(SP-F1) <<Earning a Living>> (Part 2) COMPLETE

[Ayumu 0]

As she stepped out into the rain again, Ayumu gave a satisfied sigh. She hadn't expected today to turn out the way it did. All she had intended to do was find floor one's Blacksmith, start the <<Earning a Living Quest>>, and do what she needed to become a Blacksmith in this virtual world. Instead, she had ran into one of Aincrad's toughest players, and got twice the mat she needed for the quest. Not bad! While she didn't have a coat this time for the rain, as she stepped out of the cave, Ayumu didn't mind. She was too excited to get back to the Town of Beginnings to care if she got soaked or not. It didn't take long for her to arrive at the NPC's shop again, and she ventured into the back room, ready to craft. Again, it seemed empty, but she entered with confidence, knowing the NPC would eventually appear.

Edited December 23, 2015 by Ayumu

[Ayumu 0]

While she waited for the Blacksmith to come back, Ayumu decided to look around a little. It was a homey work area, small but efficient. There were a bunch of tools lining the walls, and a large hammer rested on the anvil. A rather zealous fire was blazing, both for warmth and for work. Despite the fact that the owner of the shop was just an NPC, his was programmed to be quite good at his craft. Both in the shop area, and in the back room were beautiful, yet basic weapons. Since it was an NPC owned shop on floor one, they didn't have the best stats, but the weapons appeared to be durable, and the handiwork and design were appealing. She hoped she could make things like that, only much better equipped for battle, and not so basic.

[Ayumu 0]

"So, I see you're back, huh? Were you able to get the amount of material needed?" Someone behind her asked, putting their hand on her shoulder. She flinched a little, but she had been expecting this, so it didn't catch her too badly off guard. Turning around, she faced the Blacksmith NPC she needed to see to finish the quest.

"Yup," she nodded, "so I guess I'm here to craft then?"

"That you are. Here:" he waved her over to the anvil and tools, "take the materials out of your inventory, and let's get started. We'll practice making a few things."

Ayumu didn't hesitate, and taking out four of her eight material in her inventory, approached the NPC's work area. Even though this was all virtual, and probably wouldn't teach her any actual real world skills, she couldn't help but be a little excited.

Edited November 28, 2015 by Ayumu

[Ayumu 0]

The NPC showed her all of the tools, explaining how each one was used. Then, taking one of his materials from where he kept them in the shop, demonstrated the crafting process.

Taking his large hammer, he brought into down upon the mat with a heavy swing. The item glowed, and formed into a nice looking dagger. With a pleased smile, he set it off to the side.

"There. Now you try." He turned to Ayumu, "use two of those materials to practice crafting."

"Um...so...it's just that easy?" She lifted an eyebrow.

"Its not easy, no...but basic crafting doesn't take much more than that. That doesn't mean you'll be able to create perfect items all the time. Even if you do everything right, you still may not make a good item," walking out, "I'll be in the shop if you need me." The NPC left. She sighed a little, wishing he could've been a little more helpful. Oh well.

Edited November 28, 2015 by Ayumu

[Ayumu 0]

Hesitantly, she went over to the anvil. Sharply exhaling, Ayumu mentally went over everything he had demonstrated. She winced a bit with nervousness as she took a mat to possibly craft into something usable. Ayumu took a deep breath, and then grabbed the hammmer...

ID# 40489

CD: 12 (I'M NOT CHEATING I SWEAR!)

...and brought it down with a decisive strike. It made a sound like pounding out something metallic. She cringed as the item started taking it's shape. As the light faded away, her eyes almost popped out of her head. She had made a straight sword...and it looked incredible. While she was unsure of how she did exactly, the weapon certainly didn't look bad. Funny enough, even though she didn't form an image in her head of what she ideally wanted to make, the crafting seemed to have pulled what she was hoping to create from her subconscious. Using gloves, she picked the item up.

Edited December 24, 2015 by Ayumu

[Ayumu 0]

A small screen appeared before her, allowing her to name the weapon and select some stats for it. To her immense surprise, it showed the item's quality as "Perfect." With a giddy smile, she used one of her hands, the other still holding the sword, and filled out all of the information for the item. Putting it in her inventory, she decided to take another one of her mats and craft a second item. Besides, as a beginner, she could craft twice a day. So why not? Maybe she could sell it in her shop, if it turned out good.

ID# 40539

CD: 9

The hammer met the anvil again, and another item was produced. This time, she had an exact idea of what she had wanted to craft, and it was pretty close. It didn't look quite as spectacular as the sword she previously made, but it still seemed good. The weapon was a dagger, with a sleek design, but from it's appearance probably couldn't have any enhancements applied to it. Grabbing it, she saw she was right in this assumption. It was only a "Good" item, but good was better than nothing. She named this weapon as well, and put it in her inventory with the sword.

