How come this arcanist is invincible?

Chapter 31 Frostbite Scimitar

Kane didn't rush to ask the price.

He first put down the curved knife and casually inquired about a few other items on the stall.

Two daggers said to be from the descendants of the Drow, a crossbow, and their prices.

Then, seemingly casually, he turned his gaze back to the curved sword from the beginning.

And he asked the halfling in front of him:

"So, how much is this scimitar?"

The halfling smiled, sized up Kane, and quoted a price:

"400 gold coins".

Kane frowned slightly.

This amount exceeded his budget.

He pondered for a moment, then pointed to the scimitar and asked:

Does this knife have a name?

The halfling replied:

"This weapon is an enchanted weapon that a friend of mine consigned for sale."

"She said that in the Drow language, the knife is called 'Winter's Blade'."

The moment the words "Winter's Blade" were uttered.

The panel in Kane's field of vision refreshed, displaying detailed weapon information:

……

【Winter's Blade - Scimitar (Green)】

Slot: Weapon - Scimitar

Equipment Level: Class-Specific

Basic attributes: Agility +2, Constitution -1

Equipment effects:

Frostbite (Trick):

The slash is accompanied by frost and cold. Hitting the target requires a Constitution saving throw, while failure results in additional cold damage and reduced movement speed.

Coldness (negative):

The holder will be continuously exposed to the cold air and will gradually develop symptoms of being afraid of the cold.

Note: "The bones of the warm-blooded will be brittle by its coldness; only the heart of the valiant, as cold as iron, is worthy of its licking of the throat."

……

After reviewing the attributes, Kane immediately understood the key point.

This is a weapon more suited to the Drow descendants, or rather, the races of the Underdark.

Those races typically have cold blood and are extremely resistant to extreme temperature changes.

For races that are not adapted to it, it is practically a cursed weapon.

Looking at the halfling's "you got a great deal" expression, he suddenly realized what was going on.

No wonder this enchanted weapon ended up at a street stall and I bumped into it; for most people, it's definitely more harmful than beneficial.

Even the usually simple and honest halflings have learned to be cunning after spending too much time in the city.

he thought.

However, the negative effects did not affect him much; his immortality was enough to counteract the corrosive effects of the cold.

Now, it's time to haggle.

Kane smiled calmly.

"Since it's an enchanted weapon, could you tell me what spell it's enchanted with?"

The halfling shrugged and laughed:

"You might be able to have it appraised at the Mage Tower."

"Otherwise, why would I sell it for only 400 gold coins, so cheaply?"

"Don't worry, back home, my people call me 'Honest Pippen'!"

Kane smiled inwardly, neither confirming nor denying it.

He picked up the scimitar, pretending to examine it carefully, but actually watching the stall owner's reaction.

The halfling's gaze involuntarily followed the hand holding the knife.

A barely perceptible hint of unease flickered in his eyes.

At that moment, Zena approached and whispered hesitantly:

"Kane, is it because you don't have enough money? If you need gold coins, I..."

She paused, but ultimately couldn't bring herself to say it.

Borrowing money from her mentor was something she found difficult to ask for.

Moreover, this huge sum of money is an astronomical figure for a magic apprentice.

Kane smiled and gently patted her shoulder to reassure her.

Then he put down his scimitar and said to the halfling:

"I think this is a cursed weapon."

"A cursed weapon?"

The halfling's expression changed slightly, then he forced a laugh and tried to brush it off.

"Friend, if you're not going to buy, please do as you please and don't make any unfounded statements."

Kane stared at him, his smile unchanged:

"How about we make a bet? Like, you hold this scimitar in your hands for half an hour."

"If I can hold out, I'll buy it immediately at the original price of 400 gold coins."

"If that doesn't work..."

His tone turned cold.

"All I can do is promote it to everyone."

"An 'honest' halfling friend of mine is selling cursed weapons and ripping off adventurers."

Upon hearing this, the halfling's face turned almost green.

Kane was not surprised.

For adventurers, reputation is a very important thing.

The halfling finally sighed and said helplessly:

"Alright, friend, name your price."

Kane smiled and stated his price.

The halfling's face turned even darker.

After struggling for a moment.

He still accepted the offer, which was far below his expectations.

……

On the way back, he tightly wrapped the knife in a thick scabbard.

Kane could still feel the bone-chilling cold emanating from the blade, like the chill of ice.

As Kane parted from Zena, he pondered for a moment and then gave her some instructions:

"By the way, try not to leave the Alchemy Workshop area alone these days, and avoid going to places with few people."

"What happened, Kane?"

Upon hearing this, Zena's face showed worry.

Kane patted her shoulder again, comforting her:

"It's nothing, just in case."

