[F01-PP]Learn to Sing Already!<<Earning a Living: Performer>>

[Nora 0]

Nora has never thought that it would come to this!!! She has always thought that she was going to become a merchant. But this NPC! Her voice is captivating, it was as if her voice and her song are magical in itself. Nora merely passed by the window to her music studio and yet she can't believe, she has been standing here for that last 5 minutes lesson to this song and now that it is finished, but she still felt unsatisfied and wanted to hear some more.  

But now that the performance is over, the logical thing to do would be to get on with her way...but now it felt like something was incomplete. Just then, the singer from the studio approached the window. She lifted up the window and lean and the window frame. "Well, young one. Did you like my song?" She asked with a smile.

Nora's face flashes red at having been caught red handed, even though she didn't steal anything!! But she nodded her head anyway.

The singer smiled again. "If you want, I can teach you how to sing as well. But you will have to get me 5 materials in exchange. Materials can be found in the wild...but you might consider going as a party rather by yourself. There are some extra rewards at the end for your trouble. What do you say kiddo? Do we have a deal?" She smiled.

Nora knows that she shouldn't be accepting random quests left and right, but for some reason, she can't seem to turn this one down. So she nodded. "Ok then...I guess I will see you in the next few days..." Now all that is left to do would be to find someone to go into the wild with her, and someone find 5 materials...shouldn't be too hard...right?

@NIGHT

[NIGHT 0]

It was a lovely tranquil afternoon, and Ren was out relaxing in the town, figuring out her next move. There were a handful of quests she could pick up, but the girl was antsy - she didn't want to end up empty-handed as much as possible.

While absentmindedly pacing around town, a faint, reverberating song echoed through the streets of Aincrad, and Ren showed up at the venue, not noticing her detour. When the song was over, and the audience gave their applause, it was probably only her left out of the know.

"...E-Eh?"

As the crowd dissipated, Ren struggled through to the front, nearly getting swept back out onto the main road. At least give me some context... Where did I end up?

Breaking through the crowd, she heaved, bowed slightly with her hands to her knees. I don't wanna do that again...

"Well, young one. Did you like my song?"

She looked up. Was the voice talking to her?

"If you want, I can teach you how to sing as well." Oh. Looks like the answer's a no. "But you will have to get me 5 materials in exchange."

Wait, this was a quest? She didn't see it on her map, or her interface... Standing a ways over was a black-haired, red eyed player.

<<Nora>>

With a few swipes, she brought up the [Examine] submenu. This player seems new enough... What quest was this one again?

"Ok then...I guess I will see you in the next few days..."

Approaching her from the shadows, with heavy steps, NIGHT found herself asking, "Nora? Do you mind me asking what quest you picked up?"

@Nora

[Nora 0]

Nora turns around at the sound of someone calling her name, looking at source of the sound, she saw another player around her age. She blinks a couple of time in surprise when she heard her own name,  since she couldn't recall if she has met the other player somewhere before, but didn't want to be rude if they have met and she just forgot. She looks at the other player carefully, trying to be subtle, all the while trying to recall if this wasn't the first encounter. "Hm....Yes, my name is Nora...but how did you know..? Have we met?" She asked hesitantly.  "Oh...the search function...!"

That was when it finally occurred to her to check the game system. She quickly swiped her finger over the air to pull out the transparent screen and search nearby player. This screen identified the player right in front of her as Night. She let out a smile of relief, so she didn't forgot, that's a relief. "I see you are Night...Nice to meet you." She greeted. "Sorry, I'm pretty much a newbie so I don't know these things. But to answer the question. I think...this is the profession, performer quest. It could be cool, I read it somewhere that it could heal and also debuff the monsters, so it could come in handy. Just need to record the song into a crystal then I can sell it. Have you completed a profession quest as well? ....Oh! Speaking for which, if you have time, do you mind accompanying me in this quest? I really need some help with finding materials, I'm sure we could find something interesting as well. What do you say?" Nora asked.

@NIGHT

[NIGHT 0]

"Yes, my name is Nora... but how did you know? Have we met?"

Ah, new to exploring SAO too, huh..? Ren closed her eyes patiently, with a knowing and patient look. It didn't take the stranger long to guess that she'd used the search function; a swipe of her finger quickly brought up NIGHT's own information.

... It's a little difficult, even to myself, guessing when I'm NIGHT or when I'm Ren... Well, these boots have to be filled eventually.

"It's nice to meet you," Nora continued. "Nice to meet you too," NIGHT responded curtly with a nod. "Sorry, I'm pretty much a newbie, so I don't know these things."

"That's alright."

