Paglikha

Kaluluwa's day started with the virtual rise of the sun. On the way down to his shop to begin another hour of recording songs onto crystals and then attempting, but currently failing, to sell them. Walking down the streets of Starting City was a nice little thing to start aligning up his day. His schedule though, was far from filled to the brim. In fact, crafting those songs were the least of his worries as he understood that he can only get rich and be able to buy stuff with Col, not strong enough to fight on the front lines. He decided that the next time opportunity comes knocking, he would take it. Little did he know though, opportunity would be bumping sraight into him.

A small grunt escaped his lips as he fell to the ground. He looked to the cause of the incident and identified a man with a brown beard as the cause. Opportunity can sometimes be blatant, I guess. After picking himself up, Kaluluwa extended his hand out in order to help the man out and curtly said, "The name is Paglikha. Feel free to call me Kaluluwa. And you are?" However, Kaluluwa couldn't shake off the constant feeling as if he seemed slightly intimidating (or at least disturbing), with his eyes and voice and all.

((Stats/Inventory/You know what I mean:

))

Stuff:

1) Written in Journal Rules, it is stated that new players only receive basic equipment, meaning equipment without enhancements. However, all Sets except for Set D “Support Package” gives the new player equipment with enhancements. I recommend removing that bulleted point as it is stated in the later section that new characters may choose bundles.

2) When introducing Sword Arts, clunky wording is used. The sentence currently goes like this, “In the Sword Art List Resource, each Art…” Wording should be changed to clarify that it is a section of the Resource List. An example replacement could be "In the Sword Art section of the Resource list, each Art..." This increases the clarity of where it is and reinforces where it can be found.

3) All weapons have discrepancies in their “strengths and weaknesses” between the main tutorial thread and the Resource List thread. For example, Dagger in the main tutorial thread claims to have the following “tags”: Very High Energy, High Damage, None AOE, Very Low Stun. In the Resource List thread, the dagger has the following “tags”: Very Low Energy, Moderate Damage, None AOE, Low Stun. All weapons have discrepancies like this in multiple tags.

4) I was confused at first about the initiative section under Player Killing in the main tutorial thread. Maybe changing the words from attacker to aggressor or something that implies is the one who starts the combat may be better. I have edited the paragraph in the spoiler below:

5) It is not stated what happens to a captured player at this point. Are they forced out of said safe zone, or are they killed? Although the likelihood of this is going to be close to zero at this point, in case the player fails the stealth roll and fails to run away from the guards, they should understand the risks that accompany with such.

6) Possibly intended, but there seems to be zero reason to go regular material farming now when a small invest in Fishing can lead to more loot and/or more materials without the need for any external equipment aside from combative gear to kill the monsters or +LD gear on the rare occasion the treasure chest is found. The chances are better for more materials, and also does not require a difficult 15+ LD roll for materials. This means that this way is extremely more easy to farm materials and it is also more relatively fun with the chance of combat. Total chances are shown side by side. I can upload the spreadsheet with the math if need be. The only reprieve that conventional Gathering currently has, is that there is a 0% chance to encounter a monster while fishing has as 25% chance. 

However, whether or not conventional material gathering or fishing is more profitable is admittedly debatable and, in order for a full calculation analysis, battle simulations will need to be run. At this point in time, it seems as if fishing in a group of two or three is the most profitable at this time because it makes regular and boss encounters more easy to deal with. This, in pair with the ability to

gain more than just materials and find a treasure chest without the pesky cooldown of 20 posts allowing a 2.08% chance to gain 8 materials, can easily make the fishing trip the most profitable and meta thing in the game. My suggestion to amend this is below:

7) For Fighting Spirit, clarification should be made whether or not that +1 Additional Hate is added if the user misses the attack as Hate is generated by attacks only if it the user has landed one.

8) All current weapon skills have a “broken table” as Teion called it once before.

9) The first item, Accuracy, in the Cook a Enhancement List is named Accuracy (Consumable). This currently implies that no other stat stacks upon it although it is not an equipment enhancement. This is shown by all Cook and Alchemist enhancements at this time (I.e. Damage, Accuracy, Mitigation). Clarification will be needed to show that they are indeed a consumable and can stack with equipment.

10) Currently, the Dismantling Skill Mod for the Picking Skill is considered a Rank 3 Mod. However, the Picking Skill no longer has ranks.

