Zulas

Zulas attention turned towards the woman when he heard mention of the 7th floor. He had dreamed of going to the upper floors for a long time now, but he knew that he wasn't strong enough to do it. He noticed how quickly he and intensely turned his gaze towards her, so his face turned red. Zulas, now embarrassed, knew that the woman had to have seen him turn his face red. The motion was followed by some digging on the ground to see if he was lucky enough to find some more materials. It would allow him time to calm down, and answer her question.

"Yes, I do." - he managed to answer. "I...", was all he could manage to say.

Zulas couldn't find the right words to say. For some reason, it mattered to him what she thought of him. He knew that she was way out of his league in terms of this game. "I haven't been above the 3rd floor." - he finally admitted. The words felt heavy in his mouth, it sounded a bit more depressing than he intended, and without knowing he added. "I don't think I'll survive by myself."

Zulas continued to look at the woman as she used, what Zulas thought, was an unknown technique to gather her materials. Again, he saw the same flashes go through his mind; the long hair, the strong personality, but something aloof to her personality that made him smile.  

Zulas realized what he had done when he heard her question and stopped what he was doing. He quickly glanced at her as he felt that his face was flustered. He could feel his cheeks red so he didn't say anything at first. He moved a couple of paces away to search in a different direction before he replied, "Yes... yes, I'm ok."

He then looked at the ground, giving time for his body to take control again. "I didn't mean to upset you earlier." - he said apologetically when he finally composed himself. Zulas noticed that there was something about this woman. There was a peculiar way about her, the way that she quickly changed responses. When he thought about it he gave out a low chuckle, and continued to search the path on the mountain.

It had been a long time since he had talked to anybody else like this, face to face. I think the idea of not really being face to face was what let him feel a bit more comfortable. He finally managed to look at the girl this time and responded with a slight smile and continued his work. It was a bit of an awkward silence again but he decided to break it first this time.

"So, do you come to this mountain often?" - was all he could think to ask. Yeah, that's not very interesting, he thought.

"Oh", was all Zulas could say. "I didn't mean to." - he said apologetically. 

After a few moments of gathering more ore, he continued - "I didn't know you weren't talking to me.".

Zulas thought for a second what to say, but nothing came to mind. He looked from where he was gathering his materials to look at the woman standing in front of him. There was something about her, a strange sensation that reminded him of something but he couldn't quite place where. He stopped what he was doing for a second and just looked at her smile. It made him half smile for a split second, but he looked down and continued to gather his materials. The feeling wouldn't go away and then a mid breeze hit him that made him put his arm up to cover from the dust. He looked over at the woman, the way her hair whipped around in the wind. Again, it reminded of something, something important that he had forgotten.

That's when it hit him, flashes came to his mind like the rush of a river. One image after another without stopping, so many that it made him drop the stones he was carrying. He stood there as they hit the ground with a loud thud and his eyes opened wide once more. He quickly composed himself and dropped down to the ground to recover what had fallen on the ground.

 ID# 69604 results:

 Loot: 6

The swordsman had spent some time at the mountain already. He doesn't know when he had first started, but he liked the quiet time it brought him. He had set out on this path because he needed a bit of materials for an item that he wanted crafted. The armor that he had on was not the best so he had opted to change it, but the problem was that he didn't have that many materials to trade. The shops ran by NPC's were not that creative or abundant in their wares and the players' shops were a bit pricey for him right now. The only way was to gather the necessary materials, which didn't require much effort... just a long time in this mountain where he was right now.

Zulas searched around where he stood, it seemed to him that only minutes had passed but in reality it had been hours. The solitude gave him time to think, much he hadn't done since he began the game. He had only thought about the outside world and his life one time... that time which seems like ages ago but it had only be a few weeks back. While thinking about his life, the words of a woman suddenly made him turn around and caught him off guard.

"Uh" - was the only thing he could say. He turned his attention at the girl and then searched around him to see if she had spoken to somebody else. When he realized that there wasn't anybody else he continued, "Yes... if you say so."

Zulas then really looked at her for the first time and his eyes opened wide. He quickly turned around and continued his search.

There was a bit of chatter as he walked away and that's when he heard a voice, "Hey, young man, come over here."

