Azide

I'd like to join but I'm not much of a help anyway on battles, I'll be the guild's "Mystogan-type" member collecting materials and always everywhere if I ever I'll get approved.

No problem at all, Crozeph. S1 recognizes the importance of all types of contributions- all are just as valuable, and there's a certain strength in numbers. We'll get you integrated with the group straight away! 

Guild Link: http://www.sao-rpg.com/topic/6081-square-one/#entry367991 (Note there was a change in the name at the end, haha)

((Less formally, we'd love to have you in the guild, Crozpeh!))

Azide nodded. He figured they might be stuck here in Aincrad, but they didn't have to forget where they'd come from, after all. "I have no doubt that you'll come up with some great ideas, Joe, but you'd better not keep them all to yourself," he said with chuckle. He felt Raeyliff put on a hand on his shoulder, then looked in front and noticed he'd nearly run into the shop while they'd been talking. "Geeze, watch where you're going Azide. What happened to being observant?" He followed Raeyliff into the building, which looked to be some sort of log cabin, and fit in quite nicely with the forest all around it. He listened as Raeylif began talking to the old man, and gave Raeyliff a thumbs-up before making his way towards the back room. Once they were all inside, he leaned of and whispered to the other player. "So, are you going to ask him how to make a health potion or something?"

"What the hell is taking everybody so long?" Azide wondered. He raised his cup to his lips and blew gently across the surface of the warm liquid before sipping it slowly. He could only assume that he was the few people to request hot water in a cafe such as this one, but he'd never been one for tea or sweets. Something about them bothered his delicate palette, so if he had to put up with a few weird looks every so often, then so be it. He began tapping out a melody on the table, although to anybody else it was likely incomprehensible- he'd never been particularly gifted in the artistic side of things. He glanced at a clock in on the other side of the room, noticing there were only ten minutes to go before the meeting was to start. "I wonder if it's out of the question for me to hold a meeting of one?" he mused. He shook his head, then opened up the menu interface and began hastily tapping his way to messaging section, intending to give everyone a stern reminder. As the guild chat appeared in front of him, he began typing out his message, until something earlier in the conversation caught his eye.

He called out to a waitress nearby. "Excuse me, this is the Starlight Cafe, correct?"

The waitress laughed, shaking her head. "Sorry sir, this is the Starbright Cafe. The Starlight Cafe is on the other side of town!"

Azide promptly left, running like mad across the whole town, closing his menu on the way out of the shop. "God, at least that water was complimentary," he thought. It was times like these that he was thankful for those years he spent on the track team, building up his resume for college. But that didn't make any of this suck any less.

Azide drew his sword out of the Dire Wolf, then sheathed it. "I'm making progress a whole lot quicker than usual," he thought to himself. As it shattered into small fragments and faded away, he searched the spot it had been laid to rest, finding nothing but the pelt it had left behind. He sent the material off to his inventory and dug around some more, though nothing turned up. "Guess lightning didn't strike twice in this case," he thought, recognizing the likelihood of finding two of the animals in a row would have been low. He turned around to see another wolf near some trees close by, and began pacing towards it slowly, so as not to alert it prematurely.

ID: 7554

BD: 9 (Crit +1)

MD: 4 (Miss)

LD: 4 (Nothing)

Damage taken (Azide) = 0 (Miss)

Damage taken (Wolf) = 1 (Base) + 1 (Rapier) + 1 (SP's) + 1 (Crit +1) = 4

Azide HP: 12/15 (-0)

Dire Wolf HP: -1/8 (-4) [Dead]

*1 material acquired

The two came running at each other once more, each eager to leave its mark on the other- in both the figurative and literal senses of the phrase. As they finally came within striking distance of each other, Azide's first swing managed to cut through its thick fur and into its flesh, but didn't seem to phase the creature in the least. The Dire Wolf lunged forward, tackling the player into the snow and pinning him against the ground with its claws, then bit down with a mouthful of razor sharp teeth.

