In the midst of busyness, time flew by quickly, and in the blink of an eye, Longyin Continent had entered August.

Su Yao's first weapon had already taken on the shape of a small knife.

"Pang Yi, try this small knife."

The small knife contained magical energy, but not much. The exact extent of its power would have to be tested by Peng Yi.

Peng Yi took the knife and went to the backyard. To test the weapon's power, they had prepared two wild beasts in advance.

One was first class, the other was second class.

Peng Yi suppressed his strength and swung his blade, and the level-one beast was instantly killed.

"The knife is still useful, but the main reason the beast was killed is your own magical energy. Move on to the next one."

Peng Yi continued to suppress his strength to the same level as before, then swung his knife. This time, the beast did not die, but it was in a severely wounded state. Peng Yi's second strike followed, finishing off the beast.

"I feel like it can only exert the power of a first-level weapon, and it doesn't last long. The third strike is obviously weaker than the first." Peng Yi didn't have a weapon of his own, only one he had stolen before. "That's all I can sense. I don't really understand the rest."

"It's fine, this is enough." Su Yao took back the small knife to inspect it and indeed found that the magical energy inside had been excessively consumed, the magic stone had already dimmed. "In that case, Peng Yi, use this small knife again and see how many times it takes to deplete all the energy inside."

The number of times it can be used before its energy is depleted is a folk method for evaluating the level of a magical weapon. It's not very accurate, but it has some value. Su Yao didn't have specialized measuring instruments at hand, so she could only use this method to make a judgment.

Peng Yi moved swiftly, mainly because there were too many evil spirits and beasts in the Misty Forest. Just a few hundred meters out the door, he encountered several. After a flurry of swings, Peng Yi brought back thirteen.

"A total of 13 times?"

"This time, they were all level one. I suppressed my strength to the maximum, roughly to the level of two or three, and it took 11 swings to exhaust the magical energy in my weapon. The evil spirits were low-level, so it was one strike per spirit. But towards the end, the energy might have been insufficient, as it took two strikes to defeat one of the spirits."

Peng remembered all the details clearly and reported them to Su Yao just as clearly. Su Yao nodded, indicating she understood.

Thirteen attacks, the weapon's attack power could only be classified as a level one weapon, but after experiencing it, Peng Yi did not feel any noticeable magical fluctuations, which means this weapon might not have any specific attributes, so it doesn't even count as a level one weapon.

Upon receiving this result, Su Yao sighed; she had already anticipated it. However, looking at the small knife in front of her, Su Yao was not too discouraged. The system had only provided a single book on weapon crafting, which was completely different from potion making. Su Yao had to explore the process step by step, and achieving this much on her first attempt was already quite commendable.

"I'll try a second time, and I don't know when Percy will be able to come." Relying solely on self-study through books was still not enough. If Percy could really come here to guide her, that would be the best.

In August, the gusty winds and heavy rains became more frequent. Not long after Peng Yigang returned, the pattering began outside.

Before Percy arrived, Su Yao received news from Gerard. The last time Gerard left, Su Yao had specifically given him three communication cards to make it easier for Gerard to contact him in case of an emergency.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Today, I suddenly received a one-sided message from Gerard.

Gerald: "Boss, the rice is ripe!"

Su Yao: "Matured so quickly?"

Gerald: "Yes, it was already growing quite well and was expected to mature in September. After applying the fertilizer, it grew even faster. I think it will be ready for harvest in a few days."

Su Yao: "Just follow the method you learned before to harvest, don't be stingy with the gold coins, hire people if you need to. If the yield is good, then go for promotion, and try to secure a few more plots of land to plant together before the next sowing."

After receiving the message, Gerard continued to busy himself according to the plan.

Su Yao also felt the weight of the task. This year's rice season had already passed, and it seemed it would take another year to complete the hidden main quest. The system only gave her a year, so she couldn't afford to waste any rice planting season.

Thinking, Su Yao opened the system's map to check. The town of Nanshan where Gerald was located was quite far south, but there were still other cities further south.

"Peng Yi, have you ever been to the southernmost tip of Longyin Continent?"

Peng Yi shook his head, "The South is quite poor. We usually go to the wealthiest places to steal. But we've heard that the further south you go, the hotter it gets. In some places, there are natural disasters like strong winds and heavy rains in the summer that can kill many people."

If it were the same as Su Yao's original country, then the strong winds and heavy rains in the summer might refer to typhoons.

Under such backward production conditions, a typhoon can be considered a very serious natural disaster for humanity.

"Assuming the southernmost region can achieve three harvests a year, we still need to figure out a way to avoid typhoons."