Zulas turned around towards the pair. The old man had a big smile plastered on his face, but the girl's angry expression seemed quite comical to Zulas for some reason. "I don't understand what you mean, sir." - Zulas managed to say.

The old man responded by throwing Zulas the material he had found on the ground. "We don't get many visitors in these parts. If you're hungry, the wife has a pot brewing of some delicious beef stew." After that, he began to walk towards the house at the end of the fence where Zulas stood.

Zulas saw that there was a pile smoke coming out of the house chimney, and his stomach growled in response. "Well, I guess I could... eat... something." - he said hesitantly. He made his way to the house behind the pair. The old man could be seen smiling down at the girl, while she makes different angry expressions. Zulas knew that they were talking about him, the way the girl shot him glares once in a while.

They finally made it back to the house, "Oh, by the way," said the old man turning to Zulas before entering the house. "My name is  Kiyoshi, nice to meet you. And this is my daughter Noko." He extended his hand which Zulas took, all the while the old man just smiled innocently. The girl stomped inside the house and both men followed shortly after.

Zulas nodded to his companion in agreement and headed back the way they came. It appeared to him that hours had passed, but in fact only a few minutes had passed in that last battle. It took less time this time to leave the forest because they knew where they had walked, it was clearly visible in the map. The sun was still high in the air when they stepped outside the forest, the density of the trees growing less and less with each step towards the outside.

"Finally, out of that place." - he said when he was finally outside. He gave a heavy sigh, exhaustion clearly kicking in.

Zulas looked back at his companion, no trace in his face of the man he had seen before. He sympathized with him, as he had clearly a hidden past, much as himself. Although, Zulas knew that they had to be total opposites but he didn't care. Raze was the only one he had actually met since this death game began, but if Zulas wanted to survive, he knew that it couldn't be the last one.

He called the map window to find the way back to town. "It shouldn't be that long of walk. It's that way." - he said pointing in the direction the map told him, and he set out to the town in order to turn in the quest.

Zulas felt the tension coming from Raze now that the enemy was defeated. Zulas didn't go for his weapon, but continued to look at his companion. Raze's face showed several emotions one after the other. Zulas followed his companion began to circle around him and noticed that when he finally stopped a couple of words escaped him. Zulas couldn't hear what he said but he identified himself with the last expression on Raze's face. It was a mixture of guild and regret, a combination he had seen too many plastered across his face in the past. That was one thing about SAO, there was no hiding of feelings as the system made you express what you were actually feeling at any given moment. 

Zulas felt his companion relax after a moment and he himself did the same. He put his arms up, "Hey, I don't know what you've been through man, but I sympathize. I've seen that expression a lot of times before in the mirror." Zulas dropped his arms to the side, "Hey, we might have not known each other for a long time... but I'm here." The words were coming out of Zulas's mouth before he could stop himself. What am I saying?, he thought to himself. "For now, let's just turn in the quest, ok? We can decide whatever afterwards. What do you say?"

Zulas saw the fury in Raze eyes and the tenacity with which he swung his weapon. There were a few times when Zulas had to step back due to the long arc the weapon made, it wouldn't have been pretty if he had been caught in it. Zulas could see that the elf's health was deteriorating fast, already well over in the red zone. He could also see that their enemy was getting tired, his ches rose and fell very quickly and panting could be heard coming from its mouth. Zulas was now focused on his enemy, I'll deal with Raze in a bit. First, we're going to have to get rid of our uninvited friend here. 

Zulas readied his weapon again and waited for an opening in the archer's movements. He found it after the elf rolled between the legs of his companion and shot an arrow at the back of Raze's head. He knew that it wouldn't kill his party member, but it was the opportunity he was waiting for. Zulas lunged towards his opponent, his Sword Art 'Snake Bite' already in the process of being performed.

