COMPLETE! [SP-F1] «Earning a Living» I got 99 problems and they're all material related.

[Ishida 0]

Good thing the Blacksmith NPC didn't judge a player on how many times they took their quest.  Ishida had once again stopped by and picked up the <<Earning a Living>> quest so he could gather more materials.  He was running through those things like hotcakes on a ration line!  Usually, on his way out into the world of the first floor, he would stop and chat with the other shop owners and players he occasionally came across.  Not today!  Today, he was on a mission.  He had his first real client pop into the Midnight Armory today and put him to task with creating some fine defensive armor.

It was straight out to the gathering fields for him, where he was looking about in search of any loose materials on the ground.  Ishida could normally tell if it would be a good day gathering on whether or not he struck it rich right in the beginning.

• ID# 46160
• LD: 9

He frowned.  Today was not going to be a good day.

Edited January 21, 2016 by Ishida

[Ishida 0]

No, no, no--I will not be deterred!  Today is going to be a good day.  TODAY IS GOING TO BE A GOOD DAY!  He mimed to himself as he continued on his quest for materials.  Ishida was almost frantic as he skipped about, looking through the rough foliage near a rather large rock.  There was nothing there so he dashed further out into the grasslands where the prime gathering locations were.  You could almost guarantee that the best spots were being farmed by other players but there were a few that Ishida knew about that were pretty secluded.

He made his way down to a babbling brook to look at the rocks stuck in the sand just below the shallow waters.

• ID# 46161
• LD: 2

Nothing again.  Yikes. Maybe he was in trouble now.

Edited January 19, 2016 by Ishida

[Ishida 0]

Okay, Ishida, pull yourself together.  It wouldn't look real great if you let your first customer down, would it?  I imagine that would kill the business immediately--even if crafting a perfect item is an immense undertaking.  He needed to prep himself mentally to get through this.  Looking around the area, it didn't seem like the ground farming was going to be anywhere near as fruitful as he originally believed.  The truth was, he always had his best luck gathering while he was farming creatures.

Looking to the side, he caught sight of a group of boars passively spending their day roaming the grasses; their tails swaying peacefully behind them.  Well, that was about to change in a hot second.  Ishida swiped through his inventory and equipped his sword and shield, which were promptly drawn into a battle ready position as soon as they materialized.

Not more than a moment later and he was charging into the middle of them, his sword glowing brightly with a blue aura.  He leapt into the group of boars and immediately unleashed his Sword Art in a flurry of quick attacks aimed at all those who surrounded him.

• ID# 46164
• BD: 7 (hit)
• MD: 6 (Hit; Thorns)
• CD: 6 (Regen)
• Sword Art: Rage Spike ((2+2)*2) = 8 - 6 = 2 DMG // 4 EN

The angered boars turned on their haunches and reciprocated the attack.  Each one suffered heavy thorns damage as they clashed against his armor, resulting in the clang of metal and the pained squealing of whining boars.  After the damage Ishida sustained, his regeneration enhancement kicked in and brought him back to full.

Spoiler

Ishida
HP 44/44
EN 7/11

Playful Boar: 2/22 HP [DMG 17][MIT 6]
Playful Boar: 2/22 HP [DMG 17][MIT 6]
Playful Boar: 2/22 HP [DMG 17][MIT 6]
Playful Boar: 2/22 HP [DMG 17][MIT 6]

 

Edited January 19, 2016 by Ishida

[Ishida 0]

What a successful round of combat.  He was one solid attack away from finishing off the beasts and collecting his materials but he needed to recover his energy for his next battle.  Ishida was going to try and keep this pain train going as fast as possible in hopes of making out like a bandit in materials.  Rather than attack, he held his ground and recovered a missing energy while preparing for the inevitable attacks of his not-so-friendly boar companions.

• ID# 46165
• MD: 6 (Hit; Thorns)
• LD: 16

Sure enough, the dumb beasts collided with the might of his armor and once again suffered the unavoidable thorns damage.  Each and every one perished in the order they hit him; cascading pixels shooting off in all directions at a job well done.  Ishida gathered up his loot and began the hunt for more targets.

+1 EN
8/11 EN

[+4 Materials. +440 Col.]

