Oscar

Oscar awoke with a start as Bahr nudged him with his boot. His hand shot to his blade as he leaped to his feet. But once he saw the tell-tale crimson garb, he relaxed and yawned. "Look, I needed a nap. I'm still catching up on my sleep from when I did <<Challenge of Olympus.>>" It was true. Hestia's challenge had screwed up his sleep cycle for days. What he needed to do was stay up for another 24 hours and go to sleep at a proper time. Unfortunately, the life of an adventurer didn't suit that idea. Speaking of adventuring, the two of them had a quest to do today. Oscar stretched out and yawned as he moved closer to the water.

"So," Oscar began. "Have you done this quest yet?" He imagined that the higher-leveled player had, in fact, done this quest a while back. But this was a segue into needling him for information about it. Bahr was kind enough to help a newbie out on multiple occasions. It seemed like his best option was to tap his well of information and learn as much as he could.

Oscar sheathed his blade again and circled around the wolf, looking to another opening. The two bored holes into one another's eyes as they performed their deadly waltz. The wolf blinked first and Oscar struck. He drew his blade and sliced sharply, using the full length of his body to give him more reach. His blade bit into the wolf, who tried to gnaw on his wrist. But Oscar had already retreated backwards into a fighting stance. His Savvy enhancement activated, making him more accurate next turn. Then, he heard a voice behind him.

"Oh, it's you." 

As he continued to circle the wolf, eventually, he saw who it was. He regarded her with a nod, but kept his eyes on the wolf. "Hi Kirbs. How's it going?"

Skill(s) Being Dropped: Fishing
Mod(s) Being Dropped: 
SP Refunded: 10
Cost: 10,000

Day 7

Oscar was in rare form today. Everything he cooked came out perfect! Literally. A double portion of a Focused Chili Dog with Chili Fries was his first craft. He had been so efficient, he'd been able to get two dishes out of one material! Which made very little sense because he needed at least two dogs and two buns at minimum, but he wasn't looking a gift horse in the mouth. The next dish was made with Bahr in mind. Using The World's Most Elusive Hotdog as the base, he added chili to give it a Protein Enhancement. Finally, since the first dish was so good, he made a third. He had failed once, but with four Perfect dishes laid out in front of him, he wouldn't let it get him down.
 

Being back on Floor 6 brought back wonderful memories of his taming of Gob-Gob. He headed out of town and towards the spot marked on his map. He was lost in thought, wondering what kind of skill he would get from defeating this quest boss. His mind filled with possibilities, he didn't notice that he'd wandered into the aggro range for a particularly strong-looking Mountain Lion. The dull growl snapped him out of his reverie though. Oscar quickly drew his sword, activating <<Tsuji Kaze>> to get some solid damage in. The Mountain Lion swiped at Oscar, taking a healthy chunk out of his HP thanks to a critical hit. But, thanks to Oscar's Potion of Immolation and the Thorns on his armor, the Mountain Lion hurt far more than he did. The creature yelped and retreated backwards. Oscar silently thanked Macradon for this gear. He'd have to make sure to hook the man up with some awesome food to thank him.

Oscar was coming out of his shop one day when he was approached by the cloaked stranger. "You look pretty strong," he said, not bothering with any introduction. "I'm looking to test my skills. If you beat me I'll teach you a hidden skill. What do you say?"

A quest interface popped up. <<The Gemini>> it was called.  Oscar thought for a moment and then smiled, pressing the button as he did so. "Boss, you had me at 'Hidden Skill.'" The cloaked man looked pleased and a marker appeared on Oscar's map, on Floor 6. "Meet me there, he said. That's where we will fight." It was outside of the safe zone, but Oscar was fully confident in his abilities. After all, he had just requisitioned two amazing pieces of gear from a Grandmaster Blacksmith. He couldn't lose. But as the man walked away, just to be safe, he drank a Potion of Immolation to make his thorns sting just a bit more. Then, he teleported up to Floor 6 and headed for the town gate.

