[PP - F1] First Encounter!

[Star 0]

Star finished gathering up her equipment, looking at herself in a little handmirror she had, smiled and headed out to the edge of the town. She wondered if she would see anyone as she travelled through the beautiful buildings and the scenery that had become her new home for the time being. It was only her home until she could safely move onto other floors, but it seemed she wasn't going to be able to do that for a while yet. She'd have to level up a few times and probably get some better equipment. Star also wondered if she could ever get good loot from monsters she fought. Well... There was only one way to find out. But she hoped she could get someone else to join her. After all, she heard it was much better to be part of a party when doing quests or adventuring out. It was possible to get more out of the venture if there were more people there. SP wasn't abundant for her after all.

As she arrived at the gate to the town, she wondered if there would be any adventurers who were planning to fight some level one monsters. She surely hoped there would be someone to assist her in her endeavor, since she felt she needed some good loot and some decent experience points. She looked at her status and her items as she waited for a worthy candidate to approach her or for her to spot someone out of the corner of her eye. Hopefully someone shows up soon. I don't want to have to wait around forever. That would be a waste of time and a pain.

@Haltar Dhrim

[Haltar Dhrim 0]

That day Haltar woke up early, to have the whole day available. Before leaving his room he checked all the equipment again, to be sure it was ready to use. His belt was loaded with the potions he got on the first day he arrived in Aincrad... it really seemed like a game then. He sighed, still at the door of his inn room.
<Well, no use getting lost in memories. Now is the time to face what the prairies have in store for me! Come on!>
His thoughtful expression gave way to a more determined one. He adjusted the saber better on his back, after which he stepped out of the room with a firm step.

Once he arrived at the gates, however, another thought occurred to him.
<Of course, it's a shame to have to go out there alone... and to be honest, even a little dangerous. I wouldn't want to end my adventure right away...>
Haltar shuddered for a moment, then shook his head decisively.
<No no, now is not the time! Rather, I can always find someone now... Well, maybe that girl!>
Just outside the gate, Haltar noticed a blonde-haired girl, fully armed, who was gesturing in mid-air, probably looking at something in her menu. He seemed to be waiting for someone, but he couldn't tell who. Once approached, his curiosity took over what he actually had to ask.
"Hi! Are you waiting for someone by chance?" he turned to the girl in a friendly voice.

@Star

Spoiler

Haltar Dhrim: HP 20/20 - EN 2/2 - DMG 2 - MIT 9 - ACC 1 - EVA 0
Battle-Ready Items:
    1) 5x Starter Healing Potion (Heal 50 HP)

 

Edited May 2, 2019 by Haltar Dhrim

[Star 0]

Star continued to look through her equipment and saw that her glaring flaw was that she had no mitigation from her armor. If she got more hits on the target than her counterpart, she'd likely be taking a lot of damage at once. If she got a lot of hits, she'd probably have to pull back for a moment so that her partner could take some heat away from her. Oh well, either way, Star would heal out of combat. She was hoping that there would only be one or two enemies to deal with in the time that she spent fighting. If there were any more than that, Star was sure that she'd have to run away. She'd have to be careful not to aggro more than she needed to.

As she finished this train of thought, a person approached her. He asked if she was waiting for anyone and she smiled. "Only you." As she said this, she sent a party invite to Haltar quickly. How lucky that I ran into someone so quickly! "Let's head out, we can talk on the way to the grasslands."

As she began walking, she turned her head back a little bit so she could look at Haltar out of the corner of her eye. "My name's Star, I'm a new player around here. You don't seem too experienced yourself. I'd like to fight as much as I can today so I can get some decent armor. If we fight enough things and you get an armor drop and I do not, I'll trade you the things I don't want for the armor. Does that sound acceptable?"

@Haltar Dhrim

[Haltar Dhrim 0]

Haltar had just time to ask his question to the girl, that a popup appeared right in front of his nose, as she walked towards the prairies. He stepped back to read better. <A party request, how lucky! It didn't take so long.>
While accepting the request, the girl began to explain the reason for her presence there: she wanted an armor. <Funny, I would have said she had a light armor... Evidently it doesn't offer anything special. She will surely have other aces up his sleeve.>
But there was something about the girl's way of doing things that kinda irritated Haltar: she was a little too sure that he would accept her condition, to the point that she was about to leave without him. While he admired this resolution of her, on the other end he didn't want to pass for an easy one. He joined the girl and came alongside her as they left the city.
"Well, no problem for me, I was also going to farm some experience. But if it happens to have a trade, know that I won't give you discounts, okay?" he said with a grin, then held out his hand to her. "By the way, my name is Haltar. Can I know yours?"

