Hataki

Hataki began speaking in a very calm, genuine tone. “There is no competition. And no! I would have helped you. Even more in fact.” His expression suddenly changed to a playfully evil one. “In the end, I would have just robbed everything and fled.” He finished that sentence with a mock evil laugh. But all the fun fled from his face when Shira asked him if there are people who dare to be evil in this game despite the circumstances. “Unfortunately, yes. I’ve heard some players have refused to believe that this is a death game and have resorted to killing other players for fun or gaining an in-game advantage. Worse, there are some who do believe death here means death in real life and still go on to do it because there is no one to police them. Apparently, few good guilds are rising against this threat. But… Lost people are lost.”

A few minutes after walking into the town, they reached Lamruil’s workshop. “Back already?! I hope you have enough leather boy. Don’t expect me to help you with material. I’m not giving you even the scraps I throw,” Lamruil spat at Hataki. His gaze then shifted to Shira, and all of a sudden his demeanour changed. He pushed Hataki aside and greeted Shira warmly. “Welcome young lady. Are you here to make a purchase? Please take a look at my wares. They are all of great quality, I assure-” Before he could finish, Hataki cut in. “She is with me.” And as expected, Lamruil went back to his original nature. He frowned and mumbled something before walking into his workshop. “Come in. Let’s get this over with.”

Hataki didn’t even ask if Shira was allowed in. Since he didn’t say anything, he assumed she was and walked in. Just like Divon’s, Lamruil’s workshop was marvellous too. Wow! “Stop day dreaming boy. Get your leather to the tanning rack, tan it and then take it to the cutting machine, cut it to shape and finally sew it. If you do all that right, you should be getting something. I’ll be out in the shop. If you have questions… don’t bother me. Figure it out yourself.” And with that, he was out. Hataki stood there with his jaw dropped. It took him few seconds to collect himself, but he finally put it all together. Tanning rack! Yes… And he started the process.

Surprisingly, it all came to him naturally; especially because the game did all the tedious work for him. His leather was tanned decently, then he cut it to his measurements and finally took it to the sewing machine. He was aiming to craft a set of leather pauldrons for himself. He placed the leather on the machine and whirled the sewing wheel. And voila! A solid, classy-looking pauldron was right in front of him. "Hey! Look... I did it! I did it!"

Hataki heard the buzzing sound too. But he was relatively slow to react. Before he could turn around and see what it was, Shira had already: located the source, unsheathed her sword, dashed towards it, and also killed it. He stood there, perplexed. By the time his hand had moved to unsheathe his blade, the entire fight was over. This is the second time she is saving my hide. I wonder if this party is more for my safety than hers. “Thanks! Again,” he said, blinking with an expressionless face. He sheathed his sword back and sighed. “You are too fast; and by the looks of it, the wasp was fast too. I suppose any quick surprise attack would kill me. Now… That is why we need the armour. Some damage mitigation and evasion should help.”

His focus on the mission at hand doubled. He thought if he had managed to craft the armour as quickly as Shira had managed to craft them their weapons, then she would have lost even less health. He tried not to show it, but seeing her health bar drop almost gave him a heart attack; however, it’s no secret that he is extremely paranoid, especially when it comes to her.

Maybe it was his boosted determination or it was just coincidence; he managed to find another piece of leather. It was rather well hidden under the shadows of small rocks. But, Hataki’s eyes didn’t miss it. “Another one! I think we are good to go now. These should be enough.” With that said, Hataki began walking back towards the Town of Beginnings.

“I’m glad to know you’ll still find time for me.” Hataki couldn’t help but laugh when Shira asked how his character is different from the actual person. “Well… I always play an evil character in RPGs. It’s not like a hidden desire that I’m quenching through videogames. In real life, I wouldn’t make anyone’s day bad. But I won’t deny that I like screwing up the balance in an MMO whenever I get the chance. It’s so much fun to watch the high and mighty scramble, and there is no permanent damage. But… Unfortunately, this game, by itself, turned out to be a permanent damage to every player just because they chose to play it. So… I’m just Haru. Hataki doesn’t exist; it is merely a name now.” For a split second, Hataki felt sad that he couldn’t play his character the way he wanted to but then realized there are more pressing matters at hand; like being stuck in it.

