[F01 - PP] <<Earning a Living: Blacksmith>>

[Invader 0]

Spoiler

"Players, I wish you the best of luck."

"O-Okay..." Invader mumbled, blinking as the reality of their situation began to settle in. The Game Master degraded into crimson ooze, shlorped out of view through the cracks in the bright red warning panel cocoon that had enveloped the town square. Then, quicker than it had materialized, the barrier vanished, leaving behind a confused and terrified populace that had no idea what to do. The weather, NPCs, and bustle of the Town of Beginnings carried on as though uninterrupted, save for once distinct difference; the Players were silent.

Invader turned to Gideon and started to speak, only for the sudden outburst of mass delirium to govern precedence over his voice. All around them, Players swirled about as though riding a carousel of hysteria, shrieking and shouting and running into one another. Some were angry, others sad, others petrified. Amid the maelstrom of negativity, Invader couldn't keep the crooked grin from crawling across his face. The situation was absolutely fucked, and he didn't blame anyone else for reacting in the way that they did. But, on that same note, Invader saw a glimmer of opportunity.

"Come on!" he shouted above the racket as he grasped her arm, unsure if she would even be able to hear him. "We gotta get out of this sea of jackasses before they trample us! This way!"

He tugged on her arm and began leading her from the storm, shoving past the frenzied lunatics as best he could on his way to a narrow alleyway that splintered off from the square proper. When they'd finally made it, he released Gideon and grabbed hold of some crates stacked against a nearby brick wall, hoisting them into the entrance to the alley in an attempt to dissuade the other Players from taking it amid their panic. To his surprise, it worked, and the drones began filtering other directions to make their escape. 

They continued down the shaded alley until they'd reached a point where they could hear their own thoughts again. Invader took a seat on some stairs that led to a back door of sorts, exhaling steadily as he did what he could to quell the surges of adrenaline that coursed through his veins. His gaze shifted up and transfixed to Gideon's, heavy breaths the only utterance share between them for a moment.

"Wow," he finally chortled, sitting up straight and stretching his torso. "That was... unexpected."

There was silence for a moment.

"What do you wanna do?"

[Gideon 0]

Spoiler

LEVEL 1
HEALTH  20
ENERGY 2
DAMAGE 6

2HSS (Novice) - +3 DMG
Queen's Gambit (Rare 2HSS | 2 DMG) | Starter Healing Potions x 3

Gideon's mind whirled as Invader dragged her through the crowd. As chaos reigned around them, her tiny frame bounced off bodies like a pinball off bumpers. Of course, she was so lost in thought that the usual annoyed comments and "watch where you're going"s were left unspoken. Instead, she simply jogged after the familiar bluenette as he tugged her along. Only after he had ushered them into a side alley, and constructed a surprisingly sturdy wall out of crates, did Gideon finally speak.

"Well damn."

Despite the choice of words, not a hint of fear or disappointment lingered in her storm-blue eyes. In fact, it was a flushed excitement that rode high on her cheeks, and a broad grin that spoke of eager amusement. The expression remained as the pair ventured deeper into the city's labyrinth of alleyways. When Invader finally slowed to a halt, dropping onto a nearby stoop, Gideon simply gazed down at him. Her chest rose and fell with the wild exertion, and the adrenaline continued to pump like gasoline through an engine, but she still wore that goofy smile.

"Unexpected?" she echoed, then shook her head, sending her short mane of dark hair flying. "If by that you mean totally awesome, then yeah." The girl reached both hands back, clasping her fingers behind her head, and turning a slow three-sixty. While the dingy alley was hardly a wonder to look at, the novelty of the full-dive technology had yet to wear off. Especially now.

"We're trapped in a video game," she stated, awe in every word. "All of us. The world is probably going absolutely batshit after that announcement. Total panic mode, just like all of those people." Releasing her hands, she motioned with one toward the direction they'd come. "I bet it's all over the internet, and every news channel." There was an oddly manic element to her voice when met Invader's gaze, and added, "And we're here, in the center of it all. It doesn't get any cooler than that."