Edited January 19, 2016 by Ishida

[Ishida 0]

Keep rolling, rolling, rolling.  Hot off of obliterating some boars, Ishida started surveying the area for his next conquest.  The scene looked pretty similar to as it had just a few moments ago--there was a quaint quartet of boars with their heads buried in grass, enjoying the warm, sunny day just like any other animal might.  Those mobs didn't even know what was about to hit them.

Ishida came charging in like a freight train before hopping in with his illuminated sword and performing one of the many Sword Arts in his arsenal.  In reality, he only ever used the one because it was the most efficient one for handling AOE packs.  Rage Spike.

• ID# 46166
• BD: 8
• MD: 8
• Sword Art: Rage Spike ((2+2)*2) = 8 - 6 = 2 DMG // 4 EN

It wasn't a whole lot of damage but it did its job.  Not nearly as much of a job as his thorns, though, which procced upon getting hit by the addled boars once they realized they were going to get to enjoy the sunshine any longer.  Unfortunately, the last two rounds of combat went without Regen popping, leaving Ishida sitting 8 HP lower than full.

Spoiler

Ishida
HP 36/44
EN 3/11

Playful Boar: 2/22 HP [DMG 17][MIT 6]
Playful Boar: 2/22 HP [DMG 17][MIT 6]
Playful Boar: 2/22 HP [DMG 17][MIT 6]
Playful Boar: 2/22 HP [DMG 17][MIT 6]

 

Edited January 19, 2016 by Ishida

[Ishida 0]

All right, let's finish these beasts so I can rest up a little bit.  His hand gripped a little tighter around the handle of his Blackfang.  Did he really want to expend the remainder of his energy in hopes of finishing the boars off?  What if he missed?  He would be stuck at no energy for who knows how long.  No, at this point, perhaps it was his best choice to sit behind the cover of his shield and recover some missing energy while the boars finished themselves off.

I mean, really.  That's what he's been doing his entire time as an adventurer.  It wasn't nearly as glorious as demolishing these things by the might of your own blade but hey, it got the job done.

• ID# 46167
• MD: 3

Ishida took a breather while waiting for the boars to wail on him.  They attempted to but as much as they tried, they couldn't do any damage that penetrated the great outer strength of his fine Midnight Armor.  Maybe next time, pigs!

Edited January 19, 2016 by Ishida

[Ishida 0]

Could it be?  Is it my thorns you're looking for?  Ishida chimed to himself inwardly.  He was known for yelling and taunting the automated mobs, even if it didn't do anything but this time he tried to keep things under control.  He didn't want to look absolutely crazy to anyone who happened to walk on by.  He employed the same technique he had last round, hiding behind his shield and hoping he didn't sustain any more damage he already had.

• ID# 46168
• MD: 4

He was relieved to find that the only thing hurting was his ears from all the high-pitched squealing emanating from the boars as they failed to latch their teeth into anything sustainable.  Teeth and horns clanged and clinked as they gnawed at his protective shell but otherwise failed to do anything substantial.

+1 EN
6/11 EN

Edited January 19, 2016 by Ishida

[Ishida 0]

"Come on!  Any day now, chumps!"  Ishida yelled at the boars.  His resolution to be less verbally aggressive to monsters was gone pretty quickly.  If there wasn't any action before long, he would have to start doing some swinging.  There was a certain look in the eyes of those snarling beasties that led him to believe that this was it--this would be the round that someone would fall, whether it be him or the mobs.

Chances are, it wasn't going to be him.  He covered up behind his shield and prepared for them to miss again.

• ID# 46169
• MD: 8 (Hit; Thorns)
• CD: 12 (Regen)
• LD: 13

Boom--a boar hit his shield and was sent to the wind as pixels.  Boom--another one.  Boom, boom--the remaining two took a stab at finishing what their brethren couldn't and were vaporized before causing any lasting pain.  "Whew," he whispered as his regen kicked in and healed him up a good portion of the HP he was missing.

He gathered up his loot and pocketed it before looking at his stats.  Health was good, energy was good--he didn't see any reason why he shouldn't get right back into another battle.

