Jackpot

Name: Tesla's Embrace +5
Your Profession: Merchant
Your Rank: 5
Acquisition Roll ID: 208711
Identification Roll ID:
#218399 LD:16 Accuracy
#218400 LD:17 Accuracy
#218402 LD:19 Accuracy 
#218416 LD:10 Paralyze (5th Appraiser reroll)
Item Type: Straight Sword
Tier: 4
Quality: Demonic
Enhancements: ACC | ACC | ACC | Paralyze
Description: "Black as the darkest night, with intricate patterns etched into the metal, resembling the scales of an obsidian dragon. A work of artistry and craftsmanship, its design mirroring the fearsome creature it seems to be inspired by. The hilt is adorned with onyx gemstones that glisten with an otherworldly brilliance."
Post Link: https://www.sao-rpg.com/topic/18214-f10-grandmaster-appraiser-youve-hit-the-jackpot/?do=findComment&comment=676085

With wary eyes, Jackpot watched as the familiar traveler entered his shop. Far too often had Bahr gotten away with things for free, but no longer. As the weapon was placed in front of him, and Bahr laid his expectant gaze upon Jackpot, he couldn't help but scoff.

"No. Nuh-uh. Coin first. Then I'll get to work."

With eyes furrowed as though by genuine hurt, Bahr slowly relented at produced the col. Satisfied, Jackpot got to work. After several failed attempt to get its final attribute identified, Paralyze was finally settled on, and Jackpot returned the blade.

"It's a pretty thing, but I'm afraid it's not terribly powerful," Jackpot concluded thoughtfully. "No refunds."

Rolling.

Upgrading to Demonic and rolling from the Appraiser table with Asgard's Finery. [Obtained Here]
Results:
ID: 187982 | LD: 8 = Taunt/Paralyze [ENHANCEMENT CAP REACHED: Rerolling]
ID: 187986 | LD: 6 = Regen/Recovery

End Result:idk man i ran out of patience for altering raidou's format
Name: Bittersweet Reception - Halcyon +4
Your Profession: Merchant
Your Rank: 5
IDs: 
187833 | BD: 10 | CD: 7 | LD: 19 (Holy Blessing) [Appraiser Reroll]
187836 | LD: 7 (Taunt) [Appraiser Reroll]
176876 | BD: 10 | CD: 8 | LD: 16 (Paralytic Venom)
187986 | LD: 6 (Regen/Recovery) [Asgard's Finery]
Item Type: Shield
Tier: 3
Quality: Demonic
Enhancements: Taunt | Recovery | Holy Blessing | Paralytic Venom (Defensive)
Description: "A barrier, small in size that only seems to respond to an attempt to block. Else it hides completely, invisible to the naked eye. When an attack is inbound it flares and creates a sphere of gold around the user's appendage, followed by a cast of electricity as it shatters in a spray."
Post Link: https://www.sao-rpg.com/topic/18214-f10-grandmaster-appraiser-youve-hit-the-jackpot/?do=findComment&comment=638678

Oh, he was mad. Furious, even. But before a man such as Bahr, what was Jackpot to do? He knew that he couldn't really force Bahr to do anything. And though he suspected the Kingslayer wouldn't actually harm him were they to exchange in disagreement, there actually wasn't a guarantee in the matter. At the very least, his threats to visit other shops rang true. Despite the hole Jackpot had dug for himself at the hands of all of Bahr's freebies, were it not for the crimson-clad rascal, Jackpot figured he'd probably have no business at all.

"Fine."

And so he took the item, applied Asgard's Finery, and put it back on the table.

"Last time. No more freebies. Period."
 

Name: Nightmare Sash
Your Profession: Tailor
Your Rank: 10
ID: 187792
Roll: CD: 12
Item Type: Cloth Armor
Tier: 4
Quality: Perfect
Enhancements: EVA | EVA | Risky
Description: "For every light, there is dark. For every dream, a nightmare."
Post Link: https://www.sao-rpg.com/topic/17882-f1-r10-tailor-the-crusty-bahrnacle/?do=findComment&comment=638452

Upgraded to Demonic and roll from the Appraiser table with Asgard's Finery. [Obtained Here]
Result:
ID: 187841 | LD: 14

x2 Reroll Tickets [Obtained Here] used on the newly created slot.
Results:
ID: 187842 | LD: 20
ID: 187843 | LD: 17 = LD

