Soren Rider

Soren was still laying on the ground, his back now pressing the blades of grass down. His hand was over his face but he could see through the slits where his fingers were divided. The sky was a light blue, as the sun was still above them, casting it's magnificent light down upon the ground. Every once in a while, a cloud might pass above them, but it was quite infrequent. Soren's hair was long enough to sprawl out amidst the grass. He could listen well from his spot. But then, Syra began directing her conversation to him when she referenced the sick, twisted mind of the game designer. "Yeah, fucking great for us" Soren said at a whisper, quiet enough to be whisked away by the breeze. Syra began approaching Soren and asked if Soren and Teddy came into this game together or if it was by happenstance. Teddy gave his side, namely that Soren had spoken of the game and that he decided to buy the game for his birthday and a copy for himself. Soren lowered his hand from his face and nodded in agreement, though his gaze didn't waiver from the sky. "Technically I had no idea my ol' man had decided to get the game for himself, I was under the impression he would just listen to me ramble for the night and possibly buy me the game. Then, I expected him to go back to dealing with the toy store in the morning... I guess I was just moron to think that he wouldn't buy himself a copy." Soren let's out a sigh as he remembered the night in his head. Then he dropped his hand to his side, his thoughts drifting. "hey Syra, have you ever rode in a watercraft on the ocean?" He asked this because he had never the free time to go to the ocean, it was a foreign concept to him. He was lucky if he got free time with all the work he was doing to stay afloat. When his arm tapped the ground, he felt the odd shape of the chalk beneath his fingers. He didn't say he found another out loud, but rather pivoted his body and pocketed the chalk with his left hand. While on his back, he turned his head to look up at Syra, who he presumed would be standing above or right beside him. 

209732 | LD:17 (+1 Mat | 3 Mats Found)

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Word Count: 402

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Soren's ol' man continued his story about Kyrial amidst the combat with several wolves. He stopped talking for a second while Soren spoke up, clearly concentrating on the combat with the wolves before him. His story revolved around Kyrial, the shady poison user, heading to the east assigned on a mission. Due to the secrecy of the mission which she was assigned, Kyrial was stowing away on a ship heading to the east, which would make sense for someone who needed to travel over open water unnoticed. Almost seamlessly, his ol' man transitioned to another person named Delilian, which Soren immediately guessed would become another main character in the party. "Shit, wait a sec, were elves in this adventure normally short pale people? I thought they were relatively tall in the ol' rulebooks..." Soren spoke over the sound of wolves growling and charging. The boy Delilian didn't remind Soren much of himself, he never thought of himself as "Rambunctious" or "ready to cause trouble" though his various foster parents made sure to tell him regularly.

209724 | LD:4 (+0 Mats | 4 Mats Found)

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Word Count: 175

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Soren went back to searching for the last material as his father took out a battle-ready potion from his inventory. The tall grass wasn't moving much as the breeze that was normally present in this place was weirdly absent. Thus, without the motion the tall grass would normally have, Soren did not find another piece of chalk. During his silent search, he listened to the story of Kyrial from his ol' man and pictured it in his mind. Kyrial was sent by the leader of the project in the organization of Ombra named Rumo Benford to deal with some group in the east. The idea was most certainly to silence whomever Kyrial was sent to deal with by whatever means necessary. Sheesh, I could never imagine doing something like that... killing needlessly other humanoids, in the case of Kyrial, would be too much. Fuck, I get she probably had to deal with all sorts of messed up people, sure, but that alone doesn't mean SHE had to be the one to end them... I guess she really didn't get much of a choice though, this would be the best fucking way to preserve her own fur.

What in the east could have caught the attention of Rumo Benford of all people, must have been quite the group to get his attention...

209715 | LD:13 (+0 Mats | 4 Mats Found)

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Word Count: 221

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Soren listened over the heat of combat, in this case literally. The Pheonix took shape once more and although there was much noise, the story told by Theodore came through to him. He could visualize the place, Segria, infused with an evil of the land, the conflict between the people and the blight, which plagued the land. He could understand being lied to by parents, it was all too familiar for Levi growing up. They would lie to him, telling him he was horrible at listening to directives, that he would lie to them and steal. Following orders was something he could also relate to, though it likely wasn't the same. He was never told to physically harm or kill, all of which would be prevalent for a shady person in Dungeons and Dragons. Kyrial must have honed her already good talent with poisons to an exceedingly excellent standard. Fuck, thats pretty sad actually. She was infused with evil from her homeland, in the village of Tern... How does she break free from the blight which, like hell on earth, infused with her very being? Or does she even manage to break free during her adventures...

Damn, so she was infused with the evil blight of the land... Thats kinda fucked, but cool! How did that change her behavior? 

Soren had been thinking about Kyrial and wasn't paying any mind to a shimmer in his peripheral vision. After a second, he turned his head slightly and took notice. About five paces from where he currently stood at about a forty-five-degree angle, was another larger piece of chalk. Well shit, there is another piece of chalk. This is going so much faster than I thought it would.... Soren walked over to the piece of chalk, knelt down and picked it up, swiping like all the other times to add it to his inventory. 

209708 | LD:16 (+1 Mat | 4 Mats Found)

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Word Count: 312

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Soren held the chalk in his hand, quickly swiping to add it to his inventory of materials. Once he had done so, he was prepared to walk back to the tree. Before he could, he heard the sound of a run, Theodore charging toward the wolves before him. The pack surrounded him, biting at his armor. The Pheonix, the fire bird of legend, sprung from the shield and struck at several of the wolves that dared bite or claw at Teddy. Soren stood, a moment of fear passing before him. Although Teddy was struck several times by various bites and claws, Teddy stood firm, excitement appearing on his face. What a fuckin maniac... Good shit, now take them out! When Teddy mentioned Kyrial, the Catfolk, a vague memory of a poison rogue character, or something like that, came to his mind. Um, yeah, I remember that character in passing comments... you never spoke in detail about anything but her interest in poisons though. I can't say I remember any damning or interesting details about her adventures though... Did she solo adventures, buying equipment and the like and traveling by herself? I always thought of her as a loner, but maybe I was wrong. Soren thought for a second if he could remember anything else about Kyrial, but nothing came to mind.

209699 | LD:1 (Crit fail) (+0 Mats | 3 Mats Found)

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Word Count: 221 

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It was still early morning, the battle between his father and the single, small boar, was pretty quick in actual time. That being said, the time it took for his ol' man to open the menu and bring forth a healing crystal was quite time consuming. During the time which his ol' man was trying to figure out the menu and locate the crystal, Soren turned to the tree once again. Grasping both his hands around the lowest limb, Soren pulled his body until his chest was over the limb. Once there, he used momentum of the physics of gravity, which seemed to still apply, to swing down, his legs coming up and balancing him on the branch, both feet planted. He had watched gymnastics on occasion as he would build computers in college, so now he could apply his own tree climbing skills with those of which he had watched on tv. For a first time, it wasn't half bad. Shit, that took more energy than I thought. Those girls always look like swinging from poles and gymnastic objects are easy but damn, that shit ain't a walk in the park. Soren unplanted his feet on the branch and moved forward, looking for another mat from much closer to the ground. Sure enough, almost directly under his dad's food, Soren saw a piece of chalk. Soren leapt off the branch, grabbing it as he fell past and swung with all his might out toward his father. landing a few paces away, he leaned forward and picked up the glimmering piece of chalk. Well fuck, I guess that makes three pieces of chalk found... only a few more to go before I have enough for Landon and it isn't even mid-day yet!

