Marius

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Unsurprisingly, Marius hadn't exactly gone out of his way to prepare anything in particular for this quest. He hadn't known what he was getting himself in for but chose not to worry about all of that in the beginning, considering the fact that most things on the first floor couldn't exactly harm him in any meaningful way. Well... There was that dragon that he had seen Freyd and his familiar take on upon their initial meeting but that didn't exactly seem to be the kind of thing that would appear in the docks. "Right, of course, consumables. I have a few of those but they are really only for healing, y'know?"

"There she is!" 

Before Marius could even continue to speak on the matter, Larkin would shout aloud and shove his fishing pole in the elderly gentleman's hands. While this wasn't exactly the first time that Marius had gone fishing in this game, he still wasn't quite sure if he was all that prepared for this. "You take that, 'n' I'll grab my harpoon. I can't believe Big Bertha's finally reared her beautiful head! You got any of those potion things? We'll need all the help we can get to bring Bertha down." Marius's gaze would fall upon ChaseR for a moment before he had found himself preparing to fish. Simultaneously though, Marius would partake in a Creme Brulee and allow for its effects to wash over him. One way or another, he had planned on overcoming this quest.

[Marius accepts the Creme Brulee [RARE/TIERLESS/ACC II] from ChaseR]
[Marius uses the Creme Brulee [RARE/TIERLESS/ACC II]

Not wanting to be rude, the elderly gentleman would go out of his way to shake ChaseR's hand. This was probably the most at ease that he had been around another person on this game, aside from his grandson. The fact that he had really only met one other person that he had managed to get along with up to this point definitely contributed to that factor though. "Level ninety huh? That is certainly a rather impressive feat! You must be working quite hard to clear the game at this point. I commend you for this fact, Chase." It was likely going to take quite a bit of time before Marius could ever catch up to this young man but that was a goal that he had now set for himself. He couldn't just leave the hard things to the younger generation. No, he was going to need to stand up and be of use to them. He had over seventy four years to live his life before all of this so he might as well ensure that they could live the rest of their lives in some degree of comfort.

"The age of my grandson? Well Erebus is about twenty five now, if I recall correctly? Likely older than you for sure. I must admit though that some of these things elude me at times. I'm surprised that RECT kept me on as long as they have considering that fact! Ahahaha..." It was thanks to the company that he had previously worked for that this old man had been as technically adept and caught up on the lingo of this current generation as he had been. If not for those things, he likely would have been a typical old man and probably never would have joined this game alongside his grandson. Not that this could ever really be changed. For the time being, thanks to his choices, both he and his grandson would remain trapped in this virtual world and it is what it is.

Marius would than follow suit as he had proceeded towards the docks alongside his new companion. Upon arrival to the docks, the duo would come across a rugged old fisherman on the end of the dock. He had seemed to have been quite up there in age, much like Marius and the two NPCs that he had met beforehand while on this questline. "I suppose that this is him? If it's alright with you, I think that we should head on over and approach him about the quest."

Having been a little lost in his thoughts, this elderly gentleman would jump briefly at the sound of a young man's voice. His line of questioning wasn't one that he had really anticipated anyone answering for him so the advice had been appreciated but the sudden appearance had assuredly caught him off guard. "O-oh! My apologies young man, I hadn't seen you there." A bit of an awkward laugh would escape from Marius's lips as he had begun to rub at the back of his head. "The fisherman is down by the docks, you say? I suppose that that does indeed make some sense. Thank you for the assistance!" 

It was around the time that the blue haired lad asked if he would like any company that Marius would catch himself slipping a bit. He hadn't been paying attention to his surroundings since he had been located in a safe zone. That wasn't always a luxury that one was going to have though and as such, he was going to need to ensure that he was on top of his game when it had come to such a thing. "If you are willing to accompany me on my journey to track down Mr. Larkin than I would gladly have you along. It seems to be a much better idea to have company than to not do so. It would also just be nice to have someone around with me since my grandson has chosen to seclude himself in the <<Town of Beginnings>> until the game has been completed. All that I can really do now is try and help the others with their tasks and grow stronger while completing my own, y'know? I'm Marius by the way. Not all that skilled at the moment... Just a level ten "newb" that specializes in defense."

