Yukiro

Day 13

Yukiro began the forging process. It took patience to wait for the metal to heat up, but he didn't mind too much. The fires were almost mesmerizing. So much so that he only barely got the items out of the fire in time. Thus, the forging process began. He bashed the burning metal over and over again. It was all quite intense, really. It felt good to pound steel with all his might. It had a sort of meditative property to it. 
Whoops, almost hammered too much. 
Yukiro stepped back, away from the forge and prayed as the form of the metal shifted into that of a weapon. 

- 4 T1 Materials
+ T1 Uncommon 2H Assault Spear
+ T1 Uncommon Rapier
+ 12 Exp

Name: Iron Spear
Your Profession: Blacksmith
Your Rank: 3
Roll ID: 126493
Roll Result: 8
Item Type: 2H Assault Spear
Tier: 1
Quality: Uncommon
Enhancements: Accuracy
Description: A spear made of iron. Surprisingly light.
Post Link:http://www.sao-rpg.com/topic/18240-f01-r3-blacksmith-the-lucky-armament/?do=findComment&comment=583799Name: Iron Spear
Your Profession: Blacksmith
Your Rank: 3
Roll ID: 126496
Roll Result: 10
Item Type: 2H Assault Spear
Tier: 1
Quality: Uncommon
Enhancements: Accuracy
Description: A spear made of iron. Surprisingly light.
Post Link:http://www.sao-rpg.com/topic/18240-f01-r3-blacksmith-the-lucky-armament/?do=findComment&comment=583799

Day 12

Yukiro began the forging process. It took patience to wait for the metal to heat up, but he didn't mind too much. The fires were almost mesmerizing. So much so that he only barely got the items out of the fire in time. Thus, the forging process began. The noise of the hammer on steel was intensely loud, but Yukiro could say he was getting used to it.
That or he was going deaf.
The metal changed from ore to ingot, and from ingot to weapon. Hopefully his crafting would work out as intended.
The yellow, burning-hot steel began to change and elongate. 

- 4 T1 Materials
+ 2 T1 Uncommon 2H Assault Spear
+ 12 Exp

Yukiro decided to begin to pay more attention to his surroundings. Maybe he could figure out what was eating away at his emotions while he fought. 
The zombie took a swipe at Yukiro, but it was too far away to pose even the slightest of threats. Yukiro glanced around. Nobody seemed to be in a particularly bad situation. Nobody he could see was in mortal danger, as far as he could tell. There were zombies everywhere, but there had been since before he'd gotten there.
What had changed?
He took a half focused swing at the zombie. The heavy sword sliced through its head, in one side and out the other. It didn't even flinch. This one was, as he'd predicted, quite the problem child. Taking a few steps back as his sword swung around him Yukiro tried to refocus his thoughts on the fight at hand. Though he couldn't quite shake the feeling that something bad was happening.

Yukiro began to tilt back. His sword, which he had balanced on his shoulder, was not light enough nor was it built in such a way that it could be balanced on a shoulder. He stumbled and fell away from the zombie. 
This seemed to keep happening. 
Why was he forgetting that he was holding a mammoth of a sword so easily?
Nobody ever found out.
The zombie did not care why Yukiro was so forgetful when it came to the weight of the object in his hand. The zombie just wanted one thing; it wanted to scratch the one with the sword. It charged forward in it's most speedy lumber and managed to scratch Yukiro just above the knee before getting reflex-kicked in the jaw. 

Yukiro was beginning to think that this bad feeling was a warning of some sort. What was happening that he needed to be aware of? And what was it that was so important that his very instincts had picked up on it as an important topic?
What was happening?

Yukiro was upset. Angry. What was this feeling for? Was his emotional self just breaking down? No, he'd eaten well before he came. Was he tired? No, he'd slept pretty well, albeit in a small smithy in the corner of town. So it must have some reason for being there. 
But what exactly is it!?
In pure frustration, Yukiro made a downward cleave with his sword. He hadn't bothered to aim, and his sword hit the ground with force. The reverb went up the blade and into the hilt of the sword before redirecting itself up Yukiro's arms and into his very core. Everything felt like it was vibrating.
While Yukiro was partially stunned the zombie stumbled forward, reaching Yukiro before he'd fully recovered. The undead's claws raked Yukiro's side, leaving long red streaks along Yukiro's body. Yukiro reacted by moving away from the zombie as fast as he could, nearly tripping in the process. He turned to face the odd being and readied himself, lifting his hefty sword and balancing it on his shoulder.

