Merlin

Not seeing his past few attempts as failure's and instead as experiments lessened the blow, though internally he hoped he wouldn't slaughter plants in a similar manner from floor one. As he says that though, his thoughts began to wander once more about the nature of Aincrad and began to wonder about questions that most likely had no answer.

His questions ranged from the material that this floating fortress was made out of to whether they were on a planet or that this castle in the sky was instead a planet itself. As his mind began to back track towards the sun, he spotted another flower. A very fitting poinsettia bloomed in the frigid cold, petals amber and shimmering like the sun.

Warm to the touch, Merlin began to delicately harvest the flower. Whether it be from his good mood from the toast or his equipment, it felt easier than before to harvest, something he was thankful for. He found success moments later.

[Gathering Normal Materials]

ID: 104716

LD: 11 (+5) =16 [Success]

[Gathered Materials #: 1]

Continuing to look around this new environment, he messed around with the bark of the ever greens with his knife. His multiple attempts all resulted in a purple sign being displayed, with the words "Immortal Object" emblazoned upon it. As he fiddled with game mechanics on trees, a light snow began to fall. Glancing at the sky, he saw that the sun remained visible for this dawn, albeit with clouds hanging around the sphere.

As that thought crossed his mind, he began to wonder if "Sword Art Online" had a sun. No, not in the terms of glowing thing in sky, instead a actual sphere which this island rotates around. This thought became a spiral of questions. How could all of these environments co-exist so close to each other, especially if they share a sun? If they don't share, does each floor have a mini sun? If so, is there technically a different astrology for each floor?

Finding another flower, he pushed it to the side and began to focus on harvesting it. But as time went on his thoughts leaked and distracted him to the point of failure.

[Gathering Normal Materials]

ID: 104715

LD: 9 (+5) = 14 [Fail]

Stepping outside, Merlin began to trek towards the winter forest, the only path being the tracks behind him. Before long, he found himself surrounded by evergreens blanketed in snow. Immensely curious, he lost sight of his original goal and began to poke around his surroundings.

For awhile, Merlin was unable to discern the difference between normal shrubbery and potential materials. His "Search" skill wasn't highlighting anything and he began to wonder if it was broken. He turned it off moments later, and began to take in the world around him for what it was.

Then, he saw a plant which stood out from the snow covered landscape. It was a lily, fittingly made out of ice. Kneeling down into the snow, instead of harvesting he began to experiment. He tried to figure out if anything separated this plant from the plants he harvested before, and similar to many of his attempts on the first floor, it ended up shattering into pixels.

[Gathering Normal Materials]

ID: 104714

LD: 4 (+5) = 9 [Fail]

Refusing to give up on this type of music, Merlin began once more. Needless to say, his next few attempts went as well as the previous ones.

[Gained 2x EXP]

[Consumed 2x Materials]

Merlin wanted to try something new. He began to try to imitate the cries of animals, similar to shamanistic worship songs. The system, whether it didn't count animal noises as music or Merlin's poor skill, failed on both attempts...

[Gained 2x XP]

[Consumed 2x Materials]

Merlin traveled back towards "The Blazing Typhoon" with a sheepish expression. He was pm'ed beforehand by Macradon that his gear was finished. However, at that time he was gathering materials and set his notifications to silent as to not disturb him during harvesting. Then he began working on his profession and here we are now. Entering inside, the redhead would search for Macradon and explain the situation. He would then thank him for keeping the weapon for so long. 

After getting the blade, Merlin would immediately equip it and admire the blade. His eyes gleamed and a childish smile would appear on Merlin's countenance. At one moment, he looked like he was ready to hack at the air, but he realized where he was and turned back to Macradon.

"It's beautiful. Hard to believe this is a replica."

He sent Macradon his payment of four materials, plus an additional one for holding on to the blade. Then, Merlin exited the shop with a excited glimmer in his eye.

[Traded 5x Materials]

Weaving through buildings of the village "Snowfrost", Merlin contrasted against the white background of floor four with his red hair and amber eyes. With his usual attire of suit and knife, he wandered around the settlement. As it was his first foray into a new floor, Merlin was picky when he chose the first location. Floor two seemed strenuous to travel, floor three had pesky boars, and he didn't like his chances in the deserts of floor five.

