Jump to content

[F1-PP] <<The First Few Lessons are Free>>


Recommended Posts

“Huh… I guess even SAO’s got fetch quests.”

Hyousuke wasn’t especially fond of quests that had him traipsing around the countryside, looking for whatever it was that some NPC needed, but couldn’t get for some convoluted and/or contrived reason. He only tended to tolerate tutorial quests for the promise of what was essentially free experience and starter items. But that was when the only thing that he stood to lose was his time. Now that his life was quite literally on the line, and every bit of information he could scrounge together could make the difference between making it out the other end and becoming a struck-through name on a stone slab, learning the basics virtually risk-free sounded pretty appealing.

 

He looked around at the open field, hand above his eyes to shield them from the sun. He had his objective, he didn’t need any tools, and he was sure that any enemies that he came across probably wouldn’t be anything to worry about - even with his gear being about as basic as it could get. Eager to get things over and done with, he strode towards the forest, sword at his side and a slight smile on his face. Hopefully he could get the jump on a few weak enemies on the way, and get some loot worth wearing - or, at the very least, the Col to buy it.

 

@Kirbs

 

Link to post
Share on other sites

"Ow, stop it, you bugger!" The redhead yelped as she flicked away the sharp fangs of her familiar. Though Scarfy doesn't have the ability to actually bring her HP down, he could sure as hell make her life-- well, a living a hell. She wasn't sure why she brought him gathering with again, again, but it was probably along the lines of 'i'll get bored'. The Nguruvilu scowled at her as she continued to glare at him, but only snort in defeat and look in another direction. Seriously, what was this animal's problem? She's been nothing but nice to him! She silently sobbed inside as she thought about it. The girl sniffed. She gave him food, an for what, this attitude? She rolled up her sleeves and her nose wrinkled, boy-oh-boy, she's gonna have to whack some sense into that damn head. 

She was just about to start ranting again until she realized that Scarfy was staring particularly on something in the distance. Though, she didn't trust her familiar one bit, she knew he gets actually serious when there's the smallest hint of danger in his peripheral vision. From the corner of her of her, she spotted an unfamiliar player among the thin trees of the forest. She narrowed her eyes as she looked closer at him. He certainly didn't look like he had much, but she could never be too careful. Last time she actually tried to befriend someone, he cut off the arm of her friend and stunned her in a room of bats. She knew she could take him on if she had to, her just-bought gear proved that.

@Rushdown

Link to post
Share on other sites

It occurred to Hyousuke that he wasn’t actually entirely sure what he was looking for. He assumed that, since he was being asked to gather materials for a potion, it was going to be plants. Probably herbs, maybe foods growing around the forest. Anything more than that, however, and he was at a loss. “What do herbs even look like…” He mumbled to himself, sifting through various bits of greenery to try and find something that looked even vaguely different from the nameless trees, bushes, and shrubs that littered the landscape.

 

It didn’t even occur to him that there was someone watching him. He was so used to playing MMOs where PKing wasn’t an option unless someone agreed to it - or was in the right area for it - that he failed to even consider it a possibility. His focus seemed to be solely on gathering whatever materials he could, and hoping that whatever he brought back to the NPC was enough. The last thing he wanted to do was bring back an armful of assorted ingredients, then find out that he’d not even gathered enough of them to move the quest on to the next stage.

 

ROLL FOR MATERIAL GATHERING: LD15

ID: 117521

 

A notification flashed into Hyousuke’s vision - he’d managed to find what he was looking for. He wasn’t sure what he’d picked up until he looked into his inventory to check it out, but he’d managed to find one of what he was looking for, and that was enough for him. Emboldened by his success, he decided to keep rooting around in the greenery for something else.

 

@Kirbs

Edited by Rushdown
Link to post
Share on other sites

She peeked at the stranger from behind the tree. He didn't look like he was on the hunt for anyone to kill. She deadpanned when she realized that he was doing the fetch question for the lessons line. The girl face palmed herself in the forehead for not realizing it. Kirbs shot Scarfy a glare from the corner of her for getting so riled up. After not much thought, she stepped out from behind the shrubbery and waved her fingers at the stranger. "Hey there, stranger," she started off, a small smile forming on her lips. "You look like you're doing that tutorial question that so many people are doing," she commented but then deadpanned, realizing this is probably the fifth or sixth person she has helped with this quest. 