SUBMITTING A NEW CRAFTED/IDENTIFIED ITEM FOR APPROVAL

• Shop Post: Here
• Transaction Date: 10/03/2021
• Cost of Transaction: 1 Materials Sent to the Banker
• Crafter's Profession: Performer
• Crafter's Rank: Rank 2
• Item Name: Instant Lesser Invigorating Tune
• Item Tier: Tier 1
• Item Type: Consumable
• Item Rarity:  Uncommon Masterpiece (1  Slot)
• Item Enhancements: Instant HP Recovery I
• Craft/Appraisal/Obtainment IDs & Rolls: ID: 199082 | CD: 10 | LD: 15 (+3)
• Item Description: A large recording crystal with a golden filigree about the size of ones hand. It almost has the appearance of a cassette player. Upon activation, it creates a red beam that shoots directly into ones ears, acting as headphones. It's the invigorating melody that plays through these headphones that heals those that use them.

[10/03/2021]

Previous Thread

Not only had Marius succeeded in completing <<The First Lesson>> but they had even gone as far as to complete <<The Second Lesson>> in what had felt like record breaking time! Both of those quests had been rather instrumental in enhancing his level to the point in which it had been now and they would be known to him as some of the priority quests that had ensured that he have the ability to protect his grandson in this world. That said though, both of these quests had been rather tiring with how quickly he had tried to persevere through them. Hopefully this would be the last major quest in this quest line before he could move on to other, larger quests. "Right, right. So let's see.... It has already become clear to me that both Zackariah and Lyle didn't have the mayor's money. Since we have crossed those two off of the list than I am going to need to just continue following along with what information had been given to me so... my final stop should be at a dock? Or would I have to go and look for a river of sorts? Where could you be hiding, Pete Larkin?"

Admittedly, Marius wasn't quite sure how he was going to track down this fisherman. He had more or less understood where the fisherman could have been but there were still going to be a few places here and there in which he might actually be located. "If we are keeping to the theme of the central NPCs being located in the <<Town of Beginnings>> than I should probably just choose a dock in the city first, right?" The question was spoken aloud to no one in particular but he was sure that it would at least gift him with some degree of answers. If not that than at least he would have the satisfaction of someone listening to his ideas; even if that person was himself.

A few curt nods would be offered to the mousy brown haired man before him. From the sound of it, this tracking skill was something that would come in handy in the future. Especially considering that it was something that had fallen under the Searching skill that Marius had been aiming for. If he were capable of increasing his searching ability than he would likely have an easier time searching for materials in the future, which would in turn benefit his shop. "I see, I see. I'll definitely have to do a bit more digging into things like this. Find ways to be more useful in the future. Running a shop can only benefit the other players to such an extent, after all."

The elderly gentleman's gaze would slowly begin to drift on over to the break in the tree line that had been indicated to him. "Right. I'll be sure to rush ahead and get what I need from her. Thanks for the assistance..! Guess I'll be back in a few moments." Marius would tan begin to rush forward towards the NPC that he had been looking about for. It wouldn't take more than a few moments for him to reach the <<Traveling Gypsy>> and to awkwardly rub at the back of his head. "Uh... Hello there! You're the <<Traveling Gypsy>>, correct? I was hoping that you might be willing to loan me the <<Familiar Food>> that you use to tame the beasts of the land...?"

Even though he had known that this had been the <<Traveling Gypsy>> given Frey's information and the fact that her name had been hovering above her figure, he had still felt as though it was polite to ask before proceeding onward. Thankfully she didn't seem to have taken any offense to the question, since Marius wasn't quite sure how he would have proceeded if he had messed up the beginning portion of the quest. "I hold no qualms in loaning you the required bait to lure in and tame a beast of the land. Just be sure to return what is rightfully mine once you have done as much." A pop-up menu would than  appear before Marius's gaze, prompting him to accept the item that she had been bestowing him with. He would proceed to accept the <<Familiar Food>> before returning to Frey with a soft smile on his face. "Well than, I suppose that we should go searching for this giant moth now? I'm sure that we could find one in one of the many forests located within this general area."

