Heading West

{Name: Kirou}

{Race: Werewolf(Lycan/Human)}

{Class: Weapon Master}

{Subclass: Crafting Master}

{Weapons: Gunblade Tonfas(damaged), Beginner Knife}

{Armor: Swampland Leather Armor Set (vest, pants, gloves, boots, crocodile helmet), Mysterious Bead(???)}

{Level: 10}

{HP: 696/696 (396+100+200)}

{MP: 580/580 (330+100+150)}

{Str: 42 (22+10+10)}

{Int: 25 (20+5)}

{Def: 56 (21+10+10+5+5+5)}

{Const: 33 (23+10)}

{Dex: 23 (18+5)}

{Agi: 23 (18+5)}

{Luck: 55/100}

{Skill Points: 33}

{Fame: 2500}

{Money: 1000 g/21 s/50 c}

Looking over his stats, Kirou failed to stop the smile forming on his face. He could feel his strength, as small as it was, increasing after he donned his new armor. With his current strength, he felt that should he challenge that Swampland Crocodile King to a rematch, he would be able to take it down without using so many recovery items during battle. Hell, he would only need to use three clones in total as well instead of the two dozen he had created.

Satisfied with his current strength, Kirou walked out of the back room and greeted Tailor Sam currently sitting behind the counter. When Tailor Sam saw him, there was visible shock seen on his face.

"Holy sh*t. Is that my design? No, wait, there wasn't a design in that book that had more than four pieces. Did you modify one of my designs?" Tailor Sam asked those questions in rapid-fire style. Although Kirou didn't currently have the crocodile helm on his head and it was currently attached to the back of his vest, Tailor Sam could tell that it was headpiece apparel.

Hearing his questions, Kirou allowed a grin to grace his face before speaking, "That's right, Senior. While I was crafting the prototype, it felt like the armor design was incomplete somewhere. I decided to add a helm to the design. As for what the helm was based on, I'm sure you can see it for yourself, Senior." After saying his piece, Kirou approached Tailor Sam and allowed him to examine the completed Swampland Leather Armor Set he was wearing.

Tailor Sam circled Kirou a few times, nodding his head when he noticed how Kirou pieced the armor together. After doing so for a few minutes, Tailor Sam finally backed off before speaking, "It's official, you are a monster. You turned one of my early designs and created this beast of an armor. Just take that leather book I loaned you earlier. With your talent, you might be able to finish all the designs in them that I never could."

Tailor Sam's words moved Kirou. Kirou cupped his hands and gave Tailor Sam a slight bow before speaking, "Many thanks, Senior. I'll do my best to complete your designs. I'll even add in a few when I have the chance."

Tailor Sam nodded at his words. He then got up and went to a storage chest, rummaging around inside before he returned to his seat and threw a package to Kirou. Catching the package, Kirou opened it and noticed that it was a black fur coat. Curious, Kirou asked, "Senior, this is..."

"Consider it an advanced payment on finishing my designs. It isn't much in the way of armor but it does come with skill, <Camouflage>. As long as you use it while out of sight, you'll disappear from view and can no longer be tracked by anyone." After saying that, Tailor Sam went back to drawing in a book in front of him.

"Many thanks, Senior. I'll make proper use of it." After giving his thanks once again, Kirou turned around and left Tailor Sam's cottage, Heading in the direction of the village armory.

After he left, Tailor Sam looked in the direction he left.

'Look's like the old man has found a good successor. Never thought a new cub would be able to craft something from that book, much less complete it. If what Blacksmith Zac said is true about Bladesmith being his class instructor, then it means he's already passed his test as well. Things won't be so boring anymore.' As those thoughts flashed in his mind, Tailor Sam revealed a gentle smile before getting back to his designs.

********************

[System Message: Your Affinity with Tailor Sam has increased to <Intimate>.]

Kirou was already outside Bladesmith's cottage when he got that message. Seeing the contents genuinely spooked him because he had no idea how that happened.

'Wait a minute.' Kirou then took out the leather book filled with designs from Tailor Sam. When he saw the title, he was dumbfounded.

"That crazy bastard." Those were the words that escaped Kirou's mouth as his eyes traced over the words on the cover of the book. 'Impossible Designs to Implement' was the title of the book in his hands.

"No wonder he was so damn surprised with both the prototype and the completed armor sets I made. They shouldn't exist." Kirou mumbled those words as he walked into the cottage.

"What's up with you, lad? You got quite the sour look on your face there," said Bladesmith as he reclined in the resting area.

"Nothing much, Senior. I just noticed I got tricked is all," replied Kirou with a wry smile. He then proceeded towards the smithy section of the cottage before he took out some metals and threw them into the forge.

"Well, it's already happened so you can't change it now. That being said, why are you back here so soon, lad? Didn't you just complete making your weapon a few hours ago?" asked Bladesmith in slight confusion after he saw Kirou throw some familiar metals into the forge.

Instead of answering his question, Kirou just took out his damaged gunblade tonfas and showed them to him. Seeing them cause Bladesmith to jump in fright.

"What the hell were you fighting to break these so quickly?" asked Bladesmith in shock as he shifted his gaze from the badly damaged gunblade tonfas to Kirou.

"Swampland Crocodile King," was Kirou's simple answer to Bladesmith's question.