End Result:
Name: Nightmare Sash
Your Profession: Tailor
Your Rank: 10
ID: 
187792 (crafted)
187843 (reroll)
Roll: CD: 12
Item Type: Cloth Armor
Tier: 4
Quality: Perfect
Enhancements: EVA | EVA | Risky | LD
Description: "For every light, there is dark. For every dream, a nightmare."
Post Link: https://www.sao-rpg.com/topic/18214-f10-grandmaster-appraiser-youve-hit-the-jackpot/?do=findComment&comment=638506

Man, he sure was tenacious. While Jackpot could respect the contumacy of Bahr's endless barrage of requests, he would be lying if he said it wasn't quite annoying. What's more, it had been a while since the crimson-clad marauder had actually paid for any of these orders. "... Alright," he relented, reluctantly. "But here's the deal. This is your last free order. You hear me? I do this for you, then my debt is paid. I'm going to go broke running all these commissions for you for free. I mean, hell, at this rate you're singlehandedly responsible for keeping me in the red for the past six months. I just... can't keep that up. You understand?"

His amber hues glued to Bahr's mismatched ones conveyed a genuine sense of annoyance crossed with concern. He waited for Bahr's nod to the affirmative, then got to work. Within a few seconds, he had yet again identified the new enhancement for the gear. Not exactly the best result.

"Ouch..." Jackpot murmured, rubbed the back of his head with one hand as he returned the garment with his other. "Not the best. Hopefully you can still find something to do with it."
 

Rerolled Slot 1 four (4) times. 
Results:
187829 | LD: 12
187830 | LD: 17
187831 | LD: 6
187832 | LD: 15 (Mitigation/Thorns)

End Result:

Rerolled Slot 1 one (1) time. 
Result:
187833 | BD: 10 | CD: 7 | LD: 19 (Holy Blessing/Paralytic Venom)
Rerolled Slot 2 three (3) times. 
Result:
187834 | LD: 9
187835 | LD: 8
187836 | LD: 7 (Taunt/Paralyze)

End Result:

Rerolled Slot 1 four (4) times. 
Results:
187837 | LD: 4
187838 | LD: 4
187839 | LD: 18
187840 | LD: 12 (Taunt/Paralyze)

End Result:

Jackpot was jolted awake by the sudden clattering of the proverbial armory that had just been dropped in his shop, scowling at the crimson-clad warrior who had spurred their wake. Though his eyes were narrowed with grief and crusted by the Sandman's handiwork, he still cracked a wry grin at Bahr's inquiry. "You're slipping in your old age," the salesman said. "There's only three shields here - not four."

"But to answer your question, yes. I should be able to take a crack at it."

Summoning a magnifying glass, Jackpot got to work. In a matter of minutes, the process was complete.

"Didn't change much. But I did manage to give your fancy electric shield a little extra oomph."
 

Current Level: 10
Current SP: 22
Link to SP Tracking: [link]
Item Upgrades:

Notes: No item conversion necessary, as Jackpot possesses no illegal items and is still Tier 1 after conversion.

Jackpot visibly recoiled as he inspected the bizarre concoction, doing his best to hold back a gag reflex that seemed wholly unrelenting. "That's... disgusting..." he remarked, pinching his nose so as to prevent its putrid stench from entering his body. "At least it's done now," he concluded, voice significantly more nasal-y on account of the pinched nose. He took a few steps backward, feigning a puke lurch as he did so, and distanced himself between the dainty woman and the meat liquid she'd crafted. Though her anxious tutor seemed proud of her pupil, Jackpot was anything but.

"Don't come near me with that," he warned in the same nasal-y tone, holding out a hand with a single index finger extended. It wagged in a manner far too sassy for a straight man. "I want nothing to do with it."

Now that his impromptu presentation of unintentional femininity had been put on display, a tinge of crimson coated his ivory cheeks and he averted his gaze. "I'm serious."

What was this bizarre flattery? A mob like that was the bare minimum someone like Jackpot could be expected to run into. He hadn't done a lot of damage - in fact, his output had been abysmal. Elora could probably squeeze out more damage points than he could. "I appreciate the kind words, but-"

"IT'S A CARROT! JACKPOT, I PICKED A CARROT!"

