Cyn

Cyn would sit, staring ahead as Itzal told her his answer. He was right, or at least that's what she was thinking. That's at least how she thought about it anyways.
 It all depended on what you were fighting for. Cyn's reasons were just the same as anyone else though. She had a family, and she wanted to see them again. But perhaps there was something else. She wasn't even supposed to be in SAO for the first place. No it wasn't her place. This whole experience wasn't meant for Cyn. It had someone else's name on it. And she was stuck here because curiosity killed the cat. But she'll be damned if satisfaction didn't bring her back.

"Thanks." She said. Not saying another word, or stating why she asked in the first place. She was just glad to know that it did. Hopefully her Kendo training would change the feeling of holding this weapon in her hands.

Cyn walked next to Sey has he led her out of the safezone. She didn't know what he was trying to find out here on the plains, but Cyn kept a cautious eye out for mobs. They had left the safe zone, so this was a free for all in case any Boar decided to try its luck on the two players. That's when she heard Sey mention something about a treasure chest. Looking back at him with a curious look, she replied. "Err... Alright." She said, her voice obviously conveying her sense of confusion. She couldn't even begin to guess why Sey had randomly thought there would be a chest lying somewhere out here in the open, but he probably knew something she didn't. Like she thought, he had more experience with these sort of games then she did. So i t wouldn't be very hard for her to think he had found something she missed.

Cyn simply processed what he had said. She was glad he shared similar feelings as she did. Otherwise he may not have lasted as long as he did. She wasn't sure anyone would if they didn't have a careful mind about these things. Cyn could guess most people would feel similar. They'd have too. Or at least she would hope so. The last thing Cyn wanted to worry about if she managed to get to the frontlines was having to worry about other people's stupid mistakes. In her opinion, this game didn't have heroes... No one should have to sacrifice themselves to defeat a mob. Not unless other people's lives were on the line. But she couldn't stomach needless battle when you'd gain no benefit from it.

"That's a good way to go. Needless fighting can often get people killed. Risky battles are even worse." She said, before taking a bite of the sandwich. "Can I ask you something?" She said. The question sounding more like a statement then an actual inquiry. "Does it get easier?" She looked down at her blade. "Fighting I mean... Does it eventually feel like a normal part of your life? Or do you always feel out of place holding a weapon... Despite the amount of time you've held it for..."

She simply shrugged at his comment. "That's the idea." He'd then go on to explain his plans. It'd be smart to not just focus on luck. High luck stats may be able to get you good items, but they weren't very useful in a confrontation. Especially on the higher leveled floors. Maybe Sey would try and get multiple builds. One for luck, and one for combat. But maybe not. Like Cyn had thought before, he clearly had some idea of what he was doing. So she was confident he could handle himself when the time came. Provided he didn't try anything stupid. Like she had told someone before, 'If there is any risk, it's better not to take it.' And that would be entirely true for this situation. Soon Sey motioned for Cyn to follow him though, and she raised an eyebrow at his request. Apparently he 'felt' something nearby. She didn't exactly know what he meant by that, but she wasn't in any position to walk away from Sey now.

She'd nod in agreement. Luck was obviously a good skill to have, and yet she'd seen many dismiss it. Often relying on Col to buy them the materials you needed. Of course none of them seemed to know you could get them just as easily for free if your luck stats were high enough. It seemed Sey knew what he was doing anyways. Unlike her, he'd probably had his fair share of RPG's in the past. He knew a lot more about these things worked then she did, even if they had both been stuck in SAO for the same amount of time. "Aye, that's the job description anyways. Only downside is low MIT. Because you're going for speed, you need to sacrifice armor. So if you DO end up getting hit, it can be costly." She'd tell him truthfully. Of course, that was pretty much the only downside though. It was like a mix of the two other good classes. Do as much damage as a tank, but be as fast as a scout. she wondered why she hadn't seen many others take that route. If Cyn had to guess, maybe it was because most people assumed armor was the safest option. But armor was slow.

