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Chapter 2/ 2.5 months in
-Floor 3, Dungeon, one day later-
"Hey, you're in a guild?" Kira asked, surprised, when Dark accepted the party invite and she saw the guild symbol. It's emblem was a black dragon wrapped around a skull.
"Draconis Eluvium. Don't ask about the name, it was a random thought. I created it so people would stop begging me to join theirs." Dark replied.
"Oh, that's pretty smart. Apparently I've got a reputation as a solo player. You and that Kirito guy have one too. You two are kind of hated, though, for being Beaters." Kira said.
"I've heard a few rumors about myself, it makes me laugh sometimes. Apparently, I'm the only player so far to find a battle scythe. People have started calling me 'Reaper' or 'Angel of Death'. I think it's stupid. My name is Dark, I don't need a title." Dark said.
"I feel you. I've got people begging me to join parties and guilds." Kira sighed.
"You want to join mine then? You're the only player I'm really fond of here, I'd be fine with being a Duo player." Dark offered.
"Sure, we're already partied together." Kira agreed. Dark sent the invite and Kira accepted. The back of her cloak and the previously blank emblem on her chest plate and pauldrons changed to the emblem of Draconis Eluvium.
"I like it. Did you make it?" Kira asked, meaning the emblem.
"I did. Here." Dark said, opening up a trade request instead of closing her menu after the invite. Curious, Kira accepted and found a strange item being traded.
"What's that?" She asked.
"It's technically a helmet item, but it isn't a real helmet." Dark replied. Kira accepted the item and equipped it, Dark did the same with one of her own. It was more of a mask than a helmet. If Kira were to compare it to anything else, it would be to the skull of a dragon made of metal. Most helmets that had great aesthetic purposes weren't very practical, but these ones had great stats.
"How did you get these?" Kira asked, pulling hers off and examining it. There were four horns that curved backwards, two of them smaller than the others, and the jaws were open slightly. The snout was very short and rounded off, showing that the drakelings it was modeled after were very young. The eyes were open so they could see, though from outside it looked like there was nothing behind it
"I reforged them from those two rare helmets Kirito gave me. If your armorsmithing is high enough, and the item's power around yours, then you can reforge any armor in the shape of any other armor. Those drakes at the end of floor 2 dropped their skulls, which could be worn as crappy helmets, that are really only used for selling. I thought they looked cool so I reforged the helmets into them." Dark explained.
"Wait, I saw that in the guidebook. It averages the combined stats and caries over the strongest unique effects, depending on your smithing level. How did you get it so high already?" Kira asked.
"Look at our level differences." Dark said. Kira looked and saw their levels. They were both level 20.
"Wait, you had like 6 levels on me before. You've only leveled up three times?" Kira asked.
"I spent most of my time improving my smithing and tailoring skills. I've got good weaponsmithing, but it's nowhere near tailoring and armorsmithing. I've dabbled a bit with cooking, too." Dark said.
"How do you have such high skills? You must have only slept like once every other day." Kira said.
"Close, an hour a day and I'm fine. I've got a nice case of insomnia going for me, this game is reducing it so that I sleep that full hour somehow, but normally I'd only sleep a few hours every few days." Dark explained.
"I didn't even know it was possible to have so many skills... most people only have one prominent skill..." Kira said.
"That's because it takes a lot of time and effort to get your skills into the higher milestones needed for the advanced stuff. Me having 23 hours a day, give or take, to do whatever I want; I naturally have more time to kill. I am a Beater, so I know what's useful later and what's only good early. Being able to craft, reforge and maintain your own gear is very important. Being able to sell your services just as important." Dark explained as Kira replaced the helmet.
"I heard rumor that there's an energy potion you can make by grinding the leaves of an herb you can find in the forests throughout floors 2 and up. I've got a high gathering skill and My highest skill, at least not combat related, is Alchemy. I can experiment with it and see if I can create energy boosts so I can do that then." Kira said with a thoughtful expression.
