Paglikha

A new man with blue hair had just joined them, asking the brunet what was wrong. However, to Kaluluwa's and most likely the blunet's surprise, the man who was sitting on the ground just now had reacted somewhat poorly to the given situation. The brunet seemed afraid of one of them, and Kaluluwa was worried that it was him. He did nudge him, and his face was particularly fearful seeing it the first time as it commonly reminded people of the devilish dead who had no peaceful emotions to part with. In the brunet's struggle, he had accidentally stabbed himself with his rapier and as quickly as it went in, he took it out which was soon followed by the gibberish of apologies and the brunet getting into the fetal position. Glad I know how to deal with these people. Juhmer, really wish you were here... Maybe you could relate with this person on a more personal level than I can. Just because I can deal with them doesn't mean it's easy to do so.

Kaluluwa put away his weapon in an attempt to seem as friendly to the brunet as possible. "Can you give me a hand here?", he asked the newcoming player. "I apologize for scaring you. That was not my intent", Kaluluwa spoke but it seemed insincere given his fixed tone of voice and stone-like facial expressions. "Look, we need to keep our voices down no matter what. Eventually that boar's going to find out we're here by hearing where we are, and I'm not all that strong right now because I just attuned to a different weapon than what I have here." Kaluluwa pat his dagger. "I'm getting a proper replacement soon, but I won't be able to do much." Kaluluwa paused waiting for this somewhat useful and possibly important information to settle in. "My name's Kaluluwa. Screen name is Paglikha. I've been called Kalu by some people that have I have somewhat recently met so feel free to call me that... I guess."

Kaluluwa began his daily routine sitting in the tavern as usual. Hearing new rumors of the frontliners clearing the floors at now unbelievable speeds. How long it took for the first floor to get cleared... Now all I hear is they defeated a floor boss as if it's nothing. "Cheers!", the crowd rang out and each took a swig of alcohol for the new floor boss that was defeated and the hope to get out of this game. He left the tavern before the memories of his father came back.

He continued on, just traveling around Starting City. He was getting bored of the scenery once again, maybe it was finally time to head up to the higher floors. As if. I can barely take on a single boar by myself. He continued on with his hands in his pockets knowing that as he made these remarks to himself, any friend would be unable to tell his emotions. Even the ones at home, the one that used to live here. 

There wasn't a day when Kaluluwa's thoughts did not include at least one without Juhmer. What would've happened if he stepped out of this shell of a city, outside these walls sooner. Would he have been able to save him? Or would we both have ended up dying. Kaluluwa continued on towards the gate of Starting City. He met a couple of players there before, maybe now he can new ones again.

And that was when Kaluluwa saw him. It was a man with brown hair and blue eyes sitting there. Outside of the safezone. With his blade unsheathed and sitting down. Kaluluwa took out his weapon and walked up to the player and nudged him in the back with his foot. "You alright?", he asked with a monotonous voice while he scanned the area around the two of them, making sure that there would be no threats to their safety. "It's not exactly safe out here. What's wrong?"

((Leave it Paglikha to realize something is wrong but not looking at the person's face in fear of getting attacked by a boar.))

Former Weapon Skill: One-handed Dagger
Former Weapon Rank: 1

New Weapon Skill: Two-handed Assault Spear
New Weapon Rank: 1

Gotta save that 5 SP

“I’m weak because I run away”, Kaluluwa came to the conclusion quickly. “Always have been running away.” He closed his eyes and exhaled. I can't run away from this problem anymore. All I can do is pretend it's not there, and that's impossible. Kaluluwa inhaled and opened his eyes. He then listened, and he was given no audible sound. No auditory distractions. He had a nice feeling attached to this moment. Not the feeling of having attained peace or satisfaction, but rather the acceptance of his situation. And when Kaluluwa felt as if he should have been smiling, his face returned to its natural state of the lack of emotions.

ID: 67617; LD: 7

<<No Materials Found.>>

((Pardon for 67616, forgot to link to roll.))

