Neopolitan

Neo soon after found another boar pup on its own, almost as if the game was wiling her to continue her wanton murder. This one was already facing her though, so no surprise would be in order. Neo went to release her now standard sword art and didn't notice the boar charging at her. The boar was small enough and trying to dodge her strikes that it went underneath her legs, but this unfortunately meant that Neo's attack completely missed. Once again, Neo was faced with the prospect of repeated charges at one another.

This can certainly get quite repetitive, I can only hope though that at least the flavor of the fights change as one progresses through this beast of a game.

The boar had turned around and prepped for another charge as Neo mirrored near identical motions. The two stared at each other before beginning to run at each other.

The boar was completely unaware of what was to come. Neo had gotten the process down now, and could already feel the aura around her. Everything but the sound of her breathing began to quiet down, energy flowing through her. She let the blade guide her once more, this time directly at the boar pup in front of her. With two quick slashes, the squeal of the boar was silenced as quickly as it began. The boar shattered into the many red pixels Neo was beginning to become quite familiar with. As soon as the pixels disappeared Neo began to look for the tusk. But after a few minutes, she was unable to find one.

Guess it doesn't always drop. Oh well, just means I need to work a little harder next time.Time to find the next boar pup for me to take out.

Neo continued her search for the next boar in the fields growing ever dark as the moon began to set.

Neo continued her tireless search for her next target, and as she did so, noticed her health bar go back to full.

Well, it's nice to know that I regenerate relatively quickly. The creators of this game were kind enough to give us that luxury.

Neo felt more invigorated than ever as she spotted another pup. This one seemed ever so slightly bigger than the last one that she took down, and in response Neo approached much more carefully.

Less recklessness, more carefulness. Wait to engage until certain a strike will be reached, a strike that misses isn't a strike at all.

Neo kept the boar pup's back to her as best as she could, making sure she wasn't spotted until absolutely certain that this would be her next victim, a gift of the game that she had to accept if she were to escape this horrendous game of death.

The boar was coming at her, malicious intent in its eyes. But Neo didn't even hear it coming. Everything began to grow faint as she felt that aura return once again.

Here we go, time to tear this boar into pieces. Then I'll be one step closer to achieving my goal of making it to the front lines.

She let the aura take control guiding her every move like it was natural to her. The beast was stamping its feet into the ground as it loomed ever closer. But it didn't matter. Neo let loose two quick strikes of her blade and suddenly she heard a shattering sound, almost deafening to her now open ears. The boar pup was gone, and in its place it had left one of its little tusks for her to collect. Neo grabbed the tusk and began looking for another isolated boar pup to take down.

Stand still, put your right foot forward, no wait, the left. Maybe it should be the right, does it even matter to the sword art. What if it's because of handedness. Am I holding the blade wrong, maybe change the grip up a little bit...

Distracted in her thoughts once again, Neo didn't even realize that the boar was already charging at her. The little things hit her square on, and she was staggered by the impact. Thankfully, the boar wasn't full grown or she would've likely been knocked flat by it. She saw her health bar drain, but not nearly as much as with her fight against the adult boar that evening.

Either this boar hits much less harder, or I've already gotten stronger. Either way, I need to take this thing out quickly.

Neo steadied herself once more and prepared to try and activate her sword art once again.

The two both charged at each other simultaneously. Neo filled with the rage of doing nothing for so long and the boar filled with whatever the game puts inside of it. Both charged with the intent to kill, or at least maim. However, it was the boar this time that misjudged where to go. It charged off to the side and caused both of them to go wide with their strikes. Neo attempted to correct, but nearly lost her balance doing so. Having to regain her footing once more, Neo tried to formulate a strategy that didn't involve incessant charging.

Let's play a bit on the defensive, let the boar come to me and I can figure out where to place my strike. I should hopefully be able to take it out much easier if I don't have to worry about as many things at once.

The boar prepped for yet another charge.

