The skeleton monster before me stumbled backwards and then exploded into a beautiful display of shards. I brought my mace to my shoulder as I felt the adrenaline leave me. As the shards all rose upwards, a screen appeared before my face.

"Congratulations, Level 15 Unlocked. Blacksmithing Fully Unlocked."

I smiled while gasping for air. "I did it Gaya…" I managed to croak, much to his laughter. "Well done Lisbeth!" came the warm reply from the short man behind me. He stood with a Mace ready to help if I needed it. "This is great now! You're finally there with the rest of us. A proper blacksmith!"

I smiled at his enthusiasm. Gaya, Zaki, Ryou. They really were something else. Not long after the game began, they took me in as an adoptive daughter of sorts. We trained a bit in the areas around the Town of New Beginnings and then slowly crept up behind the advancing wave of front-line players. Going through cleared out areas, the four of us were keeping to easier areas that we could level up in. I remember how terrified I was of risking my life in any battle. But after their kind encouragement and guarantees of close watch and careful protection, I worked up the courage to fight. I had been only rising in level ever since.

Snow fell from the sky, it was late January. Nearly three months since it all began. The winter was cold, but thankfully I had already gotten good enough to craft some heavier clothes to ward off the snow. Floor 19, with its dungeon named "Hill of the Cross" was where I found myself now, carefully leveling up my skills.

"Now that you're at level 15, we can finally get our rotation going!" Gaya happily patted me on the shoulder as we turned to walk back to the city of Ralberg. "With the four of us taking turns, our little guild can now make masterpiece quality weapons all year!" He let out a hearty laugh. "I can already see the orders coming!" I smiled, letting a cautious bout of glee take over me for the first time since this game began.

"Sooo, will I get a cut?" I teasingly asked as I jabbed at Gaya's shoulder. Another warm laugh. "Well of course! We're all in this together!" He looked at me and smiled even more. "First off though, we're going to need to get you the proper equipment, then we need to make sure you know the basics before we get a cycle going." I held up my hand to slow him down. "Alright, Alright! We can talk all that stuff after we eat, I'm starving!" After a short pause he flashed me another smile, "Well of course you are! You've been slashing monsters all morning!"

It was a nice time in Aincrad. I felt safe. The 22nd floor had just been cleared a few days prior and it seemed that nothing could stop the players from advancing. Every week a player made newspaper came out, detailing the successes of the past week, players to be remembered, and new tricks for the game. But it was really the tricks that Gaya had been telling me, that made me feel safe. Him, along with Zaki, and Ryou kept advising me to feel ever safer in this virtual world. It no longer felt as dangerous of a place and the scary stories I did hear were all from the brave fighters out on the front lines, adventuring and risking themselves for us. The least I could do was help them. And believe me, I was trying!

As I hungrily lapped up the broccoli and cheese soup in front of me, Gaya continued to explain. "So your first month as a blacksmith. We timed this just right too! You'll be able to make masterpiece swords this month, and every three months after that. We stacked our cycles too. I go first and make masterpiece quality equipment, just like I did for December, then you do the same this month. Zaki will pick up blacksmithing for next month followed by Ryou. When Ryou's month is over, I'll pick up the crafting again and then it'll be your turn!" I looked up from the bowl of soup long enough to see him chuckle. "You got food all over your face." He handed me a napkin and I quickly wiped away the cheesy soup before digging in again.

"This means we have to make sure the top players know about us. We should go back to the Town of New Beginnings!" I smiled up at his optimism between mouthfuls of food. Gaya really made me excited at times. During the first few days, I had altered between fits of tears and determination. It took me nearly a full week to really settle into Aincrad. And during that time, it was Gaya who had made me laugh, Zaki who had taught me fighting skills, and Ryou who had been a father to me. Adoptive father maybe, but together they were the closest thing to a family I had.

"Sounds like a plan then, will Zaki and Ryou be there?" I asked, finally taking a break from the food I was shoving down my mouth. If there was one thing that was great about having them, it was that they tried to spoil me at every step of the way. Trying to keep me happy. I sometimes felt ashamed that I had made them care for me like this, especially after I had scared them into thinking I was going to kill myself on that first day. I didn't want to be a burden but seeing how Ryou's face lit up when I had tasted a delicious sandwich for the first time really struck me with how much they cared for me. Maybe they saw a bit of their own families in me. Maybe that's why they tried to protect me as much as they did.