Thread Summary
3 SP
1 for Thread Completion
2 for Quest Completion
400 Col for Thread Completion
15 T1 Crafting Materials
ID: 121203 2 found while fishing
ID: 121204 2 found while fishing
ID: 121206 3 found while fishing
ID: 121229 1 found in cave
ID: 121230 2 found while fishing
ID: 121231 1 found while fishing
ID: 121238 3 found while fishing
ID: 121290 1 found while fishing

With that adventure out of the way, Oscar headed back to the <<Town of Beginnings>> so that he could teleport up to Deepedge and go home. He didn’t imagine that Kayaba would program in an encounter like that, but this was the guy who thought it was a good idea to turn his video game into a death game. He strode right into town and made a beeline for the teleport platform. Once he was up on Floor Seven, he made the trek back to his home.

Gob-Gob was waiting for him, greeting him with a powerful flex the moment Oscar walked in the door. Oscar smiled and patted him on his bald head before heading up the stairs and into his bedroom. He set his sword next to his nightstand and flopped down on the soft mattress. Within moments he was asleep, the days adventures having taken quite a bit out of him.

After his close encounter with the shark, Oscar decided the best thing to do was to go and turn in this quest. He followed the quest marker to an old fisherman next to a boat. Oscar approached and handed the man the package.

“Ol’ Pete right? Did you know there’s sharks in the lake?”

“Of course I did, dummy! Why wouldn’t there be sharks in the lake?” The old man’s gruff voice and agitated demeanor really struck a nerve with the man who just had a near-death experience. Oscar let the one-liner slide though. He just wanted to finish this quest up and go home. He turned to leave and Ol’ Pete called after him.

“Hold up dummy! I got a job that even a dummy like you can do!”

Oscar flipped him off as he walked away. “I’ll be back later. Maybe when you put some warning signs about sharks in the lake!”

Oscar cast his line into the lake, enjoying the sun upon his face. That was when he felt a massive tug on his line. Oscar pulled and strained. Whatever it was, it was really big. Which didn't bode well for Oscar now that he thought about it. He cut his hook from the line, but it was too late. An absolutely massive creature had crested from beneath the waves. It looked like a gigantic shark with rows upon rows of razor-sharp teeth. Oscar stared in horror.

"THAT'S ENOUGH FISHING FOR TODAY!"

He started to run and as he did, the shark raised up. It flopped its belly onto shore and began snapping wildly. Thankfully, fear was a great motivator. Oscar was already gone before the shark had landed. Its prey having escaped, it slowly sunk back into the water, presumably looking for its next meal. Oscar thanked his lucky stars that he wasn’t that next meal.

Oscar rose to his feet and cast his line out into the water. As the hook sank into the water, his anger was dashed away as he focused on the red-and-white bobber floating in the river. He let his mind wander back to the good memories, leaving the bad in their place. Eventually, he felt a tug on his line and he reeled it in. A single fish was deposited into his inventory, but it was better than nothing. He let out a contented sigh and put his fishing rod away. It was time to make for the lake. It was a little far out, but as long as he followed the river, he would find it eventually. The quest marker helped guide him as well. He walked along the bank of the river, stepping over stones and roots from nearby trees. Soon, the lake was in sight. Oscar hurried along wanting to deliver this package so he could hurry up and see what he could fish up from the lake.

Oscar lied there for a moment, a calm smile plastered on his face. Like a slideshow, every good memory in his life played through his head. The first test he aced, the first straight A’s he earned on his report card. Being accepted into his top choice of university. Graduating and becoming a social worker. He loved his job, he loved his kids. Especially Tyson. He saw a lot of himself in Tyson. They had similar backgrounds. Similar interests. Oscar truly hoped to help the kid. But his life had been cut short by a boar on Floor One. A pang of sadness stabbed his chest.

So much potential had been lost that day. Not just Tyson, but the other people who died before the warning had gone out. It was tragic. It was senseless. Most of all, it was infuriating. Oscar took a steadying breath to keep himself from losing it. He could think about this for too long if he wanted to keep from going off the deep end.

Oscar awoke, the bright skies and crisp air of Aincrad greeting him once again. It was a fond memory, that dream. His first fishing trip with the Major. The first of many. The passtime grew on Oscar as the years went by. Eventually, he developed a great love for it and would sneak away to fish whenever he could.

But, more importantly, it was the start of everything.