11) Familiar Mastery: Assistant currently claims to have no ranks, but it does.

NON-ESSENTIAL BELOW THIS POINT

Sword Art descriptions that do not fit their category:

Weird Sword Arts that are weird:
 

Kaluluwa was busy gathering information from the other players. Kaluluwa knew that the catch-up game that he was playing would be more difficult if the amount of knowledge he had was insufficient. Consequently, he wasn't able to visit his shop for the past couple days. However, Kaluluwa recently discovered that the instrument acquired by completing the quest is cosmetic and can be changed by the player. If he was able to play the guitar, he knew it would become a lifesaver and also save him the trouble of learning a new instrument. Please, please work. It did. Where his mandolin once was, there was now a guitar. He sat down and began to play the instrument that he loved in the real world, once again.

Sadly, however, he was out of practice and a bit rusty and was unable to play even the easiest of notes and the sounds that came from his guitar grated against his ears. Out of the two recording crystals that he was using to record his failed attempts, he was only able to salvage one material and erase the song before it was locked in forever. He simply placed the salvaged recording crystal back into the "potential" bin and the fiasco into the "forgotten" bin. Guess I did need it.

Kaluluwa spaced out for a minute or two from thinking about his friend. The voices of the other room's occupants were muffled. His vision was unfocused and blurry. What brought his attention back to reality, or at least virtual reality, was a panther stepping into his field of vision. Its fur was sleek and jet black, he stepped back for a second. He once ran into another big cat, a tiger, in the Philippines. Although he didn't die from the attack, he had a scar where it had slashed his stomach barely held together by a few stitches made from a fishing line. Kaluluwa ran his hand across his stomach and, unsurprisingly, the scar was not there.

He didn't realize that he was still walking to the other side of the room, opposite of the panther, until his back hit the wall. He was just staring at the panther's eyes and slumped down to the ground. "Nice to meet you all", he said meekly with just a twinge of fear in his usually montonous voice.

Kaluluwa nodded solemnly. He knew that, in this case, it wasn't his job to pry about what it was or why it happened. He felt as if everyone in this game, consciously or unconsciously, wanted to escape harsher reality for just a few moments or maybe take their minds off what has happened or what is aspiring in the real world. He wasn't planning to look further into Eatos' behavior. As far as he was concerned, what happened four years ago did not matter to him. The only thing that did matter was how he would help everyone out.

Upon receiving the notification of the guild invite, he immediately accepted it. "The only thing anyone can do is move on-", Kaluluwa spoke. "The past events may play a part in shaping who we are today, but they do not completely define us. That is up for us to decide now, in the present. How we cope, how we survive, howe we move on is what really defines our true characters." He took a deep breath in and out, feeling the cold air. "Saphira, Eatos, it was nice meeting you. Feel free to stop by to my shop on the first floor, it is currently closed since I still need to stock my wares, but I expect it to be open in a day or two." He walked off, possibly hoping to talk to his new leader, Stryder, as well.

I am more along the lines of the soft cap Calrex has described. With absolutely zero clue on how the experience system will work, I'm just going to make some small assumptions. Let's assume the experience system will be based off of threads (if this totally excluded non-combative threads, character development and actual role-play may be more sparse) with quests being more rewarded. This means that people with tons of threads will still have a massive amount of experience as compared to the rest, obviously. Thus, we'd still need a soft cap that Calrex described, even for experience.

The soft cap for both experience and SP may be necessary. It means that people MAY be motivated to help clear floors to pass their current plateau, albeit also coming with the possibility of decreasing player activity because of having to wait for players to gain their levels effectively serving as a possible double-edged sword.

I have been looking at some posts and I'm also wondering if Shield's advice will be helpful. It makes sense, ultimately, to give new players a starting jump but it'd still need to be paired with the soft cap (else they're still be a gap). However, and this may not be a bad thing, it may just make people purposely join in or make "alternates" once the new tier is unlocked for a sudden jump in power. So it may be required to make there to be a hard "minimum" but that makes it so someone just waits for a floor to be cleared, resulting in a lack of activity. So... Everything is complicated. 