+1 EN
7/11 EN

[+4 Materials. +440 Col.]
[Total: +8 Materials. +880 Col.]

Edited January 19, 2016 by Ishida

[Ishida 0]

The armor-clad teen's search for another group of acceptable boars wasn't too long.  This portion of the fields on Floor One was just packed with high level mobs (for the floor) that fit right into the range that Ishida was looking for.  Once a full group of them got close enough to each other, he charged in and opened with the same Sword Art he had before.  The guiding system took control and started swinging his Blackfang in all directions with expert precision.

• ID# 46201
  BD: 9 (Crit +1)
  MD: 1 (Critical miss)
  Sword Art Rage Spike: ((2+2+1)*2) = 10 - 6 = 4 DMG

The boars attempted to counter attack their assailant but the strength behind some of their blows was not enough to get past the defense of his shield while others flailed and missed entirely.

Spoiler

Ishida
HP 36/44
EN 3/11

Playful Boar: 18/22 HP [DMG 17][MIT 6]
Playful Boar: 18/22 HP [DMG 17][MIT 6]
Playful Boar: 18/22 HP [DMG 17][MIT 6]
Playful Boar: 18/22 HP [DMG 17][MIT 6]

 

Edited January 20, 2016 by Ishida

[Ishida 0]

Awww yeah, he thought to himself as the group of boars' health dipped into the execute range for the thorns enhancement imbued in his armor.  All it would take is for them to make one good hit and he would be reaping in another set of materials.  Ishida always liked to have enough energy to pull off a Sword Art if the situation called for it, so instead of attacking one of the targets for a measly one damage--he bolstered his shield and prepared to mitigate as much damage as he could.

• ID# 46202
  MD: 1 (Critical fail)

Ishida prepared for an assault that never came.  The boars frantically tried to crash into the tank with their heavy weighted charges but just couldn't seem to get the right angle.  Each and every one missed and ended up planting face first into the grass before flipping over onto their back once their snouts got stuck.  It was a rather hilarious sight, for sure.

+1 EN
4/11 EN

Edited January 20, 2016 by Ishida

[Ishida 0]

"Come on now, you piggly beasts," Ishida said, taunting them with derogatory remarks while he banged the flat side of his sword against his shield.  "Right here.  Hit me right here, right in the thorns.  You know you want to."  After the boars made it back to their feet, they started to snort and kick their back legs in preparation of another charging run.  There was a look of amusement in his eyes as he squared up against the squadron of beasts.  Even though he knew that these were nothing more than computer controlled interfaces, it was still as real as day to him.  For now, he'd like to enjoy his little battles before they became cumbersome.

• ID# 46203
  MD: 8 (Hit; Thorns)
  CD: 7 (Regen)
  LD: 1 (Nothing)

He must have did something right because the boars, as if on command, charged and crashed into the bulk of his reinforced shield like a pack of trained dogs. Ishida took some damage from the feral impacts but that paled in comparison to the thorns damage they took upon connecting their attacks.  As they exploded into pixels and disappeared into the sky, the tanking craftsman's regen kicked in and healed him up a good bit.

[Loot: +4 Materials]
[Total Loot: +12 Materials, +880 Col]

Spoiler

Ishida
HP 41/44
EN 4/11

Playful Boar: 0/22 HP [DMG 17][MIT 6]
Playful Boar: 0/22 HP [DMG 17][MIT 6]
Playful Boar: 0/22 HP [DMG 17][MIT 6]
Playful Boar: 0/22 HP [DMG 17][MIT 6]

 

Edited January 20, 2016 by Ishida

[Ishida 0]

Now was an appropriate time for him to take a breather and let all his resources recover. If he blew his Sword Art in the first round, he'd be sitting at no energy and he had been there before--that was no fun at all.  Instead, Ishida sheathed his blade at his hip and began to scout around the area in search of any loose fragments of ore that he could scavenge for crafting.  He wasn't exactly sure why there was ore located on a floor that was compromised mostly of grasslands but he wasn't going to argue.  It saved him the hassle of having to go to higher floors where he ran the risk of getting into some serious trouble with the monsters.

Then again, he might do that some time just to break up the monotony.