 ID# 69326 results:

 Battle: 6 (DMG = 2x3 = 6)

 Craft: 9 (Battle healing = +4 HP)

 Loot: 5

 MOB: 4

Zulas: HP 71/80; Energy 8/8

Dark Elf Archer: 0/12 HP (9 base damage)

Zulas's plan worked, the elf did not see the attack coming. Zulas's sword, Eternal Penance, shone brightly as it performed the automated attack it was designed to do. With three quick swings the sword cut the elf in three different places: the torso, leg and an arm. The elf staggered backward and froze for a second. Zulas managed to put the sword back in its scabbard, and as the hilt mad the connection with it, the elf exploded into a million pieces. This time there were no pop windows with any messages, but Zulas did not care about that, he turned to his companion. Thankfully, it was a game and his wounds were not all that bad. 

He waited a few seconds before asking the obvious question, "Raze, are you ok?"

Zulas finally managed to see Raze's face when he turned around to face the elf, which now stood between the players. The bloody mess that was the face of his friend could not compare to what Zulas saw behind the expression on his companion's face. He had never seen that look on somebody's face before, but it was one that made him a bit uncomfortable. 

"Uh... Raze?" - he managed to say. The one standing in front of him did not look at all as the man who he had started the quest with. Zulas knew that asking about people's life before the game was frowned upon, so could only guess what kind of life experiences his companion had suffered to create what was standing in front of him. All he recognized from that expression was one thing because he also had seen it on his own face, sadness. 

Zulas, weapon shaking in his hand, stepped forward towards the elf and whispered, "Don't worry, I'll help."

 ID# 69278 results:

 Battle: 1

 Craft: 2

 Loot: 1

 MOB: 7 (DMG 9)

Zulas made too much as he approached, snapping twigs and branches with every step. He thrust his sword towards the back of the elf, but the elf was ready. The enemy stepped towards the side and avoided Zulas's attack. He had the bow at the ready when he did and shot an arrow wildly, which hit Zulas on his leg. The swordsman took it out and watched as the blood trickled down his leg.

Zulas: HP 67/80; Energy 8/8

Dark Elf Archer: 7/12 HP (9 base damage)

Zulas noticed that Raze did not answer him. Would the damage have injured his hearing? No, this is a game, or is it something else, Zulas thought to himself. He saw Raze go towards the enemy in front of him, all the time getting hit by arrow after arrow. Zulas gripped his sword tight until his fingers felt numb, he debated if he should step in or stay out of the fight. He looked at the health bar to his top left and noticed that Raze's bar still hadn't dropped to the red zone. It was about half way there. He thanked that they had made a party because he was able to track his companion's health. Once again, he got closer but kept enough distance so that the elf wouldn't notice him. Zulas knew that he was pretty focused on the human coming straight for him. If he gets hit one more time, I'm stepping in. I'm not about to lose the only person I've met in this place.

Zulas saw his party companion battle with the Dark Elf, he saw how the creature let loose arrows at Raze. He then saw Raze go through the barrage of arrows, he seemed to not mind them. Zulas winced each time as one arrow after another struck Raze's body, but still the warrior kept moving towards his enemy. He couldn't see Raze's face, but he guessed that it must have been showing pain because no normal man could sustain that amount of damage and keep going, game or not.

"Hey Raze, you ok?" - Zulas called out to his companion. He debated with himself if he should help or not, but finally decided that Raze was capable of defeating the monster by himself. While he asked the questions, a new window popped up in front of him with the message 'Key item (Leather Cord)' obtained. He closed the window and slowly made his way towards the fighting pair.

The Dark elf stabbed Zulas in the abdomen and saw the elf step back. The smile on his face made Zulas angry, and he knew that this enemy was an NPC but it was still frustrating. In the background, Zulas heard the cry made by Raze and he guessed that his companion wasn't fairing any better. Still, Zulas raised his sword in a stance, thankfully he's an NPC and not a player. If he was, this repeated move wouldn't have worked on him. 

The sword was position in a way that would initiate his sword art, one of his most powerful attacks right now. Zulas then jumped forward towards his enemy and hoped that he had done it in time, before his opponent could react. 

 ID# 69216 results:

 Battle: 9 (10 = Keen) (DMG = (2+2)*2 = 8) 

 Craft: 3

 Loot: 7

 MOB: 2 (Miss)

True enough, Zulas had acted quickly and didn't let his enemy recover from the attack. Zulas that the Sword Art 'Rage Spike' was famous for its AoE effect but he used it in order to not give his enemy a chance to escape. His sword swung in one fluid motion and he felt it connect with the body of his foe. The blade turned a bright red for a split second and after that, the dark elf made a howling sound. Its voice carried over through the forest and the wound that Zulas's weapon had opened did not close, it continued to spew blood from it.