"But to answer the question, I think... this is the profession... performer quest?" Ah..? Oh, that would explain it. Having completed the Artisan quest, she must've hidden all the other <<Earning a Living>> questlines too. NIGHT wondered if there was a way she could keep track of this.

"... Just need to record the song into a crystal then I can sell it. Have you completed a profession quest as well?"

"Yeah, I'm an-"

"--Oh! Speaking of which, if you have time-"

--?! What's up with this fast-paced conversation? NIGHT was startled, and attempted to clear her head.

"-do you mind accompanying me in this quest? I really need some help with finding materials," Nora clarified, "I'm sure we could find something interesting as well. What do you say?"

... What does someone say in a scenario like this? NIGHT wasn't certain about being roped into helping someone out for the sake of it, but... Nora was right. There was the possibility of obtaining something new from the whole debacle.

"Mm," she hummed. "Sure, just let me invite you to a party." I'd probably be better off doing it first, since Nora's new...

With a few flicks, an invitation box dropped in front of the stranger. Stretching, NIGHT curiously asked, "So, where're we heading first?"

@Nora

[Nora 0]

Nora blinks at the sight of a digital screen appears in front of her once again. She was feeling so much happiness at having another party invite that she wants to sing. But that when she remembers that this was actually a professional quest, one that only the player taking it would be eligible for the rewards. It is meaningless for anyone else or for those who already has a profession. Night is really really kind to her and is willing to spend the time in order to help her out, but it felt like she was asking for too much from Night.

There was really no reason for her to go on this quest with Nora, since only Nora will benefit from this quest. Thinking about that and thinking about the bigger picture, Nora thought maybe she should just take the quest alone. Being along isn't so scary once you get use to it. At that thought, Nora declined the party invite to added Night as a friend anyway. She send a private message to Night and ask her to party up with her on another more mutually beneficial quest before setting out to find materials on her own. She looks around.

Roll: 127667, LD 20, CD:4 <<1 material>>

 

Edited November 1, 2019 by Nora

[Nora 0]

After saying goodbye to Night. Nora slowly makes her way into the wild. This isn't her first time being outside of the gate. However, having spend so much time inside the gate already, every time that she step out still makes her feel uneasy and it makes the hair on the back of her neck stood out. She keeps thinking about all of the stories about how someone could actually die in the real life if they also died in this game. She patted her sheathed katana to comfort herself, and telling herself to be strong and brave. Eventually, everyone will have to walk alone. This is for the best, the sooner she gets used to playing solo, the faster she will become usefully to everyone else.

Knowing something and feeling confident, however, is two separate, since this will be the first time that she tries to do this alone. Still, Nora took a deep breath in order to calm down her nervous nerves and search around.

Roll: 12766; CD:9, LT 6 <<Nothing>> 

Edited November 1, 2019 by Nora

[Nora 0]

That time she was unlucky and didn't find anything. But this thing could happen at anytime, do not get fussed over silly things like that. Still, material search and such would be so much easier if she has a loot die. She heard that artisans could make them and also sell them in stores. She made a mental note to herself to go ask around the player base and see who is an artisan and can them make her one of those loot dice.

.........

!!!!

That was when what Night has said before flashes before her eyes, she recalls Night saying that she is an art...something. Then it got cut off because Nora can't stop talking.

Don't tell me...that Night is actually an artisan...? If so...then she must have a shop as well...maybe I should go visit her shop once I'm done with this quest. Who knows, maybe I  will be her first customer. That would be really nice. 

 

Roll: 127668; LT 15 <<1 material>>

 

Edited November 1, 2019 by Nora

[Nora 0]

Nora nodded to herself, smiling a little at having to come up with a seemingly perfect plan for her next step. And she was really doing her job absent-mindly. Searching for materials on her own really could be a boring job if she has no one else to talk to. But it is something that must be done, this would be the fastest way to complete the quest. Having a profession is very important to her, as if makes her more useful in combat as well as out of combat, so she does not regret her chose that way, but still, it would be nice to have someone to chat to so that she could pass the time faster.

She already searched near the wall, and it looks like this area will yeld her nothing in return. Maybe she should try to venture further into the wild?  But just the thought of that sounded scary to her, and she thought she was brave.

Roll: 127669, LD: 1 <<Nothing>>

Edited November 1, 2019 by Nora

[Nora 0]

She continues to search along side the wall for a little bit more. On her way outside, she passed by some NPC guards along with a few other lower level PCs, all out to do something. They seem to be saying something, something about a disturbance out by the lake?