SUBMITTING A NEW CRAFTED/IDENTIFIED ITEM FOR APPROVAL

• Shop Post: Here
• Transaction Date: 09/28/2021
• Cost of Transaction: 1 Material Sent to the Banker
• Crafter's Profession: Performer
• Crafter's Rank: Rank 2
• Item Name: Hymn of Healing
• Item Tier: Tier 2
• Item Type: Consumable
• Item Rarity:  Perfect Masterpiece (3 Slots)
• Item Enhancements: Mass HP Recovery III
• Craft/Appraisal/Obtainment IDs & Rolls: ID: 199056 | CD: 12 | LD: 18 (+3)
• Item Description: A large white recording crystal with golden filigree, about the size of a boom box. Upon activation, it creates an array of golden music notes that spread out to a number of people that the caster chooses. Upon those music notes falling upon up to four/six players in a regular/boss party, those that were touched will find themselves healed by the healing hyms.
   
• Shop Post: Here
• Transaction Date: 09/28/2021
• Cost of Transaction: 1 Material Sent to the Banker
• Crafter's Profession: Performer
• Crafter's Rank: Rank 2
• Item Name: Lulling Lullaby
• Item Tier: Tier 2
• Item Type: Consumable
• Item Rarity:  Uncommon (1 Slot)
• Item Enhancements: Lullaby I
• Craft/Appraisal/Obtainment IDs & Rolls: ID: 199057 | CD: 9 | LD: 1 (+3)
• Item Description: A small black recording crystal that is bedazzled in small star-like blotches. It is almost reminiscent of that of a walk-man. Upon activation, several mote like musical notes shall expel from the recording crystal and surround the head of the target. These musical notes shall play a soft, lulling tune that begins to tire those that listen to it.

[09/28/2021]

Returning back to Lyle's blacksmithing shop had been a relatively simple task. It wasn't too far from the location in which he had fought the <<Mama Boar>> and he had more or less remembered the way back without the mini map. Re-entering the dimly lit shop, Marius would turn his attention towards the grey bearded blacksmith. "Right, Lyle, I'm back with those tusks that you were looking for." With this, Lyle would give Marius a curt nod of approval as Marius had handed the tusks on over to him. "I use these on hilts," he explains simply, before setting the items aside. "Now, I'll have you know that I don't take loans from anyone, especially men the likes of Dorian White. You might try old Pete Larkin. He spends all his time fishing for river monsters or some such nonsense." With a scoff, he adds, "Without a real job, the man could probably use the charity." Lyle turns back to his work, but gestures with his head toward a nearby table. "Grab yourself a weapon and armor from those bins on your way out. They're about worthless, but consider it payment for the tusks." 

Seeing as the quest was thankfully, finally at an end, Marius would return the nod to Lyle and head on over towards one of the bins that Lyle had spoken about. From there he would kneel down beside the bin and decide on what kind of weapon he would like to take. While the warhammer that he had been using was slowly becoming something that he was getting used to, it was likely going to be a bit better for him to opt for another type of weapon. From the looks of it, there were a few blades that he could aim for: the dagger, sabers (rapiers), straight swords and curved swords. If he were to acquire one of these blades than perhaps he could learn to better handle one of them. That being said, Marius would ultimately decide upon a one-handed straight sword. It was the closest thing that he could connect to a Celtic Sword and as such, it felt like the best fit. Naturally, given the armor that he had already been wearing, Marius didn't care all that much for the armor that was being offered to him here. Once he had the blade that he was looking for, Marius would smile at Lyle once more and from there he would head on out.

From the looks of things, it would appear as though the <<Mama Boar>> had been rather close to death. It's health bar had been flashing red and seemed to be near its end. After all of his hard work, it had almost seemed as though he was going to come out on top. A soft smile would begin to curl upon his lips as he would attempt to slam his warhammer directly into the side of the <<Mama Boar>> for one last time. Unfortunately for him though, he had been too slow in this final attempt and the <Mama Boar>> had managed to slip by him unscathed. From there it would ram into his side yet again, pressing one of her tusks up against his armor as he had continued to try and defend himself. It was thanks to this attack on the <<Mama Boar>>'s end that Marius would finally come out on top. As the <<Mama Boar>> had managed to attack him, the spikes on Marius's armor would pierce the <<Mama Boar>> and deal the final bits of damage needed to send it to oblivion.