209687 | LD:15 (+1 Mat | 3 Mats Found) 

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Word Count: 292

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Soren looked down to see his ol' man whiff the swing of the hammer. Although it was a miss, the boar was quick to make an attack, one that would certainly prove fatal. The boar, feeling the immense heat of the phoenix, burned to its death, its health bar reaching red and then dissipating. Soren looked down to his father and shouted Good shit ol' man, you did well! Soren came down the limbs of the tree, swinging from one to the next. Once his feet landed on the ground, Soren brushed off his clothes as if they had gotten dirty from the leaves... then he smiled and gave a thumbs up toward his father. Now, as for what you should tell... I think the solid story of your most badass character from any campaign you have played or dungeon mastered... I want to hear their whole story, who/what they fought, what dire events they experienced, life, death, all of it. 

209686 | LD:6 (+0 Mats | 2 Mats Found)

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Word Count: 162

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The small piece of partially split chalk was an interesting material. Soren tried, upon thinking of its texture in the real world, to rub the chalk between both hands. He suspected, if the game creator had put enough coding into the game, it would rub into dust. However, as Soren clasped both hands together and alternated moving each forward and back, felt the familiar shape remain in his hands. The force of friction, which typically would produce some heat, was not immediately present. This material, at least against his hand, was not easily changeable. 

That fucking game designer built such a complex gaming system, but he wasn’t a god. Clearly, even smart asses like him have their limits. 

Soren turned around to watch the combat from the ground level. It wasn’t a great viewing point, as his ol’ man was actually kinda big with full plate armor, his weapon, and his shield equipped. Regardless, Soren could still hear his father speaking with a muffle after the boar passed to the side. Soren couldn’t quite see the wolves that his father was referring to as he turned his head in the direction he suspected they would be. Are the wolves you are referring to at about two o’clock my perspective, three o’clock yours? Wait, I am a fucking idiot, I would stand the best chance of finding those wolves if I climb back up the tree and search for them, just like with the materials… 

Soren climbed the tree, his arms grabbing one tree limb, pulling up and snatching the next in a fluid motion. When one arm recoiled, the other snapped forward to instigate and speedy upward ascent. As he neared the leading tree limb, Soren snapped his left hand out to the left and peered off toward the horizon. There were several batches of boar herds scavenging the plains. The wolves did not immediately attract the attention of Soren’s eyes, nor did searching for mats at that distance. 

209683 | LD:3 (+0 mats | 2 Mats Found)

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Word Count: 329

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Soren had just told Syra to climb the tree, even though he knew there was fall damage in this game. It wasn't because Soren didn't appreciate Syra or anything like that. He wanted to experience. He wanted to learn. He wanted to do, regardless of the risks still threatening them in this game. However, Zenshu spoke to Syra in the tree as though she were in danger of death from that height. Although she could take some damage from the fall, that alone killing her was improbable at worst. Zenshu was clearly a calm and wise addition to the party, which Soren appreciated. Syra was like the wild card, doing what she saw fit in the moment, which Soren also had no problem with. When it came to defining his father, Soren couldn't see him as anything but an ol' man striving to continue to live his best life given his age. For Teddy, age came with experience. Whether that experience could transfer to scenarios in this game, that would show itself soon enough.  

Soren listened to Syra and Teddy's conversation, though he didn't speak. His internal thoughts on the matter were loud, though Soren remained silent. Would I say that the need for risk is what makes living "living"? Shit, that is a deep question. I have heard people argue in college that living a good life would inevitably require conflict, but that life only has meaning if death is of real concern... That fucking sounds legitimate for an argument. Would that make immortality living without "living"? There would be no risk of death... Wow, I... 

Soren's thoughts were stopped by a few words his father said, tearing beginning to well up as he said them. 

Yup, you can definitely be remembered as the person who did not back down... but also assuming we actually make it all the way to the highest floor... 

Although the situation here is dire, the game is just as dangerous as surviving in the real world. I just want to live my best life here with my friends... it is better than having the responsibilities life in the real world would constantly throw at me. Here, I am living a better life. Why the fuck would I go back? 

Soren had begun to sit down, but he noticed Syra had found her second material. Fuck, even Syra is doing better than me. I hate being the one dragging down the party, why does it have to be me?

As Soren sat down, his hand brushed a small pebble to the side... He leaned back to look up at the blue sky, but the glimmer to his side caught in his peripheral vision. No fucking way, I go searching for a material for several minutes and finding nothing. I go to sit down and I find another piece of chalk? What the hell, how did the creator of this game program this kind of sick humor? Soren continued to lean back, picking up the piece of chalk with his right hand and putting his left hand over his face to cover his smirk. 

209659 | LD:11 (+1 mat | 2 Mats Found)

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Word Count: 519

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Soren had told his ol' man to wait for the boar to "play chicken" and avoid making a head on attack before striking with the hammer. However, as his ol' man was replying to him up in the tree, the boar caught him mid-sentence. Unlike the previous attacks, the boar actually made a bullrush attack directly into Teddy. Upon striking, the armor activated and burned the boar for an immense amount of fire damage, as flames licked the beast. Oh fuck, thats sick! I need to get something like... wait, no, I need something that makes me bob in and out of "existence", kind of like the blink dogs I heard Teddy talk about a while back. That way, they won't be able to strike me without the games sick sense of humor... Well Dad, I thought the boar might have ended your fucking life there, not gonna lie. You probably would do best letting the boar strike you another time like that, the flame from your armor really crushed its health bar!

When Teddy asked if Soren had found anything good, Soren looked down from the limb. There, about twenty feet from the tree was another glimmer, a sure sign of another piece of chalk. Yup, fuckin nailing it! Got another about twenty paces from the base of the tree. Gonna hop down there and grab it, finish up the fight soon and I will tell yah which tale I'd like to hear! Soren smirked as he let go of the branch with his legs and snagged a branch, swinging wildly from branch to branch until he reached the last one before the ground. Dropping and walking about nineteen paces, Soren picked up the glimmering piece of chalk. Alright, already found two materials... only about three more before I can return to Landon...

209658 | LD:17 (+1 Mat | 2 Mats found)

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Word Count: 304

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Soren reached the peak of the tree, his view back to being superior. Yes, this must be like eagle sight, superior in every fucking way Soren caught sight of the boar missing his father again. Soren took both hands off the tree, swung down so he was situated swinging upside down on a tree limb, his legs clenched to hold his weight. Putting both hands to his mouth to speak loud enough to be heard he made his voice boom. That boar is unbelievably clumsy, move right and swing down with the hammer as it passes you! The hammer went up for the swing, but wobbled coming down. His father had missed the boar and the weight might have been to much. His father fell to the ground, similar to how Soren had when he came to rescue his friend Syra from possible harm. Wuwu, my ol’ man really lucked out there. That could have been much worse for him, for damn sure. Hey dad, have you ever actually wielded a hammer back at the house? It might be of good make, but the top would still tilt the scales of balance during a swing! At least, that’s what professor Blake said during the physic’s lesson. He also said something about the centripetal force of the swing, but I doubt my ol’ man wants to hear his son rant about physics during a battle.

Soren looked down for a moment to get a look around the tree. Not noticing any shimmer for the moment, Soren returned his gaze back to the battle before him. Give it another swing, this time wait for it to chicken to one side. Then beat that fucker senseless!

209611 | LD: 3 (+0 Mats | 1 Mat found)

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Word Count : 283

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Before Soren had gotten even a fourth of the way up the tree, he decided it would be a good idea to move around the tree trunk and check up on his father's progress. From the distance, Soren could tell that the boar had taken a significant hit from his father, which was outstanding. He could tell that, from the successful hit, his father was building up hate. Honestly though, much of the plan involved his father being successfully hit, but if he wasn't ever hit, he wouldn't have to use up the potions they got for the outing, which might save them money... Yeah, that's it dad, give 'em hell. Now, what tale would I like to hear from my ol' man... I know, maybe he could describe the adventure of his favorite character! That way, there is sure to be enough room for improvisation and embellishment, but the story would still be conveyed. 