Nora found it to be weird, what could it have been. But that would be further into the wild. As a level 2 PC, it really isn't her place to be curious. Curiosity kills the cat after all. So she continues to search a bit longer. But she was having no lack with this area at all, after a good 10 minutes or so, she still comes up empty handedly, and briefly wonders if she missed something or was doing something wrong. 

That was when she thought about the other PCs again. Where are they headed to...? A little look won't hurt?

 

Roll: 127670; LD 8 <<Nothing>>

Edited November 1, 2019 by Nora

[Nora 0]

It was as if this area is bad luck or something. She has been searching in this area for so long and still finding out nothing at all, it was as there really just isn't any materials here. It felt really frustrating at having to find nothing useful. At that moment, the thought of the other PCs is coming back to her. It was a difficult decision, but maybe a necessary one.

If this area has nothing more to offer, then she has to move on from here as soon as possible. She just hope that it isn't too late to follow the other players since she has no tracking ability. She vaguely recalls which direction they were headed to and starts to walk towards the same direction as well.

Along the way, she did saw some random monsters, some alone, some are in a group. But she was careful to avoid them.

 

Roll: 127271; LD: 12 <<Nothing>>

Edited November 1, 2019 by Nora

[Nora 0]

She was being careful as she follows the other players. But still managed to search along the way. Slowly though, as she walks, she could start to see human shape figures out in the distance. It looks like there are people in front of her, so that she hasn't completely lost her way. But they were so far ahead of her that she couldn't see if those were the same players from the town of the beginning as before.

She felt a little hestitant in approaching them...what if they were PKers, she didn't want to die. But at this far away from the town and into the wild, it is actually no longer safe for her to be without a party. Besides, the chances of running into a PKer is actually really low. There are only a few of them out there...surely her luck wasn't that bad...right...? Although she hasn't found any materials for a long time now.

 

Roll: 127672, LD 7<<Nothing>>

Edited November 1, 2019 by Nora

[Nora 0]

As she comes closer to the players, she noticed that some of them doesn't look to be in full health, and yet still, they were heading somewhere, completely undeterred. She finds this to be really confusing. If they have healing potion, which they should have since that's provided to everyone at character creation. Why haven't they used them yet? Maybe they were counting to heal those damages naturally since they were out of combat? Still, I looked risky...

So far, Nora was only following silently behind them, not really approaching them since she still doesn't know if they are for sure not PKers. She wants to observe them a little more before going up to them and introducing herself. So many people...it was getting her nervious. Social gathering is one of her weak point after all.

Even when she was walking and thinking random thoughts in her head, she was searching for materials along the way, but still didn't find anything though.

 

Roll: 127673; LD 10 <<Nothing>>

Edited November 1, 2019 by Nora

[Nora 0]

It was at this point that she realized that she has made a great choice for not having Night accompanying her at her quest, because this quest is impossible! Sure she was doing other things and searching for materials at the same time, but she has not found anything since the very beginning. Just the thought of having someone else suffered along side her through all of this is giving her a headache. There was no reason to have someone else going through this as well. She just hope that she could find another piece of material again soon. At this point, she thought maybe hunting for materials might be easier.

Just then, she was finally close enough to the people in front of her to get a better look at them. They all look like beginning players, in a group of 4. It looks like they were out to hunt something, but hasn't reach their destination yet. 

 

Roll: 127674; LD 4 <<Nothing>>

Edited November 1, 2019 by Nora

[Nora 0]

No!! Stop!!! She was getting to close to them and her nervousness and her anti social nature was starting to take hold of her again. What if they were indeed PKers...? What would she do then? She's only level 2, she could easily get killed here, it doesn't matter if they are newbies also. All it matter is that there were four of them and only one of her. She could die here and no body would have ever found out about it. Is it really worth it to satisfy your own curiosity and risk your life for it in the process? What would you even gain for finding out. You are not a private investigator, this is none of your business! You are just here to collect materials, and you have only found two so far...why risk it, just go back and search some more. Leave them be, this doesn't concern you.

Roll: 127675; LD 1 <<Nothing>>

Edited November 1, 2019 by Nora

[Nora 0]

Thing about that and reminding herself of what she was doing here once again, she no longer pays any attention to them and in turns, return back to her task at hand. She searched nearby and found finally found one more material. Good...just need two more.

Just then, she heard someone screaming from the distance. She looks up in high alert towards the sound of where the scream was coming from. It was from the group of four. It seems like they have just encountered a group of boars. She's not sure of their level yet, but because they are harmed way before the encounter, things are not looking too good for them at the minute. All four of them now have health bar in yellow and red. She takes in a deep breath, this is as close to a player death as she has ever came across and she freeze.

