[SP-F1] In Remembrance (Complete)

[Evander 0]

Evander awoke. His eyes blinked in the darkness. He felt refreshed. Sighing in content, Evander sat up on the inn bed. Beds were much more comfortable then benches. Evander got out of the bed and stretched. He groped around for the flint and steel the innkeeper had given him and lit the candle on the table. Fire flared up from the wick, and the room was illuminated. Evander sat down in one of the wooden chairs and looked at his maps. He had only been in Horunka village for about three days, but he needed to go back to the Town of Beginnings, where he could get some supplies so that he wouldn't be killed on the spot by some higher level monsters. Things like, you know, armor were kind of essential to staying alive. Also, while he was there, he could maybe stop by the Monument of Life and pay some respect to the dead. He hadn't done that for some time now. The only problem was, he hadn't really mapped out the route he had taken to get here, on account of being chased by monsters half the way. He knew it was somewhere south of here, but... eh, he could figure it out as he went along. He strapped his sword to his belt, packed up his maps, blew out the candle, and walked out of the door. He had no idea what time it was, but he could figure it out once he got outside.

Edited March 22, 2016 by Evander

[Evander 0]

Walking down the stairs to the first floor of the inn, he peered out of the window to see the position of the sun in the sky. It was probably around noon. Leaving a few col on the counter as a tip to the innkeeper, he pushed open the door to the inn and stepped outside. The weather was nice as well- spring was in the air. A nice, cool breeze swept through the village. Bees buzzed, and birds flew and whirled in the sky. It was surprising how much difference there was between the winter and spring phases of Aincrad. It was almost like a whole new world altogether. Evander pulled out his maps again, double-checking and making sure he was going the right way, and strolled down the dirt path leading out of the village. A villager waved to him as he left. Walking under the green canopy of leaves, Evander looked at the forest around him. It was almost like the trees had become revitalized. Evander stuck his hands in his pockets and began to whistle. Today was a nice day.

[Evander 0]

Evander heard the snap of a branch to his left. Whipping out his sword, he turned towards the monster. It was a wolf, and a large one at that. He hadn't seen one of these in quite a long time. However, this one was much stronger than the ones he had encountered before, likely because he he had never found one this deep in the forest. It was larger, and appeared more menacing than its brethren. Its red eyes glared wrathfully at Evander. Evander held up his sword warily, moving into a defensive position. Evander looked around, making sure there were no other monsters in the area. Normally, the wolves traveled in packs, mimicking real life, but it seemed this wolf was by itself. That was good. Evander wasn't sure if he wanted to be facing down a group of these. Evander took a deep breath, and readied himself for battle. He hoped Lady Luck would smile down upon him today in his endeavors.

Begin Combat

Evander: HP: 16 Energy: 4 MIT: 0 Base DMG: 2

Large Wolf: HP: 8 MIT: 2 DMG: 3

[Evander 0]

Evander focused. He stripped all emotion from his mind and let his instincts and training take over. The wolf's hackles were raised, and it began to growl at him, slowly edging forward towards him. It was preparing to jump and try to rip him apart- Evander had fought wolves long enough to know that. Its dark pelt seemed to be almost stronger, thicker than those of other wolves. Evander needed to take the first move- with the first move, one could control the flow of battle, as long as they didn't make a mistake. He would probably open up with the same strategy he had always used before- Snake Bites until he ran out of stamina, then regular attacks till it was dead. Evander looked into the wolf's eyes, acknowledging his foe for just a split second before lunging forward. Evander's sword snaked out, and he performed two hits in quick succession before being hit in the left shoulder by the wolf's claws and being knocked back. It was a good thing all of the monsters seemed to hit his left arm- if they hit his right, he was probably dead. That reminded him, he really needed to practice sword-fighting with his left hand, so that he wouldn't be hindered by the loss of an arm.