Zulas knew that he had done all he could as he turned around towards where Raze was. The dark elf went after Zulas with its knife but as soon as it moved to attack him, it was too late. Then knife swung at empty air, where Zulas once stood, and then it hit the ground with a thud. Shortly after Zulas heard another louder object hit the ground and then break into a million a pieces, and he knew that his personal battle was over.

Zulas: HP 70/80; Energy 0/8

Dark Elf Fighter: HP 0/12 DMG 9 (Bleed -12HP)

Zulas gripped his sword tighter, with one hand and held a hand over where his heart is. The elf moved slowly from side to side and Zulas followed his every movement. They danced around each other because he knew that Raze would take care of the other one. It was something that they both agreed to without even realizing it or having formulated a plan.

Zulas shook his head and focused on the enemy standing in front of him. Now that he wasn't distracted the elf's features came to him, but the first thing he noticed was that his enemy was a bit taller than him. Although there was a height advantage, the swordsman knew that he couldn't underestimate his opponent. With that in mind, Zulas charged towards his opponent and performed the quick swings that are known for his sword skill; he hoped that they would hit its mark. 

ID# 69176 results:

 Battle: 5 (Miss)

 Craft: 10

 Loot: 6

 MOB: 9 (DMG 9+1 = 10)

Zulas swung the sword letting the system help him with its movements, but it wasn't quick enough. The elf moved around avoiding each swing with perfect skill. The elf waited for the adventurer to finish his moves and attacked as soon as the wait time kicked in. Zulas had to stand there for only a few seconds, but that was enough for the elf to thrust with his dagger. Zulas felt the pain hit him when the dagger hit home, and made him stagger back a couple of feet. The first thing he saw after the pain had passed was the smile planted on the elf's face.

Zulas: HP 70/80; Energy 4/8

Dark Elf Fighter: HP 12/12 DMG 9

The idea of staying in the Town of Beginnings has appealed to Zulas somewhat. He has begun to like this city for what it is and what it stands. He believes that among all the madness the players here have gone through, this town is one that can be counted on when it comes to some sort of normalcy. Well, he can say that because he has only gone up to the second floor, but it was a while ago. This floor is one of the biggest, from what's he's heard at least, so there's still a lot of places for him to explore. 

One day Zulas wandered to a section of markets that he hadn't been in before. The stores were somewhat exotic in their wares and people walked around, engrossed in conversations of their own. There was only one thing that seemed out of place in the whole scenery, and that was a simple looking merchant NPC that seemed to be lost. Zulas noted that he was going from stand to stand talking to different other NPCs but all of them waved him away. He stepped away from the latest vendor and Zulas saw that he carried his feet, a look of defeat clearly on his face. That was until he saw Zulas and his face lit up somewhat; he hurried over to the adventurer and said, "Just who I was looking! An adventurer of your caliber sir." The face no longer looked defeated, but filled itself with hope. The only problem was the next question the merchant asked Zulas.

"Sir, I-I'm sorry to ask this but... are you married by any chance?" - he asked loud enough for people around to hear.

@Chiana

Zulas paid attention to his companion's words and focused on the Dark Elf holding the knife in front of them. Zulas saw Raze chase after the elf who had fired the arrow that nearly hit him, but turned his attention back to the closer elf. He noticed that the elf started to move towards Raze and charge after him. "It's a bit disrespectful to avoid the person in front of you." - Zulas said as he stepped in front of the elf. 

The swordsman gripped his sword tight and jumped towards the elf, who he caught of guard. The sword moved quickly as it applied the sword arts with three quick hits at the enemy's torso. The blue light that followed the attack was seen, but there was something else that came out of the sword.

 ID# 68914 results:

 Battle: 5 (Miss)

 Craft: 7

 Loot: 1

 MOB: 4 (Miss)

Zulas swung his sword using his sword art to attack the enemy. It was rather to attract the attention of his enemy more than simply attacking him. The dark elf got startled by the adventurer's sudden appearance in front of him which made him delay just a second. Zulas stepped away just in time to dodge the attack but kept his sword ready. He gave a slight smile knowing that he had accomplished what he set out to do.

