Pinball

He hopped off the rock, still on the fence about how he felt about this material gathering. Yes, it will prove to be useful eventually, but the process is just really... monotonous, he finished, scratching the back of his head. He started walking, and then immediatly stopped, as something hiding in a dense patch of grass caught his eys. It was another material! Pinball ran up to the material, crouched, and put it in his inventory. "That's nine," he said out loud, with a smile There's my light armor, right there. Now I just need 14 more, to be able to pay for Eatos's services as well. That rapier and shield won't pay for itself, and I'm certainly not helping anyone by slacking like this. We closed his inventory, and stood once more. Then, he did what has so far been working for him: he just started walking, with his hands in his pockets. 

ID# 89406

LD: 20 (Success!)

1 T1 Material Recovered! 

Total T1 Mats: 9/32

Pinball took a look around the plains, trying to find where a material could potentially be hiding. He noticed a clump of rocks quite a ways into the field, and decided to pursue it. Pinball ran through the fields as fast as he can, his dagger out and in his hand, just in case a mob got it in it's head to attack him. After a bit of running, he made it to the clump of rocks, and he began his search. Unfortunatly, no matter how hard he looked, he could find no materials in, on, or among the clump of rocks. Well, that's a shame, Pinball thought, having run all this way for nothing. Can't win 'em all. He sat on one of the rocks, looking out at the fields. There was sure to be way more materials out there, he would just have to find out where exactly they were. 

ID# 89405

LD: 3+3== 6 (Failure)

No T1 Materials Recovered.

Total T1 MATS: 8/32

Pinball finally made it out of the forest, and was immediatly greeted with a Material, shining, in stark contrast to the green grass of the plains. "Oh God," he said, dropping to his knees. He had been legitamitely scared for his life. Though not for long, he had been lost in a forest, with no way out and a very low damage output. Instead of continuing to worry Pinball, all the experience was harden his resolve to get the material gathering finished. When he finally finishes, he'll be so well set that he won't have to worry about anything. At least, on Floor 1. Pinball put the material in his inventory, counted them up. "That makes eight. Twenty-four more, and I can be finished." Either that, or, he could just call it quits now, and order a weapon from Eatos. He shook his head. No, he would finish it now. He had already come too far. He stood, once again determined to finish his task. 

ID# 89404

LD: 14+3= 17 (Success!) 

1 T1 Material Recovered! 

Total T1 Mats: 8/32

Pinball was, in simple terms, quite lost. He spun around, panicking, which led to him losing which direction he had entered the wooded area. "Damn it," he kept repeating, stomping through the forest as fast as he could without actually starting to run. Stumbled when his foot tripped up on a tree root. "Damn it." Cloak gets caught on a treebranch. "Damn it." Keep walking, only to have ended up spending more than three minutes walking through what appeared to be the same thing over and over. "Damn it!" Pinball dropped to his knees, his head in his hands. I'm going to get killed out here. I have to find a way out. Now! He forced himself up, and chose a random direction. He ran as fast as he could, as far as he could, only stopping taking a few breaks to catch his breath. During one of his sprints, he could've sword he saw a material, but it ended up just being a fallen leaf. "Damn it."

ID# 89402

LD: 1 (Failure) 

No T1 Materials recovered. 

Total T1 Mats: 7/32

Pinball took a stretch, cracked his knuckles. He stepped up to the boulder, a look of calm determination in his eyes. He brought his fist back, and down onto the boulder with an audible crack! He had landed a critical hit. He jumped backwards, then walked back to Stryder. I hit it again, thank God, he thought, immensely relieved. The boulder shouldn't have that much health left, and at the rate they were going, they would be done within the next hour. "Alright, then," Pinball said aloud, more to himself than to Stryder. "We should be getting this done soon, you don't think?" Stryder, after all, had the most experience with this thing. He was in possession of the MA skill himself, and even focused on it as a primary means of fighting. Even if we don't finish it as soon as I hoped, at least I'll get it eventually. It shouldn't be too much longer. 

ID# 89401 

BD: 10 (Critical Hit!) 