Kaluluwa was always more of an introvert. He always wanted a close group of friends as compared to a massive crowd. It was something that made him a shut-in for the longest time when the death game was announced, of course accompanied with the fear. However, he felt at ease around these people. The small danger system in the back of his mind was turned off. Looking at Macradon and Vale, it certainly did seem that they could protect all of them. Their somewhat careless attitude was not of naïvety, but of following a habit with confidence. Okay, just partially from naïvety. He could tell from the way Macradon gave him a warrior's handshake of gripping wrists instead of a businessman's handshake of... shaking hands. He could tell from Vale's carefree attitude.

It wasn't long until he noticed that Vale was going towards the town, when he started walking to catch up. When he finally did, Kaluluwa spoke. "It's fine by me if you call me Kalu-san or Kalu-kun. Or anything else of that variation. I never did have any nickname." At that last sentence, Kaluluwa stared off into space. He did have some nicknames that his parents gave him, just not honorable ones. "Yeah", he whispered under his breath, "Never had one."

Each month, Kaluluwa travelled to either Axios' tree or the Monument of Life, switching between the two each month in order to remember something. Last month, it was the tree. Last time it was a visit to remember the reason why he must stay strong. This time, it was a visit to the Monument of Life. This time, it was a visit to grieve the loss of his friend.

He noticed a small gathering of players in front of the wall. Kaluluwa noticed only two players, Stryder, the leader of his guild, the Guardians of the New Dawn, and Vale. A woman he only met recently. Despite seeing some familiar faces, he decided to hang back for a bit to overhear the conversation. The general thing that had been going on was that the crying girl's cousin had died in a duel, and also Vale's spouse had jumped over the edge of Aincrad. Suicide.

Kaluluwa finally walked up to the group and spoke. "My sincere condolences." He then walked past them, towards a section of the wall not too far away from the one they were converging at. He moved his hand over the name, Axios Deminence, and, once again like the previous visits to the Monument of Life, a singular tear fell from his apathetic eyes. He muttered under his breath, "I'm sorry my friend. I wish we could spent more time together."

It was only a few moments he was separated from the group. When he returned, he spoke once again. "We all have lost a little something from this world, haven't we? Friends, family, loved ones." He felt the tear drop from his iron face. If he had brought his mandolin along with him, he might've been able to play a song for them to ease their souls. Alas, he did not. "I'm sorry." He spoke, staring off into the distance. He meant to direct it to the crying girl, but he had the feeling it only grazed his target.

Name: Peering Eyes
Your Profession: Performer
Your Rank: Rank 1
ID: 88860
Roll: 10
Item Type: Attraction Song - Monster Grenade
Tier: Tier 1
Quality: Uncommon
Enhancements: Spawns 1 monster with a +1 LD while rolling for loot
Description: Slightly ominous with low tones. While listening to the song, you feel as if you're being watched by something that isn't quite human.
Post Link: http://www.sao-rpg.com/topic/15290-f1-performer-tahimik-closed-for-stocking/?do=findComment&comment=525392

Name: Peering Eyes
Your Profession: Performer
Your Rank: Rank 1
ID: 88861
Roll: 11
Item Type: Attraction Song - Monster Grenade
Tier: Tier 1
Quality: Rare
Enhancements: Spawns 2 monsters with a +2 LD while rolling for loot
Description: Slightly ominous with low tones. While listening to the song, you feel as if you're being watched by something that isn't quite human.
Post Link: http://www.sao-rpg.com/topic/15290-f1-performer-tahimik-closed-for-stocking/?do=findComment&comment=525392

Kaluluwa entered the back room of his shop to see three wooden boxes (one filled with recording crystals and the others empty) and his mandolin resting on top of a simple wooden chair. It would be taking some getting used to, although the mandolin and guitar were very similar in playstyles, he wasn't expecting it to be so different. The notes, the chords, even the scales that he had learned were all so different and it seemed difficult to play it on the mandolin. He knew it'd take some practice to do so, but he'd eventually get a hang of it. Maybe when I get back to the real world, I'll get a mandolin myself.

He then began to play a song, it wasn't particularly graceful or soothing, but it could still bring attention. He had to begin playing off a few simple notes, nothing crazy or out of hand. He was in the middle of a song when he found out that the recording crystal had finished. He sort of hoped that the songs would last longer, rather than just a minute or two.