When her companion asked her what she wanted to do, Gideon replied with a one-shouldered shrug. "Dunno. I guess what we normally do at the start of a new game - try to get some money so we can get better gear." She dragged her bottom lip between her teeth thoughtfully, then added, "Gotta assume a big city like this has job opportunities, right? Little tasks we can do for cash?"

[Invader 0]

As Invader took in Gideon's expression, awash with infectious excitement and enthusiasm, his features relaxed and a cocky grin of his own stretched unevenly toward his right ear. Apprehension to allow his own excitement to be shown evaporated like the sweat from his slick skin, and he mimicked her in lacing his own fingers together against the back of his head. He leaned back against the door, flicked his head forward, and allowed the cheesy sunglasses he'd purchased earlier to fall from their resting place atop his head to the bridge of his nose. They landed crookedly, and low, but masked his eyes nonetheless.

"Damn, we're fucked up," he thought aloud. "Both worlds on fire, and all we wanna do is play." Despite the acknowledgement of their situation, and their unorthodox reaction to it, Invader couldn't bring himself to feel guilty, or even feign disappointment in his tone. "Guess these shades weren't the smartest purchase. If I would have known death was permanent, I may have prioritized safety over fashion." The goofy grin expanded a little further, before, "Probably not, though."

"Suppose you're right, though. As much as I hate the idea of doing 'work' at the start of our extended vacation, we could use the c-" Cut short by a sudden tilt and surge of vertigo, Invader unceremoniously fell backward as the door gave way behind him. "Shit!" he bellowed instinctively as his skull cracked against the hard concrete, though he didn't feel the pain he expected. Numbness instead permeated the point of impact, distracting him from the rather large man that now hovered above him. When his eyes finally found their focus against the rough visage of the NPC, he only blinked.

"A blacksmith, eh? Well, you've come to the right place!" the man announced.

"What," came Invader's blunt response.

"May not be the easiest or prettiest lifestyle, but the ole' anvil won't let you down when you need some sturdy weapons and armors."

"... What."

The man then strode back into his shop, secured a red-hot sword, and began hammering away. Invader cast a puzzled look toward Gideon, grinned, then cocked his head indoors before scrambling to his feet and following the NPC inside. "Tell you what. Go scrounge up five pieces of ore and I'll show you how to use 'em along with a hammer of your own. There should be plenty in the caves past the southern forest--heck, you may even find some layin' around half-buried in the dirt! Just bring 'em here and we'll make you into a proper blacksmith."

Just what had they stumbled upon? Frenzied clamoring and muffled sobbing could still be heard outside the shop, but here was "Cerdic Leighton," hammering away in his shop without a care in the world. Wait a second... Cerdic? Really? Was that a typo? On launch day. Nice one, Kayaba.

Putting aside the laziness of the devs, Invader shifted his attention back to his companion and shrugged. "You said we should look for a job. This sounds like one. Up for the task?"

[Gideon 0]

Gideon's snort was unladylike, and loud enough to fill the alleyway. "Yeah, bullshit," she shot back, jabbing a finger in the air toward her friend. "You loved those sunglasses the moment you saw them, and you'd have bought them no matter what." She grinned at him, the expression somehow both jubilant and fierce at the same time. "Don't even try to pretend otherwise."

When Invader disappeared from her line of sight, falling backward as if a rug had been pulled out from beneath him, Gideon lunged forward. The young woman made no move to draw a sword (did she even have one of those yet?), and all caution was flung to the wind as she grabbed for him. Later, she would reflect on that moment, and realize how stupid it was; if she hoped to survive, she would need a better reaction strategy than "throw myself at the danger with reckless abandon." But in that moment, all she thought of was him.