While they walked, he constantly kept a look out for any leather scraps he might find in the area. But, unfortunately, his luck seemed to have run out. There weren't any in his vicinity. "Let's try a different region. I don't think there are any more leather around here."

“Well… It’s difficult to run shops and traverse around the towns when you are an orange player. That’s why I said it’s not worth it. Anyway… Just don’t kill him until he is done teaching me how to become a tailor,” Hataki said with a chuckle. It didn’t bother him even a little bit when Shira made fun of him based on his most favourite colour. He just laughed it off. “At least I didn’t say pink. Haha…”

Hataki was quite surprised with Shira’s questions as to why he was referring to her real name. “I thought that was obvious. My question was directed to Akira, and not Shira. I would like to know more about the real you. I have full confidence that we will get out of this game alive. And once we are out of here… I don’t know if you’ll have the time. So, I’m just using this opportunity to know you.” He had a sad smile on his face when he spoke of whether they would meet again at the end of this chaos.

“Yes… But I already have two mats from that previous hunt. A couple more here will make it four. I would think I’ll be able to craft something with four. If not, I’m just unlucky and I’ll have to come gather more.” But it seemed like he was lucky today. A casual scan around the area got him another leather scrap. “There!” He ran to it and put it in his inventory quickly. “All thanks to your luck.” He winked at Shira.

Hataki laughed out loud when Shira asked if his mentor was ‘Divon-style wonderful.’ “Skill wise, yes. Character wise, anything but Divon. I’m actually scared of introducing you to him. The way he speaks, you would probably have his head in less than a second and he would try that too. Good he is just an NPC.” Hataki still hadn’t recovered from the laughter. “But, mind you. Killing an NPC makes you an orange player, I think. Not worth it.”

As boring as this material gathering rounds were, he had grown to look forward to them as it provided ample time to talk freely to Shira. As he walked around looking for leather, he pulled out his Nebula Cleaver, which he sheathed proudly in his back, and looked at it admiringly. “I really love my sword. Can't thank you enough. Orange is one of my favourite colour; preceded only by purple. What is your favourite colour, Miss Nakashima?” He deliberately referred to her real name because this question was directed to the real person and not the character Shira. He had this unexplainable urge to know more about Akira herself, which he was desperately trying to keep in check.

He turned towards her and looked at her curiously, waiting for an answer. He thought he saw a twinkle behind her. At first, he mistook it for the shine of her eyes, which he was very fond of; but a second glance confirmed what it was. He quickly walked past her and picked up the leather scrap he noticed. “There! One. At least one more to go; otherwise, he will chew off my head. Haha…”

At first, Hataki couldn’t find Shira when he reached the gate. For a moment, he was happy he hadn’t made her wait, but a swift scan of the area proved him wrong. She was there and she had wandered off in search of material. He walked up to her and apologized sincerely, “I’m really sorry. Didn’t mean to keep you waiting.” Before speaking further, he inched closer to her. “I… never got to thank you properly for your gift. Thank you! And I hope to return the favour. I found this 'wonderful' tailor in town and he is kind of willing to help me become a tailor. I thought I could craft you a nice piece of armour.” After he finished the good part of the news, he rolled his eyes and went on to the drag part. “Obviously… Just like you, I have collect mats too and I really don’t want to do this alone. So, could you please help me find some mats and finish this quest?”

If Shira did say yes, he would smile and thank her again before going on to look for the mats. “Maybe we can kill some mobs too this time, considering we have grown a little stronger, thanks to you.” He knew Shira enjoyed slicing up these digital monsters and if they could do that safely, it was well worth the effort. “I heard there are some wasps on this side of the forest. It is supposed to be stronger than the boar, so please exercise caution if we run into one. Don’t want us dead yet.”

