[SP-F1]A Time To Train - Scouting Around - COMPLETE!

[Brax 0]

     After Brax materialized in Starting Town, things soon took a bad turn.  It started off well enough; he bought an axe, big and double bladed, the heft of the giant weapon feeling secure in his hands.  He saw countless people, milling around the square, interacting as only a bustling city can.  He even felt the beautiful weather of the game environment, warm and inviting with a gentle breeze carrying the scent of freshly cut grass, and even though he could not truly feel it, the atmosphere was considerably peaceful to him.  That all changed when the Avatar showed up, a giant, blood red, hooded figure in the sky, announcing the induction of this "Death Game", and the panic that ensued was akin to bedlam, something a patient a psychiatric facility knew all too well.  Grabbing his axe and the starter pack afforded to all adventurers, consisting of the clothes on his back and food for the journey, he escaped the city quickly, making his way out into the surrounding grasslands.

Edited December 12, 2015 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     Finally making it out of the city, Brax considered his options: first, he could die.  Knowing that escape would require clearing all 100 floors of the game, knowing the odds of making it that far, it seemed easier to end it here, rather than go on.  However, the determination in his heart to discover his past would not let him simply die.  For the first time in a year, he rejected the odds, such as they were.  'I will live,' he thought, 'if only until I have found out who I am.  After that, we'll see.'  His second option would be to remain in Starting City, remain in the safe zones, so as to avoid dying, relying instead on others to clear the floors and beat the game.  This, too, he rejected.  'Logically, to remain in the safe zones would be the best course of action; however, my body outside cannot remain alive indefinitely, no matter what Dr. Rosenhall and the others do.  This means that my existence in here is predicated on my health out there, giving me a limited time to escape.  Thus, we all must do what we can to complete every floor, to complete the game as quick as possible.'  This left him with only one option: play the game, and make it to the end.

[Brax 0]

ID 41779

LD 6

     Having chosen his course, he had to make an action plan.  'If I am to survive, I must better myself.  I'll have to get stronger in order to survive whatever comes.'  He looked out on the fields of grass, however, and saw a problem: given his current stats, he was no match for the boars, even at their lowest levels.  Going over his game manual, though, he saw that gathering materials, while not a glamorous task, could net him the EXP he would need to eventually tackle the boars.  And so he began the first step of his training: gathering materials.  'Maybe I can get the lay of the land committed to memory, too.  Not that others would need this scouting information, but to be familiar with one's surroundings is the best way to achieve success.'  However, his first attempt did not yield the results he had hoped for.  'Unfortunate, but not unexpected.  The odds are not always in my favor.'

[Brax 0]

ID 41780

LD 6

     Steering clear of other boars in the area, Brax kept up his search for any materials worth taking.  Not that there wasn't an abundance of things lying about, there were, but nothing that was suitable, according to game standards: some half-eaten cotton, probably by the boars, a piece of iron ore, riddled with impurities, leather from a carcass so full of holes it could count as swiss cheese.  He was beginning to think the boar hunting might be a better use of his time.  Still, he continued his search, all while keeping an eye on the world around him.

[Brax 0]

ID 41782

BD 10

LD 1

mD 6

Boar HP 4/4

Brax HP 1/4

         EN 1/1

 

     Because of his failures the previous times, Brax began to search more earnestly for his materials, losing sight of the world around him, much to his misfortune.  In fact, he had drawn the attention of a wild boar, whose angry huffing he did not notice until it was right on top of him.  Looking up just in time, Brax was tackled back several feet, taking the hit square in the face.  "Omph!!!" he cried, landing flat on his butt.  Stars clouded his vision, clearing just enough to let him see the angry boar beginning to charge again.  Rolling quickly to his right, he avoided the beast while drawing his axe, steadying himself for the battle.  Not giving the animal time to react, he ran towards it, raising his axe above his head, and with a mighty shout, brought it down right between it's eyes.  Fritzing for a moment, the animal exploded in a shower of pixels.  Brax, tired from the exertion, sank into the grass, thinking to himself, 'That's what I get for letting down my guard; better not let it happen again.'

Boar HP 0/4 Defeated!

Brax HP 1/4

         EN 0/1

2 damage(1 base + 1 skill) + 2 crit(roll 10!) = 4

+1 material

Edited December 11, 2015 by Brax
Adding mat loot drop, qualifies

[Brax 0]

ID 41797

LD 7

     As he trekked away from the site of his very first battle, Brax felt his energy slowly return.  'Now I know what combat is.  Strange, that even the supposed thrill of combat can't pierce the nothingness inside me.  I would think the rush of adrenaline coursing through my veins would excite something in me, but no, apparently not.'  Still, there was enough to occupy his thoughts, and with a careful eye on his surroundings, he continued his search for mats, fruitless though it seemed to be, even after the battle.

Brax HP 1/4

         EN 1/1 +1 Full!

Edited December 11, 2015 by Brax

[Brax 0]

ID 41798

LD 15

     Just as Brax was beginning to believe his time was being wasted on his scouting trip, a glint caught his eye.  Mindful of his surroundings, he leaned down to peruse the shiny object that was before him, nestled in the grass.  "What do we have here?" he mused aloud.  "A precious mat for future forging, indeed."  He allowed a sense of satisfaction to wash over him, one of the few feelings he could still comprehend, and continued on his self-assigned quest.

