Hours had passed since Wystan had left the workshop, leaving Artanis alone to work on her craft. Sweating from both the furnace’s heat, as well the physically taxing work; Artanis had forged a small pile of knifes which she left alone at a corner of the workshop. All her efforts were rewarded in form of occasional increases, in either her stats; or skills.
Although Artanis had worked hours without rest, she strangely didn’t feel any fatigue; as odd as this situation was to her. All she could think about right now was her work, currently nothing else existed for her; aside from her work at the workshop.
An devotion which rivaled an workaholic’s obsession, on par with a certain sculptor single minded pursuit for money. Even late in the evening, when her mentor Wystan returned; she was still tirelessly working. What he saw, as he opened the workshop’s door; brought a smile to his face.
“Good work lass.” Said Wystan, while locking the workshop’s door. He was both surprised, and happy; to find his apprentice still working. The large pile of knives Artanis had created, also played a small part in his joy.
“You’re free to rest if you want, aren’t you tired?” Asked Wystan, but no answer came from her; which had not even noticed his return. Sighing, he decided to leave her alone to work; and went upstairs.
Artanis kept working, even though she was getting mentally exhausted. She had created hundreds of knives and daggers, but after inspecting each one Artanis continued to create more; since none really satisfied her.
She kept working out of pure stubbornness, since she wanted to present Wystan something that would make him proud; and so the workshop continued in relative silence. Aside the sounds made by a hard working elf hammering metal, and the crackling of the furnace’s flame.
To both Wystan and his neighbors, that was a common occurrence; one which no longer kept them from their sleep. They all had already grown accustomed to the workshop’s sounds, but one in particularly loud sound. Heard a few hours before midnight, was uncommon enough to startle that neighborhood; waking up the old man sleeping upstairs.
“Artanis?!” Screamed Wystan, as he came down from the second floor with a large battle-axe on his hands. Hearing what he concluded to be her scream, made him imagine that some burglar had invaded the store; scaring his apprentice. But instead, what he found was a beautiful elf; urgently in need of a bath. Smiling, as she held a bronze dagger.
“I did, I finally did.” Said Artanis, as she polished and sharpened the knife. She had finally made one, she felt that was good enough for her to present to her master; Wystan. Seeing Artanis smile, as she worked on the finishing touches on the knife; caused the old man to laugh as he left his axe on a nearby stand.
“Please inspect it.” Said Artanis, finally noticing his presence. She wondered why, he were near the stairs; holding a large axe the as soon as he returned to the store. But what truly mattered to her, was the completion of her quest.
“Okay lass, let me see it.” Said Wystan, as he took the dagger out of her hands. The first thing he noticed, as he inspected Artanis’s work; was it unique shape. Which reminded him of a spearhead, with a sharp protrusion at the end of each side.
Hibiscus LaevisType:DaggerQuality:FineDurability:74/74Artistic Value:143Creator:ArtanisDamage:11~15Description:This knife made of common refined bronze, has a beautiful shape, similar to a scarlet rose mallow’s leaf from which it receives its name. Although the inspired smith, who created it, was not very experienced, it was created with great care.Restriction:Strenght 25+
Agility 35+Effect(s)Agility +10
Attack Speed Increased By 1,5%
Damage Caused By Stabbing Increased By 50%
Capable Of Both Piercing And Slashing Damage.
Causes Medium Bleeding Damage.
“Congratulations, you have passed the test.” Said Wystan as he returned the dagger to Artanis’s hands along with an plain looking iron key.
Quest Completed!
You have acquired the key to Wystan’s Store, you may now come and go as you please.
You have earned the title: Talented Smith.
Strenght has permanently been increased by 5
Vitality has permanently been increased by 5
All products made through blacksmithing will receive a bonus to their quality.
The happiness in Artanis face was evident, not even the fatigue suddenly felt as the focus skill deactivated could wipe out the smile in her face.
“Don’t get cocky lass, that was the least i expected from my apprentice.” Exclaimed Wystan in reaction to Artanis’s expression. His words however did not express his true feelings, Wystan were truly proud about his apprentice's devotion to the craft. She was however not his first apprentice.
The lesson learned as a mentor was to prevent one’s student to become arrogant. Even the most hardworking, studious apprentice could change as the acquired success and praises. It was not uncommon for someone with a little talent to suddenly fancy themselves as genius, I will succeed even without effort. With such thought poisoning their minds, they slowly became trash.
“Okay, I will keep that in mind.” Answered Artanis hiding her annoyance. She was pleased with the quest’s rewards, both the tile and the key would be very useful in the future, Wystan’s words however; she could do without.
‘The least expected.’ Such sentence lingered in her mind, repeating itself over and over. She did not expect praise for efforts, they were after all aimed towards her own benefit. Having them diminished as the minimum expected however was a completely different story.
She knew not everyone could put even half of her effort in crafting, she knew that to any mentor her actions would be praiseworthy; she also knew that she had nothing to gain from aggravating her teacher.
“Go rest lass, that’s a order.” Said Wystan before he went into the second floor where the bedroom were located. There he laid on his bed, then immediately slept.
‘Rest? That’s right, how long i have been playing?’ Thought Artanis as she calculated how long she had been playing without any breaks. Considering time went four times faster inside Royal Road, right now in the real world was already past midday. Deciding to log off, Artanis climbed the stairs and walked towards Wystan’s bathroom.
In there was quite spacious and comfortable bathtub, placed beside a water pump.
Pumping the water into the bathtub took only a few minutes. Surprisingly the water which came out from the pump was already quite warm, owning it’s warmth to the house’s furnace which residual heat was used to warm the house entirely.
Seeing the warm vapors rising from within the bathtub, Artanis closed the bathroom’s door and calmly took off her robe, strophium and subligaculum.
Her body bare, Artanis immersed herself in the warm liquid. As she relaxed inside the bathtub a system message appeared before her.
You took an relaxing bath.
Your fatigue has been washed away, stamina regeneration has been temporarily increased by 50%
Charm has been permanently increased by 1
Finishing her bath Artanis dried herself with a nearby towel and dressed herself. After leaving the bath she walked towards the bed Wystan had prepared to her, laying herself comfortably in it she uttered the logoff command.
Listening to the tutorial had once again paid off, the reason for her to lay in bed before logging off was simple. However a player disconnected himself from the game, his avatar was left behind in a defenseless state; as if they had fallen in a deep slumber.
Many players were not aware of such fact, during the first weeks after Royal Road’s launch, the sight of random players falling into the ground in a deep slumber was not uncommon. Such players often returned hours later only to find themselves naked, and completely stripped of their earthly possessions.
With her virtual self safe and sound, sleeping comfortably in her bed. Amanda found herself once again inside the darkness of the closed capsule. Opening its lid, Amanda walked towards her real bed, in a few moments she fell asleep.
From a medieval european country, to the southern american country of Brazil in mere seconds; such feat was only possible thanks to the wonders of technology.
The technology she had earned for two years, finally she had joined the marvelous world her friend had so often spoken about. Finally, she had taken her first steps inside Royal Road.
Exhausted with both her birthday and Royal Road, Amanda spent nearly the entire evening sleeping. When she woke up, Amanda tidied up her bed and then slowly stretched up her body; and then walked towards the kitchen.
“Good evening my dear, i take you have been enjoying your present?” Said her mother Susana, chuckling soon after. Being sat beside the table, she cut a piece of cake; serving it to Amanda.
“Yes I am, its far better than what i had imagined. It’s nearly a sin to call it a mere game, is far superior than that.” Said Amanda excitedly, as she served herself a cup of orange juice. Seeing her beloved daughter’s happiness, Susana couldn’t help but smile.
This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
She knew how much Amanda wanted to play Royal Road, but she couldn’t help but worry about leaving her single, beloved daughter alone in a strange place she barely knew anything about. The videos of players murdering themselves hardly helped. Susana knew it was all a game, she knew that even if she died in it Amanda wouldn’t get hurt; She knew. But even if it was not real, the image of her daughter getting killed haunted her.
“I got some free time, so why don’t you tell me more about it?” Said Susana smiling, between the recording of her new TV series and a few commercials; she barely had time to spend with her family lately.
“Okay, when i entered the capsule...” Said Amanda as she told her mother what had happened inside the game, from the dark room of the account creation process; to the virtual world sun’s warmth and light. The sad excuse for breads given to beginners, the fountain's cold water; the medieval city’s architecture.
She talked about the taste of the food she had eaten, including the food Edward had bought her. About the pain she had felt, which although brander; were still perfectly simulated. About her meeting with Wystan, and how she ended working for him. About the church of Tyr, and the weird girl called Curtana; she of course held back from speaking of the dream she had with her. And the fact such persons were actually NPC’s.
“About this boy Edward, is he also one of those NPC’s?” Asked her mother smirking, her daughter rarely spoke about boys; so amongst all she had been told his name was what caught most of her attention.
“Eh? No, why do you ask?” Answered Amanda, wondering the reason behind her mother’s expression.
“It’s nothing, don’t worry about it.” Said Susana while thinking, ‘Good luck Edward, you will need it.’ An mature woman’s insight, just from the meager information about him; Susana had already deduced Edward’s true intentions.
Having finished both her breakfast, and her conversation with her mother; Amanda walked towards her apartment's exercise room. To her, doing so had became a habit thanks to her father’s influence. Her first action was to thoroughly stretch her body, had any men saw her doing so; they would be ready for camping. Years of exercise had made her body incredibly flexible, permitting her to move her body nearly effortlessly.
Everyday Amanda performed the same set of movements taught by her father, using fitness and self defense as an excuse; he had managed to brainwash her into learning martial arts.
Eventually she came to enjoy it, so there was no harm done; the true reason behind was however kept a secret. All for the sake of chasing away boys, so far her father Fernando’s plan had been working perfectly; his little princess was safe from the fangs of the wolves.
Intimidated by her beauty and fearful of her strength, during her 18 years of life, no man dared to become more than her friend. As if the prospect of being beaten by their girlfriend was not scary enough, they would also had to deal with her father; a famous martial artist.
Having finished her daily exercise routine Amanda walked towards the bathroom and undressed herself. Turning on the shower, water dripped over her; following the curves of her body. Dripping on the surface of her slightly tanned body, her large; firm breasts. Her slim defined waist, alluring rump; and healthy looking legs.
An appearance which could be resumed to a single word, Goddess. Blessed with beauty, intelligence; a fast metabolism. Amanda Ferreira, the target of women’s envy; and men’s desire.
The girl which now had dried herself and wore her pajamas, the girl which couldn’t wait to go back to Royal Road. The girl which found herself back into the city of Rockheim, on the of the same bed she had logged off before.
“It’s good to be back.” Mumbled Artanis as she climbed out of the bed and stretched herself; a habit which carried over from her real life. Before her a transparent window appeared, which’s information brought a smile to her lips.
Vitality has permanently been increased by 1
In Royal Road, there were many ways to increase one’s attributes. Increasing your level was the most common, every level would award you with five points; which you could then apply to the stats you liked. Stats also increased in accordance to your actions, this method possessed the highest difficulty; but had the highest potential.
Other methods existed, such as using items; they were however sold at high prices. There was also another method, one so blatantly stupid; and incredibly ordinary. An healthy lifestyle, something as simple as eating and sleeping properly had its benefits.
Walking down the stair, Artanis took one dagger; from her large pile of failures. During the course of her blacksmithing test, all the daggers and knives she had created; had been left unsharpened to save up time. She now planned to fix that situation.
‘Even though they can’t compare with Laevis, they are still decent weapons.’ Thought Artanis, looking to the dagger she held. In the following hours, Artanis literary grinded her sharpening skill level; as she sharpened each blade to the maximum her skill allowed. The idea behind the skill was simple, trading a blade’s durability for attack power. By grinding the blade a greater sharpness can be achieved, this however; was no different from whittling down the weapon.
Sharpening skill level increased to basic level 10
Your skill Sharpening has changed to: Intermediate Sharpening
Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:SharpeningIntermediate10%By the use of a whetstone a bladed weapon can be sharpened. Increasing its attack power, higher skill levels further improve its attack power increase as well increasing the sharp edge's durability.
Sharpened weapons ignore 1% of the opponent’s defense.
‘Now, that is what i call a pleasant surprise.’ Thought Artanis, grinning widely. Even ignoring the attack boost of the sharpened weapon, the potential increase in one’s damage through ignoring the foe’s defense was considerable; especially against those with high defenses.
Without anything left to sharpen, and Wystan being nowhere in sight; Artanis started refining more ore. Her objective was to increase her metallurgy skill, to increase the quality of her ingots. To a master, even pig iron could be used to create something great; but a better material would allow him to create something even greater.
With that in mind Artanis refined nearly the entire stock of Wystan’s ores, creating fine bronze; common iron and poor steel. Increasing her metallurgical skill to new heights.
Metallurgy skill level increased to basic level 10
Your skill Metallurgy has changed to: Intermediate Metallurgy
Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:MetallurgyIntermediate10%By refining brute ores, cleansing them of their impurities, a higher quality metal can be created. By using it, is also possible to mix various metal ores, creating different metal alloys. The quality of the final product is affected by many factors, including the level of this skill.
A higher amount of material is received at the end of the refining process.
“Good, you finally returned. Go gather your stuff, we're going on a trip.” Said Wystan, opening the workshop’s door. In his hand a rucksack could be found, whose appearance gave a feeling of heaviness
“Travel? Where to?” Asked Artanis surprised, hearing her question the man before her smiled; “To the mountains, lass; the Ulta Mountains.” Answered Wystan before laughing.
“That won't be possible.” Said Artanis in a slightly disappointed tone, remembering the fact; she could not leave the city for the next few weeks.
“Eh? How come? Don’t tell me yer scared.” Asked Wystan with a stern gaze, ever since she went to sleep nearly a full day ago; he had prepared himself for this journey.
“No thats not the case, its because guards won’t allow me to leave the city.” Answered Artanis, but Wystan’s reaction was far from what she had expected; after a hearty laugh he convinced her there would be no problems. And so, she climbed the stairs and picked up her backpack; hiding in it her masterpiece Hibiscus Laevis.
‘Better safe than sorry, who knows; perhaps i will need it.’ And with such thought in her mind, Artanis climbed down the stair; ready to start her first travel outside Rockheim’s walls.
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