He dropped the recording crystal into the "fulfilled" bin and reached in the recording crystals for another one. He then began to play the same song. However, this time, he attempted to string together the notes more smoothly rather than wait half a second before playing the next notes. When he got the notification that the recording crystal was filled, he placed it into the "fulfilled" bin. At this rate, I might not even need the "forgotten" bin.

Kaluluwa then walked out of the back room with the bin in hand, and stacked the recording crystals on a shelf labeled, "Peering Eyes - Monster Grenade Songs."

Ever since his first visit to the fourth floor to join a guild, Kaluluwa has been absolutely captivated by its beauty. He believed it was a still winter wonderland that remained untouched by the modern human world. It wasn't long until he reached the lake, the only place other than the city on the floor where he would willingly visit by himself, partially due to the close proximity. To his surprise, almost as if this was a popular gathering place, three people stood ahead of him. Two of them were males, the other was what appeared to be a neko or cat-girl. What the...

Kaluluwa continued to walk forward and began to introduce himself to the three. "Hello there. My name is Paglikha, but feel free to call me Kaluluwa. Is there anything special happening or-?" He trailed off. He realized too late that the tone of his voice and his word choice might be mistaken for an attempt to intimidate them.

Kaluluwa looked at the people stood before him with his apathetic eyes on his stone-cold face. He couldn't help but notice that the woman was of a tan skin color much like him but still wearing cat-girl outfits, and the man had miscoloured eyes from apparent heterochromia. The other man, well, he seemed to be wealthy with his attire. In life, he knew that power accompanied with wealth. "I'd just like to throw this out there to dispel any doubts I've made. I do not have any ill intentions."

Kaluluwa trembled ever so slightly, almost unnoticeable. It definitely wasn't the cold, as he had gotten used to withstanding it since his last visit. However, he couldn't place on the reason why he was shaking. Despite this, he held out his hand in no one in particular to have a handshake. "It's nice to meet you." 

Tahimik

Located right outside of Starting City's main gate lies a wooden shack. Since the shack has nails sticking out of its corners and the door is barely hanging on its hinges, it is apparent it is self-made. Above the doorway, there exists a sign gently swaying from the wind hanging underneath a pole. The sign displays the name of the shop, Tahimik, and that the owner of the shop is a performer. Above the sign and just below the pitched roof, there is a small circular window (the only window in the building) that allows the sun to light the interior.

Upon entering, you can hear the soft playing of a mandolin and a babbling creek (the source is nowhere in sight). There are only three things in the room immediately catch your eye. The first thing that you notice is that there are shelves along the walls with recording crystals and that each shelf bears a label indicating their purpose.  The second thing you notice is that there is a sign above the counter with the following words engraved on it: "Please ring the bell if you have any questions, would like to make a request (be sure to fill the form on the counter), or wish to bargain with the shopkeep. Also feel free to take what you need as long as you pay the required amount and leave it on the counter." The third thing you notice is that there is a "shrine" for deceased friends.

Homage to the Deceased:

Crafting Equipment:

In-Stock:

Performer Stats:

Transaction Log:

"Yes, that is correct," Kaluluwa responded while staring at the dog. He never saw one in person (although technically he still hasn't) and was wondering if all dogs looked similar. "At least for me." He fiddled around with the pommel of his dagger for a short bit around his waist. It was, weirdly enough, no longer the weapon he was more skilled with (at least anymore) ever since the changes made by Cardinal.

A wind gust snapped him fully back to reality. "Uh, thank you for the offer, Eatos. I don't want to be a burden, if possible, so I'll see if I can get my shop up and running to make some profit before asking for any equipment. Once that's done, I'll see about trading with you. Thank you for the offer though." It crossed his mind that she was very calm and serene at times, even when any normal person would be wary. I've heard stories of low-level players joining guilds, then guiding said guilds into death traps of other players. So, why isn't she worried about anyone here? He began wondering if it was all a temporary facade in order to get him to join the guild. He wondered if it was genuine, truly from the bottom of her heart. The quote that has been proven true time and time again with his friends back home. Our star soccer player was always smiling every day like it was the best day of everyone's lives, but no one knew that I've had to help him through the bouts of depression he occasionally has. After all, the saddest people smile the brightest.

"Pardon my question. I know this is out of the blue and is going to be really weird to answer. If that smile's not genuine, has anything ever happened to you? Anything... sad?" He stopped, he didn't realize his head was still hanging this entire time. After raising his head to meet the eyes of the two girls, he continued. "Feel free to wave away my question. I... I just wanted to know."