He’d decided that day what he wanted to do with his life. He wanted to help the kids just like him. To give them actual compassion and understand when they needed it the most. He didn’t want anyone to ever feel the pain he felt ever again. An unrealistic goal, certainly, but he would chase it with everything he had. He could trace every significant event and accomplishment in his life back to that one fishing trip. That was when his life changed for the better.

All it took was one kind old man’s patience.

Oscar had heard of this "Dragon Hunter" quest line and wanted to see what it was all about. But, as he was still rather weak, he decided to call Bahr and see if the white-haired gentleman could give him a helping hand. He waited just outside town, next to the riverbank. His line bobbed up and down in the water. The only thing to do when waiting is see what he could fish up from the deeps. He felt a tug on his line and gave a mighty pull. A successful catch always made Oscar happy. One fish was added to his inventory. Satisfied for now, Oscar put his fishing rod away and sat down under a willow tree by the bank. Seemed Bahr was running late. Therefore, it also seemed like Oscar had time to catch a quick nap as he waited for his friend to arrive. He crossed his arms and stretched out under the tree before closing his eyes. Soon enough, he was slumbering peacefully.

And so he did. Years of pent up frustration were let out all in one moment. The loss of his parents, everything he suffered in The System. All of it flowed down his face and into the water. The Major said nothing as Oscar wept. He remained motionless save for putting his arm around the boy to comfort him. For what felt like hours, the tears flowed like rivers from his eyes. When he finally stopped, the Major looked down at him, his eyes a little misty.

“How does it feel to let go of all that pain, Oscar?”

Oscar felt refreshed. He felt like a weight had been lifted off of his chest. All the years of struggle, the mental anguish he suffered, had been alleviated in an instant. He’d finally left his past in the past. Now he could move forward. Now he could dream.

"It felt great," Oscar replied, his face now turned into a confident smile.

“You see, Oscar,” he began, calmly taking a beer from his tacklebox that doubled as a cooler. “Fishing is all about patience. Patience is a skill you must not only know, but master. No matter what you do with your life, patience is a must. Remember that.”

The young Oscar listened intently at the older gentleman’s words of wisdom. He sighed and tossed his line into the water. “But why fishing, Major?”

The Major chuckled and set his beer down on the wooden surface of the dock. He pulled out a soda and handed it to the boy. “Because it’s boring. If you can learn to be patient doing something boring, then you’ve got it made, son.”

Oscar’s eyes lit up. It was the first time he’d ever heard anyone call him son. His eyes went misty and he felt that burning in his face. Never show weakness. Never. The Major cleared his throat.

“You know son, it’s okay to cry sometimes.”

After that last cast, Oscar decided to take a nap. He found himself a calm, peaceful place under a tree and lied down. The cool grass tickled his exposed skin as the gentle breeze brushed against his face. He closed his eyes, listening to the sounds of nature as he drifted off to sleep.

The blackness soon faded into a dreamscape of an old dirt road. Walking down it was a younger Oscar with a tall elderly gentleman with cropped hair. The both of them carried fishing poles and tackle boxes. The blonde-haired youth looked like he didn’t want to be here, but the older man paid it no mind. Eventually, they reached a pond off the side of the road. There was a jetty jutting out a ways into the pond with a boat tied to it. The older man ignored the boat and, instead cast his line off the side of the jetty.

"Here dummy." Hannah tossed a package to Oscar. "Go take this to Old Pete who lives on the lake nearby. A lake is a giant land-locked body of water. In case you're too much of a dummy to figure that out."

Oscar's eyebrow twitched. Through gritted teeth, he said, "Sure thing Hannah. Have a great rest of your life." As he walked away with the parcel, he could only wonder if he'd go orange if he killed her. It was a bad idea, but boy would it make him feel good right about now. Fishing would also make him feel good right now. As soon as Oscar left the town, he cast out his line and sat down.

"Who does she think she is," he grumbled. "Talking down to people like that. It's downright rude."

Oscar noticed he got a bite and reeled it in. It improved his mood a bit to see that he'd got a massive haul of fish with that one cast. Not by much, but a bit.

"I did. You just walked off like a dummy, dummy."

That angered Oscar even further. His face contorted into a scowl as he stepped forward. "DUMMY? I'm not the one sending people out to gather a gem without making it perfectly clear that there was a giant bat there! If I hadn't waited to take this quest, I could have died!"