Soren began to climb up the tree again, only a few moments later being called out by his father. Yup, that boar might be out sooner than we thought. Give 'em another good strike with the fucking hammer for good measure though. I also just found a material back here near this tall tree, gonna keep watching from up there.  

Soren continued to the top of the tree, his viewpoint was impressive. He made a mental note of the direction he found the first material and began to rotate, his center being the tree.

209594 | LD:14 (+0 Mats | 1 Mat Found)

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Wordcount: 249

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Soren was glad his father was on board for doing an adventure or quest together. He knew very little about his adoptive father, only mild mention from Rita while he aged into adulthood. The biggest concern Soren had to deal with was time. His father would spend hours at the toy store, essentially dedicating his life to his work. Although it would have been too much to request, Soren wanted to spend time with him. He had heard a few stories of ol' from his father, but he knew there were plenty of other ones that he hadn't been fortunate enough to hear. This might be his best chance to learn.

Now, his father was talking with Syra, a potential plan to meet at a diner or something. That might be best place the party could meet after doing adventures, to tell tales and build up their morale. Honestly, this was just like how Teddy described Dungeons and Dragons... they were the adventurers and now they were going to tackle a very large and elaborate dungeon to save people. 

Although Soren didn't speak, he was clearly focused in on the conversation. Then, his father spoke and looked over at him... the time passed, several seconds in fact. Soren knew the look, and it wasn't good. He was remembering something, something which for the briefest of moments put a sour visage on his face. Soren decided it would be best if he didn't acknowledge his father's stare and aimed his head down, acting as though he was still searching through the tall grass. Although he wasn't certain he could search the grass and find more chalk, it was a viable means of distraction. 

Then, almost as if queued, Syra bolted up a tree. Well shit, guess Syra decided she had enough... no wait, is she trying to climb to the top? Now, wh... OH, look at her, climbing to the top of a fucking tree to search for mats... honestly, thats a very clever idea, except that the game designed probably didn't think "Dammit, you know these players will think about the real world concepts of perception, so we should award them and design a search function giving them better chances at finding materials with the upper ground"... Wow, Syra, you really got high up there... how does it feel? Can you touch the fucking sun yet? The breeze is probably much stronger up there, so make sure to keep a firm grip on the tree limbs... Otherwise, make sure to shout "timber" as you fall! Soren smiled and called up, though he had no mind to climb up the tree himself. He feared it might bring back memories of his past, some of which he definitely didn't want flooding back. 

209502 | LD:3 (+0 Mats | 1/5 mats found)

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Word Count: 460

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Soren took his ol' man's appreciation for the equipment as a sign of trust. His ol' man was not as accustomed to the game, but he must have had experiences while at the toy store which would constitute building trust. Regardless, his ol' man also knew that he was going for martial arts, and that hand wraps wouldn't be something crafted by a blacksmith. Yeah, that shits true. The ol' man was also on board to go to the town and to the monument, which his ol' man mentioned might be closer to dinner time.  Fuck, I didn't think to ask when their establishment in Tolbana closes, and the walk and combat might quite possibly put us closer to dinner... most meal establishments should still be open around 6pm, we should have plenty of time. If we make our way toward the monument, we will likely encounter our first boar... You will fucking give them hell while I will search for mats once I see you have started.  

Then, Soren and Teddy began their hike out of the town of beginnings, which wasn't long before they officially were in the Plains biome. Teddy said something along the lines of "Ain't this beautiful?" which reminded Soren of only a couple days before. "Yeah, this kickass place will hold some of my favorite memories with Syra and Zenshu, my two first friends in this game"  Although Soren did not reply to his ol' man, he caught the sense he didn't have to. The moment was breathtaking, the breeze once again ruffling the tall grass, almost as though it was waving at them. Suddenly, breaking the moment, Teddy equipped his hammer and moved to strike a nearby tree... quite possibly the same one Syra had climbed to the top of just days before. I hope the ol' man knows that the tree in an immortal entity, part of the map structure, and cannot be destroyed... Which then popped up before Teddy in the form of a small tag. Soren laughed Goddamn dad, it looks like the tree won! Soren stopped laughing, but continued to smile as he opened his inventory to make certain he brought the potions... Now remember, if things get into a fucking bind, I have 5 basic health potions I can send to you. Once you have used a couple, just ask and I will send them over. Soren moved away from his inventory and checked his messages, hoping he might receive something from Syra or Zenshu on their next adventure... so far, nothing. 

At about this time, Teddy had found his opponent. A short boar, about 2 feet tall, with brown and white blended fur, was out grazing. Soren knew that would be an easy fight so long as it didn't attract a pack of wolves. Regardless, Soren wasn't about to jump in unless it was life or death... and even then, he might not. 

Soren instead thought about what Syra had done, climbing to the top of the tree to get a better view of mats in the grass. In theory, the game would not function with that kind of advantage, but it was worth a shot. At least until his father was done taking on a few boars, Soren would climb up the tree and search. Grabbing the first limb, Soren remembered when he was a kid at the foster house. He had managed to escape outside with a boy named Sebastion, and they wanted to get as much time out before they would be eventually discovered and, unfortunately, beat. 

Fuck, stopping thinking about the time you were in the foster care system Levi, that time is long since past. That ol' hag is probably dead to, along with the dude who thought he owned the place, but I could care less. Sebastion may or may not be dead himself, and it is unlikely he came to have a fortunate conclusion to his story like I did. 

With that, Soren climbed the tree. After the first limb, Soren appeared to transform into a monkey, climbing up to the top in a mere few seconds. Wow, it really has been a long time since I beat Sebastion at tree climbing. Wouldn't mind doing this every time I search for mats. Soren looked down at his ol' man, who was quite small from his viewpoint. Thats right dad, break its fucking legs! Soren shouted with excitement. Switching his gaze to the other side of the tree, Soren began scanning for a material... it was so unlikely he would find another material in tall grass, but alas, he found 5 from the last quest, so finding a couple more should be a walk in the park. 

Thats when Soren noticed the shimmer, which came about seven to ten paces from the tree. Soren swung out with the tree limb, essentially grabbing one and then another to reduce the fall speed. Once he hit the ground, he turned and faced the direction out from the tree. If I remember that stupid math class I took, the diameter of a circle was the full line through its center. If I made a circle with this tree being the center, the radius toward the first material would be approximately ten paces. I might be able to track where the game is generating chalk and farm the material that way....

Soren moved eight paces and caught a short glimpse of the all-familiar shimmer. Soren reached out and acquired the chalk, a tag popping up that he had found 1 material. Holy fuck, today started out great and has only gotten better! With that, Soren retraced his steps back to the tree and began to climb back to the top.

209582 | LD:18 (+1 Mat | 1 Mat Found) 

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Word Count: 955

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Soren came out of the shop to see quite the sight. His ol' man was there before him, a set of plate armor was equipped to his body, and an insignia of a vibrant green and red rose with actual thorns jutting from it, stood as a sign of a ready combatant. In his left hand was a shield, made in the kite design, or commonly referred to as a kite shield, adorned with the beautiful bird of rebirth, the phoenix, as described in mythology. The material plating was likely gold with some other alloy, almost appearing to give off a living flame. In his other hand was equipped a hammer, one of exceedingly good make. Soren took a second, smiling from the previous encounter inside the shop, but his eyes gave the sense of a little more awe. Looks like he went out of his fucking way to explore the town and bought some gear over the past few days, we really will be able to accomplish a fuck-ton at this rate!

