Floor 6 - Chapter 1 - A Material Problem

January 1st, 2023 - Floor 6 Teleport Gate

Stepping off the teleport gate, Jet looked out over the new floor. Mists covered the land, as far as the eye could see, and Jet could almost picture a town around here having some name like 'Llanfinhangel'. Just looking around, the landscape felt suitably Welsh, anyway. Koharu broke the silence in the air, a silence that Jet had unintentionally created last night...

''We're actually here, huh. It actually feels like we're making progress now!''

''Still a looonggg way yet, Ko...''

''Yeah, you're right. I mean, everyone's said as much, right?''

''If there's that far to go, let's get going you two!'' - A familiar voice spoke to them through the mists. - ''There are new ingots on this floor, and I'm going to make the best sword I can!'' - A familiar red clad brunette popped out from the mists, and Koharu seemed happy to have someone else there, considering her current annoyance towards her boyfriend... the process

''Lisbeth!''

''Long time, no see you two! You both seem well. Still getting along?''

''Something like that, yeah.'' - Jet looked on, a guilty look in his eyes. Koharu had basically confessed her love for him... and he'd made a cheap joke to alleviate his own nerves, whilst basically ignoring hers. He kind of wished he'd just shut up at the time, it'd have done less damage. Without explicitly saying it, both of them had just told the blacksmith that something was wrong. Even without, Lisbeth could - well, she would say she could sense it - tell that something was amiss anyway, and decided to answer as best she could.

''Oh. Umm, huh.'' - That may have been the least helpful response ever, but still, it wasn't like Lisbeth knew anything about what was going on anyway, so unless she'd become psychic recently...

''We haven't seen you since the fourth floor! Still looking for forging materials?''

''Nope, not at the moment. I had a customer stop by, and she didn't like my weapons, so she asked for a specially made one.''

''Ahh, the joys of working in retail...'' - Jet fought the urge to insult every customer who he'd ever had to serve, and especially the ones who couldn't read...

''You said it - this customer is a little troublesome...''

''You want someone to go have a quiet word with them?'' - Koharu rolled her eyes, understanding the implication in Jet's words, and elbowing him in the side, eliciting a slight yelp from the knight, who decided to shut up now.

''Oh, no, no. She's really nice, really. Just, the type of person who tests my limits, that's all! She's quite a weapons fan, and she listened to me explain the process and the materials. It should be a fun job...'' - Lisbeth trailed off, as her sentence came to a close.

''But something's worrying you about it?''

''We were just together, but she took off to do some reconnaissance on something, and well... here I am. She hasn't come back yet, and I'm getting a bit worried. I don't really like sitting around, and I kind of thought about going after her.''

''So when you said you were worried about making a great sword...''

''I'd like to think she hasn't gone too far, but... she's a good person, but she's probably rushed on ahead. Gone somewhere mad, you know?''

''That's a little worrying, running headfirst into a new field like this. She might have run into a strong monster, or something out there...''

''Oh, I'm not worried about that. We're in a party together, and if she had, her HP would've gone down, right? Still, though... that information broker hasn't released a guide yet, so I don't know what's out there.''

''We're not really doing anything, so if you want help looking for her?''

''That'd be wonderful, thank you. Oh, and if we can gather any materials along the way, we could kill two birds with one stone. Don't worry, I'll pay you for your help...''

''Nah, it's fine.''

''Besides, we'd just gotten to this floor, so we'd be doing this sort of thing by now anyway. At least this time, we have a goal in sight, right Jet?''

''Huh-oh, yeah, goals and all that.'' - Jet commented, only barely listening.

''Brilliant! Well, here's the list of items I need, so if we can work towards them whilst we look for her, that'd be ace.''

''Umm, just a quick question Lisbeth?''

''Go ahead!''

''Who exactly are we looking for? A description would help a little...''

''Oh, she's a bit shorter than me, wields a one handed sword, red hairband on purple hair, and pointy ears, weirdly enough.''

''Pointy ears, purple hair and a one handed sword? Is her name Yuuki, by any chance?''

''Oh, you know her! That makes things easier. If you see her, could you tell her to meet me by the teleport gate? I'll look for her too, but I won't go far, so I won't miss her.''

''Will do. We'll meet back here in, say - 90 minutes?''