Zulas: HP 80/80; Energy 5/8

Dark Elf Fighter: HP 12/12 DMG 9

Zulas heard his companion yell his name, but didn't react quite in time. He sidestepped just in time for Raze to pummel into the figure that appeared behind him. When he turned around to look at the creature that managed to sneak up behind him: it was a Dark Elf. Zulas knew that they lived in this forest, but he had never seen one in person before. He possessed the same racial features as the ones in Delilah Village, but this one had a bit of a darker skin tone. His skin did not had a sort of glow that the other ones back in town possessed. 

Zulas listened to the strategy that his companion was saying. It seems like he has gone through a few more battles since last time, Zulas thought as he dropped his hand to where his weapon was. It was going to be the first time that he had used it in battle so he hoped that it would not let him down. He drew the sword from its black scabbard in one swing and blue light sparkled around it. It had a few more crosses engraved into the steel of the sword, and once it was out a flash of light enveloped Zulas for a split second. He felt his chest tighten a bit and a sharp pain on the left part of his chest. He knew what happened, but didn't have time to ponder on it as the battle was going to begin against this new enemy. 

"Ok." - Zulas agreed to Raze's statement. He saw that the dark elf's attention was on Raze this whole time, which gave him the opportunity to move a bit closer to try and flank the elf. It was weird to Zulas that the elf hadn't responded to his movements, but he paid no mind to it. Then, as soon as he was close to the elf, he felt something come close to him and he ducked. An arrow flew above him where his head had been, but he managed to dodge it at the last second. "Ah, now I see why." - he murmured.

"Raze, be aware that there is another one in the trees... and it has a bow and arrows." - he told his companion while keeping an eye towards the direction that the arrow had come from.

The young girl walked angrily towards Zulas but all he could do was smile. This seemed to infuriate the girl more, "What are you laughing at?" - she said with a scowl on her face.

"You remind of someone." - he blurted out without thinking about it.

After he said that, the girl stopped for a second and faced him with a confused expression over her face. "Who?" - she demanded to Zulas. 

Before he could answer, a voice called out in their direction. "Hey! Noko-chan! Food's ready!" - the voice yelled towards them. They looked where the voice came from and found that a middle aged man wearing farmer clothes was the one that called to her. The man walked across the farm's field from the direction of the house towards them, he had a smile plastered across his face. It took him a couple of seconds before he reached the pair just outside the fence, but he stopped before venturing over the fence. "Ah, Noko-chan. You found a friend?" - he said innocently.

"Of course not, father." - the girl told the man. A furious look was directed at her father from the little girl. She then pointed towards Zulas, "I caught him stealing from our farm. We should do something." 

"Now, now girl, you know that adventurers mean us no harm." - he smiled towards Zulas now. "Besides, where he's standing now, it's not part of our property."

She kept looking at her father, "Of course it is!" - she said pointing towards the fence and the road. 

Zulas coughed to interrupt their argument and looked at the farmer. "Look sir, I don't want any trouble. I'll give it back if it's indeed yours." He then put the material he had found on the ground and started to walk away. "I'm sorry I upset you. I'll leave now." - he said to the girl and walked away.

Zulas followed the map, just as Raze did and also landed in front of the forest. "So this is the 'Forest of Wavering Mist'?" - he asked to himself.

"Yes, I'm ready." - Zulas said with a nod. "But first I need to do something."

He then proceeded to pull up the menu and find his inventory. His fingers touched the necessary buttons until he was satisfied with what he selected. After a second the sword he had in its scabbard on his side disappeared. In its place a dark scabbard appeared, and the hilt of another sword could be seen in it. The hilt was black and bared a cross edged into it. Maybe a cross was appropriate, he thought as a somber smile spread across his face.

After he finished, he closed his inventory and then proceeded to walk up to Raze. As the pair now ventured into the forest, it was eerily quiet in the middle of the day. That was another thing that Zulas noticed, that even though it was during the day, the forest dark as night. There were only a couple of holes in the leaves of the trees which let light in. He knew that it was possible that there were more than elves inside of this forest, reason for why he proceeded with caution. 