And then he came back to reality, his own illusion of bravery in death broke and he breathed once again. He began to slowly back away from the lake, taking each step carefully. He wasn't able to bring himself to drown peacefully. Why couldn’t I do it? He unsheathed his dagger and hurled it recklessly at the closest tree and watched it thud as the flat of the dagger impacted the trunk. “I’m weak, I’m weak, I’m weak”, Kaluluwa repeated to himself. “Why must I be so weak? Why can not protect even one of my closest friends?”

ID: 67566; LD: 19

<<Materials Found! +1 Material>>

No explanation that he generated made enough reason to satisfy him. His smile was one of a madman that has known of his insanity for a while and embraced it without trying to cure himself. What would the others think of me? And Kaluluwa felt the tiny bit of insanity, or was it his sanity, in the back of his mind raise to the surface. They wouldn’t. I know they won’t think of anything. As I am the observer, the one who can’t react. Kaluluwa wanted to deny his own words, but he knew that they were correct. Rin, Macradon, Mina, and Itzal, the most recent of players that he had met. They all had the ability to feel. The ability that he had lacked for most of his life.

And Kaluluwa realized that it would take only a single step into the body of water and to stay down there. The end for his problems and the solution to end suffering. The world would be much better off without him. There wasn’t anyone in this prison with the capacity of 10,000 players that could understand him, not with his stoic expressions and monotonous voice. Kaluluwa raised his foot over the water and held his breath.

((NOTE: Not MPD, just him coming to a “supposed realization.”)

ID: 67565; LD: 13

<<No Materials Found.>>

Kaluluwa dared not to set even a toe in the water, fearful that he may destroy its purity from the years of “dirty” living by thinking when he would be able to eat another morsel of food. And yet, he had just remembered that he denied everyone’s help from the beginning despite his upbringing. He had denied food offered to him by friends although it would mean having food to sate him for the short amount of time it gave. All he asked them was to show him where to gather food and how to obtain it. Did he ever say thank them for the gift of prolonged sustenance for the upcoming weeks? Did he ever ask them in a tone worthy of him calling them friends and himself not a leech? He was unsure of this.

Pride. Greed. The two words resonated through his consciousness. And Kaluluwa felt his cheek muscles being tugged at. Kaluluwa did not understand what was going on. How long ago was it since his face showed an emotion? Perhaps too long, but this terrified Kaluluwa even more. He felt guilty beyond compare and how much has he given back to his friends? Companionship? What has he given them, the ones back in the Philippines, other than money to buy food for his parents? Kaluluwa brought his hand up to his face to touch it. Surely enough they hate me, so why am I smiling when I have nothing to be proud of?

ID: 67564; LD: 12

<<No Materials Found.>>

Kaluluwa never found the clearing he had hoped he would find. Instead, he found a pristine lake not without the trees surrounding its side. What to call it, what to call it? Then he came to the decision of naming it Berberoka Lake. If he ever brought anyone here, he would have to make up an explanation. Not because it was just the first word to pop into his mind, but because of the somewhat dark, cynical nature of the meaning of Berberoka. It was the name of a monster in the Filipino folklore that drowned its victims by luring them with "low tides" and fish by swallowing all of the water in the lake.

And yet, it suited the lake. Opportunities could be found there as there was a fisherman class, but it was surrounded with danger. Even Kaluluwa, looking at the treeline surrounding the lake noticed it would be hard to see any movement just a couple yards away from the treeline. He dared not get in the lake for both the fear of the unknown leaping out at once and the lack of knowledge if water meant death in SAO, never having dealt with water at all.

ID: 67274; LD: 2

<<No materials found.>>

The constant conversation of player’s deaths and the arguments about true purpose of Macradon's scouting began to slightly bore Kaluluwa. Here he was giving advice, then being ignored. And then he remembered Rin and instantly felt guilty. “Rin”, Kaluluwa spoke under his breath before turning his head towards her only to see a blur go across his field of vision. And.... she's gone. "If you'll excuse me. I may or may not be back”,  Kaluluwa said as he stepped away from the group and nodded to each player before running off after her.