Combat

Evander: HP: 13/16 Energy: 2/4 MIT: 0 Base DMG: 2

Large Wolf: HP: 6/8 MIT: 2 DMG: 3

 ID# 50119 results:

 Battle: 7

 MOB: 6

Total DMG: 2*(2*1)=4 - 2(MIT) = 2 DMG done

Mob DMG: 3 DMG done

Edited March 4, 2016 by Evander

[Evander 0]

Evander dug his shoes into the earth, steadying himself. It seemed luck wasn't actively hindering him today, at least so far, though he didn't expect it to really hold. Evander held up his sword again, preparing to jump forward and attack. It was a really good thing he had been practicing his stamina- he could perform Snake Bite several times now, compared to his first time using it, and pretty soon he would be able to perform all of the sword arts he had access to. However, he needed to keep training and training- he was nowhere near what he needed to be to even face a monster from, say, the third floor, let alone a boss. The only good thing about boss battles that would keep him from dying on the spot was that he would be among allies, but he had no such luxury while he was on his own. Evander leaped forward at the wolf for another attack, while the wolf bared its fangs in anticipation. Evander let loose yet another Snake Bite, hitting the monster again (wow, compared to his previous battles, this was a lucky streak!). The wolf, however, managed to chomp down on his left shoulder, injuring it yet again before he managed to get away from the wolf. Man, he really needed to get some armor, his left shoulder was getting mauled! It was a good thing he was higher-leveled than this monster- otherwise, things could have been ugly.

Combat

Evander: HP: 10/16 Energy: 1/4 MIT: 0 Base DMG: 2

Large Wolf: HP: 4/8 MIT: 2 DMG: 3

 ID# 50122 results:

 Battle: 8

 MOB: 7

Total DMG: 2*(2*1)= 4 - 2(MIT)= 2 DMG done

Mob DMG: 3 DMG done

Edited March 4, 2016 by Evander

[Evander 0]

Evander stood back, looking at the wolf, trying to anticipate its moves and patterns. The wolf had taken quite a beating, but it was still standing proudly before him, looking down upon Evander even though he was about twice as tall as it. It had taken hits that would have killed lesser monsters thrice over (okay, a slight exaggeration, but the point still stood) and yet still stood defiantly before him. This proud wolf was worthy of admiration- it would stand and fight to the death. It was just a bunch of algorithms and code written to create a single cohesive being, but still, Evander felt in awe at the determination of the animal. He held the blade in front of him, mentally preparing himself. Evander charged forward at the wolf as it prepared itself to retaliate. Evander struck out, landing Snake Bite with such speed that he hadn't known he had possessed. The wolf didn't get a chance to retaliate. Evander looked into its lifelike red eyes one last time before it burst into a spray of particles.

Combat

Evander: HP: 10/16 Energy: 0/4 MIT: 0 Base DMG: 2

Large Wolf: HP: 0/8 MIT: 2 DMG: 3

 ID# 50124 results:

 Battle: 10 (Critical +2)

 Craft: 10

 Loot: 1

 MOB: 5 (fail)

Total DMG: (2+2)*(2*1)= 8 - 2(MIT)= 6 DMG done

Edited March 4, 2016 by Evander

[Evander 0]

Evander sighed. He already knew, due to his horrendous luck, that he would be receiving nothing for this fight asides for some trophy from the wolf, likely a pelt based off of his prior fights with furred creatures. Still, it couldn't hurt to hope, he supposed. He walked on over to where the wolf had died, and surprise, surprise, it was a pelt. It was actually pretty big, and would likely be very useful, if he was a tanner or tailor or something. However, it was pretty much useless to him. Evander put the pelt in his inventory, shook his head a little in disappointment, then continued on his path. Every single time he killed a monster, the only thing he received was a mat. He really had the worst luck. At least it was better than the time he got stuck in an endless miss cycle with a Little Nepent until nightfall, where he had to run for his life from ravenous beasts in the forest.