As the <<Mama Boar>> had burst into an array of pixels, Marius would allow for a soft sigh to escape from his lips. That fight was both long and hard and he honestly wasn't quite sure how long it was going to be. Now that it was finally at the end, this elderly gentleman would plop down onto the ground. "That was a fight well done, <<Mama Boar>>. Thank you for the experience." Now that the battle had been completed, Marius would take a moment to look around for the glass vial that he had seen earlier on. The strangest thing though was that for some reason, the glass vial had seemed to have disappeared? It was a little confusing as to what had happened to the vial but at least there was something else left behind by the <<Mama Boar>>. From the looks of it, there was some kind of dried meat? The item read <<Boar Jerky>> and seemed to hold some rather good effects upon it. After accepting the item into his inventory, Marius would take a few minutes to rest before getting up and heading back to Lyle's blacksmithing shop.

With each passing moment, Marius would find himself getting closer and closer to his achieved goal. He was slowly working towards increasing his level and towards being a respectable enough level to protect his grandson and help everyone clear this floor. It wasn't going to be easy for him to do this alone though and as such, he was likely going to need to try and spend more time with those in his guild. Perhaps those in Firm Anima would be willing to come out with him in the future? It would definitely speed up the process of everything that he needs to do.

While considering what kind of things he was going to need to do in the future, the <<Mama Boar>> had managed to slip under his defenses and would ram into him yet again. This had caused this elderly gentleman to experience a bit more of pain but it was nothing compared to the chest pain from a bit earlier. Marius was going to need to retaliate if he was hoping to come out on top and that is exactly what he would do by bringing his warhammer down atop of the beasts head. It is in this same moment that the thorns effect from his armor would overwhelm the <<Mama Boar>>, thus ensuring a decent amount of damage being dealt.

Just as before, Marius was going to need to give everything that he had to this fight if he had planned on coming out on top. Now he had known to be a little more careful with the task at hand though. He wasn't quite sure what was going on with his physical body but if he wasn't careful, it was possible that things would get worse. "R-right... Come on <<Mama Boar>>... We've almost got this." It probably wasn't right for him to be goading this mob towards its death but he had to do something to keep his perseverance going. These kinds of fights were likely to draw out until he was stronger so that perseverance was going to be needed.

There weren't too many options in the the ways for which he had tried to attack this beast. Options were rather limited considering the weapon that he had been using and his overall lack of skills. That was alright though. As long as he was hitting the dang thing than it didn't really matter if there had been any flair behind his attacks. That is why he had chosen to continue along with what he had been doing this entire time and would just aim for the creature's other side. The strike itself had managed to land and the boar had been brought just a bit closer to death. And of course his body had learned to adjust to the fighting style of the <<Mama Boar>> for the most part, so he had been able to escape from her own attack.

On and on the wheels of time turn as the battle continues ever onward. Marius is currently lying on the ground while clutching at his chest and things couldn't be looking any worse for him. Even with his health in a relatively good position, if his physical body were to give out than he would surely die in this game. Or would he? This is certainly a topic at hand that he is rather curious about, given that his consciousness is currently trapped within Sword Art Online, but it wasn't a theory that he was willing to test. Thankfully the chest pangs would cease rather quickly and the elderly gentleman would regain his bearings. 

That kind of pain was almost a thousand fold what they have ever felt in this game and it wasn't something that he was too keen on trying to determine at the moment. If he didn't handle the <<Mama Boar>> that lie before him than he was going to die and that was something that he most simply couldn't have. Not while Erebus was still around. With that said though, Marius had to try and fight back. To try and do as much, Marius would roll over on the ground and push himself up. If it wasn't for his digital body than such a thing never would have been possible for him but thankfully this world had been helping him in that aspect. From there he would wait for the <<Mama Boar>> to try and slam into it. Upon the beast reaching about five feet worth of distance between the two of them, Marius would prepare to slam his warhammer into the boars snout. Things had gone off exactly as he had planned and with that the <<Mama Boar>> had failed in her own attack.

