AN: Extremely sorry on the delay! I was really backed up with projects and work and the like, so sorry!
Extra long chapter, you're welcome.
Chapter 9: X'rphan the White Wyrm
Floor 48
Lisbeth sweated under the hot furnace, consistently pumping the bellows attached to the side. Once the silver ingot inside was red hot, Lisbeth used a pair of tongs to carry it onto a workbench. She grabbed her hammer used to forge spears, and started to smack the ingot, starting the process. The probability of forming into a weapon appeared in her HUD.
60%. And that's after temporarily boosting her luck stat.
At least it's more than half, she thought, trying to calm herself.
The person who custom-ordered the spear offered a hefty price.
Again, she struck the ingot with nervous force.
It did not disintegrate.
Again.
Nothing, except the ingot was significantly flatter.
Again! Lisbeth saw the ingot form, and take shape.
A white and grey spear presented itself. It had a gleaming platinum blade at the tip, that was designed to look like a white flame, along with a ivory-like shaft, with streaks of silver running down like ribbons. Lisbeth let out a lungful of air, relieved from the stress. She dissolved it into her inventory.
Her shop door opened, along with some murmuring.
Lisbeth quickly wiped any sweat on her forehead, and attended her post. She surveyed the crowd. A group of people, all looking around, occasionally comparing weapons. They were all different. One, who had a flying animal on top of her head, wore a black cloak, with darkly coloured clothing underneath, that had four squares sewn into what would be her right shoulder on the cloak. Another had armor, and he was red and black, but the symbol was on the left side of his chest.
Everyone was connected.
A orange-brownish haired girl noticed her, and started to walk towards the counter.
"Hello! Can I help you?" Lisbeth chirped, and analyzed her probable worth. Custom made dress, along with a guild that can afford it. Considerably wealthy.
"Do you have any rapiers-" Asuna stopped when the blacksmith took out one. A silver rapier, adorned with pale blue decorations, with a circular hand guard.
"Lambent Light, plus ten!" Lisbeth gave her the light weapon, and Asuna tested it, slashing it around, accidentally hitting a display.
"Sorry," Asuna apologized.
"It's alright. The damage is 690-710. I could only reach this level of quality every three months," Lisbeth bragged. Asuna raised an eyebrow. Three months is one-sixth of the entire time period they spent when trapped here.
"I'll take it." Asuna said nonchalantly, and opened the barter window.
Fūrin Kazan left the shop, the sky tinted orange.
"I'll catch up, you guys go to the inn at the frontline," Asuna waved, as they headed for the teleport gate.
"So, is there anything else?" Lisbeth ventured.
"One of my friends is tracking someone else, who is also one of my friends-" Asuna noticed Lisbeth's confusion.
"Long story, and he want's your best pre-made katana," Asuna finished, remembering the message from Klein on the top of her head.
63rd Labyrinth
Klein surveyed the area. He opened his friend's list, finding Kirito's location.
"Okay, 'round the bend…" Klein went around a corner…
Seeing Kirito initiate a skill on a particular creature…
With two swords.
"What the hell?"
"Wha?!" Kirito threw a sword away, trying to hide his skill.
"I..you..have that," Klein was taken aback, pointing at Kirito. Kirito winced, hoping he wouldn't tell anyone.
"Don't tell anyone," Kirito implored him, shaking his shoulders. Klein shook his head.
"I won't." he assured him. The teenager sighed in relief, and continued to the exit of the Labyrinth. But Klein continued. "But what about the guild?" Kirito paused for a moment, calculating what would had happened if he did talk.
"I guess so." Klein smiled at Kirito's trust in them.
"Alright. When did you get the skill?"
"Six months ago," Klein remembered the time period. After Sachi's death.
Wow. He hid it all this time…
"Come on, I have to pick up a weapon on a shop," Klein urged Kirito forward.
"Oh, cool, you're using Elucidator!" Klein added optimistically.
