The metal sheet cut as easily as the leaf did. There was no resistance on any of the four tests, surprising the appraiser very much.
"That… that is a very sharp sword," the man said.
"That is it," Ning replied, placing the sword back on the table. "So, what's the verdict?"
"I still need to do a few more tests," the man said. "Can you bring it out back?"
He and Ning walked back and asked Ning to place it on the ground. Ning nodded and placed it on the ground and looked around the area, noticing that it was smithy back here.
People were making weapons and armor, but it didn't seem like there was anything Essence-related happening here at all.
"Oi, you lot. Come here," the man shouted and everyone who was working in the smithy looked at him.
"What's going on, sir?" one of them asked.
"We have an Earth essence sword here. I want you to help me find out how heavy it is," the man said.
"Oh, okay," the men all gathered around the sword and started tying ropes around the handle.
"Careful around the blade. It's incredibly sharp," the appraiser told them and every one carefully placed the rope around the hilt and guard with Ning's help.
Once done, only one person tried to pick it up by pulling on the rope. His face went red as veins started popping all over his head and arm, but even then he couldn't nudge the sword even the slightest bit.
Another one joined, and he was the same. He tried moving it, but the sword didn't move a single inch.
Ning walked next to the man and asked, "what exactly are you trying to find out?" he asked. "Isn't it enough to know it is heavy?"
"I'm trying to find out how heavy it is," the man said. He pointed at the sword and said, "see that color. That tells me that the sword was made using… some sort of rock, or pile of red dirt or something. Given how weak their essence usually is, I need to figure out how much of it was exactly used to learn just how strong the sword's output can be."
Ning nodded to himself as he heard that but he didn't exactly understand what the man meant.
"How does one make a sword like this?" he asked. "I simply can't imagine how one can control real-life things to turn them into weapons."
"Well, don't ask me. I'm only in the Essence Sense realm. I hear you have to Essence Manifestation realm to even begin to try making something like this."
The man was about to continue, to explain more about the weapons and armor, but stopped. Giving out industry secrets was not something he should be doing so easily.
"Anyway, if your sword had a lot of Essences, it will sell for more," the man said. He turned and watched the others trying to pick up the sword, but with each added man, he frowned.
There were 6 people now, and each of them strained their hardest to pull the sword up, but not a single one was able to do it at all.
"What the hell is going on?" the man asked. "How are you still failing?"
The group stopped and took a few deep breaths. "Sir, this sword is incredibly heavy," one of the men said with bated breaths. "I… I don't think we can pick it up."
"It can't be so heavy that so many of you fail to pick it up right?" the man asked. "You three, help them."
3 more people were added to the group, and they tried once again, but the result was the same.
The appraiser frowned and called all of the remaining people to help and joined on it himself. They all tried to pick the sword up, but they all failed once more.
"What the hell?" the appraiser shouted and turned to Ning. "What the hell is this sword made up of? A mountain?"
Ning didn't know what to answer. "I don't know," he said. "I just found it."
He was starting to realize that maybe the sword wasn't something he should be getting rid of so easily.
"Is seeing a sword out of a mountain rare?" he asked.
"Rare? It's fucking impossible to imagine one even existing," the appraiser was visibly shaken and started cursing.
"Oh," Ning smiled. Maybe his sword was made up of a mountain. If not a mountain then a very large rock for sure, seeing how nearly 15 people failed to pick it up.
He walked over and picked the sword up easily, untying the ropes from its hilts and guard.
"I'm assuming you won't be buying it then?" Ning asked. "You can't even seem to be able to pick it up after all."
The appraiser frowned. "No," he said. "There's no way we can sell something that we can't even put on the stands."
Ning nodded. "Still, what would you say this sword will sell at? At the very least," he asked.
The man thought for a bit. "If the craftsmanship is even low grade, the sword can sell for at least 4 thousand Fire coins easily," he said.
"Woah! 4 thousand fire coins? How much is that in Air coins?" Ning asked.
The man thought for a moment. "Around 16 thousand air coins," the man said. "It really is a very expensive sword. I do not know how you received it, but I suggest you be very careful with it. If someone recognizes its value and decides to steal it from you, you will be in a very bad time."
"I see, thank you for the information," Ning said.
"No problem," the man said. "It will be 5 air coins then."
Ning was about to turn around to leave when he heard the words. "5 air coins?" he asked. "For what?"
"For the appraisal," the man said.
"But… my sword wasn't sold," Ning said.
"Yes, but I still appraised it. The appraisal cost would be taken from the sale, but since you're not selling, I have to ask you for it."
Ning looked at the man blankly for a moment before saying. "Umm… I don't have any money at all. Is there any other way I can pay you back?"