Hannah adjusted her glasses and sighed. "I gave you a Potion of Safeguard. It protects you from 50 damage. How much damage did the Cave Guardian do again?"

A wave of realization washed over Oscar. He didn't use the potion Hannah gave him. But he was still angry. "You think a Potion counts as a warning?!"

"No, but telling you 'Watch out for bats' as you walked away does. Not my fault you don't listen." Oscar turned beet red and almost got in her face. But he controlled himself. Which was a miracle considering how angry he was.

He'd made it half way before the fish itch returned. He cast his line into the river and waited, humming a tune to himself as he did. Soon enough, his bobber was pulled underwater by a sharp tug. Oscar reeled his line in and obtained another fish. It was only one this time, but he had already been so fortunate. No sense getting greedy and being upset that his luck wasn't holding out. He put his rod away and headed back towards town. He still needed to give Hannah a piece of his mind. Getting too relaxed wouldn't let him tap into the anger he needed to properly tell her off. Even though she was an NPC, he was still quite upset that the bat wasn't even mentioned. His anger grew as he stomped back through the gates to town. Gob-Gob mimicked his masters movements, looking positively terrifying as marched closely behind Oscar. Eventually, he found Hannah in the grove of trees and threw the gem at her.

"You could have told me that there was a giant bat in that cave!"

Back from his spelunking adventure, the first thing Oscar did was cast his line out to do some more fishing. His heart was still racing from the fight that the Cave Guardian have given him. He needed to relax before going back to Hannah. He listened to the wind as he closed his eyes, meditating to calm himself down.He took deep breaths and relaxed his muscles. Most of the monsters on Floor One weren't aggressive and the ones that were didn't patrol this close to town. He felt a tug on his line and quickly reeled it in. Two fish were deposited into his inventory. He was happy to see that the fish were still biting. He stood back up, stretching as he did, and then put his rod away. He continued to follow the river back towards town. With any luck, he'd have enough materials to last him for a few days of crafting.

Oscar made his way out of the cavern with the gem in tow. One thing about having a larger health pool was that now it took him ages to regenerate. Not that he was complaining. More health meant he could take more hits. Which also meant that he ran a much lower chance of dying. He slid across the ledge again, careful to avoid the hole. Fall damage would definitely kill him if he wasn't careful. Once he got to the other side, he noticed something glowing on the ground. A progress bar opened up and when it filled, another crafting material was dropped into his inventory. He continued on his slow trek out of the cave. Soon enough, however, he was greeted by the bright light filtering through the mouth of the cave. Slowly, but surely, it got bright enough to move safely. As it did, he was able to move faster. Soon, his lungs filled with fresh air as he stepped back into the sunlight.

The <<Cave Guardian>> came in for another swipe. As it did, Oscar called his shot and timed his slice. He caught the creature in the wing with his blade, dealing a decent amount of damage. The creature screeched in pain and sunk its talons into his shoulder. Oscar took a hefty 50 points of damage. Because of the successful hit, however, the Cave Guardian suffered about as much as he did. Probably more considering its health bar tanked to zero and the <<Cave Guardian>> exploded into a shower of fractal shards. Oscar took a seat and rested from the short combat encounter. Despite having such a low amount of health, the thing did heavy damage. He was sure to give Hannah a piece of his mind when he got back to town. If he'd done this quest when it was intended, he would have died! That was a dirty trick for the NPC to pull. It's almost like the quests here were designed to put you in danger!

The glimmer from earlier had been from the light filtering down into a massive chamber. It was easier to see here thanks to that, but it wasn't perfect. He looked towards the floor, where the shaft of light ended and saw a faint glimmer. He approached and saw that it was just the gem that Hannah had been looking for. His fingers curled around it. No sooner than he had plucked the gem from the ground and added it to his inventory did he hear a fearsome screech. A giant bat swooped down from the darkness, trying to sink its razor-sharp talons into Oscar's shoulder. He managed to duck out of the way and swiped at the beast with Najarala. Because of the darkness, Oscar missed by a mile. He hopped backwards, getting into a battle stance. He tightened his grip on the blade and searched the darkness for the creature. Either it would meet its end at his blade or it would be in for a nasty surprise when it hit him.