Itzal would explain to Cyn the details about the boss raid he had attended, but wasn't sure if he was going to participate in the next battle or not. He'd go on to lay out all the details about the boss itself, and it indeed sounded like it'd be a tough one. Cyn simply looked him over a second, her eyes scanning his body and gear before responding. "Right. Well, if there is any chance you may get killed, it'd be smart not to take it. Better safe then sorry, right?" She'd tell him. Even though she was a low level, Cyn wasn't that ignorant about the game. If anyone felt they couldn't handle something, it was probably a smarter option to no engage. After all, this wasn't a game anymore. There was no 2nd, or 3rd chance. One strike, and you're out. 

"Hopefully we can fight side by side there though. One day in the future." She'd say truthfully. She wouldn't want him dying after all.

"Right." Cyn replied, not exactly sure she knew what he meant, but she kept the impression she did. He did state earlier he was going for a luck build though? She wasn't sure h ow 'balanced' you could be with that, if you were relying on luck to carry you. Then again, she'd heard of multiple people who had created multiple builds for themselves. Depending on what they were doing, they'd always use a different build. "Well, I'm hoping to dish out as much damage as I can, while being too fast to take any." She told him with a grin, looking down at her newly acquired katana. "Think they call those guys, DPS, or; Damage Per Second." She'd tell Sey, crossing her arms. The 'per second' part of that title sounded exaggerated, but she didn't know much about combat yet. Of course, she'd assume that the DPS build would be one of the best if you could manage to pull off those kind of moves. Hopefully anyways.

Cyn would listen intently as the two fighters explained themselves. It sounded like they were both pretty strong. Compared to her at least. Just by sitting there and hearing the stories. Stories about guilds she'd never even heard of before. Then again, Cyn rarely left the city, and she assumed most of the guilds were active outside of the safe zones. Beatbox would then go one and explain the properties of his guild. It sounded interesting to be sure, but Cyn was skeptical about weather its way was effective. She'd never heard about it though, and it was interesting to learn about these things. Granted she would've preferred to have known about them sooner. Perhaps then she wouldn't still be stuck in this situation.

"I still can't figure out how to use this thing." She responded flatly, looking down at her weapon. "Doubt it can even be called 'prodigy' worthy either." Cyn chuckled, before turning her head back up at the other two players.

"Well then, I look forward to getting your message." She responded, before opening up her menu. With a few quick taps, a notification would appear on Itzal's menu. It was a friend request from Cyn. She wasn't sure if he would accept it, but then again, Cyn assumed the only way people could receive or send messages was if they had the person on their friend's list. Then Itzal would ask Cyn a question. Raising an eyebrow at it, she would respond her her flat tone. "That's the goal, yes. Granted it may take a while, but I'm hoping to be faster then the floors they clear." She said, obviously referring to the fact she wanted to get a good level before the floors became too difficult for her. Of course, if they were cleared fast, that would be a good thing. Except Cyn would still be forced to grind until her strength matched the speed of the cleared floor's.

Cyn would simply shrug. "There are multiple ways to earn small amounts of Col in the city. Enough to rent a room at a cheap Inn anyways." Cyn concluded, before turning over to the market There was probably about a dozen or so mini quests someone could find in just a small market square like this one. Of course, most of theme involved the player doing mundane tasks, but then again, any money was good. Especially when you'd rather not be sleeping on the streets for the night. She'd go ahead and explain this to Sey. "There are probably many small quests scattered around the market we're in right now. You'd just need to find an NPC who needs assistance. Granted the quests would probably involve you completing miniscule tasks for little reward. Although it shouldn't be hard to get enough money to stay in an Inn for the night." She'd tell him. A smile on her face. After all, it was the way Cyn had gotten enough Col to sleep in the Inns at night.

Cyn simply stared with her usual, serious expression as the two men would tell her the dangers of the frontlines. She had already heard this before from a number of other high levels in the past, but the recent events that these two described only continued to create a feeling about the situation she didn't want to stomach... Not now anyways. Ironically though, Cyn hoped she'd be able too face it one day. By then she'd be a lot stronger hopefully, and be able to stand against it. Hopefully...

"Equipment would be nice. However, I doubt I have enough money for even the discount prices. Right now anyways. Like I said, that'll change soon." She told them with her straight tone. Turning over to the window, she stared for a second before getting up, and moving to a seat near the two players. "I'm just glad there's people trying to help those who want to do the same." She told them. "I'm hoping to do the same as soon as I level up a bit. Looking for the right opportunity to do so, however. Starting off is ironically difficult. I'm sure you two understand." She said, staring at her glass before taking a sip.

