[SP-F1] Hunting High & Low

[Raun 0]

The colourful welcome after the ‘Link Start!’ would have pleased Raun under normal circumstances. But right now, everything about the Nervegear and SAO just irritated him. He couldn’t understand how anyone could be so foolishly ruthless to put 10,000 people into a death game. Well, he is now the 10,001st player in the game, replacing a poor young lad, who died because his mother never knew of the death game and pulled out his Nervegear to give him his favourite ice-cream. Tears rolled down his cheeks as the lady who gave him the copy of SAO sat at the doorstep, wailing. ‘Not just my sister. I will protect every single kid in there,’ he told himself.

When he signed up and logged in, Raun faced no character creation. He was himself and was right at the centre of Town of Beginnings. I suppose the bastard didn’t expect anyone to join after the first day. Normally, the realistic graphics would have impressed him. Now, he couldn’t care less. All he could think of was his sister.

Edited March 12, 2016 by Raun

[Raun 0]

Looking around, he found the region to be mostly empty. He could barely find any players; just a few NPCs. I wonder where everyone is. Raun quickly walked up to the nearest NPC. It was a middle-aged brunette lady taking a walk with her toddler son. “Hey, lady. Tell me where all the players are?” he asked, in a rather rude tone. He saw no reason to say please or even speak politely. One, it was just a bunch of digital data, and two, it was a digital data in a game he hated the most. However, the NPC was (surprisingly, to him) was programmed to reward politeness and condemn rudeness. With an angry frown, the lady fumed, “How rude? I’m not telling you anything.” Looking away sharply, she walked away quickly, dragging her son. “Tch!” Raun couldn’t believe this. “I don’t understand why people wanted to play this game in the first place.”

[Raun 0]

Let’s try that again. This time, it was an old man, sitting at the bench in the corner of the plaza. Raun tried to be polite this time. “Hello! Could you please tell me where all the players are? I’m trying to find my sister. I don’t know what name she goes by in this game, but since everyone has their real appearance, I could describe her.” The man slowly looked up at him. “Yes! Hello. Most people don’t come here. I suppose it’s not a good memory for them. You see, this is where they realized they were stuck in this world. I don’t know if I know your sister, but I will tell you what I know. Tell me… How old is your sister?” The man spoke very slowly, but clearly. Raun was glad to have learnt the pretend-manners; it worked mostly. “Thank you! She is a seventeen-year old brunette girl with green eyes. Very slim. Have you ever seen a girl like that?” he asked, hoping to get lucky. However, something unexpected and unwelcome happened. The old man started sobbing and eventually began crying loudly. Perplexed, Raun quickly kneeled beside him and whispered urgently, “Old man! What happened? Why are you crying? Did you see such a girl? Did something happen to her?”

[Raun 0]

The longer the old man sat there, crying and not responding, the more anxious Raun got. Eventually, he lost his cool and shook the geezer out of his crankiness. “Just tell me what happened, will you?” he asked, frowning. “I… I’m sorry. Brunette with green eyes… I was reminded of my granddaughter. She was killed by one of the boars when she ran out into the fields.” Raun rolled his eyes. This can’t be happening. A sob story of an NPC? Raun was about to get up and leave abruptly. He really didn’t care for this made up story in a stupid game. The old man got hold of his hands and pulled sharply. “Please! Take these flowers to the cemetery outside and place it on her memorial. Her name is Clara. Please! Do this old soul a favour.” Raun was enraged. “If this is some kind of a quest, screw it. I have to find my sister.” He snatched his hands off the old man and started walking away, but he couldn’t help but stop. He sighed heavily. “Alright… I’m sorry. I’ll do it. Maybe I’ll find my sister on my way.”

Edited March 12, 2016 by Raun

[Raun 0]

Raun did not understand why he took up this errand. He wasn’t here for this. However, he realized, real or imaginary, he shouldn’t let his character change. His compassion is real; so what if the person he is helping isn’t? He sounded real enough. He felt the texture of the lily flowers. Everything about this world felt very real. “Well… Even death is. That’s the problem,” he joked to himself, sadly. The old man had given clear directions to the cemetery. It was slightly further away from the Town of Beginnings. And apparently, there could be some monsters around; hence, the old man couldn’t go there himself. At his level, even Raun wouldn’t be able to handle them. But he didn’t care; his haste in finding his sister made him rather careless. Hopefully, nothing disastrous would befall the young man.

