H3LL0

"Y-yes please!" Ell replied. He was ready to play with Col, but with this kind of offer, he knew he had to take it.

"3 tier 1 materials, right, on it."

Ell went to his menu and sent Macradon his payment. A few minutes later, it was done. Ell got his Golden Sun Dagger and tested it out. He slashed with it, thrust, and made some few attempts trying to switch the dagger to and from reverse-grip. He walked towards the exit.

Something like this in a few minutes? This guy really is a pro.

He was already at the door when he ran back to Macradon.

"Thanks a lot sir. I'd probably be back here for some time in the future, so see you then." Ell bowed and headed for the exit.

"There goes that Lil p***y." Ell said looking at the spot where the dark knight was last spotted.

"Please, call me Ell." He said as he approached @Outlander, extended his fist, and tried to make a fist bump.

"Good job standing up against that guy, I mean, with that all black emo armor, and that creepy stupid way he talks. I guess newbs will always be newbs no matter the looks huh?" He said, smiling, remembering the days when he used to put newbs where they belong.

"Well, it was such a drag when you guys stopped. There I was at the corner, waiting to get entertained, then poof! That creep backs out. Some guy to be feared he is. Anyways, what is your relationship with the Dark Knight?"

Ell looked back at the spot where he disappeared then back at Outlander. He then realised that he may have been asking too much.

"W-well you don't have to answer it. I- I mean a stranger like me, prying in to your life definitely sounds weird. Please forgive me."

<<The First Few Lessons are Free>>: Gathering Herbs 3/5

"I knew I would be lucky today!"

Evan said looking at awe in at the herb he just picked up.

"Alright, now for the herboar, where could you have gone my dear little thing?"

Evan continued on the tracks of the boar. He even started to jog happily as he looked for his last two quest requirements.

"Oh wait, there's still the part where we craft a healing potion. I hope it is not as hard as this one because that would be a drag." 

Evan then finally reached the end of the path. It ended at a bush, a dead end.

He went to the bush, and through it then he found the herboar itself.

He reached for its hide in an attempt to get some herbs.

ID: 94132 Result: LD =20 -Success

<<The First Few Lessons are Free>>: Gathering Herbs 4/5

"And now we are down to the last one. Perfect."

Evan followed the prints the best he can. He kind of had a feeling that this would not be complete by the end of the day because of the rotten luck he has.

"Skill. Skill always counts. It is the only thing that counts. I would rather be testing myself against boss monsters than waste my time, trying to gamble my way for Herbs."

He took a rest for a minute and had a snack under a tree. It was the same old stale bread he had been eating for days. It was the cheapest around. Of course being the cheapest, it did not mean that it was the best.

"What a drag, this sucks. I'd better get myself a cook one of these days. Never thought that taste would such have a large effect within the Nerve Gear.”

Just as he stood up, Evan found another herb and took it. It did not wither this time.

ID:  94127 Result: LD =19 -Success.

"I'm certain about one thing. My group won't win this contest. They have me, after all. How does yours fare? Oh, and..." He watched the fighters again. "Have you popcorn?" The guy who introduced himself as Gwydion said as he showed Ell the vine that he had gathered.

"Hey, did you know that talking normally would be less of a drag for you and me? Like, come on man, I have to install a translator just for the sake of both of us. By the way I have no idea what you're talkin about, groups, gathering, I just got here." Ell said turning back to the fight.

Oh no. This guy tried his best to approach me, assuming I'd do nothing to him, and I just got to be this much of an a**hole to discriminate this guy. I'm not going to lose this chance, I need people by my side when the time comes. He thought.

Ell was going to start apologizing when another stranger joined the conversation.

"So, what's that about?" He asked the Ell "I'm Ryo by the way. Future Hero of Aincrad. And you all are?"

"I guess I haven't made my introduction yet. Sorry about a while ago man, you can go speak how ever you want, this is just a game after all." He said facing Gwydion. He then turned to Ryo.

"Name's Ell, this guy here is Gwydion." He said pointing a finger at himself then Gwydion as he introduced them both.

"Gwydion is a... He's uuhh... Well he's my...  He's well..." Ell said trying to say friend,  but failed to. They have just recently met after all.

Ell unconciously put his hand in the bush, trying to find berries at it's own as Ell looked at the ground, thinking what social status he had with Gwydion.

ID: 94060 Result: LD =1 -Fail

(The next day)

"Alright you little herboar, you'd better show yourself because I've got a lot of stuff to show you!" 

Evan was back in the forest once again. This time, he came preapared as he has just received his new robe from "The Hanger."

He started to climb trees to look for it even easier, but the herboar was nowhere to be found. So, he went back to the ground to conserve more energy and because it wasn't a drag just to walk slowly and relax.