As his health and energy started to naturally regen, Ishida headed over to an overturned rock and looked about it for a usable material.

• ID# 46204
• LD: 3

Upon further inspect, it revealed itself to be just a rock with nothing special lingering in its immediate area.

+3 HP
+1 EN
(1/3 Out of Combat turns)

Edited January 20, 2016 by Ishida

[Ishida 0]

He looked to the sky as he stood up after investigating the rock.  It was a pretty nice day out.  The sun was out and shining brilliantly, there was little in the sky as far as clouds were concerned, and a gentle breeze rolled by every minute or so--all and all, it was beautiful.  His skin was flush with a warmth that almost felt as real as the natural sun in the real world.  As much as he hated that he was trapped in a death game, the world itself was rather pleasant.

Shaking his head, he broke free of his little reverie and continued on his search.  Ishida slowly walked down a steep hill that led to a babbling brook, where he came to stand just beside the small stream of water.  The look of the water made him inclined to think it was traveling east where there was a larger lake that it fed into.

Kneeling down into the sand, he searched for any stray materials that might have washed down with the water's current.

• ID# 46205
  LD: 10 (Nothing)

All he found was sediment, sand, and a couple of useless rocks.  He stood and took a giant step over the running water before heading off on the other side.

+0 HP (Max)
+1 EN
(2/3 turns out of combat)

Edited January 20, 2016 by Ishida

[Ishida 0]

Climbing up the other side of the small ravine was a little more difficult than walking down it.  There weren't an awful lot of footholds for him to easily step into and the incline of the slope made it tough to manage in heavy armor.  It took him a little longer but with some slow moving and tactical stepping, Ishida made it up and over the ledge where he came to stand by a lone tree that was otherwise surrounded by flat grassland.  Looking over the expanse of short grass slowly swaying in the gentle breeze, he suddenly felt lonely.  There was a nothingness stretched out before him that made him feel as though he was alone in the world.  He didn't like it.

Ishida turned around and walked back down to the stream.  He looked around further down the traveling water for something to salvage among the muck and grime of silt.

• ID# 46217
• LD: 11 (nothing)

Nothing was found.

+All EN
(3/3 turns out of combat.)

Edited January 20, 2016 by Ishida

[Ishida 0]

His mood brightened a little bit as he made it back to where he came from.  It wasn't nearly as desolate; in fact, it was teeming with life.  Boars, birds, and butterflies for as far as the eye could see, roaming around and intermingling with one another.  It was ripe for farming those materials on some weaker creatures.  Ishida surveyed the many packs of mobs grazing on the area like a wolf would eye his prey before the hunt.  There were some that were too weak to produce loot, and some that were in a range that he wasn't comfortable with.  However, there were also ones that were juu~ust right, like the baby bear's bed in that classic children's story.

Ishida wasted no time in singling out one of those groups and charging them with his glimmering blue sword.  He barreled into them like a runaway train and let loose his Rage Spike technique, slashing out at the four boars with unparalleled accuracy as the AI took control of his frantic movements.

• ID# 46218
• BD: 9 (Crit +1)
• MD: 3 (Miss)
• Rage Spike: ((2+2+1)*2) = 10 - 6 = 4 DMG

The boars squealed in pain and anger before making their attempt at retaliation.  All fell short of meeting their mark and instead were rebuffed by the constant persistence of his shield, the Wall of Night.

Spoiler

Ishida
HP 44/44
EN 7/11

Playful Boar: 18/22 HP [DMG 17][MIT 6]
Playful Boar: 18/22 HP [DMG 17][MIT 6]
Playful Boar: 18/22 HP [DMG 17][MIT 6]
Playful Boar: 18/22 HP [DMG 17][MIT 6]

 

Edited January 20, 2016 by Ishida

[Ishida 0]

The boars were in that kill range again thanks to his Sword Art.  Now, all they needed to do was hit him and take that sweet, sweet thorns damage.  The more he could get accomplished in one farming session, the less he had to worry about in the future.  Despite all that, he knew he'd be back out here sooner rather than later because crafting was a complete material sink for such little personal reward.  Things were looking up, though!  He had his first customer and perhaps if he did exceptionally well, he would keep the business and the news of his expertise would spread.