What?

She'd found a carrot. In a stump.

"Wow," Jackpot remarked, genuine enthusiastic surprise lighting his face ablaze. "Haven't seen that before. Usually when I fist a tree I'll get, like, acorns. Or twigs or... something tree-related. Never a carrot." He squinted to appraise the tangerine specimen, clutching his chin in a single hand as he scrutinized its rough exterior. There was no mistaking it - this was, indeed, a genuine carrot. Or, as genuine as a full-dive system would allow, anyways.

"The irony of finding this now, after discovering my eyesight is fine, isn't lost on me," he concluded, straightened his back and allowing his hand to fall to his side. "That should be everything you need, right? To make your potion. Now we just need to head back to that maniac NPC and finish the quest by crafting one."

Jackpot was only mildly annoyed when she asked if he, too, was an Alchemist. "Like I told you when we met - I'm a Merchant. Essentially one of the appraisers of Aincrad." The more he thought about it, the more unlikely it seemed that she would have overlooked something like that while assuming he was blind. How could he appraise items if he couldn't even see them? This, coupled with the fact that she'd legitimately just asked him if he was an Alchemist, led him to believe that she'd nary listened to a word he'd said since they met.

"Sometimes I'll fist monsters, too," he admitted with a smirk. "The weak ones, anyways. They can drop loot, not unlike the one we killed earlier. I had tried out the Martial Arts weapon type for a time, but ultimately decided it wasn't for me. Too 'hands on.' I know, shocker." Whiskey-colored orbs flickered across the field, locating the lights of the far-off city that now ignited the darkened skies in a fiery haze. 

"Come on. We'll look for more holes on our way back to town."

Jackpot could feel his face skin and eyelids being pulled down toward his chin, almost peeling like the skin from a banana as he held back a groan in response to her obvious guilt trip.

"No, you didn't force me to do shit," he responded. "And I came all the way out here already, so I may as well stick around until you learn to pick a flower properly."

With a huff, he sat up, then pushed off from the ground into a standing position. He outstretched a single, open palm, beckoning the slender woman to grab hold and raise to her feet. "I don't want to fight another crab. Let's do this quick."

Once she was on her feet, Jackpot pointed to a tree roughly fifty paces away. "See it?" In case he hadn't been clear enough, he clarified, "The notch in the tree. Er- hole. Whatever they call it. That's where I usually find stuff. I don't craft, but some people like to buy 'em. When you need to restock, shoving your arm into a tree hole usually seems to do the trick."

"Knowing your luck, probably not," Jackpot murmured as he fell into the grass beside his companion, a single forearm draped dramatically over his eyes as though to hide the shame of his deceptive endeavors being brought to light. It's never fun to get caught in a lie, and he'd been caught in a big one. Even though he assumed he may never see Elora again after this encounter, it was still embarrassing to have someone see him in such a pathetic state. Not only was he a liar - he was a coward.

Had lying to save himself the shame of his blunders in the beginning really been worth the shame he was feeling now?

With a deep exhale, he steadied himself to fess up. "Look," he began, "I didn't mean to lie to you. But when you assumed I was blind, it seemed like a convenient excuse for my awkwardness when we met. I figured this would go quick, you would miraculously 'cure' my blindness, and we'd part ways and never have to deal with one another again."

Probably came off harsher than he'd intended. While verbiage like that would have been accurate in the beginning, something about fighting for your life beside someone forms an unavoidable bond.

"Sorry."

Though Elora's lingering disdain was painfully evident, Jackpot didn't have the luxury of lamenting over it. Before them stood a grotesque, deadly crustacean. That was walking around the fields of the first floor. Somehow.

"Right," he muttered as his brief respite from the throes of battle was relinquished. He was up to bat again, and only with measured precision and practiced movement would he be capable of pulling any damage through.

Or, you know, dumb luck.

Because as it turned out, grass wasn't the only thing that blanketed the fields of the first floor. Seemingly immovable rocks littered the expanse, and Jackpot had been fortunate to find the toe of his boot planted firmly against the course surface of a conveniently placed specimen. His upper body pitched forward, his arms flailed outward, and in an unceremonious display of crude fortune, his blade found its mark against one of the creature's fleshy joints. As it traced a thin red line across the area of impact, its health gauge flickered ever so lower. 