"Hey, Raze." - he whispered to his party companion. "Don't you think that it's too quiet, right now?"

Zulas opened the door to the 'Blazin Typhoon' once more. The messaged he had received popped up in his window about 30 minutes before. The message said that it was ready for pick-up so he went to the store to do just that. The bell chimed again, but he continued on this time not bothering to look back at the bell. He had been waiting for his new weapon to be made and he knew that he wasn't going to be disappointed. He strode all the way to the store counter, eyeing  all the pieces of armor and weapons stacked against the wall. After arriving at the counter he noticed that there wasn't anything there but could hear the hammering of steel coming from the back of the store. At least somebody is in, but I don't feel comfortable yelling. That's when Zulas noticed the bell on the counter a few feet away from where he was. He walked over to it and rang it, hoping that the player in the back would hear it. He did not feel at ease about having to walk all the way around and yell to the owner. He patiently waited for the store owner to come, but just to make sure he rang the bell one last time.

That's when he noticed that the email he received had something attached to it. He facepalmed himself when he saw that his item was already in the email he had received. 

His eyes filled with when he read the description and knew that it was everything he had asked. Zulas's eyes filled with pride as he contemplated the idea of having his first non-starter weapon. He smiled after a while and decided to walk out of the store next. The chime of the bell left a resounding effect inside of him, he felt proud.

Zulas was taken by surprise about how Raze talked to the NPC. He seemed more confident than usual when he spoke, and when he stopped talking Zulas didn't know what to say. He looked at the NPC who stood there in front of them waiting for a question, a smile plastered across his face. Zulas cleared his throat before he spoke again this time.

"So, Mr. Grimswold, how exactly do we get the materials?" - he asked after waiting a couple of seconds to ask his question. 

The armorsmith hesitated for a second, as if thinking how to answer the questions. After a moment he finally spoke, "Well, the good materials cannot be found simply by searching the forest. No, the Dark Elves are the ones that know where they are. You would have a better chance of obtaining it from them." His expression changed after he said that before continuing, "And I don't think they'll give it to you willingly. It's a rare material that they need in their villages."

Zulas scratched his chin for a second, giving some thought to the information that he just received. In a low tone he whispered to himself, "So basically we would have to defeat them in order to get it. Most likely it's not going to be easy." For a moment he had forgotten that he wasn't alone, so he directed one more question to the armorsmith. "Sir, would you kindly tell us where could we find the dark elves?"

The old craftsman looked up at the ceiling as if thinking for a moment, "Ah! I know where they are." Then he proceeded to pass the information to Zulas. A window popped up in front of the adventurer 'Map to Dark Elves territory', and he accepted the item. "You'll find most of them there. But please... be careful. From the ones that go, few ever return." The old craftsman turned around and walked back to what Zulas assumed was the forge area. Soon after that, hammering could be heard coming from the back room and Zulas guessed that the interaction with the NPC was over. Now that they had the information, it was time to go and gather the materials. 

Zulas looked over to his companion right after the light disappeared leaving them standing in the town that was Delilah Village. His companion looked a little bit uneasy after the warp but didn't say anything. Instead, Zulas looked around the town and noticed how simple it was. It reminded him of all those movies that were based on the middle ages. There were small houses and people dressed with simple clothes walked around town. It was completely different than the Town of Beginnings, which seemed a lot more modern in this fantasy game. 

One interesting thing he did notice was that all the NPCs that walked around were not humans. Zulas looked closely at them and noticed that they were actually elves, not humans. The ears were what gave them away though their clothes were a bit different as well. They had more pronounced clothes, silk thread and some even had flashy colors sown into the them. The adventurer couldn't help but be a bit amazed. So this is what the third floor is like, he thought when he heard his companion's voice.

"Yeah, ahem so...", he looked at his menu and found the map. "Yeah, we have to go this way. The NPC is this way." 

They walked over a couple of minutes and through some short streets until they found the store they were looking for. The store had a big sign on top of the door that read 'Grimswold's Treasures'. Zulas said over his shoulder to his companion, "This is it. We're here. The NPC that provides the quest is in here."