"Lisbeth's Smith Shop..has water wheel.." Klein looked at Asuna's message again, deciphering it, and looking around. The village was now populated with players doing everyday chores, used to their surroundings.
"Geez, it's like Morrowind," Klein muttered, catching Kirito's attention.
"What's 'Morrowind'?" Kirito asked curiously, much to Klein's mild irritation.
"Half of my friends will kill you for saying that. Morrowind? Third part of the Elder Scrolls?" Kirito shook his head, much to Klein's disdain.
"What do you play?"
"Aside from studying SAO mechanics, and playing on the beta, not much." Kirito shrugged.
"When we get to the real world, we're gonna play some classics." Klein spotted a house with a water wheel.
"There it is!" They went to the shop. They were immediately met with a store with a assorted array of weapons.
"Hi, a girl named Asuna reserved something for me," Klein grabbed Lisbeth's attention.
"Oh, yeah. Klein, right?" Lisbeth materialized a sword on a counter. A katana presented itself, a black handle, with a dark red sheath.
"Heartless Reaver, plus twenty. The damage is 670-690, and durability is very high, unlike my other swords." Klein picked it up, and slid the blade out, admiring the blade. It was grey, with a reddish tint.
"14000 Col." Lisbeth added hesitantly.
"WHAT?!" Klein boomed.
"Oh, geez," Kirito patted Klein's back, sympathizing.
"Calm down; do you know how much I went through with that?" Lisbeth asserted. Klein started to think his decision through. Lisbeth turned to Kirito.
"Do you want something?"
"Oh, a custom sword, the best you can make," Lisbeth was skeptical. He had no representation of any guild on his black coat.
"Are you sure? Prices are high right now, and your request is a little vague. Kirito shrugged, and shook his head.
"Don't worry about that."
"Fine, but I need like a benchmark. Like your sword." Lisbeth explained to him, and pointing to Elucidator.
"Alright," Kirito removed the weapon from his back, and presented it. Lisbeth almost dropped it when receiving it.
"Elucidator…" Lisbeth whispered in awe. "Where did you get this?" She asked.
"50th floor last attack bonus," Klein called out. Lisbeth gave the sword back, and took out her own under the counter.
"Here, my masterpiece." Lisbeth gave a blue hilted sword, with a thin white blade. Kirito swung it experimentally, testing it.
"Feels light,"
"I used a speed type metal to forge it," Kirito took it into account, and started to place Elucidator's handle and blade tip on two tables, leaving a space empty below the rest of the sword.
"What are you doing?" Lisbeth asked nervously. Klein started to notice Kirito.
"Relax,"
"Your sword might break!"
"Um, Kirito, are you sure you know what you're doing?" Klein warned, getting up.
"Yeah, sorta," Kirito shrugged, and proceeded to slam the blue hilted sword to Elucidator.
"Wait, aren't you supposed to check the stats first?!" Lisbeth reasoned, sweating nervously about his actions.
At the height if the swing, Klein grabbed Kirito's wrist, stopping him. Kirito tried to initiate the Sword Skill, but his Pre-Motion was off.
"She has a point," Klein gave him a look of common sense.
"Fine." Kirito gave Lisbeth's sword back, and sheathed his.
"Blinkstrike. No improvements, 650-670, 500 Durability…" Lisbeth stopped, and calmly put the sword away. Klein knew what was going to happen next, and stepped back. Lisbeth walked towards Kirito in a eerily silent fashion, the latter oblivious.
"Wha-" Kirito was lifted by the collar by Lisbeth, her face red with rage.
"You were going to break my masterpiece!" Lisbeth shouted towards his face.
"I didn't know that!" Kirito raised his hands up defensively,"
"Do you do this with every sword you buy?! Just because it's a little light?!" Klein patted her shoulder.
"Maybe you should cal-"
"Don't tell me to calm down!" Lisbeth exploded red-hot. Klein stepped back again, not making a peep.