He continued walking until he stopped for he saw hoof prints on the ground.

Herboar!

Evan started to run, following the tracks. At the middle of the track, he found an herb, identical to the one he had failed to gather yesterday. He tried to pick it up. But it turned brown and withered away.

ID: 94042 Result: LD =7 -Fail.

"Looks like I just have to get them off of you myself."

Evan stood back up and resumed his walking following the path.

Fight! FIght! Fight! Fight! Fight! This thought echoed in Ell's mind. He was so excited just how cool PVP would be in the Nerve Gear.

His thoughts were interrupted by a hand on the shoulder. He was already going to jump away and draw his dagger when the owner of the hand whispered to his ear.

 "Calm! It's okay. I'm Gwydion, a friend. What's going on here?"

Well that was reassuring.

Ell calmed down and started to try to explain the situation.

"Uh... you see sir I uhh... just got here and uhh... the guy on black was like, saying something about the other guy paying for his sins blah blah blah, and he also called the other guy a "Careless Mercenary"."  Ell paused then continued. "Yeah... so that's all I know sir."

Ell then continued to watch the other two players who were about to fight.

"My bet is on the guy with the black armor, he is so going to crush the other guy. I'm so lucky that the player Novafire invited me here, it may not be she that I found, but boy am I lucky to have found this instead."

"Novafire, Novafire, Novafire, what a drag,it would have been easier if she replied to me and told me a precise location. It'd be easier to find her that way."

Ell thought for a moment, then he came to a conclusion.

"I guess she didn't need me anymore and left. Such a drag, well, I can't let this walk go to waste. I'd better get some stuff." He sighed as he went to a brush and looked for some berries.

ID:94027 Result: LD = 11 -Fail

"Well that's normal, I never was meant for this job." He sighed.

Then at the distance, he noticed to other players, both with their weapons drawn. He kept his place behind the bush as he watched the other two fight.

"A PVP eh? The first time I'll be seeing one in this game. So, which of you are getting schooled?"

He looked to and from the two. Both of them looked scary enough for Ell to brand them as powerful so he had doubts.

"Looks like we'll see." He watched them have their talk, but the hatred on each other's eyes were clear. They were not one to back down that easily.

"What a drag, I wish I was the one out there, having a fight. I wonder how my first PVP would go." 

Ell continued to watch.

Ell was looking around the shops of the first floor, finding someone who could fulfill his request. He stumbled upon a shop named "The Blazing Typhoon." He got the jitters just from the name because he heard that the guy who runs the store was one of the most powerful players of Aincrad, Macradon of KoB, someone who commands at the front lines.

"Let's go meet a pro." Ell said as he opened the door, and went inside the shop. 

There were other players in the store. Ell tried to avoid them, trying to make the least possible interaction with them as he can.

Oh no, I feel so OP. He thought

But instead of the meaning being Over Powered like back in the days of my PC games, It means Out of Place. He thought as he examined the players in the room. He then realised that he was the only newb inside so he tried to get this over with as fast as he could. 

He finally made it to the counter.

"H-hello sir, I am Ell, and... Uuhhh... is it possible for you to like, craft this? Ell said handing Macradon, with shaky hands, a paper that contains Ell's order.

"I guess that's enough. I'm going to call it a day." Evan sighed as he breathed in deeply to calm himself.

He started to stand up when he heard something, a snort.

"Alright, something that's worth doing today." He looked for the source of the noise then he came across a boar.

But this was no ordinary boar, it had herbs growing out of its back, the same kind of herbs that he could find around the forest but with a different color which is red rather than green. Then, one of the herbs on its back fell off. As it touched the ground, its color changed to green.

"Alright, here I go!" Evan was ready to pounce when a message interrupted him.

It was from someone named Novafire.

"Okay boar you wait, I'm going to get you tomorrow. As for this guy, I'm going to get myself somewhere safe before I read it."

Before he left, Evan waited for the herboard to head somewhere which did not take long, and tried to gather the kind of herb that fell from it.

ID: 94041 Result: LD =13 -Success

When he finally picked it up. A quest bubble popped up.

<<The First Few Lessons are Free>>: Gathering Herbs 3/5

"There you go, a sign that all my luck is saved for tomorrow."

Ell never was an early riser. His nap may have took too long for he had read the message a while ago yet he had decided to ignore it. 

“Receiving a message from a random player, but having bad luck in all my attempts to gather stuff, what a drag.” He sighed. He took the message and menu away, and sat up on the bench.

”Would you look at that, all my luck is thrown to social interactions instead of the things that could make me succeed an make me better, some game this is. But anyways,”

Ell stood up and mumbled:

”I’ll take advantage of this luck given to me because that’s all I have and I have absolutely nothing to lose.”