It was on its last legs now.

"Please, for the love of god, kill this fucking thing," he managed between labored breaths as he scrambled to his feet, narrowly avoiding the flagrant flailing of the monster as it reeled from the damage it had sustained. "I can't keep this up any longer."

Jackpot nearly had to duck to avoid the spear as it sailed past his head (and the mob) before lodging into a nearby tree. If he hadn't known better, he may have assumed that she was actually aiming at him instead of their shared adversary. A part of him did assume that, which only exacerbated the shaking in his knees. 

"H-Hey now, let's-s not get hasty here..." he managed between labored breaths as he held his hands up in a disarming manner. The crab's gigantic pincer came down between the two players as they distracted themselves with the revelation of Jackpot's sight, reducing the earth that rested there into... well, still dirt, but just more mulched up and stuff.

"LOOK," he blurted out, half out of frustration, and half out of unbridled fear. "I get that you're angry, and you have every right to be, and I'm absolutely willing to discuss ALL OF THAT after we aren't FIGHTING A DEADLY ABOMINATION."

What was that wailing? 

Oh. It was Elora, "coming to the rescue." Oh geez.

"The hell are you doing h-" His inquiry was cut short as the crab swatted him with its gargantuan claw, setting its sights on the now disarmed Elora once he was out of the way. It shuffled her direction as Jackpot skittered across the damp soil, and once he'd had the sense to take a look at his own health gauge, he knew that it wouldn't be good if she took a hit. "Son of a bitch," he muttered as he rose to his feet, trembling slightly as the fear pulsed through his extremities. As terrified as he was, allowing Elora to take the brunt of his mistake wasn't an option. Though it stood powerful enough to kill either of them, Jackpot could at the very least take more hits. There was something to be said about that.

He rushed forth, scimitar gleaming verdant as he poured his energy into it, slashing at the joint of its craw as it rose it into the air to plunge downward into Elora. Its pincer came severed from its arm just before it initiated the strike, causing the monster to double back and shriek its hideous shriek. Jackpot, still shaking, assumed his place before his unlikely comrade. "Y-you okay?"

The sun had begun dipping past the horizon, spilling its crimson into the sky and painting the clouds scarlet. While the scene would have ordinarily been a pleasant one to behold, Jackpot hadn't the luxury to take note of the colors present in the sunset. He had to keep his eyes on this stupid giant crab, praying it didn't kill him whilst enduring the ever-waning light that gave him some semblance of peace of mind during the engagement. While he knew he would miss more and more once the sun had gone, he didn't know whether or not that same could be said for his crustraceous adversary.

Another direct hit issued, its health fell a bit more - just above the halfway point now. The creature unceremoniously slammed one of its massive craws into the ground beside Jackpot in response, a strike that almost certainly would have flattened the violet salesman into a pancake instantaneously if it had managed to score a direct hit.

Adrenaline and fear surged through his heart like fuel through the ever-oscillating pistons of a well oiled engine, delegating tasks to his extremities in lieu of input from his mind, which had seemingly gone blank and numb. It was all instinct and the system assistance carrying him through the motions now - but how long could he actually hold out like that?
 

It wasn't until the giant crab's follow-up attack, and Jackpot's subsequent narrow dodge and successfully delivered Sword Art, that he came to realize the effects of his equipment were starting to fulfill their duty. Savvy worked to shore up is combat skills following his earlier dodge, fueling a successful hit which activated Keen and boosted his efficacy further. He was still shaking in his boots, but by the grace of Cardinal, he was carried through the motions almost through no will of his own, delivering a solid chunk of damage to the mob and making it away unscathed once more.

"Okay... Okay..." he self soothed as he attempted to slow his racing mind and quell his beating heart. "I can do this. Just gotta hit, and not get hit. Easy." Though, he knew that such a feat was easier said than done. At any rate, it seemed as though three or four more attacks like that would put the monster down, and he'd be free to make his escape unhindered.
 

As it seemed that Elora was still distracted with her carrot picking, Jackpot felt secure in his dastardly escape attempt right up until he was accosted by a gigantic spider crab creature. He hadn't even noticed that he was walking directly toward it until it was too late, having had his sights set on the verdant-haired maiden as he slinked along the path of his departure. By the time he had the good sense to look forward, one of its revolting pincers was headed straight toward his neck.

