[SP - F01] «Earning a Living: Blacksmith»

[Tyonis 0]

Approximately 2 years ago,

‘It is chief among a Soldier’s duty to maintain his arms, equipment, and himself,’ Tyonis’ Drill Sergeants used to scream as he and his fellow recruits were disassembling, cleaning, and reassembling their rifles. He learned how to properly prepare a uniform and how to even stitch. Tyonis was a man of habit, and his habits said he needed to learn how to repair his own gear in SAO if he wanted to survive. Honestly, he hated crafting in games, but this ceased to be a mere game after Kayaba’s grim announcement. 

With a fresh mind, he approached «Cerdic Leighton», the Master Blacksmith NPC of Floor 1. The quest was simple enough: gather five pieces of Tier 1 ore and craft a weapon out if it. Cerdic even provided the location. He figured if he avoided any random encounters, he could get this particular chore done fairly quickly.

And with that, he left the smithy and exited the town. Luckily, his path to the caves was unhindered. Most of the Players had shaken off their initial shock by now and were actively hunting every monster on the Floor. It was this over-saturation that made Tyonis switch gears and try to get a crafting skill in the first place. He drew his Bronze Spear and held it at the high ready as he entered the cave. He tested his range and found there to be enough space for him to swing the spear comfortably. All that was left was to find some ore.

Word Count: 255
ID: 102245
LD: 1 (Fail) 0/5 Found 1/20 Posts

Edited July 5, 2018 by Tyonis

[Tyonis 0]

"I think I really might have a shitty Luck Stat," Tyonis complained out loud as he meandered through the cave with seemingly no destination in mind. He poked and prodded a few promising dirt mounds with the butt of his spear to only come up empty. "I'm actually kicking rocks, huh. Go figure." He mused with a chuckle as he continued. The cave seemed to stretch onward endlessly and he feared for a lack of light until he saw a few clumps of bioluminescent fungi several feet ahead of him. He marveled at them for a moment, having never seen glow-in-the-dark plants before. Soon, he moved past them. Even in this place, he was discovering things. It was one of the highlights of being trapped here. Aincrad was a fantasy world made as real as it could possibly be.

But he'd be a little happier if it didn't match his IRL luck so much.

Word Count: 152
ID: 102246
LD: 13 (Fail) 0/5 Ore Excavated. 2/20 Posts.

Edited July 5, 2018 by Tyonis

[Tyonis 0]

Tyonis kicked aside another mound and sighed heavily as it collapsed into shapeless dirt. There were reasons why he disliked gathering and crafting and this was chief among those complaints. Finding resources was always a pain in his ass. Doing this in FullDive VR wasn’t any more appealing than in any regular MMO. Instead of focusing solely on trying to find ore and subsequently dying of boredom, Tyonis drew out a single Col coin from his inventory and began to do finger tricks with it to occupy his mind. He started off with a basic knuckle coin roll - the very same one used by a certain Pirate Captain from one of his favorite movies.

He marveled at the near-perfect sensation of the coin slipping between each of his knuckles. This trick would have been impossible if he could not feel the exact weight and location of the coin against his skin. The discovery was almost enough to distract him from his main objective and he kicked another suspicious looking mound of dirt for good measure.

Word Count: 176
ID: 102247
LD: 19 (Success) 1/5 Ore Excavated. 3/20 Posts.

Edited July 5, 2018 by Tyonis

[Tyonis 0]

“Huh, this really is a fantasy world. Kicking rocks actually produces results,” he mused with a grin as he picked up a dull-looking lump of ore. It was dirty with impurities, a hallmark of all low-level crafting material. He briefly wondered what higher tiered metal would look like. ‘Would it shine with the radiance of 1,000 suns?’ he asked the empty air. When he didn’t get a reply, Tyonis settled for prodding a similar colored part of the cave wall with the butt of his spear. 

‘At least I haven’t run into any monsters yet. I should count my blessings when I can,’ he grimly thought. Honestly, he wasn’t sure if he even wanted to fight so early. Some Players seemed to be doing fine but others did not fare so well. The sheer look of shock and terror paint their faces as their avatars exploded into countless polygons was something all too familiar to Tyonis.