Hearing the simple answer caused Bladesmith to pause for a few seconds. Looking carefully at the weapons and Kirou again, an absurd thought passed through Bladesmith's mind. It was so absurd, in his eyes at least, that he had to laugh. In between laughter, he voiced his thoughts, "What, you went and fought the overlord of the northern swampland, alone lad? Ahahaha!"

In response to his question, Kirou just replied with a simple"Yes" while he tended to the metals currently being heated in the furnace. Hearing his response, however, caused Bladesmith to stop laughing instantly and his face became notably more serious.

"Are joking with me here, lad? You went and fought the swampland crocodile king alone?" Bladesmith eyed Kirou as he repeated the question. Looking at his gear, Bladesmith had a moment of clarity. "Hmm, if you were wearing this armor while fighting it, I can see how you survived but it doesn't explain why those new toys of yours are so badly damaged so soon."

"I wasn't wearing this armor yet. I was in standard gear sold by Senior Sam." Kirou said this while taking out a piece of metal from the furnace and started hammering.

"If you weren't wearing this armor but those standard crap, how did you manage to deal with the overlord's tremor and berserk attacks?" Bladesmith asked this in confusion after Kirou pointed out the armor details.

"Shadow Clones," was all Kirou said as he was focused on hammering the metal before him.

"Shadow Clones?" Bladesmith said this out loud before he slapped his head in a moment of clarity. "So you're telling me you made use of the shadow clone skill I gave you a few hours ago to go intentionally challenge the overlord of the northern swampland? Are you crazy? Do you have a death wish or something, lad?" asked Bladesmith with both anger and worry on his face.

Instead of answering immediately, Kirou gave the metal a few more hammer strikes before he stopped and turned to face Bladesmith while releasing a helpless sigh. He could hear the concern Bladesmith had for him in his voice so he decided to face his senior, "It's a long story. Why not help me create a few new barrels for the tonfas while I tell you how it happened."

Bladesmith nodded before entering the smithy and went across from Kirou and started hammering away on another piece of metal taken from the forge as Kirou narrated his story. Kirou told Bladesmith what led him to enter the northern swampland in the first place, his experiences in it along with how he met and dealt with the swampland crocodile king. By the time Kirou and Bladesmith were done with their hammering, Bladesmith was looking at Kirou as if he was seeing a ghost.

"That's quite the tale ya got there, lad. For argument's sake, got any keepsake from the beast you can show right now?" asked Bladesmith as he looked at Kirou. He completely believed Kirou's story but he wondered if Kirou had any leftover materials.

"Besides the armor, I'm currently wearing..." Kirou pointed to him as he equipped the helm for his armor, showing off the vestiges of the swampland crocodile king, "I've got some meat and bones left in my inventory. Why, interested in them?" When he finished speaking, Kirou looked at Bladesmith with a raised eyebrow.

It was only now that Bladesmith realized why the armor on Kirou seemed so strong. It was made from the overlord of the northern swampland along with the elites of many races in there as secondary materials. Nodding his head, Bladesmith opened his mouth, "Since you got bones, you can leave 'em with me and I'll make you some claws and other weapons out of them if you have no plans on using them yourself."

Kirou removed most of the bones from his inventory and passed them over to Bladesmith before speaking, "You can have those to work with. I need to hold on to a few for a personal project." After speaking, Kirou got back to hammering. This time, he was creating ammo for the gunblade tonfas. Unlike the ones he made before, this time he was making specialized rounds to add to the mix, along with a few other items.

Looking at the bones, Bladesmith could only release a helpless sigh.

'Unlike others that would struggle to find even one bone from the entire lot from such a beast at this quality, if they were so lucky, this guy passes nearly a dozen of them over like it's nothing. This lad truly isn't simple. I guess this is what the old man saw in him.'

After another twenty minutes or so, Kirou finally stopped hammering and reassembled the gunblade tonfas using the new parts. Now that his weapons were back in working order and he had crafted a simple harvesting kit, Kirou was preparing to take his leave.

Before he could say his farewells, however, Bladesmith turned to him and spoke, "Come visit me in a few days. I'll have those weapons of yours ready by then."

"I'll do that. I'll take my leave now Senior." After saying his farewells, Kirou left the cottage without turning back. It was time for him to make a trip to the village of the elves, Thousand Wood Village.

As Kirou left, Bladesmith watched as his back grew smaller the further he went.

'Why do I get the distinct feeling that by the time he comes back for these weapons I'm making for him he'll have another amazing story to tell me?' Bladesmith then shook his mind free of those thoughts before he went back to the lounge area of the cottage to rest. It wasn't time for him to start working yet since his shadow was still weak.

********************

After stocking up on some items from General Manager Almia's store and potions from Pharmacist Shahna's pharmacy, Kirou made sure his inventory was sufficiently emptied and sorted before he made his way to the west exit of the village.

Doing a final check of his gear and inventory, Kirou finally left Elderwood Village to complete Old Wolf's delivery quest.

'Let's see what dangers I'll face along the way for Old Wolf to recommend I get armor.' This was Kirou's thought as he sped westward in the direction of Thousand Wood Village.

Unknown to Kirou, however, was that he was being watched as he left the village. It seems that the armor on his body had gathered unwanted attention towards him.