Jae 0 Posted January 24 Author #21 Share Posted January 24 (edited) Jae paused for a moment, the remnants of her shattered attempts scattered at her feet like broken promises. The heat from the forge clung to her skin, seeping into her very bones, but it no longer felt like a punishment. The flames had become her crucible, and she, the metal—tempered, not destroyed. The fractured pieces at her side gleamed like jagged stars, pieces of her soul that refused to submit. The weight of them was heavy, yet strangely freeing, a reminder that even in failure, she was something more than she had been when she walked in. Callum approached, his steady footsteps the only sound beside the faint crackling of embers. He stood at her side, the warmth of his presence contrasting the coldness she had wrapped herself in. His gaze rested on the pieces of armor, his expression unreadable. "You’ve come a long way," he said, his voice carrying the weight of a quiet, knowing truth. "These... are just steps on the road. Every blacksmith, every craftsman, knows that failure is a companion. But it’s one you don’t learn to fear. You learn to work with it." Jae glanced at him, the words flickering against her pride like an ember. She had no words, not yet. The fire still burned inside her—too bright, too sharp to be ignored—but she understood. She had been forging something here today, something far more intricate than the metal in front of her. Callum bent down, his calloused hands moving with careful deliberation as he retrieved a small bundle from his satchel. He handed it to her—a collection of five new materials, ordinary compared to what she had used before, but still valuable in their own way. “I’ve seen enough. These should be enough for you to practice, to refine what you've learned today. Don’t let it be the end.” He looked at her then, something almost like approval flickering in his gaze. "You don’t have to be perfect, You just need to keep forging. If you stop now, you’ll never learn how much fire you can withstand." Jae’s fingers closed around the materials. They were cool to the touch, smooth and simple—nothing like the rare ores she had brought with her. Yet, they felt like a quiet promise. It was up to her now, what she would make of them. Without a word, she carefully tucked the materials into her bag. Her gaze then drifted to the side of the forge where her blade rested—Veilpiercer. The longsword was a thing of beauty, its form as perfect as she had ever hoped. The blade shimmered under the dim light, a quiet testament to her strength and focus, even if it was the only success she'd earned in this endeavor. With deliberate care, Jae reached for the sword, feeling the cool steel settle into her grip like an old friend. She strapped it across her back, the weight both reassuring and familiar. She could feel the pulse of the weapon, the blood of her ambition running through it. As the door to the forge opened, the air outside was sharp, cool—the remnants of the day’s heat still lingering in the stone and metal of the city. She stepped into it, the clinking of her gear a quiet companion as she set off toward her home. "Not that it's worth much," Callum announces with a grin, "but that item's got my seal of approval. Good luck with your own smithy!" Jae met his words with silence and quiet contemplation. *** The path to the Floor Gate stretched ahead, the last steps before she would leave Floor 01 behind. The city’s hustle and bustle fell away as she moved toward the gate, leaving the crowded stone streets for the quieter roads that led out of the city. The towering walls of the city seemed to grow distant, their sharp edges softened by the approach of the natural world. The air grew fresher, the pulse of the city replaced by the whispers of the wind through the trees, as she made her way toward the towering gates that separated this floor from the next. The transition was always a strange one—the way the world seemed to shift from the clamor of civilization to the stillness of the wilderness beyond. She passed through the gates without pause, the weight of her pack on her shoulders and the sword on her back grounding her as the walls of Floor 01 faded into the distance. The journey to Floor 02 was long but familiar. The city’s towering stone structures gave way to dense woods and twisting paths, the sounds of life fading behind her as the world shifted into the tranquility of the trees. Her path led her to the hollow in the branches of a towering tree—a small, solitary place far removed from the bustle of the city. Her home. Or as close to it as she could claim. A simple space carved from nature itself, where the cool wind rustled through the leaves and the shadows whispered secrets. The hollow was small, just enough for her to sleep, to rest, but little else. Her belongings were few—just the basics she had scavenged or earned through hard work. She was poor, even by the standards of those in Aincrad, and still at Level 1. Every item she owned felt like a treasure, each step in her progress like pulling herself from a deep well. The emerald-eye'd huntress let out a slow breath and sank to the floor, the exhaustion of the day settling into her bones. Her hand traced the curve of Veilpiercer's hilt, feeling the familiar shape. She closed her eyes, allowing herself a moment of stillness. Tomorrow, she would return to the forge, maybe with more materials, maybe with new insight. But tonight, she allowed herself the gift of rest, knowing that failure had not broken her. It had only sharpened her resolve. And as the winds whispered through the trees, the forge’s flame still flickered somewhere in the distance, burning brightly in the dark. Quote [Complete | Close Thread ] [Thank you @morningstar | @Beautifully Ciela] Word Count EXP (WPE): [14,499]/10 * 1 = 1449 Pages Col (PC): 400 * 1 (20 Posts) count = 400 *** <<Jae>> receives the following: Tier: Player’s True Tier - 1 EXP: [WCE - 1,449 * Tier - 1] + [quest: Earning A Living (300)] + [other bonuses: none that I can see] = 1,749 EXP Col: [PC/numPlayer] (unless otherwise agreed on by participants) + [other bonuses] = 400 Col Mats: (If applicable) = 5 Items: (If applicable) = Veil-Piercer Other Thread Rewards: (Skills and such) = Blacksmith Profession + Able to open shop Edited January 26 by Jae Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts