Seul

For having done so little work, Seul was making out like a bandit with this event. Soon he too would be among the players who had come to the Egg Boys seeking goodies. Waiting in line was proving to be almost as difficult as finding eggs though.

When it was finally his turn he stepped up to the counter and opened his inventory. The trio of children had become 275 eggs richer and Seul wasn’t sure if the delight in their eyes was endearing or… Sickening. Like them, he enjoyed eating chocolate. But the thought of eating so many himself did little other than make him nauseous.  

With his eggs spent he quickly gathered up the prizes: An Easter Bunny’s Favor, A Bunny Stamp, and three reroll tickets. Tucking each away he gave the boys a parting wave and wandered back toward the entrance. Life had many doors and someone would be waiting for him beyond this one.

Bought:

• Easter Bunny's Favor
• Bunny Stamp
• Reroll Ticket x3

275 Eggs Spent / 0 Left

Eggs Obtained Here:

• 200
• 60
• 15

"Thanks homie."

Received:

+15 Eggs

Quote

Hey @Beat,

I'm on my way.

-Seul

The message was short but to the point. It wasn't that he was trying to be rude. Merely in his rush to prepare for the trek over he typed out something quick so as not to keep Beat waiting. It would be some time before Seul arrived at the shop, but when he arrived the swordsman wasted no time letting himself in. Greeted by the soft jingle of bells overhead his eyes would scan the room from behind a mask and eventually fall on the other player. 

"Yo."

A cozy restaurant wasn't the first thing that came to mind when he thought of black market dealings, but he wouldn't complain.  A trade window would appear before him and with a glance it seemed everything he asked for was there. Holding up his own end of the bargain Seul would send over the Glittering Snowflake he had kept for all this time.

"It has been a pleasure doing business with you."

Trade Complete:

Sent: Glittering Snowflake x1

Received: Easter Bunny's Favor x1 & Bunny Stamp x1

THREAD DONE | GIMMIE THE LOOT 

2 SP

60 Eggs

6 T3 Mats

With one more bush standing between him and the entrance Seul cut it away and took the eggs that were left behind. An arm raised to wipe the sweat from his brow and he sheathed his blade now. Clapping his hands, he was definitely satisfied with the results of all that labor. 

“That’s enough for today.”

He grumbled and pushed the door open. Heavy steps brought him to the room he rented and he began to take off his equipment while preparing to relax. Once it was all off and discarded to a corner he flopped onto the bed.

Reclined back with his hands behind his head he looked up at the ceiling. For once in a long time he felt at peace. Though he wasn’t sure why. An air of excitement seemed to envelope him. Even as he eventually drifted off to sleep. Whatever mysteries the future held, he would be ready for them.

 ID# 140224 results: Battle: 3 | Craft: 1 | Loot: 12 | MOB: 8

Eggs Gained: +2 | Egg Count: 60

6 Mats Total

The inn was nearby but with a few more shrubs along the road leading up to the door he decided why not spend a few more minutes outside chopping them down. So that’s what Seul did. One swing from the blade took down the foliage and produced another handful of eggs for the man to grab. It was not a bad haul at all. In fact Seul was kind of surprised. He was never one for crafting or gathering materials so he figured this task would take at least two days to complete. But he managed to get what he needed in only the span of a few hours. Though compared to the efforts of other players, his collection would likely be nothing so impressive. 

It didn’t matter though. He stopped trying to compete long ago. One of the truths of living in Aincrad was that there would always be someone bigger and stronger than you out there.

 ID# 140223 results: Battle: 9 | Craft: 8 | Loot: 13 | MOB: 5

Eggs Gained: +5 | Egg Count: 58

6 Mats Total

Seul decided to gather some extra eggs just in case. Another swing of his sword obliterated a bush causing a few eggs to go flying. He scrambled to catch them and luckily was successful. After tucking them away he continued on the road back to the inn. 