Hataki kept a lookout for those precious leather scraps as he walked into the woods, but couldn't spot anything.

Hataki was very grateful to Shira for the sword he was presented. He did not expect her to just give away a rare two-handed sword to him without any hesitation. Now, it was time for him to return the favour. But before that, he needed to finish his own Earning a Living quest. He decided he will become a tailor and craft Shira her armour. As much as he would have liked to do this by himself and then surprise Shira with his new skills, he decided against it because of two reasons: one, he didn’t want to leave Shira alone in this dangerous game, and two, he didn’t want to go material hunting alone. So, he sent her a message early in the morning, requesting her to meet him at the south entrance of Town of Beginnings.

Quote

To: Shira

From: Hataki

Message: Hey! Good morning. Meet me at the south entrance of Town of Beginnings. I need your help with this mission.

After sending the message, he quickly got ready and rushed to the NPC tailor he had scouted the previous evening. This one was the opposite of Divon, the NPC blacksmith, both he and Shira had met the day before. He was tiny, short, and… aggressive. When Hataki approached the guy the previous evening to enquire about the quest, he almost threw a roll of leather right at his face for touching the plushie in display. “Keep your filthy hands off my plushie, you mongrel. You are here to learn tailoring? Looks like I’ll have to start with manners first.” Despite his attitude, the man seemed to know what he was doing, and Hataki wanted to learn from an expert. So… There he was, standing in front of Lamruil, the ruthless master tailor, as the neighbouring shopkeepers called him.

“What are you waiting for? Go get the right materials first. Don’t you dare come back with one. Get at least two or three. Now, get out and give way for my customers,” he barked. Hataki gave an idiotic half-smile in response and walked to the south gate where he had asked Shira to meet him.

{OOC: Shira has given me permission to say that she sent me the message.}

The previous day was a very tiring one. Hataki had gone with Shira to help her finish the Earning a Living quest and that took quite a while. It involved material hunting and then actually smithing, which was much more boring and random than he had expected. All that left him very tired and he hit the sack quite early the previous night. This morning, he woke up when he received a message from Shira. The mail icon popped up on the right corner of his field of vision and he tapped groggily.

Quote

From: Shira

To: Hataki

Message: Hey! I'm on the third floor. Don't worry. I'm inside town and it's a safe zone. Come see me. I have a surprise for you.

All of a sudden, Hataki was wide awake. He was wondering what the surprise could be. He quickly groomed himself and was on his way to the third floor. Once he reached Floor 3, he opened his map and located Shira. She was pretty close to where he was; he followed the map and reached her location. He looked up at the sign of the building and smiled heartily. Nice~ She has her own shop now. He knocked on the door and entered the building. It looked barren except for a couple of swords and a blacksmithing station. But, Hataki was impressed nevertheless. "Hey! This is wonderful. You are an entrepreneur now. Congratulations!" His eyes wandered to the orange great sword that lay beside the blacksmithing station. "Wow! You crafted this? Can I?" His question was rhetorical because he had already picked up the sword and was examining it. He looked up the item information and grinned in happiness. "Nebula Cleaver! Increases accuracy and there is a chance for the enemy to bleed. This is so cool. I want it. Quote your price." He got down to business immediately.

Hataki smiled up at her. "You're at your last mat, save it..." he said. He walked over to her and swiped down his own inventory. "Here, I don't know how lucky these mats are, but maybe a change in mat will help you make a weapon?" He went and placed the mat on the blacksmithing table. He looked up at Divon and sighed, having second thoughts about whether he should break his own code of honour and ask him once again to bend the rules. But Hataki doubted that would be a fair intervention, at least on Shira's part, she'd never truly feel like she accomplished it by herself. He thought about her state of happiness when she finally succeeded at this, bending the rules would mean taking that away from her. He crossed his fingers and hoped this would give her a perfect item, resorting to stupid superstitions now. 