I must say, I really enjoy the fucking mythology-esque design of your armor and weapons, that shit looks dope! Are you certain the armor is of top quality? I wouldn't trust everything a shop-owner, especially the talkative bastards, says about the make of their wears, especially when their goods could be the difference between life and death. Regardless, the plate armor was your starting gear, so we can rely on that as much as anyone. 

Soren had spent the minute appreciating the finer quality make of the shield and hammer in particular. He moved forward, touching the material and gazing at its aesthetic beauty. Goddamn, these really are of a fine quality, whoever made these is no slouch... Might I ask, did the same person make both of these items or were they made by two different smiths? They appear to be of above average make. I wouldn't mind possibly commissioning them in the future, though its unlikely. Soren knew he wanted to be a martial artist, specializing in dps and healing. It was unlikely he would need wears from a blacksmith, but at least he would have a reliable name to go to or sponsor while he adventured. I realize that I myself have not bought any additional gear from vendors here in the town, though I don't suspect I will need any until I have gone to the second floor to learn martial arts. Until then, I could still go to his shop and check out his wears.

Soren smiled as he remembered he hadn't told his father the good news. It would seem the badass lute performer named Landon is willing to teach me how to become a performer, specifically a poet. Do you remember rock and roll? Thats basically the shit he plays, but on a lute! He said he had to fill out some personal requests or some commissions or some shit, so he would need me to retrieve a few materials and then come back. Then, Landon will assist me and we'll make some fucking awesome poetry! I am unbelievably hyped to get started. While I go and collect mats in the tall grass, you can stand near the safe zone, though on the opposite side, and slaughter the herd. I don't doubt your tank capabilities will far exceed that shitty livestock. You did buy the potions I spoke of earlier with the new armor, right? You can just provoke the herd and they'll die to the thorns on your armor... that's the plan at least. It'll give you the practice of being a fucking impenetrable force!

Soren also remembered a town that an adventurer had mentioned in small talk at a cafe. I was also thinking of exploring the nearby settlements, specifically a town called Tolbana. Not sure how fucking great it could be, but I heard some wonderful rumors at least. The guy spoke of elaborate white wall window towers, almost like a European town. Its not very large, measuring something like 200-300 meters max. I think that they tend to go to that small fucking town for food, so maybe we could eat lunch there or something. There was also another place, but I don....

At that moment, Soren stopped. The name of the place was on the tip of his tongue. Fuck, I know it starts with a M... Metropolis? No moron, it wasn't a town of any kind... it was some kind of structure... Mans... Mo... Monument! Its the fucking Monument of Grath, how could I have forgotten! Soren's eyes widened as he remembered the name of the location he wanted to check out.

Oh yes, I also want to go to something called the "Monument of Grath", which apparently refers to a boss that was beaten in the Labrinth on this floor. Hell, I might even my respects at the statue because of all the players who met their demise against that boss. I might not have felt the need to adventure out until now, but those brave sons of bitches did so immediately, allowing us to get through to later floors... they kind of paved the way for us.

Soren stopped speaking as he became aware he was rambling on. He gave a glance to his father and gave the thumbs up, sort of requesting for confirmation Let's get going out to the plains! You can reck havoc upon the herd while I climb some large fucking tree or something and find some more of that God-forsaken chalk. Soren began to walk toward the northern gate, the presumption that his father was following him. 

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Word Count: 940

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They had only been out in the plains for a couple hours tops, possibly less, looking for materials. Although time had felt rushed, most likely from the adrenaline of meeting new people and beginning combat out of the blue, time after the combat seemed to slow down. Soren had found one material in all this time searching, which turned out to be a piece of chalk hidden in the tall grass. It was as though the game was flipping him the bird. Now Zenshu was telling him how unique the material was, that its outward appearance was not of the likes Zenshu had ever seen before. His comparison of chalk to blacksmithing seemed almost unreasonable. Chalk being used as a material for blacksmithing was completely insane. Chalk wasn't sturdy enough a material for any weapon or armor, it would certainly break before it got use in combat. Even a computer geek like Soren couldn't fathom a blacksmith needing chalk to make weapons or armor, unless it was for creating an outline of something.

Zenshu is too kind to tell it to you straight, that chalk is a fucking pointless piece of shit. It couldn't have been a computer chip or a usb, or anything that resembles the thing you literally spent so much of your life researching and putting together? No, it had to be a piece of that vile material they made you write with. Regardless of the material's impracticality, and its relevance to Soren, he would still need to find another four materials to complete the quest that they had begun. He was sure he wouldn't be the one holding back his party. He gazed to his left before turning his head around and gazing the other direction for a while, listening to idle chat from the others in his party in the meantime. There wasn't a glimmer of anything, it was just the tall grass swaying with the breeze. Soren had chosen, almost as if he was back in his apartment from college, to go silent. He listened to his fellow party members and friends, as well as continued surveillance of the grass for boars, wolves, or heaven forbid another piece of white chalk, the occasional thoughts being rejected from his mind.

When Soren concentrates on something by itself, he is usually quick to finish. This is because his mind can process the goal without any interference from outside issues. He can concentrate and get things done efficiently, that and multitasking he prided himself on. Yet in the moments to come, that concentration would pause, slow down, and cease to function.

Zenshu, Syra, and Teddy all spoke of Yoga, as if they should start doing that regularly in the game. Soren used this time to contemplate its usefulness and whether he would actually be up for trying something like it. Yup, my friends and the ol' man are batshit crazy. Why the fuck would we do yoga, what use is it to someone's avatar in a game? We stretch our muscles which we don't actually have in the game, to prevent an injury we aren't going to get. Plus, how could my ol' man know anything about Yoga? Wait, did Rita know how to do Yoga? That would explain where she would go on Tuesdays and Thursdays... Doing Yoga in this game seems pointless to me, but honestly, why not? Maybe a yoga session could somehow bring us together better as a party... not sure how that would work, but if the ol' man remembers what Rita explained to him or Zenshu remembers something, its worth a try...                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Soren thought about these things and then he glanced over to see Syra doing the downward dog in the tall grass. Oh damn... Soren lifted his hand to cover his mouth. He felt awkward just staring at her while she attempted yoga. Ummm His mind seemed to move him into action, lowering his hand to his side. She means she wants to try yoga now... Go out there and stretch or something, you may not know anything about yoga, but don't fucking make her do it alone!  Soren moved over to join her but he knew literally nothing about yoga besides it's name and that it involved "stretching". Then Syra did the splits. Oh shit, oh fuck, no, I ain't doing that, nope. Soren could hear his muscles in his groin tearing even if he wasn't actually doing it. His facial expression was that of pain as he watched. He decided to sit on the ground next to Syra, placing both feet together making a diamond and leaning forward. That shit ain't for me, the butterfly stretch is the best I got, even if I am in a game. That shit looks WAY too painful for me. Soren said this out loud to Syra, clearly incapable of doing what she just did.   

The others in the party began walking around the tall grass in search of another material. Syra quickly found a material, and in the meantime Soren's ol' man asked Soren and Zenshu if there was a means in the game of making the materials become more prevalent, which Soren wasn't certain of. He knew about aggro from other online games he had experimented with, and he knew about the healing mechanics in this game to a similar extent, but that was the limit to the specific knowledge regarding those features in this game. Its about as likely as a rare magical item being found by a group of low level adventurers in your D&D campaigns, but a consumable or a more rare item in this game could make the likelihood of finding materials in this game more frequent I'd presume. Its a fucking good question though. I would compare this feature to games of a similar genre to make an educated guess since this isn't a life or death question. Zenshu, which smart-ass on the first floor might we go to for more info on this? Certainly a powerful item capable of enhancing your search ability like that wouldn't be found on the first floor.