1 base + 2 crit = 3 DMG! 

Boulder: 23/50 

Instead of actually looking for materials like he knew he should be, Pinball spent his time thinking about his player stats. As of now, his damage was pitifully low, even for a level 6. He didn't want to put any SP into his dagger skill yet, though, as he was saving it until he had enough COL to refund his dagger skill. He figured after investing into the Rapier skill, he would try invest in the light armor as well. But first, he would have to gather these materials to buy perfect items from his guild's blacksmith and tailor, Eatos and Hei. He would need approximatly 14 mats for Eatos, to order a Rapier and a shield, and he would need 9 mats for Light armor from Hei. Getting lost in his thoughts, Pinball wandered too deeply into the trees, and found no materials. "Damn it." Now he was going to have to find his way out. 

ID# 89397

LD: 8+3= 11 (Failure) 

No T1 Materials Recovered.

Total T1 Mats: 7/32

Pinball took a step forward, towards the boar, and immediatly, another material caught his eye. "Christ," he muttered, "any other day I wouldn't be finding anything." He smiled to himself, kind of offput by the fact that he was dissapointed by discovering materials. Well, the only reason you're out here in the first place is to be gathering materials anyways. Might as well follow through with what you said about continuing. He recieved the materials, albeit a bit dissapointed, and crouched, watching the boars. Bored, he traced lines into the dirt with his dagger, praying that the boar would somehow get hostile and attack him. He waited like that for a while, just waiting for something bad to happen. When nothing did, he stood, sheathed his dagger, and started walking again, passing the boars roaming the plains. Heading towards the trees again, Pinball thinks. I've had luck with the trees so far, my luck has to run out with this at some point. I really just want an excuse to fight a boar. 

ID# 89394 

LD: 20 (Success!)

1 T1 Material Recovered! 

Total T1 Mats: 7/32

Pinball started walking, his hands in his pocket and his dagger on his belt. The package was safely in his inventory, and he decided he wouldn't be the one to open it. Besides, it wasn't meant for him, and to do so would be very rude. The package was to go to some girl, who was last reported to be drawing in a tree grove. Tealeaf had given him detailed directions, and had even sent him off with a smile and a pat on the back. According to Tealeaf, the package contained some kind of band that the girl had ordered. Pinball was walking through the plains now, passing boars on all sides of him, but none in his direct path. "You know what," he said, stopping mid-walk. "I'm gonna kill a boar. Maybe I'll get lucky and score some COL." Pinball unsheathed his dagger, looked left and right, identified the closest mob to him, and darted straight to it, his dagger held tightly in his right hand. 

Pinball walked out into the fields, leaving the grove of trees far behind him. The breeze was lovely, a calming and comforting gust of air every so often, bringing a chill to his bones. The plains and the morning sky made a lovely picture, Pinball thought. Except... The mobs littered across the plains made Pinball uncomfortable. He told himself that when the next search he does fails, he would start fighting mobs. He was at a lack of Col, and he would need quite a bit if he was going to refund his dagger skill. In his thoughts, Pinball stumbled, tripped by a lump in the ground. This time, however, Pinball was prepared, and he managed to catch himself with a few backwards steps before he fell. "Jesus Christ," he let out, walking over to the lump and collecting the material. "Well, either way, that's one more down. Six, I think." Pinball put the material in his inventory, checking how many he had. Yep, six. Just 26 more to go. Pinball glared once more at the mobs in the plains, and then started walking again. 

ID# 89392

LD: 17 (Success!)

T1 Material Recieved! 

