[SP-F1] Earning a Living

[Razmor 0]

It was a strange feeling, walking around in SAO for the second time. Angel had always enjoyed the beautiful design of the game, even during the beta tests. He loved how lifelike everything was, from the interactive enemies to the warm of a flame. He would occasionally smile to himself as he walked along the various pathways, sword and shield in hand.

But now things were different. Now he knew that death was a major factor, as opposed to before when it was just an annoyance, his entire game plan changed. He now focused on being more careful and better suited to the environment. He knew that he was one of the elite, one of the beta testers, or "Beaters" as other players had come to call his kind. He knew that he had to survive.

Angel decided to get to work. He wandered around the first floor, looking for any materials that he could use. He continued to move around the fields until he found a boar. "A little practice never hurt anyone." He said to himself as he readied his sword and shield. He slowly approached the monster, shield held just in front of his chest, and sword aimed at the animal.

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He swung the blade quickly, aiming to hit the boar from behind. But something went wrong. Either his footing was off or the boar moved but he missed his initial strike and the blade passed by the low level monster. The Boar quickly turned around to face him. He snapped his shield up to defend himself as the boar charged him. He quickly beat the boar to the left with an angled shield as he snapped back into an offensive position as he came face to face with the monster.

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He attempted another swing as the Boar charged him again. His shield was low as he brought the blade full swing. But the boar hit with more force then he had expected and he was thrown off balance and fell to the ground, his sword skittering away from his grip. He hit the ground with his shield still attached to his arm, the boar circling around for a second hit. Angel quickly recovered but not quickly enough to get his sword back.. He just braced himself for the next initial attack.

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The boar slammed into him as he stood his ground. He was pushed back a few feet until he managed to stabilize himself. He shifted his weight to the right and let the boar run past him as he rolled and scooped up his sword. "I'm getting really tired of you." He muttered to the boar as she charged a Vertical Strike. The boar circled for its now third attack, Angel swung the blade forward and sliced the boar along its back. The boar fizzed for a second before exploding into pixels. As Angel sheathed his sword, he saw the item window pop up. He saw the usual items but something caught his eye, <>. He opened his inventory and brought out the material. After inspecting it, he realized that it was an uncommon crafting material. He smiled to himself as he put the tusk back into his inventory. "Maybe it's a sign, maybe I should just hang around here." He told himself aloud. He found that talking to himself out loud was easier than mentally. It gave him less headaches.

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He continued to walk around the field, slaying various boars in hopes of finding more <>, but finding none. He continued on until he found a much larger looking boar. It didn't have a name but it was still larger than an average boar; it was almost the size of a car. Angel unsheathed his weapon and brought his shield close to his chest. The boar didn't seem to notice him as he quietly approached.

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He managed to get behind the boar when he started to charge a Vertical Arch attack. He took a step forward, and stepped on a twig. The boar instantly became aware of his presence and ran forward and out of Angel's reach. Then it turned to face him. "Oh boy." He said to himself. The boar was clearly angered by Angel's presence in his field and he was determined to get Angel out. He ground the turf with his hooves as Angel got ready to dodge. The boar charged forward and almost crashed into the shield. Angel had managed to fall to the right in order to dodge the massive attack. "It's like a car!" he gasped as the beast rushed past him. He rolled to his feet as the boar circled around.

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He charged another Vertical Arch attack, praying that he could get some luck with it. He braced himself for an easy escape in case he couldn't pull off the attack. He charged it and waited for the right moment to strike. The boar charged him with astounding speed. He almost had enough time to strike but the boar was to fast and Angel was forced to back up. The boar's large tusks scrapped the side of his shield and sent Angel spinning. AS he twirled, Angel attempted to stabilize himself as the boar turned for another strike. Angel focused on the opponent, his head spinning.