@Eatos @Saphira

Hello there! I'm more than willing to help you out in those types of threads/quests. However, I would recommend waiting for just a bit before we begin on a thread in case any other players want to join in as well. In the meantime, feel free to shoot me a personal message so we can begin discussing what kind of thread you want to do.

Kaluluwa was lost in thought. This was a point where he should be defining what he wanted to do. When the weapon changes came out, he decided to switch out his dagger skill for a two-handed assault spear. He didn't want to be helpless, but at the same time he wanted to help others.

When another girl appeared, this time with a plushie in her arms, Kaluluwa took the time to think. Possibly awkward to leave the question open for a long amount of time for some people, but not for him. His friends at home had gotten used to it, anything that seemed to take some thought was expected to be answered at a later time. However, when he arrived to his answer, Eatos was still answering the girl's question. He decided to wait until she finished.

"I'll be a combative member. However, I can definitely supply with healing items and can help scout out for the floor bosses or anything else we need. Of course, not right now, but that's my plan for the future." Kaluluwa knew he wanted to play an active part in clearing Cardinal. Not just as the combative members attacking the floor bosses, but also the ones trying to find them and helping others fight them if he is unsuited to do so. His performer status would definitely help with the supporting side, and maybe his two-handed assault spear can help him in another.

That is when he turned to the girl with the plushie in her arms. She had emerald eyes and black hair. That's peculiar. "If you're thinking about joining, might as well do introductions right now. My handle is Paglikha but you can call me by my real name, Kaluluwa." He extended out his hand for a handshake and continued, "I promise I don't bite." It sounded way different in his head with a certain tone his voice could never match. Much like his eyes, his voice was devoid of any emotion or tones that would give away his small joke.

"I'd like to say that I've dealt with... Worse." Kaluluwa responded back trailing off at the end there, getting some flashbacks of his time in the Philippines. In the meantime, an awkward pause ensued. After taking a deep breath, not wanting to raise concern, he explained what he meant by worse. "I used to be the poorest of the poor in a third world country. I didn't have to just work hard enough to survive, I also had to be smart enough. Obvious end of the story? I survived. I was smart enough and admittedly lucky enough to become a charity project of some schools in Japan. That's where my body is right now, assuming that it hasn't been moved back to the Philippines."

Kaluluwa looked away towards the snowy hills. He was still captivated at the sight of a winter wonderland. It distanced him from the tropical weather of his motherland. He forced a sigh and continued. "If I survived over there, I'd think I'd have at least a chance of surviving here." Kaluluwa looked back to Eatos. "In short, I understand the combative intentions of this guild and that I'm starting near Ground Zero. However, you must understand that I'm not fazed in the least bit." Kaluluwa paused and stared into Eatos' amber eyes for a couple of seconds.

He broke eye contact with her for half a second, checking on the other players. He then spoke in a quieter voice, not so much a whisper but in an attempt to display humility and being still kind-hearted. "Well, I'd like you to not misunderstand me. I'm not some battle-scarred veteran and victim of the real world. If anything, planning to join this guild should be proving the opposite." After all, I just want to help others. He let a second for his words to sink in. "Also, feel free to call me Kaluluwa. It is, of course, ultimately up to you."

@Eatos

((Deeply sorry, in the OP that I've done, we've more or less followed a posting order so I was waiting on some others. Haha.))

Kaluluwa was stunned by Stryder's speech, so much that he felt himself unable to talk or move. It wasn't that he was a great public speaker, but the message that it projected out resonated so much that it seemed as if it was the perfect guild for him. He began to think about Axios, how he would've loved to see this guild. If only he was here.

Kaluluwa's attention was snapped back to reality when his online handle was called. He looked around to the girl that Stryder had pointed out as Eatos and walked over to her. "Hello, my name is Paglikha. You can call me Kaluluwa if you'd like." Kaluluwa paused for a second, hoping that his dead eyes weren't scaring her or concerning anyone. "I'd like to level up with everyone. I just recently became a performer. I can pledge some songs I've created to the guild to help people get familiars or grind, the works. That if, if you'd have me."