"Yep! Already messaged them, they say there's already a wave of players trickling down from the Assault team."

"Really? How come?" I felt anticipation bristle through me, the Assault team always had the best stories. I felt I could enjoy the game through them without actually getting myself into danger.

"Well as far as I hear, it seems that Floor 25 is going to be a doozy. I'm willing to guess that the players want to get some good equipment and test it before going in." Gaya responded matter-of-factly, peering into his menus before looking up and smiling yet again. "I think I know where we should set up. Now finish up young lady, and let's get you ready with your equipment."

I looked at the little carpet. It looked nice, but it was still lacking. My blacksmithing clothes felt heavy but rugged and the little anvil and hammer were the best we could afford at the moment. Gaya had spent most of the trip over explaining the nuances of blacksmithing. He even let me try on some of the metals we had in inventory. I messed up the first two ingots, but then I churned out a strong steel blade. It was light but powerful. I had never seen so much pride in Gaya's eyes before. He took the sword and bragged about it to the others before saying he'd try to sell it that day.

Ryou looked thoughtfully at the little Vendor's Carpet under the tree. "Hmm…I think it could use a sign." He spoke kindly as he looked at the setup. Zaki nodded and pulled a wooden board from his inventory. Handing it to me he commented: "Think of a simple name for the shop."

I really lacked imagination sometimes. But I wanted people to remember my name. I wanted to feel like I helped the powerful players on the Assault team. So, I suggested in my cheerful voice, "How about Lisbeth's Smith Shop?" Gaya nodded. "Simple and gets the point across. I think it'll do nicely." Ryou knelt and patted my shoulder. "Well then. We'll be over with Gaya at his carpet over there," he pointed at another nearby tree just outside the city where it all began. Several people had carpets around, but Ryou and Zaki had claimed the two best spots early on. "If we see any potential customers, we'll send them your way ok?" I suddenly felt a moment of insecurity as if he was leaving me, "Wait you're not going to stay here?" Zaki shook his head. "No, we think its best if we engaged as many players as we can with the examples Gaya made. Since he can't craft any master pieces now, we'll just send players over to you if they're still interested."

"Oh..Ok." I felt insecurity grip me again to which Ryou reacted as if he knew me for years. "Don't worry Lisbeth, we'll be over there, just holler if you need anything ok?" Smiling up at my adoptive father I put on my best winning smile. "Alrighty then, I'm open for business!"

Hours past and several customers went over to Gaya's vendor's carpet. Many players seemed impressed with the weapons and even a few purchased some swords outright. Ryou and Zaki directed people towards my shop and I got to practicing my skills. As customers brought their own metals or paid for some of the metals I had in inventory, I crafted more and more. Churning little ingots of metal into swords for them to use. Being so focused on Blacksmithing from the get-go meant that the weapons I created, no matter how bad they were, were still much better than the ones they could get from the relatively low-level monster drops so far. I had never felt so proud of myself. The joy on some of the customers' faces was unforgettable. I was happy to know they were walking away with something that might keep them safe. I might even be saving people!

But I'll never forget the one customer that became one of my best friends.

It was on the third day after having set up shop on that carpet. I had hammered out nearly thirty swords and I felt great. The customers were even paying more than our little blacksmithing guild had expected! We had made a killing already and we had just bought an even better anvil with money to spare for some chocolate cake! Of the swords I had made, some had been sleek blades, and others blunt hitters. The algorithm for the game still meant I never knew exactly what I was going to be getting, but I was still working on some excellent weapons.

It was early in the afternoon when I saw a group of players walk out to our area. They were stronger than most players. They wore armor that I could tell was powerful, even if my appraisal skill was weak. And I got nervous.

I mean of course I would. Word had gotten around that I was making some incredible weapons. But would they be good enough for these players? Zaki stood up from my little carpet. "Alrighty Lisbeth, I'll be pitching some of the blades you made to these people. Wish me luck!" I bid him good luck and immediately put on my game face. I had to impress. I wanted to get lots of customers.

