Synthesis-type adventurers

Chapter 55 Half-Dragon

Avira stood in front of a brass full-length mirror, the surface of which was slightly mottled due to oxidation.

Tolin acquired this item just last month, mainly to make it easier for clients to see the entire nail when trying on their nails.

Thanks to the superior materials provided by Rhodes, his business is booming. Many adventurers even make special trips to the slums just to learn Torin's craftsmanship.

Ivira adjusts the buckle on the new tower shield.

This shield was once nearly scrap metal, but now its surface is covered with a fine, interwoven metallic texture, with each piece firmly interlocked.

The [Hard Shell] attribute given by Rhodes redefined its nature.

Avira lifted the nearly half-person-high shield with one hand, her arm tendons taut.

She lowered her center of gravity and slammed her shield forward with all her might.

The heavy steel plate broke through the stuffy air in the blacksmith's shop with a low, muffled thud.

"Incredible."

The female knight turned around, her emerald-like eyes reflecting the firelight of the forge.

"The weight has hardly changed, but this sturdiness... it feels like I'm holding a city gate. Is this really the shield I used before?"

"As long as you stop using it to take the hits of battering rams head-on, ordinary enemies basically can't break through your defenses." Rod pulled on his leather trench coat and stuffed several narrow-necked vials containing alchemical potions into the leather loops of his belt. "Its hardness has increased, but it cost me a lot of money to repair it."

"Alright, compared to what you've earned, repairing it is only worth a few gold coins. Save your money."

Tolin took a linen bag stained with oil from the shelf and tossed it to Rod.

"Here are the spare rivets, armor plates, and a few whetstones you requested. Now that everything is ready, hurry up and move over, don't get in my way of doing business. Since we got that new forging press, orders have been piling up so much I haven't even had time to drink."

Despite his sharp tongue, the dwarf personally escorted Rhodes and his companions to the door.

"Remember, if that sword breaks again, don't bring it back to me. Just throw it away and get a new one. Even though it's made of fine steel, there's no need to mend it! You could buy countless steel swords like this with just one adventure commission."

Rod smiled and pushed open the heavy oak door of the workshop.

A damp, cold breeze swept in, carrying with it the distinctive salty and rotten smell of a distant harbor.

"Let's go, we still need to go to the South Market." Rod pulled up his collar and stepped into the rain. "That Chiba guy is probably getting impatient..."

Before he could finish speaking, a violent aura abruptly pierced the harmony of the rain curtain.

A red object shot out from a dark, narrow alley and crashed into the middle of the road.

The water splashed outwards, and where the person landed, spiderweb-like cracks appeared on the bluestone slab beneath their feet.

Rhodes stood rooted to the spot, his brow furrowed deeply.

That's a woman.

The rain clung to her fiery red hair, and beneath her tight leather jacket, the contours of her muscles were clearly visible.

Rhodes's gaze finally settled on the other person's eyes.

Those were vertical pupils, burning with the heat of molten gold.

Her nostrils flared as she sniffed the air through the heavy rain, her gaze pressing down on Rhodes with an almost tangible weight.

"Found it..." the woman said, her words filled with a hatred etched into her very bones and a frenzied joy. "This nauseating stench... it's the smell of that beast!"

Rod recognized that look.

That's the hunter locking onto his prey, the wild beast smelling blood.

But this makes no sense at all.

"Hey! Where did this crazy woman come from!"

Torin strode out from behind Rhodes, grabbing a forging hammer as he did so, his beard trembling with rage.

This is his territory, right in front of his workshop. No one dares to mess with his major customer and business partner.

"This is the Ironworks! I don't care who you are, if you want to cause trouble, you'll have to get past me first..."

"Get out of here, you dwarf."

The red-haired woman's gaze never left Rhodes.

She simply waved her hand casually, like shooing away mosquitoes or flies.

With a muffled thud, the compressed air exploded.

Torin's massive body, along with the forging hammer weighing dozens of kilograms in his hand, was thrown backward by an irresistible force.

He crashed through the wooden fence across the street, fell into a pile of discarded wooden barrels amidst a shower of wood chips, and died silently.

All of this happened so fast that before the raindrops even hit the ground, Rhodes was unable to utter the warning in his throat.

"Torin!"

Avira let out a roar, and the conditioned reflexes formed through long-term training took over her body.

She slammed her left foot into the ground, cracking the stone slab beneath her, and charged forward at an astonishing speed.

The newly reinforced tower shield stood in front of him, unstoppable, and crashed straight into the red-haired woman.

"To protect!"

Faced with this shield strike carrying immense force, the red-haired woman merely tilted her head slightly, a hint of contempt curling at the corner of her lips.

She did not try to dodge, but slowly raised one hand, the back of which was covered with a layer of fine red scales, to meet the oncoming shield.

"clang!"

A loud bang reverberated, making people's eardrums ache.

The fleshy palm collided with the steel shield.

The tower shield, powerful enough to send heavily armored infantry flying, stopped in front of the woman's palm.

The immense impact created a shockwave that shattered the surrounding rain into a white mist.

An irresistible force traveled along the shield to Avira's arm, instantly tearing her hand that gripped the shield, causing blood to spurt out, and a dull pain as if the bones in her arm were cracking.

The woman held the tower shield down with just one hand.

Her feet were rooted to the ground, and she remained motionless.

"Is that all the strength you've got?" The woman scoffed, her arm muscles bulging, a red glow shimmering beneath her scales. "Get down...!"

She pressed her hand on the shield and suddenly sank down.

"Snap!"

The stone slab beneath Avira's feet shattered instantly.

The well-trained knight was forced to his knees by this savage force, his kneecap smashing into the gravel, and half of his lower leg sinking into the soil.

"Avira!"

Rhodes also drew his weapon and quickly activated [Analysis Vision] to check the enemy's information.

In his vision, the red-haired woman's body was emitting a dazzling orange light—the radiance of life itself, not from any equipment.

Olivia (Half-Dragon)

Status: Extreme Rage, Red Dragon Bloodline Awakened

Entry:

[Primordial Red Dragon Power (Orange Epic)]: Originating from the savage genes of the Primordial species. Possesses extremely terrifying muscle explosive power, with the grip strength to crush steel weapons with bare hands, and limb attacks have a crushing effect.

[Heart of the Furnace (Orange Epic)]: Inherited fire affinity from the red dragon ancestors. Views magma as lukewarm water, is completely immune to fire-type damage, and can spew out cone-shaped dragon breath powerful enough to melt metal.

[Red Copper Dragon Hide (Purple Rare)]: Its skin is covered in highly resilient, fine scales. These scales can deflect ordinary sword strikes and significantly reduce physical impact and explosive damage.

[Blood Feud Tracking (Purple Rare)]: A specialized sense for targeting enemies. It can accurately extract the bloodline aura of a specific target from complex environmental scents and track them over long distances.

[Raging Dragon Transformation (Orange Epic)]: Activated when rage reaches its peak. Freed from human form, transforming into a red dragon with outstretched wings. Gain flight ability, attacks become wide-area sweeps, and the body is constantly surrounded by a fiery storm that continuously burns enemies. Upon exiting the transformation, the user will be briefly weakened.

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