"I can make a thousand swords that is better that yours in every way!" Lisbeth dropped Kirito, and pointed towards the door.
"Out." Lisbeth said simply, and glared at him furiously.
"Out?"
"Out!" She burst, and started grabbing his arm and leading him towards the door. Kirito hesitated, and tried to escape.
"Waitwaitwait," Kirito stuttered, but it didn't break Lisbeth's silent anger. He ignored it.
"Why can't you make those swords that you said?"
"I don't have the materials!" Lisbeth scoffed, and crossed her arms.
"What if I got you some?" Kirito offered. Lisbeth's look changed.
"There's a rare ingot in Floor 55, guarded by a dragon," she told them.
"I'll get it myself. Klein!"
"You also need a master smith with you," Lisbeth smirked. "Still want to go alone?" she said coyly. Kirito shrugged.
"Fine. Come with us." Klein however, groaned.
"Are you seriously going to postpone the guild again?"
"We'll just do it quickly," Kirito went towards the door. Lisbeth followed him, until Klein gave a warning.
"Might want to bring a coat,"
They walked for hours to the west. The dragon lived on the top of a mountain there.
"We're close." Kirito warned, seeing a field of crystals up ahead. Klein grabbed his katana's hilt, ready for anything. Lisbeth though, was very far from cautious. She dashed towards the nearest one.
"These crystals…" she admired her reflection from the crystal's shine.
"Lisbeth, stay back when the dragon appears," Klein focused on the top of the mountain.
"I can handle myself," she defended, but the two didn't care.
"We're Clearers. Are you?" Lisbeth shut up, and hid behind a crystal.
"Here it comes!" Kirito yelled, and dashed towards the sides.
X'rphan the White Wyrm.
The dragon flew towards them, letting out a stream of fire towards them. Klein went towards it's legs, and managed to hit it. He saw it fly away, and saw Kirito hanging on to his sword.
Which was right now, half deep into the dragon's flesh.
"Kirito, are you insane?!" Klein called out. Unfortunately, Kirito was too busy to notice.
Kirito hung on to the dragon, and met with a face full of wind. The dragon dove for Klein, and Kirito went straight down with the dragon, pretty much dragged by X'rphan. The white dragon emitted a shockwave when landed, causing Klein to scramble up, towards it. Kirito, after landing head first in the snow, pried Elucidator out of the dragon's scale, and started attacking, shaving the armor-like scale off, and attacking the soft flesh beneath. Klein dodged the fire blasts, and kept attacking the neck constantly.
Lisbeth watched the two attack the dragon. The boss' HP was barely more than half of the first health bars. They weren't really doing well, which prompted her to help.
"Where are they?" Klein muttered nervously, and saw Lisbeth running towards him, while he was checking the bottom of the mountain.
"Lisbeth?!"
"I want to help!"
"Oh crap!" Kirito yelled. The dragon started to fly.
Right when Kirito finished a Sword Skill that involved stabbing it's chest.. The dragon, after two hundred meters off the ground, noticed Kirito, and started to dive down towards Klein and Lisbeth, and directed them towards the hole, before suddenly stopping, spreading out it's wings like an air brake, and launched him towards the two, which in turn, fell towards the dragon's den.
"They're not there!" Silica announced to the guild, after checking the top. "There's just a dragon circling," Asuna nodded, and looked at Klein's message again.
"Check the dragon's health." Asuna suggested, and Silica ran off.
"So, either they escaped with a crystal, or trapped somehow in there." Issin analyzed the situation.
Asuna checked her friends list, and located them.
"Oh no," she muttered, and Harry Two checked.
"Well, at least it wasn't a bottomless pit." He added.
"So, what now?" Dynamm sat on the snowy ground, waiting for a response.
"Fight the boss?" Kunimittz shrugged.
"We're just one guild. We need more people to attempt it." Silica arrived, a little out of breath.
"The dragon's damaged a bit,"
"So they were there," Issin said under his breath. Asuna opened her friends list again, and gathered Silica.