Cyn stared at Itzal with the same face as he continued to explain the details. So far the rules of the guild seemed fair. And if the purpose of it was actually working, then she'd obviously want to be apart of it. Cyn wouldn't mind having to meet the other "Paladins" as Itzal mentioned, or have any issue being trained. After all, she needed all the help she could get. The sole reason as to why she asked about joining. Hopefully it was the right path. For many months, Cyn had been thinking about leaving the safe zones and trying her luck. She wanted to help in the fight to get out of this death game, but the entire time she had no idea how she'd do it. And then comes along the perfect opportunity to escape from the first floor. An opportunity to actually contribute to the people fighting for freedom...

With a small smile, she stood up. "I don't care if I have to meet people. I'll do anything you need me too, if it means I can actually have a shot at helping the fight."

Cyn continued to be lost in thought for a moment or two, trying to fact check herself through her mind. Of course, she didn't get an answer before Sey's voice interrupted her train of thought. Looking back towards him, she simply shrugged. "I guess. Then again low levels don't exactly have a lot of money." She put simply with a small grin, clearly assuming Sey's pockets were just as empty as hers. It didn't take an expert to figure out, anyways. The fact that he needed her help, and wanted to grab a starter weapon told the girl everything she needed to know. He was in the exact same boat as her. Of course, that wasn't really a bad thing. There were a plethora of things you could do in the safe zones to earn small amounts of Col. But not too small, still enough to get a decent place to stay for the night. She had enough anyways, and wasn't going to run out anytime soon it seemed.

Cyn just stared at Itzal as he began to dump her with names of players, ranks they held, the roles they played, and what other positions there were. She arched an eyebrow as her response, and thought silently to herself. It definitely sounded like a large, and organized guild to be sure. And its purpose sounded interesting to be sure. A guild soley focused on helping players like Cyn advance through the game. That's exactly what she needed! Not to mention he had just told her they needed more members.

At this, Cyn remained quiet for a minute. Soaking it all in, and becoming lost in thought. Before long, she finally turned over to Itzal, with the same serious expression.

"Have any openings?"

Cyn would arch an eyebrow at his response. She thought about for a minute, and she could guess where he got his understanding from. Like she had stated before, quests could be found all over Aincrad, and it was true a lot of them were given by NPC's. Although it wasn't unheard of to have a quest board set up to give newer players an easier time finding, and completing said quests. 

As as she thought about it, his next question turned Cyn's attention back to Sey. She tilted her head for a moment, trying to remember the answer.

"Houses are expensive actually. You need to have a lot of Col to buy any of them." She told him, her face looking downwards with a finger on her chin. "Inns are the best place to sleep until you actually make any progress. And despite what you think, they're actually decent, and cost as little as 10 Col per night." She said. "Well. Most are anyways. I guess it depends on what floor you're on."

Cyn would stare at her Katana for a few more seconds before slowly sheathing the blade back to her waste. Turning over to Sey as he asked the question. Her eyebrow raised. Was he being serious? Did she know what a quest was? Cyn knew she was still a newb, and didn't need help proving it, but she couldn't tell if Sey was testing her or asking for his own benefit. Either way, the answer would serve her purpose all the same. "Of course I know of quests." She snapped. "And you can find them all over Aincrad from what I've heard. There isn't any specific place to go for them. NPC's usually give them out, but the majority are in safe zones." She told him, being as honest as her knowledge on the subject would let her. She hoped he was only testing her understanding. She couldn't afford to have a partner who was blindly walking out of the safe zone without knowing his purpose. Too risky for Cyn to have to watch his back all the time.

Cyn sat there, gazing at the ground while listening to Itzal's words of wisdom. He did seem to know what he was talking about after all. He went on to explain all the different kinds of damage she should focus on, and also tell her his current situation. She simply nodded in agreement, but her expression turned curious when he mentioned a name she hadn't heard before. "DPS Paladin?" She asked, turning finally to stare at him straight with her crimson colored gaze. She was interested in knowing what exactly meant about that. If there was someone who he thought could help her out with this stuff, she would most certainly like to meet them. Based off the title this "Hikoru" person had, she either expected him to be apart of a guild, or possibly one of those NPC's who could give players advice on how to train with the specific build they were going for. Of course, either would be just as fine for Cyn. Assuming Itzal would be inclined to tell her after he mentioned it.