"That's interesting. I was going to invest in Alchemy, in later floors potions are high value items to have, but I decided cooking to be more my forte." Dark said, equally interested.
"If we stick together for the rest of the game, or at least for a long time, we could tailor our skills to balance out and match each other." Kira suggested.
"That is a good idea. Let's search for these herbs and anything else of use. The front line isn't too far in so the dungeon should still be relatively full." Dark agreed.
-Floor 3, Main village-
"You're seriously wearing those Drakeling Skulls?" One of the player item vendors asked as Dark and Kira passed his stand.
"They're just reforged to look like them. How much Cil would you be willing to drop if I sold you misc materials and common drops?" Dark answered.
"Eh, more than most NPC shops. Let's see what you got." The vendor started, opening up his shop menu as Dark did the same. "But I warn ya, I buy cheap and sell cheap." He continued.
"I'm not too interested in high income at the moment, just clearing up my inventory." Dark said, dragging a large group of items from her inventory into his sell menu. "How much can that get me?" She continued.
"Hey you've got some really uncommon stuff in here, and some of these items don't even drop on respawns... you sure you want to sell some of it?" The man asked.
"Anything I don't want to keep that's worth selling is there." Dark assured him.
"Alright. If we looked at the system sell prices, you'd be getting around 10k, but I'd give you as much as 20k if you really wanted." The vendor said after a moment of calculating.
"I'll take 12k, then." Dark said.
"Done." The man replied. "I'm Egil by the way, and with some of the stuff you just sold me I'll be able to open a real shop... Come by when it's finished, it'll be in higher floors." He continued.
"Dark, I will." Dark replied. They nodded to each other in a sort of bow and kept walking.
"If he would have given you 20k why not accept it?" Kira asked, falling back into pace with Dark.
"This is still really early. The only reason he had so much is because he obviously gets a lot of business with his 'buy cheap sell cheap' attitude. Besides, I'd rather help a player out by giving them a good deal than clean him out. Favors and friendships are some of the most important things to gather in a place like this." Dark answered.
"Makes sense. Where are we going now?" Kira asked.
"You don't have to follow me, you can find out where I am by looking at your map since we're in the same party and guild. I'm heading over to the best forge I can find, the rest of my armor needs a tuneup. I don't have a mobile forge on me." Dark replied.
"I like spending time with you, I learn so much and I enjoy your company." Kira admitted.
"I've started to enjoy yours as well, and I'm happy to help." Dark said in reply.
"Hey, you're a Beater aren't you?" Someone said before either of them could speak again.
"Does it matter?" Dark replied.
"Of course it does. You beaters are good for nothing bastards that take everything for themselves." The boy continued as Dark turned around.
"What did I do to you?" Dark asked.
"You're a Beater, you're all the same." The boy growled.
"And you didn't answer my question." Dark retorted.
"I don't have to!" The boy yelled, sending a duel request. Dark declined it and kept walking.
"Hey! Fight me!" The boy exclaimed, sending it again. She declined it without stopping. "Why won't you fight me?!" He yelled.
"Because I didn't do anything to you, nor did you do anything to me. We have no quarrel and I'd rather not have you wasting an HP potion." Dark answered, stopping and looking at the enraged boy.
"What happened to you? Nobody harbors that much hate for no reason." Kira asked.
"Some Beater... He told us about this ultra rare item drop, that the monsters were really hard. He said whoever gets the drop walks out of it with it, but since we were in a party the massive XP and Cil would be given to everyone..." The boy started.
"Well that sounds really nice, didn't you do that once, Dark?" Kira asked. The boy's glare intensified then.
"Yes, I've done it many times. I usually give the item to the one who needs it most if I get it, though. I'm guessing your story doesn't end as well?" Dark replied.
"Not even close... He hung back and let us kill most of the monsters... We were five strong, but one of us died in the battle. My friend got the item, and that damn Beater stabbed him in the back! He slaughtered them and almost got me! The only reason I survived was because of a quick monster respawn distracting him!" The boy explained angrily.