“Rin. Rin”, Kaluluwa spoke, not being able to yell her name out because of his monotonous tone. “I know, it was rude of us. I shouldn’t have even butted in the original conversation. It was between you and Itzal and Mina. I had no place there.” Kaluluwa talked attempting to put concern into his voice as he was walking past the residential area. “Rin, I can’t scream your name, I can’t talk like you can. If you can hear me, come out.” He gripped his chest. It hurt, his emotions were unable to come out. Not like the others who could show how they felt with ease. Extremities are usually never helpful. Too much emotion, you go out on a whim. Too little… Well, I’m the prime example. “Rin.”

Kaluluwa listened to the short exchange occurring between the two higher-leveled players. Apparently which guild you chose affected not just how strong you seemed to be, but also came with the prejudice of others' actions. But when Macradon spoke of a blacksmith shop on the first floor, Kaluluwa became intrigued. "I'd like to visit that shop." Kaluluwa told Macradon. "This is the first time I've exited the first floor and I wasn't even planning to head outside of the safezone." He instantly regretted adding in that last part. He sure was underleveled at level 3 and he hoped that did not leave the impression of a weakling speaking big words.

Kaluluwa stood back up and raised his hand out to Macradon. Despite his steel-like expressions, he hoped this would convey a sense of gratitude for coming by. "Itzal, I appreciate your overlooking of prejudices. Like you said, not all guild members fit in the supposed image. It's like taking a group of friends who went to the same school. If one of them committed murder, are you expecting the rest to be murderers as well?" Kaluluwa realized that the analogy was horrible, especially since he had just learned that there were PK-guilds. "Macradon may be part of his guild, but he is his own individual. He can make his own decisions, his own agenda. Being a guild member isn't all one's traits. It's not even one that defines the person." Kaluluwa paused for a second to change the subject. "Either way, Macradon or Itzal, I hope I may reach either of your strength one day. Hopefully soon."

And then Mina started talking. Talking about the death of multiple front liners from getting PKed. New recruits for boss raids, on the third floor? That can't be true. And yet he retracted his hand and put it back to his side, turned around to the girl who called herself Mina. "You're going to end up scaring Rin." Rin, not me. But Rin. I'm prepared to die, I've always struggled until I could not anymore. Kaluluwa felt though, maybe a tinge of self-doubt as if he was making up an excuse. "If Rin can't defend herself, if I can't defend myself, if YOU cannot defend yourself from a playerkiller, then who can? None of us, all of us." Kaluluwa spoke, thanking his monotonous voice and stoic face all the while. He truly became scared at that moment, he said it out loud that he may not even be able to defend himself.

((Last paragraph bit rushed and pardon the wall)).

Kaluluwa looked at the man holding up his hands in a somewhat mocking, teasing, playful way as if asking what will happen next. When he mentioned something about someone spotting him eavesdropping on the group, Kaluluwa instinctively looked at the other three. He doubted that Mina or Rin spotted Macradon since they were focused on her collapsing, but it seemed perfectly reasonable that Itzal did so. Meanwhile, Rin attempted to turn around and get back to town but was stopped by the tree they were conversing under. Kaluluwa simply stepped aside to show if she wants to leave, here's the way but also to tell Macradon if he wants to join, here's a spot. 

To him, the two girls were peculiar. Mina collapsing and Rin trying to get back to town (although he now realized she was the one who ran away in the first place) was not to say the most normal. "Rin, if you need help, take it. Although... I'm not one to talk." He paused and looked outwards towards the prairie before continuing to speak. "There's no point at all to not accept it. If you keep running away, you're going to keep looking back. Trust me." Kaluluwa sat down on the soft grass and looked at the others and just nodded. He didn't have anymore to say for now, he was content with his advice. Vague, maybe so. Powerful, hopefully. He didn't want to see Rin to become damaged like him or Juhmer, or anyone else back home.