Azide gritted his teeth, barely able to suppress his urge to scream, then threw the creature off of him before chasing it down. Before the wolf had time to recover, he ran forward and stabbed it all the way through with his sword. He must have hit a weak point or something, as he watched its health plummet following his attack.

ID: 7533

BD: 10 (Crit +2)

MD: 9 (Crit + 1)

Damage taken (Azide) = 1 (base) + 1 (crit +1) = 2

Damage taken (Wolf) = 1 (base) + 1 (rapier) + 1 (sp's) + 2 (crit +2) = 5

Azide HP: 12/15 (-2)

Wolf HP: 3/8 (-5)

Azide continued trudging forward in the snowy wasteland. The fourth floor rather quite barren and desolate, and it always took a bit of travel here before one might encounter another player or even a monster. And the white snow which blanketed everything in sight only served to make him feel smaller in comparison. It was beautiful, he wouldn't deny that, but its blank uniformity dulled all sense of progress and direction. At some point, he managed to spot a Dire Wolf, who no doubt had spotted him as well. It came quickly speeding his way, albeit perhaps too quickly- missing him in its mad dash. But to be fair, he'd missed his slash as well, unable to tag the beast as slipped right past him unharmed.

ID: 7551

BD: 2 (Miss)

MD: 4 (Miss)

Damage taken (both) = 0 (misses)

Azide HP: 14/15 (-0)

Dire Wolf HP: 8/8 (-0)

Azide laughed back. "There's absolutely nothing wrong with being proactive- if anything, it's people like you who tend to shake up the world. There's an old saying that 'Good things come to those who wait', but did you know that's not actually the full phrase?" He shook his head. "The original quote actually goes, 'Good things come to those who wait, but only what's left by those who hustle.'" Azide straightened his collar, then looked back to Raeyliff. "So I think it's safe to say that both our personalities have a lot to contribute towards this field. I might be more deliberate, I have a feeling you very well might be more imaginative." He nudged the player with his elbow in a friendly sort of way, bringing back memories of his lab work. "So I think it's safe to say I'll be expecting great things from you." He looked up ahead, seeing their destination finally come into view. It wouldn't be too long now. "I hadn't ever thought about the possibility of forgetting something like that before, I'm glad you brought it up- and you're right, it's one of the few mementos we carry with us from the other world." He'd noticed the way Raeyliff had shifted his gaze after mentioning his new identity here in Aincrad. "You wouldn't mind if I called you that, would you? Joe, I mean. That way you won't forget. And as for me?" He paused and considered what to say, before deciding he'd just set things straight right off the bat. "Well legally my given name is Napoleon, but I've never really identified with it. So I've always just gone by my middle name, Nouel, instead."

Azide spun around, slicing through the golem yet again as if it were made of warmed butter. In the process, he was struck in his side by though creature, but the damage was rather minor. The tip of the golem's sword had managed to cut through his armor and left a wound in his skin, but the pain soon faded away, as did the familiar glowing red gash and tear in his coat. "But any sort of slip up whatsoever should be avoided if it can be helped." As the golem shattered into bits of data, he managed to find some never-melt ice and a small amount of col. He stored away both the material and the money, before noticing a piece of glass sticking out of the snow. He reached down to dig it out, then brushed away the snow to reveal a glass beaker. "Guess golems count as wild animals after all." He sent it away into hammerspace, then walked off in search of his next target.

ID: 7550

BD: 6 (Hit)

MD: 8 (Hit)

LD: 12

Damage taken (Azide) = 1 (base)

Damage taken (Golem) = 1 (base) + 1 (rapier) + 1 (sp's) = 3

Azide HP: 14/15 (-1)

Snow Golem HP: 0/8 (-3)

*1 material acquired

** Golem HP (8) * 5 = 40 col acquired

Azide spotted a snow golem in the distance, wielding what looked to be a claymore made of ice. "That doesn't even man sense as a building material," he thought. Ice was dense and hit hard, sure, he was willing to concede those two particular points. "But its structure makes it incredibly vulnerable to breaks and chips against any real sword of resistance." Whatever. It was a bit silly, he realized, to question the sword's plausibility while conveniently ignoring the snow golem wielding it. "Wait, does a snow golem even count as a wild animal?" he wondered. He drew Atom Slicer from his sheath and began walking towards it. "Guess I'll find out." Blade in hand, he rushed his target, staying light enough on his feet so as to avoid sinking into the snow.

The snow golem turned to swing at him with its icy sword, missing as the player ducked under its arc without dropping a step. After effortlessly dodging the golem's attack, he sliced through the entire width of the beast. Though the aesthetic damage soon healed, the red gash fading momentarily, the real damage had been done. "Off to a good start.."

ID: 7548

BD: 10 (Crit +2)

MD: 1 (Miss)

Damage taken (Azide) = 0 (miss)

Damage taken (Golem) = 1 (base) + 1 (rapier) + 1 (sp's) + 2 (crit +2) = 5

Azide HP: 15/15 (-0)

Snow Golem HP: 3/8 (-5)

"To be honest I actually had you pegged as the smithing type," said Azide. "But I guess that says something about both of us in of itself." He tapped a finger to his temple. "I think it says that you're one to break from the mold and what's expected, while on the other hand I'm the sort who relies on expectations in order to draw conclusions- which may or may not be correct. Or maybe it'd be more useful to say that while you seem to favor action before observing the results, I tend to favor observation before acting to get my results." Azide had always known himself to more of a reactive force than a proactive one. Sure, he'd always been on top of his assignments and work, so people figured him to be the proactive type. "But that's not quite right. I've never been one to stir the pot- I've always preferred to make the logical next step in any sort of situation." He looked ahead and noticed that by now, they were nearly upon their destination. The apothecary shop would be just at the end of this street. "If you haven't noticed, I tend to ramble a bit when people let me, so just keep that in mind," he added with a grin. "This is a little out of the blue, but what's your real name, Raeyliff?" he asked, not quite sure why he had done so.

Yet another Dire Wolf was cut down by the player known as Azide. He walked over and crouched down as it shattered and disappeared, but found no loot or col. He'd been about to turn away in search of another target, until he heard the sound of footsteps approaching from behind him. "What? I could have sworn no one was there a moment ago..." he thought. He turned around to see a man walking towards him. It was already strange enough to see the man appear like that without warning, but the man continued to walk straight past him as if he wasn't even there. Azide watched as he stooped over low and reached around in the snow where the dire wolf had been felled not too long ago.

He seemed to have stepped out of thin air, though he looked rather harmless enough. An older gentleman he was, with the expected white hair and thick beard, and a well-learned scholarly sort of look. The man reminded Azide of the type you'd see working at any university, perhaps as a professor of some sort. In any case, the man held the object in front of his spectacled eyes and nodded with approval.

"That looks just like one of those flasks I always used back at the research lab," thought Azide, realizing he must have overlooked it earlier. "Excuse me sir, but would you happen to be associated with my quest to become an alchemist?" he asked, now recognizing the man as an NPC. "The game must have spawned him in- guess I must be on the right track after all."

The man chuckled, nodding once again with a twinkle in his eyes. "You're absolutely right my son! These bones and aching joints of mine just aren't what they used to be. See- I'm getting old, and I'd just been readying to retire and close shop the other day when a bunch of wild animals smashed into my store and ran off with some of my glassware and other supplies! I tracked them all the way out here, but it's cold and I'm tired, so I was just about to give up until I ran into you, my boy." He held the flask out for Azide to see. "See, this might look like just a single flask, but don't mind that. It's just Aincrad's way of saving space and all that. Anyways- looks like that should be it for the flasks, but I'm still missing my beakers, vials and some of my scrolls as well." He shook his, almost as if amused by his ordeal. "Tell you what! If you manage to find the rest of the equipment and stop by my shop on the first floor, I'll give you the keys to the old shop free of charge."

Azide opened his eyes wide. "You're saying if I find a couple of beakers, vials and a couple of scrolls, I can have the whole place all to myself?" Inside, he was overjoyed. He hadn't thought it would be so easy, but he played it off like it was no big deal.

