NIGHT

Though the two of them were donned in heavy armor, they tried to keep as quiet as possible making their way through the woods. NIGHT took the time to stew the idea of eating poisons, even if it actually were food. On the other hand, Lonzo's theory of checking an item's properties were probably the best way to begin crafting -- a starting step, if not used to make imitation objects. She'd have to remember that for later.

A soft shuffle could be heard, eventually, a sound that neither of them were making. Lonzo put his back to a tree and checked behind it, wary. NIGHT followed suit, squatting instead, making sure she was as small as possible.

Someone had made camp. A woman, judging from the silhouette. Piles of materials could be seen, and jars used for alchemy were littered on the table. Lonzo turned to her, whispering, "Nightingale, shall I move to her first? I'm in heavy armor and might alert her, but if that's the safest option I'd sooner take that. Unless you'd like to strike her first."

NIGHT nodded. She felt confident when it came to combat, but whether or not her skill held up was still up to her. Rising, careful not to make a sound, she drew her blade, raising it up to her cheek. When her sword started to glow, she moved, rushed and cutting past the woman, taking the enemy by surprise. NIGHT's landing left her in some bushes, and she ducked, careful to avoid being seen by their target.

@Lonzo

Quote

ID: 128674 | BD: 6 (4, +2)
<<Straight>> vs Dark Elf.
4 * 2 = 8 DMG

Dark Elf | HP: 4/12 (-8) | DMG: 9

NIGHT | HP: 60/60 | EN: 4/6 (-2) | DMG: 4 | MIT: 9 | ACC: 2 

"I mean, I sure hope the cave is big enough for us," NIGHT commented, captivated once again by the packages Hanna was opening. Shiny gold bands wrapped in paper packaging, that glistened as the sun light hit them. She blinked hard before turning away, trying to forget about her own lack of materials.

Oh, Nora mentioned something like a mini-map, right? She rifled through her own settings, trying to find it. "Ah, there it is," she gestured over to Lonzo to look at her interface. "Although, aside from quest objectives, I don't think I'll use it too much." One quick toggle was all she needed for the direction in which they should travel in.

NIGHT looked to Yukiro, eager to continue their quest. "You said you were familiar with the cave(s), right? I hope you don't mind taking care of us while we're in there." She then began on her way, towards one of the gates of town.

@Yukiro

Familiar Name: Nyanko
Description: A small black cat that's fluffier than most and loves to get soaked in water. Big wide yellow eyes with a tinge of green. Purrs a lot and gives great cuddles. Hides in a pocket somewhere in NIGHT's armor.
Familiar Mastery Skill: Accuracy
Thread Link: http://www.sao-rpg.com/topic/18313-f1-sp-to-catch-a-cat/?do=findComment&amp;comment=586074

Thread Summary

Quote

[Total]
+ 2 SP
+ Familiar
+ 652 col
+ [T1E3] Unidentified Perfect Consumable (1)
+ [T1E2] Unidentified Rare Trinket (1)

- - Rewards Breakdown - -

A knock on the door. The old lady opened it, surprised to see a kibble box thrown into her arms accurately. It was still pouring outside, but the box seemed to make it back indoors safely without dampness.

At the bottom of the wooden stairs, Ren waved over to her. "Thanks a lot for the lesson," she said, holding up the tiny cat, curled up in her arms, blanketed by a soaked black fabric. "I really appreciate it."

Upon seeing the player's new companion, the woman smiled, patting the wolf friend by her side. "What a sweet little thing. I'm glad they're in good hands! Take care of them, now."

And with that, she shut the door gently, waving goodbye to the two as they headed down the alleyway. Ren was practically oozing with bliss as she made her way back to the workshop, gently stroking the cat in her hands. Today, it was raining on the first floor.

It was a good day.

It would also be of no surprise to anyone hear that the two of them had caught a cold for being out in the rain for so long.

Ren was nearly in tears at this point. How do I get this cat to eat?!

Without thinking, she poured out more food into her hands, and showed it to the creature, setting the box of kibble down beside her. After making sure that the cat had its attention on her food pile, she took one of the kibble pieces.

And ate it.

Ren, to this day, sincerely wished that she had never done that.

But the cat was satisfied nonetheless, and began to try and eat the kibble. Its ears pricked upwards in delight as it continued munching at it, completely flattening the portion of food in her hands. To Ren, this was an immediate relief, and she sighed, content, enjoying the company of this tiny creature.

After it had eaten, it meowed at her.

Huh? But there's still some left.