''That sounds fine, good luck!''

''You too.''

''Koharu, last night...''

''Don't mention it.'' - There was a sharp edge to those words, but Jet felt he had to get this off his chest, lest it distract him at the worst possible moment.

''I know, but- I'm a complete dick. I shouldn't have joked about that, it was a little too soon, and well, drunk me is an ass.''

''It wasn't the joke that bothered me. It just felt like you didn't feel the same way, and well, that hurt. I know I'm overthinking it, but...''

''Koharu, you want to know something? Every time I look at you, I can only think one thought. She's far too good for you... and before you try to convince me I'm wrong, I know. It's completely irrational, it's just my insecurities flaring up, but... that doesn't mean it isn't there. So, before my insecurities trip me up again - Koharu, I love you. I'm more than happy to spend the rest of my life with you, and I will fight - whether that's by your side, or from afar - just to make you as happy as you can be.''

''You practiced that little speech, didn't you?'' - She smirked at him, as she broke away from their kiss.

''Not as much as you'd expect. Only the past five minutes or so. I think it felt a bit too marriage vows-y for my comfort, anyway.''

Koharu held her tongue, and avoided telling him that maybe that wasn't such a bad thing, but settled on the next best thing instead - ''You mean all of that, right?''

''Of course I do. On my honour as the Knight of the Wind'' - Jet cringed at saying his unofficial nickname - ''and by god, I hate that nickname.''

''What was my nickname again?''

''I really don't remember... umm, that's bad, isn't it?''

''I'd rather not have one anyway, I like my own name!''

Returning back to the teleport gate, both Jet and Koharu were in considerably higher spirits than when they'd left, something evident by the pair laughing and joking with each other. If Lisbeth was honest, as happy as it made her to see people finding happiness in this world, she felt a little jealous. Those two had found something she hadn't, and likely wouldn't.

''Lisbeth! We have the materials you asked for!''

''Thank you! There's somebody here who's been waiting for them, and you...''

''Koharu! Jet! Long time, no see!'' - A purple blur darted over to them, and immediately noticed the couple's new weapons.

''Eeep! Yuuki, don't scare me like that, please!'' - Koharu had practically leapt into Jet's arms at that point, something that almost everyone but her found quite amusing. Yuuki took her chance, and she looked around both of the new blades, and after a few humming noises, spoke up - ''Oooh, new weapons?''

''Oh, yeah, we got them in the Elf War Quest last floor. Faith, and Hope.''

''Huh? Shouldn't there be a third? Charity?''

''Oh, someone we know is looking after Charity. In case we need it.''

''Awwwh, could've given it to me...'' - Yuuki gave him a look that would pierce the heart of anyone who saw it. Luckily, Yuuki acted a lot like one of his sisters, and Jet had long since become immune to the puppy dog eyes she was currently trying to give him. ''Seven sisters, Yuuki. Not gonna work.'' - Jet smirked back, trying not to laugh.

''Seven!?'' - Jet ignored the look of shock that Lisbeth gave him, and the group continued with the reunion.

''So, where have you been this whole time, Yuuki?''

''Well, after I defeated this monster during my reconnaissance, I got this rare-ish material. So I went and took out a load of them to get enough of it.'' - Yuuki answered, looking quite pleased with herself. Unlike Lisbeth, who was giving her the look of a disappointed parent...

''There is a limit to how much trouble one person can cause, you know!'' - Along with the speech patterns of a disappointed parent, as it turned out.

''No there isn't.'' - Jet and Yuuki both answered in stereo, though with considerably different tones. Yuuki sounded almost excited to test that theory, whilst Jet just sounded absolutely exhausted. - ''Jinx! Hah!'' - Jet rolled his eyes, but shut up regardless. - ''I'm sorry though. I kind of lost track of time... and you all came looking for me. I'm sorry about that!''

''I'm glad everyone's safe, and I got what I needed too. Now, I should be able to make something good...''

''I see. So, all of these were for you, Yuuki? What kind of sword are you making?''

''Something light, but tough and easy to use. The swords that the NPC stores sell just don't fit the bill properly. Lisbeth's swords felt closer to what I was looking for, but...''