Total T1 Mats: 6/32 

The time is 8:23 A.M. There is a slight breeze, and the random NPC can be seen wandering the fields. Pinball is walking through the town he had completed the Second Lesson in, and was still left rather pumped for another quest. As of right now, Pinball was struggling to decide whether or not he should try to get the Third Lesson done the same day. He weighed his options over. I can get this whole quest line done today, I'm sure of it. But I probably won't have the motivation to do anything after it for a while. If I get it all done today, I won't have to worry about it, anymore. Pinball sucked in a large breath of air, and let it out through his nose. "Fine," he muttered. "Hey, Lyle!" The old blacksmith turned, a smile on his face. "Why, hello there lad! What can I do for you?" Pinball looked at his hands, flexed them. Then, back at the blacksmith, he says, "Anything I can do to help?" The blacksmith stroked his chin, appearing to be deep in thought. "Well, there is a package I've been meaning to deliver..." An Accept Quest? screen popped into view, with the options Yes or No. Pinball hesitated, then clicked Yes. <<The Third Lesson, Is Just as Free>>.

The discovery of the next material was much like the first one, except he didn't trip, and he almost missed seeing it. As Pinball was walking, a sparkle amongst a grove of trees caught his eye. Excited, he rushed towards the glimmer, hoping to find the materials. The problem was, he only saw it glimmer once, and after that there was nothing to use as reference. Therefore, he spent a good ten minutes digging around the dirt of the grove looking for the material. Just as he was about to give up, he had the strange inclination to look up. Resting in the branches, looking very out of place, was a Material. Pinball, after chuckling, climbed the tree, this time much easier than the first time he had attempted to do so. He retrieved the material, and lazily rolled off the branch, hitting the ground and rolling in an attempt to prevent fall damage. It really was an unwarranted move, however, as the tree wasn't nearly as high up as Pinball thought it was. But he himself was not aware of that. He pocketed the material. "Five down," was all he said as he left the grove.

ID# 89391 

LD: 13 + 3= 16 (Success!) 

T1 Material Recovered! 

Total T1 Mats: 5/32 

Pinball kept walking, not exactly focusing on anything in particular. His thoughts weren't of gathering Mats, they were of home. Of Florida, of it's beaches and cities, of Japan, of it's countryside and urbanized environment. He was about to let out a homesick sigh, but instead tripped over some lump on the ground. He fell directly forward, and with his hands in his pocket he had nothing to catch himself with. He hit the ground with a dull thump, a cloud of dirt following his landing. "Son of a..." He stood, dusted his clothes off. His black cloak had dirt marks on it, an impressive small detail when compared with the scale of the game. He wiped off the dirt on his armor and cloak as best he could, then turned to see what he had tripped over. "Oh!" It was a material, shining in the sunlight. He picked it up, put it in his inventory. "Well, that's one may to find materials." That's 4, 28 more to go. 

ID# 89390 

LD: 17 (Success!) 

T1 Material Recovered! 

Total T1 Mats: 4/32 

Stryder seemed grimly happy with his kill, as shown by the large smile he gave the two of them. Pinball recieved the col, a little bit surprised. "I really don't think I need this, you did all the work." He took a step back, examining the spot where the Dire Wolf hadjust been standing, snarling at them. If Stryder could kill the thing in two hits, Pinball could only imagine what would happen if Stryder was intent on killing him. "Wow, you really do a number on these mobs," he said, looking at Stryder's fists. He almost expected them to be smoking, the way he hit the thing. "And just with your fists. Very impressive," he added, sheathing his dagger. He was visibly uncomfortable with holding the dagger, and stared at the ground for a bit. I really need to pick up a new weapon. This just isn't cutting it. "So, is there any particular reason you called us here?" Pinball asked, suddenly curious. "Or are we only here to fight mobs? If that's the case, I don't think I'd be able to keep up with you."

-Recieved 250 COL from <Stryder> 

Pinball took a while to search the patch, because he wanted to make sure that there was absolutely nothing there. He took a few minutes to search, stopped, searched again. Nothing jumped out at him. "Damn," he cursed. Can't win 'em all, I guess. He placed his hands on his hips, looked up at the sky. He saw as far up as he was able, but the view was mostly blocked by the bottom of the Second Floor. I'll see this games sky. I'll make it to the top, and see the top of Aincrad. And then I'll go home, look at the sky, and I'll know that nothing beats the real sky. These weirdly optimistic thoughts put Pinball a bit off, and he shoved his hands in his pockets, clearly a sign of being uncomfortable. "Alright, back to searching I guess," he decided. Hopefully I'll find some more with this next search, I don't want to be here any longer than I have to. He took a quick look around, and started walking, without a clear destination in mind. 