As he walked he looked toward the future. What did he want to do next? Where did he want to go? Who did he wish to become? These were all things that weighed heavy on his thoughts for months now. It didn’t feel like he was getting any closer to having the answers. But somewhere deep inside he knew that if he kept walking this path he would eventually find them. Or rather it might have been more accurate to say that the answers would find him. As with most things they would only be revealed when he was not looking for them.

ID# 140221 results: Battle: 5 | Craft: 5 | Loot: 7 | MOB: 2

Eggs Gained: +3 | Egg Count: 53

6 Mats Total

One patch of ground in particular seemed to be extremely fruitful. Six whole eggs were uncovered bringing his total to fifty. Just the amount he needed to get the item he wanted. His right hand clenched tightly into a fist and he let out a triumphant groan as the eggs were tucked away. This all wasn’t for nothing. He was going to finally make progress with fixing up the equipment that had carried him this far and with a unique enhancement no less. It was hard to contain his excitement. 

His mind soon drifted to that of the other special items he held. Of note there were three. The glittering snowflake, a demonic egg, and the heart sticker. Each once in a lifetime items and most people didn’t know they existed. Somehow the man was lucky enough to acquire all three and was now just waiting for the day when they could be of some use.

ID# 140184 results: Battle: 10 | Craft: 11 | Loot: 15 | MOB: 9

Eggs Gained: +6 | Egg Count: 50

+1 Mat | 6 Mats Total

“I suppose I will be leaving now. I have some other business to attend to. But it was nice meeting you both. Let us meet again sometime. Somewhere.” 

A smile grew under the mask. Though of course it would go unseen by the two kids. Even so, the sentiment came across clear enough as they both waved him goodbye. Seul would not say that they were friends. But the conversation they provided had made the gathering a bit more bearable. Talking with them sparked something within him. Something that drove him to reconnect with the ones who he lost contact with long ago. He needed human connections. Even in an artificial setting their emotions still thrived and grew. Such resilience could not go to waste. 

With another wave Seul boarded the bridge and began the trek back to town, digging up whatever eggs he could along the way on each plot of land.

ID# 140183 results: Battle: 3 | Craft: 2 | Loot: 8 | MOB: 6

Eggs Gained: +2 | Egg Count: 44

5 Mats Total

“I will likely return some day. Assuming I don’t die first.” He finally replied.

Smashing his sword against the dirt again he was once more conscious of the fact that he had fallen back into the rhythm of looking for eggs. Two lied nestled in the dirt where his sword had landed and he quickly scooped them up before tucking them away. The paired seemed to be having their own fair share of luck finding eggs and watching them made Seul yearn for a simpler time. 

With his collection nearly complete, he decided it was time to get moving. He would likely be able to find a few eggs on his way back to the inn where he called home. If these two were capable of coming all the way here on their own he doubted it was necessary to stick around and make sure they left in one piece.

ID# 140095 results: Battle: 10 | Craft: 3 | Loot: 20 | MOB: 10

Eggs Gained: +2 | Egg Count: 42

+1 Mat | 5 Mats Total

Then there was his current lifestyle living among the lower levels. His orange status limited the amount of things he could do, but in a way managed to free him of many other responsibilities. No longer did he have to fight for a guild or to protect others. For the most part he did as he pleased. Though it would have been a lie to say he did not miss the companionship every now and then. 

To be honest, Seul did not even know the statuses of the few people he knew in this world. Looking through his friend list as he so often did resulted in only more questions. Some he knew had died. Others were just outright missing. Perhaps they were plotting their own returns just as he had. He wouldn’t have been surprised. It was easy to get caught up in side journeys here and forget the rest of the world.