This was just getting repetitive and boring, and even Hataki was losing his patience now. "Divon! Can't you do something to make it easier for her? I mean... Come on. This is what? Her fifth attempt?" Divon made a sad face. "I unfortunately can't. Higher ranked blacksmiths use trinkets and such to increase their chances of making better weaponry or armour. But... I can't give something like that to a beginner. It is against the ethics of teaching blacksmithing." Hataki sighed. He walked up to Divon and spoke softly. "Could you please make an exception? As you can see, we are not asking for an easy way out. We did try. We are just... a bit unlucky today. No one has to know." Hataki forgot that he was in a programmed game for a moment and began bargaining with Divon like how he would bargain with a shopkeeper in real life. Divon shook his head vigorously. "I can't. I'm sorry. I just can't do such a thing." Despite sounding weak-willed, it was clear from this moment that Divon actually stood up to what he believed. And hence, Hataki didn't want to push further. "Alright then. No other way. Hammer it again Shira."

Reluctantly he went and put a hand on her shoulder. "It did help in a way, at least you didn't lose the material this time... Its almost like someone is offering you another chance..." He really was willing to give her his mats, he just hoped she would take them and not get too proud about it, because the last thing he wanted was to go mat hunting again, or take any risk fighting boars, which honestly would be rather dangerous, if there were more than one of them. He patted her hand. "Go on, come on.. You have nothing to lose" He said thoughtlessly... "Well nothing much anyways" he added as an after thought. He went and stood next to Divon, in case Shira's outbursts took a turn for the dangerous. 

Hataki had to look away this time. Even he had lost faith and he could understand her anger. He was expecting the 'you are the reason I'm in this mess' dialogue at one point or another, so it didn't strike as a shock. He knew that was the truth and he was willing to take responsibility for it. Maybe this is why we need to approach an experienced blacksmith for our first weapon... But he didn't dare suggest that. He decided the best course of action would be to keep her calm and encourage her to try again. "You still have two more mats. Let's not lose hope." He took another forging hammer off Divon's shelf, took the one from Shira's hand and gave the new one. "Maybe a change of equipment should help." He sincerely doubted it, but they had to try something different.

Hataki's worst fear came true. This time, there wasn't even a shred of material to leave evidence of any crafting attempt that happened there. And just as he expected, Shira turned to Divon and screamed at him. Hataki thought now was a good time to interfere before the guy began crying, which was entirely possible. "Whoa whoa... Relax. You are a smart girl. You know how this works. It's all random numbers. You are just starting out. This has nothing to do with your skill. And he can't do anything about it either. He is just a program, are you not Divon?" Divon nodded and Hataki patted his back to encourage him further. "Come on! Let's give it a try again. You have a few more mats, don't you? We'll get it before they run out. I'm sure."

Hataki wondered if he should chip and ask her to take the dagger poor Divon was offering. It didn't take him long to decide against it, as he saw a brief flash of her temper. Oh...kay... Should not disturb her, must stand quietly in a corner. And so he did, he resumed to the edge of the room, wondering if it was safe to let Shira carry around that forging hammer. He turned towards Divon and shook his head sympathetically. He mouthed the words, "Don't mind her. She isn't used to bad luck." Divon seemed to understand and relaxed a bit. Further, to ease the tension, he said, "Don't worry about the mats Shira. If you run out, you can use mine. We'll get this done today."

Hataki laughed when Shira called his failed hobby cool. “You wouldn’t say that had you witnessed my last launch. Lucky I live near the beach. No evidence!” When Shira asked if he would give her one, he looked puzzled for a moment and then realized she had forgotten that they were stuck in a game. He was actually happy with this because, this confirmed he wasn’t the only one feeling comfortable. However, he still wasn’t comfortable with the current topic, so, he was glad when Shira found a material right under her feet and decided to head back into town.