''Don't complain about the parameters in front of me! I was fairly confident in the materials I bought on the fifth floor... that's why I retorted. I said if I got materials from the frontlines, you could get a better sword!''

''And that is why we're here! And since you guys helped us out, I'm sure this'll be a great sword!''

''I thought you wanted a one handed sword?'' - Jet had fought back the urge to make that quip... but the urge grew too great, and three sets of eyes narrowed on him as he did, two of which were attached to people genuinely embarrassed by how bad the joke was. The third was Yuuki, who was trying not to laugh at the lame duck of a joke...

''Ignoring Jet, that's a lot of pressure on me here...''

''You sure you can handle it?''

''I can. Equipment can mean life or death for it's user, so I really can't afford to mess up here. Besides, materials can sense fear. When I make a good weapon, I focus on my right hand, and go into a trance state, so I can't get distracted.''

''Does that change the chances of success? It kind of sounds like something Argo would start investigating right away.''

''Well then, best of luck.''

''Stop blabbering, I need to focus.''

''Okay'' - The group stood a distance back, both to avoid distracting the blacksmith, and being set on fire from the crucible she used. After about a minute, a blade started to take shape, and after two minutes, the blade was complete. ''It's done!'' - Lisbeth stood up, and handed Yuuki the blade, as she gleamed with pride. ''This is probably the best one I've made so far. Give it a test!''

Yuuki took the blade, giving it some practice swings, before twirling the blade in her hand, an apprehensive look on her face.

''Something up with it?''

''No! I think it's good, the weight's right, and the parameters are all good, definitely. This should be good for now!'' - Jet could just see what Lisbeth was going through. That feeling of having poured your heart into a piece of work... and it didn't turn out anywhere near as great as you'd hoped it would. It sucked, especially when the crud you then threw at a page randomly turned out better... he could sympathise with the blacksmith on that.

''For now?''

''It'll be good for a few floors, at least.''

''I think it would bother me more if you treated this as a stopgap, after all of our hard work!'' - Koharu looked towards the smithy with concern, and back to Jet, who decided to try to diffuse the tension.

''Lisbeth, I don't think she meant it that way. Besides, none of our weapons are gonna last us the whole game, right? I know for a fact that I probably won't still be using Hope all the way at the top, when we take down Kayaba...''

''Yeah, I understand that, I'm just... (sighs) mad at myself. On my honour though, I will make you a sword that you love! I won't leave you alone until I get you to say that I've made you what you wanted!'' - Yuuki's eyes lit up at that, as Jet noticed the passion that Lisbeth was willing to put into her work. Certainly put his attitude to art back home to shame, anyway...

''Really? Sweet! The balance at the centre of gravity feels a bit off, and I'd kind of prefer it to have an agility parameter...''

''See! You don't like it at all!'' - On the other hand, she might have been a little too passionate about it. Sometimes, it was a good idea to take a step back, and judge your own work with a critical eye. It didn't mean you were crap at it, it just meant you weren't as prone to the whole Dunning-Kruger effect... - ''I'm not gonna give up until it's impossible, but you're my customer. Tell me when you don't like it.''

''Okay... you have the spirit of a blacksmith, Lisbeth!'' - ''And the temper of an insulted artist.'' - Jet thought to himself.

''Of course I do! That's why I don't want to settle for less.''

''I see... thank you! I love you, Lisbeth!'' - Well, that certainly provoked a reaction, as all of the blood in Lisbeth's digital body rushed to her face, whilst she processed exactly what had been said. - ''Huh?! A-are you an idiot!? Don't say that so nonchalantly!''

''I just said the truth! I was so happy that I asked you, Lisbeth to make this.''

''(splutter) M-me too. Thanks. Well, I need to go and find out about what materials are here on this floor from the other blacksmiths... though if experience has taught me anything, it's that it'll be difficult for a one handed sword user, and a non-specialist macer. If you two wouldn't mind, could you stay and help us?''

''Yeah, we'll help. We need to do some reece on this floor anyway.''

''Brilliant! It's true that the best thing to ask for is a reliable friend...''

''Agreed. This whole mess would've been a lot harder if I didn't have Koharu with me...''

''Which mess?'' - It was somewhat telling that neither of them could actually figure out which situation they were referring to.

''All of them.'' - Jet laughed slightly, before a crashing wave of horror came down on him - ''Holy- we really need to stop throwing ourselves at problems.''