"Player... Killer?" Kaluluwa asked with a great deal of pause in-between. "Laughing coffin?" Having had spent most of his time in Starting City, he usually got the happy news where the front liners killed a floor boss or the ocassional sad news of a death of a front liner. But player killing? That was a new concept to him.

"Who... Who is Zelrius?" Kaluluwa spoke and blinked in an almost apathetic way. He doesn't recognize the name and wonder if he should. And then one of the girls spoke about how she has to make a living out of things and even the guy offered his help, one of the things he had been planning to finish attempting in a while. "If I could come as well, I'd appreciate it very much", Kaluluwa butted into the conversation and then bowed as if to show respect, one of the things he had been working on getting accustomed to in Japan with his lack of facial expressions but have been only able to show this with the 100% chance of conveying respect. "My screen name is Paglikha but you can call me Kaluluwa. I would much prefer the latter."

And then the other girl collapsed. "Hey, are you okay?" Kaluluwa asked as he bent down and offered his hand. "Is something wrong?" He was, of course, with the subconscious realization that something was wrong because people don't normally fall down to the ground. However, his mind was currently occupied with the hope that he doesn't make the wrong first impression with his seemingly lack of emotions.

Kaluluwa strided after arriving in Delilah Village. He decided that maybe a change of scenery would help him to process information and plan out his strategy to be one stronger. The architecture of the floor and the placement of the buildings in correlation with one another were the features that he had most appreciated. He had spent so much time in Starting City just moping about, sitting in the tavern to gain any information (which of course turned out to be a lot of rumors as well), and doing meanless that even this change was amazing. I wouldn't mind myself to stay here from now on... At least until I get sick of it. How much- And that's when he felt a small, almost unnoticeable push in the crowd. Looking around, he spotted a person running towards what he presumed was the end of the safezone and attempted to run after them.

Of course, he lost sight of the presumed player and it took him a while to even navigate. Well... I can't figure out this place. Kaluluwa proceeded towards the end of (at least what he presumed was) the safezone, very cautiously. He did not know who the person running away was but he might be able to ask other players (hopefully goodhearted ones) if they saw someone running past.

When Kaluluwa finally reached the end of the safezone, he found two... Now three players. Two girls and one boy. He walked up to them silently, hoping not to interrupt their conversation and waited for a break in it. When he found the opportunity after one of them simply said "Thanks?" he cleared his voice as to get their attention and began to speak. "Would any of you happen to have seen a player running around this village?" And then he realized what a baseless question this was. What business did he have with them? As embarrassed as he was, his face still held a fixed expression of apathy. "I know it's not any of my business but I was just curious as to who they were."

Kaluluwa ran through the forest with reckless abandon, arms at his side, dagger still sheathed. He didn't want to give anyone, if anyone was still hunting on this floor, the wrong impression. He knew that people could kill him easily in one shot if they wanted to. He was fragile, he was weak, he was damaged goods. But even damaged goods can be repaired, even if it is just partially. If not, then he can repurpose himself. He need not be a person of strength but maybe a person of wisdom or a person who supports someone else despite everything going against their group. Because we were like that.

Kaluluwa began to reminisce of the group back home. And then the group back in the Philippines. And finally his parents. He was unsure how to feel when he realized it was difficult to find their faces in his memories even though he has seen them in the flashback not even two hours ago. He reasoned that the appropriate reaction would be to be sad, but he felt relieved. Relieved that he wouldn't be envisioning their sad faces if he died.

ID: 66528; LD: 3

<<No Materials Found.>>

Kaluluwa ran out with a zealous fervor of reaching the forest, there was one place to inspire himself and it wasn't the tree. He envisioned a beautiful clearing in the shape of a perfect sphere with the treeline covering the ends of the clearing. He would, of course, pay respects to the tree but right now he needed peace. Running across the hilly grasslands, he feels bittersweet at the lack of players. Many had moved on from floor 1, and many others had moved on from the game. Many had dreams of helping to fight against the frontlines, but most had the hope of survival. In the end, the game won. At least for the first month. Around 2,000 players had died in the first month and Kaluluwa that there would be much more. And that I was hiding behind the walls of Starting City instead of helping to fight. He looked for any players that he could help but, if there were any, his sight could not reach him. It's too late to help them, but maybe it's not help all of the others.