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Angel braced himself and began to charge a the Vertical Arch attack once more, praying that he would get a solid hit. The boar ran towards him and Angel closed his eyes. Things seemed to run in slow motion as he listened to the world around him. The heavy breathing of the monster, the shaking ground from the force of the hooves, his own steady breathing. His mind began to drift to all the people in Aincrad. He remembered his mission, to beat the game and get everyone out of this nightmare. If he couldn't beat a simple boar, then how would he ever manage to defeat the boss on any of the floors. This fuel made him concentrate until he felt the boar get close enough to strike. Then his eyes snapped open and he swung, creating the V shaped attack perfectly and hitting the massive boar square in the face. The first strike seemed to stun it and the second strike finished it. The boar squealed in protest and exploded into colored pixels. Angel breathed slowly, his eyes still watching the spot where the boar had once stood. Then he took a deep breath and sheathed his weapon before sitting on the grass. When the Rewards Window popped up, he was glad to see a certain item, <>. He blinked a few times and shook his head. "What am I going to do with Boar Tusks?" He asked himself as he watched the bright blue sky. A cool breeze blew through the fields as Angel actually smiled. "Not to bad once you take some time to smell the roses." He told himself.

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As he sat in the grass, he scrolled through his inventory and skill lists for the heck of it. When he came across the <>, he stopped and observed it for a while. He knew that it was a material for crafting; the only problem was that he had no idea what to craft with it. He selected one of the 5 and made it a physical item. He held it in his hands and looked it over. The tusk was about 2 feet long and made of a white, bone-like material. It seemed solid enough to be a rough material. "Maybe I can smelt it into a weapon, or a suit of armor?" he asked himself as he looked it over. He thought about making a mace, or maybe a spear? Then he got an idea. He drew his own sword and looked it over next to the tusk. "A sword?" he said to himself, as if someone else was next to him. He smiled and nodded. "I think a new sword would do nicely." With that, he sheathed his current sword and started making his way back to the Town of Beginnings.

[Razmor 0]

Back in the heart of the city, he started to make his way to one of the numerous blacksmith shops in the area in order to learn about his material. He decided that an NPC would be a better person to talk to. He walked into a generic shop and approached the shop owner, a large, burly looking man with short black hair, a rugged face, and a trimmed black beard.

"Excuse me but could you tell me more about this item?" he asked as he presented the NPC the item.

The blacksmith observed the item and then said, "It's a crafting material. If you want, I can make you a variety of items." Then he presented Angel with a list of items.

Angel shook his head. "No no, I don't want to spend any Col. What about if I make it myself?" He asked, the idea slipping into his mind and planting itself there.

The man responded with a good answer. "I would be glad to teach you the ways of the forge. Come with me to the back."

Angel was excited as the man led him into the back of the shop.

He was shocked to find how large the back room was. It was almost double the size of the front room. A large smelter rested in the corner with an anvil next to it. Hammers of various sizes were resting on the walls along with some basic swords and other weapons. Suits of armor rested on some wooden mannequins. Angel was fascinated by all the cool looking items.

The blacksmith lead Angel over to the anvil and took a mid-sized hammer off the wall and started to stock the fire in the smelter's fire. "We're going to start simple and have you make a basic sword. We'll use on of my materials because it's your first time. Now show me what you've got." He said as he brought the hot ingot out of the fire. He handed Angel the hammer and took a step back. Angel was aware of how crafting worked; he had a few friends who had explained the concept to him during the Betas. Unfortunately, he himself had never actually crafted anything. He raised the hammer and struck the hot ingot a few times while thinking about a basic short sword. He kept the image in his head as he struck the ingot for the last time and it started to glow.

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The sword formed and Angel wasn't really sure what to think of it. It wasn't a terrible weapon, but it wasn't good either. The iron blade looked brittle, like it was about to break from a rough hit. The hilt was leather and was falling apart at the seams; so much that a regular tailor wouldn't be able to fix it. He picked up the item as the NPC approached him.

"Don't worry kid, it was your first try. No ones perfect on their first try." He said nicely as he took the sword. As the old man walked away, Angel began to get worried. What if he couldn't forge a good sword? What if he couldn't forge anything? He would be stuck with the <> with only the option to sell or pay for a new sword. Either option was difficult because Angel had worked hard to get those materials, and he wasn't leaving until he at least knew how to make the basics.

The old man came back with a new ingot and put it in the fire. Then he turned to Angel.

"Now this is your last chance for today. The game only allows two crafting opportunities a day. So, lets try again. Make a short sword." With that, he used a pair of tongs to remove the hot ingot and placed it on the anvil. Angel raised the hammer over his head and struck the ingot.