Their walk back into the town was eventless. It was a quiet walk, but not an awkward, uncomfortable one. Despite hating the game for obvious reasons, Hataki couldn’t help but admire the realistic nature of it. In a few minutes they were inside Divon’s shop again. The burly man was mostly pleased to see them again, but was also surprised. “We got the materials! Thank you for the map,” Hataki said, handing the map back to him. “Welcome back! I’m glad you guys made it back safely. Now… Come on in. Let’s get to the interesting part.” Divon cheerily opened the door into his workshop and urged both of them to get in. Hataki took a step to the side and made way for Shira to enter first. “You first!”

It didn’t take Hataki long to pull the sword out of the ground. But, it clearly was long enough for Shira, because she had already killed the boar. She was like the wind. One second, she was next to him, and the other, in front of the boar, slashing at it. Hataki stood there, dumbfounded. “One hit?! Really? You killed it with one hit?! What? Your crit chance is already 100% or what?” He grinned, shook his head in disbelief and sheathed his sword.

When Shira mentioned 'Kenjutsu' among her hobbies, he just snorted. “Of course! I just got a sample of that back there.” They were walking aimlessly now. It didn’t seem like neither of them were looking for materials anymore; at least Hataki didn’t.

Hataki was determined to not say anything when Shira urged him to reveal what he didn’t before. But when he saw her looking at him, he just couldn’t help it. He looked away and resigned with a heavy sigh. “I build model rockets. I’m not very good at it. I try to learn from the internet and keep my projects a secret so that people don’t laugh at me.” He spoke very quickly just to get it over it. “There! I said it.” In an attempt to hide his embarrassment, he ran around looking for materials. Unfortunately for him, there were nothing in their vicinity and it just made him look like an idiot running around aimlessly.

The sudden personal question threw him off. He was tempted to think she was interested in him, but he didn’t want to make any embarrassing assumptions. ‘She just asked what you do usually. Geez! Calm down,’ a voice in his head echoed. He assumed it was a genuine friendly question and went on to answer. “Well… I listen to music. Contrary to popular belief, I enjoy classical and country music more than rock and metal. I just play those songs in the bar to keep the party alive. Classical music doesn’t go very well in a pub full of drunk gamers. Haha… And…” For a moment, he thought if he really wanted to reveal his small personal secret to her. Deciding against it, he just shook his head, “And nothing else. That’s about it. What about you?” he asked, quickly shifting the topic to her.

Hataki was very interested to know about her, and he made sure she knew that. He turned on his heel, put his hands in his pockets and started walking backwards while keeping constant eye contact with her. They were now walking further into the forest and the shadows of the leaves and branches danced on her face. He smiled involuntarily in admiration. Suddenly, being stuck in this game didn’t feel all that concerning. Unfortunately, that feeling didn’t last long, as he tripped over something while walking backwards. He reached out to grab onto Shira’s hands, but she was mere inches away from his reach. He toppled and fell on his back.

The situation was very puzzling to Hataki because whatever he tripped on was no longer there. Instead, he heard an angry roar behind him. He quickly turned around to find a <Frenzied Boar>, preparing to launch itself on him. “Uh-oh!” His hands automatically reached for the only defence he had, his Basic Two-Handed Sword sheathed on his back. By the time he had a good grip on it, the Boar was already on its way towards him. Having no other option, he decided to use his sword as a shield. He planted the sword on the ground firmly to his side and used it as a pivot to roll out of the Boar’s way. The Frenzied Boar, having already set its course, could not stop itself. Its momentum carried it straight towards where he was and it zoomed past without even scratching him. Luckily, Hataki managed to dodge the Boar's first attack. But, he wasn't sure if he can do the same the next time, because, the sword he planted on the ground was stuck there and wouldn't come off. He stood there, pulling at it, while the Boar readied itself for another attack.