ID: 66475; LD: 18

<<Materials Found! +1 Material.>>

Kaluluwa griped his dagger's sheath and raised it to his face in order to inspect it. He's had the same dagger since the beginning of this game and began to wonder if this was the correct choice. Better to think of this now than farther down the road. The dagger wasn't much, and he was planning to use it to strike quickly and then to fall back much like a strafing run. He realized that he cannot easily take on any mobs by himself and barely even was able to kill a couple of boars, one at a time, with Benoit and Saizou. Surely I am quick but that doesn't mean I'm strong. He's heard of the so-called "meta" with everyone using one-handed weapons and use a shield to become a tank, but the notion of using his small dagger and a huge shield didn't appeal to him. Especially because he knew it would slow him down, and he needed to be fast. Maybe I'll change it. It'll feel weird at first, but may be the right decision. Kaluluwa looked past the gate of Starting City once again to see the grasslands. Become strong, or die trying.

When he reached the gate of Starting City, he looked out to the bittersweet, beautiful grasslands that he might be seeing for a long while. The frontliners, or so he's heard, have been making progress and he was still down here. Down here where it all started. Down here where so many people with hopes of helping the fight, die. Down here where peopled stayed in fear of dying. Down here where so many people lost hope.

Kaluluwa put his back to the wall, his memories rushing through his mind. No. Don't. Please. However, this time it wasn't his usual memories of the Philippines. This time, they were memories of his friend and of the people he met in Aincrad. The first time he talked to Juhmer, flash. The time he entered the shop, flash. The time he fought alongside Benoit and Saizou, flash. The tree, nothingness. The tree however isn't the kind that Axios engraved a message on, this time it was the Sakura tree from the day this fate was sealed. Engraved on it wasn't a message, but rather a sign. He tried to run up to it in hopes of recognizing it, but the vision went away.

Kaluluwa felt like crying as how he did not too long ago. The way he did when he saw the tree with the message no one else will notice or care. However, as he once did in the forest, no matter how much his heart hurt, his face was as solid as steel. He grabbed the memory of Juhmer. Of how he looked like, and emblazoned it in his mind.

ID: 66075; LD: 15

<<Materials Found! +1 Material.>>

When he finished the sketch, he looked back up to see the transparency of the tent becoming more transparent. He was losing the ability to visualize it. However, he felt somewhat content, although a bit melancholous, about how he found inspiration in this world to make music. That was his goal right now. To find out what to do in this precarious situation, how to make the most out of it. Music worthy of being played for the frontliners of Aincrad.

He left to go towards the gate of Starting City just one more time as to double-check his methods. Not to begin and defeat mobs, no. He was going to the gate to once again draw inspiration. Maybe by looking inwards, and maybe by looking outwards. Both of those options have merits but one of them was also more painful, and maybe even more serious than the other.

He may have needed to leave Starting City, but was not going to without continuing to scout around at first. He exited the main pavilion and began to head off to the direction of one of the first places he visited since being trapped in the frightful and perilous world of SAO, Mack's shop. However, when he reached the former location of the Wanderer's Forge, he was surprised to see that it was no longer there. The tent that he had entered in, watched a bloodless (yet still vigorous) attack happen, and received the offer to join a guild had seeming disappeared. Has it been that long since I have been here?

But it wasn't. He had hoped that he could see the shop physically but Kaluluwa could only go off by memory, and seemingly the tent in front of him formed up ahead in a sort of ethereal form. Transparent. Wavy. Kaluluwa took a moment to reminisce about his first interaction with other players went.