Having more or less decided to continue on with his current onslaught, Marius would attempt to smack the <<Mama Boar>> with his warhammer yet again. Before he could manage to do as much though, Marius could feel his heart beginning to flutter. Did this have something to do with his old age? Quite possibly. Regardless of the source, Marius would find himself clutching at his chest for a moment, rather than fighting against his current combative opponent. This had given the <<Mama Boar>> a free hit in on the elderly gentleman. One that had been used in a manner similar to that of those attacks from before, where it would slam the tip of its tusks up against Marius's chest. The impact from the attack had sent Marius reeling back a few feet and onto his back. He wasn't sure what was going on but whatever it was, he was hating every moment of it. The only real bright side that came out of what had just transpired was that the Thorns effect from his armor had activated and thus left the <<Mama Boar>> reeling in pain as well. "W-what's going on with me..?"

By this point in the fight, there wasn't really any method that Marius could switch to to make things any easier for himself. He was just going to need to continue doing what he had been doing up to this point. If he continues to hit the <<Mama Boar>> until the thing finally lands a non-critical hit against him than he can chip away its health and make things easier for himself. This time around, when the <<Mama Boar>> had decided to try and hit him with its tusk, Marius had been prepared enough to duck under the tusk and to use that open space to slam his warhammer against the beasts throat. It didn't really seem to do much of anything but it was better than nothing. Eventually the creature would slip up and once it had, he would become the winner of this bout. At least he had started this all early enough in the morning for it not to draw on into darkness. That much foresight was always appreciated in the long run.

"I'm really going to need you to do me a favor and die, <<Mama Boar>>. As much as I just love fighting with you in this little bout of ours, I can most assuredly tell you that I am growing kind tired of you!" It was too bad that there wasn't much that Marius could really do here but maybe after about ten minutes or so, he would succeed in bringing down this beast on his own. It had already felt like a pretty extensive amount of time but realistically, it had more or less been about a minute or two since the fight had started. During fights like these, time can really drag on. Trying not to dwell on that fact any further, Marius would grab ahold of the <<Mama Boar>>'s tusk and pull himself closer to it while slamming his warhammer against its chest. This had been both a good and a bad idea, seeing as how it had allowed for the <<Mama Boar>> to slam its tusk into his shoulder.

Even with how long the battle between this duo had been going on, there was no sign of either wavering. Both the mob and the player held no reservations about what most be done but it would seem as though they were more or less evenly matched. Who truly held the upper hand here between the two of them though? It was undoubtedly the <<Mama Boar>>. Even with his mitigation factor being so much higher than the <<Mama Boar>>'s, Marius just hadn't been skilled enough with his warhammer to do anything all that efficient with it. That could be part of the reason why he would go on to miss yet another attack aimed at the <<Mama Boar>>'s side while the <<Mama Boar>> herself had managed to slam its tusks into him yet again. The pain itself was starting to stack up as time had gone on. Even if it wasn't something that had really felt all that horrible, it was still realistic enough to throw this old man's heart into disarray. "I... really need to take up some form of sword arts!"

Continuing on with his battle against the enraged <<Mama Boar>>, Marius would attempt to swivel around the large boar and attack it from behind. He knew that this likely wouldn't work given his limited mobility and maneuverability while in his heavy armor but decided to try and give it a whirl anyways. Anything that could grant him an upper hand here would have been enough. While rushing towards the back of this <<Mama Boar>>, Marius would attempt to swing towards it's hindquarters. This wasn't something that the <<Mama Boar>> had been too inclined to accept though and as such, it had raised its hindquarters and attempted to kick Marius in the side. Given the timing in which both of these events occur, it can understandably be said that the two who had been fighting had gone on to miss one another. It was an unfortunate turn of events for the both of them but that just meant that they were going to need to try harder with their next set of attacks.