''Or maybe put a little forethought into them, anyway.''

''That too.''

''I'll be off, I'll message you when I'm on my way back.'' - With that, Lisbeth took off, leaving the trio standing around, wondering what to do next. Yuuki was first to suggest an idea - continuing where they'd left off, and level grinding...

The mobs on the sixth floor weren't all that difficult to deal with, really. A bit irritating at times, especially when they decided to spam circular attack patterns, but once you noticed the indicators of that... well, they weren't all that much of a threat. Eventually, having taken down what Jet assumed was a small army of them, they'd returned to the teleport gate to wait for Lisbeth, who came back with a massive grin on her face. A grin that Jet had recognised as one he'd be better off fleeing from, if he remembered it right.

''Well, they said they'd heard of a blacksmith making a really high quality item, using the materials on this floor, at least, in the beta anyway so...''

''Really high quality?''

''Yeah. I don't know if you guys know this, but when we make a weapon, the system attaches random parameters to it. So, even if you use the exact same tools to make ten blades...''

''There's a chance they'll all be completely different to use.''

''Bingo! But the higher the forging skill, the more consistent they'll be. Of course, there'll be random times where you make a weapon significantly better, and the game recognises them as High Quality Items. Kinda like every blacksmith's dream, but as I said...''

''You have no real way of knowing when you'll make one?''

''Supposedly, the higher the forging skill, the more likely it is, but that's just a rumour. Apparently, the best anyone's managed is one in every...'' - Lisbeth paused, thinking about it - ''hundred or thousand weapons. Maybe.''

''So, you want to make one, Lisbeth?''

''Can't really try to make one, but I'd love it if I could. Still, I'm more interested in the whole principle here anyway. According to the blacksmith, they focused on grinding on a type of mob that spawned inside a dungeon here, as it dropped a rare material. Eventually, they had a ton of it, and made weapon after weapon from it, until eventually...''

''Super item?''

''Yup! But it's not like the drop system is the same here as in the beta, and there could -well, will be- better materials elsewhere. Still, I think we should try it, if only for the rare drops!''

''Yeah, let's do it! Sounds kind of romantic, anyway!'' - Jet raised an eyebrow. Dungeon crawling was probably the exact opposite of romantic in his eyes, but who was he to deflate Yuuki's bubble?

''Anyway-'' - Ahem - '-where's the dungeon?'' - Jet looked over towards his partner, as he could've sworn he heard someone clearing their throat from her direction...

''I'm not really sure. All I've got is hearsay from other blacksmiths and friends...'' - Ahem! And again! Except this time, it didn't sound like any of them. Too quiet for one... - ''It'd be different if I could actually ask that beta tester... but, well, he died. Died back on the Fifth floor.''

''Sacrifices are unavoidable.'' - A small tuft of ginger hair became visible in Jet's periphery, but evidently not everyone else's...

''Bit harsh, Koharu?''

''I didn't say anything?''

''Anyway, that's the story. Not like we can raise the dead or anything, so our only option is to go looking.''

''Yeah, guess so. Were they alone because they were a beta tester, or?''

''No, apparently he was in a party of five.''

''All of them ex- beta testers, or just that guy?''

''Just him. Ran into a strong enemy he couldn't run from, or fight. Unfortunately, this particularly mob wasn't in the strategy guide... it is now.'' - Jet couldn't help but feel slightly guilty. Maybe if he, Koharu and Argo hadn't been completely pre-occupied with the whole treasure hunt, and then the ghost fiasco, maybe they'd have been able to do some more detailed reconnaissance, and maybe, some lives wouldn't have been lost... Apparently, Jet hadn't been subtle in his twang of guilt, as Koharu was now clutching his hand. ''He was a pretty famous blacksmith. I'd been in a party with him once, a really nice guy. Such a shame.''

''Did he ever reveal that he was a beta tester?''

''Yeah, amongst crafters, the beta testers are pretty popular. Why'd you ask?''

''Let's just say they aren't the most popular amongst the clearers.'' - Jet deliberately understated just how bad that situation actually was, and Koharu noticed that.