She shifted the kibble in her hands towards the center. The cat's pupils dilated, surprised, and continued to eat. Ren, on the other hand, checked the kibble box for more food.

... It isn't empty yet. Thank goodness.

Quote

ID: 128581 | CD: 11
<Cat> tamed! [4/4]

After a moment of playing, the cat was sufficiently muddied, fur sticking to its skin closely and looking like a shriveled mess. But it didn't seem like it minded. Instead, it turned around, seeming as though it was about to leave.

W-wait!

Ren wanted to say, but the cat ran off into a bush somewhere instead, and in a moment, something darted out of it into the sky. A loud series of tweets could be heard as the cat leapt after it, but fell to the floor instead, landing on its four paws.

It turned its head to look at Ren expectantly.

Ren had nothing to say.

The two looked at each other for a bit -- the cat glancing up at the bird occasionally -- before the creature gracefully made its way back to her, sniffing at her once more. Ren tried to offer the kibble again to the cat.

It did not take it. She sadly dropped the kibble onto the floor.

Quote

ID: 128580 | CD: 6
Taming <Cat> [3/4]

Ren could feel the sweat -- or was it rain? -- dripping down her back and her face as the kibble started to grow damp under the weather. The cat looked curiously at the kibble pile, pawing at it and knocking it down onto the dirt floor.

Oh my god you baby why would you do that

As the pile decreased, Ren took one of it and moved it closer to the cat's mouth. It resisted, alarmed, bouncing backwards and standing on its hindlegs instead. The creature's face featured a frankly hilarious expression, before it dropped back onto the ground with its two paws, moving closer to the outstretched hand.

Ren watched it expectantly, holding still. The cat sniffed the food piece further, then batting at it, rolling on the floor.

It's trying to get it to play?!?!

She moved the kibble left and right, watching the cat try to catch it in between its paws.

Quote

ID: 128579 | CD: 6
Taming <Cat> [2/4]

What should I say?! What should I do?!?!

Ren's second instinct was to dry off the small creature from the rain, but knowing how it enjoyed stepping into puddles, she thought twice about doing so. The two exchanged looks, one more wary than the other, and that would be Ren, unconsciously intimidating the cat.

O-oh, right, I have the kibble.

Trying to make her movements as discrete as possible, she pulled out her menu and summoned the kibble box. The cat, oblivious to the nature of interfaces, went up and sniffed the light-air, swiping at it with its little tiny paws.

Ren opened the box gently, finding out that it distributed its contents, one large handful at a time. Pouring out some for the cat in her hand, she offered the pile of kibble towards it, hoping it would take one and eat it. Instead, the creature sniffed at it, and looked up expectantly at her, tilting its head.

Quote

ID: 128578 | CD: 5
Taming <Cat> [1/4]

Ren watched the player take off in the opposite direction she was heading, before resuming her journey. Resolving to be even quieter than before, she tried avoiding the puddles on the ground, stepping (unfortunately) on dirt. Slowing her breathing, she tried listening carefully for any other signs of movement around her.

... There was. But she didn't even need to slow down to see it.

Up ahead of her, a small, black cat was bounding quick, stepping into puddles and getting itself soaked. As soon as the absolute baby cat took notice of Ren, it quickly ran over to her, tail waving curiously and eyes shining so, so bright with amazement and wonder.

Ren squatted down, trying to get a closer look at the cat. It was all Ren could do, against her innate wishes to freak out and run towards it immediately. That.. would probably scare the small being more than intended.

It graciously stepped up to her feet, sniffing eagerly to find out what this player was.

Quote

ID: 128572 | LD: 20

Nothing yet. Perhaps it was all of the loud noises she'd been making that were scaring these woodland creatures away. Without her armor, however, she was more than hesitant to even venture outside of town.

This time, Ren was making her way through the woods, as she was wont to do. Then out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a name tag belonging to a player.

<<Bahr>>

-- Huh? Who would be out here in the middle of the rain? Ren hypocritically thought, watching the tag move across her screen. Then she saw him, sprinting from behind the trees.

He fell.

In a seemingly impossible flurry of mud and rain water, the man, dressed up in red, fell face first, a loud exclamation ringing through the forest. Ren stared on in disgust and exhaustion -- for the environment his face was in, and in light of his potential for scaring away the animals.

Maybe it wasn't me. Maybe it was him after all.

Quote

ID: 128569 | LD: 1

Ren had found no other animals so far, and with that bear attack, she didn't exactly want to see a face so soon either. She gazed up at one of the trees, taking shelter underneath it for a moment. Maybe next time she should climb one of them to take a quick break, away from the company of bears and other predators.