It would appear as though Mairus had riled up this beast to a degree that he hadn't noticed. This thing was coming for every vital organ that it could and with enough aggression to which Marius was actually starting to get a little worried. Sure his armor was capable of defending him from the <<Mama Boar>> but if he were to keep missing while she kept lashing out like this, would he really be able to come out on top here? "No, no. Don't think like that! We have to focus on bringing down the <<Mama Boar>> and returning to Lyle. We must remain safe and grow strong for Erebus." 

With things being as they were, Marius had known that he was going to need to try and give his full attention to this fight. If he could do that than he would have a higher chance of landing more of these blows. It was this thinking that would lead to him ramming his warhammer directly against the <<Mama Boar>>'s tusk, causing it to reel back in pain for a moment. As all things seem go for Marius though, this would only rile up the <<Mama Boar>> more and cause it to jut its horn into Marius's chest for a moment. "Gragh..! If I didn't have this Breastplate than I would have died by now!"

From the looks of it, this elderly gentleman has succeeded in getting the <<Mama Boar>> to about half health. It appears to have just a sliver more before it would be dropped into yellow territory and if nothing else, that shows how much effort Marius has been trying to put into this fight. Even with one of the worst possible weapons that one could have at this level, Marius has managed to get this beast down to a level that more or less seems to be working out for him. This was enough to bring joy to the old man's heart, even if he wasn't exactly doing all that well. "Well if nothing else than I suppose that I should thank you for all of the help in training that you are giving me."

Not fully understanding his words, the <<Mama Boar>> had continued to push the advantage that she had now been presented with. She had no desire to stand idly by and just wait things out. No, she wanted this elderly man's had and she was going to have it. With a speed that Marius hadn't been expecting, the <<Mama Boar>> had pushed onward and thrusted it's tusk into Marius's other leg. It was trying to put an end to him but his armor just wouldn't allow for such a thing to occur. Still, it did manage to hurt him a bit and honestly, that was better than nothing. Naturally Marius had attempted to return the attack that he had just been gifted with but it was to no avail as he had missed the beast.

Yet another round of this bout would continue on and the two still hadn't grown even slightly weary. Every attack that was dealt had been a basic attack to the best of their ability and unfortunately for the both of them, that just wasn't enough to make things move faster. In fact, it was thanks to these typical basic attacks that the fight had been drawing out to such an extent. That was alright though as things were about to kick up in speed a bit. As the two would come to clash with one another yet again, Marius would take the time to slam his warhammer against the <<Mama Boar>>'s forehead. This had distracted the <<Mama Boar>> from her initial objective for the briefest of moments but it wouldn't stop her all together. Instead it would provide the boar with the perfect opportunity to ram itself towards the elderly gentleman's abdomen yet again. And much like before, upon taking this action, the <<Mama Boar>> would find herself in a world of pain as the Thorns effect of Marius's breasplate would take affect.

Just as the running theme to this fight was being developed, the fighters in this particular endeavor had been pushing one another past their own limits. Even with everything that has happened between the two of them up to this point, there wasn't a decisive winner at the moment. If it were to become a battle of attrition than Marius would most certainly hold out before the <<Mama Bear>> could drop him but hopefully it would just off itself by ramming into him with a regular hit. The time for that bit isn't now though as Marius would swing out at the beast and ram his warhammer into its chest. Simultaneously, the <<Mama Bear>> would proceed to jut Marius in the leg with one of their tusks. "Argh.. Are you one of the reasons that boars are so respected on this floor? Well just you wait... I'll put an end to your suffering in due time." 

The damage that the <<Mama Boar>> had sustained thus far had managed to throw it even further into the throes of it's rage. Not only had Marius killed what he had presumed to be it's children but it had now been dealing quite a rather large amount of damage to it. It was quite obvious to any bystander that things weren't going too well for the boar. It still held it's pride though and chose to continue it's onslaught of the elderly gentleman. The two had been going at it with all that they had at this point and that much could be seen in the power that was thrown behind each of their blows. This time the boar had continued to slam it's tusks into Marius while he had struck out at them and attempted to crush the top of its skull. Both had been critical hits and yet both had done practically nothing to the other. Their damage and mitigation factors were just far too similar in that regard.