Neo goes in for a stabbing lunge at the little beast quickly. However, she overestimated how large it was and misses completely. The boar seems more than a bit fazed, unsure about what just happened to it. As Neo gets up from over guessing her lunge, the little pup just sits there, still in a daze. Using this to her advantage, Neo takes the time to steady herself again and actually analyze her opponent.

Can't let me aggression blind me from the task at hand. I need to make sure that I get this done and get this done quickly. I'm going to have to do this multiple times and I don't want to be out here all night still looking to gather boar pup tusks.

The boar starts to snort and swipe its hoof across the ground preparing to charge.

Well then, if you're ready little guy, so am I.

Neo wandered out into the open fields, looking for a target. She spotted several boar pups, but many of them were surrounded by other fully grown boars. Neo just wanted to find an isolated pup that would be much easier to kill. As the night became ever more enveloping, she found one. A single little boar pup just waiting to be killed. She should've felt some remorse for killing the creature, but spurred by her lust to finally become useful she didn't hesitate to ready her weapon. The boar pup just stood there, not realising what was about to come to it. Its breaths were numbered from this point forward, and Neo would witness the last of them. Suddenly, the boar turned and saw Neo, poised to strike, and almost looked startled.

It's just a virtual monster, but they sure did a good job in trying to make me regret this.

Neo had approached the blacksmith, who greeted her with a warm smile so contrasting to her mood just that morning.

"Hello there, I see you brought me a package from Zackariah, how kind of you. Say, if you don't mind, I can use a little help of my own here. I've run a little short on some of my rarer materials and would love if you could help gather them for me." Neo nods her head in agreement, hesitant to have to go do the same thing all over again. "I've been in need of some boar pup tusks for a while now, if you would please go fetch some for me, that would be wonderful."

Neo stayed for a little bit, making sure that the man didn't have any dialogue left to give. She then quickly left for the fields outside the Town of Beginnings once again. However, this time with the intent to kill.

Thread Summary

20  role-playing posts: 1 SP

Combat: 1 T1 Mat, <<Unidentified T1 Rare Weapon>>, 30 Col

Quest Completed <<The First Few Lessons Are Free>> - Reward: 5x T1 uncommon Health Potions (+40 HP), 1x T1 damage potion (+1 DMG), 1x T1 overhealing potion (+50 temp.HP), 2 bonus SP

Neo walks through the city and finds the old man, standing in the same position he was this morning.

"Good, it appears you have found all the materials I requested of you. Now if you would follow me please, I have another task for you to do." The old man guides Neo to a crafting station nearby. "Please make a potion for me, don't worry if you fail. It can take time to get better at something like this."

Neo took her spot at the crafting bench and tried to interact with it. It came up with a prompt asking what she would like to craft, and she picked the only option available, assuming it was the one she needed for the quest. She felt herself being slightly pulled through the motions of mixing together ingredients to make a potion, likely because it was a tutorial, and eventually came up with a potion. She brought it to the old man.

"Very good, you succeeded on your first try, and with quite astonishing results at that. I have on last thing for you to do, please deliver this package to Lyle Tealeaf. He's a local blacksmith that you can find on the opposite side of the plaza."

Neo took the package and headed towards the blacksmith. When she got there, Lyle greeted her warmly.

"Thank you for bringing this to me. If you want to stay, I have a couple things that I could use help with."

Neo nodded for him to continue

I won't give up, no matter what. I will fight until there is no more left to fight.

Neo looked at the boar, who was huffing tiredly. She took her advantage and charged at the boar, the tables being turned. Right as she reached the boar, she lunged directly at it. The blade went in, and suddenly the boar shattered into a plethora of pixels. A reward screen popped up showing what she got, another material for her own use and an unidentified weapon.

Wonder what this weapon is, guess I'll have to find out somehow. And an extra material for me to use, that'll be nice later down the road.

She brushed herself off from the fight and went back into the town of beginnings as the sun finished its setting. As she entered, her back was much straighter. She was not the same person who had left the gates that morning.

Neo was staggering up as the boar charged at her once again. She did everything she could to steel herself, knowing that the incoming attack was unavoidable. As the boar hit her, she managed to at least partially deflect the blow with her rapier. However, the thin blade meant that the boar's tusks were still able to scratch at her. As her health bar dipped into the red, she had to wonder whether or not she would be making it out of here alive.