He started to walk towards the forest as he replied to @Novafire‘s message -I’ll be there soon assuming you still need me.

Hmmm wonder what he is like, or was it a she? Doesn't matter, I'll be able to see later anywaw. He thought

Ell leapt to action at the sight of the message Hei sent.

On my way - Ell replied to Hei's meesage. He was taking a break at this time so he had free time to go back at Hei's place.

He quickly ran to the shop, excited to get his new rare robe.

"I'm back!" Evan said as he opened the door. He then started to look for a white robe around the shop and he finally found it. 

Ell's Robe, it said.

"And it even has my name on it, cool. I'm actually surprised that you made this quickly, was it that easy?" 

Evan said hoping Hei would hear him from somewhere around the shop.

"Oh and that reminds me, I'll message you about the martial arts quest when I'm ready for it. I still don't have enough SP to take it to Rank 1 and it'd be a drag if I get it and not get. Know what I mean?

Coming home from his unsuccessful attempt to gather materials for <<The First Few Lessons are Free>>, Evan was looking tired and weary ready to rest. It was by the time that he passed through the Town of Beginning's fountain that he read the message. 

"Looks like someone else sent a message to the wrong person. I just had a bad day and it'd be such a drag to go back to the fountain. Outlander huh? Not someone familiar, or maybe I just read over it again, but hey what's there to lose." 

Ell sighed and went back to the fountain. As he walked, he looked for someone with the username Outlander, looking at their health bars.

"What a drag."

He eventually found him with two others, a Benjamin Bookworm, and a Novafire. He went behind the two, keeping silent, trying to grasp the situation first.

@Outlander @Benjamin Bookworm @Novafire

Evan was looking tired and uninterested. The game that got him hyped once made him feel bad. 

"It's probably because I'm just stressed and tired. I mean, this is the stage that we once called "The struggle of beginners." He said, remembering the days when he would play video games with this brother.

"Okay, one more failed gather and I'll call it a day. Doing too much of this only hoping to succeed but fail so badly is only gonna be much of a drag. Alright, next attempt to get a success, here we go."

Evan searched and searched for herbs. He did it with the most effort he could muster, he was going to get a rest after getting nothing from this anyway.

ID: 93853 Result: 10 -Failed

Evan then stood up with the slightest look of happiness in his face.

"This is too much! Too much of a drag! How the hell do people complete this with a drop rate like that?!"

"Is that so? Well thanks anyways." Ell replied with a smile as he immediately equipped his Silk robe and New boots. 

"Perfect."

He tried to walk around the shop with the boots on, trying to keep a straight face. But his eyes couldn't hide that he was delighted.

"As for the robe, well please make sure it has EVA+1 and Savvy okay? I'd be willing to pay you right  now." Ell said as he quickly made the transaction, transfering 700 Col to Hei.

"I guess that's all. Thanks again! I'll see ya next time when I come to get a new robe and when we do the quest, okay? 

Ell walked through the shop's door and then outside, he took one last look at the shop and smiled.

"Would you look at that. Looks like I could get some friends after all."

"If there's something special about them, then I'll take them. Thanks! As for that Martial Arts skills you were talking about, you sure you're going to help me when the time comes. I mean I do want to do it just not right now." 

 "Lastly," Ell unequipped his silk robe and sent it to Hei. "You think you can make this better? It's a vanity item but I don't wanna change the way I look. So, do you think you can turn into a rare equipment? (EVA+1 | Savvy +1) 

He then noticed how demanding he'd become since being comfortable with Hei.

"I mean if you do have the time and energy, could you do it for me?" 

"Another bad luck side again maybe?" Evan said as he stood up looking down, with a big frown on his face.

Just like before he started to walk 5 meters towards the opposite side of where he first gathered.

"This should do the trick. It worked before then it should work again this time." 

Unsure if what he is saying is true anymore; and whether it helps him find a silver lining in this situation, Evan let out a huge sigh and knelt down again. He looked and looked as hard as he can for herbs in the area he was in. From the look in his face he had clearly lost his optimism.

 "This becoming more and more of a drag. But I’m going to try one more time."

ID: 93817 Result: 16 –Success

<<The First Few Lessons are Free>> Gathering Herbs 2/5

"Oh look I found one yay." Evan said lousily.

He was clearly losing interest on what he was doing.

"Alright, maybe if I go gather in a place where herbs normally grow, there would maybe at least a good chance to find more of them there." Evan said while running,heading towards a deeper part of the forest northwest the Town of Beginnings. But before this, he went to take a break in the town.

He eventually did stop and thought for a while of skipping the quest and finding a better way to get stronger at the game. He passed by a Tailor’s shop and bought a pair of boots then continued his journey towards the forest.

Several minutes later, Evan went back to the forest. He then noticed that he was alone.