@Star

[Star 0]

Star continued to walk, listening exactly to what Haltar was wanting to get out of this. She clicked her tongue as he asked for her name again. "My name is Star, as I just told you. And I would expect nothing less than giving you an equal trade. I'm not looking for favors after all."

As she ventured out a little bit into the grasslands, she stopped when she a boar within her view. "Alright. Before we get caught up in this battle, what kind of skills do you have? And it looks like you've got armor. I assume these boars aren't going to hit very hard, but I've got a skill that will let me get some good loot if I kill it. So if possible, I'd like to hit them last so we can get some nice stuff. So try to let me hit them last if possible. If it doesn't happen every time, so be it. We'll split everything evenly except when it drops armor. If it drops armor, you can have everything else except the Col. I'd like the Col split evenly every time. Does that sound alright?"

[Haltar Dhrim 0]

Apparently Haltar's attempt to impress her had already failed, not even paying attention to the girl's presentation. He accused the shot smiling a little more nervously. "Ah, right. Nice to meet you, Star." As soon as they found the first target of the day, a solitary boar, they began to discuss their combat tactics.
"Well, if you are able to find better objects, I will gladly leave the last blow to you. The other day I was not so lucky..." he said, thinking back to the afternoon spent collecting herbs for the old Zackariah, a more difficult task than it seemed at first. When she asked him about his abilities, he regained some confidence.
"I already know a little about Sword Arts, I can do enough damage, so our battles shouldn't be too long."
He took a step towards the boar, then turned to Star. "Well, since the last blow is yours to take, I can start the dancing, right?" Having said that, he unsheathed his saber and ran towards the boar to get behind him, charging the blow. The boar turned to him just a moment before the weapon lit up with an emerald green light and fell on him violently, throwing him back. His life bar dropped to almost half.
"Come on now, it's up to you Star!"

Roll ID: 115804
BD: 8 +1 = 9 (Hit)
DMG: 2 x2 (Rage Blow) = 4

[Hate: 1] Haltar: HP 20/20 - EN 0/2
[Hate: 0] @Star: HP 20/20 - EN 2/2
Boar: HP 6/10 - DMG 3

Edited May 2, 2019 by Haltar Dhrim

[Star 0]

Star smiled as Haltar began to engage the boar that she saw. She watched as Haltar quickly struck the boar and it seemed to do more daamge than what Star would've thought the blow would do. Seems this was the power of Sword Arts. It would be wise for her to invest in a skill that would allow her to use Sword Arts as well. After all, it seemed that the damage coming from the Curved Sword that Haltar wielded became stronger as well.

Star looked at the boar and focused on the movement of the boar, predicting where it would go as she slashed at it. It was time for her to shine like the Star she was! Unfortunately for her... Her attack missed. It seemed the boar was a bit faster than she anticipated. Star clicked her tongue as the boar's health stayed the same. And as she struck, the boar attempted to strike at Haltar. It seemed it was mad at Haltar for hitting it in the first place.

Thankfully, the boar also missed. It seemed Haltar was much more capable for a level one than Star was. She'd have to prove herself, even if this was her first battle. "Looks like I'll be relying on you for the majority of our hits. I can't hit very well, but with the weapon I've got, I can hit hard."

Roll ID: 115809
BD: 5 (Miss)
DMG: 0 (Miss)

[Hate: 1] Haltar - HP: 20/20 - EN: 0/2
[Hate: 0] Star - HP: 20/20 - EN: 1/2
Boar - HP: 6/10 - DMG 3

@Haltar Dhrim

[Haltar Dhrim 0]

Star had no luck with her attack. The boar ignored her completely and started charging Haltar instead. However, this did not bother him at all, contrary to what he believed would happen when he was still in the city. Instead, he felt as excited as he hadn't been for a long time.
<Let's see if I still remember how to do it... 1, 2, 3... 5, 6, 7...>
Beginning to hum a song, Haltar began taking steps back and forth, following the rhythm in his head. As soon as the boar was a few meters from him, he stepped sideways instead of backward, dodging the attack at the last moment. At the same time, he lowered the blade onto the animal, hitting him on the back. The boar grunted with pain as his life still fell.
Haltar wanted to shout from the satisfaction of still remembering at least the basic dance steps, and above all to be able to use them in combat! But he still wasn't familiar with his partner yet, so he just showed a big smile and called her.
"Go Star, give the coup de grace!"

