[SP-F04] Beyond the First Floor <<Feeding the Enemy>>

[Merlin 0]

Weaving through buildings of the village "Snowfrost", Merlin contrasted against the white background of floor four with his red hair and amber eyes. With his usual attire of suit and knife, he wandered around the settlement. As it was his first foray into a new floor, Merlin was picky when he chose the first location. Floor two seemed strenuous to travel, floor three had pesky boars, and he didn't like his chances in the deserts of floor five.

After getting a good feel of the layout of the village, he entered into "Long Barrow" tavern. He found a seat and for a moment enjoyed the warmth radiating from the hearth. Celebrating his first time outside of floor one, he pulled out his "Golden Cheesy Bread" and began munching. Pushing the thought that he was eating outside food in a establishment that serves dishes, he let himself relax into his seat.

A npc woman began to approach him. Dressed like a gypsy, she gave her quest ramble to him and a quest notification popped up in front of him. Her words sparked something inside him. He always wanted a pet, for different reasons after he learnt that dog tongue was actually a plant. So with little hesitation he accepted.

[Declared Inventory]

Spoiler

 

» One handed dagger (No enchants)

» The Devil's Suit (+2 LD)

Spoiler

 

Name: "The Devil's Suit"

Your Profession: Tailor

Your Rank: 4

ID: 85958

Roll: 10+1

Item Type: suit (clothing)
Tier: 1

Quality: rare

Enhancements: Loot Die (2)

Description: Just look at the picture ^^. A dark suit that looks very well.

Post Link: (Self-Explanatory)

 

» 5 Bread (No enchants)

» 10 Water (No enchants)

» 1 Golden Cheesy Bread (+2 LD)

Spoiler

 

Name: Golden Cheesy Bread

Your Profession: Cook
Your Rank: 1
Roll ID: 101715
Roll Result: 11
Item Type: Snack
Tier: 1
Quality: Rare
Enhancements: +2 LD
Description: A well toasted piece of bread to remind one of a cozy and quick breakfast. Tastes good with a fair crunch to it.A finely toasted piece of bread topped with melted cheese. The bread is crunchy, yet offset with the soft cheese.
Post Link: http://www.sao-rpg.com/topic/16567-f7-shop-tacet-cibum-rank-1-cook/?do=findComment&amp;comment=550716

 

 

 

 

1x Aamulla Varhain (1x Familiar Sight)

Spoiler

 

Name: Aamulla Varhain

Profession: Performer

Rank: 1

ID: 104542

CD: 12

LD: 14

Quality: Perfect

Tier #: 1

Item Type: Support Song

Enhancements: 1x Familiar Sight

Description: A Finnish folk song about a woman who moved on from a lover who abandoned her for someone else. 

 

 

 

[Declared Skills]

Spoiler

 

Non-combat:
» 

Passive:
» Search and Detect (Rank 1)

Combat:
»

Weapon skills:
» One-Handed Weapons (Rank 1)

 

[Consumed 1x Golden Cheesy Bread]

[Gained +2 LD to rolls]

Edited August 17, 2018 by Merlin

[Merlin 0]

Stepping outside, Merlin began to trek towards the winter forest, the only path being the tracks behind him. Before long, he found himself surrounded by evergreens blanketed in snow. Immensely curious, he lost sight of his original goal and began to poke around his surroundings.

For awhile, Merlin was unable to discern the difference between normal shrubbery and potential materials. His "Search" skill wasn't highlighting anything and he began to wonder if it was broken. He turned it off moments later, and began to take in the world around him for what it was.

Then, he saw a plant which stood out from the snow covered landscape. It was a lily, fittingly made out of ice. Kneeling down into the snow, instead of harvesting he began to experiment. He tried to figure out if anything separated this plant from the plants he harvested before, and similar to many of his attempts on the first floor, it ended up shattering into pixels.

[Gathering Normal Materials]

ID: 104714

LD: 4 (+5) = 9 [Fail]

Edited August 17, 2018 by Merlin

[Merlin 0]

Continuing to look around this new environment, he messed around with the bark of the ever greens with his knife. His multiple attempts all resulted in a purple sign being displayed, with the words "Immortal Object" emblazoned upon it. As he fiddled with game mechanics on trees, a light snow began to fall. Glancing at the sky, he saw that the sun remained visible for this dawn, albeit with clouds hanging around the sphere.

As that thought crossed his mind, he began to wonder if "Sword Art Online" had a sun. No, not in the terms of glowing thing in sky, instead a actual sphere which this island rotates around. This thought became a spiral of questions. How could all of these environments co-exist so close to each other, especially if they share a sun? If they don't share, does each floor have a mini sun? If so, is there technically a different astrology for each floor?