The man nodded a third time. "That's right young man, it's your lucky day! Granted, you probably don't know the first thing about alchemy, but this town needs some young blood to fill in for tired old fools like me." He laughed and gave the player something resembling a salute, before walking off into, the disappeared. Shortly after, a basic map of the Town of Beginnings appeared under Azide's health bar- with one building in particular highlighted in red.

"Hope the view's not too shabby there," he thought, noting its location. He marched off in the snow, more than ready to find and slay the beastly culprits. But more importantly, he was ready for a chance at alchemy.

The two soon took off, though stayed silent during the initial phases of their trip. "He must be thinking about something," noted Azide. He himself was guilty of zoning off during these longer walks. On this particular trip, his mind had drifted off to thoughts of his life in that other world. "I wonder what everyone's up to right now? It's hard to believe everyone I know is moving on with their lives as I stand around here fighting boar all day. And what the hell they doing to my class rank?" he wondered. While Azide thought these thoughts, Raeyliff turned his head and broke the silence.

He nodded, taking in the significance of the player's words while also pondering his question. "So you want to stand out from the crowd, is that right? Is that something you realized here in Aincrad, or something you took with you from the other world?" he asked. "I ask because it ties in with my answer- the real world, that is." He paused and looked off to the side before turning back to Raeyliff. "In that other world, I was a chemistry student. A chemistry major, to be exact- and to be honest, I was good at it." He shook his head and gave a half smile. "No, I was amazing at it. I was a semester or two away from graduation and had recently started work as an intern for a prestigious research lab, and now I'm just here." He shifted his eyes to straight ahead, but continued to speak. "So I guess the reason I'm interested in alchemy, is that it's the closest way I can take back what's owed to me. I have no idea when or if I'll ever get to go back to that world, so this is my second option, so to speak." He slipped his hands in his pocket and feigned a laugh before shifting his eyes back to Raeyliff. "Haha, sorry, I don't mean to bring the mood down. I've had plenty of time to think these things through in my own mind, but I've never actually spoken them out loud before, you know?" He rolled his neck around, his head feeling a bit heavy. "Haha, but that's enough about me," he added with a chuckle.

Azide had been casually strolling through town, having recently leveled up high enough to begin participating in guild activity. He wasn't too interested in take order from anybody- which immediately disqualified joining one. His train of thought was interrupted by some particularly loud, yet interesting chatter. "A live musical performance? In Aincrad?" thought Azide, hearing a group of players nearby discussing a concert of some sort. He held a hand to his chin and stroked it. "I suppose I appreciate music just as much as the guy... I wonder how many of the classics they'll be performing?" He wondered. He thought back to memories of sitting in on symphony and orchestra performances. True, he'd always snuck away during intermissions after excusing himself to the restroom, but he thought he'd grown quite a deal since then. "This is actually quite sophisticated for a place like SAO- I'm impressed. I wonder if they'll be playing any Tchaikovsky?" He decided he would check it out, promising to attend after finishing up a few errands around town.

Hours later...

The closer Azide came to the specified location, the more free-spirt-looking the people around him tended to be. "I had no idea they were into these types of concerts. Times are changing here in Aincrad," he reflected. When he finally reached the center of town, he noticed there were no instruments or suits or conductors anywhere to be seen, but the crowd was quite large. He nudged a guy to standing to his left. "I think they must be a little late today huh?" he remarked. Suddenly, he heard a voice call out from the top of a nearby building and looked up, just in time for the guy to land right on top of him. He felt himself get knocked to the ground, while the crowd around him excitedly caught the figure and carried him off somewhere. He picked himself up before the crowd could trample him. "That guy better be glad this is a safe zone," he thought as began pushing his way through the crowd to get to the front.

=====Quest Complete=====

+400 col (1 fully completed page)

+2 SP (1 from Quest Reward + 1 from Completed Topic)

+ 0 Mats (+4 mats -4 mats)

Quest Reward Item:

» Name: Green Leather Battle Coat

Type: Light Armor

Quality: Uncommon

Attributes: +1 Evasion

Description: A dark green leather coat light enough to afford its wearer a high range of movement.