Soren went back, for the moment, in search of another material. So far, his search for materials had been unlucky, and possibly even a slap to the face. Syra has two materials now, and so does his ol' man. Soren was falling behind quick, which wasn't characteristic of him. He was the kind of player to get things done quickly and efficiently, but something was setting him back. Soren glanced over the grass, again and again hoping that a glimmer might come his way... but at the same time, he wasn't eager for it. Too many bad memories from the chalk. He would rather try his hand at doing the splits with Syra again than be reminded of the chalk. Soon, Soren found himself glancing over at Teddy, Zenshu, and Syra, expectantly waiting for something, anything, to take his mind away from itself.

He heard Syra say something about being an amputee, which was just enough to distract his mind. Holy sh*t, does that mean that Syra is a limbless person in the real world? Its no wonder she wanted to do yoga here! She couldn't have experienced it in her previous life, this literally is a chance to do something brand new... A fucking accident as a child making her an amputee for life? That probably means she didn't get a disease that caused her to lose a limb, maybe a machine malfunctioned? Maybe she was shot? The culture in the real world was and is dangerous, its completely possible she was attacked by some aggressive son of a bitch. But she said accident, which makes it seem like something happened that wasn't intended. Regardless, that don't mean shit here. She is living her new life, she is the person I see before me NOW. Thats all I care about... Thats all WE care about. Soren nodded his head, and then he decided to speak following Teddy. His ol' man was clearly giving the "its all good, we won't show you pity or abandon you" speech. Although Teddy was heartfelt saying it, the speech itself wasn't to Soren's liking. So, once his ol' man had finished his thought, Soren spoke up... at first he was somewhat quiet, but almost as though he was reminded of something, his voice quickly rose as he stood up, passion filling his words. 

You could probably give us more details if you are comfortable doing so. Nobody, not my ol' man, not Zenshu, nor I, would judge you outright for being forthcoming with us. We are a party now and hopefully we will be a party in the future. I personally would love to hear your story. Who knows, we all might have a story like this and maybe there is a better place to tell those stories... but just to be clear... FUCK THAT SHIT, You may have been an amputee and maybe it sucked but I don't give a FLYING RATS ASS if you were an amputee in the real world. You just fucking killed a boar, A BOAR! Next thing you know, you will be slinging through dungeons slicing monsters to PIECES! Our opinion of your past doesn't mean jack shit. Only are success and function as a party matters. That much I am sure of. The past, in this case, doesn't define our future. 

The last comment about the past not defining the future was not something Soren was so certain of. He remembered his past, being taken by parents that didn't want him, often abused him, sent him back into foster care, to which the process repeated a few times. They were not fond memories outright, but he could remember many kids his age in the foster program that he envied, even one he could almost call a friend, one who left his side and never wrote or made contact again. If his past did define his future, his new friends would be dead within the year, just like his friend and roommate from college. He wouldn't be able to explain how he met Zenshu and Syra, two kind and compassionate individuals. And for the father most deserving of the title, Theodore Bell, Levi had never given him proper, outright thanks. Soren knew that would need to change, he would need to confront that part of himself while he was in this game, the sooner the better. In fact, he thought for a second and an idea crossed his mind. He spoke to Teddy, who had just found himself a seat in the tall grass.

Ol' man, shit, you know, a sizable thought just crossed my mind. If you want to learn how to attract mobs in this game, we could do something once we attain the materials for this quest. I was thinking about taking a profession, maybe a performer, like becoming a fucking poet and shit. What 'cha think? Plus, I need to make money and I would rather not spend all day going out of my way to kill boars at a low level by myself. Think maybe we could take a day and figure out what we want to do here?

Soren spoke to his father, but he seemed to be thinking about something else. He had been standing a moment before, but now he was sitting and closing his eyes... Did my ol' man... no, his health bar is still full in the party icon, he can't die of old age in the game unless it happened in the outside world, right... right? Yeah, he can't fucking croak on me now. Maybe I should ask him again once he wakes back up?   

Soren continued his search for the material in the tall grass, his passion and eagerness to find a material was non-existent. About another minute passed before Soren decided to lay down on the grass facing up to the sky. He needed a break even though he wasn't doing anything exhausting. Almost like a distant memory coming back, Soren heard his inner voice speaking to him, the chalk material being the trigger. Do you remember your first foster parent, the teacher? She would come home and have you write. When you messed up, you were hit. You were not good enough to be successful. When you lashed out at her, you were beat. Don't forget it. Learn from it. Learn faster. Be better. Be smarter. Accomplish more... Soren rolled over to his side to see what the others were doing, clearly his mind was tormenting him. He didn't want to remember, he wanted to forget. Normally he would tinker with computer pieces but those were not going to be something he could easily acquire and put together while in a game like this. He had to distract himself by other means, especially while out on a quest looking for chalk of all things.

From turning to look at his fellow party members, Soren could see that Syra had continued her search after finding her second material. Goddamn, she is determined to find those materials. How can she keep her mind focused on something like that for so long out here? I am struggling to keep my focus for more than a minute, which isn't like me at all! Fuck'n hell! Clearly her determination had no bounds. Zenshu was seen by Soren bouncing on his feet, though he stopped almost as though he saw Soren looking over. Ope, shit, I might have startled him... I hope I didn't... Then Zenshu nodded to himself, as if confirming something unspoken. Okay, he must have thought of something and confirmed it there, hope it was something more interesting than deciding whether or not to stay with us. I know it must be a fucking drag to come out with newer players and collect mats without getting the quest for yourself... When Soren turned his head slightly to look over at Teddy, he found that Teddy was holding up his third material. It was almost as if Teddy was taunting Soren's inability to find materials for this quest. It couldn't be an easier task, finding five simple materials in the tall grass. Somehow, for Soren, this just wasn't the case. 

Alright chalk, I have fuckin had it with you! You mock me and my inability to be a perfect person. I don't give a shit anymore, I am going to make you into something amazing! Show yourself to me, God Dammit! I don't care what you meant to me in the past, I am about to use you to write the best fuckin poetry that anyone locked in this game has had the liberty to witness live. Soren was no longer smiling, he had a genuinely angry facial expression as he stood and walked away from the group a few paces. There he sat and closed his eyes trying to meditate like his ol' man had just done. Yet still those horrible thoughts flooded his mind

_______

209500| LD:5(+0 Mats) (1/5 Found)

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Word Count: 2,508

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Soren had walked all the way to the northern wall of the town of beginnings, which was quite the distance for a morning walk. As he came to his destination, he heard the familiar ping as his notification tab lit up in his vision. “I am surprised he was able to message so quickly, he was fucking slow at messaging back in the real world. Wonder how far he is from this spot” Soren opened the notification and looked in horror as he read the message. “Well, he fucking remembered that we were to meet at the performer’s shop, but the message I just sent him said to meet at the Northern… actually, he isn’t wrong. Guess I need to get my ass over to the performer’s shop pronto” Soren messaged his ol’ man, starting with the symbols that represented a smiling emoji, followed by the comment, “Aight, lets do this!” And he moved his hand to close the notifications tab. Soren smirked as he turned to move toward the marketing and vendor section of the town, which was closer to the northern center of the town of beginnings. 

Upon arriving at the performer’s shop, his ol’ man was still nowhere in sight. “Alright, that’s fucking good, I still managed to beat him here. Guess he took some time trying to bat that notification shit that I sent him away. Regardless, I should figure out exactly who this store belongs to.” Soren waited for a minute before an random adventurer walked out of the store to ask his question. “Hey, I hope I am not bothering you. I just want to know who owns this shit, hole in the wall, store?” The person walking out was taken aback by the words for this stranger. “Um… I think his name is.. uh, Landon or Labrum. I don’t know. Sorry!“ Unsurprisingly, Soren let them continue out. Soren got the name Landon or Labrum, so he would use the first upon entry, and if the man or woman was surprised, he would be corrected. At least the two names were somewhat close in spelling. Soren learned against the wall to give his legs a rest. He had, indeed, walked several miles just to end up at the performer’s shop, which was a third of a mile at most from where he was beginning his travel through the town of beginnings. 