Kaluluwa knew he seemed unnaturally proper. However, these were the first people he would be talking to in a while. He didn't want to offend anyone with impolite manners. He only hoped that his face didn't aid sending the wrong message; that he was only there for business.

• Col: 1510
• Tier 1 Materials: 20
• Tier 2 Materials: 0
• Tier 3 Materials: 0

http://www.sao-rpg.com/topic/8687-paglikhas-journal/?do=findComment&comment=411070

It wasn't long after Kaluluwa arrived at Starting City that twilight had begun and the lanterns were beginning to be lit to provide players sources of light in the town. He walked past everyone, all except for one person. He asked a fellow player if he knew where the Monument of Life was located. After receiving the directions, Paglikha thanked his fellow prisoner and began his journey to confirm his worst suspicions.

Previously, Kaluluwa was unsure of whether or not it was the same person. Juhmer always loved to use the handle Axios Deminence having it for every game he ever played when possible. However, the tree in the forest just said Axios. Despite the most likely scenario that it was him, he wanted to be certain it was him and not someone with just the name "Axios." He wanted to have closure.

Once Kaluluwa arrived at the Monument of Life, he looked for his friend's favorite handle. Sure enough, he found it. It was crossed out, and the reason for his death was that he was killed by a boar. Out of all things, Kaluluwa and Juhmer had probably planned the same course of action, only in different methods and starting times. Kaluluwa felt bittersweet. He did lose a friend who he could have saved, but he felt as if he understood his entire situation now.

Footsteps behind him and the soft playing of a mandolin brought his attention to an arriving NPC, the same one who gave him the quest. The NPC spoke, "I assume you understand what inspirations you require?" The NPC held out the mandolin in front of him.

Kaluluwa merely nodded and took the mandolin. He was ready to start.

<<Topic Transactions:

>>

Well, I'm not wrong. Kaluluwa accepted the fact that he will eventually have to accept offers of help from others. It didn't make him a bit less compassionate, nor did it make him a bit more at ease. It's always been his goal to not be a burden to others, yet he couldn't help but feel like he was one at times. Still, he knew that he'd have to make peace with it, or die with no impact at all in this world.

It was then Kaluluwa looked back out to the open plains. There were so many hopeful people wanting to get better. Some of them were alone by circumstances, but most of them were in groups. Friends that had stuck together. Kaluluwa's head fell and his face was wet, something he has never experienced in most of his life. He felt the tear travel down his face and roll off his head onto the ground in front of him. He started running towards Starting City. I'll do it.

ID: 88532; LD: 15

<<Materials Found! +1 Material>>

((Pardon the half-done reason. I accidentally pressed enter before completing it.))

Kaluluwa stopped when he reached the end of the forest, facing Starting City once again. The sun was beginning to disappear behind the great walls of the home of the afraid and of the promising. He loved the resonating sound of the empty void, nothing was more calming than the lovely sounds of the quiet. It allowed him to think. It allowed him to both reflect on the past and plan the general future.

He's met a couple of good people, which he hopes to meet once again and finally take them up on the offer. He had the feeling like he was reverting back to his old self. He felt like he was the little child in the Philippines that had climbed up trees for a banana, the beggar on the streets near the airport asking for food, the child with the broken soul. He felt as if he would do anything, within his moralities, in order to survive.  I wonder if it's just because I am selfish?

ID: 88501; LD: 18

<<Materials Found! +1 Material>>

How am I surviving in this weather? Kaluluwa thought to himself. He had an idea of taking in a new view. Currently, the only thing that he has seen is grass and forests from the first and third floors, partially because has never gotten the courage to advance on from the first floor. So currently, he was a bit out of his element. He knew he wasn't planning on fighting anyone or anything, he was simply passing by.

The snowy land that stretched beyond the town was something breathtaking for someone who grew up in a tropical environment and never experienced snow in his life. Amazing. Despite his awe and despite the obvious cold, he wasn't shivering like he thought he would. It was cold, of course, but it wasn't painfully so as long as he did not focus on the temperature. Despite this, he wanted to feel warmth. So he entered in the inn.

It was basically the same layout as the one in Starting City, except, Kaluluwa found a flyer, reading the following: "Those seeking a guild, meet at Frostbite Lake." He thought it was ominous for sure, possibly a trap as prior players had described it as an unguarded safe zone half a kilometer away. Yet, as soon as he entered, he left.