ID# 89359

LD: 5 + 3= 8 (Failed!) 

No materials found. 

Total T1 Mats: 3/32 

With more than a tiny bit of struggle, Pinball managed to climb the tree, and immediatly uncovered a material, hiding tucked away in between its trunk and branches. "Wow, I honestly didn't expect that one," he said aloud, genuinly surprised. His luck was holding out very well indeed. Which is why the next place I look is going to be completely barren of any materials whatsoever, he thought bitterly. He trudged into the plains again, his feet dragging against the dirt, kicking up dust. Where to look, where to look... There! Pinball pinpointed a thick, dense patch of grass much like the second place he looked. He couldn't see any other patches around, but Pinball attributed that to his general lack of direction. With my luck, it'll be the exact same patch I searched the first time. It also doesn't help my odds that I lucked out the past three searches. "Well, universe, let's see if you really are being nice to me today," he muttered, and walked over to the dense grass for a search. 

ID# 89358 

LD: 18 (Success!) 

1 T1 Material recieved. 

Total T1 Materials: 3

Pinball took a few steps towards the patch of grass, and immediatly saw something twinkle. He rummaged through the grass faverishly, eager to get his hand on another material. T1 Material Recieved! "Yes!" Pinball exclaimed, pocketing the material. Both of his two attempts were successful, but he wondered how long that would last. Luck doesn't hold out forever. Maybe if he looked in a tree, try to rapidly change the areas he looked in. Maybe it would help him find the materials faster. He decided to give it ago. Pinball rushed over to the nearest tree (which was a good distance away), his footsteps landing hard and loud against the grass of the plains. He finally arrived at the tree, took a breather, and then straightened himself out again. "You're up next, buddy," he said to the tree. He felt like adding a vague pun, just to make the tree uncomfortable. Because you can totally bother trees, he thought sheepishly. Either way, he ended up saying, "Let's find out if your bark is worse than your bite!" That didn't even make sense. 

ID# 89357 

LD: 19 (Success!) 

1 T1 Material recieved. 

Total T1 Mats: 2

Pinball decided that the best place to start would be the easiest place to start. And that easy way was by rummaging through the bushes. Pinball searched for a good two minutes, until he found something. His first T1 Mat! It must've been well hidden, because it seemed to be blended with it's surroundings, almost impossible to notice. Lucky me, he thought with a satisfied chuckle, or maybe it wasn't luck at all. Maybe it was the cloak that helped me find it. He pushed the thought aside. It didn't really matter, he gets the material anyways. He gathered the material, putting it in his inventory, then checked his surroundings. He managed to spot a dense patch of grass not too far away from him, perfect for concealing the odd Material. He decided that that patch of grass was the next place he would look. And if that didn't work, well... He cast a quick glance at the wild boars grazing the plains. There were always alternative solutions.

ID# 89356

LD: 13+3= 16 (Sucess!) 

1 T1 Mat Recovered.

Total T1 Mats: 1 

Pinball stumbled backwards, caught off guard by the Dire Wolf's sudden appearence. It was a hulking beast, much bigger and much scarier than an average wolf found on the first floor. Stryder seemed super calm about it, and engaged it without hesitation. It shouldn't be that much of a problem, Pinball thought, if Stryder took it in such... well, stride. He seemed to deal considerable damage, as the Dire Wolf appeared to be in quite the bit of pain after his attack. Not wanting to seem cowardly, and also wanting to help out, Pinball made the rash decision to attack the wolf as well. He was well aware he wouldn't deal nearly enough damage to make much of a difference, but he didn't let that stop him. Pinball swallowed his fear, and took a step forward. He activated <Round Accel>, leaving two thin gashes on the wolf's side, before leaping behind Stryder once more. "Hope you can take it from here, man, that's the best I can do." He let out a breath, gripped his dagger tightly, and warily eyed the Dire Wolf. 

ID# 89355

COMBAT: 

BD: 8 (Hit!) 