And that’s when Soren heard a familiar voice, ol’, raspy, but kind. His ol’ man was waving and giving him the good ol’ morning greeting. And that is my ol’ man, ready to start the day early… His ol’ man starting talking about his years enjoying the fine arts and playing the fiddle  Morning dad, nice of you to show up this early in the morning for an adventure. I decided to get up early to watch the sunrise and walked about as fucking far and Forest Gump ran in the movie. Shit sucked, but I gues it was a reasonable workout.  And as for my interest in the fine arts, I was thinking I might try my hand at poetry or something. That shit would be considered a performance, right? With this fucking chalk material, I could write myself some damn good poetry, developing it into a masterpiece or something… As for how you can help, I was thinking you could practice attracting the boars attention at the edge of the safe zone while I look for materials and create my first successful poem. How does that sound? Get some father-son time that has been lacking over the years… I think I could learn a bit from your past, like maybe some of your past D&D adventures and some of your friends who have passed to Valhalla, Heaven, or Nirvana. 

As Soren finished talking, a crow landed on the nearby street post. “Fuck, that’s another Norse Mythology symbol… my ol’ man must take that as a sign from Odin… Maybe that means Odin approves my fucking miserable existence, or maybe he finds my existence amusing? Regardless, lets start this quest.” ”Aight ol’ man, I’ll be right out. Then we will go head out of the town of beginnings unless we have a change of plans. Sound good?”  Soren didn’t wait for his ol’ man to confirm or deny his request, opening the door to the hole in the wall performer’s shop. As Soren entered, a rock and roll song greeted him in its finest and most powerful representation. ”Wow, this guy is fuckin good as playing the guitar! Hope I can get this good at poetry, or maybe I should take up the guitar…” As Soren continued inside and turned to the side, he saw a man playing this rock and roll on a lot… on a lute of all things! “That’s…. Fucking AWESOME!” Soren reluctantly spoke up to get the performer’s attention. Excuse me, I don’t mean to bother you and shit, especially while you play some amazing riff, but could you please lead me to the owner, Landon, of this establishment? Landon stopped, raked his hand through his pointed white hair, and grinned at Soren ”Sure, I am Landon, and I take requests!”. Soren was only a bit surprised that this guy was the owner of the performer’s establishment, he certainly was great at rock and roll.

You do some amazing rock and roll by the way, that is quite amazing. I’m actually not here to fuck around though, I am actually interested in becoming a performer myself, specifically with poetry. Would take my request to help me become a performer like yourself? I am willing to pay any amount reasonable or search for materials or whatever… it would mean the fucking world to me if you could guide me in this endeavor… Shit, please consider taking me on as a mentor or something…

Landon laughs similar to his ol’ man and replied “I wasn’t expecting that kind of request honestly, but yes, I’ll help. The problem is that, as you saw with the guy leaving the shop earlier, I have a few more orders to fill out today, and I am getting low on recording crystals. If you go out and get me more mats to fulfill my orders, I’ll finish them up and we can meet in the middle. How does that sound?” 

Soren was excited to have gotten confirmation from Landon. He moved his hand forward to see the quest icon notification light up. It’s requirement was 5 materials, which would be a breeze to get near the edge of the safe zone right outside the town of beginnings. Fuck yes, LETS GO! Soren ran out of the establishment to give Teddy the good news. He was gonna become a poet!

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Word Count: 1,125

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Soren stood gazing around the town of beginnings, looking around at various vendor shops and people passing by. It couldn't be much earlier than 7 in the morning, the sun somewhat up in the sky, though, when walking, it was blocked by the occasional building. Soren had risen early to watch the sunrise, something he was excited about in his early days in the foster program. This was something that persisted into his eventual adoption with his ol' man, and was still something he enjoyed during college. Since he was never really a party hog, he would get up relatively early and work on computer tech stuff while his mother, Rita, prepared breakfast. Even in a game, these habits didn't die. Adventurers and NPC's alike had begun to roam the streets. Soren had found his ol' man recently in this game, and had made a party with two other individuals, though some may have left for their own adventures. Syra was out and about doing something else, but Soren was happy to call her a friend. And Zenshu, the other one, likely had other quests on other floors.

Theodore Bell, Soren's ol' man, wanted to get an aggro skill to attract boars and other mobs to attack him instead of his party members. Soren had thought about it more since the discussion. Honestly, Soren was proud of his ol' man's accomplishments so far in this game, but how far would they get by themselves? Would surviving a couple encounters outside the safezone get them anywhere? Certainly, sticking together would greatly increase their chance of surviving the game and making it out alive. Regardless, Soren hadn't checked up on his ol' man, and he wasn't doing anything worth while. 

"Damnit, I have been sitting on my ass doing nothing productive... this is not like me. I need to go and get a fucking job. Maybe my ol' man would like to accompany me..." Soren looked over his shoulder at passer-bys and then he nodded his head confirming something he hand thought in his head. "Honestly, you haven't done anything with your ol' man in years. Its time you begin taking advantage of the time you have with him in this game, you won't get another chance..." And thus Soren moved his hand forward to send a message to Teddy. Finding his friend list, which was packed full of three individuals, he pressed on Theodore Bell's username. Sending a message: "HEY OL" MAN, you should come with me to get a job... I was thinking that I could try my hand a some music or maybe alchemy. At least I would have a means of income, maybe I could even make you something that you could use in combat to attract aggro... And speaking of Aggro, maybe we could also experiment with combat near the safe zone sometime today so you might learn how to aggro boars and other mobs like Zenshu mentioned in our last adventure. Message back or meet me outside the northern section of the town of beginnings. Your Son -Soren. 

"Hope the ol' man arrives soon, best pack up my shit... oh wait, its already packed away in my inventory... guess I can just head over there now." Soren turned and began walking through the town of beginnings to the northern entrance. He walked past signposts for various trinkets and armor, and even a tailor's store. This was the place to be if Soren wanted to buy beginner's equipment. Soren, who had chosen the basic starter pack, didn't really need any special equipment, at least for a while. After a few minutes, Soren realized that he hadn't been paying attention to the direction he had been wandering and was now near the Western side of the town. "Fuckin black jack! Stop wandering around aimlessly, you know you need to go north! Thats what you put in the message... otherwise the ol' man is gonna think you are stupid Soren"  So Soren turned and looked up to read the road signs. After scanning the signs, Soren turned again, forty-five degrees to the left and walked until he ended up at the edge of the inner town, north on a compass. "Guess I should wait here for a few minutes, maybe even an hour, for him to show up. I could have possibly interrupted his crossword puzzle again..." And thus, Soren Rider awaited his ol' man, patiently, sitting on a ledge and messing with his menu.

Word Count: 746

Soren raised his head slightly from the dark black dirt to get a glimpse of the combat scene as it resounded nearby. Soren's head wasn't quite high enough to surpass the tall grass, as he could only see tall grass blades swaying to the side with the gentle breeze. "Fuck, what am I doing staying on the ground like this? Syra cou..." What he heard, however, was a buzz. A buzzing sound, similar to the sound of a swarm of bugs, and a flash of blue reflected from the grass blades as Syra moved to slash the boar. Although Soren could not see the scene, he could picture it in his mind as clear as watching a movie. "B*tchin, Syra is activating a sword art... really should get me one of those..." 

