[SP F1] Aspiring Craftsman <Material Hunting>

[Rand Al'Thor 0]

It did not take Rand long to realize that the only way to pursue a career in crafting was to farm for materials first. After asking the Town of Beginnings he was told a good place to find novice Materials was in the forest to the Northwest. It was said a variety of ores, herbs and wildlife made their home in the forest and was a perfect place to start out. Rand made it a priority to avoid monsters while he explored the forest and soon came upon a promising looking area. There was a small spring-fed creek weaving its way in between the trees of the forest. Plants were growing wildly all about the bank, and various rocks glinted with veins of metal. Rand honest had no idea where to even begin. He did not have any tools to harvest the metal, and he could not tell which plants would be useful... knowing his luck he would pick a poisonous one. Rand sighed and was about to turn back when he noticed an older man wearing a wide brimmed hat emerge from a small cave in a hurry. A wild boar snorted and headbutted the old man to the ground. Judging by his HP Bar, Rand saw he was an NPC.. but even then there was no way he was just going to let this old man die right in front of him! 

 

<Enemy Encountered - Cave Pig(Boar) HP 3/3. Base Atk:1>

<Rand HP 5/5. Base Atk:2>

 

Rand readied his spear and dashed toward's the boar's flank, swinging his spear in a wide arc at the startled pig.

 

ID: 19760 BD : 2 Failed attack by Rand.

 

Unfortunately the boar sensed him coming and jumped back from Rand's attack. With a squeal of rage, it lunged back into the fray to gore Rand with it's sharp tusks.

 

ID: 19761 BD: 3 Failed attack by Boar.

 

Rand managed to slip to the side and deflect the boar to the side with the shaft of his spear. He thanked whatever powers ruled over SAO for learning how to move his body as fluidly as he could. As the boar slipped by Rand lashed out at it with his spear with a quick flurry of stabs.

 

ID: 19762 BD: 7 Attack hits by Rand. Boar takes 2 damage. Boar HP Now <1/3> 

 

Blood blossomed from multiple wounds on the boar as it passed by and jagged red wounds showed pixels flaking away from it's body. Rand could tell it had been badly wounded, but his last strike was not deep enough. The boar bellowed in rage and charged at Rand again, Rand braced himself for the incoming attack.

 

ID: 19763 BD: 9 Critical attack hit by Boar. Rand takes 2 damage. Rand HP Now <3/5>

 

Rand tried as best as he could to dodge the attack the same as he did last time, but the boar was smarter than he thought. It turned it's charge to face Rand and it's sharp tusks dug keep into his chest and knocked him to the ground. Rand struggled to get free as he felt the boar beginning to thrash it's head back and forth to deal more damage.

 

ID: 19764 BD : 5 Failed attack by Rand. 

 

ID: 19765 BD: 9 Critical Attack hit by Boar. Rand Takes 2 damage. Rand HP Now <1/5>

 

Rand tried to break the hold the boar had on him and nearly had the horns out of his chest when the boar grunted and threw its weight into another attack, the burrowing tusks digging deeper into him. Rand could see his HP bar draining swift and panic begun to set in, he reached for the short haft of his spear and flipped it in his hand, stabbing down at the demonic boar's head.

 

ID:19766 BD: 7 attack hits by Rand. Boar takes 2 damage <DEAD>

 

The spear plunged straight through the boar's eye and it let out one final squeal before bursting into a cloud of pixels. Rand lay on his back trying to catch his breath. He had come close to dying in this game.... all to a simple boar. His eyes wandered to his HP gauge clearly in the red. If he had taken just one more points of damage... it would have all been over for him. Rand closed his eyes for a moment to gather his thoughts before he would speak to the NPC.

[Rand Al'Thor 0]

Rand noticed the NPC hovering next to him and sighed as he curled his body under him, snapping up like a spring. At least there was little to no pain when he took so much damage. What pain there may have been never lingered. Rand figured it was probably more mental than anything.

 

"Are you okay young man?" The old man ask him. For being an NPC they really made him sound worried. The programming of such AI must have been difficult.