Word Count: 158
ID: 102248
LD: 9 (Fail) 1/5 Ore Excavated. 4/20 Posts.

Edited July 5, 2018 by Tyonis

[Tyonis 0]

‘Well, I might just stick to kicking the dirt mounds,’ Tyonis thought with a heavy sigh of resignation. He was seriously starting to think there was a hidden luck stat in the game since he’d yet to find another lump of ore. He’d kill to do something a bit more engaging and briefly entertained the idea of looking for ore-related monsters to kill. Maybe he’d have a better chance at finding ore off of a monster drop? He gripped the shaft of his spear, feeling the grains of wood grind against his palms. It was a good feeling, firm and heavy - a reassuring weight. He hadn’t tried to fight yet. Tyonis wanted to build up his character a bit with non-combat related tasks, but his boredom was starting to get the better of him.

‘Might as well go find something to try my luck on while wandering through this cave,’ he decided as he shoved his boot through another mound.

Word Count: 163
ID: 102254
LD: 15 (Success) 2/5 Ore Excavated. 5/20 Posts.

Edited July 5, 2018 by Tyonis

[Tyonis 0]

Tyonis stared at the lump of ore in his hand with the deadest deadpan expression he could muster. He looked at another dirt mound at his feet and kicked it, just to see if it would spawn another lump. So far, every single one of his attempts at chipping an ore deposit on the cave wall had ended in abject failure, whereas kicking dirt yielded success. Akihaba Kayaba had to be trolling the absolute [censored] out of him, Tyonis was sure. 

'It’s time for a change of pace,' Tyonis thought with grim determination. He’d continue kicking mounds and prodding at the walls, but now, he’d start actively looking for a fight. Something that looked like it would drop the ore. He twirled his spear in one hand, a feat he’d find very difficult IRL even with his actual wrist and finger strength. 

‘Combat ready,’ Tyonis reaffirmed then marched forward, spear held aloft.

Word Count: 155
ID: 102257
LD: 4 (Fail) 2/5 Ore Excavated. 6/20 Posts.
 

Edited July 5, 2018 by Tyonis

[Tyonis 0]

At this point, Tyonis had pretty much lowered his expectations enough that he was no longer phased when the next dirt mound or wall chipping proved empty. He simply continued to march through the cave, kicking and prodding at whatever suspicious pile he came across. Unfortunately, he did not run into a single monster and he sighed in disappointment. Maybe monsters didn’t spawn in this particular cave? This quest was meant for lower levels after all. Kayaba wasn’t entirely sadistic.

Then again, SAO’s GM seemed to bathe in his megalomania, so there was really no telling what he was capable of.

The end of the cave was marked by a thick shaft of light beaming from a hole at the top of the cave. It was too far to climb and Tyonis doubted he’d fit through the opening anyway. That meant he’d have to trek back to the entrance and wait for the ores to respawn.

Word Count: 159
ID: 102259
LD: 11 (Fail) 2/5 Ore's Excavated. 7/20 Posts.
 

Edited July 5, 2018 by Tyonis

[Tyonis 0]

Luckily, the deposits respawned fairly quickly. Tyonis counted that among the small mercies he should be grateful for. This quest was horrifyingly tedious. He even considered saving some Skill Points to put into Gather. He thought better of it after a few moments. A high Rank of Gather wouldn’t matter if he’d be killed before he could properly utilize it. He needed to beef up his combat abilities first. Making money could come later after he was powerful enough to make use of that Col. His armor granted him the bare minimum of Mitigation. It would nearly double after he got the first Rank of Heavy Armor. That would practically ensure his survivability for the first 3 Floors. 

Tyonis idly kicked another dirt mound as he mulled over his character build. His Damage was too low, though. A quick review of the 2H Assault Spear Sword Skills he unlocked meant his highest multiplier would be x2. It would take him an eternity to kill anything at this rate. He needed to up his DPS somehow...

Word Count: 178
ID: 102260
LD: 8 (Fail) 2/5 Ore Excavated. 8/20 Posts.
 

