Tyr asked to see some cheaper weapon options.
He was led to an area where dozens of unique weapons lined the wall.
Tyr spent a few minutes looking over them, thinking about what fit him best.
'Axes are way too heavy and clunky to use. I'm not really a long range fighter right now, and it would take a while before I get good aim to start using them realistically.'
Just like this, he knocked off each weapon one by one. Finally, he narrowed them down to just two.
'The sword and the spear.' He said to himself, 'The sword seems like a perfect fit. It's probably the most useful in most situations.' His gaze turned to the spear, 'But... I've been using the spear for months. I feel like if I learn how to wield it, it can outdo a sword in combat.'
Seeing Tyr a bit conflicted on the matter, the young blacksmith spoke up:
"You're struggling between the spear and the sword, right?"
Tyr looked at him, "Yeah, I don't know which one suits me more."
The blacksmith smiled, picking up the sword and tossing the spear over to Tyr.
Tyr grabbed it, slightly surprised at the young man's actions.
The weapon was long, clean, and slick. It had a large and powerful tip with wind-like patterns mounting the blade.
Its handle was a silver metal with a hint of green.
"Come with me, let's see which fits you better." The young man said as he began to walk to the counter.
Although slightly confused, Tyr followed him.
They made their way outside of the smithery and into the backyard.
There was a decent-sized training field out there, about 500 square ft., with multiple people training away at their various weapons.
Some were sparring, others were watching from the stands, and others were individually practicing their techniques.
Tyr was taken aback as he saw this, his pupils dancing with slight awe.
"I'm Yurin Tatan." The young blacksmith said from behind his back without turning.
"Tyr..." Tyr replied, noticing Yurin stop about 15 feet in front of him in the middle of the training field.
They were over 50 feet away from the next closest person.
Yurin turned, raising his sword toward Tyr.
Seeing this, around 20 people watching from the sidelines changed their attention to the two.
"Look! Yurin's fighting again!"
"Jeez... I hope he goes easy on whatever unfortunate soul he's trapped this time."
"He always lures them in with that innocent look of his..."
They all joked to themselves.
"Come, test your spear ability. I will be able to tell whether it's the right fit for you, or whether the basic sword is the correct option."
"Shouldn't I have to test both?" Tyr asked.
"No. A sword is nothing more than an extension of one's limbs. A spear, on the other hand, is technology." A weird smile pulled at Yurin's face as he said this.
"What? Technology?"
"The origin of the sword and spear are different. A sword relays the basic instinct of a human, but the spear marks the dawn of human technology. It is the very development that allowed our species to go from cavemen to rulers of kingdoms." Yurin sounded overly excited as he spoke.
"Uh... right." Tyr was a bit weirded out.
Those standing on the sidelines spoke amongst themselves: "Look at his creepy smile. He's probably talking about technology and developing weapons and armor again."
"He's an odd ball. Despite being a full-time Hunter, he spends time working at a smithery all day."
"Who cares? He's strong... that's all that matters."
Tyr got in a fighting position, "Tell me when to begin."
Yurin matched his stance: "Now!"
They both sprinted forward at once, clashing in the middle as the loud twang of metal reverberated through the air.
Tyr felt his wrists vibrate in a searing hum, making them go slightly limp from the pressure of Yurin's sword.
'He's strong.' Tyr realized immediately as he felt this.
"You're strong!" Yurin said with a smile on his face, backing up slightly.
Tyr continued forward, unleashing several stabs at the young man.
Yurin moved with seemingly careless grace, side-stepping each attack with ease.
He spun in a circle, sprinting around from the side before swiping his sword at Tyr's abdomen.
Tyr panicked slightly since Yurin was now inside of his range.
'Shit!' He exclaimed, pulling his spear in close to his chest using both hands.
"Wrong!" Yurin yelled, stopping his sword at once. "What the hell was that!?" He seemed genuinely mad.
"Sorry, I'm not good at technique yet," Tyr said, not thinking of it as a big deal right now.
"No! Its pathetic."
"Huh?"
"How can you think of moving both of your hands inwards just because I came close? Don't you know how a spear works?"
"Yeah, if someone comes in your range, it's hard to defend."
"Wrong again! It's the spear user that destroys his own range. When you pulled your spear in, it became horizontal. You crushed your own leverage. How can you attack again if your spear is horizontal right next to your body?"
Tyr was at a loss for an answer.
"I'll give you one more chance. Understand this, if someone gets close to you, it may seem like your biggest nightmare as a spear user. However, that doesn't mean they are in your range yet. Instead of pulling your spear in horizontally, shift it vertically to block my attack with 100% accuracy--which also allows you to counterattack instantly."
Yurin's explanations made perfect sense to Tyr.
The blacksmith continued:
"Tell me this, if you are blocking your body horizontally while I am swiping my sword, can't I just move my sword by a mere 2 inches and avoid your weapon altogether? Would it not be more wise to hold it vertically and keep your range while blocking my slash completely?"
This was like a revelation to Tyr: 'Despite being harsh, he's right. I panicked and chose to get my weapon near me, but instead, I should have preemptively blocked his attack and continued my attacks.'
"Now... don't mess up this time. It's the last chance I will give you."
"I won't," Tyr said with conviction.
Yurin backed up again, and the duel began for the second time.
They both sprinted forward again and clashed, but this time Tyr tried his best to make sure Yurin didn't get into his range.
Out of nowhere, the young blacksmith jumped into the air as though he weighed as light as a feather, landing on Tyr's spear.
He pushed it down with one leg, digging the blade of the spear into the ground as he jumped behind Tyr.
'Shit!' Tyr said as his spear tip seemed to be slightly lodged. He quickly looked behind his shoulder, 'He's in my range!'
Yurin swiped at Tyr's back, at which moment Tyr forcefully pulled his spear out of the ground and swung it around his head--holding it vertically behind his back.
*CLANG*
He successfully blocked the blow.
Yurin smiled: "Good!"
But then, Tyr disappeared from his sight.
'Blink Step...'
Yurin's brows instantly furrowed, 'What?' He exclaimed inwardly in confusion.
Then, he felt a poke at the back of his neck.
"I won," Tyr said, the hilt of his spear pushed up against Yurin's neck.