It was by the grace of limbo prowess the likes of which he hadn't displayed in years that he was able to lean back far enough that the pincer more so tickled his chin than caused any sort of actual lasting damage - though, the damage to his heart may have been worse. A bit shaken up from the encounter, but understanding that there was no easy escape, Jackpot timidly pulled his blade from its resting place at his hip and prepared for battle. 
 

'Hey look!'? Really? It was like she didn't know who she was talking to at all. Or, rather, that he knew him better than she gave herself credit for. Either way, he put his hands against his hips and stared on incredulously as she navigated the gauntlet of boulders and rocks on her way to her destination. "Think I'll just stay on this side, thanks," he finally called out in response.

The true reality of this situation and its implications wasn't lost on Jackpot. He'd either need to come clean about his 'disability' or take a healthy dose of carrot juice to his sight balls. Either way, he had an unpleasant road ahead. Perhaps it would simply be easiest to make his escape now, which she was distracted, rather than waiting until either of the other possibilities came to fruition? 

Yes, certainly that was the least painful avenue available to him. 

So he simply... turned and began walking another direction. Not too fast, as not to draw suspicion. But also not so slow that she would catch up to him easily should she take note of his departure.

Well well, if it wasn't the attractive blonde from ages past. He couldn't recall when or where he'd seen her before, but luckily she was kind enough to remind him without so much as a prompt. It was a shame he couldn't remember circumstance as easily as he could a beautiful face.

"Ah yes, if it isn't..." He searched for her name above her health bar. "Lessa. And to what do I owe the pleasure?"

Two steps ahead of him again, she explained her predicament. Jackpot was a tad taken aback that there were still players in Aincrad holding onto relics like the Easter Bunny's Favor. That being said, complaining wouldn't be appropriate. It wasn't every day he got to pluck an enhancement from the unique table for free.

"Absolutely. It'll just take a moment."

Though the stamp was applied easily enough, it was still only Merchants who could pull it off. Curious. But as the ornament faded and Scarecrow's Sickle flashed red, the transformation was complete. He tapped on the weapon to inspect it, and allowed a satisfied grin to stretch across his face as he took in the new enhancement.

"Looks like it's got Phase now. Not bad - I've only seen one or two other blades like it. Crazy what these things can do."
 

"This seems like a good place to find some herbs!"

Had he not been so distracted, he may have called Elora out for her Donald-in-Kingdom-Hearts-Three-esque observation. Jackpot, despite trying his best not to, couldn't help but gawk at the scenery that unfolded before them. Beautiful sprawling plains, layering over one another in a stunning, hovering mosaic. Briefly, Jackpot felt himself wondering how much it must suck to actually be blind. To never see something like this. Or the woman who'd brought him here. 

Come to think of it, she seemed like the sort of person who might find themselves perfectly at home in an environment like this. Green hair, green fields. Yeah, something like that. Wait, was her hair naturally like that? Or dyed? Wasn't like he could ask her, on account of his seemingly perpetual lie. 

"Smells good here," he noted flatly, which probably came off as at least a little bit creepy. So he immediately corrected, "Like nature." Jesus Christ. 'Like nature.' Fucking brilliant. "See anything good? I don't hear any mobs around. We probably have time to mosey for a little bit."
 

"Haha... Haha... Yeah... Prickly.. Pears..."

This wasn't good.

"But my eyes aren't inflamed!" Jackpot corrected in a genius moment of rare clarity. "Doesn't seem like it would help much with my blindness. We could, perhaps, instead, uh, go for something a bit more..." Safe? "Eyesight focused." Eyesight focused. Wow. Genius. "Carrots!" he blathered, perhaps a bit too excitedly. "Carrots are meant to help with vision, right? We could do something with those!"

As much as Jackpot wasn't keen on having his eyes flushed out with carrot juice, it had to be better than getting prickly pear barbs stuck in there. Even if it was only a virtual world, his skin still crawled at the very thought. 

"Unfortunately, I cannot smell carrots," Jackpot admitted. "We'll have to rely on your eyesight to find some."

As he'd suspected, it seemed that things were rapidly getting out of hand. He'd need to give up the ghost sooner or later, or perhaps end up with prickly pear barbs under his eyelids as a result.