Rank 1: Starting rank and 2 Crafts a day

1=Epic fail 1 EXP (lose mats if crafting)

2-4=fails 1 EXP (lose mats if crafting)

5-7=bad Item 1 EXP (50% chance to salvage mat's in repeat quest)

8-9=Good Item 2 EXP

10=Uncommon Item 3 EXP (GM approval for enhancements)

11=Rare Item 5 EXP (GM approval for enhancements)

12= Perfect Item 8 EXP (GM approval for enhancements)

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As he struck the ingot for the final time, he saw it glow and the sword form. Unfortunately, the result wasn't any different. It was almost like he had formed the exact same sword; a weak looking blade and a sloppy hilt. Angel frowned and handed the hammer back to the NPC. "Sorry kid. Better luck next time." The man sighed as he put up the hammer. Angel sighed and nodded. "Thanks. Maybe tomorrow will be different." He said aloud, half to himself and half to the blacksmith. As he turned and started to walk away, the NPC stopped him. "Wait a minute kid. Why don't you let me hold onto one of those Boar Tusks for ya? I could experiment with it and see what I can do with it. If it's alright with you of course."

Angel sighed and nodded, "Alright, I'll sell you one. How's that sound?" He smiled as the old man nodded.

After the transaction, Angel walked away with around 50 Col and one less <>. He exited the shop and started to walk down the busy road. Players and NPCs bustled around him as his mind drifted elsewhere. "Can I be a blacksmith?" He asked himself as he continued down the road. "I could benefit from it but also help others. I could properly equip people so that they won't die." He continued to talk to himself, sounding like a crazy person who had an imaginary friend. "I need to distract myself." He told himself as he ran towards the town's teleporter. He stepped on it and said, "Teleport Grasslands." Instantly he was pixelized and transported into the outskirts of the town. He stood at the edge of the massive field. He looked around and saw various monsters roaming through the fields. "This should distract me for a while."

(End of daily crafting attempts.

Results: 2 Bad Items. 2 XP earned. 2/20)

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For the next few hours, Angel went on a slaying spree. He charged around the Grasslands, slaying any monster that he came across. It became easier over time but his mind was still occupied with his failures as a blacksmith. He wondered how he could improve his technique and actually make something. He actually started to doubt his ability to help others. Then he shook his head. "Come on, positive thoughts now. You're not going to beat the game with this train of thought now are you?" he told himself as he sheathed his sword. He had collected a decent amount of Col and a few minor items. Then he looked around for something interesting.

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Upon finding nothing of interest, he laid back and stared at the sky. It was a beautiful day in Aincrad, apparently one of the best. He smiled as the sun bathed him in it's warm glow. When he saw that there were no monsters near him, he actually closed his eyes, keeping his sword and shield close to him just in case. His mind was still a buzz with thought but this time they were more helpful. He thought back to his real life mistakes. He remembered all the trouble he had gotten in and how he had managed to get past them. His parents had made up a sort of advice/proverb to help him get along.

"If you don't get up every time you fall, you'll never be able to go forward." he said it to himself, remembering the meaning. He couldn't let this failure get in the way of his ultimate goal. He had to get up and keep moving forward. He smiled and stood up, making his way back to Starter City.

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He made his way to the blacksmiths shop that he had been to before. As he entered, he heard the pounding of a hammer from the back room. "Excuse me sir!" he shouted over the noise and the hammering stopped. A few heavy footsteps later and the man was visible, wearing an apron.

"Oh, hello there young man. What can I do for you?" He asked.

"I would like to know what you've done with that material I sold you." Angel told him, his curiosity getting the best of him.

"Well, I was just about to work on it, if you'd like to watch." He asked and Angel nodded, a grin slowly appearing on his lips.

"Yes sir." He responded and the NPC lead him to the back room.

Angel could see the tusk resting in the furnace, becoming red hot as it heated up. Angel stood near the anvil as the old blacksmith brought out the hot material and placed it on the anvil. Then he readied his hammer and struck it. Angel watched as the man worked, each strike downloaded into his memory for later. The old man struck the tusk one last time and it glowed, forming a shield shape.