And then it hit him. He needed something to remember this by; a keepsake, a note, anything. However, he had no keepsake. He didn't have anything. So he decided to make a note, or rather a rough sketch (including the wavy, ethereal lines of the tent) and the on-goings inside the shop. Some of the faces were blurred out, but others, well others seemed more natural.

ID: 66072; LD: 17

<<Materials Found! +1 Material.>>

Kaluluwa took the silence from the two as a non-verbal no. He looked towards the horizon, past the hills. Somewhere out there, players like him were getting ready to fight for their freedom from this prison. That frightened Kaluluwa. If what the cloaked man in the pavilion said was true, then... No. Kaluluwa refused to think about the grim possibilities. Yet they continued. Possible death. He looked over to Saizou. Certain death. He looked over to Benoit. Only a matter of time. "Hey, Saizou, Benoit." he called to them and looked towards the sun. Not even noon yet, as far as he could tell. "It was nice meeting you guys." Kaluluwa stood up, and left. He began to slowly walk towards the gate of Starting City. Then he stopped and looked back and muttered, low enough as to not let Saizou or Benoit hear, "Take care of yourselves." He looked forward and went to Starting City once again without further incident.

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Kaluluwa was at Axios' tree, the only landmark he really considered in this forest. There were trees, much like this one. But Axios' tree had a message, it had a feeling. Lately, Kaluluwa had been sticking to the tree. Finding solace in it, comfort by talking to Axios. Or rather to himself. It had begun to rain though, and the darkness didn't really help his current state. It would just put him into a moodier trance. He began to pick himself when he heard the leaves rustling. Aggressively. Instinctively, Kaluluwa unsheathed his knife until he saw the pair of people meant no harm to him.

The rain was beginning to pick up, claps of thunder echoed, the wind howled. Kaluluwa would probably look back on this as one of the most terrifying nights he's spent in his entire life. He crawled backwards, knife still unsheathed, he tried to remain unseen and took cover behind a bush. He won't, he didn't, he did look up at the scene unfolding ahead of him. His eyes, not yet adjusting to the darkness of his surroundings so that things can be seen but the lightning promised a few glances of what was happening to the pair of people.

I'd like to help out and do revamp GGO, the main reason why I came to this site in the first place.

"Sounds good to me", Kaluluwa replied back to Toothpick. "If your master doesn't mind allowing my hospitality..." Was that really necessary on Toothpick's part? Kaluluwa was beginning to wonder if Toothpick was also accepting Dracul as a higher power. Or if he was just joking around. Or... Too many possibilities started flowing through Kaluluwa's head, he put that to rest by just trying to convince himself that it was just a little jester.

Kaluluwa turned towards Dracul, and started to speak to blue-eyed boy. "Yeah, it's a good thing we aren't fighting right now... Or for the remainder of this little adventure. Toothpick here claims he found a way to get past every single mob without us getting utterly killed. Apparently the monster algorithms got changed one of these past days, so I'm kind of glad that we're not fighting. I wouldn't want to be going in blind." Kaluluwa was actually worried (although not evident) about fighting against monsters for the meanwhile, he didn't know anything about this new algorithm yet. He sighed a simple, short breath to relieve himself of tension even though it was forced.

I'm up. Been waiting to get my fill on mafia/werewolf/ToS for a while now.

"Well, you've played MMOs before I'm guess. If not, just think about any teamwork. Help each other out", Kaluluwa responded back to Sutiru. He began scanning the horizon until finding a player, his crystal blending into the grasslands. He began to approach him and started to speak to the party in general. "Look, killing a boar won't be easy for many of us individually, but we are stronger together. Simple as that." But the weakest link can break a chain... He glanced at Sutiru hoping that he won't have to put his life at risk in order to save Sutiru. He slowly turned to face Nobuyuki, the man who sent the party invitation and held out his hand, ready to give a firm handshake in order to make things clear. "I don't believe I've properly introduced myself to you, you left before I could do so. My name is Kaluluwa."