The girl continued to stare at the Katana with her wide crimson gaze, completely entranced by its might. She gripped it with both hands, before giving a few playful swings... Smirking, the girl then remembered sword arts could still be used in safe zones, they just couldn't do damage. Suddenly, her blade began to glow a deep shade of red, before Cyn spun it around and slashed the air in front of her! The sword flashed as a huge ripple of air was released from its shaft! Blowing back the dust nearby and even a few of the NPC's various hats. She chuckled staring the blade over... This was obviously the best choice. She then turned over to Sey as he began to speak again. It seemed he had chosen the spear, or at least that's what he had gotten. She had to admit, it made her respect him a bit. Only because of his sheer originality. Most would either go for a sword or an axe from what Cyn had seen so far.

Looking down in front of her without answering, she noticed a notification pop up. Sey had sent her a friend request... She quickly tapped the menu, but hesitated to press the confirm button... After all, she had never gotten one of these before. She didn't think too long before swallowing the lump in her throat and tapping the circle icon. She then looked up to Sey. "I wouldn't mind. Thanks for showing me this place." She stated, staring at her Katana with a smirk across her face.

Cyn's face would return to her regular serious expression as Itzal seemed to get her message and backed off. Luckily he was smart enough to realize these things. Most people would pressure more, seeing as Cyn isn't the most open person. Any opportunity to get her to open up was almost always explored, and she hated it. Itzal seemed to know when to stop. Of course, she had only just met him still and wasn't keen on breaking down in front of a stranger...

Seeing the sandwich, Cyn simply took it in one hand and nodded to Itzal. Her way of appreciation. Before long the she sat down on a log as Itzal began to question her about her future plans for the game. Specifically on what build... Cyn looked at him with a confused expression, trying to understand what exactly he meant by that, but then her memory quickly came back to her. A build was a term gamers used to describe the style of how you play. This Cyn had already decided. "I want to be fast, and still do damage. I can't stand wearing heavy armor... Makes me too slow." She spoke truthfully as her mind went back to a day in the market. Then she was able to demo a few different kinds of builds run by an NPC shop. She remembered the one she had just dismissed was called a "Tank" build. "A DPS, I suppose." She said, before taking a small bite of the sandwich.

Cyn would listen, her eyes still focused on her menu as the two men would try to answer her questions. From the way he had described it before, it sounded like the Frontlines weren't that much of an issue as of the moment. However, that quickly changed as soon as Cyn had asked. Apparently there had been multiple player killings in the not so distant past. Taking a sip of her drink, she finally looked up at the two. The menu glowing in her crimson eyes. "I'm sorry to hear that. After all, I'm sure teamwork is required to get through the floors. People turning on each other doesn't sound like it'd help the situation." She said bluntly. "And I'm sure seeing players like I probably insult you. The fact that we've done nothing in this game so far, when we could've been trying to help." She grimaced a bit. She knew it was going to change. "I don't plan to stay like that for much longer..."

Cyn continued to stare at the blade for a few moments with the same angry expression before Itzal noticed something was wrong. Placing a hand on her shoulder caused the girl to snap out of her trance before looking up. "It's fine. I'm fine." She said rather coldly, obviously not wanting to get into it right now. With that, she sheathed her weapon and turned  over to Itzal. "Anyways, thanks for the help. Not sure how well I'd do if that Boar wasn't kept in place." She told him truthfully. Cyn had no idea how more difficult that creature would've been to fight if Itzal hadn't been there backing her up. Probably not good. As she was well aware by this point in the game that it took only two successful hits from a low level mob like that, and she'd explode into an array of pixels. She was just her health hadn't dropped yet... Seeing people's health bars lower made her feel uneasy.

Cyn couldn't help but eavesdrop on their conversation. After all, the guy in the white armor was rather loud. Or loud enough for Cyn to hear anyways. It was confirmed. He was a frontliner. They were just talking about the 18th floor boss battle. Apparently it was a success, and the 19th floor has finally been opened. And judging by the way he had worded it, the fight wasn't all that difficult to them. At this she couldn't help but chuckle a bit. The fights being easy gave her hope for the future at least. It seemed like they had the most capable people on the frontlines, and Cyn was hoping she could make it there one day. But of course she had her work cut out for her.