 ID# 140094 results: Battle: 9 | Craft: 7 | Loot: 3 | MOB: 10

Eggs Gained: +0 | Egg Count: 40

 4 Mats Total

When and if he was ready to return he would. It was really that simple. Though part of him wondered to what end would doing so bring. Escaping the game world has always been the goal and while some subscribed to that motive, most idled through their new life in Aincrad. Seul was one of the few players to live both ways. Yet, he could not decide which he actually preferred. On the one hand, the life of a frontliner was never a dull one. They often lived extraordinary lives and carried a large sway among the player base as a whole. Fighting powerful enemies and obtaining rare loot; truly they were the celebrities of this world, even if many didn’t see themselves as such. Perhaps that was part of why Seul had left. At the time he wasn’t entirely convinced he belonged alongside them. A mere ant next to giants.

ID# 140093 results: Battle: 5 | Craft: 8 | Loot: 1 | MOB: 7

Eggs Gained: +0 | Egg Count: 40

 4 Mats Total

Smashing the ground again he got a few more eggs out of his attempt. Forty. Ten more and he’d be set.

“You think you’re going to go back to the frontlines?”

The question came as a surprise. Seul had considered it of course, but as he was now he was still too weak. One of his problems was that he was always behind regardless of how hard he worked. Now matter how many points he gained or what equipment he put on he was always considered second rate and couldn’t draw the admiration of his peers. 

Ultimately he had some stuff to figure out before going into raids again. Ideally he’d need a guild and some new gear to optimize his overall potential. Since he no longer pursued the life of a tank maybe he’d take up first aid or some other skills geared toward bringing up his damage output.

 ID# 140092 results: Battle: 2 | Craft: 2 | Loot: 10 | MOB: 9

Eggs Gained: +2 | Egg Count: 40

 4 Mats Total

Seul smashed the dirt again revealing a big haul of eggs for him to take. Thirty-eight. Almost enough to buy something from the shop. He needed to keep pushing. The tedium of having to dig up eggs ad nauseum was starting to test his patience. The only solace he had were his new companions. They both seemed nice enough.

“So if you don’t plan on fighting in raids why are you doing the event?”

“It’s too good to pass up. Aincrad is constantly changing and there are things in the event shop we might never see again. I’m sure you realize that too.”

So they were aware of how big an opportunity this was. Impressive, to say the least. They didn’t look like much but through speaking with them Seul realized these kids probably had most of this stuff figured out. Maybe they were even better at this than he was.

ID# 140074 results: Battle: 2 | Craft: 11 | Loot: 10 | MOB: 8

Eggs Gained: +6 | Egg Count: 38

 4 Mats Total

Another smash against the dirt proved fruitless. Seul debated if maybe it was time to take a break. The eggs wouldn’t be around forever, but he would simply tire himself out if his attempts weren’t properly paced. Either way his attention would soon drift back toward the other two.

“Alright, your turn.” He said plainly. 

“What’s the deal with you both? I’ve never seen you before.”

To this Daichi shrugged and Akari looked as though she shared the same sentiment. At first he thought they would refuse. Daichi would be the first to speak as Akari didn’t look up from her egg pile. 

“Well for starters, we’re siblings. You probably haven’t seen us cause we mostly stick to the lower floors and neither of us have gone to the frontlines before.”

“We’re not wimps though! Just figured it’s too dangerous. With all the top players there it’s not like we’re needed anyway.”

ID# 140073 results: Battle: 3 | Craft: 12 | Loot: 1 | MOB: 5

Eggs Gained: +0 | Egg Count: 32

 4 Mats Total

For a moment his thoughts drifted to that of Opal, his former vice-comannder gone rogue. As far as he knew he had been the last one to see her alive. Walking this current path, he wondered if she may have felt similarly after what she had done. Being vilified and hated by those around you wasn’t an easy way to live.   

“I suppose.” 

He struck the dirt again as he had done so many times now. Part of him wished that there was a more effective way of collecting these things. Though he figured that was part of the appeal of the challenge. Only those who were serious would succeed this time around. But Seul never was much of a gatherer. His search skill was low and his shop had been empty since the day he opened. Materials never held much value to him other than to be used as leverage in trades.