... I'd need to learn how to climb a tree first, though. This game doesn't have a designated skill for that, right...?

Taking a deep breath, Ren began clambering at the tree, trying to figure out how to climb it. No such luck for this beginner, though, as she fell to the ground soon after. In defeat, she watched the rain fall from leaf to leaf, dripping from the trees and onto the earth.

I could stay like this, she thought. Become the earth. Grow as a mushroom.

She didn't, and instead made her way further into the forest.

Quote

ID: 128568 | LD: 9

Ren got up anyway, after a moment's rest. The smell of earth and water was calming, but not when your face was literally in it. Taking a moment to clean herself up, she sheathed her sword, stretched, and began to take a look around the forest.

No point taking a break like that if there's going to be enemies jumping at me when I try, she thought.

The torrent of rain was surprisingly calming -- and cooling too. Ren felt herself feel rejuvenated after the fight, just by looking up at the rain pour around her. Her skin was definitely soaked, by now, but the lack of harsh winds was definitely a boon in these trying times.

She took a careful glance around the forest floor. No signs of creatures near by, and she would've agreed -- the sound of combat was something even she'd like to stay away from. It was all she could do but to trudge onwards, hoping to find a creature of kin.

Quote

ID: 128566 | LD: 9

When she recovered, the bear was still lumbering around, gruffly sniffing and panting in pain.

Good. Good, I need the advantage.

In one smooth but slow motion, she raised the blade up to her cheek, with half lidded eyes that spoke with violence and exhaustion.

She closed them, if only to brace herself from the light coating her blade once again. As she was propelled forward, she spun, using her body weight to shift the sword above her. Skidding towards the bear's butt, she let her momentum fall, sending her sword to crash down, edge first, down the back of the creature. It howled, as Ren sank the sword further down mercilessly, before the system pushed her along onto the floor, tumbling and rolling to a stop.

In the corner of her eye, she saw the scatter of bright shards drifting away, blocked only by trees and the pouring of rain.

... I need a nap...

Quote

ID: 128563 | BD: 7
<<Straight>> vs Bear.
4 * 2 = 8 DMG

Bear | HP: -7/30 (-8) | DMG: 9 

NIGHT | HP: 56/60 | EN: 2/6 (+1, -2) | DMG: 4 | MIT: 9 

Loot:
> Prosperity I is active.
> ATP Guild Bonus is active.
ID: 128564 | LD: 20 | CD: 2
+252 col, [T1E3] Unidentified Perfect Consumable, [T1E2] Unidentified Rare Trinket

The sword pointing did nothing to help Ren. The bear rushed at her with abandon, and scooped the player up in its jaws, sinking its teeth down onto Ren -- and her armor.

In the chaos, she'd dropped her sword, clinging onto the bear for her dear life. It eventually dropped her, howling in pain, and she rolled onto the forest floor, screaming along with it. Its teeth may have sank only into the armor, and Ren wasn't harmed, no.

But she was terrified.

In her shaky vision, she tried to find her weapon again, glancing at the bear that was pacing around, checking its jaw in shock. If things could bleed in this game, Ren would've been in way more trouble than she'd expected, being out in the wild like this.

Her fingers eventually found the hilt of her blade. Dragging it close, she tried to angle it into the ground to help herself up, stumbling along with every action taken.

Quote

ID: 128560 | BD: 3 | MD: 7 | CD: 11
> Recovery was activated. (+1 EN)
NIGHT missed!

Bear attacks NIGHT!
9 - 9 = 1 DMG
> Thorns activated for 9 DMG.

Bear | HP: 1/30 (-9) | DMG: 9 

NIGHT | HP: 56/60 (-1) | EN: 3/6 (+1, +1, -2) | DMG: 4 | MIT: 9 

I need to get a helmet one of these days, Ren thought to herself, wiping away the mud on her face. She didn't understand how rain could be so annoying -- and uncleansing -- when it was just water. Distracted, she hadn't noticed the shadow of the figure behind her, with a paw raised ---

"...?!"

An immediate strike sent Ren flying into a tree, a harsh shock running through her back, if not all parts of her body, as she fell to the floor unceremoniously, exposing the claw marks on the tree she had covered up. So much for wiping off the dirt...

Getting back up, she looked to the sky, wondering if the rain would wash away the grime on her face. Some of it came off, and she picked at the large portions that wouldn't -- wood shavings and bits of leaves. The bear came charging back after her soon, though, and Ren's attention hazily went to it, her movements shaky as she pointed her sword towards it.