"Anyway!" She piped up, her eyes gleaming, "My name is Kirbs, nice to meet you, stranger!" She stretched her hand out to give him a handshake, hoping that he'd reciprocate. "Oh, yeah, this is Scarfy!" She exclaimed, using her other hand to point to the familiar wrapped around her shoulders, much like a scarf-- hence the name, duh. 

@Rushdown

Link to post
Share on other sites

Hyousuke heard rustling - but not from his poking through the foliage. Quickly, he turned towards the source of the sound, ready to run rather than fight. At level one with what was essentially scratch damage on his gear, was there really any other option? Despite the stern look on his face fading as she began to introduce herself, Hyousuke couldn’t help but be a little curious about her, wondering what someone like her was doing wandering around in what was essentially the tutorial area. While his face seemed to be placid and virtually unshaken, his eyes scanned over her to see if there was anything that’d indicate what exactly she was looking for from him.

 

Nonetheless, he reached back out to grab her hand, shaking it firmly before casting his gaze over to her familiar. “Rushdown. It’s good to meet you too.” He said, pulling back his hand after that brief shake. “And you, Scarfy.” Not that he expected it to react much to him - if at all - but he felt it appropriate. “So what’re you doing all the way out in the tutorial area? I thought you’d have finished that by now.”

 

@Kirbs

Edited by Rushdown
Link to post
Share on other sites

"Ah, a unique name," the girl commented, putting on her best stereotypical British accent-- well, more British than she already sounded anyway. She gave a sideways glance at her familiar and sighed when he merely just stared at the stranger. But then again, what did she really expect from him anymore? "Don't mind him, he's doesn't go well with anyone, even me," she reassured him, laughing a bit nervously as she rubbed the back of her nape. She tapped the tips of her fingers rhythmically and grinned when he asked the question. Finally, someone who asks some questions other than her! Listeners can be such a bore sometimes. The girl nodded her head and laughed at his curious question. "Oh, yeah. I have. I just roam around these areas to prey on passing low levelers," she giggled an octave higher. "Jokes aside, though. I just gather around here. I 'av a shop up in floor three. Check it out sometimes, I'm in need of more customers!" Kirbs piped, taking the chance to freely advertise her most like barren shop at the moment.

Now it was her turn to ask the questions! Oh boy, did she have a lot.

@Rushdown

 

Link to post
Share on other sites

She had an accent, but he couldn’t quite tell from where. British, maybe? Though that begged the question of where exactly in Britain she was from. Even with the translator doing its job properly (as far as he could tell), he had trouble telling exactly which country it was she was from. He supposed it probably didn’t matter too much in the grand scheme of things, though. She wasn’t trying to kill him (despite the brief thought that she was when she joked about it), and he supposed that he should probably just be grateful for that.

 

“A shop, huh? I’ll have to check it out when I get the chance.” Quite when that chance would be was anyone’s guess. He was still doing the tutorial questline, after all, and had what was essentially a pigsticker and some leather scraps to his name. Outside of a boar - or, heaven forbid, two boars - he probably wouldn’t last that long. “I gotta look for plants first, though. Fetch quests aren’t that exciting, I know, but it’s basically free XP.”

 

@Kirbs

Link to post
Share on other sites

She connected the tips of her fingers and nodded enthusiastically. "Great, that's great! I'm seriously not getting that many customers so you're always welcome!" She said, grinning like there is no tomorrow. She failed to mention she was terribly broke but who would want to tell anyone that? 'Oh, come to my shop because I'm literally living off an unknown food that I don't know where it came from'. The girl internally sobbed as she thought more about her financial crisis.

"You're right," she agreed, nodding her head. "This quest gives a heft amount for a fetch quest so it's good you're doing it, I guess." Though she never really helped someone with this quest, she knew that this quest was pretty bloody boring-- especially if one does it alone. The redhead shivered at the memory of her wondering through the forest by herself when she first did this quest by herself. Oh, the dark times indeed.