"Are you serious, kid? Beaters aren't the only ones that do that. There are already red and orange players out there that do that." Egil said, apparently having followed the yelling.
"Well a beater did it to me!" The boy yelled and charged at Dark. She simply struck him with a high kick, knocking him off his feet.
"No two people are the same, not even in this place. Prejudice or anything of the likes have no practicality here. Leave someone's faults with them and don't force them upon another. Especially for something as simple as revenge." Dark said lowly to him. She opened her inventory then, took out an uncommon longsword and tossed it to the downed boy. He caught it before it hit the ground, which would delete it, and gave her a confused glance.
"You're angry, confused and not very intelligent. I won't hold it against you, and if you went through all of that then you need a little help." Dark said, turned and resumed her walk.
-Floor 3, Boss room, 3 days later-
"'Mantis King'... Cut off his scythes before killing him, they guarantee rare battle scythe drops." Dark said to their small group. Including them, there were ten of them for this boss. Dark and Kira were going to duo this boss, it was renowned in the beta information for being notoriously easy, and had found something strange. They had followers.
Apparently, a group of people knew of them and wanted nothing more than to serve them. They created a guild under the name 'Deathscythes' and they all used battle scythes. They all wore cloaks similar to hers as well.
"Of course, Mistress." The others said. She rolled her eyes and turned back towards the boss. He was charging at her. In barely even a blur of movement, she disappeared and reappeared above him. She slashed down's it's back, slicing open the carapace like butter. Kira proceeded to distract it from the front, slicing at it's exposed body and legs with her Katana. The Deathscythes hacked and slashed at the thing, its HP bar dropping steadily.
It lashed out and would have decapitated three of the Deathscythes, but Kira reacted quickly and sliced the giant blade off using a cutting skill. Dark quickly dispatched of it's other blade and, with it defenseless, finished the boss off with the help of her companions. Dark had let a Deathscythe get the final blow, so the XP and Cil was shared mostly with them instead of herself and Kira, as they didn't need it as much as the others did.
"Thanks for your help, that would have taken a long time without you." Dark thanked the people.
"Of course Mistress! The Deathscythes live to serve the mighty Dragon-Reaper, the Matriarch of Draconis Eluvium!" The group chanted out.
"Please, stop right there. I'm glad that you want to help me, but that's all. I don't want you to worship me, I'm just a Duo player who had a good start." Dark said.
"Why would we not worship you? There are only a dozen or so really powerful players, and two of them are working together and right in front of us. With you doing so well, with us helping you whenever and however we can, we have the best chance of beating this! And besides, we think you two are a lot cooler than the others!" The woman who was the leader or the Deathscythes said.
"Just don't go too far with it... How did you all get such similar gear? Not even I have the smithing skill to replicate anything but the most basic items. And simply forging battle scythes require a metal that can't be found until floor 5." Dark asked.
"Once the 'Dragon's Talon' is purchased, a basic battle scythe appears in the very same shop. We hired a player Weaponsmith to reforge our weapons into the scythes." The leader responded.
"Well here, take one of the two rare scythes we got from the break-off drops. I'll give you some Cil, too. That should be enough to have an NPC replicate the item if you reforge it into something a little less valuable." Dark said, opening a trade menu with the leader.
"Thank you, Mistress. We will not waste your gift." She replied, starry eyed. These people were starting to creep Dark and Kira out.
"Up to clearing a path to the next village?" Dark asked Kira.
"We should wait. There's a meeting about this boss coming up. We'll distribute some Cil and XP consumables we saved up there and clear the path as a group." Kira suggested.
"Alright, that makes it easier on our general reputation anyways. What will you guys do?" Dark asked the Deathscythes.
"Whatever you ask." The leader said. The look she gave Dark gave her the sudden feeling she never wanted to be alone in a room with the girl. Kira would have laughed, but for some reason she didn't take to kindly to the implications of that reply.
"What I want is for you to stop fawning over us and play independently." Dark said with a groan.
"If we did that, then we wouldn't be there if you need us." The leader protested.