Kaluluwa knew that he couldn't survive on his own, at least for now. He had to take his chances. Kaluluwa ran in the biting cold for half a kilometer to the northwest, doing whatever he could to avoid enemies and other players. He reached the lake.

There were already four players standing there, with a few of them already conversing. Kaluluwa, having entered the safe zone, decided it best to make an introduction of himself. "My handle is Paglikha. You can call me Kaluluwa. I was told to come here if I was interested in joining a guild. Are one of you part of said guild?"

There was nothing in the world save for the sound of the wind rushing past him as he ran through the forest and the occassional crunching of leaves beneath his foot. However, at the same time, he knew he could survive. That he should. It wouldn't be a wonder that Juhmer had died, unless the game creator was cruel enough to have him only die when Aincrad either claimed all of its victims, or until it was beaten, to those in the real world.

He could imagine Juhmer's family members having been gathered around him when he died. They weren't people of tears, in fact, Kaluluwa believed that he knew that they would already have made peace. Of course, they would be sad and questioning the reasons why a single man would do this to ten thousand others. Yet, they would move on. Kaluluwa knew that, as far as he knew, he was the only friend of Axios in this game. That the family would be waiting for him to return to the real world in order to get answers that he wasn't able to obtain. Yet, he decided to attempt to not worry about the future (although of course, there is the strong chance he may die soon in this hellish world). Rather, he wanted to focus on the present, he wanted to make it through.

ID: 88457; LD: 14

<<No Materials Found.>>

Then, he sighed. One of relief, not of sadness or grief over his friend. He knew, of course, that running away would never solve his problems. In the real world, his familial obligations were still holding him down from living a more luxurious life. In this world, he could be blamed for the death of his friend, Axios. Yet he was still relieved. A feeling he has not felt for a long time other than the occasional save of making it to class on the nick of time, of course, however, being asked by the new teacher if he got any sleep last night because of the way he looked. He was relieved that he knew that he is constrained. That he is no longer able to run. Not in this world.

So he ran with reckless abandon. The exact opposite of what he was planning prior to his discovery on the lake. Before, his movements have been deliberate and quick. Now, it was random and liberating. His voice was solemn as ever, but he was able to muster up a single word to the spirits around. "Thanks." 

ID: 88452; LD: 1

<<No Materials Found.>>

((My first post back. And then I got a one on a decently written and progressing post. Haha.))

"Alright then", Kaluluwa said in response to Crown to taking both the blade away and reassuring that they can both take on a single boar. And then all of a sudden the brunet screamed in a shrill tone, "Don't take my stuff!", walked back to the safezone, then asked for his weapon back with clear disregard for the others' reactions. I thought this guy was older than me. Was I mistaken?

"Whatever your name is, stop. I've dealt with people like you, people who let their emotions control their actions, but never I have seen someone regress that much." Kaluluwa breathed in and paused for a second to recollect his thoughts. He was angered by the man who hasn't even introduced himself and, more importantly, irritated so much by how he seemed like Juhmer. Of course however, his exterior wouldn't let this be shown. His voice and body language stayed as eerily normal and indifferent as usual.

"Now let's begin, what's your name?" Kaluluwa motioned for Crown to keep the weapon for now, there was a serious need for an evaluation of the man's sanity. "And what will you do once we give you that blade back? I'm not sure what you have heard, but these boars are supposed to be the easiest monsters in Aincrad. And yet, they have the highest kill count. I don't want you getting yourself killed for no random reason. Out of spite of this virtual world, or because you're so miserable that you don't want to live anymore." Kaluluwa paused for emphasis letting his words sink in. He might have struck a nerve that can either relieve pain and let it all out, or just make this experience a whole lot worse. Either way, he needed to let those words sink in, for better or worse. "No matter who you are, we're in here for the long run. The only thing anyone should remember and know this without a doubt, is that you're not alone. I've had hardships too, we could work it out together." Kaluluwa extended his hand toward the brunet. "Pardon for the first impressions, seeing my face is quite startling." And reasonable, my voice and body language is basically numbed to emotion. But my mind, as far as I know, isn't. Whether the emotions I "experience" is just a coping mechanism and the lack of them showing is a picked up habit, or my mind believes I have emotions but my soul knows I have none is useless to begin to understand. It's an existential question above all.