Finding another flower, he pushed it to the side and began to focus on harvesting it. But as time went on his thoughts leaked and distracted him to the point of failure.

[Gathering Normal Materials]

ID: 104715

LD: 9 (+5) = 14 [Fail]

Edited August 17, 2018 by Merlin

[Merlin 0]

Not seeing his past few attempts as failure's and instead as experiments lessened the blow, though internally he hoped he wouldn't slaughter plants in a similar manner from floor one. As he says that though, his thoughts began to wander once more about the nature of Aincrad and began to wonder about questions that most likely had no answer.

His questions ranged from the material that this floating fortress was made out of to whether they were on a planet or that this castle in the sky was instead a planet itself. As his mind began to back track towards the sun, he spotted another flower. A very fitting poinsettia bloomed in the frigid cold, petals amber and shimmering like the sun.

Warm to the touch, Merlin began to delicately harvest the flower. Whether it be from his good mood from the toast or his equipment, it felt easier than before to harvest, something he was thankful for. He found success moments later.

[Gathering Normal Materials]

ID: 104716

LD: 11 (+5) =16 [Success]

[Gathered Materials #: 1]

Edited August 17, 2018 by Merlin

[Merlin 0]

He sunk into the blanket of snow with each step, and snow softly dusted his face as he continued to ponder life's pointless questions. Unsurprisingly, they began to take the tone of magic and it's relations to the stars.

"There are floors without sun light, but I wonder whether or not they have a sky. And spells affected by the stars, would they work here? Or are there unique spells for each floor due to the individual skies. Are there different constellations for each floor? And if so, are their different zodiacs?"

While thoughts wandered, his feet unconsciously followed suit. Soon, he realized that he was lost. Though he wasn't too worried. While yes the snowfall covered his tracks awhile ago, he already survived a night outside in the first floor. He felt like he would endure blazing a trail for a few hours. Besides, it was still morning and he had plenty of daylight to spend.

Completing assuring himself, he found another weird mushroom. Unfamiliar with this type of plant, he tried a similar approach from awhile back. Yet the materials in this floor seemed finicky with its cuts, and soon his hand was bathed in glowing shards.

[Gathering Normal Materials]

ID: 104717

LD: 7 (+5) = 12 [Fail]

 

Edited August 17, 2018 by Merlin

[Merlin 0]

Stepping away from the scene, he took to wondering once more, though this time it was on topic. A few of his thoughts ranged from what type of monsters could he tame, and if they could fight or assist him. While his thoughts continued, he spotted a elk up ahead.

He unsheathed his knife and glanced at it. Before he dare adventure beyond the first floor, he spent points into upgrading his combat stats. After playing around with sword arts for a few days, Merlin decided to come up here. Soon, he realized that he was tensing up, and let out breath to calm himself. Whether it was the cold or his nervous, he sounded shaky as he relaxed himself. Placing his knife back into his sheathe, he passed by the elk and moved on.

Finding a distraction in a nearby plant, he began to harvest it without the grace he normally has. Then fate decided to be cruel, and he spotted a elk ahead of him, similar to the one from earlier. Deciding to abandon the flower, he walked away, unsure.

[Gathering Normal Materials]

ID: 104718

LD: 1 (+5) = 1 [Critical Fail]

Edited August 17, 2018 by Merlin

[Merlin 0]

Twirling his knife around, Merlin examined his weapon. For a long time he only considered it as a tool, but now he begins to realize what the purpose of this game was in the first place. Combat has never been on his mind, actively avoiding encounters with wild life for around two years. After tussling with a boar and being gutted a few times, gathering materials is the extent of game mechanics he pursued.

Now, he had skills to assist him in killing. And beyond that, he realized that the creatures that he fled from were meant to be slain, leaving a odd taste in his mouth. It wasn't like he was a conservationist, he has used dead creatures in rituals before. But he's never been one to take a animals life. 

As his thoughts wandered, he found a dandelion made of frost. Resisting the urge to blow on it, he delicately cut off the head and placed it into his inventory.

[Gathering Normal Materials]

ID: 104719 

LD:  16 (+5) = 21 [Success]

[Gathered Materials #: 2]

 

Edited August 19, 2018 by Merlin

[Merlin 0]

Sheathing his knife, he glanced around at the wild life nearby. Elk,moose, foxes, wolves, and the occasional grizzly bear. There were also birds which flew over head, though they didn't seem to be aggressive. He briefly wondered which animal would he be able to tame for the quest. Though all of this was a distraction from his previous thoughts, unable to confront them quite yet.