"Was it really as easy as you described it?" Cyn asked aloud, just loud enough for the two to hear her. She had her eyes focused on her menu, but it was clear she was still talking to them. She didn't really seem to care about interrupting their conversation, or the fact that it was probably very rude. She wanted to know more about the situation on the frontlines. The only alternative was going up there and exploring herself, and that wasn't going to be her option of choice.

"Are you guys really breezing through the challenges without casualties?"

Not long after Cyn's last strike, the Boar finally broke free! The beast escaped Itzals grip and whined in anger as it kicked around and stomped on the ground with a furious rage. The creature tore at the ground with its tusks, but what happened next was unexpected. The mob completely ignored Itzal, and turned to face Cyn with a furious rage. It was kicking up dirt and was preparing to charge...

Just one more hit. That's all she needed to do. Then she would have successfully killed her first monster. To most, killing a simple boar was nothing. However, too Cyn, this was the first step into a completely new world... A world of fighting... Fighting far more advanced then all her Kendo classes, and that day in the alley... Shifting her feet, Cyn held out her blade. But she did not move... No, she just stood completely still... Breathing in and out slowly as she focused on her opponent. Her expression darkened as she stared at the creature...

With one more furious whine, the boar began charging straight towards Cyn! Despite its low health, it was still extremely fast... But Cyn continued to stand her ground, waiting for the right moment. As the monster came close, her blade began to glow, and within an instant she spun out of the creature's path just in time. Dragging her sword across the monster's body as it ran past. Of course, the impact of her blade caused the monster to stumble and roll on the grass before it slid several feet. The particles of Cyn's sword art still shining on her blade... Within an instant the creature exploded into a large array of pixels...

Cyn said nothing, but just turned over to where the beast was a few seconds ago... Then looking down at her sword. A look of anger on her face.

Roll:

Cyn followed Sey up to one of the low level booths, and her small smile disappeared when Sey responded to her sarcasm. Perhaps sarcasm wasn't her strong suite. She stood silent as he began to tap on the info window that popped up once they got the NPC's attention. Following his instructions, she pressed the little icon with the question mark icon. However, something strange happened after that. A notification popped up on her menu. Raising an eyebrow, she looked over to Sey for a moment, and clicked on the little circle icon. Soon another window popped up. It read "Choosing the weapon that fits you!" Then it had instructions. Apparently it was some sort of personality quiz. The thing would present you with various questions, and depending on your answers, it would gift you with a certain starter weapon that corresponded with your choices. It seemed Sey was right. Starter weapons weren't hard to come by after all.

She backed up a bit to get some space, and tapped the menu. There were 10 questions total, and Cyn took careful time to observe, and think about each one. The whole thing took her about 3 minutes, before finally pressing the final answer, her menu disappeared. She looked around for a moment to see if anything had changed. "Did I win?" She asked to no one. However, suddenly the man behind the booth began to speak.

"Heheheh! Good answers young lady! I think this weapon would suite you the best!" Suddenly, the image of a long, iron sword popped up on her menu. Raising an eyebrow, she looked it over. It was a Katana... A two handed weapon that was known for doing considerable damage, while being light enough to easily maneuver with it. Soon, she tapped the acceptance icon and the long blade suddenly materialized on her waist as her original iron curved weapon poofed away. Staring it with wide eyes for a second, Cyn reached down and unsheathed the long blade. It's handle was black, while its long edge was a frayed iron. She gripped it for a second, staring at it with a slight look of awe in her eyes. "I guess so..."

As Cyn continued to walk, she stopped, noticing that Sey wasn't headed in the same direction as her. Shrugging it off, she began to follow him. He told her that the first thing they needed to do was find a shop. Apparently he was sure they'd be giving away weapons for free. That didn't sound very likely, and even if it was, why did she need his help to do this? Shrugging it off, Cyn would just continue to walk beside the taller man to see where this ended up. It wasn't long until the duo had reached the market plaza, where players of all levels gathered with NPC's to conduct trade. Even though this was the first floor, it still had very good loot for the players that could afford it.

She took one look around, and then turned over to Sey. "Alright Business man. Where do we go first? Think you can haggle the NPC's?" She said with a slight chuckle.