He personally escorted Zena back, but by then the ninth bell had already rung.

From afar, Kane spotted Zena's mentor.

Lady Weaver was standing at the entrance of the workshop, watching them.

Her expression wasn't good; she seemed to be blaming him for bringing her home too late.

Kane offered an apologetic smile, placed his hand on his chest in a respectful bow, and then turned and left.

On his way back, he stroked the scimitar in his hand, lost in thought.

"Frostbite is essentially a magic trick, but it's attached to a weapon."

"It has changed from a remote casting effect to a passive effect that requires physical contact to trigger."

"It inflicts cold damage... If the opponent is wet, will the cold effect be amplified upon contact, or even cause freezing?"

He walked and thought, returning to his narrow two-story residence.

Kane frowned as soon as he pushed open the door.

Someone came in.

During his time with the demon cult, he developed a habit of constant vigilance.

He would close the windows every time he left.

And very discreetly, he scattered a few of his fine hairs along the only path he could take.

They blend in with the dark carpet and are difficult to spot.

"The person who came was very careful, and all the items were restored to their original state."

"But we overlooked the fact that when walking, hair can easily stick to the soles of your shoes due to static electricity."

"Luckily, the money has already been spent, otherwise the gold coins I worked so hard to save would probably be lost."

He spent 270 gold coins to buy the Winter's Blade, and now he only has about 20 left.

If you don't go to the library and just live there, this money is enough to barely survive a year in Shantal.

But this is clearly not a long-term solution.

"We need to deal with this uninvited stalker first."

"Then we'll think about making money."

He smiled slightly at his reflection in the mirror and slowly raised his hand.

Water welled up from the wooden cup beside him and condensed into a water ball above his palm.

At the same time, he swung his Frostbite Scimitar with his other hand.

The blade swept across the water sphere.

Most of the splashed water droplets were instantly frozen by the cold air, turning into tiny ice particles that drifted away.

Seeing this, Kane understood.

He gazed at the sky outside the window, which was beginning to darken, and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

"Everything is ready. All we need now is a cloudy day after the rain."

"Let's have some fun, Mr. Tracker."

……

Time flies, and a week has passed.

Kane further honed his water manipulation skills, raising them to LV2 through repeated practice.

His Frostbite Curved Blade was used in a slightly different manner than his daggers.

However, after repeated practice, it is no longer a problem to apply in actual combat.

It was an afternoon after the rain had stopped, but the sky was still overcast.

Kane went out as usual.

He followed his usual routine:

Take a carriage to the Library of Truth, then head to the Alchemy Workshop area, and then stroll around the city.

It had just rained lightly, and there was standing water in many places on the ground.

Kane strolled around casually, pretending not to care, while keenly sensing his surroundings.

This time, he once again clearly felt that faint gaze, though he still couldn't pinpoint its exact location.

He remained calm and deliberately chose to walk on surfaces with puddles, especially the seams of the stone slabs.

He walked for three or four hours, gradually approaching the slum where the Seventh District was located.

The roads here are muddy, and the water is even deeper.

The sour smell of garbage and rotting food.

The sky darkened again, and it looked like it was going to rain again.

Kane turned into a quiet alley, at the end of which stood a low, dilapidated abandoned house, with no one around.

He stopped beside the house, closed his eyes to feel for a moment, then suddenly opened his eyes, turned around, and a cold smile appeared on his lips.

"No need to hide anymore."

"This thief... or rather, this wanderer."

The voice echoed in the empty alley, and there seemed to be nothing behind him.

But Kane didn't seem to care and continued speaking to himself:

"Most people are aware of obstacles under their feet when they walk."

"But what if you encounter a large, unavoidable pool of water?"

"In order to keep up with the target, you have to step on it once, twice, or even many times."

He grinned, his smile mocking:

"I've found you, aren't you coming out?"

His method was very simple.

Since they could not directly sense the trackers, they resorted to their newly learned water manipulation techniques.

On such a damp, overcast day, the water on the ground within ten meters is enough for his use.

He deliberately took a detour, forcing the other person to step through the puddles repeatedly.

And on every part of the water's surface, there floated a thin film of water that he had created with magic.

Kane could sense the tracer's presence through the ripples in the water film with every step the tracer took.

After several times, even the stride and foot shape gradually became clear.

The alley was quiet, with only the sound of increasingly heavy raindrops falling.

However, before Kane could finish speaking, he suddenly lowered his body.

At the same time, he suddenly drew the Winter Blade from his waist and swung it swiftly to his upper right!

"clang!"

The sound of metal clashing against metal rang out!

In the upper right sky, a figure leaped down like a ghost, dagger in hand.

The dagger and the curved blade collided violently.