When the concrete floor rose to meet him, and she realized he was only in danger of getting his bell rung, Gideon's hands fell to her side. No, not being sucked into some black hole, or swallowed up by some unseen force. Maybe the creator's announcement had shaken her up a bit more than she realized. Not that she would ever admit as much.

Gideon relaxed even further when the gentle-giant of an NPC stared down at the pair of them. His clearly pre-recorded lines smoothed any nerves that remained frayed. 

"Blacksmith?" Gideon echoed. "Like, the kind that put shoes on horses?" The girl's face crumpled in disgust. "No way in hell. But if you're into that kind of thing, lead the way. You just have to promise to help me get my job next. Deal?"

[Invader 0]

Invader rolled his eyes as Gideon raised her nose at the concept of being a lowly blacksmith, but otherwise maintained his intrigued grin as he reaffixed his eyes to 'Cerdic.' "Don't mind her," he reassured the NPC, who, judging by the blank expression worn across his face, wasn't the least bit perturbed by his companion's abrasiveness. "I would like to become a blacksmith, because I think that's pretty neat. Banging metal with hammers and stuff, am I right?" So he pressed "Accept" on the quest inquiry that had populated before him, and that was that.

"Splendid!" Cerdic responded instantly. "I'll be waiting for you to return with the ore!" With that, the NPC hastily jerked back into its standard routine, almost as though forgetting the pair was present within his business. Invader widened his grin as he shot a glance toward Gideon, sauntering past her and back out into the alley from whence they came.

"Kind of a boring quest," he admitted once they were outside. "I'll understand if you don't actually want to do a job like this once we're done." Though he carried a cheery tone, it was clear he was trying to get out of his end of the bargain Gideon had imposed. It was all fun and games to get a job of his own, but helping someone else do it? That sounded even more boring than what he was already doing.

Not that he didn't expect Gideon to tag along, anyways.

Once the pair had made their way out of the southern Town of Beginnings, Invader took a moment to gather his bearings and make sure they were headed the right direction. He blinked as he looked over the seemingly endless rolling plains, trying to discern if the information Cerdic had given him was accurate. "That can't be it, right?" he asked Gideon as he pointed toward the horizon, where a small grouping of trees and unfathomable distance away waited for them. "Dude said past the southern forest. So you're telling me we gotta walk all the way over there, then get through the forest, then find five of these ores?" A brief pause as he let his hand fall back to his side. "Unreal."

Spoiler

Searching for materials.
ID: 177919
LD: 8 | Fail

 

[Gideon 0]

Gideon pursed her lips. "Yeah, I may decide I don't want a job," she answered thoughtfully. "But then you'll have to buy me everything I want." Her blue eyes fired devilishly as she glanced up at him. "Not that I mind having a sugar daddy, but I didn't really want it to be you." Spreading her arms wide, Gideon stretched dramatically, satisfied with the crack that came from the middle of her back. "Besides," she finally drawled, "what would I do all day while you were at work? Stay home? Knit?" Good humor danced along every line and curve of her face, indicating even she knew that wasn't quite how a MMORPG worked. But there was some truth to her words - if her best friend was going to have a profession, she was damn well going to have one, too.

As her arms dropped back to her sides, Gideon noticed a glimmer of something silver by boot. Without missing a beat, she stooped, scooped up the item, and held it at eye level. "Huh," she mused aloud. "Wonder if this is one of the thingers you're looking for." She narrowed her gaze, focusing intently on the item. When the popup informed her she had acquired a <<rock>>, she flicked it away with an eyeroll.

When Invader pointed out where they had to go, Gideon scoffed along with him. "This is one of those quests where we just run all over the map, isn't it" She shook her head. "When do we unlock our mounts? Or get speeders, or something? This is going to be such a waste of time."