Quote

ID: 128559 | BD: 5 | MB: 10 | CD: 6
> Recovery was activated. (+1 EN)
NIGHT missed!

Bear attacks NIGHT!
9 + 2 = 11 DMG | 11 - 9 = 2 DMG

Bear | HP: 10/30 | DMG: 9 

NIGHT | HP: 57/60 (-2) | EN: 3/6 (+1, +1, -2) | DMG: 4 | MIT: 9 

Looks like Nora came in again.

NIGHT set down her tea, rising to attend to her friend. After hearing about what she was looking for, she repeated, thinking. "Loot dice, huh..?"

Nora pointed out the item she wanted -- between the two available, the amber clover pendant seemed to stand out.

"Sure, I'll package the pendant for you. Are you planning to gather with it? I think it might be of use in that situation." She headed behind the counter and started to fold and roll the item in with a paper cover, before tucking it in and sealing it off with a sticker.

NIGHT handed over the item, and bowed to her kindly with a smile. "Thank you for your patronage. I'm really glad you find use in these trinkets."

@Nora

A quick charge from the bear was probably intended to knock Ren down. Instead, she held her stance from the blow, pushing against her enemy in resistance. A splatter of mud and rainwater crossed her face, and she gritted her teeth, trying not to think about it. Eventually, the creature withdrew, backing off to try and claw at Ren.

Her movements were faster though. One quick draw of her blade to the side, and a flash of light blinded the bear, causing her to speed forth and cut her opponent from the underbelly to the side. Tumbling, she heaved her sword to help her out of her final position.

The bear let out a visceral roar, planting its two front paws on the ground after rising for a blow. It turned, knowing its opponent better now, and Ren came into view, comedically wiping off the mud from her face -- and her armor -- once more.

Quote

ID: 128554 | BD: 6 | MD: 3 | CD: 6
> Recovery was activated. (+1 EN)
<<Straight>> vs Bear.
4 * 2 = 8 DMG

Bear missed!

Bear | HP: 10/30 (-8) | DMG: 9 

NIGHT | HP: 59/60 | EN: 3/6 (+1, +1, -2) | DMG: 4 | MIT: 9 

Well, I'm not dying here if I can help it.

One short swing of her blade to challenge the bear. One moment's pause for the large animal to charge again. One quick shift to return to her battle stance.

One delayed second to realize the system wasn't going to work with her.

As the bear leapt into the air, Ren ducked, and got into a roll on the floor. Her opponent landed, the ground underneath it reverberating violently, shaking the girl off her balance as she stumbled in trying to get up. Ren fell to the floor yet again, trying to stick her sword in the mud.

The bear looked around clumsily, unaware of the state of its victim. This gave Ren the time to get back up, with some extra seconds to wipe off the grime from her armor. When it finally decided to turn, Ren was ready, holding her sword in front of her in a defensive position.

Quote

ID: 128549 | BD: 5 | MD: 5 | CD: 2
NIGHT missed!

Bear missed!

Bear | HP: 18/30 | DMG: 9 

NIGHT | HP: 59/60 | EN: 3/6 (+1, -2) | DMG: 4 | MIT: 9 |

A sudden growling came to her left.

Turning to look, she spotted a large black bear lumbering towards her.

Well, that guy doesn't seem friendly.

Rising from her position probably wasn't the best thing to do, but Ren wasn't about to put herself at the mercy of a passing bear. Drawing her sword as she got up, the bear began to charge at her, and so she swung her blade.

-- Ping!

With a jolt, she sprung forward, cutting the side of the bear with her sword. In return, her opponent gave her a nasty chomp on the side of her shoulder. Sliding to a halt caused her to kick up some dirt, and she turned to stand upright again, facing the hostile creature.

A quick glance at the trees around her told her she had entered its territory. Exposed bark from claw marks were ingrained in a handful of trees.

Guess I should've been more careful...

Quote

ID: 128545 | BD: 10 | MD: 9
<<Straight>> vs Bear.
4 + 2 = 6 DMG | 6 * 2 = 12 DMG

Bear attacks NIGHT!
9 + 1 = 10 DMG | 10 - 9 = 1 DMG

Bear | HP: 18/30 (-12) | DMG: 9 

NIGHT | HP: 59/60 (-1) | EN: 4/6 (+1, -2) | DMG: 4 | MIT: 9 |

Ren could only sigh as she stopped after bolting into the woods. Leaning against a tree, she wondered how anyone would be able to run into an animal at this rate. The rain must've scared most of the creatures into hiding by now. She squatted, not wanting to touch the dirt, but her gaze went to the forest floor anyway.

