The Life of a Returned Genius Farmer

Chapter 4: Encounter with the Beastfolk – Part 2

“This shouldn’t be too difficult,” Lee Han mused.

“Beastfolk aren’t known for their dexterity, nya,” Seolmyeong explained. “They often seek out other races to repair their belongings.”

Repairing a handle was a simple task, especially since the axe head itself was undamaged. It wouldn’t take long.

Lee Han examined the broken axe Bargentus had offered, then stood up, his own stone axe in hand.

“■■■■■■!” Bargentus looked at him questioningly.

“He says you can eat first and fix it afterwards,” Seolmyeong translated. “Let’s eat before the food gets cold!”

The minotaur gestured towards the leftover grilled fish and meat. Lee Han nodded in thanks and offered some of the berries he had gathered the day before. Bargentus accepted them gratefully and began to eat.

“Alright, let’s get to work,” Lee Han said, turning to Seolmyeong.

After a hearty breakfast, they headed into the forest. Lee Han needed Seolmyeong’s guidance to find the right type of wood for the axe handle.

“This one’s perfect, nya!” Seolmyeong exclaimed, pointing to a tree with a trunk as thick as Lee Han’s arm. “It’s called a White Ironwood, and it’s incredibly sturdy!”

Lee Han was skeptical. Could a tree that size really be that strong? He swung his axe experimentally.

The axe bounced off the trunk, leaving barely a scratch. Impressed, Lee Han uprooted the entire tree and dragged it back to the riverbank.

“■■■, ■■■!” Bargentus called out.

“Just a moment…” Lee Han grunted as he struggled to sever the trunk. The branches, however, proved easier to cut.

After trimming the White Ironwood to a manageable size, Lee Han removed the broken handle from the stone axe head and gathered the necessary materials. He activated his Crafting skill.

[Battle Axe]

[An axe made of stone, wood, and leather straps. Can inflict heavy damage in combat.]

[Crafting Difficulty: ☆☆]

“Hmm…”

“What’s wrong, nya?”

“It just feels like something’s missing.”

If he was going to make something, he wanted to do it right. He examined the axe, then nodded.

The axe blade was rather blunt. While the axe looked sturdy enough to be used as a bludgeon, a proper axe should have a sharp edge.

Lee Han searched the riverbank for a suitable stone to use as a whetstone.

“Will this work?” he asked, holding up a smooth, flat rock.

“Nya, that should do. And that one looks good too,” Seolmyeong replied, having quickly grasped Lee Han’s intentions.

Together, they found a few more sharpening stones. Lee Han carefully honed the axe blade until it gleamed.

[Well-made Battle Axe]

[An axe made of stone, wood, and leather straps. Can inflict heavy damage in combat. Its sharpened edge makes it even more powerful than a regular axe.]

[Attack power increased due to the well-made effect.]

[Durability increased due to the well-made effect.]

[Crafting Difficulty: ☆☆]

Satisfied with his work, Lee Han presented the axe to Bargentus.

The minotaur’s eyes widened in delight.

[Conversation Skill Acquired.]

[Conversation (Lv1)]

[Can communicate with other races.]

“Thank you!” Bargentus exclaimed in perfect Common Tongue.

“I can understand you!” Lee Han said, surprised.

“It’s probably because you helped him out, nya,” Seolmyeong explained.

Bargentus seemed equally surprised to be understood. “It’s been a while since I’ve met someone so skilled!” he said.

“Really? Let me introduce myself again. I’m Lee Han.”

“I’m Bargentus! Pleased to meet you!” The minotaur beamed, extending a massive hand.

Lee Han shook it, his hand dwarfed by Bargentus’s.

“There are some other broken tools in my village. If I bring them to you, can you fix them? I’ll pay you, of course!”

“Sure. Can I get some food as payment?”

“We have plenty of Straw Grass!”

“Anything else besides that?”

“How about some items that humans can use? They’re a bit old, but they should still be functional!” 

“Items humans can use?” Now that piqued Lee Han’s interest. Currently empty-handed, such items would significantly improve his chances of survival.

“Sure. Can you bring them over?”

“Wait right there!” Bargentus declared, then lumbered off.

☆☆☆

“…I asked him to bring some things, but I didn’t expect this much.”

Lee Han stared at the pile of items Bargentus had brought back: seven axes with broken handles, six chipped stone hammers, ripped leather pants, and a torn leather pouch. There were other miscellaneous items as well, leaving Lee Han quite impressed. Bargentus grinned, clearly pleased with himself.

“Of course, I wouldn’t ask for your help for free. Take a look at this!”

Bargentus placed a box beside them. Lee Han and Seolmyeong peered inside. It contained a pouch of nails, an iron crowbar, a large pot, and, most surprisingly, a human-sized hammer.

[Legendary – Gaia’s Hammer]

[A hammer imbued with the will of Gaia, the Earth Goddess. Gaia bestowed her blessings upon the crafter by granting this hammer.]

[Increased performance of produced goods]

[Increased efficiency of crafted items]

[Increased chance of additional effects on produced and crafted items]

“Nya! This isn’t bad at all!” Seolmyeong exclaimed.

*Not bad?* Lee Han thought, dumbfounded. He glanced at Seolmyeong and Bargentus, but they both seemed nonchalant.

“Um… where did you get all this?” he asked, still bewildered.

He distinctly remembered Seolmyeong saying only beastfolk lived in the Great Forest. And judging by Bargentus’s size, these items were too small for a minotaur to use.