 

Roll: 127677; LD 15 <<1 material>>

Edited November 1, 2019 by Nora

[Nora 0]

Nora forced herself to look away from the scene and search some more.

....What should I do...what can I do in this situation. It is a group of boars for crying out loud, I am one person!! If all four of them couldn't handle those boars, what make me think that I can even do anything about it anyway?!! I don't even know if there is a sos function in this game. And if there is a sos system, if I call them, can they make it in time. They all have red health bar now....

Nora was in an internal struggle at this, she wanted to help, she really did wanted to help. But she felt so powerless at not actually capable of doing anything. The only thing she carries that might help them would be her heal potion. As she struggles to make a decision, the battle field has changed ties. The players managed to defeat three of the boars and only one in full heath remaining. However, in turn, three players have also have their health bar dropped to zero.

 

Roll: 127678; LD 8 <<Nothing>>

 

Edited November 1, 2019 by Nora

[Nora 0]

Nora's eyes widen in shock and in fear at the sight of the players' screaming and turning into digital dusts. She can't believe what she is seeing right now. Three lives, human lives, lost, just like that. If what the rumors could be believed, three person have vanished right in front of her. It was only until this moment that life and death was so close to her, as if it could have reach its hand and grab her as well. She can no longer stand by and act as a bystander, this is real, this felted real, and this is part of her life now. At that moment, she regretted ever coming out from the safe zone, why didn't she stay there...but this isn't the time for regrets, this is the time for actions...!

This is it!! She has to make a decision now!!! It is now or never, there is only one more player alive now. She has to do something, so she sprint forward and positioned herself between the last player and the charging boar, she strike the boar with all of her strength with her katana, causing a critical hit on the boar. 

Roll: 127679; BD 10; MD: 5 <<Missed>>

Boar: HP10, Damage 3

Noah: HP 40, EN 3 (4-1)

Boar: HP 6 (10-4); paraysised from weapon enhancement

 

Edited November 1, 2019 by Nora

[Nora 0]

The last attack actually did something!! Good, but they were far from safety yet, the boar still has a decent health bar left and it could still attack them. Actually, judging by the fact that she was the last person who attacked and landing a critical, the hate is right now all on Nora. Maybe this is actually a good thing.

Without turning around, Nora shouted at the last standing player. "Run!!! Get out of here! Go back to the town!! Don't mind about me! Just run and get away while you still can!" But it looks like she doesn't have to tell him, since the last player took off right after Nora intercepted the boar's attack. The boar shakes its head in anger, and Nora cannot allow it to land an attack on her. She tries to attack again, but this time the boar dodged it. It was still feeling the dizziness from the critical hit of last time so it did not strike back. Time is running low on Nora, it will go back to normal any second now.

Roll: 127680; BD 4 (missed); MD: 10 (paraysised)

Nora: HP 40, EN 3 (+1-1)

Boar HP 6; 

Edited November 1, 2019 by Nora

[Nora 0]

Taking a deep breath of the chilling air around her. Nora felt the hair at the back of her neck standing out and her entire being screamed at her to run away, this was not her fight. She's too low leveled to take on this alone and so far into the wilderness. But at the same time, she knows that if she tries to run from this, it might only get worst for her, she could get attacked as she was running.

This was the moment of truth, the moment to show her true color. When facing death and staring at its eyes alone, that was the moment she has to make her decision. Never felt death so close to her and yet...she cannot allow herself to run away. At that moment she thought herself to be crazy. But nevertheless, she bite her teeth and strike the boar once again with all of her might, landed yet another critical hit, dropping the boar's health bar to red this time.

 

Roll: 127682; BD 9; MD 3 (paraysised)

Nora: HP 40; EN 3

Boar: HP 3 (6-3); 

Edited November 1, 2019 by Nora

[Nora 0]

Having landed a critical hit on the boar again really shaken up the beast, the red health bar meant that it is actually considered running away from the fight. 

Nora can't believe that is happening right now, it looks like she was winning this, and in full health too! This is a golden opportunity, one that she can't let it slip away from her, she has to follow up with something powerful and take it down when it is weak. She didn't want it to get its friends. With a loud shout, Nora closes in on the boar, sword art ready as the attacks the boar for the last time. The sword art was an over kill as it was another critical, dropping the boar's health bar to zero.

Nora was breathing heavily, still shaken up from the fight and she can still feel the fear and facing a life or death situation. But she won.

She won.

 

Roll: 127683; BD9, CD 6, LD 9, MD; 5

Nora: HP 40, EN 1 

Boar: HP 0

Total Col: 60 (30 + 20 + 10); 1 Rare Trinket

2 bonus materials

Edited November 1, 2019 by Nora