Yukiro was starting to feel more and more on edge. He couldn't figure out why. There was nothing particularly dangerous or unsettling about this specific fight. His previous fight had been offsetting, but it wouldn't be lingering on his mind this much. 
What was he forgetting? What was going wrong?
The zombie moved to make an attack. Yukiro lightly moved away from the walking dead man, not wanting to be overly bothered while he thought. 
There's something that I needed to take care of... What am I forgetting? Is there someone in danger? No, I don't know anybody here. What is it?
Making a frustrated upward slash, Yukiro wanted to let out a cry of frustration. He contained it, as was his nature, but something was bothering him and he wanted to know what it was. 
The zombie was fairly close. Perhaps fighting would help him remember. His instincts were telling him to go and find something. 
But what?

Yukiro took a deep breath in. He had a feeling this one would be particularly hardy. Which was a major annoyance to Yukiro. He took a big step back as he heaved his sword over his shoulder and into the zombie's collarbone. The heavy blade cleaved down into the zombie's body and traveled all the way through. The zombie stumbled back and fell over from the force. 
Despite the overly dramatic reaction to the hit, the walking corpse's health bar barely budged. Yukiro was only just beginning to be able to see some health missing. What a massive pain this one was. What a problem child.
Yukiro dragged his sword back and away from the undead. He could only pray that some things would go right and help him defeat this annoyance. 
A slight bad feeling began to tug at his mind. He ignored it. It was probably just leftover nerves from his previous fight. 

Yukiro started to edge away from the cramped space, leading the zombie and the fight out of the cluster of fighting players. He dragged the sword, making sparks jump off of the ground around the blade. 
Further, further, just a little more. He needed a big open space where he could fight with no need to worry about other parties. Finally, after nearly two minutes of leading the zombie away from the horde of players, Yukiro was in a big enough space to swing his sword and, therefore, fight. 
He strained to lift his sword so that the tip of the sword pointed at the zombie's chest. Once it did Yukiro stepped forward and pushed his blade into the chest of the oncoming foe. The zombie hardly seemed to feel it, and it's HP bar barely reduced at all. 
And it was still coming forward. 
Yukiro's sword was stuck.
He had to think of something or he'd be unable to attack.

Yukiro began to scan the area for a new target. He spotted a zombie a little ways off, lurching in some random direction. Dragging hos sword behind him Yukiro made his way towards the new prey. Once he got within five meters of the zombie he noticed that there were several parties of players fighting nearby. He'd have to be careful not to hit any of them. He'd also have to be careful not to get hit. Both were very possible.
He'd just have to keep his distance.
Yukiro decided to start his swing early enough that it wouldn't run the risk of colliding with another player. Of course, since his attack became rushed, he ended up missing his target badly. Yukiro made sure to lean backward so the sword didn't simply fly into a player. The zombie tried to swipe at him but missed because of Yukiro's relatively sudden stop. 
This was a nightmare situation. A big, clumsy sword and a tight, risky space.

Yukiro was starting to feel the repetition of these combat sessions getting to him. Figuring that there was no harm in trying, he decided to use a technique he hadn't used in a while. 
The zombie lurched closer and closer to him. Yukiro waited for it to get well within striking distance. Then, when the zombie had stumbled close enough for it to reach Yukiro, Yukiro dropped into a crouch. He twisted sideways and kicked upwards, striking the undead's chin. With that blow said and done, Yukiro gripped his sword and brought it around his body in a wide, sweeping attack the sliced just above the zombie's hips. The monster's health dropped down until there was barely anything left in it. 
Then a small red icon appeared by the zombie's health bar. And the last of it's HP drained away.
With yet another zombie down, Yukiro headed off in search of another opponent.

Yukiro had a little time to wait before the walking corpse in front of him was within reach of his sword. He used the time to simply breath, not bothering to think. Nothing to really think about. All that had to happen was for him to swing his sword and parry a blow with his vambraces. 
Simple.
The zombie finally got within range of his sword. Yukiro lifted it behind him, leaning forward heavily to counteract the balance of his large weapon. He felt like Micheal Jackson performing the lean. Putting one foot on the ground ahead of him and leaning even further forwards, Yukiro raised his sword and brought over his head in a downward, sweeping strike. The zombie stumbled to one side, causing Yukiro's blow to miss. 
When the undead lashed out at Yukiro, however, he managed to block the attack with his right bracer. Thorns worked their magic, and the zombie's health dropped again.