After getting a good feel of the layout of the village, he entered into "Long Barrow" tavern. He found a seat and for a moment enjoyed the warmth radiating from the hearth. Celebrating his first time outside of floor one, he pulled out his "Golden Cheesy Bread" and began munching. Pushing the thought that he was eating outside food in a establishment that serves dishes, he let himself relax into his seat.

A npc woman began to approach him. Dressed like a gypsy, she gave her quest ramble to him and a quest notification popped up in front of him. Her words sparked something inside him. He always wanted a pet, for different reasons after he learnt that dog tongue was actually a plant. So with little hesitation he accepted.

[Declared Inventory]

[Declared Skills]

[Consumed 1x Golden Cheesy Bread]

[Gained +2 LD to rolls]

Glancing around his studio, Merlin was pretty happy with what he had. Admittedly not the best place to sing, it kept out any outside sound from interfering too much, and it was a roof over his head.

With that mindset, he decided to break in the new place. Trying out a certain hymm, he botched both attempts. Deciding that was enough for today, he decided to go to bed.

[Gained 2x EXP]

[Consumed 2x Materials]

A red headed and amber eyed player walked around town, a dead look in his eye. The reason for his listlessness was his diet. Merlin was absolutely sick of beginners bread, subsisting on it for about two years now. There have been a few points where he wanted to chuck his stash into the gutter. However, he always held himself back in the past. In those times he devoted most of his gathered materials into buying things for research purposes and ignoring his stomach.

But now, with a windfall of materials, Merlin was determined to eat something other than dry grain mixed with water. And so he entered the closest restaurant he could find, 
"Tacet Cibum". He's passed by a few times, and was curious about the sign. Unsure on what it exactly meant, he quietly entered the building. Stepping inside, he made his way to the front counter, and tried to keep his voice down.

"Hello, I'll have a golden cheesy bread to go."

Bringing up his inventory, he took out four materials and handed it over to Neopolitan.

[Traded Away 4x Materials]

Huddled between various buildings is a small shop. The windows are currently darkened, and a closed sign hangs off the door. However, if you listen closely, you can hear the humming of another through the walls...

[R1] Performer [6 EXP]

Stats:

Form
 

Name: Aamulla Varhain

Profession: Performer

Rank: 1

ID: 104542

CD: 12

LD: 14

Quality: Perfect

Tier #: 1

Item Type: Support Song

Enhancements: 1x Familiar Sight

Description: A Finnish folk song about a woman who moved on from a lover who abandoned her for someone else. 

Merlin took a step back and began to shift through his mind for something that he could use. He doubted ritual songs like mantras could fit into a recording crystal given how long they are. He began to think of folk songs that he studied for the lore, and one in particular stood out to him. Closing his eyes, he began to weave a story with his voice.

"Aamulla varhain, kun aurinko nousi..."

Voice soft, he told the Finnish tale of a woman who woke up to find her lover has abandoned her, and wonders why. As she weeps, she recalls the time he pledged her to him. She begins wandering, and finds her lover singing to another among blooming flowers. Now knowing the answer, she drys her tears and hardens her heart. Now, no longer in pain, she focuses upon sweet memories of her and him, and moves on.

As he lets the final note die out, he opens his eyes to find Alyssa smiling at him, and waving the crystal that was recording my performance.

"Almost there dear, just go a bit higher on some notes and it would have been a master piece. Whether you choose to make people laugh, smile, or cry with your songs, may your feelings reach others."

When she finished, a quest notification popped up displaying "Quest Complete". He pressed yes, and the remaining flowers and the crystal appeared in his inventory. Giving one last smile, she turned around and continued to weave her own stories. 

Walking away from the studio, Merlin found himself staring up into the night sky, humming.

[Quest Crafting]

ID:104542

CD: 12 [Success]

LD: 14 [Fail]

[Crafted Perfect - Selected Enchantments: Familiar Sight]

[Consumed 1x Material]

[Quest Requirement #2: Done]

[Quest Complete]

[Consumed 2x Bread]

[Consumed 3x Water]

[Gained 11x T1 Materials]

[Gained 500x Col]

[Gained 1x T1 Unidentified Rare Weapon]

[Gained 2x T1 Unidentified Rare Consumables]

[Gained 1x Perfect Performer Craft]

[Gained Profession: Performer]

Song sung:

The door was still open, light pouring out and contrasting the dark streets. Stepping inside, Alyssa spotted him immediately and waved him over with a smile. 