Spoiler

Searching for materials.
ID: 177921
LD: 12 | Fail

 

[Invader 0]

"Mounts huh?" Invader grumbled as he began to slouch where he stood, rapidly losing steam as the monumental distance to their goal seemed to spread ever wider and wider before his eyes. "Can think of a few names I might give one," he thought aloud, before, "'Stunt Double.' 'Feta' for a goat. 'Necessities' for a bear. 'Your mom.' The possibilities are endless."

Clearly Invader was proud of his little nickname tirade, and that pride would have been evident in his eyes had the sunlight's gleam against his sunglasses not hidden them. But beyond the glossy zeal, they had become transfixed against a shiny object hidden in the grass nearby. If he hadn't known any better, he'd have sworn Gideon flicked it there just moments before. And while she found it useless, Invader felt compelled to pick it up and take a look himself. He took a few steps forward, scooped up the mineral remnant, and examined its properties. 

"<<Ore>>," he announced flatly, casting an accusing glare toward Gideon. Had she intentionally discarded it just to spite him?

"The fuck?" she shot back. "No it isn't."

So he meandered closer to her and popped whatever personal space bubble she may have had, positioning himself in such a way that she could take a gander herself. "<<Ore>>," he reiterated.

Spoiler

Searching for materials.
ID: 177922
LD: 20 | Success
1/5 materials gathered.

 

[Gideon 0]

"What fresh bullshit is that?" she muttered. "It absolutely did not say ore a second ago. It said rock." As she spoke, Gideon gesticulated wildly. Suddenly realizing, she dropped her hands to her sides. "I totally wouldn't have thrown it out if it had been ore." She slanted him a look, then added, "I wouldn't have given it to you, but I wouldn't have pitched it, either. Wonder if I could get any money for it."

Or would she need a job for that sort of thing, too? Was all forward progress, all future money-making, locked behind a stupid profession quest line? Gideon brooded as she watched Invader send the item to his inventory. No, she would not allow herself to fall behind just because he got to get his profession before she did. She was totally capable of making her own money, and her own way in this virtual world.

"Alright," she announced suddenly, summoning her own inventory. She called forth her sword, and tried not to look too impressed when it appeared in her hand. "I'm going to go kill that boar real quick. Wait here."

Without another word, the mousy woman hefted the monstrous beginner blade, and jogged toward the unsuspecting pig. Unfortunately, she moved a little too slowly, and the boar saw her coming. It snorted, then trotted a few paces off.

Unsuspecting Pig: 10/10 HP | 3 DMG

Gideon: 20/20 HP | 0/2 EN | 6 DMG
#177931 BD: 3 MISS

[Invader 0]

Invader couldn't help but burst into barely mitigated laughter as he witnessed Gideon's blunder. "It didn't even care!" he squeaked amid the giggles, feigning wiping a tear from his eye. "Aren't you supposed to be the DPS of the party? Guess I might need to look around for someone with a little more experience," he taunted, only realizing after he'd let the words slip that he may have gone a tad too far. 

Not the one to admit his mistake, however, he decided to double down on his insult. "Watch and learn, little lady. You went too slow is the problem. If you'd just rushed at it, like this..." He blasted forth, running as quickly as his legs would carry him toward the boar. It was around halfway through his jaunt that he realized he didn't have a weapon of his own, and didn't exactly know what he was doing. What was he supposed to do? Just take a swing at the thing.

Yeah. That's exactly what he was going to do.

But somewhere along the line, between realizing the folly of his weaponless condition, running too quickly to slow down with any reasonable utility, and awkwardly readying his fist, Invader seemed to lose the grace with which he'd started out the endeavor. His boot slipped against the loamy soil and sent his upper body pitching forward, fist landing in the grass a few feet from its target. Invader raised his jaw upward, mouth full of dirt and grass, casting his eyes on the creature just in time to witness it plowing forward and burying its tusks directly into his forehead.