Edited March 12, 2016 by Raun

[Raun 0]

It was almost dark when he exited the Town of Beginnings. The long and winding path to the cemetery seemed to disappear into darkness. However, nothing fazed Raun. He kept walking in the direction he was supposed to. The old man told him he would be able to see the cemetery once he crossed an S bend. Unfortunately, the S bend itself was not visible in this darkness. He walked and walked for almost an entire minute before he could see the bend. “Finally!" He picked up his pace and kept to the path. He thought he heard something from behind the tree on the right side of the path. He paused for a minute and looked to the side where he heard the sound from. There appeared to be nothing. He shook his head and continued to walk the path. Once he crossed the bend, he could see the entrance to the cemetery, just like the old man had said he would.

Spoiler

ID: #51243 | Battle: 2 | Craft: 11 | Loot: 8 | MOB: 2

 

Edited March 13, 2016 by Raun

[Raun 0]

Entering the cemetery gave him the chills despite it being a game. It was then that he realized fear is clearly to do more with one’s psychology than any supernatural things. The cemetery was very dark, except for a few flame torches that hung on the compound every few feet. Raun reached for the closest torch and pulled it out of its hinge. That should light up my path. He held the torch low so that he can see watch his step and began reading the names on the graves. Katarina… Giulia… Garen… The list went on. It took almost quarter an hour before he could find Clara’s. “Oh! There…” He breathed a heavy sigh and placed the flowers on top of Clara’s grave. He thought he saw the flowers glow slightly before going back to its original state. But since he couldn’t be sure, he assumed it was the torch’s light that was playing the trick.

Spoiler

ID: #51310 | Battle: 3 | Craft: 1 | Loot: 5 | MOB: 7

 

Edited March 14, 2016 by Raun

[Raun 0]

Raun was about to starting walking out of the cemetery when he saw the flowers he placed glow and flicker again. This time he was sure he saw it. He knelt in front of it and looked curiously. The flickering became too frequent and brighter now. He took a few steps back, unsheathed his Basic One-Handed Curved Sword and took a defensive stance. The single flower rose up from the grave and changed colour and form. It just floated there in front of him. He heard a mild whisper of ‘Thank you’, which echoed a few times and then faded away. He approached the floating white flower with caution and tapped it to see what it was.

Quote

Item Name: Bane Lily
Description: An alchemy ingredient that can be used as a base to create a variety of potions and crystals.

Raun sighed and put the flower in his inventory. He then walked out of the cemetery and towards the Town of Beginnings.

Spoiler

ID: #51401 | Battle: 4 | Craft: 4 | Loot: 20 | MOB: 1

+1 Mat

 

Edited March 15, 2016 by Raun

[Raun 0]

The walk back to the Town of Beginnings was eventless. He had this slight feeling that someone was watching him as he walked down the road; however, no matter how many times he turned back to look at who or what it was, he saw nothing but the dark and empty path. He finally got back into the town and noticed that the old man was still sitting in the bench, where he first met him. He took out the Bane Lily from his inventory, knelt before the old man and spoke softly. “Here! When I placed the flowers you gave me on her grave, I heard a ‘thank you’ and the flower turned into this.” The old man was overjoyed and cried out of happiness. “She is happy! She is happy!” he yelled and started walking into the back alleys quickly. “Hey! Don’t you want the flower?” Raun asked, chasing him. But there was no response. He turned around the corner to see where he went. But he was nowhere; it was as if he vanished. Raun was confused. After a moment, he just shrugged, put the potion ingredient back into his inventory and made his way further into the town.

Spoiler

ID: #51518 | Battle: 8 | Craft: 1 | Loot: 14 | MOB: 4

 

Edited March 15, 2016 by Raun

[Raun 0]

Raun decided it will be best to look for players the next morning. It was already late and he presumed everyone would have gone to bed. He had no clue as to where any inns are; furthermore, he had no money to pay for a room. So, he decided to roam the outskirts and find some way to make COL before renting a room. He turned around and began walking towards the town’s exit. As he walked, he opened his inventory and browsed through. There wasn’t much to browse but he was glad to find some food and water in there. He also noticed that he had a Guidebook. He took a slice of bread and the Guidebook out of his inventory. He began reading the Guidebook while he slowly ate the bread.