"Go to the 60th floor, and look for the Moonlit Black Cats,"
Kirito awoke panting, and looked around. He was half buried in snow. He crawled out groggily, and surveyed the area. An empty hole, with a floor of snow. There were two other human-shaped holes. He got up dizzily, and looked at the hole nearest to him. Lisbeth was half awake, and trying to get out. Kirito helped her up.
"Klein, you alright?"
"I swear, I have an actual headache." A katana was thrown out of the hole first, before Klein climbed out.
"Geez, that was harsh," Klein brushed some snow out of his armor, and wore his katana. Kirito stretched, and looked up. The sky had a tinge of orange.
"Teleport: Algade!" Lisbeth shouted, to no effect.
"Anti-crystal field. It's like they're easier and easier to find," Klein mused. Kirito examined the wall.
"So, how would we get out?" Lisbeth asked.
"We can run on the walls," Kirito said nonchalantly. Klein facepalmed.
"Well, you can," Kirito ignored the camouflaged insult, and walked backwards for several paces, before dashing towards the wall, and ran on it. He made progress, before his feet made contact with some ice, and falling down.
"Knew it." Klein smirked. Kirito frowned, and picked himself up.
"Kunimittz is rubbing on you,"
"Who's Kunimittz?" Lisbeth asked.
"Part of our guild, Fūrin Kazan." Klein exclaimed proudly. Lisbeth raised an eyebrow. Klein saw her expression, and sighed.
"The Elementals?"
"I heard of you guys!" Lisbeth then randomly shook Klein's hand. "The ones who lead the fiftieth boss battle!" Both Kirito and Klein sighed. Kirito then noticed something behind her.
"What's that?" Kirito then ran to the other side of the dragon lair, and picked up a bluish meteorite-like object.
[Crystalline Ingot]
"What's th- oh my god!" Lisbeth snatched the ingot and admired it.
"So, nobody got this because it was here," Klein predicted.
"It eats crystals, right? Maybe it processed in the stomach and churned this out." Kirito said. A moment passed . Lisbeth shrieked and dropped it, and wiped her hands, and Klein chuckled, then looked up. It was evening.
"Keita!" Asuna welcomed his group into a little camp they set up, a fire with a spit, and bedrolls around.
"Hello, it's been so long!" He exclaimed, and the two groups started exchanging hand shakes. Once the mingling ended, Asuna explained the situation.
"The mountain near us has a dragon, and that dragon has a lair, which is right on the top. Kirito and Klein, along with a blacksmith, fell down the hole. We have to defeat the dragon."
"The thing is, my guild already defeated the boss, and, I guess it respawned," Keita responded, surprising the clearing guild.
"We were middle level players. We fight a lot of Field Bosses," Tetsuo said nonchalantly. Issin thought of a question.
"What level are you?" The Black Cats grinned, and Keita announced their average level.
"Thanks to a shopkeeper named Agil, we managed to get to level 80!"
"Nice!"
"You're almost there, guys! A few more months' training!"
Kirito examined the night sky, laying back in a bedroll, and a lantern beside him.
"Hey Kirito, why did you try to attempt the dragon alone?" Klein asked curiously, and tried not to sound condescending.
"My level's much higher than it," he reasoned.
"You forgot the fact that it flies and breathes fire." Lisbeth commented dryly. Kirito turned to his side.
"I know."
"Yeah, Kirito, you're not the Dragonborn." Klein spoke up. Kirito raised an eyebrow.
"What's that? Is it on Morrowind?"Kirito asked. Klein sunk deeper into the bedroll.
"Never heard of The Elder Scrolls?" Lisbeth inquired. Kirito muttered incoherently on how everyone knows that except him.
Klein woke up, from sounds of wind emanating from the sky. He calmly opened his eyes.
To X'rphan diving down the hole.
"Holy crap!"
The two guilds charged up the hill, after witnessing X'rphan go down his lair.
