Absolute Craft-Chapter 93: The Alliance (3)

Chapter 93: The Alliance (3)

The next day, Blake was lucky enough to log into the game earlier than usual. His boss had told him he could leave work sooner, and Blake didn’t bother asking why—extra playtime was always welcome in his life.

This gave him the opportunity to craft Joel’s equipment before joining Kyria to meet the Loot Order’s Guild Leader. Blake’s presence was required at that meeting, since he possessed gear tied to the Winter Kingdom.

At his smithy, Blake greeted Beatrix and Sol. The little one had woken from his nap and was now clinging to his dragon husk as if it were his favorite toy. Overjoyed to see it repaired, Sol thanked Blake with a big hug.

Blake returned the affection wholeheartedly. After all, this little one had gone above and beyond to assist him. It was remarkable how sensitive Sol was to the emotions of his family.

"Time to get started on Joel’s armor and weapon," Blake said. "He’s important to us, so I need to figure out what kind of look would suit him." Blake glanced at his own White Oni Equipment—featuring a stylish demonic mask with a single horn.

Beatrix’s mask was similar, but with two horns. If Blake crafted something in the same vein for Joel, that would effectively put him on the same level as Beatrix. While Blake liked Joel a lot, it didn’t feel right to grant him gear equal to what someone who had been by his side since the beginning wore.

Some people might think Blake was being foolish for caring so much about an NPC, but he felt about Beatrix the way anyone would about a beloved fictional character. She was his daily companion in the game world, so to him, she wasn’t that different from any other player. Maybe he was crossing a line, but he didn’t really care.

"What do you think?" Blake asked.

"Blake! Eat!" Sol replied.

Blake pulled a steel dagger out of a chest, walked over to Sol, and fed him like the baby he was. While doing so, he looked to Beatrix for her opinion. Would she be all right with a similar design for Joel, or did she prefer something different?

Since Beatrix couldn’t speak, she merely shook her head, indicating she didn’t want Joel’s equipment to resemble hers. Every item Blake had forged for her held a special place in her heart, but the set he made first was more precious than any of the rest.

Blake nodded. "All right. I’ll make him a white knight, then—something in the style of a gatekeeper."

Beatrix smiled warmly. Borrowing from a gatekeeper’s look and reimagining it in his own style was just another step on Blake’s unique path. At that moment, she recalled something she should have done ages ago.

She needed to write down what she remembered before blacking out: the 12th Lost King had called her "imperfection," which was her first real clue about her identity.

She grabbed a piece of paper and a pen, wrote "Imperfection," then added a few notes. Handing it to Blake, she stood at attention. If she’d had a tail, it would have been wagging.

Blake examined the note.

"I can’t read this," he said, looking up at her.

Beatrix’s shoulders sank. She would have to wait until her Steel Body leveled up enough for her to speak properly. The limitation frustrated her more each day.

"I’ll keep this and ask around. Maybe it’s a common language here, and someone else can decipher it. I’ll check at the friendly store later," Blake offered, hoping to comfort her. Beatrix just glanced at him, nodded, and then continued sulking.

He felt utterly helpless, looking for all the world like a powerless husband confronted by a troubled wife. Sensing he was making things worse by lingering, Blake rushed to the mountain’s spire to activate the Blizzard Smithy and work on Joel’s armor.

Beatrix watched his retreating figure and sighed.

Meanwhile, Sol gnawed on the steel dagger but soon noticed Beatrix’s mood. Turning to her, he asked, "Bubu?"

Beatrix only sighed again.

-

Sealed in his unusual smithy, Blake studied Joel’s ice statue.

He hesitated to start forging his friend’s armor because of a single issue: the essence of his own crafting. He wasn’t sure he could—or should—share that pride with Joel, nor whether Joel could handle it. Indeed, Blake’s pride weighed heavily.

If only there were another kind of "ingredient" for success...

"Like a king," he murmured.

He didn’t say this to be dramatic; it was simply his best answer to Joel’s question, as well as a sign he was stepping out of his comfort zone. After all, he was on a path toward the Lost King’s throne, aspiring to claim it.

That didn’t mean he intended to become like the 12th Lost King. Perhaps if he learned more about the other Lost Kings, he’d find a style that truly inspired him. One thing was certain, though: he would never follow in the 12th’s footsteps.

"All for Cerberus; Cerberus for all..." Blake muttered.

Motivated by a sudden idea, he hammered the first piece of Ice Steel against the statue and began the painstaking process of forging.

When he finished, Joel’s armor was complete—a full set of Ice Steel. Its design took cues from the gatekeepers Blake had battled, but with a sleeker cut that matched his own style. The helmet in particular bore Blake’s signature touch, shaped like a combined helmet-mask similar to what he and Beatrix wore, but modeled after a hound—perhaps a minion of Cerberus. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

That look might provoke The Hounds, as if Blake were challenging them outright. If they took offense, so be it. He would show them who the real hound was, and that anyone under him represented the ultimate canine.

He was Cerberus.

’I’ll have to change my nickname on the mainland... or figure out a way to do it in the tutorial zones,’ he thought, gazing at the armored statue.

He felt exceptionally proud of his work—perhaps too proud—because it seemed he had stumbled upon the ingredient that could make him a menace in PVP.

Smirking, he turned away from the statue.

It was time to meet Joel and Kyria.