+1 material

[Brax 0]

ID 41800

LD 9

     Alas, despite his one shining moment, luck continued to abandon him.  No more glittery treasures to be found in the area, so he began to move on.  'It truly is too bad I can't enjoy the scenery more,' he thought, 'for even I can recognize, if not appreciate, the beauty that this game's creator put into his world.'

[Brax 0]

ID 41801

LD 14

     It really was a beautiful world that had been built, from the far off mountains, strong and majestic, to the clouds surrounding the base of the floating castle of Aincrad, to the wind blowing through the grasslands, rustling every blade of grass as it passed by.  Brax, engrossed with his observations, neglected to notice the material before him, choosing instead to move onto the next area.

Brax HP 4/4 +3 (out of combat for 3 posts) Full!

         EN 1/1

Edited December 11, 2015 by Brax

[Brax 0]

ID 41802

LD 6

     It would seem that lady luck would not be with Brax today.  His material gatherings were not going as planned, though his scouting operation around the grasslands was proving relatively fruitful.  He at the very least would know his way around the area, if not where best to find things for crafting purposes.  He picked up a piece of cloth, discarding it almost immediately given it's poor condition. 'Moving on,' he thought.

[Brax 0]

ID 41803

LD 1

     Reaching down, he ran his fingers through the grass, hoping that something worthy would appear to him, to no avail.  Nearby, a group of boars, a mother and her 3 little pigs, it appeared like to him, began to amble towards his direction.  Reacting quickly, and wanting to avoid another confrontation, Brax made his way to another field.

[Brax 0]

ID 41807

LD 5

     While he couldn't feel happy for avoiding the family of boars, Brax was at least satisfied that he had avoided a confrontation, one that would not have been in his favor.  His satisfaction in his mats, however, was a different story.  His mind began to wonder how one could ever hope to gain EXP from such levels of failure.  It made little sense to him for a system to reward such behavior.

[Brax 0]

ID 41808

LD 15

     Just as he was about to leave the area, disturbed slightly over his failures, he spotted another piece of cloth, similar to one he had found before, though he had been forced to discard it due to it's poor quality.  It would seem, however, that this one was up to snuff.  That same sense of satisfaction came upon him, and he could almost detect something else.  If he had to define it, he would almost say it felt like....pride.

+1 material

Edited December 12, 2015 by Brax

[Brax 0]

ID 41810

LD 7

     A foreign concept to him, pride.  It had been so long since he had felt something, really felt something, that the concept should have scared him, were he able to feel fear.  It would seem the new treatment was already beginning to work, further proof of Dr. Rosenhall's theories.  Latching onto that fleeting feeling, Brax steeled himself to continue on.  Even his failure to find another mat in the area could not dampen his satisfaction in that new feeling he found inside of him.

[Brax 0]

ID 41812

LD 4

     As he continued his search for more materials, failing again, he considered the feeling of pride, in and of itself.  How did it apply to him?  Why did he feel it?  Was it simply a heightened sense of accomplishment in the face of failure?  Did it have to do with his determination and persistence in the face of failure?  His drive to never give up, even as the game dictated his fate?  What was the source?

[Brax 0]

ID 41813

LD 20

     Success!  Finding another mat reinvigorated his feelings, a smile inching its way onto his face, the outward appearance of his inner thoughts.  'How shocking, that my pride and sense of satisfaction should allow me a smile, however small,' he thought to himself.  It was good to feel again, though he knew that "goodness" was a relative thing.

+1 material 

Edited December 12, 2015 by Brax

[Brax 0]

ID 41817

LD 3

     During his searches, Brax couldn't help but notice the many other players in the surrounding area, most likely beginners, like him, trying to build their EXP, again like him.  'Perhaps that is the reason for my unlucky streak,' he wondered, 'With so many hunters and gatherers, I imagine the system is hard-pressed to produce enough for us all.'  Up ahead, to his left, he saw a young girl, probably half his age, giggling with glee over what appeared from this distance to be a decent piece of boar leather.  'Better luck than I seem to be having, indeed.'

[Brax 0]

ID 41821

LD 2

     He also saw a pair of adventurers, two boys, possibly 20 or so, engaged in combat with tenacious looking boar.  The boys, probably brothers, looked so alike they could be considered twins, with their wild red hair, and a light dusting of freckles dotting their cheeks.  The movements of their swords, though crude, moved in tandem, repeatedly striking the animal until it's pixels exploded into the air.  They roared in triumph, high fiving each other for their successful conquest.  The scene was almost engrossing enough for Brax to make him forget his apparent lack of success during his own hunt.

[Brax 0]

ID 41822

LD 4

     The next field Brax found showed much promise; several pieces of boar, including tusks and bone, were littering the area, likely the site of a recent battle.  He knew there had to be something here, whether they be animal skins, or something accidentally dropped by a fellow player.  Picking through the remains, however, proved just as fruitless as ever.  They had been picked clean, most likely by the one to slaughter the beasts.  Brax felt his pride, his satisfaction, slipping away like sands in an hourglass.

[Brax 0]

ID 41823

LD 5

     'NO!' Brax thought, as he felt his pride begin to leave him.  A new feeling was starting to take it's place, as if knowing how it felt to feel made him truly understand the hollowness inside.  If he had to describe it, he would say it felt like despair, to know how something is, only to have it ripped away by a thief in the night, with no way to know how to get it back.  Redoubling his search, he began to again ignore his surroundings, allowing his empty heart to blind him to the dangers all around.  Or even, right in front of his face.