 

"I will be fine after I get myself patched up" Rand reassured him. "Are you alright? that boar was chasing you down pretty well"

 

"It was because I was trying to harvest the ore in it's cave" He said with a toothy smile. He slid a pack off his shoulder and showed some shiny chunks of ore that he must have gotten from the cave. "It is some good quality stuff and I am certain I can forge something wonderful with it"

 

"Would that make you a blacksmith mr... ummm I never did ask your name" Rand questioned him.

 

"Altier" the old man said and thumped a hand to his chest. "Altier the smithy will do nicely".

 

Rand was struck by a sudden thought. In many of the mmos he had played there was always a skill trainer for crafting professions. Maybe this was a system also implemented in this game? 

 

"Sir. Would you teach me how to become a blacksmith?" Rand asked his a small bow, hoping his hunch would prove correct.

 

"I suppose I could teach you the basics" Altier said, scratching his chin as he considered the request. "I do owe you for saving my life after all. But you should know that if you choose to commit yourself to smithing, other paths will be closed off to you forever."

 

Rand nodded eagerly. He had been torn between trying to brew potions and smithing. This event had made up his mind for certain.

 

"Very well young man. Come with me to by hut, it is not far and I can go over the basics with you as you patch yourself up!" Altier exlaimed and lead Rand through the woods towards his cabin.

[Rand Al'Thor 0]

After a short trip  they arrived at Altier's cabin. It was not too much to look at, it resembled an old hunting cabin one would see in the real world. It was kept well repaired though, and the walls were solid and sturdy. Altier opened the door and beckoned Rand step inside. The first thing that hit him was a wave of heat like a blast to the face. Rand's eyes watered immediately, not expecting such fierce warmth. In the center of the hut was a huge forge. The bright red coals were no doubt the main source of heat in this household. There was a cleverly designed chimney in the center of the roof that let out most of the heat, but the place still retained enough to make him feel like he should be sweating. Altier bent over and tended to the coals, he grabbed at the bellows and gave a few swift pumps, inspiring the coals to burn even hotter.

 

"This is was a smithy's forge should look like son" Altier said with a toothy grin, he was clearly proud of his setup. "A true man never lets the fire cool, the hotter the flame, the better the ore, the better the weapon". Altier placed his pack on a table and pulled out a lump of ore about the size of a softball and tossed it into the flame. "The most important part is patience, and timing boy. If you try to shape the ore when its not hot enough, it will be too brittle to work with," as Altier spoke, the ore began to glow with heat. It was a dull red and Altier shifted the ore with a pair of blackened tongs. "Let it heat too long and the metal will be too soft to hold the desired shape". The dull red glow slowly turned to a bright white and suddenly Altier pulled the ore from the fire and placed it on the anvil. A swift swing of his hammer game down on the ore. The ore flashed and began to change shape. The ore flattened out and took the form of a small blade and as the glow faded a shining dagger had taken its place.

 

"Wow" Rand breathed through the process. As long as he got the timing down, he wondered if he could do just as well. 

 

"Would you like to give it a try sonny?" Altier asked, holding out his smithy hammer. "Mind, I do not expect you to get it on the first go. I have had years of experience after all."

[Rand Al'Thor 0]

Rand took the hammer in his hand and felt it's weight. It was a very heavy hammer, meant to pound a lump of metal into something useful. Rand swallowed and used the tongs to grab a lump of ore about the same size as what Altier had used before and placed it into the fire. He watched carefully as it heated up in the flames, changing from a dull red to a whitish glow. Rand pulled out the ore and placed it upon the anvil.

 

"Just picture in your mind what you are making as you swing the hammer boy!" Altier instructed him and Rand nodded in reply. A dagger, a sharp-edged dagger like what Altier had just produced! Rand swung down the hammer with all his might.

 

ID: 19849 CD=7 Bad Item resulted.

 

The ore sparkled and slowly reshaped into the form of a dagger. As the glow faded Rand's heart sank, it was flawed. The blade was not quite straight and there was a crack along the handle. It would not be of any use in combat. Altier learned forward and inspected his work, slowly shaking his head.