"Have you gotten the materials dear?"

After nodding, she clapped her hands together and beckoned me towards the middle of the room, where the only item there is a simple wooden stool. She gestures towards the stool and I take the hint, placing down the various flowers onto it. Taking out a flower of her own, she transformed it into a more rectangular crystal thing.

"This is a recording crystal, just press this button whenever your ready and sing your heart out. The system will judge the quality of it. Look here."

Taking a deep breath, she began to sing a cover of "Make 'Em Laugh" from the musical "Singing in the Rain", though Merlin didn't know that. High energy and upbeat, she finished off with a smile, and handed me one of my own flowers.

"You try."

Deciding to go for whatever she sung, he took his best shot. However, he couldn't mirror Alyssa's energetic demeanor. The crystal shattered as he finished, and she laughed softly. Shaking her head, she reached for another flower, and gave it to me.

"Sing whatever you want too, just put in the effort."

[Quest Crafting]

ID: 104541

CD: 4 [Fail]

[Consumed 1x Material]Song sung: 

Prodding his dagger, he checked around for traps with his "Search" ability. Coming up with nothing, he relaxed as he prodded the lock with a dagger. His last chest had the lock in such a state of disrepair, that he pried it open with his dagger. Deciding to try a similar strategy, he wedged his dagger in and popped the lock. Hefting up the lid, his eyes sparkled as he looked over the contents.

A sizable stack of col, an array of simple gemstones, and some mysterious items, though one looked sharper then the rest. Placing it all into inventory, he materialized a piece of bread and placed it into the chest as thanks once more. Then, he walked away, continuing to warm up his voice. Though, a thought did run through his mind after looting.

"Why would anyone hide anything when you have a inventory to hold everything you need in a safe area? Col can indefinitely stack as well..."

Returning to the path, he followed it through, the night descending upon him. Using the glow of lights shining from the city as a guide, Merlin made it to the gates, and started to travel back to a certain studio.

[Consumed 1x Bread]

[Opening Chest]

ID: 104535

LD: 13 

[Gained 100x Col]

[Gained 5 T1 Materials]

[Gained 2 Unidentified T1 Rare Consumables]

[Gained 1 Unidentified T1 Rare Weapon]

Rolling his eyes, he pushed himself up and continued to hum his warm ups. Back in the real world, Merlin was a novice singer. Mantras and spells require specific pitches to function. And while he has never gotten them to work, that hasn't stopped him from attempting to improve his abilities for rituals. Voice carrying in the wind, it had a soothing quality to it. Then, he saw something off...

A bit off the path, he saw a rock in the distance. Admittedly this wasn't uncommon for the low mountains but this one was off. There was a small aperture that stood out from the rest of the gray. Due to the setting sun, he couldn't get a good look at what was inside of it, though it peaked his curiosity nevertheless. Deciding he had enough time to spare, he headed towards it.

Making it to the strange boulder, he used his knife to prod in the dark hole. He felt something give way and a low groan above him. Pushing himself up, he saw a moldy treasure chest that was hidden within the rock. 

[Finding Chest]

ID: 104534

LD: 16 (+3) = 19 [Success]

He reopened up his inventory to check on the quest, and realized that he would have to eventually sing. Merlin had a confused expression as he tried to piece together why he was on this quest on the first place. Remembering about the boars he would eventually have to face, he groaned. Trying to re forget, Merlin decided to see if he could warm up before reaching the "The Town of Beginnings".

"Do Re Mi Fa Sol La Ti Do..."

Softly singing, he found the path back to the starting city. Beginning to follow it, another gem stone flower caught his attention. Trailing off the beaten path, he began to prep his knife and voice. After he knelt down, Merlin was starting to hit the high notes while he sawed off the flower. Then a awkward crack in his tone appeared as he reached too far. This sound disrupted him, and made him slice into the flower at a awkward angle, resulting in a small cloud of pixels where a flower once was.