''I really do not understand people sometimes. Demonising those who have superior knowledge, it just shows how irrational they are.'' - The small tuft of hair became fully visible, along with the person it was attached to. The little girl they'd helped on the last floor - Mater, if Jet's memory served him correctly - had shown up once again, and Koharu looked quite happy that the little girl had escaped unscathed, if the smile on her face was anything to go by. Lisbeth and Yuuki, on the other hand, both looked completely confused by the girl's sudden appearance.

''O-kay... who's the girl?''

''We know her. Helped her out in a dungeon last week.''

''Mater! Oh, umm, we met her on the Fifth floor.''

''Hello. I'm Mater. Nice to meet you.''

''You can call me Yuuki! Nice to meet you too!''

''And I'm Lisbeth. Nice to meet you too... why are we talking about this again?''

''I'm here to tell you about dungeons. Because I know where you are talking about.''

''And you're telling us this for free? Because if you're after money, I'd like to negotiate...'' - Something told Jet that Lisbeth might've dealt with Argo before...

''I don't need money. I am here to see how this turns out.''

''Turns out? Like the drop rates?''

''There is an item that I am looking for. It should be in the dungeon, at least. As a result, I should check myself. The more I know, the better.'' - Koharu looked increasingly worried, as Mater carried on. It was a little worrying that someone quite so young would be so willing to throw themselves into situations like that, but if Jet was honest, he hadn't been much better as a child, throwing himself into situations that he would now consider far too dangerous for a child.

''When you say that... you mean by yourself, again, don't you?''

''I'll be fine.'' - Those were words that never meant what they said. Both Jet and Koharu glanced at each other with a sense of unease, and then looked back to Mater. ''If I'm careful, I can avoid the risks.''

''And how well did that go last time?'' - Mater looked slightly indignant at Jet's suggestion.

''You weren't listening to us, were you? The former beta tester died on the fifth floor, and he was in a party. Just one mistake can cost you your life, so you should be extremely prepared, and preferably in a party, if you go exploring...'' - If Lisbeth had looked like a disappointed parent towards Yuuki, she was positively fuming now. Luckily, Yuuki interrupted, offering her own ten pence on the subject -

''Just take us. We're going anyway, so we'll go with you if you want to explore the dungeon. We might get some materials, you might find your item... but just working together will at least help our chances, right?''

''That works for me. Plus, there's no guarantee of a rescue if you get surrounded by monsters again. Umm, Mater, what are you looking for?''

''I'm looking for a special ''treasure'' in a dungeon, in the 'wet' zone. At least, that's what an NPC told me. But I don't know what it is. It could be traps, it could be a monster guarding it... I'd just be happy if you guys found somewhere that matched that description.''

''A treasure hunt! I love those!'' - Jet reminded himself to mention about the fifth floor's gimmick to Yuuki, although he expected she already knew anyway.

''Well, we'll help out. I like treasure just as much as the next person. I don't mind giving you it, if we find it.''

''Then it's decided, Mater. We'll go with you.''

Mater didn't exactly pleased by that outcome, but after a few seconds, the young girl relented. An outcome probably helped by the 'angry parent' vibe that Lisbeth gave off earlier, and the 'doting older sister' vibe that Koharu always gave off. ''Okay, I'll join you guys.''

''Well, we should prepare beforehand. Meet back here in thirty?''

''See you in thirty.''

{Author's Comments}

So, the second half of the Elf War Quest is here, and a lot more talking than I'd like in this chapter. Can't be helped, I suppose.

Anyway, I realise just how long this story will actually be if I follow my notes (at one point, I expected to be up to Floor 50 by 100k words. I'm on Floor 6 by it. Call it a little bit of an understatement, perhaps...), so I may consider doing the final arc as it's own story. Considering that I expect a large amount of this to comply with at least Integral Factor after Floor 9, it shouldn't be too spoiler-y. If I do, it'll be it's own separate story, and will be updated less frequently than this, at least until Floor 9.

As for the earlier mentioned ''what if'' story... I've done some for it, but I really don't feel it'll stand on it's own merits. Anyone who wants to see what I've got, send me a PM, and you're more than welcome to read it.

As I always mention, if you've enjoyed this, please favourite, follow and leave a review. I always like to know how I'm doing, and if I'm doing anything wrong, or have gotten anything wrong.

Anyway, Midland2541, signing off