 

"You used too much force" He said to Rand. "It was not bad for a first try, but no one would pay a single Col for this." Altier picked up the dagger and tossed it into a barrel containing scrap to be melted  down for resources at another time. "Try again!"

[Rand Al'Thor 0]

Rand contemplated what he had done wrong as the new ore began to shift from the dull red to white hot once more. He had swung too hard last time and compromised the integrity of the metal. He would have to adjust his strength this time. As he shifted the ore to the anvil, Rand swung his hammer down again.

 

ID: 19850 CD:1 Critical Fail

 

As soon as the hammer hit the ore he knew his strike had been too light, he had felt the metal push back against his attempt to hammer it flat. It was as if the ore was alive and resisting his attempts to craft it into something he desired! A thought struck Rand as the white glow faded to reveal a charred piece of metal not even worth scrapping. What if his determination and will really did effect his crafting skill? Rand looked up at Altier to find him not looking at his terrible result, but straight into his eyes.

 

"Did you feel it boy?" He questioned and flashed his toothy smile when Rand nodded. "Then... Again!"

 

Rand took a deep breath and cleared his mind. He would not lose to a lump of metal. Once again the white hot enemy was on the anvil before him. He was the stronger! The hammer came down again.

 

ID: 19851 CD:12 Perfect item!

 

A feeling of warmth not inspired by the heat spread through his body as the hammer hit the ore. He knew he had done it right this time and the results would speak for themselves. The ore slowly took the form of a dagger as Rand had desired and as the last of the light faded away a wide smile spread across his face. The dagger was perfect. It's edge gleamed sharply in the dancing firelight and intricate runes crossed it's surface. It was as fine as Altier's example from before but.... it had an aura of power to it.. one Rand had not felt in Altier's weapon.

 

The old smithy's eyes grew wide as he examined the blade, picking it up and testing it's balance. "By the creator... I had never believed in beginners luck until now boy!" His eyes drifted past the blade over to Rand. "This is a weapon of great power. That you could make such a thing from that ore is mind-boggling". He set the dagger down on a table and studied Rand further. "You may grow to be one the best smith's this world as ever seen Rand Al'Thor. I would ask that for now you leave this blade in my possession. Items of great power have a way of attracting unwanted attention.

 

Rand considered the implications for a moment and reluctantly agreed that Altier was right. The last thing he wanted was to be PK'ed, a level one with a powerful dagger was still a level one.

[Rand Al'Thor 0]

Rand spent the new few hours tending to his wounded hp and spending time to get to know Altier a little better. Turns out Altier had been living in this forest for the past couple of decades. He used to live in the town of beginnings but a rival company had ruined his shop's reputation and driven him out of town. He had been upset at first, but then he had found this little nook in the forest that was usually very peaceful. It turns out the boar was a pretty unusual event so near Altier's house. This place was abundant with various caves and within them were many different types of ore. Most of the cave that were unoccupied only had lower grade ores but Altier claimed to be certain that some the caves guarded by monsters had to contain much more precious materials.

 

"What if I were to sneak in and get some for you?" Rand asked through a mouthful of bread Altier had been gracious enough to offer.

 

"Hah!" Altier laughed and slapped his knee before waggling his finger in Rand's face. "Even if you could get past the beastie, you would have no idea what to look for boy". Rand sighed shook his head slowly. It was indeed true that he did not have the experience to tell good from bad. Rand considered his run in with the boar for a moment.

 

"What if I could get rid of the monsters for you? then we could check out the cave together right? You could even show me the differences between the ore" Rand begged. Altier considered a moment, scratching his chin like he did whenever he thought hard about something.

 

"I know of a few places that we could try, but it will be dangerous to clear them out" he finally admitted.

 

Rand stood and readied his equipment. "Lets go old man!"

[Rand Al'Thor 0]

Rand glanced around the edge of the stone cave opened and peered into the dimly lit space. Rand looked back to Altier and motioned with his hand for him to remain outside. Trying to make as little noise as possible, Rand slowly crept into the cave and made his way deeper underground. A shuffling noise caught his attention and Rand froze in place. Two large creatures entered his field of view. They resembled preying mantises but they were almost four feet tall. Their carapaces glittered in the darkness... they looked pretty hard.