[Raun 0]

Obviously, the first thing he searched for in the Guidebook was how to find another player in the game. Skimming through the guidebook, he found that there is a skill called “Search & Detect”. However, a quick read proved that it was only worthwhile against hidden players. He saw no reason for his sister to hide from him; so, he moved on. After reading through a few more pages, he realized there are only two ways to find his sister. He either have to physically find her or at least find out her in-game name. Oh crap! He regretted not investigating Sophie’s previous game profiles before logging into SAO. In his haste to find and save her, he had only delayed things. Tch!

He put the Guidebook back in his inventory and sat under the nearest tree he could see. As he sat, he found an unusual-looking plant beside him. He hadn’t noticed it before as it was dark. But it was clearly visible now. It was no grass and had this faint aura around it. He plucked it off and tapped for its information.

Quote

Item Name: Thorny Grass
Description: An alchemy ingredient. Beware! Depending on the combination, it can either save a life or take it.

Spoiler

ID: #51679 | Battle: 6 | Craft: 6 | Loot: 16 | MOB: 8

+1 Mat

 

Edited March 16, 2016 by Raun

[Raun 0]

Stumbling into all these alchemy reagents made him curious. So, he opened the Guidebook and started reading about Alchemy. The more he read, the more interested he seemed to get. Wow! So I can increase a player’s HP, heal, teleport, paralyze, poison… This is amazing. He wanted to learn more so that he can concoct these potions and crystals for his sister’s use. Assuming she plays safe, she can practically escape any situation if she is fully stocked on some of these. For a second he forgot that he still hadn’t found her and has to work on that first. But he knew he can’t do much in the middle of the night. So, instead, he decided to focus on alchemy for now. He wasn’t willing to waste any time. He wasn’t here for that. He stood up and began walking again with a new vigour, knowing he has means to protect his sister from harm until this nightmare ends.

Spoiler

ID: #51717  | Battle: 1 | Craft: 9 | Loot: 10 | MOB: 3

 

Edited March 16, 2016 by Raun

[Raun 0]

Raun knew he wouldn’t find anything if he followed the path. So, he decided to go off-path and into the grasslands. He figured this might not be the best idea in his current level, but chose to go anyway. You wouldn’t be of any use if you are dead, a voice echoed in his head, but he ignored that. He just can’t sit and do nothing. It was going to drive him crazy. He thought it best to keep his sword ready in case something decides to jump on him; especially because it is dark. He unsheathed his sword and walked into the grasslands, taking every step cautiously and looking for any other plants he might be able to use for alchemy.

A few feet into the grasslands and he spotted another Thorny Grass. Just as I thought. Rewards for those who take the risk.

Spoiler

ID: #51730 | Battle: 6 | Craft: 9 | Loot: 17 | MOB: 1

+1 Mat

 

Edited March 16, 2016 by Raun

[Raun 0]

Finding another Thorny Grass encouraged Raun to go further into the grasslands. However, he still had a tight grip on his sword. He did not like surprises. He was sure he will encounter something hostile and if he is not careful, he might lose his life here. Not the best thing that could happen. He noticed how his eyes adjusted to the low light. The amount of detail the game had astonished him. However, he still was not able to see very clearly due to darkness. Every step of his was cautious and he was on high alert. Several times he thought he spotted a Thorny Grass. But it ended up being a normal one. Looking for mats in the middle of the night wasn't the best idea, but what choice did he have?

Spoiler

ID: #52054 | Battle: 7 | Craft: 10 | Loot: 7 | MOB: 5

 

Edited March 18, 2016 by Raun

[Raun 0]

Despite not finding anything after roaming around the grasslands for five minutes, Raun refused to give up and kept looking. Is levelling up going to be such a pain too? he wondered. His grip on his sword loosened and he began looking around lazily now. His eyes started drooping. He looked at the time in his HUD. It was way past 1’o clock at night. He was so sleepy he was actually considering just lying down on the tall grass. Won’t feel that bad actually. Such long grass should be like bed... And you’ll be a very early breakfast for digital monsters, said a voice in his head in a matter-of-fact tone. He shook his head violently hoping to shake off his sleep. It worked… for a bit. What finally woke him up was another Thorny Grass, which he found right under his feet.