Roll ID: 115817
BD: 10 +1 = 11 (Critical +2)
DMG: 2 +2 = 4

[Hate: 3] Haltar - HP: 20/20 - EN: 0/2
[Hate: 0] @Star - HP: 20/20 - EN: 0/2
Boar - HP: 2/10 - DMG 3

Edited May 2, 2019 by Haltar Dhrim

[Star 0]

As Haltar danced around, Star took notice of his movement. What a strange way of moving around, but even so... It did save him from an attack of the boar. I'll take note of that for the future. As Star saw that, Haltar took advantage of his position and hit the boar with what seemed to be a very effective strike. Was she sure that Haltar was a level one? It said on his status, but even so... He seemed to be doing extremely well.

As Haltar called her over, she nodded in kind. It was her time to make sure that this Boar suffered. She'd make sure that she'd get some good armor off of this boar! But as she went in, she missed again. She cursed herself. How could she be so bad at hitting a level one boar? It was extremely slow after all! This was ridiculous!

The boar paid no attention to Star in the slightest, especially considering she did no damage whatsoever to it. It charged at Haltar with extreme power, it almost seemed as though it was using a charge skill to inflict damage! Star clicked her tongue as the boar ran into Haltar. Can't even hit a stupid boar. Guess I'll have to practice lots more before I can even think of fighting one of these by myself. However, even with the critical hit that the boar got, it seemed like Haltar mitigated all of the damage done to him.

Roll ID: 115820
BD: 4 (Miss!)
DMG: 0

MD: 10 (Critical +2)
DMG: 3+2 = 5!

[Hate: 3] Haltar - HP: 20/20 - EN: 0/2
[Hate: 0] Star - HP: 20/20 - EN: 0/2
Boar - HP: 2/10 - DMG 3

@Haltar Dhrim

Edited May 2, 2019 by Star

[Haltar Dhrim 0]

The boar was still too fast for Star, who still failed to hit it. Haltar frowned at his misfortune. <Damn it, would have been perfect! What do I do now, finish it or leave it to her?>
While he was thinking this, the boar got back on his paws and, furious for the injuries taken, he charged Haltar with all his remaining strength. Haltar paid for that moment of indecision, taking the blow in his stomach. But in addition to the violent push backwards that almost sent him upside down, he didn't see his life bar fall. The armor did its duty to the full, completely absorbing the damage from the impact. But even so, the attack took his breath away for a few seconds. He then took the opportunity to stop for a moment and catch his breath.
"Come on, try again! Usually the third time is the good one," he told Star in a friendly tone, as he prepared to dodge the next attack.

[Hate: 3] Haltar - HP: 20/20 - EN: 1/2
[Hate: 0] @Star - HP: 20/20 - EN: 0/2
Boar - HP: 2/10 - DMG 3

Edited May 3, 2019 by Haltar Dhrim

[Star 0]

Star watched as the Boar struck Haltar, but it seemed to do no damage. So this is the power of armor, I assume. Either that or he has a skill to counteract any damage coming onto him. Interesting. This strengthened Star's resolve to get herself some armor. If she could outrightly cancel out the damage from a boar, then it would be impossible for it to kill her and she'd be set to start doing this on her own!

But for now, it was time for her to end this quickly. As the boar retreated a little from the attack that Haltar had taken, Star decided to capitalize on this opportunity. C'mon Star, you've got it. This is a level one opponent. Things should be very easy for you, even if you are also a level one. Haltar might leave if you don't prove yourself now after all. You can't afford to miss this!

Despite her plea, Star's attack once again didn't connect. WHAT THE HELL, I'M STARTING TO GET REALLY PISSED. WHY IS IT SO HARD TO HIT THIS STUPID BOAR?! Star turned to Haltar, "I'll make sure to hit it next time! I know this might be a waste of time, but you can cancel out the boar's attacks! Please leave it to me for the next round!"

As Star said this, the boar attempted to go in for another hit. Unfortunately, it had failed in its attempts to hit Haltar again. It was likely a little tuckered out from the last attack it had made against Haltar. 

