did not accept any workers. She provided Sogen with the workshop's address. Sogen thanked her and left the shop.
He set off to find Rudriger's Workshop. After some time, he located the shop near the main road. He entered the workshop, where there were very few weapons displayed on the walls. There, he saw an old man with white hair and a beard; his physique was robust, as though he had trained for years. He was carving weapons, and despite appearing as an old man, he exuded an unusual energy and showed no expression on his face.
Sogen approached the counter and asked the man if he was Mr. Rudriger. The old man replied with a curt "yes" without looking up.
Sogen then said, "Mister, I want to work here in the workshop. Can you give me a job?"
The old man finally shifted his gaze to Sogen.
"Boy, I don't accept workers. You are also too young for this job. It will take me months to train someone as inexperienced as you. I doubt you have sufficient knowledge of smithing or metalwork," the old man replied.
At that moment, a system notification appeared before Sogen, stating that a daily reward had been granted for "Basic Smithy Techniques and Knowledge." Sogen marveled at how the system seemed to help him when he needed it most. "Shouldn't this have been given to me earlier?" he wondered. How was he going to attain the skills he needed?
Suddenly, he felt a surge of information in his mind, and it seemed as if he knew a great deal about smithing and metalwork.
He turned to the old man and said that he had a basic understanding of smithing and could help him. Sogen explained that the carvings on the sword were from many years ago and symbolized peace. Noticing two ores on the counter, he identified the smaller one as cold iron ore and the larger one as black iron ore. The old man displayed a slight look of surprise upon hearing this. He collected his thoughts for a moment and said to Sogen, "Boy, you have good eyes. Even many experienced blacksmiths can't tell the difference between these two ores at a glance; they can only identify them by their textures. I can hire you, but I can only offer you food, shelter, and 20 silver coins for helping me in the shop. Are you willing?"
Sogen nodded in agreement. A notification suddenly appeared before him, stating, "Quest completed. Rewards: 10000 system coins and a Grade 1 Earth-Shattering Pill. Rewards are stored in inventory."
The old man then asked Sogen to follow him and showed him to his room, which was quite ordinary. He told Sogen that he would explain the work tomorrow and suggested he rest today before leaving the room.