Hataki was perplexed at her notion of getting better after fighting a monster. How could someone feel better after fighting something that could potentially kill them? He didn’t voice his question though. Just praying that they encounter no mobs, he walked with her, looking for more mats. The young man didn’t feel hungry until after he saw her nibbling on her bread. Wondering what good the digital bread will do, he fished it out of his inventory and took a bite. One bite is all it took for him to realize how hungry he was. He finished three more slices in no time; not that it would help his actual body, but at least it helped his mind.

While he was too busy eating, Shira had managed to find another material. “And you tell me you aren’t lucky.” Hataki was truly happy for her. He knew the quicker she levels up all her skills, the better the chances are against this death game.

Walking around looking for mats grew boring eventually. Hataki got lazy; once he thought he saw something shiny, but discarded it as the Sun’s reflection on a dew drop atop a grass. Maybe it was that, or maybe it was a material. He will never know, as he walked right past it, whistling his favourite tune.

After Hataki gave the map to Shira, he just followed her without questions. He believe she was a better navigator than he was; besides, the girl was extremely lucky. Maybe she would find mats without encountering any mobs. And just as he suspected, she found one. No mobs in the vicinity, and material rich. How does he know the place is material rich? Because he spotted one almost immediately after she found hers. “Here! There is another one.” He picked it up, examining it closely and grinning widely. “You sure are a lucky gamer. And I’m getting lucky too, thanks to you,” he said, winking before putting the material in his inventory.

“Again, I suspect other players cleared out the mobs and left without collecting the mats. Let’s see if we can salvage more in this area before the boars respawn.” Hataki walked further down, keeping a close look for the shiny mats.

Hataki was disappointed to learn that the material they collected weren’t enough. He sulked and dragged himself out of the shop, trying to catch up with Shira. They may have gotten to Level 2, but fighting a sounder of boars still sounded dangerous to him. In any case, he was given no option. Shira seemed determined and he wouldn’t let her go through this alone, even if it kills him.

When Divon had pointed out the material spawn locations in his map, Hataki opened his map to mark the same. However, he found out that he couldn’t see anything on the map except for the major towns, the route to them. But he noticed that the small border around the Town of Beginnings, which they had explored earlier showed up in his map in a much detailed manner. Oh! So, my map only shows regions that I have visited. That sucks! He quickly opened the Guidebook and read about Map Data. “Oh well… Apparently, for a good detailed map, we either need to explore ourselves or buy map data from someone who has it.” With a heavy sigh, he put the Guidebook back into his inventory. For a minute, he wasn’t sure what they were going to do now. But, it struck him then. He remembered that some NPCs, who could also be quest-givers, were programmed to help you if you asked them. Hataki ran back into Divon’s shop and smiled broadly at him. “Umm… I was wondering if you could lend your map so that we could go collect those materials. You see… We don’t have a clear path to those locations; our map data is incomplete.” Divon stood there for a moment, contemplating, and then smiled back. “Of course!” He dug into his pocket and pulled out the map. “There! Please be safe.” Hataki thanked him and took the map. He walked out of the shop and grinned at Shira, dangling the map in front of her. “Ta-da! Now, we can go to these places, taking the safest routes.”

Hataki was rather impressed with Divon’s workshop. It was small, but filled. That explains the almost empty shop. He could see several different metal ingots stocked and racks and racks of weapons and armour. But Shira didn’t seem to have the time to take in the beauty. She was very impatient with Divon’s formalities. Hataki felt bad when the NPC blacksmith’s face fell and was about to ask Shira to calm down and let him continue. Luckily, he didn’t have to do it; Shira realized that herself. Divon was ecstatic when he was allowed to speak again as he wished. It was like watching a child. His eyes glowed and the large man almost jumped in excitement as he began explaining how blacksmithing worked in SAO.