Once the combat has had ended and the boar pixelated in a single blast, Syra was able to move and spoke, the excitement from combat very much present in her voice. Soren responded as he stood up, wiping dirt pixels that would likely dissipate anyway. He replied to her vibrant words with genuine excitement "Regrettably no, I was honestly quite busy watching the dark soil and grass blades swaying to see your badass sword art. Wish I could have seen it though, the flash was reflected like a lake reflecting the moon. It appeared to me as a vibrant blue blast, and it definitely buzzed with energy! 

Soren moved his hand forward to unequip his short sword as he heard his ol' man speak wise ol' words of wisdom, though he didn't do the same for his armor in case of another surprise combat initiative. His ol' man was right, combat shouldn't be the first means of getting mats, but it was quite thrilling. With that, Soren then walked to Syra to give her a high five. "Shit, this is worth celebrating but how am I supposed to react? Maybe with a high five? Do it, worst she could do is look at you pathetically and walk on...  He wasn't completely sure she would know what he was doing, as the demographic was primarily Japanese. Regardless, he expected her to raise her hand questioningly or follow through with a solid high five. He speaks as he approaches her, saying "Dadgummit that was your first kill, which deserves some celebration! Slip me five!" 

Soren surprised himself by copying his ol' man's vocabulary. He shook his head, trying to lose his ol' man's southern accent. After the celebratory high five, then looked over toward Theodore. Theodore asked Zenshu how he could essentially aggro these mobs. Soren knew, though it was somewhat vague, that players could get a skill to attract a mob's attention, but he wasn't sure what it was or exactly how it worked. "There has gotta be some fucking way through skills or something for you to aggro a mob, essentially attracting its aggressive attention toward yourself, right Zenshu? Have you experienced anyone using something like that in your earlier adventures?" Not long after this dialogue, apparently, Soren's ol' man had not only found a Mat, but two. Clearly, his ol' man was besting him in the searching game, which shouldn't even be possible... yet, here in SAO it was happening. 

The reflection of the slash on the tall grass and referencing the moon had begun to remind Soren of a song he had heard in college... and it got stuck... so he began humming "Moon Dance by Van Morrison" as he began to wander around. For the first few seconds of looking around, he began to doubt his luck at finding something, anything, useful for this quest. Something, a glimmer, which caught his eye in the tall grass. A few strides, maybe a few dozen feet away. Soren walked over, but didn't keep his eyes on the material and lost sight of it at the last second. "Fuc... wait" and lost his initial target in the sway of the breeze. In the next second, he spotted the material again, and moved forward reaching for the glimmer. Soren picked up a piece of white chalk, about an inch or two in size. "Fuck, is that chalk... I hate that." "Damnit, of course my Mat is a piece of chalk. This game really has a sick sense of humor... but that makes for my first Mat! Only 4 more to go!" 

209456 | LD:14 (1 Mat | 1/5 Found)

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Word Count: 733

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Soren stands ready with his short sword in his right hand, preparing for a regular slash. Theodore had entered combat seeing the situation, which Soren was glad. Although his ol' man could be conceivably useless, he could also be a great asset if the boar were to attack him. However, there was little chance that Theodore could aggro the beast at such an early level, Theodore's speech certainly did the trick. "Ah see this Ol' man still has Umph 'n him 'nough to take owt the Likes of this minor beast." Soren proceeded to mock his father in his head, managing to amuse himself enough to smile.

He took a step back with his left foot and recoiled his sword to potentially thrust his bald down, this time he couldn't possibly miss. However, Valhalla had other plans for this young man. Hearing Teddy command this boar like a paladin from D&D, Soren couldn't help but be distracted. He felt his balance shaking as he essentially stood on one leg, unable to plant the other down. In this way, Soren fell prone on his face, his sword still somehow gripped tightly in his hand.

"Ope, this sh*t is not what I had planned" was muffled through the ground before his head. "Go get 'em Syra, we got your back... kinda"

[0] Zenshu | Lv. 5 | HP: 100/100 | EN: 27/28 | DMG: 7 | ACC: 3 | MIT: 13 | Light Momentum [+1 BD]
[0] Syra | Lv.  1 |  HP: 10/20 | EN: 17/20 | DMG: 4 | EVA: 1 | BLD (12 DMG) 
[0] Soren | Lv.  1 | HP: 20/20 | EN: 18+1-2= 17/20 | DMG: 1 | MIT: 6 | BLD (12 DMG)
[0] Theodore | Lv. 1 |HP: 20/20 | EN: 20/20 | MIT 8 | THRNS 18

Boar | HP: 30/30 | DMG: 8

Round Two Three
ID209443 | BD: 1+0 (critical fail) | Critical Miss [-2 EN]

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Word Count: 221

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Soren had pulled up the sword and it was clean, as though it had never entered the ground. He stood still with the short sword back in his right hand, the breeze again blowing the tall grass in waves. This place, it is so peaceful... maybe the danger Soren had thought would present itself upon leaving the safe zone was just a rumor spread by higher level adventurers to scare those new to the game. Regardless, Soren knew he needed to stay vigilant while outside the town, he couldn't quite put his entire trust in his party just yet.  Teddy had begun to ramble about something... probably something about mythology, but whatever it was it wasn't important. Suddenly, a noise came from before him.

Soren looked up to see a Boar stood several feet away, and Syra was on the ground, her health bar dropping from Green to Yellow. "Oh Fuc*, thats not great..." Following up, Zenshu moved to action and spoke to her, clearly he thought or suspected that this situation could turn for the worst. He seemed to have missed his strike, though it could have been intentional had Soren not suspected the urgency Zenshu expressed. Soren thought for a split second, his instincts getting the best of him this time. He shifted his stance to begin a dead sprint and charged from a distance away "Get the Fuc* away from my friend, boar!"

Soren hadn't quite realized how far he actually was from the scene, the grassland was quite an expansive place. He charged for a good second to get into range of actual combat. He swung his short sword, realizing how short his range really was, the boar seemingly unimpressed by his charge. "Sh*t, I don't think I could take this thing on my own, but three of us could be much better than one." Soren turned his head, though keeping an eye on the boar in his peripherals, and spoke to his party members "Honestly, I don't regret running over to join you all. Gotta learn how to fight sometime, why not learn it when things go sour?" Soren actually smirked as he realized he couldn't decide between gathering and fighting, he wanted to do both at the same time. 

[0] Zenshu | Lv. 5 | HP: 100/100 | EN: 26/28 | DMG: 7 | ACC: 3 | MIT: 13 | Light Momentum [+1 BD]

[0] Syra | Lv.  1 | HP: 10/20 | EN: 18/20 | DMG: 4 | EVA: 1 | BLD (12 DMG) 

[0] Soren | Lv.  1 | HP: 20/20 | EN: 20-2=18/20 | DMG: 1 | MIT: 6 | BLD (12 DMG)

Boar | HP: 30/30 | DMG: 8

Round Three Two
ID209440 | BD: 2+0=2 | Miss [-2 EN]

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Word Count:376

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It was kinda weird, Soren had felt the need to apologize to his new party for his outburst. His apology seemed to be taken well by Teddy. Although Levi had suspicions about his ol' man's motives, never once did his ol' man attack or lay a hand on him with malice in the real world. To that, Levi was especially grateful, though didn't intend on vocalizing it. Soren also suspected that Zenshu probably would roll with the punches, so long as the party wasn't involved in player-killing or worse. Hearing his interest in swords was different but cool. There was probably alot Soren could learn from his new friend, especially with regard to sword combat. As for Syra, the response was astounding. 

"Syra was weak, was limited? She had lost all hope? Honestly, she sounds like me. So she really was just saying..." And then Syra stepped in front of him and thanked him for his honesty. "Wow, what the fuc*... that's bold" Although she turned to follow Zenshu, Soren listened intently to her continue speaking, explaining that people should be real and essentially forthcoming with themselves. "Yeah, wish my other foster parents were "real" and not fake-ass posers. But she... Syra wants to reimagine life... Maybe I should strive to make this game something like a second chance too..." "Amazing Syra, you are pretty damn bold." Soren continued to follow the group in silence, contemplating.