If Yukiro was going to drink any healing Spider Cider, he was going to need some distance between him and his lumbering foe. He used the momentum of his heavy sword to retreat a fair distance, letting it pull him along. Once he realized his sword was beginning to slow down he devised a way to make it drag him further along. He twisted and spun around, bringing the sword around into a downward swing away from the zombie, which helped pull him even further from the lumbering zombie. 
He only had a little time. He opened his inventory and from it summoned one of his Spider Cider. He opened it and downed the bottle in one go of it. 
Yukiro imagined that he looked vaguely like he was in a soda commercial.
Once he finished Yukiro tossed the empty can aside. It shattered moments after hitting the floor. His HP bar began to rapidly fill up until it was completely full.

The sword's swing did not stop. It pulled Yukiro towards the zombie, which was now very aware of his being there. The walking dead's limbs, more specifically, its arms, flailed a bit, swiping Yukiro's forearm. The zombie gave what sounded like a nearly silent shrill cry. Its health was dropping very fast, faster than bleed alone would have been doing. 
Thorns and bleeding must both be active. That is very good. If this keeps up, I can complete this event even faster than I'd hoped. 
Yukiro went past the zombie with a fair amount of speed. He needed to take more damage. If he could manage enough, he could restore a ton all at once using the Spider Cider. That would be very good, as he needed to restore a lot anyway. And he needed to use some consumables, so using the Spider Cider to recover was even more preferable. 
Things just might work out in Yukiro's favor this time around. 

Yukiro glanced around, looking for a new target. Another zombie was wandering a little ways off. That would be his new target.
He tried to lift his sword while he moved towards his chosen adversary but found himself tipping back, so he decided that he would just drag it along again. As he got closer to the zombie he noticed that he was also getting closer to the exit for the tent. It probably wasn't an important detail, but it was certainly a distinguishing landmark that gave him more of a bearing on his position.
As Yukiro arrived at the place where he'd fight the new zombie he used his new technique; he sped up, then stopped. The heavy sword's momentum didn't stop, which made it start swinging for an attack by itself. 
Science!
Yukiro cleaved through the zombie before it even had a chance to react to his approach. A small icon appeared next to the zombie's health bar.

Yukiro took a moment to balance himself with his sword. It was a difficult but necessary task. On second thought, maybe he could try something new. Yukiro dragged the blade along e the ground as he ran towards the zombie. As he got close he saw the zombie's health bar dropping due to the effects of bleed. Using all his strength, Yukiro brought his sword from the ground, using the ground as a sheath to increase his sword's speed, and raised it in a vertical, arcing stroke that cleaved its way straight through the zombie. This zombie also let out some gurgling noises, along with some backward stumbling, before glowing for a moment and finally shattering. The pieces dissipated after a moment, leaving nothing where the zombie once stood and fought.
No time to rest. He needed more kills, needed to take more damage. No breaks yet. On to the next walking corpse. 

Yukiro fully turned around to face the walking corpse. The zombie moaned a bit as it stumbled towards him. Yukiro sighed and prepared for another swing with the heavy sword. He raised it above his head carefully and let the sharp edge drop down onto the zombies head, which cleaved straight through his undead adversary. Yukiro watched the zombie's health drain down. The bleed icon blinked once and then remained in place. Excellent, the bleed has refreshed. Things are starting to move forward again. Yukiro was once again forced to follow the path of his sword, but this time managed to evade the zombie's hand as it whipped through the air towards him. 
Wait. No, don't dodge! I need to take damage so I can heal! It's my only shot at beating this thing!
By thing, he was referring to the Bingo Book. He had to admit, while he was ashamed to be seeking a reward for his work, he was more than enticed by the thought of the possible rewards. 

Yukiro dragged his over-sized sword behind him. It was irritating but very useful. Spotting a nearby zombie Yukiro altered his course to intersect with his chosen target.
He sped up as he approached, stopping at he swung the large sword around his body. The sudden stop made it so that swinging the sword wouldn't drag him away from the zombie. His sword struck true, cleaving into and through his foe. The swords momentum dragged him forwards, an increasingly familiar feeling, and nearly made him run into the walking corpse. Twisting his body as he was propelled forward he managed to miss colliding with the zombie. 
The zombie speared Yukiro's shoulder with its hand. Its claws raked across his body. Yukiro was surprised at how much damage the simple scratch had caused. That coat really was incredible. 
When Yukiro eventually was able to stop and regain his balance. He turned and glanced at the zombie's health. It had taken massive damage, and bleeding had activated. Perfect. Things were going more smoothly. 

Yukiro was free of battle for the moment. That gave him at least some time to run some numbers through his head.
He wasn't taking enough damage. He'd need to remove his Nightmare Overcoat to let the zombies deal enough damage to let him heal his HP. It did run a risk or taking to much damage, but he was willing to take the risk, at least for a little while. 
Let's see... Equipment... Select the armor... unequip...
As he pressed the unequip icon his Nightmare Overcoat disappeared into his inventory. It was a little chilly without it. It must be getting dark outside. He hadn't noticed. The tent had lighting, so his vision wasn't affected too much. 
He spun his arms around a few times, trying to loosen them up before engaging his next foe. It didn't help an astronomical amount, but it was enough. Picking up his sword, Yukiro approached his next enemy. 
The fight was just getting started.