No, I can't think that. There will always be another day, I'm going to make sure of it. I will always see tomorrow, nothing can stop that from happening. I don't care if that tomorrow is virtual or real, just so long as it is eventually real in the end.

Neo got up, more determined than ever. The sun began to settle into dusk, casting the battle into a deep shadow.

Neo decided, after seeing it work so well, that the same strategy would be the best idea. As the boar charged at her once again, she attempted to sidestep it. However, the boar was expecting it this time and corrected. Neo was hit hard by the boar, and when she had gotten up she realised that her health bar had turned yellow. It dawned on her that it meant she was starting to get low on health, something that she always feared and why she stayed in the Town of Beginnings for so long.

Come on, I probably only need to land one more hit on this boar. It's shambling around and only charging either because that's what the AI is programmed to do or it's trying to finish me off before I can finish it off. Either way, I need to make sure I stop taking so many hits or I won't be making it back to town.

The boar kept over charging, and Neo decided to use this to her advantage. She took a little bit more time in getting up, making sure she had her balance again before making her move. As she got up, the boar did have enough time to turn around. The boar snorted out of its nostrils and scraped a foot, prepping for the charge. In response, Neo held out her rapier.

The boar charged, but Neo was ready. She sidestepped the boar once again, and this time stuck her blade out just enough to get a swiping blow onto the boar. With the boar's momentum, there was little resistance to the strike. A large red gash was left on the side of the boar, which quickly turned around. It seemed as though it were nearing the end of its health

Just a little more and I should be able to finish it off.

Getting back up before the boar could charge at her again, Neo readied her blade and swung at the boar once more. Again she landed another hit, this time without the help of the sword art system. The boar seemed to not care and charged at her with even more fierceness in its eyes. As the boar bore down on her, Neo tried to sidestep again. She didn't make it in time and was hit sidelong by the boar. She was knocked aside and fell prone for a short bit before getting back up again.

Can't die now, not when I've just begun. Just think of all the people who wouldn't want to see you go down, the ones that will get you to the top, the ones that want you to be at the top for them. Someone has to get there and I better not take myself out of the running.

Neo went to strike at the still swerving boar and suddenly felt an aura take over, she felt herself moving naturally with the rapier. It was almost as if she had been wielding it for many years.

This must be the sword arts I always hear people talking about. I always wondered what they meant by that.

She quickly released two strikes in a x pattern and triumphantly looked at the boar. At least she did, until she realised that the strikes were released much to soon. Her face drooped into a much more gloomy look.

Well, it's not like I would never miss a strike in my life or anything. But that was certainly underwhelming.

The boar charges at Neo once again and this time hits her head on. She notices her health bar go down as she gets the wind knocked out of her. As she backs up, Neo prepares to keep hitting at the boar with everything she's got.

The boar, not realising what was going on, lets Neo get an attack in first. With a little bit of fumbling, Neo lunges and manages to land a puncture wound on the boar with her rapier. The boar is left with a small red area on its hide where the strike landed.

That's what you get for eating my plant, now you'll pay for everything else.

The boar attempts to retaliate and charge, but Neo was ready. She quickly sidesteps the charge and the boar misses completely, skidding off into the dirt and quickly turning around. Prepping for her next strike, Neo lets herself be filled with her admittedly over the top anger for losing out on that plant.

No matter what it takes, I have to get better. I'll start with this boar, and then it will be a wolf, and I'll keep going until I'm finally at the top.

Neo was closing in on the Town of Beginnings, when she finally spotted the last bit of material she needed. She quickly jogged over to it and harvested the last piece she need. She then heard a snort again, it was the boar that ate one of her plants she was looking for.

Your going to pay for that you pig, and all the other plants that you have been denying from other poor beginners like me.

Huh, what a fitting idiom to use.This isn't the time to be distracted, it's kill or be killed now.