"Trust me, if we needed you then we'd ask. Please, go your own way." Dark retorted.
"At least add us to your friends list so you can message us." The leader said.
"No. But I will ally our guilds, that will give us the ability to message each other as guild founders." Dark replied, opening up her guild menu.
"Why not just add us as friends?" One of them asked.
"I don't party with people or add them unless I can trust them with my life. On top of that, I refuse to party with lower level players unless I have to for their own safety. We both have at least three levels on all of you." Dark answered as the alliance request was accepted.
"I guess that makes sense then...We'll accompany you to the meeting, then we will do as you ask and go our own way for now." The leader said in defeat.
"Thank you. What's your name, anyways?" Dark asked.
"Koibito." The woman replied. Dark nodded and started walking, Kira matching her pace and the Deathscythes a few paces behind them.
-Floor 3, Village.-
Dark and Kira were at the Inn when there was a knock on their door. They had spent most of the night helping out the people who missed out on the boss fight, so they were exhausted. Kira opened the door as Dark started cooking a meal.
"Yes?" Kira asked, finding a young girl with pink hair standing there.
"Hello. Kira, right? Is Dark here?" The girl asked.
"What do you need?" Dark called.
"Come in." Kira said, letting the girl in.
"I hear you're a very proficient smith." The girl said to Dark.
"I'm not the best at forging, but combining and reforging are my highest skills at the moment." Dark said.
"I didn't know there were sub-branches... I'm Lisbeth by the way. I was hoping you could possibly teach me what you could. An apprentice can learn up to 60% of the master's skill level." The girl said.
"Hm... What would you offer in return?" Dark asked. Normally, she would have offered her services for free. But apprenticeship was a large investment in time and would mean the girl would have to stick with them for a while.
"Well, I plan to become the #1 weaponsmith in Aincrad. Once I get my start, you'll get most services free from me. I also have a rare weapon I forged. I can't use it, and it needs to be inspected by someone who has high item detection to see it's stats, but I got it from a lucky 1:10000 success rate forge. It's what made me want to become a weaponsmith in the first place, actually." Lisbeth answered.
"I've got high Item detection." Kira said. Dark nodded to her and they initiated a trade. Kira examined it, the thing coming up as a long, static filled blur. "It's a battle scythe, and it's very powerful. Damn, this is the kind of weapon you would find on a rare event boss. What did you do to forge this?" She asked as it slowly faded into a slightly blurred, scythe-shaped weapon.
"Well, I had bought some low leveled rare weapons of every known type and broke them down. When you break down a weapon, you get weapon parts and ingots. I got rare crystalline ingots from a few of them, which you're not supposed to be able to get for a while. I forged three swords and a war pick from them and decided to combine them all into a single weapon. I was feeling lucky so I took the 1:10000 chance and it worked." Lisbeth explained.
"I can't get everything from it, I only have it's class and estimated power level. Dark, isn't your item discovery higher than mine?" Kira asked, offering the blurred weapon to Dark. She nodded and took it and it slowly came completely into focus. The handle was a dark purple crystal, possibly obsidian, and was extremely smooth. It came to a spike-esq point at the bottom. The actual blade was impressive. It was colored in a crystalline green and looked as if someone had taken a crystal skull and stretched it to form a scythe blade.
"It's called 'Crystal Reaper' and is supposed to be dropped by an event boss on floor 25 or when a crystal hidden weapon is reforged with a unique weapon. I guess that counts as materials obtained from them as well. The only thing that I've seen that's more powerful than this is the sword that Kirito uses... Are you sure you don't need it?" Dark said.
"I can't use it and I'll never get it's worth in Cil. Might as well get it's worth in training." Lisbeth shrugged.
"Very well. I will not stop any of my normal activities for you, though. Kira and I are Duo players that tend to push past the front lines. I'll teach you how to fight better as well if you need it." Dark warned.
"I can handle myself, anything to reach my goal." Lisbeth said, determination in her voice.