Edited July 5, 2018 by Tyonis

[Tyonis 0]

Tyonis practically ignored the excavation failure prompts that flashed across his screen every so often. He wondered how many he could stack up before he finished this quest. He started at six before spamming the Dismiss button on the windows en-mass. Okay, those were more annoying than he expected. He wondered if he could get those prompts to appear in PvP a momentary distraction or a sudden pop-up in the wrong part of your field of vision could spell death. It might be worth considering if a situation ever escalated that far.

He bashed another part of the cave wall with the butt of his spear before continuing down. The cave was starting to look frustratingly familiar and he was starting to recall where each mound was. While it would help in his gathering efficiency, it was still irritating to acknowledge he was still stuck in this damn cave.

Word Count: 150 (NAILED IT)
ID: 102264
LD: 11 (Fail) 2/5 Ore Excavated. 9/20 Posts.

Edited July 5, 2018 by Tyonis

[Tyonis 0]

The spearman was starting to finally reapproach the cave entrance. The clumps of bioluminescent fungi were starting to give way to actual sunlight and Tyonis realized that they did not grow while exposed to it. SAO was queer when it came to fine details like that. 'And yet the UI is still a pain in the ass to use.' He opened up his menu, which was so long and large that he had to fully scroll twice over to get all the options. Even accessing the sub-menus was a chore. He'd have to find some way of equipping more Battle-Ready items for quick use otherwise he'd start running into versatility and adaptability issues.

He kicked another mound as he fully embraced the sunlight. He had to squint his eyes out of reflex. He forced them open a moment later and reminded himself it wasn't actual sunlight. It was all an illusion and he couldn't afford to be taken in so easily.

Word Count: 158
ID: 102265
LD: 2 (Fail) 2/5 Ore Excavated. 10/20 Posts.
 

Edited July 5, 2018 by Tyonis

[Tyonis 0]

Tyonis decided to prod another ore deposit by the cave entrance before he exited entirely. The southern cave was bordered by the forest's treeline so it wasn't hard to find a cozy spot to kick his feet up for a minute or two while he waited for the cave deposits to respawn. His eyes were suddenly very heavy and he could feel them rolling into the back of his head. With a sigh, he set his spear across his chest and leaned back against a tree. SAO definitely knew how to mimic exhaustion. Sure he could fight it with sheer willpower, but there really wasn't a point to pushing it back now. Moreover he hadn't had a good rest since the GM announcement.

'A nap may improve my mood a bit, too,' he reasoned as he took a deep breath and began to count down from 100. Luckily, there was little discomfort while sleeping in armor. He could still 'feel' the weight, but there was no real heat or sweat to make him want to doff it.

Word Count: 179
ID: 102266
LD: 2 (Fail) 2/5 Ore Excavated. 11/20 Posts.
 

Edited July 5, 2018 by Tyonis

[Tyonis 0]

With a long and loud yawn, Tyonis awoke from his nap. The clock by his minimap said he'd been out for almost an hour, but he felt refreshed and ready to continue. He pried himself off the ground, using his spear as a glorified walking stick then stretched his back out. He didn't hear any reaffirming cracks as he normally wound IRL. 'Guess SAO isn't a perfect replication,' Tyonis mused. 'Then again, I have backpains so this is a welcome change,' he amended with a self-incriminating chuckle. By now all the ores had respawned and it didn't look like anyone had entered the cave while he slept. He was starting to think there was a reason for that. He must not be the only one with abysmal luck when it came to gathering.

"Well, time to get back to work!" Still, Tyonis resolved himself to see this quest through and the Blacksmith Profession was a necessary one to his survival. Weapon and armor maintenance was not something he could just ignore.

With a refreshed mindset, he slammed his foot into the nearest ore mound, kicking dirt and dust high into the air!

Word Count: 194
ID: 102268
LD: 5 (Fail) 2/5 Ore Excavated. 12/20 Posts.

Edited July 5, 2018 by Tyonis

[Tyonis 0]

His enthusiasm lasted for a few more feet before the monotony of his task began to sink in once more. 'Asian MMORPG - always with the damn grinding. And the RNG!' Tyonis cursed silently as he viciously kicked another mound, his hand already flying to where he preset all pop-ups and prompts to go. He wished he could at least open up a radio app and listen to some music while he kicked and prodded away his life in this damn cave. Grinding to a soundtrack was several thousand times more appealing then counting his own heartbeats.