Spoiler

[H: 0] Invader: HP: 19/20 | EN: 0/2 | DMG: 1 | MIT: 17 | THNS: 9
[H: 0] Gideon: HP: 20/20 | EN: 0/2 | DMG: 6

Invader used [x1] Clumsy Punch, -2 EN FOR MISS

Unsuspecting Pig: HP: 1/10 | DMG: 3 | ID: 177939 | BD: 3, Miss | MD: 6, Hit for 3-17=1 DMG | THORNS DEALS 9 DMG

 

[Gideon 0]

"Woooooow," Gideon drawled, blue gaze tracking Invader as he sailed through the air. Instinctively, she had checked his health bar for any sign of real danger. When only the tiniest sliver had been chipped away, she let that odd mixture of amusement and annoyance beat back the immediate fear. "So that's how it's done, huh?" Stabbing the pointy end of her sword into the ground, Gideon shook back her cap of black hair, giving it a fluff with both hands before planting them on her hips. "I'll be damned, I had no idea that the secret to winning Sword Art Online was getting your ass kicked. You must have read the guide or something."

Tilting her head slightly, she watched as Invader clumsily found his feet again. "You don't even have a sword," she realized suddenly. At the absurdity of it all, laughter bubbled up from deep within her. "What do you plan to do?" she managed between bouts of laughter. "Headbutt it, like it headbutt you?" The girl held up both hands, palms outstretched, in a "you do you" gesture. "I'd love to see it."

Spoiler

[H: 0] Invader: HP: 19/20 | EN: 0/2 | DMG: 1 | MIT: 17 | THNS: 9
[H: 0] Gideon: HP: 20/20 | EN: 1/2 | DMG: 6

Gideon takes no action.

Unsuspecting Pig: HP: 1/10 | DMG: 3 |

 

[Invader 0]

Though embarrassed, Invader stood tall and planted his closed fists against his hips and puffed out his chest in defiant bravado. His pride had taken a greater blow than his health meter, but with a bit of acting and plausible deniability, he could still bounce back. "Of course I meant to do that," he lied. "Check it out."

A single index finger protruded from his fast as he rose his arm toward the pissed off pig. The health gauge that encircled it had been shredded to near nothingness, adopting a desperate crimson to contrast the vibrant verdant it had possessed only moments before. "It's on the brink now. Should be able to take it out no problem. Thanks to these handy-dandy shades, I've got Thorns damage now. One prick from these bad boys, and the HP comes tumbling down. Quite a bit handier than missing with that sword of yours, eh?"

He snickered to himself a bit. It was the perfect storm of visual aid and bullshittery; just believable enough to not make him look quite as stupid as he had a moment prior. Now, all he had to do was not fuck it up.

Might be difficult, considering he was absolutely going to try to headbutt it to death just to spite Gideon. He'd already lied about his slip up and sunglasses. They didn't have Thorns. Of course they didn't have Thorns. But he'd be damned if he backed down after all that shit he just talked. 

But when he lunged forward with his skull trained on the mob and missed, again, he came to realize that doubling down had just undid all of the "progress" he'd made saving face and more than likely dug himself a deeper hole.

Spoiler

[H: 0] Invader: HP: 19/20 | EN: 0/2 | DMG: 1 | MIT: 17 | THNS: 9
[H: 0] Gideon: HP: 20/20 | EN: 1/2 | DMG: 6

Invader used [x1] Clumsy Headbutt, -2 EN FOR MISS

Unsuspecting Pig: HP: 1/10 | DMG: 3 | ID: 178418 | BD: 4, Miss | MD: 3, Miss

 

[Gideon 0]

Gideon's lips pursed in evident disbelief. "Right," she stated finally. "Your sunglasses have thorns. So what happens, the boar gets too close, pokes himself on them, then runs away?" Then her blue eyes narrowed suspiciously. Was that really so far out of the realm of possibilities? This was a video game, after all. Gideon had seen string bikinis with high enough mitigation values to protect a player in other games, so maybe sunglasses could kill a mob? Still unlikely, but not impossible.