"Just make yourself at home why don't ya!" grumbled Griswold. He was busy hammering away at something in the shop's back room and wasn't particularly in the mood to be interrupted by another snot-nosed kid while in the middle of his work.

"Don't be ridiculous dear, it's that wonderful Azide boy we spoke to the other day!" chided Hanna. The old lady reminded Azide of the stereotypical southern belle, a stunning portrait of hospitality and kindness. "All that's missing is a pitcher of sweet tea," he thought, thinking back to those American movie's he'd seen. She walked over to the youth and smile warmly at him. "Back already, young man?"

Azide nodded, thankful that she was here as well. He made a few taps of his inventory and materialized the four Oversized Boar Hides on the counter in front of him. "I've got all four right here, just as you asked."

By now, Griswold came out from the back room to see what the ruckus was all about, muttering something under his breath. He eyed the stack of hides with suspicion, then finally nodded his head. "So you're finally back huh? Well I'll be damned, kid. Tell you what- we'll go ahead and make your little armor so I can get back to work. We square?"

Hanna shot her husband a look, seemingly displeased by his callousness and had been about to speak up, before Azide himself responded.

"Don't worry about it, miss. I'd be more than happy if you could do that for me. But I have a special request, if that's alright?"

"Spit it out," replied Griswold, crossing his trunk-like arms together.

"I'd like my jacket to be a dark green- if you can manage it, said Azide."

"Oh don't you worry about a thing young man, we'd be more than happy to dye your jacket for you." Hanna ruffled the player's hair in a rather motherly sort of way.

Azide nodded, then waited by the counter as the two went off to work.

Griswold and Hanna took the leather boar hides in their arms, then carried them into the back room. Using the game's highly automated crafting system, they quickly treated the leather, turning it from the raw material that it was into a much more workable material. Afterwards, they bleached the hides before letting them rest in a dark green dye. Finally, Griswold trimmed and straightened out the sheets of boar skin, before handing them off to Hanna to sew together.

After about ten or fifteen minutes, the elderly couple came back out- carrying a Green Leather Battle Jacket. "Well, here you are punk." said Griswold.

"Oh, you'll look so handsome in this dear!" Hanna bubbled.

Azide took the jacket and thanked them both profusely before finally leaving the shop as they waved goodbye (although he had a feeling Griswold did not do so by his own choice). He slipped off his cloth armor and tossed it in a nearby garbage bin, then slipped on his newly acquired piece of equipment and smiled before walking off to his next task.

Azide ran at the creature at with relentless speed, leaping into the air before finally ending the battle with a quick downward slice. The boar's tusks had not been permitted to hit him a final time, and soon shattered along with the rest of the boar. Azide walked over to examine the loot, not expecting much. This proved to be a good idea, as the boar had left behind its hide- which though useful, could have been spiced up with the presence of another item or even some col. "The drop rates around here are either insanely high or I'm just a tad unlucky," he concluded. He sent the material to his inventory and sheathed his rapier, satisfied with its performance outside of the initial nightmare with the first boar. Azide couldn't help but smile, glad to finally be rid of the task. He took a moment to fully recollect himself, then headed off to make his way back to Griswold and Hanna's forge.

ID: 7499

BD: 6 (Hit)

MD: 2 (Miss)

LD: 5 (nothing found)

Damage taken (Azide) = 0 (miss)

Damage taken (Boar) = 1 (base) + 1 (rapier) + 1 (sp's) = 3

Azide HP: 7/15 (-0)

Boar HP: -2/8 (-3) [dead]

*1 material acquired

Azide rallied his spirits and came charging at the boar with a certain vigor, narrowly shifting himself out of the way just in time to avoid a literal close shave as the boar's tusks grazed against the side of his head. He quickly regained his footing upon landing, pivoting himself to face the boar while its back was still turned, then stepped forward and stabbed at it a total of three times with his rapier. It stumbled back, clinging desperately to its final point of health. A thin red line was all that separate Azide from finishing his task. "The last health point of the day, Azide. Finish strong, alright?" He twirled his rapier a few times before tightening his grip, then darted ahead to finish up.