Come to think of it, there was a Performance Profession as well. They might be able to compose music to listen to. Of course, he'd need a device of some sort to play it from. He highly doubted there were smartphones in Aincrad. '...Wait,' he opened his menu and his Friendslist. On it was the ability to send either text or verbal recordings that you could save and send to others. 

"OH [censored]?!"

Word Count: 170
ID: 102269
LD: 11 (Fail) 2/5 Ore Excavated. 13/20 Posts.
 

Edited July 5, 2018 by Tyonis

[Tyonis 0]

"DDMMMYYYY at HH:HH Hours. My name is Specialist Steven Barnett of the U.S Army," Tyonis began, speaking to the recording message. It had no recipient, but he could save it as a Draft as a journal of sorts. "I've been stationed at Camp Zama and, after trying out Sword Art Online, the first FullDive VRMMORPG, have been trapped with no way to log out of the game by the game's developer and Game Master, Kayaba Akihiko. He claims that dying in the game will equate to bodily death by high-intensity microwaves sent into your brain through the NerveGear VR system. Today marks the first day and the first entry of this journal and, in the event of my demise or escape, will hope these records persevere as a testament to my actions. I've chosen to use a 2H Assault Spear based on my real life experience with a rifle and bayonet, along with Heavy Armor, since I am used to carrying over 100 pounds of gear on a daily basis. I am in the process of gaining the Blacksmithing Profession so that I may have a method of maintaining and improving my arms and equipment."

He kicked another mound absentmindedly before continuing...

Word Count: 203
ID: 102271
LD: 17 (Success) 3/5 Ore Excavated. 14/20 Posts.
 

Edited July 5, 2018 by Tyonis

[Tyonis 0]

"...10,000 people have been trapped in this game and within the first few hours, several dozen have already died. I admit, I have done nearly nothing to stop the deaths, and I honestly doubt I could make any real difference at the moment. I am unsure of what options I have available to me and am focusing on personal survival, gathering intelligence, and forming a strong support network among the other victims. So far, my efforts have proven minimally fruitful. I have met another English-speaker, @Spencer by his in game name, and he has proven himself to be kind and, most of all, reliable. He was born in England and lived in Michigan. I sincerely hope that he, and anyone else I come across, survive till the end of this deathgame."

He paused and slammed the butt of his spear into another suspicious mound on the cave wall. He really didn't expect anything and continued his journal entry...

Word Count: 152
ID: 102273
LD: 15 (Success) 4/5 Ore Excavated. 15/20 Posts.

Edited July 5, 2018 by Tyonis

[Tyonis 0]

"I am unable to aptly judge what the culprit, Kayaba Akihiko, will do next. I can only speculate on his plans and personality. Frankly, he is a prick. To elaborate, he comes across as a megalomaniac and a sadist. He resembles a homegrown terrorist and has picked a Soft Target for his attack. To hold the lives of 10,00 innocent people, most of which are no older than 25 and so of which are less than 10, is an abhorrent crime that far eclipses the 9/11 attacks, whose casualties numbered in the low 3,000's. It is obvious that this sort of cyber terrorism will mark a turning point in human history and I swear to do my upmost to represent the honor, strength, and service of the United States and its military during this time of great need. Kayaba Akihiko's plans are, so far, an enigma. I cannot even begin to fathom his reasoning for trapping 10,000 of his fellow Japanese citizens in a prison of his own making..."

Tyonis stomped another mound, flicking it up with his steeled boot.

Word Count: 183
ID: 102276
LD: 19 (Success) 5/5 Ore Excavated. 1st Objective Complete. Must now craft an item in Cerdic's Smithy. 16/20 Posts.
 

Edited July 5, 2018 by Tyonis

[Tyonis 0]

Tyonis' return to Cerdic's smithy was uneventful. He had to push through waves and waves of Players as they surged out of the Town of Beginnings' gates. Already, the Players were hunting everything to practical extinction. As soon as a monster spawned, parties of three and four Players would pounce on it, devouring whatever loot and EXP they could get. In hindsight, that explained why he hadn't run into any monsters. He wasn't even attacked during his nap. He couldn't afford to fall into complacency, though. The Players would soon disperse further out into the Floor and the monster respawns would start to stabilize once that happened.