As the players neared Gaya's carpet the trio of men sprung into action. First were the warm smiles and polite offers to show off the wares. Then came the salesman part of the act, showing off the strength of the swords, even breaking some cheap monster dropped swords. I sat back on my carpet and looked at them with a grin across my face. It was great seeing them work. Next month I'd be with them and Zaki would be in my place. Hopefully we crafted even more blades, I could go for more chocolate cake.

That's when I noticed a younger player. She seemed to wear a hard look on her face. Her hair was long and came over her shoulder. She wore a red skirt and white blouse. There were bits of armor she had slung on, but what caught my eye was her weapon. A rapier. It looked like a basic one, but it clearly looked like it needed repair. Could I make one better? Those were some of the hardest weapons to craft.

I couldn't hear her voice from where I was, but I could tell she was asking a few questions with a skeptical look on her face. Some of the other players with her, who seemed more imposing than her, seemed to address her as a leader of sorts. Or at least it looked that way. Finally, I caught the moment. The moment when Gaya made a sell. He winked at the girl and pointed towards me. He said a few more words and the girl reluctantly made her way over. Perhaps she wasn't sold on the benefits of custom weapons or maybe she didn't believe what my adoptive family was saying I could do. Either way, I could feel she had a challenge for me.

"Hey there…" came her quiet voice as she squatted down in front of my carpet. "Welcome to Lisbeth's Smith Shop!" I replied with a cheerful smile. My face couldn't be more of a contrast with her hard look. But I seemed to get through to her a little bit. I pressed on. "What can I do for you today? I can craft swords and upgrade some of your equipment!"

Her hard look softened as she met my eyes, she seemed my age actually, I can't imagine how brave she was for being out on the front lines. "Well…uh Lisbeth, I'm looking for a sword that is better tha-" I cut her off to make her aware of what I knew. "Than your rapier? Seems like it's a monster drop what you got right? Worn away from the battles you fight?"

That set her off. "Well hey! It plenty powerful! And its not a monster drop, it's a Wintry Stroke, a forged weapon from-" I interjected right there, making sure she didn't get the wrong idea.

"Hey calm down! I didn't mean that in a bad way, I just meant that it doesn't look all too different from such drops." She looked surprised before stuttering. "Y-Yeah, well most people underestimate what I'm capable of with this rapier."

"Well I'm not most people! I'm a blacksmith!" I pumped my chest out with pride and then set on inspecting her sword. The blade had seen heavy use and looked almost broken at its worn edges, my skill already detecting where the rapier was used most often. "Hmm, whoever made this wasn't very good. It's a good rapier, no doubt, but it's not a masterpiece. It wears out too fast and it's not that powerful. See? You can barely deal 50 percent of the original damage."

The girl blinked at me before trying to chastise me again. "Well if you think its not good, what can you make?!"

I flashed her my winning smile. "Well first, what should I call you?" I extended my mitt and I felt relief when the angered girl took it. "Asuna."

"Well Asuna, right now I can make masterpiece swords. If you happen to have a rare metal, then I can certainly craft something much better than this. "Oh yeah, how much will it cost?" she slyly asked. I put up a hand. "Hold on now, I won't charge anything until you're satisfied." Why did I just say that? Was I getting cocky? Ryou told me to always ask what the customer was willing to pay! "You serious?" came the shocked look from Asuna.

"Of course! And if I can't make anything better than I'll boost your rapier for 25,000 col!" Shock and confusion seemed to run through face just like it ran through my head. I was totally getting cocky. This could break my reputation! "That's way cheaper than the blacksmiths on floor 20…"

I winked and teasingly jabbed at her shoulder. "See I'm already a better deal."

"Ok fine." Asuna took a deep breath and brought up her item screen. She touched some settings before setting down a metal ingot on my anvil. "I've been saving this for a while now. Got it on floor 15 as a rare drop." I looked at the ingot as shock seemed to ripple through me. Its stats were amazing! Durability and speed were off the charts.