Zulas stepped inside the store and triggered a small bell at the top. Inside, he saw weapons and armors lined up on racks which leaned against the wall. While Zulas looked around the store when he heard a voice, "Hello! How can I help you?"

Zulas did indeed find something that he could use or trade to a craft player, so he put the material in his inventory when he heard a shuffle noise. He turned around and saw a young girl standing there, she was about 12 years old with long dark hair. She was wearing a long dress up to her knees and her eyes were staring at him. Zulas didn't know what to do, or what was going on, so he just stood there and stared back at her. The girl's face looked soft but her hands, as she put them on her hips, were not, they looked like they've been put through a rough time. They seemed to be the hands of something that did manual labor, and her next words confirmed it.

"What are you doing, mister?" - she said with a cold tone in her voice.

"Uh... uhmmm." - Zulas didn't know what to do or how to respond. "What do you mean?" - he managed to say.

The girl looked intently at his face, and it made him step back a bit, "What do you mean, 'what do I mean'? That's not yours." She said pointing to the ground where he had taken the material from.

"Yes, this is mine. It's not yours." - Zulas told the girl. It was weird how this NPC treated her property. Do they have these kind of emotions? What is going here?

The girl saw his confused expression and interjected, "You better give back what's ours. You see over there... " - said the girl as she pointed to the road where a fence started. "From the fence all the way to the back over there that finishes a bit behind you is ours." She pointed this time to Zulas left and he saw a house about 50 yards away. "That's our house and this is our property, so you can't steal stuff from it." - she said with a tone of finality, before she turned towards Zulas with an angry look on her face and started to walk towards him.

Zulas got startled by the big man and his very confident attitude poked him in the back. He turned around with a slight jump and stood there a bit awkward while the supposed store owner talked to him. Zulas didn't know what to say so the blacksmith went away and left him standing around in the store. After a second he started to hear the banging of steel against steel, all in the rhythmic fashion of creating the shields that he said he was going to make. 

After hearing a couple of strikes, he jumped back into action and headed towards the door but before he got out a simple piece of paper and wrote a note: "Hello, sir. I apologize for not saying anything earlier but it was very kind of you to tell me that. I'm not looking for a shield right now, but when I do you'll be there first to know. Thank you and again, I apologize." 

Zulas put the note inside the envelope and left it on top of the counter his name on it. Shortly after, he exited the store with the same bell chime that he had heard when he came in. Weirdly enough, he didn't hear it ring when the store owner or at least, he wasn't paying any attention to it. He shrugged and continued down the street towards his next destination.

"Yeah, that's true, but I believe that we should be fine. If it's anything like last time it should be ok, right?" - Zulas questioned hung in the air for a couple of seconds before he continued. "Hmmm.... Ok, then." - Zulas said curiously, not knowing what to say anyway.

"So the rumor goes that, once we arrive, we'll have to go an armorsmith NPC who'll give us the details to the quest." - he said as he looked at Raze for a couple of seconds, not knowing what to say after that. He shifted a bit uncomfortably on his feet until he gathered himself to shout out the name of the city that they would be traveling to. 

Zulas checked his inventory once again, just to avoid the awkward silence between the two. He then cleared his throat before walking towards the teleport in the Town of Beginnings and said out loud, "Teleport: Delilah Village". The light then enveloped his body taking him towards a place he surely had never been before, if that was something good or bad he didn't know but he was determined to find out, at the very least.

Zulas spent a couple of hours exploring some of the fields to the west of Urbus. At the same time there were different monsters, there were also different plants and vegetation. This meant that it would be possible to be able to gather some materials for anything that he might need to have crafted. He thought about that as he began to try his luck at gathering some materials at the edge of a farm that was close by. He couldn't tell if it was run by NPC or players so he didn't cross over the property. 

It seems silly that I have to take precautions, he thought to himself and chuckled but still searched in an area that had a fence. The fence divided the farm from the edge of the main road that was meant for travelers. Zulas knelt down and began looking for anything that would stand out and distinguish itself for materials that were meant for crafting.

 ID# 68582 results:

 Battle: 2

 Craft: 6

 Loot: 15 (+1 Material)

 MOB: 2