“Sometimes we find things when we venture outside the forest, or when we defeat enemies who attack us,” Bargentus explained casually.

Regardless of their origin, these items were valuable. The nails would be useful for building a more permanent shelter, the crowbar could come in handy, and the pot would allow him to cook stews. The hammer, with its unique properties, was the most intriguing of all.

The rewards were well worth the effort. Lee Han stood up, ready to get started.

“Let’s get to work, then.”

“If you need help gathering materials, I can lend a hand!” Bargentus offered.

“Oh, that’s not necessary,” Lee Han replied.

“But there’s a lot to carry, isn’t there?”

“True. Alright, then I’ll take you up on your offer. Seolmyeong, let’s go.”

“Nya! Okay!”

With Seolmyeong and Bargentus in tow, Lee Han entered the forest once more. Finding more White Ironwood trees wasn’t difficult, but selecting branches suitable for axe handles proved to be a challenge. They searched for a while, uprooting several trees before they had enough. Lee Han was amazed by Bargentus’s strength.

“You’re incredibly strong,” he remarked.

“This is nothing!” Bargentus replied, flexing his muscles with a hint of pride.

Once they returned to the riverbank, Bargentus settled down to rest while Lee Han got to work. He used his stone axe to shape the handles and sharpen the axe heads. Then, he turned his attention to the chipped stone hammers.

“These hammers are tricky. The handles are fine, but the stone heads are cracked. They’ll break after a few uses.”

“We know! That’s why we haven’t been using them!”

“Then it’s best to replace the stone heads.”

Fortunately, there were plenty of suitable stones near the river. Lee Han selected a few and, after removing the leather straps from the old hammers, crafted new ones.

[Shock Battle Hammer]

[A hammer made of stone, wood, and leather straps. Can inflict heavy damage in combat. Can also be used to break large objects outside of combat.]

[Gaia’s Hammer effect adds ‘Stun’ option.]

[Crafting Difficulty: ☆☆]

“Whoa!”

Although the “well-made” effect didn’t appear, the Gaia’s Hammer effect did, granting the hammer the additional ‘Stun’ option. Lee Han was impressed, and Bargentus, upon testing the new hammer, was equally amazed.

“This is the finest hammer I’ve ever wielded!”

“Seems like it’s all thanks to the hammer,” Lee Han chuckled. “Anyway, that’s enough for now… You mentioned the meat was from a Horned Rabbit, right? Could you get me one of its horns?”

“I have one right here.” Bargentus pulled a long, curved horn from his pouch.

Lee Han examined it, then used the hammer to break off a piece and carefully sharpened it against a stone. After some time, he had fashioned a sharp needle. He then used a nail to create holes in a leather pouch.

“I’m going to use this as material. Is that okay?” 

“That’s fine,” Bargentus replied.

Lee Han used the glass stone knife to carefully cut thin strips from the leather pouch. He threaded one through the makeshift needle and expertly began stitching the torn leather pouches back together.

“Oooh! That’s amazing!” Bargentus exclaimed.

“It’s nothing special. This is easy,” Lee Han said modestly.

He quickly finished mending the pouches, then turned his attention to the ripped pants. The leather was sturdy, but the tear needed patching. He muttered to himself as he expertly repaired the damage with a leather patch. Bargentus, delighted with the results, gathered up his belongings.

“Human! Thank you!”

“It’s Lee Han. And if you need anything else repaired, feel free to come back anytime. I’ll help if I can,” Lee Han offered, thinking, ‘I might even gain some skills from this.’

“I’ll keep that in mind. See you later!” Bargentus waved goodbye and lumbered away.

Lee Han sat down, feeling as though he had worked a full day, though his energy remained high.

“It’s already lunchtime,” he observed.

“Nya, how about some grilled meat?” Seolmyeong suggested.

“Sounds good. Let’s eat, then go foraging again?”

“Nya! That’s a great idea!”

After lunch and tidying up their camp, Lee Han and Seolmyeong ventured into the forest, this time taking a different path. Seolmyeong, excited by the new scenery, chattered away.

“Look over there, nya! That’s a Blue Cabbage! Its leaves are a deep blue, which means it’s ripe. Everyone loves its crunchy leaves, nya! But if it gets too ripe, bugs will infest it, so you have to pick it before then!”

Lee Han plucked one of the Blue Cabbages, which were smaller than the ones he was familiar with, and placed it in his pouch. He looked around, noticing both familiar and unfamiliar plants. Some were edible, while others were clearly not.

‘If it weren’t for Seolmyeong, I wouldn’t have survived a few days,’ he thought gratefully.

“What’s wrong, nya?” Seolmyeong asked, sensing his thoughts.

“Nothing. Just grateful for your help.”

“Nya nya nya~! Then offer me grilled fish every day, nya!”

“I will, if we catch any.”

“Nya! How about setting more fish traps?”

“That’s not a bad idea.”

They continued their foraging, chatting idly.

“Oh? This is…”

“Sweet Radishes! There are so many! Nya! I’m excited!”

They had stumbled upon a patch of Sweet Radishes. Several roots were clustered together, some even bearing seeds. Lee Han was overjoyed.

“Maybe I can cultivate these!”

“Wow! Does that mean we can eat Sweet Radishes every day?!”

“Maybe not every day, but often!”

“Yay!”

Lee Han and Seolmyeong were excitedly circling the Sweet Radishes when a voice interrupted them.

“Hey, you two found something good, didn’t you?! Can you share some of those Sweet Radishes with me?!” 

A stranger’s voice came from behind them.