Natalie had chosen mining as her harvesting skill for a reason. First, it was one of the more lucrative paths—metal was in high demand, not just for delvers, but society in general—ara funds were always wele as a first-year student. For any year student, and experienced career delvers too, for that matter. Money made the wo round.

  Sed, and more importantly, gathering raw materials for issions was much cheaper than buying something from the Exge ht. Low-level crafters were, as a general rule, more than happy to accept jobs for cheap, sihey needed ways to gain experience. Seeing how many even ht bought their owo practice with, being paid to practice was more than a favorable result.

  Higher level crafters, of course, weren’t in the same situation. Their rarity and skill meant issions were actually more expehan buying from the Exge. Though in their case, the trol they had made them more desirable; they could ize specifically to what you requested. But high level crafters were rare, even more so than high-level delvers.

  Fitting to Te’s modus-operandi, there were approved ‘Te crafters’ whiatalie would have te a ission through; it couldn’t be anyone. Having free reign into the city of Aradon, Natalie wondered not for the first time how thhly Te could enforce those policies, and whether they indeed did at all. She decided against testing it for obvious reasons. High risk for little reward. To her knowledge, the ‘Te approved’ crafters weren’t more expensive, or worse quality, they just operated by credits rather than helixes—the Valhaurian standard currency. And likely, had Te ht, whatever that meant.

  Being out in Aradon proper was, like usual, a spectacle. The vibrand density of the city would op astounding her. Having grown up in a town with a popution of a few hundred, a city of hundreds of thousands boggled her mind. Fortunately, a delver was nothing if not adept at dealing with the new and incredible. Her disorientation reflected itself only through her wide-eyes and wandering pace as she passed through the crowded streets, headed for the crafter’s district.

  Soon enough, she’d arrived to her destination.

  She didn’t have a particur shop in mind, having simply headed for the bcksmithiion of the crafter’s district. Turning a er, an anvil and fe revealed itself as the source of the loud g Natalie had been approag, opened up and on dispy right there iy street.

  She paused at the woman standing there, g a hefty hammer into a long bde of metal, face covered by a thick mask to protect her from the sparks.

  The sight took a sed to digest. Natalie herself was more muscur than most women, and taller too, but that physique didn’t hold a dle to the woman in front of her. Easily six-foot or more, built like a brick house, the tanned bcksmith battering a newly born sword into submission would have even most men gng at their biceps and frowning.

  Natalie didn’t have a specific type, so to say, appreciating most feminine forms, even the ohat leaned mase, but the sheer bulk of the dark-haired woman in front of her had her as intimidated as … other stuff. Less appropriate emotions.

  The woman, having seen Natalie arrive, spared a gnce for her, then tinued battering away at the sword. Natalie intuited she en for business, but o finish up before speaking. That didn’t bother Natalie. Gawking was hardly appropriate, but she didn’t gawk. She just … observed the woman go about her craft. The way her muscles rippled with each impact of hammer on steel. Okay, she’d admit she was definitely standing there and admiring, but not overtly. That would be impolite.

  At the first opportunity to break—it took a bit, but Natalie was happy to wait—she turo Natalie and appraised her with a quick up and down. She quirked an eyebrow in silent prompting.

  “Hey,” Natalie said. “You take Te issions?”

  That got her full attention, and Natalie uood why. Delvers had lucrative careers, a students doubly so. Plus, seeing how the woman seemed to be young, around the same age as Natalie, she was likely low-level, and thus hungrier for issions than a more experienced crafter might be.

  “I do,” the bcksmith said. “Name’s Shara. What are you lookin’ for?”

  “Nat,” she returned. “Uh. Breastpte and boots. Rush order, hopefully, ready for tomorrow.”

  “Bring your own ore?”

  “I did, yeah.”

  “Tank? Fighter?”

  “Tank.”

  “What effects?”

  “Tenacity, mostly. If possible, boots with a steadying effect. Chestpte with something that boosts a magic stat. And, like I said, rush order. tomorrow.”

  “ mahat, probably,” Shara said. “But fair warning, I only do so much, when it es to the specifics. You’re payiher way, no matter what you get.”

  “Yeah, I know.”

  That was the downside of the cheaper cost: less trol over what she got. But that was fine. Cost efficy was what she was looking for. As Sammy had advised, having a full kit of gear was more important than perfect aligo her needs. Something was better than nothing. As she climbed through the ranks, equipment perfectly suited to her css would beore important, but for now, filling her empty gear slots took highest priority. Which a novice bcksmith, supplied with ore Natalie had collected herself, could do for much cheaper than the Exge.

  “Good,” Shara said. “I’ll do my best, anyway. Y to get bulk ore refined?”

  The low-quality iron and copper—which were the only ores Natalie had found in the past several days—were materials only low-level bcksmiths ed themselves with. She could have her ore refined by higher-level crafters, but oddly, it would turn less of a profit, not more. Maybe if she had higher quality ore. Though still valuable, the iron and copper was about as ‘trash’ of a material as it got—as expected, seeing how she’d collected it from the first floor of the dungeon.

  “Yeah, that too,” Natalie said. “Have a few orbs of iron and copper. F-tier, some plus, some minus.”

  Which marked her as decidedly level-one delver, but Shara wasn’t put off by that. Maybe not her best business e, but any business was fortuitous, sidering her low rank. Likely she was in the first few levels of her own css.

  “Go ahead ay it out,” Shara said, gesturing for her to follow. “Let’s get the details.”