Soon, Soren would find himself looking out toward the grasslands. It moved with a gentle breeze, it was peaceful. Zenshu suddenly moved to strike a boar, one slash, and it exploded in pixels. "Slutty pancakes!" Goddamn, Zenshu, give me warning next time.  It would have been especially astounding to Soren, had he been paying attention from the beginning. However, there was something in Soren's mind telling him to avoid fighting until a later point... It wouldn't do him any good to put his life at risk while so low level. "Hey, I think I will try my hand at finding materials. I might try my hand at combat another time..." 

Soren looks over and sees his ol' man staring at the grass. Then he asks what he is looking for, which Soren similarly was curious about. "Zenshu said it looked like a white or clear crystal, though it may depend on your attributes or personality. Who knows, that sh*t may even look like a crossword puzzle." Soren looked at the grass and then realized that he might need to inspect the dirt. Soren lifted his hand, equipped his short sword, and stuck it in the ground like the sword from King Arthur. Quickly, Soren gripped the handle with both hands and heaved with a great deal of might. Needless to say, the sword came out of the ground, unscathed... but no metal materials were stuck to the sword.

ID:209434  Loot 1, Mat not found

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Word Count: 475

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Of course, when asked whether everyone was properly equipped with a weapon, Soren moved to enter his inventory again and re-equip his short sword. It wasn’t anything extravagant like his ol’ mans armor, but it would suffice for a while. “That would be a resounding yes from me, but as for my ol’ man, that sh*t's doubtful. He probably took the tank starter pack, which would leave out a weapon for more advanced armor” “Honestly that is pretty fuc*ing pathetic that my ol’ man didn’t choose a weapon in his starting pack… but I guess he was basing it off of his Dungeons and Dragons experiences back in the day. Actually, this ol’ man might be able to capitalize on that vision for himself and actually become incredible… he just has to survive long enough…” As time progresses and Theodore goes and talks to somebody important and stuff, the party begins asking some particularly interesting questions.

Theodore addresses Syra, asking how this game is treating her… and how could she not recoil to such a loaded question? “Why does my ol’ man not understand that this game is bullsh*t? I get that it is way more advanced than anything he has experienced, but it is still essentially holding us captive, possibly leading all of us to our deaths within the game…” Soren expected a pessimistic response from Syra. However, Syra’s response surprised Soren… “Wait, Syra is fascinated with this technology? In fact, she doesn’t seem the least bit bothered by my ol’ man’s loaded question… Am I stupid, or have these people lost their minds?” 

Before Syra asked why they joined the game, Soren spoke up “Are you being honest about how this bullsh*t game is treating you, or are you just responding to my ol’ man with something he would like to hear?” Soren realizes he might have come off too aggressive and surprisingly backed off. “I don’t mean to be rude toward you, I am just fuc*ing bothered by how this game was brought about and what it means for people stuck here… forgive me."

When asked about why he joined, Soren said three words. “To escape reality”

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Word Count: 365

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Soren listens earnestly to Zenshu describe the artificial intelligence called Cardinal and how it respectively works with the game. "Thats fuc*ing impressive, for something so complex as to automatically translate linguistical speech to other people within the game... I would surely hope it doesn't mistranslate my words..." Soren shakes his head as if making easy sense of his description. "This Zenshu fellow reminds me of my roommate back in that shady, overpriced apartment. I am honestly glad he isn't as fuc*ing pessimistic as that guy was though." 

Thats about when Theodore Bell decided Soren was actually Levi and wrapped his arm around him. When Theodore mentions his name, his actual name, to Zenshu, Soren's facial expression turned sour. "What the Fuc* ol' man, you can't tell strangers in this game that kind of stuff!" "Um, Teddy, I would appreciate it if you didn't just say my real name to every fuc*ing person we meet... not that I mean any rudeness to you or Zenshu. I just don't have that kind of immediate trust in people" "I hope I didn't come across as some ungrateful bastard, but Teddy does need to learn how to judge people still..." Soren took the arm of Theodore off his shoulder with respect and waved his hand forward as a jesture to follow behind both Zenshu and Theodore as they traveled.

Zenshu continues to lead them to the mayor, all the while Soren watched as Theodore took appreciation to the aesthetics of the world. "It must feel like a fuc*ing blessing being in an ol' body without arthritis or any other physical ailments holding you back. Truly another wonder of Cardinal." When the group finally approached the man, the mayor of the town, Dorian, Zenshu stopped and instructed both Soren and Theodore how to address him. Theodore moved to approach when a young girl came forward... calling out for Theodore... by name?

"Wait... Theodore knows her... how? There is no fuc*ing way they met in the last couple days. Surely he isn't this naive, anybody could befriend you and then backstab you while you're vulnerable" Before Soren had the chance to move forward and speak his mind, which would have been a polite decline, Theodore not only confirmed that she could join the group, but she would be allowed to join the party. And of course, he had to say Soren's real name. "Son of a B*tch" to which Soren looked between the ol' man and the girl. "Well Fuc*, guess we can add Syra to the party too since she is already acquainted with you. And Christ on a Cracker ol' man, please stop using my real name when I am meeting people for the first time. They are complete strangers to me even if you met them already." 

Watching the ol' man try to send the friend and party request was like watching paint dry in the apartment. Soren leaned over and pointed things out so it wouldn't take up the rest of the day. Soren also sent Syra a friend request with his other hand as he directed the ol' man, masterfully doing them simultaneously. He hoped he hadn't warranted any reason for her to distrust him, though his demeaner was often interpreted that way. After the short discussion and lengthy party invite, Soren followed Theodore and listened to the ramblings of the NPC. Then he listens to the ramblings of Theodore and Soren couldn't help but let out a loud and distractive yawn "Aaaah, Sh*t, I think you are beginning to ramble about old times again, ol' man. Soren tried to recollect where Zackariah might be, but ultimately decided following Zenshu might be the faster, and lazier, choice of action.

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Word Count: 625

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Soren moved to unequip his sword and to accept Zenshu’s friend request. With that, Zenshu's name popped up for approval. "Ah yes, Fuc*ing great, you have another friend who will eventually leave your side..." While Soren quickly learned how to send a friend request to the Ol' man, Zenshu explained the events of first quest. Apparently, they needed to find the mayor of the town of beginnings. The idea of taking the combat route for this quest seemed quite appealing, "You could Fuc*ing end your life easy, but probably won't happen with this Zenshu guy" , the ol' man mentioned how he has western customs. That was kind of abnormal for the demographic playing this game, but, as with Soren, wasn't impossible. At least Soren knew that handshakes were normal greetings from where he was from... but the mentioning of wealth and getting a gift for his son...

Soren stood dumbfounded, his smile fading in a few seconds, it was beginning to process. "Did this ol' guy... just say Rita? That was Teddy's wife.... Christ on a Bike, thats my ol' man's wife!" How overwhelming this was for him. Once Teddy seemingly apologized for incorrectly recognizing him, he was certain. As the Ol' man turned away and talked to Zenshu, Soren waited and whispered "Theodore Bell", almost begging for confirmation. He smiled slightly, though it was much more full of worry. "Why in the name of the beast would you take a chance and join a game that you don't know how to use? You certainly are too old for this sh*t. An Old man isn't fit for this, its most concerning, especially for someone like your adopted son" Soren finished sending his friend request to Theodore Bell, but a smile grew on his face. “That being said, its good to know we are both stuck in this bullshit game together” and now turned to see where Zenshu would lead them, many more thoughts crossing through his mind, bombarding his mind.

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Word Count: 333

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