"WOW!" I exclaimed. "This is hyper titanium crystal!" I let the shock run its course before looking up at Asuna's pleased face. She spared no moment to take a jab at me. "Too rare for you?" her grin just as sly as mine. How lovely. She could make me feel pressure now. "N-N-No." I stammered as I kept looking at the statistics. To craft this would be an honor…I had to accept, such a forging could make or break my career.

"I just…have never seen such a rare metal." I blurted out as I kept inspecting the ingot. I looked right into Asuna's brown eyes. "I promise if you let me craft this, you'll get the greatest rapier ever." And that's when I seemed to really soften Asuna's eyes. She wore a smile now. "Well that's more than what any other blacksmith has promised me. Most say they don't even want to touch this metal."

I looked puzzled and then realized many probably didn't know what I knew about blacksmithing, after all, from what Gaya told me, very few players even bothered with crafting during the beta test.

"Well, like I said, I'm not like most players, so I'd love to take a swing at it." Asuna gestured to the ingot. "Knock yourself out, no one else even wants to try it."

I cracked my knuckles and got to work. I placed the ingot in the little furnace that I had with me. It could only hold one piece of metal at a time, but it was certainly trust worthy. After a few minutes I took out the metal and placed it on my anvil. I breathed out slowly, closing my eyes for a moment before focusing back on the metal. I could feel Asuna's eyes peering curiously at me as I lifted my hammer up. I recalled all the instructions Gaya had told me. I called up my skills as a blacksmith and focused on the exact minute pattern for a rapier.

I let my hammer ring. I hammered with the most amount of concentration I had ever felt. I poured my soul, yes all of it, into that rapier. Carefully I kept at it. Putting one strike perfectly next to another. The metal was helping me as well. It almost felt as if the game was guiding my hand to strike an even better blade. Little by little I kept at the recipe for the blade. The rapier was going to be amazing I could tell. I was following every strike up with another perfectly. I forgot the rest of Aincrad was even around me. I was that focused on this blade.

As I wrapped up the pattern, the ingot began to glow as it slowly transformed. It grew longer, thinner and shown brightly. I closed my eyes somewhat to block out the light, it was that bright! And finally there it was, a beautiful white silver blade with a handle that even looked like it matched the colors that Asuna was wearing. It was incredible. I felt myself drained as I picked up the blade. I looked at its statistics and was just blown away.

They were much higher than I expected. The weapon was a true masterpiece. Then I read its name.

Exhausted I extended the weapon out to Asuna. "There we go… The Lambent Light." I felt myself gasping for air after nearly not breathing during the whole forging. I waited for her reaction. Maybe she expected better, maybe it wasn't what she was looking for.

The response shocked me.

"Oh my god! Lisbeth! This rapier is amazing!" She exclaimed. Her hand was shaking as saw her go over the statistics. Her eyes wide with shock. "THIS IS JUST INCREDIBLE!" I sighed happily. My job complete, I leaned back against the tree and enjoyed the shade for the first time. "Told you I could do it…" I muttered with a grin on my face.

To my surprise I felt her arms around me suddenly. "Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!" She exclaimed. I knew I made a good sword, but wasn't this a bit much? "Hey now Asuna! I'm glad you like it! Just come back anytime you want me to fix it ok?" I then slouched a bit. "But make sure its not like today, I'm pooped, that was draining." Asuna giggled. "I bet it was, you were so focused for like half an hour!" I chuckled before I saw a message pop up.

"Asuna sends you a Friend Request"

I smiled and hit the blue button. "Great Asuna, you know where to find me!" The girl just smiled and opened another window. "Does half a million-col sound good?" I shot right up and felt my face go pale. "That much?! YES! That's good!" I stared in shock, most weapons I made sold for 50,000 col, this was incredible.

"Oh, please Liz" she said, calling me by a friendly nickname. "This sword might get me to the end of the game, its incredible!" I grinned wildly like a little kid. "Well be sure to tell your friends!" I exclaimed. She extended her hand and I shook it with my brown mitt. "I'm glad I stopped by today Liz." I smiled back. I was now making friends. Perhaps this wasn't so bad after all.

A/N: IT'S ME AGAIN! Just letting you guys know I've edited some of the previous chapters to flesh things out more. This chapter was a bit longer. I'll be increasing length of the chapters as time goes on. As always, Read and Review!