"Dale! Attract the dragon!" The man went to the edge of the hole, and activated his Fighting Spirit skill, emitting a thunderous roar. The dragon looked up, and started to fly. But not after landing, startling Kirito and Lisbeth into action.
"Guys, come with me!" Kirito ran towards the white lizard's body, and half-buried Elucidator into the flesh.
"Hang on to my arms!" Klein and Lisbeth each hooked on. The dragon took off with blistering speed, carrying them out. Kirito hung on for dear life, and his eyes were hit by the morning sun. They were carried to such a height, the trap the fallen into seemed tiny. Kirito pressed his left hand into the dragon's scales, and tried to pry his sword out with his right. It came out with surprising ease, sending them into freefall, losing his grip on the obsidian blade.
Asuna watched the dragon carefully, analyzing it's attack pattern, until tumbling downhill from an unknown force. Kirito rolled with her, until finally stopping halfway. Kirito was buried under her, and his hands were right in her... bottom. Kirito reflexively squeezed his hands, as trying to get a grip on his surroundings, but only manage to grope her ass.
What a reunion.
The girl kicked Kirito away with substantial force, and once Kirito saw her embarrassed expression, and her arms protecting her butt, Kirito reddened.
"I'm really sorr-"
"Dragon!" Klein yelled towards the duo on the slope. X'rphan started diving like a missile towards them. Kirito faced the dragon, and found Elucidator impaled halfway deep in a crystal. Asuna scrambled to find Lambent Light in the snow, and when sufficiently armed, started to dash up the hill to Fūrin Kazan.
"Nice to see you back for real, Kirito!" Dale commented. Kirito grinned and faced the dragon. Keita yelled and charged, backed with Tetsuo and Sasamaru, with Ducker dashing around it, hitting the neck, and other weak points.
"What are they doing here?!" Kirito asked Asuna.
"Called for help." The Black Cats, despite their small size, depleted a bar already. Mountain Team was already running towards them, providing support.
"What are we waiting for?! Let's go!" Klein said, as he charged towards X'rphan.
"Welcome back, Kirito," Asuna said sincerely, while hugging him, and ran towards the fight. Kirito glowed for a moment, then ran to the frontlines.
Lisbeth carefully handled the light blue ingot, now glowing a little from the heat, towards her workbench, and proceeded to flatten it with her hammer.
That was a great trip!
Smack!
I wonder if I should give them a discount?
Smack!
Well, they did give all the Col and equipment from the white dragon to me,
Smack!
Ah, screw it.
The ingot started to glow. It started to form into a blade, and revealed itself. A pale blue sword, with a sapphire on the hilt.
"Dark Repulser. The durability is well over a thousand, and the damage is 680-700." Kirito took the blade and swung it. The blade emanated a bluish afterimage when in motion.
"It's pretty heavy." Kirito opened a trade request.
"How much?"
"Oh, it's yours!" Lisbeth beamed. "You gave me such an adventure on the mountain, so, this is my way to repay you!"
"Wow, thanks!" Kirito materialized the sword into his inventory and left. Klein followed suit until Lisbeth stopped him.
"Here, on me." Lisbeth handed him Heartless Reaver, and waved goodbye. Klein grinned at her, then left. Lisbeth watched them leave with a single thought.
How much money did I lose?
"Um, Asuna, I didn't get the chance to say this..." Kirito said nervously. Asuna anticipated his words, secretly hoping for a certain outcome.
"Sorry for groping your butt." Kirito bowed his head to her. Asuna blushed, and scratched her head.
"D..Don't mention it," Kirito's face turned to a confused one from the awkward wording.
"I mean, don't mention it to anybody!" she said frantically, realizing her mistake.
"Alright," Kirito nodded, and sighed from relief. "I seriously thought that you were going to punch me," he added, generating a curious look from her.
"Why would I punch you?"
"Just.. anime," Kirito waved in dismissal.