+1 mat from wolf

Evander: HP: 13/16 Energy: 1/4

[Evander 0]

Evander wiped the blade of his sword with a cloth, sheathed it, then continued on his way. Evander kicked a rock along as he walked down the dirt path, hands in his pockets. The canopy of leaves began to thin out, and the sun began to shine through in greater intervals. He was almost back to familiar territory. There was the stream he had washed his face at sometimes, there was the small cave he had found in his exploration, there was that one boulder that he always stopped to rest at. All of those familiar landmarks were coming back to him as he journeyed closer and closer to the location of his beginning in Aincrad, the genesis of his story. At last, he saw it. The Town of Beginnings. Its walls loomed far away, across the grassy fields, full of boars. The sun was low in the sky, almost beginning to set. This place would always hold a place in his heart. This is where he first awoke, this is where he spent nights of lamentation before the Monument of Life, this is where he lived on the streets for days. In a way, this was home.

Evander: HP: 16/16 Energy: 2/4

[Evander 0]

Evander descended into the plains. Boars roamed about, grazing at grass. Ah, he remembered his first monster kill. That felt like eternities ago, though it was likely only a few days. Evander stopped, and sighed. He felt tired, even though he had done little while in Aincrad. He felt old, though he had only begun to utilize his new life in Aincrad about a week ago. He was finally returning home, to be rejuvenated again. Evander continued walking through the plains again, the grass brushing at his arms. The sun began to set, its orange rays streaking across the sky in a brilliant display of colors. So much had changed in such a little time, only a few days. He had met new people, he actually had food for once, and, most importantly, he learned how bad it really was in here for the people. Sure, he had gotten some idea of it from his pilgrimages to the Monument of Life while he had stayed in the city, but now he had experienced it first-hand and came out resolved. Resolved to help others. After a short time here, he would walk out renewed and ready for some intense training to actually become able to contribute at all to the war-effort in Aincrad. Evander reached the walls of the city.

Evander: HP: 16/16 Energy: 3/4

[Evander 0]

Evander walked through the tall gates to the city. He remembered these streets. He remembered his nights spent sleeping on benches. NPCs roamed the city, and- was that a kimono? Huh, it appeared all of the NPCs were all wearing traditional Japanese garb. He decided to go over and ask about what was going on. Huh. Apparently there was a festival going on or something. Evander supposed he would go check that out some time, but the problem was that it was all the way up at Floor 11. And, it was stupid, but he felt like it was cheating if he just teleported up there and reaped the rewards of others' work. He remembered his vow, oh so long ago, about how he would journey his way up the floors himself, fight his way through the monsters himself, and not piggyback off of others. It was idiotic to not use the teleporter. But, augh, for inscrutable reasons, his mind, his philosophy, his body stubbornly stood against it. And so, he would lose out on this great opportunity. Perhaps he just wanted to avoid meeting other people, which was inevitable in gatherings, but somehow, he knew it was something else, something buried deep in his psyche, that prevented him from using the teleporter. Perhaps he wanted to feel like he earned his way up. He had no idea, but he did know one thing. Dinner sounded good just about now, and he actually had the money to get it.

Evander: HP: 16/16 Energy: 4/4

[Evander 0]

Evander decided to go back to that one NPC-run restaurant he had checked out before. Oh yeah, that was where he had tried to sneak out after he remembered he didn't have any money. Well, hopefully his face was forgotten by now, because that place had some good stuff on the menu, if he remembered correctly. Evander walked past the merchant NPCs beginning to pack up their stalls and entered a plaza. Ah yes, that was the bench he had slept on for a while. Good times, good times. Evander walked past several rowdy taverns and into the restaurant. It looked exactly the same as the first time he had gone in here, though that was to be expected. It had many candles around, giving off a refined ambiance, and the cloth covered tables all were neatly arranged with utensils and plates. Evander too a seat at an unoccupied table, and waited until a waiter came over to ask for his order. He would probably get the beef au jus, like he wanted to his first time here. Perhaps a glass of grape juice on the side too.