Roll ID #115958
BD: 4 (Miss!)
DMG: 0

MD: 2 (Miss!)
DMG: 0

[Hate: 3] @Haltar Dhrim - HP: 20/20 - EP: 1/2
[Hate: 0] Star - HP: 20/20 - EP: 0/2
Boar - HP: 2/10 - DMG 3

Edited May 3, 2019 by Star

[Haltar Dhrim 0]

The expression and tone of voice with which Star asked Haltar to let her try another attack seemed almost a plea to him, as if she were to prove to be worth of his help. Perhaps he had let himself go a little too much in combat. Of course, he wanted to impress her, and apparently he had succeeded, but he certainly didn't want to put her in awe.
Haltar smiled trying to reassure her. "Don't worry, this will certainly not be the only boar of the day. Anyway, okay, I'll keep it distracted for another attack. If you don't hit it, then I'll try to finish it too and we'll go find another one." He turned to the boar, ready to defend himself from his next attack. "Don't be in a hurry, don't get caught up in the anxiety of hitting. Concentrate, study the movements of the enemy, and then strike."
It would have been the top if, after giving Star these tips, Haltar's next shot had failed. At this point, it would have been better for him too that her next attack will hit...

[Hate: 3] Haltar Dhrim - HP: 20/20 - EP: 2/2
[Hate: 0] @Star - HP: 20/20 - EP: 0/2
Boar - HP: 2/10 - DMG 3

Edited May 3, 2019 by Haltar Dhrim

[Star 0]

Star nodded and said, "Alright," in response to Haltar. She needed to hit it this time. She had to. It was ridiculous that she had already missed her target this much. It was... Unacceptable. She wasn't going to stand to miss another hit. If she did, well... She'd deal with that if that was the case. But to miss another time would be strange. However, it was her first combat. Maybe there was a special mechanic for battling that she wasn't realizing? Maybe... Maybe there was something she was missing. Focus on trying to hit it. You don't even need to hit that hard. It's got very little health left.

As Star focused her mind on the target, she leapt toward it. Please hit!

Star's blade made direct contact with the boar, hitting with extreme force. It seemed that despite the fact that she wasn't hitting, she had critical striked the target when she had. A red number 5! appeared above the boar and Star laughed pompously, covering her mouth as she had seen those ojou-sama characters do when they were looking down on someone. Finally.

As the boar began to disappear, Star saw that nothing came out of the boar. "E-Eh?" She looked around the area around the boar to see if there was something else that might've spawned. "Come on!!" Star smashed her foot into the ground. Guess it was time to fight some more boars and potentially get lucky with those ones.

Roll ID #116257
BD: 10 (Crit+2)
DMG: 3+2 = 5!

MD: 5
DMG: 0

Roll ID #116258
LD: 2+1 [Searching Skill] = 3 (Nothing!)

50 Col & 2 T1 Materials Collected

@Haltar Dhrim

Edited May 6, 2019 by Star

[Haltar Dhrim 0]

Star, focusing on her target, managed to hit the boar with a clear and precise shot, killing him instantly.
<Wow, what a blow! Not bad at all, and a simple tip was enough to achieve that... In the end she only needs a little training, that's all.> Haltar thought to himself satisfied with the result.
However, fate wanted to pull a last joke on the girl. In the message of victory that appeared immediately after defeating the beast, nothing appeared apart from a few coins and materials. She had an incredible misfortune, no doubt about it.
Haltar took a few steps forward, not knowing how to react. After all, a meager loot would have meant less profit for him too, and obviously he wasn't happy about it.
"Come on, don't worry, we still have time to look for more. Maybe this time we could find two of them together, so we'll get more chances?"
He didn't want to leave right away, so that both of them could recover their breath, before starting another fight.

Out of Combat 1/3 Posts
Haltar Dhrim - HP: 20/20 - EP: 2/2
@Star - HP: 20/20 - EP: 0/2

Edited May 10, 2019 by Haltar Dhrim

[Star 0]

Despite the fact that no loot had spawned for her, at least she got some extra Col and some tier one matierals. Money like that was valuable and if she wasn't able to get some armor out here, at the very least she could always go out and buy some. But now was not the time to think that she wasn't going to get some armor from these enemies. It was certainly time for her to think back on the battle and see if there was something she did to hit that last strike so successfully. It seemed Haltar was itching to go out as she was, but they probably needed to rest for a moment for her to recover a bit. Even if she didn't get hit, she was certainly a bit winded.

Star sat for a moment, thinking to herself. I wonder if Haltar has a specific way of hitting enemies that I could try out too. He didn't really give me specific instructions on how to hit something. I just happened to do it when I was really desperate. I wonder if I have a secret skill that makes my strikes really effective when I'm really desperate...

Star turned to Haltar. "Thanks for the help. Is there anything you do to hit enemies more effectively that you could share with me? I know I'm inexperienced in fighting, so I'd like to know if there's some sort of trick to it."