“We have been doing this for generations; my father, grandfather, great grandfa-” Divon began, but stopped when Hataki stood behind Shira, shook his head vigorously. “Yes… I’ll get to the point. Blacksmithing has been our family business. But, unfortunately, neither of my two sons want to take up the profession. They are more interested in hunting and performing. I did not want to force them into this, so, I let them do whatever they wanted. However, my ancestral genes won’t forgive me if I don’t pass on my skills to another. I’m glad I found someone to-” Hataki interrupted, hoping to end this speech and get on to the task before Shira loses it again. “We are very glad too. I’m curious… How did you come up with so many different types of metal ingots? All I found in the neighbourhood was good old iron ore.” Hopefully, this will direct him towards the basics of blacksmithing.

By the time Hataki turned around to point out the NPC blacksmith he spotted, Shira had already entered another shop. This girl is too fast. Luckily, he turned around just in time to see which shop she entered or he would have lost her. Jogging to catch up, he entered the small building. Divon looked pleased. “Ah… Another customer. Could you kindly wait while I attend to this young lady here?” he asked, bowing slightly. Hataki was surprised by the politeness from a man of such physique. He then realized it wasn’t right in the first place to judge a man’s character by his body type. “Oh no! I’m with her. She is trying to learn how to craft weapons,” he responded, wondering if the shopkeeper would be disappointed that he is not here to buy anything. But, Divon remained polite. Even if he was disappointed, it didn’t show.

“Yes! She mentioned,” he said, and then turned towards Shira again. “I would be more than happy to help you. First, there is an orientation. Please come in.” Divon then opened the counter and let Shira in. Before he could say whether Hataki is allowed in or not, he followed quickly with a smile. Divon stood there, wondering if he should stop him. But the guy was too nice to say anything.

When Hataki suggested that they sell the mats they collected that morning and buy some armour, Shira was… unwilling. She couldn’t believe that he suggested giving up the ‘precious’ mats they collected, drudging over the entire morning, to some random NPC or worse – a player. To put it mildly, she had trust issues. One can’t blame her; she is in SAO after all. “But we do need some armour and a better weapon. We can’t just stay in this forever,” he said, pointing at the useless ‘rag’ clothing they were in. And that is what landed him in this alley, looking for an NPC blacksmith. Shira decided she will learn to craft her stuff all by herself.

Hataki did enjoy crafting, but he wasn’t sure if it was a good idea in this game. According to the Guidebook, most good crafting materials are found near groups of difficult mobs; that did not sound good to him. However, Shira was very determined and was going to do it with or without him. With a heavy sigh, he followed her, “At least it’ll be safer with two of us.”

It didn’t take long for him to spot a blacksmith. The first floor market was full of them. It was just a matter of finding the right NPC for Shira and he spotted the perfect one.

As he ran out into the field, something shiny under a huge tree caught his eye. He carefully checked if there were any mobs around it and approached it after confirming there weren’t any. Just as he suspected, it was another metal piece. “Yay! Look what I found,” he yelled, turning around to see where Shira is. When he saw her sitting beside the wall, leaning on it, the grin on his face faded. He walked up to her slowly, understanding the situation. There was nothing to be happy about at the moment, and there is no point trying to be.

“There is some bread and water in your inventory; not that it will sate your hunger in real life. Nothing here will. And... We’ll call it a day. Maybe we can sell what we have for a room in an inn and also for a new weapon. Let’s go…”

Thread Summary:

Shira: 200 Col + 1 SP + 2 Mats

Hataki: 200 Col + 1 SP + 2 Mats

Thread Complete!

Hataki and Shira didn’t converse much on their way to the other side of the Town of Beginnings. He couldn’t blame her; with all the sobs and wails he could hear in the background, there was no need for any words.

When they finally arrived at the other side, Hataki was rather disappointed. Of course, the view was beautiful as before, but again, he could see no mats in his vicinity. He looked at Shira and saw the disappointment in her eyes too. Hoping to cheer her up, he decided to continue the challenge. “This competition isn’t over…” he said with a smirk. “Round 2 begins now.” He then ran ahead and began looking under bigger rocks ꟷ again.