[Evander 0]

Eventually, a NPC waiter came by to get his order. "Sorry for the wait, sir, but this restaurant is rather crowded tonight." Evander could see that quite clearly. People were practically piling over each other in the stuffed restaurant. "Oh, no, it's fine. I understand. As for my order, I would like to have a beef au jus, please, with a glass of grape juice on the side." The waiter rushed off to send the order to the chef. Evander sat back, smelling the aromas of the different dishes all around him. This place had some good, quality food. Evander's stomach rumbled in anticipation. The waiter came back with a wine-glass full of grape juice and placed it in front of him. Evander thanked him for the drink, then took a sip of the cool nectar. Ah, grape juice. Clearly the most refreshing drink out there. Just the right combination of tangy and sweet. Evander hadn't had grape juice for a long time. When was the last time? Oh, that's right, back when he was in the real world. Whoa there buddy, getting emotional now? Evander asked himself while he continued to sip at his grape juice. Evander took a few deep breaths to clear his mind, then continued to drink.

[Evander 0]

Evander leaned back in his chair, looking around at all of the people in the restaurant. Most of the other patrons were in groups, sitting amongst friends. Evander took another gulp of grape juice. Evander sighed, then sat up straight again. It would do no good to just mope around. The waiter came back and placed his meal on the table, then hurried off to take other orders. The dish looked delicious. It was quite obviously fresh, as the sandwich was piping hot and even the jus was warm. Evander took one last swig of his juice, then dipped his sandwich in the sauce and began to eat. It tasted even better than it looked. There was nothing quite like a hot meal to cheer up one's spirits. Add that to the fact that he hadn't eaten all day, and this was a pretty great dinner. He wiped his mouth with his napkin after he was finished, downed the rest of the grape juice, then left the col for the meal on the table. Evander stood, and walked out of the restaurant, back into the rapidly fading light. The sky was now a deep purple, and night was approaching. He could see the faint outline of the moon rising, and the stars began to peek out from the dark canvas of the sky.

[Evander 0]

Evander began to walk, in no direction in particular. What else was there to even do before nightfall? He walked past people hurrying home, a group of players with a friendly air of camaraderie heading towards a tavern, merchants packing up their wares, empty plazas, and before he knew it, he found himself outside of the city, in the darkening plains, alone with only the wind, away in solitude. Evander walked to the apex of a low hill, and sat there, in the grasses, listening to the sounds of the night around him. The sun set. Dusk gave way to night. The moon began to shine brightly in the sky, the sole source of celestial light now that the sun was gone. The stars, little pinpricks of light, rose in prominence. Evander reclined back, and continued to listen. He began to think. He began to wonder about human nature, and, in particular, on suffering. Suffering. Pain. These were all regarded as evil, but they did have a use- they strengthened mankind and the individual, both physically and emotionally. However, sometimes, the burden was far too great, and people broke under the strain. Evander raised his hand towards the stars, reaching out to the souls who had to endure so much, reaching out in remembrance of their woes.

[Evander 0]

Evander put his hand back down. The crickets chirped around him. What can we do against suffering? How could man hope to lessen the suffering of others, when they themselves were burdened? Evander pondered on a possible solution to this problem. He sat up, and began to reflect upon the human situation in Aincrad. Alas, suffering was one of the most prevalent forces taking control of the trapped peoples. Though some tried to make happy lives for themselves, everyone knew that they were stuck in this harsh land. The only thing they could do was fight. Fight for their lives, their homes, all of their lost time from the real world. Fight for the lost souls, fight for the deaths of loved ones, fight for vengeance. Fight for hope. Struggling against the bonds of their imprisonment was all they could do, lest they be scattered before the winds and descend into anarchy. Evander scratched his nose. He could probably make a fairly good speech, if he actually enjoyed public speaking. He had no idea why he was acting so dramatic within the confines of his mind, but he did manage to inspire himself to work harder, so that was a plus.