Neo pulled out her rapier and prepared to attack the boar, wanting to exact a petty revenge and finally figure out how this game would really be working for her. As she ran at the boar, she pictured it being the boss she was trying to kill. The creature blocking her very progress. The monster whose death would pave the road to her freedom.

Step in front of you, the step in front of you, the step...

Neo had been droning this in her head for a while now, using every ounce of concentration she could to focus on the task at hand. She had been going at it again for another hour or so and still hadn't found her last material. No matter how hard she looked, it seemed to be nowhere in sight. She was starting to get close to the Town of Beginnings again and didn't want to have to backtrack just to find the last little bit of material she would need for the quest. And even though the end of the day was approaching, Neo had been getting plenty of sleep not doing anything for years. If the NPCs were going to stay up all night for her to still do quests, than that is what she would do.

Neo didn't realise just how much she had missed while once again absorbed in her own thoughts. She decided to backtrack a little further than she thought just in case. But as she continued down the path that she had already walked, She realised that she was still being quite alert for the shrubs, even while she wasn't doing so consciously. There weren't any to be found. This continued on for a while until Neo finally reached the end of her footsteps from before and was searching new ground. Making sure not to get distracted once again, Neo continued her search in full.

No time to think about lofty goals right now, only focus on the step in front of you. Look too far ahead and you trip over what's right in front of you. Can't forget the end goal though, otherwise I'll walk into a wall without realising it.

Neo searched as the sun began to approach dusk. She had just recently stumbled across another shrub, and made it her fourth. However, as the day waned, she found her courage wavering once again.

Perhaps I should just let others do the work for me. They'll just conveniently lay their lives down for mine and I'll get out of here without having to worry at all.

No, I can't let that happen, I can't just let people die for me when I'm doing nothing. Enough people have already died, I can't let another get added to that list until I'm no longer a dead weight to them. I don't care what it takes to get to the top, but so help me I'm going to push this game to its limits.

The thought process had stalled her search, and Neo stupidly realised that she had not been keeping track of everywhere she had looked while tirading to herself. She quickly backtracked to where she last remembered herself to be and continued her search.

Neo started to search much more methodically, making sure to cover every last piece of ground with her multi-colored eyes. This method paid off, as she eventually found another one the shrubs. She walked up to it, and confirmed the harvest.

That makes three, and the man said I needed five. Well, best keep moving then.

Neo continued her moving, and realized she had covered everything in that area. She hurriedly moved onto another area, changing her pattern so that she wouldn't search herself into a corner again. The sun began to dip lower in the sky, the search dragging on. And as it did, Neo's determination only grew stronger than before, wanting to get as far as she could as fast as she could. And it all started with finishing this quest. Finishing this little quest would be the beginning for a whole new her, a whole new warrior that would fiercely fight on the battlefields, whether low floors or high.

No, I can't think like that, I need to do this, then the next quest, and keep going until I have finally made it further than anyone else would think I could in this amount of time. I don't care what it takes, I will help clear this game.

Neo began walking forward in a much more determined stride, wanting more than ever to find more resources. However, her thinking to herself had distracted her, and she realised she hadn't really been looking for the resources while absorbed in her thoughts. It was time to stop worrying about the past and look to the future, where eventually she would be back home. And even though that would mean losing her voice again, she refused to use this gift that the game had decided to give her. She would do everything in her power to spite the game, and she would beat it into the ground when she was done with it.

Neo looked behind her, scared that she could only see a silhouette of the Town of Beginnings now. She was quite a ways out now and wasn't sure if she would be able to make it back if she lost site. Turning to cut back towards the town at a diagonal, Neo continued her search for materials.

They've just gotta be around here somewhere.

Neo hears a snort behind her and jumps at the noise. She sees a boar passively eating one of the little green shrubs. Hanging her head in defeat, she walks away from where the boar is to make sure that it doesn't end up eating more of the plants she's trying to harvest. The sun crept up into the sky, signalling just how long it had taken Neo to walk out here. It had only been a little past dawn when she had steeled herself, and she now was thinking about whether or not she should go back to crying herself to sleep every night.