Tracks... would've already been washed away by the rain. Scratches on the tree bark...? ...Probably belonging to pretty big animals.

"..."

If she had to wait in the rain for a creature to show up, she would. Ren didn't want to sit on a given quest for too long, given that she could easily forget about it. And having a creature to accompany her would be more than welcome.

Silently, in the dark, Ren began to pick at the leaves on the floor, rummaging through them as she sat with her lonely thoughts.

Quote

ID: 128539 | LD: 3 | Fail (Material Search)

She'd ended up taking the northern road. The thunder boomed over her as she stepped out to the outskirts of town, bugs and critters taking shelter from the downpour. Ren thought once about giving chase to them, but with her soggy armor, decided against it. That, and the enemies she would be fighting were less than ideal in general.

On the other hand, she was still debating what kind of companion she should try to find.

... Maybe I should just let fate decide, Ren eventually thought, walking the dirt -- now muddy -- path. Then she smirked to herself. Yeah, right. I doubt I would be okay with being thrown any kind of creature at my face.

Ren sneezed. It was getting rather cold out in the rain. Out in the fields, the wind contributed to her shivering. Maybe she should go somewhere more sheltered. With that thought, she headed over west, attempting to take refuge in the nearby forest

Who should she be seeking out though..?

That was her first thought upon exiting her shop. The rain was as relentless as it was earlier, but Ren was too fixated on her thoughts to acknowledge it. Strolling down the streets again (and careful to avoid the caravan...) she tried making a list of tiny critters that she would be keen on meeting.

• Dog

• Fox

• Ferret?

• Cat

• Crow? Raven?

She paused, almost forgetting her collection. Did otherworldly creatures count? Ren had always been a fan of fantasy, of dark and dangerous monsters, usually. But, for the sake of a friend, she tried to recall a few nice ones.

• Tsuchinoko

• Generic? Ghost

• Hellhound?

• Slime

• Some kind of tree spirit?

Oh -- realization hit her at that last one. She definitely had to take into account the environment these creatures could be living in. Since mythological creatures were a little harder to pin down their sizes for, maybe she should stick with more conventional animals instead.

... But I really think a tsuchinoko would make a super cute companion..

If anyone could've seen NIGHT's expression of extreme surprise, they would've never let her down for it. As the Scarecrow collapsed in a dramatic, explosive, and fiery action, the girl lowered her sword, the only words she could irk out being, "Oh... It died."

She felt a fanfare play in her heart, but dismissed it as quickly as it came, beginning to approach the remains of the boss to check if it had dropped anything. Instead, a window appeared with a congratulations message, and it showed her loot for the fight in a smaller box within it.

NIGHT returned her sword to its sheathe and dusted her hands off, appearing proud of her (very minute) contribution. On the other hand, as she checked her inventory to review her loot drops, she noticed the 5 Spider Ciders she hadn't yet touched.

"..."

I thought I'd be in more peril than this... well, here goes nothing...

She downed one of the drinks.

It was horrid.

Quote

Reward: 4 SP, Tier 1 Materials (15), 90col

ID: 128443 | LD: 5
+[T1E3] Reminiscing The Lord (Heavy Armor) [ Mitigation | Mitigation | Paralytic Venom (DEF) ]

- Spider Cider (1)

"A minotaur would work for me," NIGHT replied, stopping her search for a moment to catch a break. She propped herself up with her arms behind her. "They're big, so they'd be easier to hit, right? The bigger they are, the harder they fall -- as long as they've got their feet in the ground, anyway."

"But bugs?" she continued, working her hands through the dirt. "Bugs are light, fast, fragile, icky, and they can fly." Her hands gripped at the dirt tightly, the player bracing herself from her thoughts. "Break through their shiny bug armor, everything comes out. Is their blood even red? They're so small half the time, you can't even tell."

Her moment of scavenging had netted her two shinies in the earth. She picked them out one by one, keeping the first in her inventory. "You know, I'm just glad I'm not running into any of them, smaller, in the dirt. But you're right about one thing," she mentioned, holding up the second material found in between her fingers and showing it to Koga. "This garden's got a lot more of these things than outside of town."

NIGHT shot him a genuine smile, before stashing away the item. "Thanks, Koga."

Quote

ID: 128434 | LD: 18
+T1 Materials (2)

@Koga