[Gathering Normal Materials]

ID: 104533

LD: 7 (+3) = 10 [Fail]

Still in disbelief, Merlin tried to recollect himself. Failing miserable and laughing his ass off, he began to relax, the heavy questions before now light. Wiping away a few tears, a few chuckles still lingered as he picked himself back up. Brushing off the dirt from his pants, he continued to travel in a much brighter mood.

"If that's how the mobs act, I wonder how the pets are here. I remember talking to a dog walker while messing around with a lake in a park. Luckily this was after I learnt that tongue of dog was a plant and wasn't a organ... Was I arrested then? Or was it because of..."

Losing himself in his thoughts again, he almost over looked another crystal flower. It was a marigold, yet lacked in the gold department. Instead, it had alternating petals of onyx and pearl. Making sure no sassy boars were in range, he slowly cut off the flower. Smiling, he finished up and placed the marigold in his inventory and went on his way.

[Gathering Normal Materials]

ID: 104532

LD: 18 (+3) = 21 [Success]

[Gathered Materials #: 3]

It was warm as Merlin quietly plodded along. He pulled out the rainbow colored flower a couple more times, enamored by its beauty. Silently wondering what else could be simulated by technology, Merlin watched as the world slowly rolled by him. Seeing the amber colored seen around him, he pulled out his gathered aster and compared the sun with the flower.

Coming to a silent conclusion, he placed the aster back into his inventory. Continuing on, he spotted a flower with a coloring similar to Emerald. He thought for a moment, then took a guess that it was Peridot. Drawing his knife, he prepared to harvest it when a boar began to make its towards it. Figuring he had a moment to spare, he decided to wait for it to wander away.

Then, the boar, staring him in the eye, leaned down and ate the flower. Chewing slowly, the mob never broke eye contact with Merlin. There was a awkward smile on his face with a drop of disbelief in his eyes. The boar finished chewing, coughed up some pixels, and turned its back on Merlin. He swears that the boar's hips swayed while it walked away.

[Gathering Normal Materials]

ID: 104527

LD: 1 (+3)  = 1[Fail]

Humming, Merlin began his trek back to the starter city. Taking his time on the route, his thoughts turned brighter in contrast to the setting sun.

"While it would be great if I could do it in real life, wouldn't it be easy to simulate magic here? That feels quite cheap though and a bit of a spit in the face. I wouldn't mind being able to throw a fireball without doing some ritual that involves spirits that wish to consume me. I should also start to restock up on bread to give as offerings, as I do feel something is protecting me in the form of a spell..."

On his path, something caught his eye, and his eyes widened as he took in the objects details. It was a daisy, but each petal was a different gem stone. Ruby, emerald, diamond, amethyst, sapphire, amber... He was delicate when handling it, and it came off its stem similar to a knife through butter. He held it for a moment longer in his hands, then placed it into his inventory, and continued on.

[Gathering Normal Materials]

ID: 104525

LD: 20 (+3) = 23 [Success]

[Gathered Materials #: 2]

As his thoughts wandered, the hills became dyed with orange, and the sky became a mixture of red and purple hues. The lower temperature also improved Aden's mood. He sighed, enjoying the weather. He was still embroiled in his thoughts, however.

"This is really nice, though I would prefer it without the buzzing of foot long wasps. Is this the imagination of a collective, or a visionary?"

He knelt down, but not for materials. Instead he ran his hand through the grass. The individual blades passed through his fingers, and Aden smiled.

"Lets figure out my first question first. Perhaps this place is simply a illusion, yet it is a world. Admittedly it is run by cold numbers and artificial lives. Yet there maybe something hidden here that can help me in my pursuit. The lessons learnt here won''t fade because it is simulated. So while I'm here..."

Seeing another flower, he roughly plucked it from the ground. But before the plant could fully shatter, he threw it to the sky, watching the pixels drift in the wind.

"Lets pursue."

[Gathering Normal Materials]

ID: 104518

LD: 8 (+3) = 11 [Fail]

"Time has mellowed me, and I begrudgingly accepted that no spell or hex could break this curse. Though I remember trying my damn hardest, even risking my life to use a boar as a sacrifice. Those were desperate times...  I don't know what to make of my current situation. I wish to continue pursuing magic, however this is all simulated. Would any of the things I learn here be applicable in real life? Am I just wasting my time?"