"Very well then. This is only until your apprenticeship is over, unless you decide to stick with us, but you have to be recognized as my apprentice." Dark said, sending a party and guild invite to the girl.
"You won't regret it!" Lisbeth exclaimed happily.
"I don't make decisions I regret. This is your choice, if you die because you can't keep up that is your own fault. I'll do my best to keep you alive, though, so hopefully that particular scenario is only an example." Dark retorted.
"Thank you so much. When can we start?" Lisbeth asked.
"Stay for dinner, we'll start tonight at Midnight. Once you eat you should sleep, you won't get the chance to do so again until tomorrow night." Dark answered as she resumed her previous task of cooking.
"Wow you really are a Jack... er, Jill, of all trades. You can smith, you can fight, you can cook. I'm starting to think you're a GM or something." Lisbeth said.
"Insomniac, She works more than three or four players combined when it comes to leveling and getting her skills up." Kira said.
"Hard work combined with too much time on your hands normally means you tend to be high powered." Dark said with a smile.
-Floor 3, Smithing shop.-
"You guys are here awfully late..." The NPC running the store said. Dark didn't respond, instead she took out a 22 hour rent on the shop.
"22 hours?" Lisbeth asked.
"That means two hours of break time to eat and rest." Dark replied.
"Hey, I'm gonna go grind some materials for you guys. Be back in two hours or so." Kira said.
"Good luck." Dark said with a smile.
"So, what are we going to do?" Lisbeth asked.
"I only know so much about weaponsmithing in terms of actually forging the weapons, my skills are mostly centered on the modification sub-branch. Things like replicate, reforge, combine and the likes. I'll teach you what I know every third day, but your goal will have to be achieved on your own. For now, I'll show you what a High level reforge looks like." Dark explained. She walked up to the giant smelter and opened the menu for it.
She placed in the Crystal Reaper and her Dragon's Talon. A message came up confirming that her skill was high enough for it not to fail and a new menu came up.
"When reforging, it combines the stats and averages it based on your skill level. Since my reforge level is so high, I only average it at about 1.3 instead of the normal 2 or more, depending on how many items you're reforging. Based on your level as well, you can carry over unique modifiers or combine them to create new ones." Dark explained when the menu showed the stats of both of them combine and then drop a good amount. It was more than the Dragon's Talon, but less than about half of the Crystal Reaper's parameters.
Stats in purple were unique modifiers. Dragon's Talon had it's scaling unique ability and a reforged regeneration bonus. The Crystal Reaper had a slight lifesteal effect, stealing 5% of damage dealt and giving it to the wielder's bar. She could have just carried them all over, but she decided to combine the three abilities into one.
"And now we get to see what comes out. Sometimes the item becomes something totally different if it's two rare and powerful weapons, almost like combining them, or if it's something like a rare with a common drop it'll just give the better one a boost." Dark continued, accepting the reforge.
Lisbeth watched in awe as the two items turned into molten liquid and flowed through a groove into the chamber. After a few moments, Dark tipped a part of the chamber onto a slab of stone in front of it. Almost as if it was alive, it moved into place without a mold, and formed something that was neither of the two components.
"Oh good, it did change. I was growing bored with how it looked before. Let's check it's parameters." Dark said with a smile as she picked the weapon up. It looked like the Crystal Reaper, except the skull that was stretched to form the blade was a dragon skull instead and the blade took on more of an obsidian look than the teal crystal the previous blade had.
"What did the unique abilities combine into?" Lisbeth asked after a moment.
"It's called 'Soul Stealer'... Apparently whenever I kill a monster it gets a little stronger. Boss monsters cause it to evolve while players' parameters are leached slightly. It also has a 10% lifesteal bonus." Dark answered.
"That... That's really cool. It said if you kill a player it leaches some of their parameters? You're not a PKer are you?" Lisbeth said.
"Not really, I'll kill a player if they deserve it, but I will kill them if I have to. Alright now, your turn. Show be the best reforge you can do." Dark answered, stepping aside to allow the girl access to the smelter.