ID# 140072 results: Battle: 1 | Craft: 6 | Loot: 17 | MOB: 7

Eggs Gained: +3 | Egg Count: 32

+1 Mat | 4 Mats Total

“And there you have it. Been orange ever since and living off the land so to speak.”

Seul felt as though he had been rambling for some time now. He couldn't actually recall a time when he told someone about his past in such depth. As suspected it didn’t feel as though a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. With his hands raised high he brought the greatsword down again in an explosion of dirt and picked up the eggs that were left behind before turning his attention back to the teens.

“So you are a villain after all.” Akari chimed. 

Perhaps she wasn’t wrong. At one point Seul would have refuted her claim. He did want to be some sort of hero when his journey first started. But heroism was good mostly just for getting you killed and exploring the darker elements of the game had made him realize there was mostly gray. 

 ID# 140071 results: Battle: 5 | Craft: 4 | Loot: 18 | MOB: 10

Eggs Gained: +3 | Egg Count: 29

+1 Mat | 3 Mats Total

“Eventually I managed to gain some levels and stand on my own two feet. I had become the one who helped others rather than someone who always needed help. I was recognized for my talents and even went on to join the frontlines with a top guild.”

He paused, striking the ground again only to reveal nothing. A fitting result for this part of the tale. It all went downhill from here.

“Good things never really stay that way for long though. One by one people left. Others died. I left my guild, but the time I spent on the frontline brought me some unwanted attention. In my possession I happen to have some special items. As far as I know they’re the last of their kind and because of that I ended up getting attacked once. Long story short I killed him to keep him from coming after me again.”

ID# 140070 results: Battle: 2 | Craft: 8 | Loot: 2 | MOB: 7

Eggs Gained: +0 | Egg Count: 26

2 Mats Total

Seul struck his blade into the ground and uncovered another cache of eggs he could claim. Looking over his inventory he had a pretty decent amount now. Maybe even so that he’d be able to call it quits and head home. But the day was still young and the more he was able to get the better off he’d be in the long run. There was no telling when and if the mysterious Egg Boys were going to appear again. This might end up being his only shot at obtaining the one thing he desired for so long.

“My story? Honestly, I don’t think it’s that interesting. As with everyone else it started on the day I left the Town of Beginnings. Late I might add. I stumbled from place to place; doing quests and facing creatures I didn’t think were possible. Had some close calls and met people who helped me along.”

ID# 140069 results: Battle: 2 | Craft: 8 | Loot: 13 | MOB: 5

Eggs Gained: +5 | Egg Count: 26

2 Mats Total

Seul continued on his way some time later. Although his journey would come to halt once more as he stumbled across another who walked this path. Accompanied by his familiar the other man had halted his advance the closer he drew. At this, the swordsman decided it best to maintain a respectable distance to not raise any sort of alarm. 

“Nice weather today, huh?” He sneered from beneath the mask. 

When their gazes met a wave of nostalgia swept through his mind. This was not a stranger like he had initially assumed. The term “friend” wouldn’t have been quite right either. Perhaps the most accurate thing to say was that they were ex-comrades in arms, if only because they had both served on the frontlines together in the past.

“Oikawa, The Faint. Now that's a name I haven’t heard in... I don’t know how long, actually. But it’s nice to see you’re still kicking.”

It’d probably be best to reintroduce himself as well.

“It’s Seul. Though I'm not sure if that’ll mean anything of substance. I never did quite reach the upper echelon of the frontlines in my time there.”

“So I’m Daichi and the pouty one here is Akari. What about you?”

“Seul.” 

The idle chatter would have been pleasant if he wasn’t so preoccupied. No new eggs were showing up now. This particular hole might have been tapped out. Not that they were to blame, but he had been on a roll until they showed up. With his mask on, the two weren’t able to see the annoyed expression that painted the man’s face now. Digging up his own egg the boy pressed on with the conversation. 