 

Edited December 24, 2015 by Ayumu

[Ayumu 0]

Putting all the tools back where they were, she exited the back room. As she walked out into the shop area, the Blacksmith NPC approached her with a smile.

"So, I see you've finished crafting - two items at that. Congratulations, you've learned all I have to teach you. You should be able to start a Blacksmith shop of your own now." He nodded, after he said this, a screen popped up notifying her that she finished the quest. Finally - a Beginner Blacksmith. Now to figure out where to set up her shop...

"Thanks for your help," she smiled, "I guess I'll be on my way then. I should probably collect some more materials." Saying goodbye to the NPC, she left the shop, and soon left the Town of Beginnings. The rain had stopped, so she began searching for some mat in the open fields.

ID# 40547

LD: 10

Unfortunately, she was having a hard time, finding nothing suitable for crafting.

Edited November 29, 2015 by Ayumu

[Ayumu 0]

As she walked along, Ayumu thought long and hard about where she wanted to place her shop. There were a lot of options. Floor six would be nice, or perhaps even eight or nine. She wasn't sure yet. All she knew is that she needed more than six mat to start off a Blacksmith shop. Hopefully, she would be able to get some more today. 

ID: #40548

LD: 7

Again, as she continued to search, she didn't find anything useful. Oh well...it seemed luck wasn't on her side today with loot. Now crafting was another story. Opening her menu, she took Hellfire out of her inventory. Holding it sent a small shiver down her spine...a weapon like this belonged in the hands of a higher level player than herself. Perhaps she would sell this...or keep it, she hadn't decided yet. Swinging the sword at the air, it made a satisfying whooshing sound. Feeling a small hint of pride, Ayumu smiled to herself, putting the item back in her inventory. She continued walking, still looking for mat.

Edited November 29, 2015 by Ayumu

[Ayumu 0]

Looking ahead, she noticed a boar or two just roaming the fields. Smiling to herself, she decided to try and get some loot through other methods. Besides, even if she did end up selling this sword, there wasn't any harm in just trying it out once...right? Trying to think of a good excuse for this, Ayumu advanced towards the boar. Being at only level two, she hoped that she could take this on by herself. Deciding to take the plunge, she took the sword and activated Snake Bite

ID: #40595

BD: 9 (8+1)

Charging towards the creature, she successfully delivered a strong attack. It snorted in surprise, it's health dropping halfway. Then, angrily, the boar decided to respond with an attack of it's own.

BD: 8

Ramming it's horns into her stomach, Ayumu was sent flying back a couple of feet, her health dipping as well. She didn't really care though, giddy that something she made worked so well. Jumping to her feet, she anticipated her next turn.

Ayumu: 5/8, EN: 0/2

Boar: 4/8 (sword art + 1 + 1) BLEED.

(She was only at level two when I began this quest, so that's what I'm having her stats at for this thread. ^^)

Edited November 30, 2015 by Ayumu

[Ayumu 0]

Ayumu was going to attack again, but decided to step back, taking a short break. Taking a water out of her inventory, she guzzled it down. With a content sigh, she checked over all of her stats and inventory, just to make sure that it was all in order. Once she got some more SP, Ayumu planned on making some serious upgrades. Right now, she had nothing - nothing but the raw, basic stats. She hadn't spent some of her points to increase her weapon rank, or gotten a skill like Athletics, or something else of that nature. At some point, she would need to, and that point was coming very soon. Maybe once she got to level three...or four. She had the points to spend now, but she was considering waiting and getting something worth ten points. What to do...She couldn't decide.

Musing over all of this, Ayumu made sure to keep an eye on the boar. While it probably wouldn't attack again until she did, there was nothing unhealthy about caution. Licking her lips and taking a deep breath, she prepared herself to take another swing at the thing.

ID: #40721

BD: 3 (2+1)

Even though she had rested up, Ayumu failed miserably, missing entirely. Huffing with a frown, she braced herself for the boar's attack, but that never happened. It would seemed the weapon's Bleed stat had inflicted just that into the creature, and as the other half of it's health drained, it died. 

LD: 13

Sadly, the darned thing didn't drop any mat. It did, however drop an item of good quality, which she picked up and put in her inventory. 

Edited November 30, 2015 by Ayumu
Forgot about bleed XD

[Ayumu 0]

With a shrug, she decided not to attack the other boar, going back to searching for mat by just simply looking around for it. She put Hellfire back into her inventory, quite pleased with it, but hoping not to use it again today. Ayumu was even more tempted now to keep the weapon, and in all honesty, that's what she would probably do. Most customers would probably want to order something customized to their choice anyways.