Spoiler

ID: #52055 | Craft: 1 | Loot: 18 | MOB: 4

+1 Mat

 

Edited March 18, 2016 by Raun

[Raun 0]

Raun has been lucky so far. He has collected four alchemical ingredients and have managed to not stumble into any trouble. However, his sleepiness was getting to him and he was losing focus. He was so sleepy that he was considering going back to the town and finding an inn that accepts these alchemical ingredients as payment. However, he doubted such an inn existed. Maybe there are free halls that new players can use to get some rest. He decided to take the chance. He began walking back to the town. This has been a crazy night with all the travelling between the town and grasslands. He was finally going to call it a day. If he was lucky enough, maybe he will find a free place. If not, he will sell what he has first thing in the morning and rent himself a room.

Spoiler

ID: #52201 | Battle: 6 | Craft: 6 | Loot: 9 | MOB: 6

 

Edited March 19, 2016 by Raun

[Raun 0]

Raun walked back into town and roamed the streets hoping to find a public place he could rest at. He found several parks, but it was way too cold to sleep outside. Even though it is just a game, his pride wouldn’t let him go inside an inn and try to convince them to rent him a room for which he will either pay later or pay with his mats. He roamed and roamed, finally giving up. When he could no longer move, he sat on the veranda of the closest house he could find. It didn’t give him enough warmth, but the roof above did make things better. And before he realized he had dozed off. It was such a shame that the son of a multi-millionaire in real life has no shelter in this game and was sleeping on the floor.

Spoiler

ID: #52202 | Battle: 6 | Craft: 8 | Loot: 13 | MOB: 8

 

Edited March 19, 2016 by Raun

[Raun 0]

In less than an hour, he was woken up by an angry NPC. “Get out of here. I didn’t build this veranda for outsiders like you,” the middle-aged, bald NPC yelled. Raun rolled off and started dragging himself away from the NPC, laughing like a maniac. He couldn’t believe what he was going through and his thoughts immediately shifted to his sister. Did she also have a hard time like this? The mere thought made him shudder. I sincerely hope she found some way to stay safe and comfortable. Hang in there Sophie… I’m coming. At around four in the morning, Raun had completely lost his pride. He walked into an inn and pleaded with the innkeeper after placing the four mats on the counter. “Please… Take this and give me a room just for one day. I need to sleep.” The desperation in his voice was very obvious. The innkeeper thought about it for a minute and then decided to give him the room. “I don’t need these mats. Pay it off tomorrow; find a way to earn what you owe me.” He gave the mats back to Raun and then showed him to his room.

Spoiler

ID: #52204 | Battle: 8 | Craft: 8 | Loot: 3 | MOB: 7

 

Edited March 19, 2016 by Raun

[Raun 0]

Raun was extremely grateful towards the innkeeper and showered him with several thankful statements. And then, he hit the sack at once. Although he didn’t expect to sleep well, considering he was in a virtual world and all, he did sleep like a log. Maybe he was just too exhausted for it to make a difference. Nevertheless, he got his mental rest; when he woke, he actually had forgotten that he entered a VR game and was stuck there. And then it all came back to him. He remembered his mission here and was ready to start working towards it. But before that, he had to settle what he owed the innkeeper. He may be just an NPC, but not honouring his words will not make Raun feel better. He went down to the innkeeper and asked him how he can pay him back for the generosity. “Ah… You are finally awake. I do have an errand that you could help me with, if you don’t mind. Could you please go to the place marked in this map and deliver this box of goods? Do that and consider your debts settled,” the innkeeper said with a cheery expression. Raun agreed immediately; he took the box and started walking towards the place, which was a few blocks away.

Spoiler

ID: #52205 | Battle: 3 | Craft: 8 | Loot: 8 | MOB: 1

 

Edited March 19, 2016 by Raun

[Raun 0]

When Raun reached the block, a young lady, not older than twenty, was waiting for him at the entrance. “Here to deliver the goods? Thank you! You can place them on the table here,” she said pointing to the table behind her. “With this, I should be able to cook a feast,” she exclaimed. “Do convey my regards to Aurelion. He is such a darling,” she said, just after Raun placed the box where he was told to. He presumed Aurelion was the innkeeper and simply nodded. “I’ll be off now.”  With that, he headed back to the inn to assure Aurelion that the job is done and that the woman was pleased. “Wonderful! Now, I can’t wait to eat what she cooks with the things I sent. Anyway… Thank you for your assistance. You don’t owe me anything anymore. Please do stop by again whenever you are in need of a place to rest. I’m sure you’ll find your way through this world by then.”

Edited March 19, 2016 by Raun