 

<Mantis 1 2/2 Hps>

<Mantis 2 2/2 Hps>

 

With a deep breath, Rand suddenly came around the corner. He spun his spear in a quick circuit, bringing it down over his head in a vicious chop.

 

ID: 19903 BD=6 Rand scores a hit on Mantis 1 for 2 Damage <Mantis 1 is now dead>

 

The attack his the Mantis dead on, slicing clean through a mandible and causing the creature to hiss in pain. Rand spun his spear and adjusted his hands further up the shaft to stab behind him and into the head of the wounded Mantis, finishing it off for good. The second Mantis clicked furiously and came at Rand in a fury

 

ID: 19905 BD=10 Mantis 2 scores crit hit on Rand for 3 dmg <Rand is now 2/5 hps>

 

The mantis's scythe-like appendages flashed in front of Rand's chest, each carving deep gashes in his torso. Rand cried out more from shock that pain. He recovered enough to plant the blunt end of his speak on the ground and vault himself over this opponent and coming up in a flurry of stabs.

 

ID: 19906 BD=7 Rand scores a hit on Mantis 2 for 2 damage <Mantis 2 is now dead>

 

The final thrust went straight through the mantis's heart. Rand could feel the last beat tremble along the shaft and he thrust his spear into the ground a took a moment to breath as the last mantis burst into another explosion of pixels.

[Rand Al'Thor 0]

Rand slipped his lance into the sheath on his back and took another quick look around the area. It seemed those two were the only monsters in this cave, Rand gave the all clear for Altier to come in. The old man hobbled inside to join Rand and produced a torch from his pack. A quick brush with a flint and it roared to life, bathing the area in a much more visible light. Altier stuffed the torch into Rand's hands and moved over to a particular wall excitedly. He pulled out a small hammer and began tapping on the wall with his ear up against the stone.

 

"Ye got to listen for the right echo" Altier explained as he went about his work, tapping the hammer at different spots as he moved along the wall. Rand noticed a faint glow coming from one particular section of the wall. Nothing that would have been obvious unless he had been looking closely, as if it were coated in a shining mist. 

 

"What about there master?" Rand said, indicating the wall. Aliter took a look and shrugged, moving over to tap his hammer against the wall. Maybe it was a player feature that NPC's could not access? Rand was not too sure but was not terribly surprised then Altier pulled a pickaxe out of his pack and began hacking away at the wall. As the rough stone gave way, a thin stream maybe no more than an inch or two wide showed through the rock.

 

"Silver" Altier said and gave a low whistle, glancing at Rand with a questioning look. "I don't know how you did that boy, but remember that instinct. That is how you will find the materials you need to excel in blacksmithing."

[Rand Al'Thor 0]

Rand spent a good half hour in that cave with Altier, helping his spot where the veins of ore were located. It turns out that it was indeed a player searching function and not just his imagination. It turns out the glow was always the same hue though, whether it was a vein of silver or iron. In that short time Aliter filled his pack with ingots of Iron, Silver and even a small bar of gold. Altier explained to him that gold should never be used to craft a weapon alone as it was a very soft metal. It was mostly used for decorative purposes. 

 

"I think we have enough here boy" Altier said as they walked from the cave and noticed the sun rapidly setting to the west. "If you don't mind the floor  you should stay at my place tonight. The woods are awfully dangerous at night and town is a good hour or two even at your pace." Rand nodded in agreement. Upon reaching the house, Altier set his pack and was asleep as soon as he hit his bed. NPCs were lucky that way, they did not have to worry about falling asleep they just did.

 

Rand looked over the ore they had collected and examined them and their status windows. Each metal had a particular trait that could be taken advantage of when forging. Silver claimed it could cause extra damage against undead monsters and gold said it would increase one's luck if used properly. Rand sighed and set the ore down, laying on the floor and staring up out the chimney into the night sky. 

 

"I will become a blacksmith" Rand muttered to himself and brought his hand up before him. A chunk of Silver ore glinted in his hand. Soon Rand was dreaming, dreams of forging legendary weapons.