@Haltar Dhrim

Out Of Combat: 1/3
Haltar - HP: 20/20 - EP: 2/2
Star - HP: 20/20 - EP: 1/2

50 Col & 2 T1 Materials Collected!

[Haltar Dhrim 0]

Haltar was displaced for a moment by Star's question. Of course, in combat he had inflicted serious damage on the beast, but... he didn't exactly have a precise fighting technique. He thought for a moment, running a hand through his short brown hair, making a thoughtful expression. Then he decided it made no sense to pretend to be more experienced than her, so he answered her sincerely.
"Actually, I don't have a particular technique, I'm sorry... I tried to behave as if the danger was real and I acted accordingly. I also used what I knew best in the real world: dancing." He answered her with a slightly nervous smile.
"Ah, and another thing. My weapon has a skill that allows me to strike with a little more precision. But I think I was also very lucky." He concluded, then he walked towards Star and stopped besides her. "Well, I'd say we can go. Do you want to give yourself the first shot this time, or do I start?"

Haltar - HP: 20/20 - EP: 2/2
@Star - HP: 20/20 - EP: 1/2
50 Col & 2 T1 Materials Collected so far

Edited May 10, 2019 by Haltar Dhrim

[Star 0]

Star observed Haltar's answer with much interest. But once she had heard that it was something he had related to his fighting style, Star's mood declined a little. It wasn't that she wasn't good at anything, it was just that she had no physical activities that she was particularly good at. Her talents lied mostly in speaking and negotiating; things you'd use in a business setting. She did like to let herself go every once in a while, but there wasn't an activity that she had done before that was anything like fighting with a sword. She'd just have to practice and get better.

"That's alright, thank you for the advice." Star looked at her sword as Haltar asked if she wanted to go first this time. The idea rolled around her head and she decided it may be a good idea for her to do so. If Haltar did go last and Star hit the boar, maybe it would go after him instead of her. He took no damage from the boar's attacks after all. It seemed he had gotten quite a good set of armor. "Yes, I'll go first this time. I can't expect to get better if I follow your lead all the time."

As she said this, a group of two boars could be seen. Star looked around for a single one, but it seemed that two was all that they could get for now. Well here goes nothing, I guess. Star didn't even think to ask Haltar about his opinion on the matter of fighting two at once, but she decided to go for it. She attacked what she deemed to be 'Boar A', lunging towards it and making a downward slash.

Star's closed her eyes as bit as she suddenly felt resistance against her sword. She heard the boar cry out as a red "3" came out above the boar. "Ah!" Star had cried out in surprise. She wasn't certain her attack was going to hit, but it seemed that she had done well. Alright! Now to make sure I do that next time!

@Haltar Dhrim

ID#116862
BD: 8 (Success!)
DMG: 3

[Rage: 0] Haltar - HP: 20/20 - EP: 2/2
[Rage:1] Star - HP: 20/20 - EP: 1/2
Boar A - HP: 7/10 - DMG: 3
Boar B - HP: 10/10 - DMG: 3

Edited May 14, 2019 by Star

[Haltar Dhrim 0]

Star seemed thoughtful after Haltar's explanation, but quickly recovered and thanked him for the advice. Then, as soon as two boars appeared nearby, she launched herself to attack one of the two, scoring a clear blow. Haltar smiled as Star retreated a few steps to make room for him.
<Maybe she is starting to get the hang of this... Very well, she'll make a great traveling companion!> He ran a hand through his brown hair to move them from his face, before getting ready to strike. <It's up to me now, let's go!>
He ran towards the same boar that Star had struck, repeating the charge used against their first opponent. The green-lit blade drew an arc in the air, hitting the beast. This one, however, wasn't scared at all: after taking the blow it crashed into Haltar, hitting him on the leg.
The armor prevented the fangs from hurting the boy, but the impact made him lose his balance, forcing him to step back, just in time to see the other boar run through the spot where he was just before.
"Wow, that was close!" exclaimed Haltar as he returned to his guard. "One more Star hit, then we'll be one-on-two!"

Rage Blow on Boar A
Roll ID: 117005
BD: 9 +1 = 10 (Critical +1)
DMG: (2+1) x2 = 6

Boar A attacks Haltar
Roll ID: 117005
MD: 8 (Hit)
DMG: 3 -9 = 1

Boar B attacks Haltar
Roll ID: 117006
MD: 4 (Miss)

[Rage: 2/0] Haltar - HP: 19/20 - EP: 0/2
[Rage: 1/0] @Star - HP: 20/20 - EP: 1/2
Boar A - HP:  1/10 - DMG: 3
Boar B - HP: 10/10 - DMG: 3

Edited May 15, 2019 by Haltar Dhrim