I can evolve everything

Looking at his attributes, apart from a slight improvement in physique, and with the accumulation of previous efforts, he had finally mastered a straight slash.

Finally, Ryan's gaze settled on the bottom, on the line of text that had remained gray.

[Black Rock Breathing Technique: Heart Pumping Chapter (Lava Amplification)]

[Remaining time: 3 days.]

The characters that were originally blurry have now become extremely clear.

"Three more days."

In his mind, Raine reached out and touched the line of text.

Once completed, he could be considered to have officially entered the realm of breathing techniques.

Although [Lava Amplification] has side effects—increased body temperature and weakness after it ends—these side effects are negligible in the crucial moments of battle.

Renn took a deep breath and left the corridor.

When I opened my eyes, all I could hear in the room was Karen's snoring.

He touched his chest; his heartbeat was steady and strong beneath his palm.

"Three days later..."

He clenched his fist in the darkness.

Ryan lay back down and pulled the blanket tighter.

Before falling completely asleep, the evolutionary branch of [street fighting] flashed through his mind again.

Before releasing it, he also took a look at the time required for the evolution of [Street Fighting Techniques]. With the improvement of his attributes and the increase of his combat experience, it seemed to have been reduced by one or two days.

This proves his guess was correct.

As long as he continues to grow stronger in reality, the cost of the cheat system's evolution will decrease.

This is a positive cycle.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The next day, the sound of horse-drawn carriages rumbling in the streets heralded the arrival of dawn.

In the lobby of the Greyhearth Inn, Sir Karen sat at one end of a long table, holding a piece of white bread and a few sausages—a very lavish breakfast for the remote town of Ironwood.

"I'm going to visit an old friend today."

Karen swallowed the bread in her mouth and picked up her wooden cup to take a sip of her morning tea.

"The sheriff here is Sir Harold. We were practically comrades back in the day, so it wouldn't be right not to say hello. I might as well also find out some news about Barron."

The old knight wiped his mouth and glanced at Ella and Ryan sitting opposite him.

"You two, stop running around like headless flies. Go and replenish our supplies, especially dry rations and horse feed. If we continue north into the wasteland, even if you have gold, you won't be able to buy it there."

"Ella, stop eating." Karen tapped the table, which stopped Ella from finishing the two grilled sausages on her plate.

"Take Renn to the Adventurers' Guild here. That's the place with the best information, but it's also the most chaotic."

"Okay," Ella mumbled indistinctly as she bit into the sausage.

"Remember, don't cause trouble, but don't be afraid of trouble either." Karen stood up and adjusted the greatsword at her waist. "We are knights."

After saying this, the old knight grabbed a few copper coins from the table, threw them on the bar counter to pay, and strode out of the inn.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

After leaving the hotel, the two went to the general merchandise section of the market.

As a border trade hub, Tiemu Town was far more prosperous than those remote villages.

Even near the northern border, the streets are lined with shops.

According to Karen's list, Renn purchased three bags of horse feed, enough dry rations for almost a month, several bottles of mosquito repellent ointment, and various other necessities. These items were not cheap in this important border town, costing Renn a full four silver coins—equivalent to half a year's savings for an average farmer.

After purchasing the supplies, the two turned into the street where the blacksmith's shop was located.

Raine was carrying a long, narrow cloth bag containing the longsword he had looted from the Black Dog Gang's stronghold and several daggers that Ella had taken from him.

Although he acquired a "Royal Guard standard longsword" during that battle, he had already carefully examined and compared it. He found that although the sword was sharp, its center of gravity was forward, making it more suitable for slashing. Moreover, the blade seemed to have been repaired and had hidden damage.

In contrast, the family sword that his father, Linus, gave him before he left—though unassuming in appearance, was impeccable in both material and sharpness.

Therefore, it would be more practical to exchange this trophy sword for money.

The two found a shop with a sign that read "Railway Station".

The shop was sweltering, and a shirtless middle-aged blacksmith was swinging his hammer.

"Buy or repair?" the blacksmith asked without looking up as someone entered.

"Sell."

Ryan placed the cloth bag on the counter and untied the rope.

Two reasonably well-made daggers, and a longsword bearing the Royal Guard's insignia.

The blacksmith stopped what he was doing, wiped the sweat from his brow with the towel around his neck, and walked over to pick up the longsword.

"Royal Guard stuff?" The blacksmith raised an eyebrow, ran his thumb along the spine of the sword, and then flicked the blade with his fingernail.

"Buzz—"

The voice sounded somewhat muffled.

"What a pity, there are some flaws inside. It must have been caused by taking a heavy weapon hit." The blacksmith shook his head, glancing at Renn out of the corner of his eye. "It looks intimidating, but it could easily break if it really broke in a fight."

"Name your price," Renn said calmly.

"This sword is forty silver coins. The rest... I'll give you five in total." The blacksmith tossed the sword back onto the table. "Forty-five silver coins in total. That's a fair price."

Before Renn could even speak, Ella beside him let out an exaggerated sneer.

She stepped forward and gently tapped the hilt of the sword with her gloved fingers.

"Boss, do you think we're easy to fool just because we're young?" Ella haggled with practiced ease, as if she had done or seen this kind of thing hundreds of times before.

"This hilt is silver-plated, and the pommel is inlaid with a lead core for counterweight. This set of accessories alone is worth ten silver coins. In addition, the materials used in this sword are not bad; even if it were to be melted down, it would still be top-grade material."

She stretched out her palm and flipped it over.

"Sixty silver coins. We'll take them even if they're short one coin. I'm sure the other shops here wouldn't be happy to accept such high-quality goods."

The blacksmith's facial muscles twitched, clearly indicating that his thoughts had been exposed.

He took a closer look at the young-looking half-elf girl, and his tone became cautious.

"Sixty pieces is too high, miss. Coke prices are going up these days... four or five pieces at most!"

"Fifty." Ella wouldn't budge an inch, and even made a move to pull Renn out.

The blacksmith gritted his teeth, then finally sighed, "Fine, fine, fifty coins!"

"Fifty pieces plus one free weapon maintenance." Upon hearing the blacksmith's words, Ella, who had been pretending to leave, stopped in her tracks. As if she had the blacksmith completely under her thumb, she raised the price again.

The blacksmith glared at her, then glanced at the sword. Finally, he forced a sigh out through clenched teeth:

"...Deal. I never expected that apprentice knights these days would be better at business than adventurers."

In this world, the monetary system is quite stable. The most basic currency is copper coins, and one copper coin can roughly buy two loaves of black bread.

Above that are silver coins, one silver coin being equal to one hundred copper coins, which is already the main currency for ordinary adventurers to trade.

Above silver coins are the top-tier gold coins. One gold coin can be exchanged for about fifty silver coins. That's the currency used in caravan trade and for purchasing enchanted or magical equipment.

He took the two longswords and Ella's short knife and went into the inner room. Soon, the rough sound of a whetstone scraping against metal could be heard.

Ryan and Ella waited. The shop was so hot it was almost unbearable, and the various ironware hanging on the walls reflected the light silently in the shadows.

Nearly an hour later, the blacksmith returned, handing over the repaired weapon and a purse containing fifty silver coins.

Renn took the weapon and the small, heavy bag of silver coins.

"Thanks." Ella picked up the well-maintained dagger.

The two walked out of the blacksmith shop.