ID: 7498

BD: 8 (Hit)

MD: 5 (Miss)

Damage taken (Azide) = 0 (miss)

Damage taken (Boar) = 1 (base) + 1 (rapier) + 1 (sp's) = 3

Azide HP: 7/15 (-0)

Boar HP: 1/8 (-3)

Azide nodded in agreement, taking notice of the practicality and sensibility in that plan. "That sounds like the right idea to me," he answered. He brought a hand behind his head and began to lightly massage the crook where his neck met the base of his skull, glancing up at the sky while doing so. He tried to remember where he'd last seen an apothecary shop around here, and after taking a moment to recall the detail, snapped his fingers together. His eyes lit with delight and he shot an excited glance at Raeyliff. "It just so happens I know just that sort of place," he said at last. "I passed an NPC's apothecary shop on my way over to a smithing forge the other day- it's not too far away from here. Unfortunately, player alchemists seem to be in short supply, but those NPC's do tend to know their stuff. I spotted it on the edge of town, near the forest- which should make it even easier to gather supplies for your potion afterwards. Should we give it a look?"

Azide ran forward, dashing by roughly an arm's-length distance away for the boar, missing his slash as he passed it. It wasn't all bad- he hadn't been harmed either, after all. But he couldn't help but shudder at the thought of another long and drawn out showdown. The last two boar had gone down with ease- would his luck run out with this final one? He shook his head. "No, it won't- because I won't permit it to just yet." He shifted his grip on Atom Slicer and turned around, setting his sights on his beastly opponent.

ID: 7497

BD: 4 (miss)

MD: 2 (miss)

Damage taken (Both) = 0 (misses)

Azide HP: 7/15 (-0)

Boar HP: 4/8 (-0)

Soon enough, Azide spotted another one of the creatures in a nearby location. In one smooth motion, he bolted forward and unleashed Atom Slicer upon the unsuspecting Oversized Boar. He swung his rapier at the boar's head, clashing with its tusk. From there, they went blow for blow, with both combatant trading successful hits on the other. Breaking the pattern, Azide managed to avoid a fourth hit from the creature, then reached out and struck a glancing blow to seal the deal. They were now both roughly around half of their health, true. "But then again, my current health almost equals his maximum." Azide raised his blade, ready to put an end to the creature, then came running at it once more.

ID: 7495

BD: 9 (Crit +1)

MD: 10 (Crit +2)

Damage taken (Azide) = 1 (base) + 2 (crit +2) = 3

Damage taken (Boar) = 1 (base) + 1 (rapier) + 1 (sp's) + 1 (crit +1) = 4

Azide HP: 7/15 (-3)

Boar HP: 4/8 (-4)

Azide darted forward, dodging the boar's assault with ease before felling the beast with a second strike. He watched as the beast lashed about with its final death throes before shattering into shards of data, leaving behind nothing but it's hide. Azide transferred the material to his inventory, noting it to be the third of his required total of four. "It'd be nice to actually obtain something else from these boar, but anything else would just be icing on the cake. It's these skins I'm after, first and foremost." He noticed both his level and health had increased- to six and fifteen, respectively. "Just keep piling those levels on, mister Akihiko. Then I'll come gunning for your best soon enough." He sheathed Atom Slicer for the time being, then headed off to find (and slay) his final target (and victim).

ID: 7492

BD: 6 (Hit)

MD: 1 (Miss)

LD: 7 (nothing found)

Damage taken (Azide) = 0 (miss)

Damage taken (Boar) = 1 (base) + 1 (rapier) + 1 (sp's) = 3

Azide HP: 10/13 (-0)

Boar HP: -1/7 (-3) [dead]

*1 material gained

Azide set his eyes on a lone Oversized Boar he'd spotted from across the meadow, then snuck up on it while managing to both stay safely out of view and come within sprinting distance of it. He released Atom Slicer from its leather sheath, then made a running dash for the creature as it turned its head, embedding his blade so deep that only his guard kept the metal from slipping any deeper. Unfortunately, this had the effect of making his rapier more difficult to withdraw as well, leading the boar to simply charge into him- blade stuck through it or not. The boar pressed onwards, impaling him on its tusks and carrying him for long enough to deal a fair amount of damage before he was finally able to slip both himself and his sword away. He stopped for a moment to take his breath, then readied his sword for a second strike.