But this is really too difficult; in the original world, there was no way to repel a typhoon!

[But host, please do not overlook the key point, this is a magical world. So what if the production conditions are backward, there is magic here!]

Magic!

Su Yao's body trembled. Yes, with magic, what was there to be afraid of?

"Our current goal is to figure out how to create a massive protective shield to safeguard our farmland. A mage's barrier or magical weapons can accomplish this task."

The system also acknowledged these two paths, but it still took the initiative to help Su Yao eliminate one: [Humans can achieve it, but relying solely on human magical energy is actually quite difficult; the possibility of using weapons is greater.]

Alright, now the issue has returned to the matter of weapon-making.

Su Yao stretched her body and once again immersed herself in weapon crafting.

In order to thoroughly study weapons, Su Yao even spent money to expand and add a room right next to her dormitory. Just a turn out of her dorm and she could enter it. The soundproofing was excellent, so no matter how much noise she made, it wouldn't be heard outside.

[Someone is approaching the inn!]

[Two people, one is a third-level gold element mage, and the other is a second-level wood element mage.]

After three more days of research, Su Yao transformed the small knife into a new form. This time, she tested it first and finally noticed a clear inclination towards a specific type of magic—it was fire!

Just as she was about to go out with the small knife to conduct an experiment on Peng Yi, the system's broadcast arrived.

The inn had new guests, and their magic level..

Su Yao immediately had a premonition upon hearing about the magic level.

As soon as she stepped outside, she saw that it was indeed someone she knew! It was her newly acknowledged master!

"Master! You finally came! Your disciple has been waiting for you so bitterly!" Although Su Yao's words were full of grievance, her expression was brimming with smiles.

After greeting Master Percy, Su Yao immediately greeted the lady next to him as well. According to what Percy had mentioned, if she guessed correctly, this should be his wife, Bernice.

"Hello, sorry to bother you. This is the first time meeting Percy's apprentice, and I don't have much to give. Please take this small carving knife."

The small carving knife wasn't very valuable, but it was an essential tool for a weaponsmith. It was usually prepared by the master for the apprentice, symbolizing the elder's care and approval for the younger. For Bernice to give this to Su Yao clearly showed her affirmation and affection for her.

Bernice smiled gently. If she knew Su Yao's thoughts, she would definitely nod. Fair skin, a healthy blush, big eyes, combined to look like a little doll. She liked this pretty little girl at first sight, and giving her the small carving knife indeed had the meaning Su Yao imagined.

"Hurry inside, I've already prepared a room in advance for Master and Mistress. Come in quickly."

The rain outside would stop for a while and then start again, and today it was still drizzling. The two had rushed over from the north, inevitably getting rain and mud on them, so being able to wash up immediately upon entering the house really hit the spot for them.

Entering the house, Bernice praised Su Yao to Percy, "I didn't expect you to be reliable for once. This young girl is indeed good, handles things properly, and has a clear gaze. I really like her."

Percy arrogantly twitched his mustache, full of pride: "I told you there was no need to worry. How could my judgment be wrong? Whether it was finding you back then or taking on an apprentice now, I always choose the very best!"

Bernice blushed and gave Percy a sidelong glance, "Fine, you're the best! Now hurry inside and pack your things!"

This time, the two of them planned to stay for a long while. The war in the north wouldn't end anytime soon, and Percy's exceptional skills would undoubtedly get him inadvertently entangled in the turmoil. Neither of them wanted to live that kind of life, so they made sure to bring all their belongings when they came.

"This house is not bad! Su Yao is very considerate."

When Su Yao expanded the weapon workshop, she not only considered her own needs but also thought about what to do when Percy arrived. Therefore, the expanded workshop was very large, with partitions in the middle, allowing two people to communicate inside while still having their own privacy. Besides the weapon workshop, Su Yao also expanded this house for the two of them. It was a double suite, spacious and bright, located together with the employee dormitory, and they could gaze at the distant mountains and lakes from the window.

Percy and Bernice were both very satisfied and liked it here even more.

They tidied up briefly and returned to the hall. Su Yao was examining her small knife. Because of Percy's arrival, she didn't let Peng Yi go out to try it; she wanted Percy to take a look first.

Percy was also very conscious of his role as a mentor. He immediately noticed the small knife and guessed that it was Su Yao's work. He proactively asked to take a look at it.

Su Yao told Percy about both incidents, and Percy nodded in understanding.

"This small knife's fire magic is quite evident, but it also has other attributes mixed in, making it a bit chaotic. As for its level, it's level one and not very durable."

[Congratulations to the host for successfully creating a magic weapon*1, receiving a food delivery order server*1.]