"Well that's lucky, looks like I can have all the herbs in this place all for myself then? Sadly there will also be no one who could save me in case a high level monster come after me. What a drag, looks like I will have to be in high alert now." 

Evan then started to look around for some herbs.

ID: 93816 Result: 1 -Failed

Ell let out a sigh and said "Uuhh... Thanks I guess?"

He then started to look around the shop that looks cool.

 I'm lucky that his not one of those "easy to get pissed" types, and he seems to be cool too; giving newbies like me free equipment, I've never done something like that with the games back at home, all I did was beat them up and laugh at them for being weak. Maybe I should learn a thing or two from this guy. Naah, being nice is such a drag. 

And then there there's the part where he said "bad jokes"... I suck 

His thoughts were interrupted when he saw a pair of boots. "Well I could use a cool pair of boots." 

Ell took the boots and held onto them as he called for Hei.

"Is there anything special about this one?"

"Hey Hei! Say hello to H3LL0. It's funny how are names work wouldn't you say?" Talking to NPCs felt normal to him. Unlike other players, talking to NPCs felt like answering a test with the questions as NPC scripts.

Wait a minute... Evan thought. He then saw the player icon over the top of Hei's head. 

Congratulations Evan, you just embarassed yourself in front of another person, this is why you don't get any friends you idiot 

He thought as he scolded himself not to speak without thinking ever again.

Ashamed of what he had done, he then decided to get this over fast. 

"N-never mind what I just said call me Ell! uhh... I... uhh... I need an equipment that maybe increases ACC or EVA or o-one that gives debuffs! Please!" He said to Hei blushing, and closing his eyes in order to avoid eye contact, realizing that he was a player.  

Evan was walking around the time of beginnings looking for more ways to either level up, or to be stronger.

"Quests? Too much of a drag. Killing monsters? Such a drag too. Crafting and Gathering? Takes too much time, hell no." He mumbled.

He kept on walking and mumbling until he came across a store and came to a stop.

"-buying equipment. Well I do have 2 500 col to spare. Guess it wouldn't hurt to spend some." He said as he started to walk towards the shop.

"The Hanger." He read as he opened the door and went in.

• Col - 2 500
• Tier 1 Materials - 10
• Tier 2 Materials - 0
• Tier 3 Materials - 0

Link to Journal right here >http://www.sao-rpg.com/topic/15815-h3ll0s-journal/

Evan knelt down. But instead of gathering right away, he prayed. 

Oh god of gathering, assuming you exist or else I'm not gonna get over me looking stupid, please make this job less of a drag, that is all.

"Alright! Hands up and hopes up! Ready, Set! Gather!"

Evan started to gather and he did it with great optimism this time. Challenges that are fun, peaceful, and difficult in a way makes his gamer mindset come to play. He kept his eyes peeled for more herbs and looked for them as fast as he could.

I can't waste my time at a place like this, I need to be stronger in order to reach the top! 

ID: 93806 Result: 4 -Failed

 "Looks like it's no use." Evan sighed.

"Probably it's because the entrance of the forest is out of herbs. Well, looks like I've gotta proceed to Plan B. A forest this dense does look dangerous. But if I remember correctly, the more dangerous an area is the more loot I get."

Evan started to look at the area that seems to have a good chance for herbs to grow. Judging by what he had just experienced earlier, he might have just hit the jack pot. An herb pot of gold.

He then knelt down, and got his hands and eyes ready for successfully gathering more herbs. 

ID: 93779 Result: 10 -Failed

Evan was expecting for another success text like “<<The First Few Lessons are Free>>: Gathering Herbs 2/5” to pop up, but none appeared.

"You cannot be kidding. Come on area you're supposed to be my pot of herbs why are you not producing what you are supposed to give." Evan said standing up and then putting his hands on his hips.

One more try. He thought. It's either bad luck is chasing me or I might have just been careless.

"Alright, one last chance to prove that this area right here is full of herbs. If not, I might consider doing... That."

Evan started to look around for a good chance for herbs to grow. Making his conclusion through his first try, he might have just been unlucky. He walked to a corner, opposite from where he did his first try.

"If that side made me have bad luck, then looking for herbs in this part of the forest should give me a blessing."

He started to kneel down and look for herbs. He searched deeper and deeper, remembering his first try, and how he failed at it.

ID: 93778 Result: 18 -Success

"I got one?" Evan said as he stared at the texts that popped up on his HUD.

<<The First Few Lessons are Free>>: Gathering Herbs 1/5

"Well this was not that bad of a drag after all!" He said as he cherished his moment for his first successful gather.

"Bad luck" He said as he pointed at the area of his first gather. "And player haven. Simple logic, I didn’t believe it would work, but it works. No arguments needed. Guess I'll stick around here a little longer."