It was a sobering time, yet ironically, the sun has reached its peak. Warming up, Merlin's thoughts relaxed and took on a more positive note. He began to think of the times he tried to bind a familiar to him. To him, they were happy times. He remembered capturing a crow much to his mother's distaste, and kept it as a familiar. His parent even relented, filling out the permit to own it. 

Nostalgic, he wandered until he found a snow berry bush. The fruit was a bright blue and was easy to harvest. Knife undrawn, he placed the berries into his inventory and continued on his way.

[Gathering Normal Materials]

ID: 104828

LD: 12 (+5) = 17 [Success]

[Gathered Materials #: 3]

Edited August 19, 2018 by Merlin

[Merlin 0]

Calm, his mind began to back track to his encounter with the Elk. He grimaced as he looked down at the blade at his side. Drawing it, he looked at his reflection across the worn blade. While his eyes slowly grew chaotic, his thoughts instead began to reach a conclusion.

"Even if I could kill them, there is no point in harming creatures that are simply wandering around. Perhaps for a quest or self defense, but not wandering creatures who simply retaliate if you encroach upon them."

Lowering his dagger, he found himself next to a snow drop flower. Mirroring the previous dandelion, it's bloom was completely made out of ice. Briefly wondering how all of these plants pollinate, his knife fell upon the stem of the flower. With practiced motions, he cut through the plant and soon harvested the petals. Though before he placed it into his inventory, he looked through the petals, admiring the light shining through them.

[Gathering Normal Materials]

ID: 104832 

LD: 17 (+5) = 22 [Success]

[Gathered Materials #: 4]

Edited August 19, 2018 by Merlin

[Merlin 0]

After having his fill, he placed the materials into his inventory and continued onward. Continuing to think about the weapon at his side, he wondered about the morality of killing monsters. After researching about native american culture for their rituals, Merlin has always leaned towards respecting nature, especially for the favor of the spirits that he believed existed.

If Merlin had to choose between a branch of magic, shamanism that did not involve cannibalism would be his preferred choice. Witchcraft rituals disturb him at times, and astrology seemed weak to him. Instead, singing songs to invoke the spirits of ancestors and animals appealed to him, which made unnecessary killing bitter to him. Though he has dabbled in the others, those types of rituals were favored by him. 

As his focus dimmed, he found another plant and half halfheartedly cut into it. Letting his mind run amok, he wasn't able to handle the plant gently enough, and a shatter rang out across the forest.

[Gathering Normal Materials]

ID: 104837

LD: 3 (+5) = 8 [Fail]

 

Edited August 20, 2018 by Merlin

[Merlin 0]

As he stood up once more, Merlin began to wonder about other branches that he hasn't explored fully. Alchemy, Mysticism, and Feng Shui. The former two were ignored by him due to lack of materials that was required to explore them. And for Feng Shui, the last time he set up his home to manipulate the energies, his mother scolded him for messing up her organization. It hasn't stopped him from messing around in his own room, and he briefly wondered if the room he laid in adhered to those principles.

That thought caused him to remember about his current condition. That he was stuck in a video game, most likely on a hospital bed. Unable to talk to his mother who most likely is worried sick for him. His heart twisted. Sighing, he tried to dispel his thoughts, but they remained fixated on his family. Using a plant as a distraction, he poorly cut into it, and it's pixels was whisked away in the snow.

[Gathering Normal Materials]

ID: 104891

LD: 1 (+5) = 1 [Fail]

Edited August 20, 2018 by Merlin

[Merlin 0]

Realizing that his oncoming homesickness wasn't going away any time soon, he sat down in the snow and relaxed. There was a plant next to him, a rose of ice with a blue stem, that he overlooked. Letting his hands work away, he continued to come to terms with his situation.

He was very homesick, especially with the cold weather reminding him of his home. He felt anxious, unable to contact his mother. Loving her, while she still says he was adopted. Perhaps knowing that she cared for him even if he wasn't flesh and blood made his bond even stronger.

It made his heart untangle, knowing his family was still out there. Perhaps he was unable to contact her, but he believed in the confidence that was given to him by her. Smiling, he cut off the rose, and placed it into his inventory. Pushing himself up, he kept a eye out for his quest objective, a familiar.

[Gathering Normal Materials]

ID: 104892

LD: 10 (+5) = 15 [Success]

[Gathered Materials #: 5]

Edited August 20, 2018 by Merlin

[Merlin 0]

Placeholder Post

[Gathering Normal Materials]

ID: 104894

LD: 3 (+5) = 8 [Fail]

 

Edited August 20, 2018 by Merlin