Yukiro made a clumsy final swing at the zombie as it slowly lumbered toward him. His sword went more downward than it did horizontal, causing a complete miss that was actually fairly embarrassing.
The zombie's health was drained regardless, as bleed's effects were acting at their fullness. The color of the zombie's health turned red, then slowly shrunk until it dissipated entirely. The zombie moaned made a stumbling motion before glowing briefly and shattering. The fight was won. 
Yukiro glanced around. The number of zombies didn't seem to be decreasing. Which made sense. If there was expected to be a large number of players here the monster spawn rate would be made high enough to accommodate everyone. That was simply how it worked. Or at least, Yukiro assumed so.
He glanced at what he'd achieved so far. Not much to speak of yet. That's unfortunate. But it simply meant he'd just have to keep going. He was determined to at least leave a small mark on the event.

Finally, Yukiro decided it was about time to simply go for the kill, trying to ignore the tingling sensation in his throat. Tossing away his thoughts of strategy and planning he braced himself to swing around the heavy sword he held. The zombie lumbered forward, slashing at him with it's arms. Yukiro swung his sword, using the weighty force it provided to hop away from the zombie. The sword careened around Yukiro and cleaved into the zombie's body. 
In one side, out the other. 
Such a satisfying feeling.
As the blade continued it forced Yukiro back towards the zombie, which scratched his shoulder. 
Not a very satisfying feeling.
Yukiro quickly continued past the zombie, dragging the blade along with him. It was a struggle to move the heavy weapon with him, even dragging it. After he figured he had a decent amount of ground, Yukiro made a halting stop and sharply spun around. The zombie was already careening towards him. 
It was not a very fast careen. 

Name: Rhongomiant
Your Profession: Blacksmith
Your Rank: 2
Roll ID: 126314
Roll Result: 12
Item Type: 1H Assault Spear
Tier: 1
Quality: Perfect
Enhancements: Damage x1 | Accuracy x1 | Bleed x1
Description: Made in the likeness of King Arthur's own spear, it wields a noble aura and great power in the right hands.
Post Link: http://www.sao-rpg.com/topic/18240-f01-r1-blacksmith-the-lucky-armament/?do=findComment&comment=583728

Day 11

Yukiro began the forging process. It took patience to wait for the metal to heat up, but he didn't mind too much. The fires were almost mesmerizing. So much so that he only barely got the items out of the fire in time. Thus, the forging process began. Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! The sound reverberated in the shop, making Yukiro's ears hurt a bit. The ore slowly began to change shape, getting longer and longer, thinner and thinner. Hopefully, he wouldn't mess these ones up. Finally, the final hammer blow was struck. The ore glowed and elongated into the shape of a spear. 

- 3 T1 Materials
+ 15 Exp
+ Perfect T1 1H Assault Spear

If I keep getting hit, I can restore more health, but I run the risk of getting hurt. No, maybe not. I should run the numbers through my head to make sure.
Also, if I don't use these items I won't achieve be able to get that thing... 
Yukiro was thinking strategy and running numbers in his head as he fought the flailing corpse. Recalling the rewards, there was a certain thing he wanted, but it would be very hard to attain it... But there was no choice. He'd have to go for it if he wanted to succeed. Or at least he'd go down swinging. 
I'll need to fight a lot, if not kill many of these things. I don't know how this will go down. 
He narrowly dodged one of the zombie's swiped, leaning back on his sword to evade the blow. He took a swipe, which pulled him backward while he swung it, but he also missed his target. 

Yukiro backed away slowly. He hadn't completely managed to stop himself from feeling fear. But he at least had a will to fight. 
He took one large step forward and leaned forward to balance the sword before swinging the long, hefty weapon up and around his body. It cleaved into the side of the zombie, but rather than going completely through the blade stopped partway into the zombie's torso. The zombie was knocked over by the force of the blow, rendering it unable to even attempt to strike Yukiro.
The hit was unsatisfactory. Yukiro felt a certain displeasure at the thought and feeling of his weapon being unable to completely cut through it's target. It wasn't the sword's fault though. The failure was on him. His fighting spirit had been dulled. 
That would have to change. And it would have to change immediately. Combat was Yukiro's one remaining source of pride. And it would not be taken from him. 
Yukiro lifted his sword to make ready for whatever would happen next.