ID: #40725

LD: 18

It would seem that she finally got lucky and found something! Something that looked like an item or some mat was clearly just laying in a grassy spot, so she quickly went over to it. Sure enough, it was some usable mat, which she happily put in her inventory.

[Ayumu 0]

Ayumu's mind began to drift into thought as she wandered around rather aimlessly. Her thoughts focused on their usual topic: the real world on the other side, and what she had left behind. Just what was going on right now with her loved ones? What would it be like when she finally escaped this place, going back into reality after so long? How would she rebuild everything she had worked for? Frowning sadly, she realised that one of the biggest archery tournaments of the year...the one that had motivated her to try to break free of this place in a month...was just in a few weeks. It didn't take her very long to realize how ridiculous the thought of beating SAO in just one month was. It had pretty much been two years, and the strongest players were still trapped in this either virtual paradise, or virtual hell-hole. It all depended on how one looked at it. The fact that all of the endless training she put into her sport had begun to diminish in worth. Who knows how long it would take her now to make USA's World team, much less the chosen few for the Olympics. If she was lucky, Ayumu would be stuck at the collegiate level...if she was lucky. She couldn't predict just how long it would take her to finish this game. It could be many more years before she finally awoke on the other side. This depressing thought almost made her want to give up, to not even try...but she couldn't do that. No, that wouldn't do. That was too easy, and she would be a coward to take the easy way out. Ayumu wasn't going ride on the success of the player who finally beat the final boss. She was going one of the first to reach that success, and make it her own.

ID: #40729

LD: 13

Her toe kicked at something, but when she looked down, she was it was only an ugly rock. Sighing, the red head continued on.

Edited December 14, 2015 by Ayumu

[Ayumu 0]

Surprisingly, the field was full of spawned beasts today. There were boars, wolves, and the like simply everywhere. She hadn't wanted to engage in more combat...but maybe she would anyways. If she could stay alive, it would be worth it for the loot. Shrugging with a "what the heck" kind of air, she took her new sword out again, deciding to whack another boar around.

ID# 40751

BD: 10 (9+1)

Activating, Snake Bite she again made a good, strong attack. With a squeal, the boar leaped at her...

MD: 4

...and missed, thankfully. Ayumu gave a thankful sigh, since taking more damage would've left her quite weak and vulnerable. Also, it would seem that the Bleed factor had come into play, as the boar's open wound was leaking little pixels.

 

Ayumu: 5/8, EN: 0/2

Boar: 3/8 (sword art + 1 + 2) BLEED.

[Ayumu 0]

With only enough energy to use something like Slant, she used just that for her next attack.

ID# 40752

BD: 7 (6+1)

She was successful again, and while it wasn't a critical hit like the first, it did kill the monster. With an eager grin, she waited for something to be dropped...

LD: 6

But nothing was. And that sucked. Oh well. Huffing with a small frown, she once again continued her painful journey for mat and loot.

Who knew this could be so monotonous? She thought. Will I always be this unlucky while hunting for mat? That wouldn't be good, since I am planning on opening my shop as soon as possible. I don't think seven mat is enough to start with...I need to find as much as I possibly can today. Having enough materials would contribute to running a successful smithy. 

Keeping her eyes peeled, she resumed ssearching for something of value.

[Ayumu 0]

This was starting to get pretty boring. So far, after all of this work, she had only collected one material. If only she had something else to do...something to keep her busy that was actually productive. Finding a large tree that provided some nice shade, she sat under it, leaning against the large trunk. With a sigh, she closed her eyes, soaking up the very rare moment of rest. Memories from home played in her head like an old film roll: a little bit dusty from being kept in the attic so long, and perhaps a bit choppy in places where the film was damaged. Ayumu had just been pushing ahead as of late, keeping busy to keep her mind off of the reality of the situation. Feeling sick, now that she had finally taken a minute to slow down, it hit her like a ton of bricks. She felt something stinging in the corner of her eyes, and with an annoyed growl, got up and kept moving. Slowing down was not an option...at least, not if it was like this.

[Ayumu 0]

What was there to do now? Not much. Going back to some of her previous musings, she mentally went over again all of the floors she could open her shop. Despite it being so hot, maybe floor nine? That seemed like an iconic place for a blacksmith shop. She certainly wanted to visit the floor first, and find a good place to put the smithy, if anywhere. 