ID: 7491

BD: 10 (Crit +2)

MD: 10 (Crit + 2)

Damage taken (Azide) = 1 (base) + 2 (Crit +2) = 3

Damage taken (Boar) = 1 (base) + 1 (rapier) + 1 (sp's) + 2 (Crit + 2) = 5

Azide HP: 10/13 (-3)

Boar HP: 2/7 (-5)

Azide looked through the window, watching as small birds landed on the street in the adjacent alley. They hopped around the grey roads in search of worms, no doubt. That would be a strange place of worms under the average day-to-day circumstances of Aincrad, but it had rained during the night, bringing worms from out of the soil and into the streets. They would likely wither and die either way, so he reasoned this to be making the best of their deaths. "Now am I a worm, or am I a bird?" he mused. He turned and looked over at the front desk and saw it to be vacant. "Catherine must have gone to her room at some point," he thought, stepping off of the bench. He did so quietly, realizing that most of the inn's occupants likely hadn't yet woken at this hour. "The early bird gets the worm..." he reminded himself. He creaked open the door and stepped out, peering inside for a moment before closing it gently behind him. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath of the cool morning air, which still carried the slight scent of fresh rain. He released it slowly, opening his eyes again to look around. Spirits high, he set off to find more boar while the day was still young.

"Long time no see Azide!" called the innkeeper as the familiar face entered the Sleep Inn. She shrugged, albeit while wearing a wide smile on her face. "Same situation as last time I'm afraid. But hey, a bench isn't too bad, right?"

Azide waved upon walking in, and hearing the news, sighed but nodded reluctantly. "Beggars can't be choosers," he remarked. "Osenkowski still here by any chance?" he asked, thinking of his old friend that had helped him the last time he'd come here. "If it weren't for him, I might still be looking for some of those materials I needed for this rapier."

She shook her head. "Afraid not. The old man left a few days ago on another one of his crazy expeditions! Set off with some kind players who were willing to bring him along for the ride- but I can leave a message for when he gets back!"

Azide considered it, but shook his head as well. "I can wait until the next time I see him, but I appreciate it. I never got your name, by the way. Mind if I ask what it might be?"

The girl laughed. "Well it might be Catherine, but it might not be."

"A bit too pedantic there for my tastes, but I'm willing to accept that, Catherine," said Azide with a chuckle. He walked over and laid himself out on the makeshift bench, lying in a way so that he faced the wall, then closed his eyes. After a while, he spoke for the last time that night. "Thanks again, Catherine."

"No problem at all Azide- good night."

He fell asleep to thoughts of what lay ahead, wondering if his abilities could ever live up to his ambitions in this world.

Azide drew Atom Slicer from out of the boar and watched as it shrieked, yowled and hollered on last time before shattering. "And yet again- nothing," thought Azide as he checked for any loot. He tapped a few menus and opened up his inventory. "Ah well, maybe next time. In the meantime, that's one more boar skin under my belt." He sent the material away and watched as it flashed, then disappeared. He glanced at his shoulder, where the boar had managed to hit him, and watched as the red gash faded away. He sighed, making his way back to town to tend to his injuries, all too aware he'd taken far too much damage from the first boar.

ID: 7490

BD: 10 (Crit +2)

MD: 6 (Hit)

LD: 6 (nothing found)

Damage taken (Azide) = 1 (base)

Damage taken (Boar) = 1 (base) + 1 (rapier) + 1 (sp's) = 3

Azide HP: 4/13 (-1)

Boar HP: -2/7 (-3) [dead]

*One material gained