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When the shield stopped glowing, Angel needed to take a deep breath. The shield was beautiful in design. It was curved at the top and had a pointed bottom. The shield was 3 feet at its widest and about an inch 1/2 thick. A series of bumps and studs were on the front of the shield, giving it a rough complexion. To some they wouldn't think much of the design but Angel knew better. He realized that the various bumps were there for distributing damage to the entire shield to that one spot didn't take a huge amount of damage. The main thing that he noticed though, was a small spike in the center of the shield. It was almost 6 inches long and had a wicked point. The spike seemed to be made of an actual boar tusk, its white, ivory appearance dazzling Angel.

"There. That's what I did with your material." The blacksmith chuckled as he picked up the shield. Then he glanced over at Angel. "Why don't you give it a few swings kid?" He asked as he handed the shield to Angel. The young adventurer gingerly took the item and slipped it on, putting his arms into the slots provided. He strapped the rest of it on and held it in on his arm. It was surprisingly light for its appearance. Angel swung the shield away from his body, like he would in combat. The shield felt really good in his hands.

"How much you want for it?" he asked as the blacksmith started to return to the front of his shop.

"Pardon?" He asked.

"How much for the shield?" Angel repeated himself.

The NPC scratched his head. Then he seemed to get a twinkle in his eye that Angel thought to be a glitch. "How about you do me a favor?"

((Under the impression that the NPC is at least a level three smith))

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At first, Angel wasn't sure what he meant at first, but once the <> window popped up he understood.

"It's a simple quest really. All I need you to do it to visit a player blacksmith and have then sign off on the form that comes with the quest. Then return here for your shield. Deal?" Angel's hand hovered over the accept button for a moment or two before pressing it and accepting the quest. Along with his Quest Log being updated, he also received an item that went into his inventory automatically. He opened his menu and scrolled through his inventory until he came upon the Quest Item, <>. After inspecting it, he understood that he needed to trade it with the blacksmith that he chose, have them sign off on it, and then they'd give it back. He nodded and after looking back at the shield, he set out to complete his quest.

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Angel smiled as he walked into the NPC's shop, completed form in hand. He walked up the the grinning man and handed him the form. Almost instantly after the transaction was made, a bright <> banner popped up in his field of vision. The form disappeared as the man smiled. "Good work kid. Now let me ask you something; what did you learn?"

Angel smiled as he told the NPC what he had told the shop owner. "I learned how important it is to be a blacksmith and how we need to properly equip the players of this world. We are the difference between life and death. If we don't make good items, people could die. And I plan to help people live." He said with a smile.

The NPC nodded and reached behind the counter, taking out the large shield. "It's yours kid. Enjoy it." He gave Angel the shield and went into the back room. Angel quickly equipped the shield and attached it to his arm. The weight was fantastic as he swung it around and held it close to himself. He drew his sword and held both of them in his hands. They seemed like a perfect duo. Angel sheathed the sword and put away the shield. Then he glanced into the back room. The man was busy at work. Angel slowly walked into the back room. "Excuse me sir, but do you think that I could attempt to use your facility one more time?"

The old blacksmith nodded. "I'd be happy to."

http://www.sao-rpg.com/viewtopic.php?f=63&t=1562 - Proof of signing

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The fire was hot as Angel put in one of his <>. He was determined to make one of the best swords he could this time. The tusks seemed to have worked on the shield, so why not the sword?

When the item was red hot, Angel used the tongs to set it on the anvil. Then he took the hammer and struck it repeatedly. He kept the image of his sword in mind, a one handed longsword with a beautiful design and a strong blade. As he struck the tusk for the final time, it started to glow. "Come on, help me out here." He silently prayed.

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As the longsword formed, Angel felt like crying. It was even worse then the previous swords he had made. The blade looked brittle, the handle was terrible, and it didn't even look like a sword. Angel's knees were weak but he still managed to stand. His blood was boiling. He took the sword and threw it against the wall with an aggravated yell. Of course it shattered into a million pixels.

"What'd you do that for!?" The blacksmith shouted.

Angel breathed quietly. Then he opened his inventory and took out another <>, leaving him with only three left. Angel carefully placed it in the fire and stoked the flames. "I've still got one more chance." He told himself. "One more chance." After the item was hot, he took it out of the forge and placed it on the anvil. Then he struck it repeatedly. His heart and emotions were being put into this sword and Angel knew it. He pounded the material until it began to glow. Then he stood back and waited.