[Evander 0]

Evander got up. He felt invigorated now. He rolled his shoulders a few times, then drew his sword. He began to practice his swordplay as he normally did, with his right hand, but then stopped. Just earlier today, he had been incapacitated of the use of one of his arms. Luckily, it was just the left, and he could continue the fight as usual, but what would have happened if his right arm had been mauled? He would have died, because he had no idea how to use a sword with the left hand. Of course, if the enemy managed to knock out both arms, he would be dead for certain, but there was no harm in training his left hand. He switched his sword over to his left and began to clumsily swing the sword. Eugh. He really did need to sharpen his left-handed skills. He vowed to solely practice with his left hand until he became at least acceptable with wielding a blade. The wind blew, the grass rustled, and the moon moved across the sky as Evander continued to practice.

[Evander 0]

Evander collapsed back onto the grass, his sweat beginning to cool in the night air. He just lay there, looking up at at the dark night sky. The stars twinkled, high up in the sky. The moon had reached its apex. Evander felt an onrush of deja vu. He had lounged back like this many nights before. Evander breathed heavily. It was slow going with the sword training of the left hand. Yeah, he knew he shouldn't expect it to be done in just one night of practice, but brute forcing ambidexterity was much harder than he thought it would be. The grass tickled his arms as he lay back. He could hear the crickets chirping. He put his hands back behind his head and just relaxed. Evander closed his eyes for a little rest.

Memories, unbidden memories, half-formed, subconscious, rose to the forefront of his mind. Memories of the past, memories of the present, memories of the futures to come.

[Evander 0]

Evander stood before his classmates, giving out a presentation. Evander lay on his bed, listening to his father tell him stories of far off worlds. A small smile appeared on Evander's face. A wave of nostalgia washed over him. Evander ate at the dinner table with his family, talking excitedly about his day. Evander lounged around in his dorm at college, reading his textbook. Evander lay on his bed, listening to some music and reading a book. Evander put on his new NerveGear, eager to try his new gift. The fan had been spinning lazily above him. A plate of cake had been on the counter beside him. His family was downstairs, waiting for him to relate to them his experiences. The slight smile had vanished. It was a whole new experience. It all felt so real, from the wind blowing through the plaza, to the sun shining down upon the land. He remembered it all so well, the day everything had changed.

[Evander 0]

He remembered waking up on that bench. Had it really only been a few weeks or so since he had woken up? It felt like eternities had passed in the blink of an eye. Time passed by both far too quickly and slowly. He remembered the resolve that had been born in him that day. He remembered his drive, he remembered his hours toiled away. He remembered his first monster kill. He remembered silent nights in contemplation. He remembered nights in tribute of the fallen. He remembered all of his experiences, everything, crystal clear in his mind. The only question was, now what? What was he going to do now? What were his short-term goals? Sure, he wanted to clear Aincrad, sure, he was going to train, but there had to be something else out there to do, something more than just this boring drudgery of training day after day. Sure, he wanted to help people, but what else? He needed something more concrete than such an abstract idea. Blurry images of things yet to come appeared in his mind.

[Evander 0]

He was sitting against a brick wall in a large, unknown city, alone in the rain with only a sword by his side. He laughed with a close friend as they walked in the desert. He sat underneath a tree, the sun shining down upon him, eating a sandwich. So many possible futures lay ahead of him, on his journey. So many possibilities, opportunities were open to him. He just needed to reach out and take them. Evander smiled again. He could do whatever he wanted. He didn't need to worry about the future- he had to live in the moment, enjoy life. Of course, that didn't mean he wasn't going to train his hardest, it just meant that there was no need to worry- he would just keep on plodding along the long road of life, one step at a time. And, whenever an obstacle rose before him on his path to safety and freedom for all of the trapped peoples, he would surmount it. He would surmount it because he simply had to. Because he needed to. Evander began to stir. The dream began to fade away, leaving behind only a vague sense of peace.