The Survival Logs || Sword Art Online Fanfic

PK Pandemonia Arc: Chapter 66 - Maintenance Break

18 February 2024

Katalysis, 43rd Floor

"Oh, you're finally back to end my quarantine? Wonderful! How's it outside that door? Was it worth leaving me alone to suffer here?"

The ever sarcastic tone of Tekion's voice tingled my ears as I pushed open the wooden door into the room. The blacksmith turned at me, sitting on his own bed with a table pulled in front of him, on which a sword was lying flat on the far table edge.

Beside the sword, a small black anvil stood horizontally right at him, who was spinning his hammer playfully at the moment that I had arrived. Rakuno followed me in as well, sticking her head out at Tekion's little set-up.

"Didn't wanna be your alarm clock," I replied as I brought down my system menu. "But here, got you some treats."

A system window popped up by Tekion, who stared at it for a while, before sighing with a smile.

"Unbelievable. The source you got these from?"

"I hope you still remember that blacksmith with the creepy rapier."

Tekion leaned back onto his bed, letting out a whistle. "Heh, the materials that he sells might be decent, but I can't ignore his handiwork. His style of craft kinda scares me, to be honest."

"Aren't you quite the bizarre smith as well?" I pulled over a chair. "Your habit of making insane piles of weapons still puzzles me to this day."

"They're experiments. I've always been striving to make the best weapons with the best stats."

"Yeah.....no wonder your material reserves always drain off so damn easily."

The blonde blacksmith simply gave another "Heh" before sitting back right up and pushing the blue button on the system window.

"Well, my job here's to basically give your weapons a good scrub for any of you who needs it. And that means I expect the materials to keep on flowing. Lest I get bored on use them all up in a single day."

I gave him a stare of annoyance. Though, if the materials that I had given him have met his expectations, I would go that same smithy again some time soon. Unlike him, I wouldn't particularly mind walking into a store full of spiky swords and rapiers if my only intention was to get crafting materials.

Rakuno stayed by the door, holding it in mid-swing gently. I turned to her, wondering about her refusal to have a seat.

"Don't you wanna take a seat or something? You could get your weapons maintained." I offered.

"Thanks, but I'll just return to the other room," She said. "And wait for them to be back."

She smiled just before it got covered off by the door swinging close. Tekion shrugged, as he got back to work on the anvil.

"I so miss my regular customers. They're always willing to trust me with their weapons."

"Cut her some slack," I turned back to him. "Everyone has the right to choose their favourite smith. Plus, at least I'm your regular."

I reached for my spear behind my back, pulling it up the same way one would with a sword. The double bladed spear, with the name Binarium Edge, felt a little lighter than I normally would feel as it rested on my fingertips.

It had been a good few months since this masterpiece was crafted by the very same blacksmith in front of me. I could remember Tekion's hyped up face as he and I saw the glowing pole in his smithy on that day, after the last strike of his hammer that completed the crafting process.