“So what’s your story? You look like you’ve seen some [censored]. I guess we all have though haha.”

Seul assumed he was referring to the color of his crystal, as so many before him had and so many would continue to do for long after. Normally he wasn’t one for pouring his heart out to strangers. But the idea seemed somewhat cathartic now.

ID# 139727 results: | Battle: 4 | Craft: 4 | Loot: 3 | MOB: 8

Eggs Gained: +0 | Egg Count: 21

2 Mats Total

“You’re welcome to join me if you wish. Or don’t. I don’t care;  just stay out of my way.”

Seul soon returned to his gathering, digging up another handful of eggs and quickly tucking them away into his inventory. There were seemingly plenty of the event items to go around so two people sharing the same area as him would likely not have much of an impact on his own efforts. Besides, if they were annoying he could just go somewhere else.

Seeing as how they were already there, the two decided to stick around. They began to dig up their own pile of soil not far from where the swordsman was and after a few minutes of working in near silence they would break the speak up again. A welcome change to the monotony of material hunting that Seul had grown so complacent to in his time spent traveling the world alone.

ID# 139719 results: | Battle: 9 | Craft: 12 | Loot: 12 | MOB: 1

Eggs Gained: +5 | Egg Count: 21

2 Mats Total

The girl bit her lip and looked as though she was pushing back tears. Rather than address this stranger’s concerns she would turn to her companion. It seemed he was accustomed to her acting like this, as he didn’t even budge as she beat against his arm.

“I told you!”

A sigh escaped from somewhere deep within the boy. He pushed her aside and waved his hand through the air as if dispelling some sort of foul odor. Perhaps he was literally trying to clear the air as well as figuratively.

“Please, don’t pay any attention to her. She just figured we’d be the only ones out here collecting eggs today. But like I told her I doubted we’d have the whole floor to ourselves.”

“I see.”

In truth Seul was just as surprised. The floor had been large enough to accommodate many players. The odds of them all choosing the same spot were low. But the swordsman was no stranger to coincidences in Aincrad.

 ID# 139718 results: Battle: 4 |  Craft: 8 | Loot: 15 | MOB: 2

Eggs Gained: +5 | Egg Count: 15

+1 Mat | 2 Mats Total

“Do you have to go so fast?”

“If we don’t hurry someone else is going to get them all, you wouldn’t want that to happen would you?!”

The young couple had spent the entire previous day prepping for this outing. Like Seul, they too had decided to collect their eggs on this floor. Stranger still the bridge they walked now led directly to the fuligin-clad player’s current island. Fate was determined to bring them together on this day.

A loud whine nearly caused Seul to drop his collected eggs. Scrambling, he was able to catch them before they shattered. When he turned in the direction of the noise he was met by a girl standing a few yards away with a boy trailing not too far behind. Despite them both looking like they were in their teens, he was noticeably at least a head taller than her. 

“Is there some kind of problem?” He called.

ID# 139557 results: Battle: 1 | Craft: 8 | Loot: 6 | MOB: 6

Eggs Gained: +5 | Egg Count: 10

Cutting down more foliage revealed another pile of eggs and Seul hurriedly scooped them up. He was doing decently in his efforts. But understood that it would be a long road ahead if he was to gain anywhere near the amount of eggs needed to be useful. It was times like these when he wished he wished he had companions to aid him. Being alone always made tasks like this unbearable. He would just have to suck it up for now. It wasn’t the first time and it certainly would not be the last.

Looking around the small plot of land he wondered if it would be better to move on or to keep looking around. It was lucky that his first choice proved to be fruitful, but luck was bound to run dry eventually and the less time he wasted on pursuing lost causes the better off he would be.

ID# 139553 results: Battle: 8 | Craft: 5 | Loot: 11 | MOB: 3

Eggs Gained: +3 | Egg Count: 5