He could imagine it now.  Even while he remained stationary and gathered energy, hoping the boars would end themselves and save him the trouble of having to do it.

• ID# 46225
• MD: 1

They were not so hot about hitting him, however.  They threw their bodies about like little piglets, uncoordinated and without a single bit of training.

+1 EN
8/11 EN

Edited January 20, 2016 by Ishida

[Ishida 0]

Ishida let his daydream go as the beasts surrounding him started emitting terrifying noises.  The sounds coming from them were animalistic; guttural, low growls that surely signified they meant business.  Still, he had no intention of making a move against them due to his limited damage output.  It was far more convenient, not to mention strategic, to sit there while they did all the work for him.  All he would do is hide behind the length of his shield and hope they didn't do considerable damage.

• ID# 46226
• MD: 9 (+1 crit)

They were mad.  This stranger had attacked them and then proceeded to avoid their attacks without an issue and now they just wanted a piece of him.  However, they still couldn't deal enough damage to put him in any sort of danger--he was a tank afterall.

-4 HP
+1 EN
9/11 EN

Edited January 20, 2016 by Ishida

[Ishida 0]

Not this again..  This was looking like it was going to be a repeat of one of his last encounters.  Round after round of combat where nothing significant happened, where he was whittled down by these petulant attacks that managed to sneak past the wrath of his thorns.  It was monotonous to stand around all day letting petty monsters beat up on you when you weren't actually protecting anyone.  Worse than that, even if he wanted to take a swing, it wouldn't do much damage unless he was lucky enough to score a critical attack--which wasn't very likely.  So, the same as before, he held his ground with a raise shield and readied for attack.

• ID# 46243
• MD: 10 (Crit +2)

Ouch!  Those boars were really steamrolling him this round.  Despite being knocked around a bit more, the damage he suffered was about the same as if they had hit him with a regular attack.  It was just more nauseating than anything else--trying to keep his balance as boars were intent on knocking him off his feet.

Edited January 20, 2016 by Ishida

[Ishida 0]

Come on!  He shouted internally in attempt to rally himself against the boars that were tossing him about like a plaything.  After being bashed about for a bit, he managed to dig his foot into the soft grass and find ample footing to mount a defense.  He swung his shield wide to thrust off one of the persistent boars that wouldn't leave him be, giving himself some space to prepare for the attacks that wouldn't stop coming.  However, as they did, Ishida did his best to throw his shield in front of the beasts and make them feel the pain he did.

• ID# 46257
• MD: 8 (Hit; Thorns)
• CD: 10 (Regen)
• LD: 20 (Double mats!)

One by one, he crammed his shield into the charging boars.  Each one pushed him back, causing his foot to tear up the top soil as he was moved but he did not yield to their attacks.  Instead, they were the ones that would give underneath the damage of his reflective thorns.  It was always beautiful when a good defense did its job.

He was surprised to find when he looted the quartet of boars, that each dropped an additional material.  Super successful!

[Loot: +8 Materials. +440 Col.]
[Total Loot: +20 Materials, +1320 Col.]

Spoiler

Ishida
HP 44/44
EN 11/11

Playful Boar: 0/22 HP [DMG 17][MIT 6]
Playful Boar: 0/22 HP [DMG 17][MIT 6]
Playful Boar: 0/22 HP [DMG 17][MIT 6]
Playful Boar: 0/22 HP [DMG 17][MIT 6

 

Edited January 21, 2016 by Ishida

[Ishida 0]

After his regen and standing dormant all battle, he was full health and energy and ready to fight again.  However, he didn't know if it was worth the trouble of getting into another long battle.  He felt like soon he'd be lacking the motivation to struggle on despite the urgency of Brax's armor order.  It seemed pretty daunting to craft a Perfect level item on command--he really wish he had some pieces already in house that the man could choose from but he didn't.  Most people enjoyed their gear crafted personally for them, anyway.

After the victory of his last battle, Ishida roamed around the area like a putts and looked for loose materials on the ground in case he missed any loot from the boars.

• ID# 46259
• LD: 3

Nope!  It looked like he had gathered everything that dropped.

Edited January 21, 2016 by Ishida