DMG= 1r+1b+1e= 3 * 2 = 6 DMG

Pinball deals 6 DMG! 

<Pinball> Health- 120/120 Energy- 10/12

<Dire Wolf> Health- 89/250

Pinball took a breath, and stepped into the fields. His goal for today was a simple one. Bring back enough materials so he could order what Perfect item from the Guild's Tailor and Blacksmith, Hei and Eatos. He was wearing his old guild's uniform, the Cloak of the Harbingers, that apparently increased his odds at finding materials. He wasn't sure how long it would take him to get these materials, but he knew he wanted at least gather 32. If that wasn't possible, then he would come back another time with others to help out. Either way, he would get these materials, and that was for sure. Whether it be via fighting mobs or just searching the bushes, he would get it done. "Well," he said, pulling up the hood on his cloak, "Let's do this." With those last words, he ran off, further into the plains of the first floor.

Pinball opened the door, leaned against the frame, and with an overly casual finger gun, says, "Hei," using his name as a greeting. This doesn't work out for him very well, because he quickly becomes very flustered, realizing he still barely knew the man. Shaking his head and nervously looking around the room, Pinball takes a shy step forward, closing the door behind him.Without sparing another word, he rushed up to the counter, and almost guiltily tells Hei that: "I'm here for that old Cloak I never picked up. Cloak of the Harbingers, I think? Sorry that I'm so late. Not even in that guild anymore, eh?" After recieving the cloak, he heads hurriedly walks to the door, now excited to get back to his adventure. "Thank you, thank you! I'll be back for an order! Got some spare Mats with your name on it, buddy! I won't forget this!" The door slams behind him, and as quickly and spontaneously as he came, Pinball left. 

Recieved:

Pinball looked down at the new voice, to be greeted by a small, pink haired girl. "Oh," he said aloud, a bit startled by her age. To be so young, and trapped in this hell of a game. He shook his head, and smiled. "Hey," he said, sticking his hand out to her. "You can call me Pinball." Pinball took a second to think, at the moment, still unsure on why this girl was greeting him. She must have joined the guild, if she came here to meet Stryder as well. But who took her to meet him? "Um, is there anyone with you? Anyone that makes sure you stay safe?" Oh lord, please don't tell me she wanders around by herself. That'd be terrible! It reminded him of the true horror of this game once again, and, quite frankly, it didn't help that Pinball had a small spot for the young and elderly. "If there's someone with you, shouldn't you wait for them? It's awful dangerous out here, especially the higher up the floor you go."

Quest Reward: 

Name: Plain Leather Armor

Item Type: Light Armor

Rarity: Uncommon 

Enhancement: +1 MIT

Description: A plain, leather breastplate. Offers minimal protection.

Link: http://www.sao-rpg.com/topic/15148-sp-f1-dedication-complete/?do=findComment&comment=526790

Evaluations n' stuff. I don't know. Will be posting everything after this, just getting established~

THREAD SUMMARY 

<Pinball> recieves: 

*400 col 

*2 SP + 1 SP (Reward + Complete thread) 

*Potion of Safeguard (for use in the Third Lesson)

* One Tier-One Armor (described in Pinball's Evals) 

"Jesus Christ," he muttered, recieving Stryder's message. "Already?" He was just about to grab something to eat, and here comes his Guild Leader out of the blue. "Ah, well," the boy muttered, closing the message. He was in charge, and he had told Stryder he was going to help out. Pinball, after all, was the one who followed Stryder out of the Emerald Harbingers. Grunting, Pinball headed towards the telepad, going to where Stryder told him to meet...

"Hey, man," Pinball said with a small wave. "What's up? Training day?" He tried not to show it, but behind his initial exhasperation, Pinball was actually excited to meet up with Stryder. It presented an oppurtunity to get more powerful, as well as strengthen his bond with his Guild Leader. Which is never a bad thing, if the real world ever taught me anything. He had actually never visited this floor, and he couldn't help but look around as he talked. Either way, Pinball did his best to keep eye contact with his leader, hoping to make a good first impression.