The smithy was just as hot, humid, and smelly as Tyonis left it. His nose twitched, but he was able to ignore the heat. Summer in the Middle East was much worse. He turned to Cerdic and showcased the ore he gathered. The NPC looked unimpressed at the dull clumps and went through a small description on how to craft. Ironically enough, he highlighted what menu's to go through.

"You know you just broke the fourth wall, right?" Tyonis stated. Cerdic just stared at him expectantly. Tyonis wasn't sure if his statement even registered to the NPC.

Word Count: 211
ID: 102286
CD: 12 (NAILED IT!) Perfect Item Successfully Crafted. Second Objective Complete. Must reach 17/20 Posts.

Edited July 5, 2018 by Tyonis

[Tyonis 0]

As the [Perfect] Tier 1 item materialized in his hand, Cerdic let out a low whistle. "You've got natural talent there, kiddo. Well, a promise is a promise. You can keep the rest of those lumps. Practically worthless to me, but you might find them useful for honing your craft!" Cerdic approached the Tyonis and held out his hand. A small cloth bag appeared in the NPC's open hand. When Tyonis reached for it, a prompt appeared.

«Earning a Living: Blacksmith» Completed!

Rewards: 1 Skill Point,

«Blacksmith» Profession,

[Perfect] T1 Item,

Standard «Blacksmith» Shop land-deed, 

(5) Tier 1 Crafting Materials.

Tyonis grinned and accepted the quest rewards. It felt good to make solid progress and attain a goal. Now that he could repair and improve his gear, a load of options and avenues made themselves available to him. He looked at the NPC for a moment then tilted his head. "Cerdic, where do a lot of the Players - I mean Adventurer's tend to go for their repairs? I'd like to start to spread my name out."

Cerdic seemed to genuinely mull over his question. SAO really was queer with its accuracy sometimes.

"Try the Basic Gear Shop. The owner overprices repair costs, but many of you new Adventurers don't know that. You might be able to undercut him." 

"Thanks, Cerdic. For what it's worth, I'll remember you fondly." With that, he left the NPC to hammer away.

Word Count: 235 18/20 Posts.

Edited July 5, 2018 by Tyonis

[Tyonis 0]

Tyonis opened up his saved Draft and hit «Continue Recording» on the last message he was making. "I've successfully earned the Blacksmithing Profession. This will enable me to maintain my arms, my equipment, and myself, adhering to a core tenant of the Soldier's Creed. I am heading down to the the Basic Gear Shop in the Town of Beginnings to do what I can to assist the other victims. Sadly, I am unable to perform any relevant medical aid to those who are injured and I am not trained in physiology, so my medical expertise is all but useless in SAO. Still, I will endeavor to do what I can and repairing Player's equipment for free is something within my capabilities. I will use this time to plan my next course of action. My secondary objectives to gather intelligence from other Players who may have discovered something I have not and to form a social network are well within my reach now." 

He cut off the recording as he arrived in front of the stall where several Players were patiently waiting for their turn to get their gear repaired.

Word Count: 185 19/20 Posts

Edited July 5, 2018 by Tyonis

[Tyonis 0]

It didn't take long for Tyonis advertisements of free weapons and armor repairs to spread across the surrounding Players. Soon, he was swamped with requests. Fortunately, most Players had come across the necessary materials to repair their own gear - they just lacked the Profession to use them. Overall, Tyonis came out with 0 loss to his material stores and his Col. Most importantly, he had gained information about the local area and starter quests that would help him boost his character safely and effectively. Judging by how many repair requests he received, most Players were leveling by grinding at the moment, so monster hunting wasn't a very efficient way of building a character at the moment. He'd have to wait a few hours or even a few days before the majority of Players left the starting level grinding zones. In the meantime, he would continue to do quests, unlocking more options and avenues for him to use and approach.

His course of action decided, Tyonis closed up his impromptu shop and made for his next destination!

Word Count: 174 20/20 Posts. Thread Complete!