Not watching where she was going, Ayumu tripped and fell over a unusually large stone. Falling flat on her face with a groan, she lifted her head to get a good look at the rock. To her surprise, it began to shake a little, and soon revealed what it really was. Instead of being just a stone, it was actually a small golem, not higher than a large dog. It must have been curled up and asleep, for it didn't look too happy about being disturbed. With a sigh, Ayumu unwillingly was thrown into yet another little combat scene. 

ID: #41905

BD: 8 (7+1)

She effortlessly landed a successful hit, bringing the golem's health about halfway down. Stating at the creature defiantly, waited for it's attack.

MD: 3

It gave a mighty punch...with a little too much force, causing it to fall over. Ayumu chuckled a little, taking amusement in the sight.

Ayumu: 5/8, EN: 0/2

Mini Golem: 5/8

Edited December 14, 2015 by Ayumu

[Ayumu 0]

Happy with her current success, she readied her next attack with confidence. Even though she was a low level noob, maybe she had a better chance at surviving this game than she thought. That was a comforting thought.

ID: #42007

BD: 8 (7+1)

Using the Uppercut Sword Art, delivered a strong, upwards strike to the creature. It cried out, stumbling back a little. Ayumu thought it was interesting that a creature made from rocks could still take damage from a sword. It didn't make much sense, but it didn't have to - she was able to fight it, and that's all that mattered.

MD: 5

Throwing itself at her, the golem again missed. She was thankful that she hadn't taken much damage, besides battling three monsters that day. As she took a few steps back, something caught her eye.

LD: 18 (lol is it even possible to find mat during combat? I'm getting desperate here. Was elated to actually have a good roll on my LD)

It didn't look like just some earthy thing in the grass..it had an odd shine to it. Picking the object up, she was pleasantly surprised to find it was more material! Ayumu contentedly took it, pleased to have at least found two mat during this escapade. 

Ayumu: 5/8, 0/2

Mini Golem: 3/8

Edited December 14, 2015 by Ayumu

[Ayumu 0]

Deciding to step back in order to renew some of her energy, Ayumu eyed the little golem curiously. An odd thought popped into her head: what would it be like if there were creatures like this in real life? Chuckling to herself a little as she thought about this, she could clearly picture what it might be like. Most people would be terrified, to put it simply. It would only be the normal reaction to a living creature of stone, a dragon, or any mythological creature. They were all fun and games in stories, but in a setting like this, pitted against one another in an actual life or death battle, it was different. Fun times were not to be had.

Shaking this out of her head, she went back to focusing on what was at hand. Deciding her strategy, she figured she could use Snake Bite on her next attack, since some energy was being renewed during this current moment of rest. The golem looked rather impatient, causing  her to smirk.

"I'm getting to you little guy," she lifted her sword, "just taking a breather, that's all." 

[Ayumu 0]

Feeling a bit more refreshed, Ayumu activated Snake Bite, and went in for the kill.

ID# 42009

BD: 10 (9+1)

With vigor, she finished off the little fight strong, and the golem's remaining health quickly leaked. As it burst into little particles, she proudly put away her sword, waiting for the loot drop (if any).

LD: 15

A good quality item was dropped, and with a shrug, she picked it up. At least it was something. 

It was starting to get late, since the virtual sun was beginning to set. Feeling slightly tired, Ayumu decided to head back to the Town of Beginnings. She would get a room at one of the Inns, and crash there for the night. With a quick pace, she made her way towards that direction, leaving the vast fields of floor one. It didn't take her long to arrive at the town, which was rather busy. That wasn't exactly an odd thing, as there was as much night-life here as activity during the day. Squeezing through the crowd of people uncomfortably, Ayumu continued making her way to an Inn. Up ahead, she spotted a rather familar looking sign of a rearing horse, and above the horse figure the name of the Inn. She was unsure of where she had seen something like that before, but shrugged, and headed towards it.

(Cookies for whoever sees the LOTR :3)

Edited December 14, 2015 by Ayumu

[Ayumu 0]

***

Ayumu couldn't sleep. Staring at the ceiling above her, the red-head's mind was teeming with little, nagging thoughts. With a groan, she turned onto her stomach, stuffing her face in her pillow. What was everything in this virtual world going to lead to? She couldn't get that question off of her mind. Unable to sleep, Ayumu stood and went to the window, and opened it halfway. A slight breeze entered through the now open space, eliciting a sigh from the girl. It was probably best if she didn't worry about the future. It was probably best if she didn't try to predict her destiny. And it was probably best if she just took one day at a time. She doubted she'd actually be able to do that though. Ayumu was still learning how to function in a whole new, dangerous world. Wouldn't any normal person be nervous as well?