@Rushdown

ID: 117680

LD: 11+3=14, Fail

Link to post
Share on other sites

Hyousuke felt sorry for her - she seemed nice enough, and it was a shame that she wasn’t getting much business. It didn’t occur to him to question why she wasn’t getting any customers - his focus was just on grabbing whatever he could out of the greenery, and getting the quest finished as soon as he could. “So what’re you selling?” He asked, still sifting through the various of flora, dirt, and stones that littered the area, trying to find something that even vaguely resembled what he needed for the quest. “I’m thinking I should probably invest in damage at first. Make grinding low-level enemies easier, then put points into defence when they start getting tougher. Got anything that’d help with that?”

 

ROLL FOR MATERIAL GATHERING: 5

ID: 117681

 

“Ah, here we go.” He held up another piece, before stowing it in his inventory. It was dull work, but he supposed it’d be worth it. He needed the points, given that his stats were lacking when compared to what everyone else was sporting. He had to do everything he could to catch up with them. “Just need three more of the things.”

 

@Kirbs

Edited by Rushdown
Link to post
Share on other sites

She sniffed, shrugging her shoulders at his question. "Jewelry, trinkets, practical artisan stuff, really," she replied, feeling as if her job was a lot more boring that she made it out to be now. Kirbs' lips thinned as she brushed the thought off. She was basically the only artisan in the field right now. She hasn't really heard from the other ones in a while. So perhaps she chose the right profession after all? Her thoughts shrank back as she scanned the area around them, specifically looking for anything that could look good on a wrist or neck. She tilted her head at his statement but shrugged again at his question. "I don't really have anything that could boost damage or defense..." she mumbled, her head perking up a little bit, though. "Artisan enhancements are usually focused more on things that can boost some kind of likelihood for battle stuff. Not much on pure defense and damage, though. I can give evasion but no one really wants that," the girl muttered the last part to herself and sighed quickly after. She looked up at him and gave him a look. "Though, I suggest you don't invest in damage so quickly. Defense, sure. But your skills boost your damage pretty significantly. So I suggest using your Col wisely and invest in something like accuracy--which is something an artisan is totally good for, by the way. After all, you won'y do any damage if you don't even hit the target," she mused, continuing, "there are a lot of things that can boost your damage if you put some work into it. Like Scarfy here, he's pretty useless outside of battle, but hey, he boosts my damage." She finally finished, not missing the glare that he oh-so-loving familiar had sent to her.

"I agree," she gave him a knowing smile and stifled her groan of annoyance as she had yet to find any materials for her shop yet. Even with her damn item, she still fails to get a simple rock. "You should try getting an item to help you gather, it can be useful even in battle," she commented, turning her head to flash him a sly smile. "And you know who can make an item like that? An artisan, of course!"

117799 LD 3, Fail

 

@Rushdown

 

Link to post
Share on other sites

“You can save the sales pitch.” Hyousuke said back, half jokingly, and half serious. She really didn’t need to sell her services at him - he didn’t know any other artisans around, and he figured that buying gear from a player would probably be a more efficient use of his money than buying the basic gear that NPC vendors tended to peddle. “I’m already going to buy something off you, I just need to know what.” He turned his attention back to the greenery briefly, poking through it to see if there was anything else that was of interest to him.

 

ROLL FOR MATERIAL GATHERING: 11

ID: 117800

 

“Another one!” He said, holding up the quest item like it was some kind of trophy, worthy of flaunting around like some kind of legendary item. “Man, I’m on a roll today. Maybe I should fight some mobs, see if I can get some decent loot out of them.” He didn’t intend to, mind - not unless he had to. With the gear he was wielding, he wasn’t sure if fighting even basic enemies was a good idea. “But yeah, I’ll keep what you said in mind. Gotta try and get a feel for the game first before I decide exactly what I need from you though. I’m thinking evasion might be best if I’m going for a more aggressive playstyle, right?”

 

@Kirbs

Edited by Rushdown
Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...