Then another realization dawned. "But the only way you can deal thorns damage is if you get hit, right?" The girl spread her hands, motioning to the nearly-dead piggy. "So if Babe here decides he doesn't want to deal with you anymore, and just refuses to hit you, you can't kill him?" The absurdity of it was on par with a dental-floss-clad tank. "These systems are so weird."

Hands once more planted on her hips, Gideon called, "Well, go get him to shish kabob himself on your glasses so we can get a move on."

Spoiler

[H: 0] Invader: HP: 19/20 | EN: 0/2 | DMG: 1 | MIT: 17 | THNS: 9
[H: 0] Gideon: HP: 20/20 | EN: 2/2 | DMG: 6

Gideon takes no action.

Unsuspecting Pig: HP: 1/10 | DMG: 3 | 

 

[Invader 0]

"With pleasure," Invader muttered as he scrambled to his feet and stared daggers at the mob. At this point, his cheeks were flushed with embarrassment, and the grin he'd worn only moments before had given way to a menacing scowl. To the casual onlooker, it was probably quite the humorous sight - a grown man sneering at a pig while it blankly stared back at him with passive indignance. The fact that it wasn't dead yet was almost enough to send Invader over the edge. Almost.

It was time to get serious. Whatever that meant.

"Alright, Porky..." he started as he took a few careful steps forward, his movements slow and measured so as not to spook the tepid creature and send it sprinting across the field. One painstaking inch closer after another through tiptoeing that probably seemed reminiscent of a Scooby Doo cartoon, Invader bided his time, patiently waiting for the right moment to strike. Then, at least it presented itself.

"YEEHAW!" the blunette bellowed as he leapt onto the creature's back, bear hugging it with all of his might as it shrieked and flailed its bulbous body about. Invader smashed his forehead into the skull of the creature, delivering what final bit of damage was necessary to put it out of its misery once and for all. In a burst of prismatic azure, it evaporated, leaving behind Invader and a screen that presented a list of his spoils.

"See? I told you, it's all in the- wait a second..." He scrolled through the list for a moment. "Not enough materials. Damn. Wait a sec, why did I get ore from a pig anyways? Was it eating the shit?" Then, another line caught his eye. He tapped on it and, in a ribbon of light, a basic shield was produced and placed in his hands. "Uhhh... the hell's this? Boars usually drop shields, you think?"

Spoiler

[H: 2] Invader: HP: 19/20 | EN: 0/2 | DMG: 1 | MIT: 17 | THNS: 9
[H: 0] Gideon: HP: 20/20 | EN: 1/2 | DMG: 6

Invader used [x1] Clumsy Headbutt, -1 EN

Unsuspecting Pig: HP: 0/10 | DMG: 3 | ID: 178828 | BD: 9, Hit for 2 DMG | Unsuspecting Pig defeated

Looting
Unsuspecting Pig
ID: 178829
LD: 18 | CD: 5
50 col
(2) T1 Materials
(1) T1 Rare Consumable [ID: 178829A]
(1) T1 Rare Armor/Shield [ID: 178829B]
3/5 materials gathered.

 

[Gideon 0]

Gideon had never been especially skilled when it came to masking her emotions. Even if she had been, it was unlikely that she would have been able to keep the grin from her face as she watched data rain down around her friend. As he eyed his winnings, she drifted up behind him, straining to read over his shoulder. As he stood quite a bit taller than she did, it was not especially easy. He had only just commented on the ore when she had managed to read it for herself. "It's probably because you killed it in such a weird-ass way," she informed him. "I mean, I'm no expert, but I'm going to guess that most players don't ride their enemies to death." With a snort of laughter, the small girl stated, "Poor dude probably didn't know what hit him."

As the shield materialized in Invader's hands, Gideon tilted her head. "Huh," she managed, clearly intrigued. "Pig had a shield? Wonder where he was keeping it the whole time."

Spoiler

Searching for mats.
ID: #181302 | LD: 5. Fail.