He stopped once more, another gem stone flower in his sight. Going through the motions, he continued to wonder.

"There were many stories of people in eternal sleep. I mostly writ those off as people mistaking comas for magic, though now im starting to regret not further investigating..."

Aden's mind was elsewhere as he fiddled with the plant. By accident, he cut into the petals. It was fragile, and it flittered into dust. Clicking his tongue, he stepped back.

[Gathering Normal Materials]

ID: 104508

LD: 3 (+3) = [Fail]

[Gathering Normal Materials]

ID: 104508

LD: 3 (+3) = [Fail]

As he meandered, Aden began to lose himself in thought once more. 

"It has been two years since the day I was trapped here. Looking back on it, I'm surprised on how livid I was. Angry that this game maker would force my research to a screeching halt, all because I wished to apologize to mom by taking a break from it. I delved back into my research, trying to see if theres magic here because of course I would, but I never felt the same satisfaction of learning, and soon became depressed."

There was a shimmer in the corner of his eye, and Aden turned towards it. Another flower, this time a sapphire carnation. Pulling out his knife, he set to work. The flower was durable, yet easy to work with. With this one, he felt he could do it with his eyes closed, though he dared not to. Coming off with a satisfying snap, he placed the flower into his inventory and continued to wander.

[Gathering Normal Materials]

ID: 104507

LD: 19 (+3) = 22 [Success]

[Materials Gathered #: 1]

Finding a rock similar to earlier, Aden settled down and flicked through his menu. After a moment, another bottle of water appeared in his lap. He briefly wondered whether he was burning through his water supply quickly or not, however that thought was soon pushed aside as the liquid touched his lips. Smiling in contentment, he leaned back and admired the blue sky above. Ignoring all of the monsters that inhabited it, Aden believed that Aincrad was beautiful. 

The air felt crisp and clean, a quality he rarely experiences in the real world. He lived in a suburban area, and though it may never get as bad as the city, the air quality their could never compete here or any wild life reserve. It was strange, he knew that this was a simulation. But he couldn't help but start to replace his old reality with this one, a place of swords and monsters.

Dispelling the internal crisis he had by standing up, he began to walk away from his rest spot. Aden was distracted by this point, and by the time he heard the shatter, the flower under his foot was already gone.

[Consumed 1x Water]

[Gathering Normal Materials]

ID: 104506

LD: 6 (+3)= 9 [Fail]

Deciding he had enough excitement for today, Aden began to search for something that wasn't guarded so closely. As the adrenaline in his blood stream began to fade, he started to feel the effects of trekking in rolling plains. He was fine in the flat fields, however, consistently going up and down the hills took their toll on him.  Added to the fact that he snuck around a host of mobs and exhaustion became apparent in his movements.

Yet he decided post pone his break until he found one more flower to complete the quest objective. So he continued his search until he found a amber aster swaying in the wind. Taking his time, he compensated his lack of energy with focus. He was lucky with this one, there were no mobs to go through, however he did keep a close eye on his surroundings.

He finished up and threw the flower into his inventory. A quest notification alerted him that this was enough materials to head back with, however he wanted to keep going. While he had a decent amount from last time, he wanted to see if he could have a fund for emergencies. But for now, he looked for an area to rest.

[Gathering Quest Materials]

ID: 104466

LD: 15 (+3) = 18 [Success]

[Quest Material #: 5]

[Quest Requirement #1: Done]

Making out like a bandit, Aden felt adrenaline run through his body after pulling off his heist.  He knew he wasn't athletic, nor combat ready in the slightest. Because of that and pulling that off, he felt both indebted to the spirits and a hint of pride. It was also a bit addicting, and he wondered if he could pull it off again.

Whether it be due to the monotony of gathering materials in a combat oriented game, or simply because he hasn't felt a rush of excitement in awhile, he decided for a harder target. He pushed through, continuing with a air of hurried caution. Closing the distance, he didn't take a second glance in the area surrounding him. He started to increase his pace, but it was too much for his own personal skill and the buffs which his items could handle.

Shattering his material, he realized that the mobs were inching closer into range, and he hurriedly danced out of the mob.

[Gathering Quest Materials]

ID: 104465

LD: 5 (+3) = 8 [Fail]