[PP-F2] <<Breaking the Unbreakable>> The Fi[r]st Badge!

[B0nse 0]

While no expert, B0nse was a martial artist in his previous life, it was only natural that he pursue any option in the system that granted him a sense of normalcy. Unfortunately, Martial Arts was a unique skill, and unique skills have unique routes of entry, which meant exploring F2 early was necessary. Not only was the floor exceptionally dangerous for someone of his low level, but his sense of navigation on mostly unmarked paths left much to be desired. Time and time again he walked in circles, narrowly avoided agro zones that would mean certain death, caught glimpses of a destination he wished wouldn't be so far. However, it wasn't all for naught, and he did make progress, but if good progress was hours spent to simply arrive at Marome Village than damned be its name. He could see the quest mountain in the distance, the westbound sun looming over it, taunting him with the receding noon. His stomach rumbled and he conceded to hunger, resting against the fortress wall as he chomped away at an apple, mulling over a paper map to chart his path. The way of the fist would be his, in that, he was certain.  

[Teion 0]

Heavy boots came down upon the forest floor, a violet-haired adventurer leading the way with two younger-looking players following behind her. A boy and a girl, walking closely next to one another; at first glance one would assume they were related due to some physical similarities. Teion, the axe-wielding woman leading their path, had a blank expression on her face as she guided the lower-leveled players to their destination. Looking for work as a hired hand or bodyguard was almost commonplace for her now as she tried to make the transition of keeping herself busy outside of the smithy she so often holed herself up in.

As the small party grew closer to their destination--the summit far south of the city of Urbus--the boy behind her excitedly pointed out the location once it came into view. Teion gazed at the area with mild interest. 'I wonder if that's where Emerath...' Her thoughts wandered quickly. She had heard of the reason that players made the trek all the way out to the edge of the second floor. Rumors spread quickly of the skill that would teach a player to fight with their fists as their weapon. She recalled the fiery red-head obtaining the skill at some point; this must have been the place he'd ventured to so long ago.

Shaking her head lightly as unwanted thoughts came to mind, she pushed them away and glanced over her shoulder at the anxious players behind her. "Another few minutes and we'll be there." She said simply to temporarily quell their excitement.

Declared Stats/Equipment:

Spoiler

Basic Stats
Level: 13
HP: 52
Energy: 13

Equipment/Inventory
»[Equipped] [Perfect] Lucent Reaver - +3 DMG
»[Equipped] [Rare] The Daedric Armor - +18 MIT
»[Equipped] [Rare] Twilight Greaves - +2 Heavy Momentum

»[Rare] Treasure Hunter's Scarf - +2 LD

Skills
[Rank 2] <<Two-Handed Battle Axe>>
[Rank 2] <<Search & Detect>>
[Extra Skill] <<Disguise>>

 

Edited May 15, 2016 by Teion

[B0nse 0]

When the apple was nothing but a core if faded into shards and he turned his full attentions to the map, a detailed thing written by some player with the aid of the basic charts Sao provides. As did happen to all floor maps made by players (those that are wanted) replicas were made, and eventually trickled their way down into the hands of all. However, despite this low demand, the maps he'd bought had still taken a good chunk of his savings from him, and combined with the repurchase of a starter kit, had left him practically broke. What he got in return was a detailed bird-eye view of the first few floors he would have to contend with. 

Fortunately, even with his horrid map-reading skills, the investment was worth it, as the map and all its functions had begun the process of adoption into his intuition. Not only that, but now that he knew where he was, he could now fully take advantage of the notes on agro zones, landmarks, and so on. His original path had cut through the High Fields of Crossing, so he needed to readjust slightly, but before long he'd charted a path that spared him of most, if not all of the mob spawns F2 had to offer. Now it was only a matter of staying true to the route. 

~~~

He popped open a bottle and gulped down to sate his thirst, exhaustion taking its toll. He was thankful for the cooling winds, but even still,  the hike was long. Foot after foot he pushed through greenery and horrid footing alike, breaking through established paths for the sake of safety and in almost total trust of the map. It was his guide, but as he rested in the shade to check the map he heard the voice of another. "Another few minutes and we'll be there,"  pronounced itself faintly. He went stiff for a moment before rising up, map still clutched open. A girl had spoken, no, a young lady, with others from the sounds of it. He looked down to the map, what could be minutes away? The summit would take an hour with his path, at the very least, and there was nothing else of note on the map. Perhaps they had some secret base hidden away? Unlikely, it might be a sub-dungeon at best. 

Regardless, there was a possibility that woman knew a better way to the quest, and if he could convince her to take him too, or at least point the way, all the better, for he'd have guide back home as well. He resolved to approach them, but how? Assuming she hadn't heard him already she would certainly be on edge if he just popped up. Did they make any suspicious sounds? No, damn, no way to tell. Only one move then. 

"Hello, is anyone there? I heard something!" He shouted without a thought for the possibility of an orange marker, the notion seemed absurd on F2 of all things. A bird stopped in it's chirping to glare down at him, and he rolled his map up in the silence that followed. "I'm here for a quest, how about you?!"

~~~~
-1 Apple & Water

Edited May 15, 2016 by B0nse

[Teion 0]

((OOC: I'm sorry in advance for any inconsistencies I may have with the area! I'm pretty awful at visualizing geography.))

The small party had nearly reached a small clearing, but before they could fully break away from the tall trees and thick foliage, the blacksmith tensed as an unfamiliar voice called out. She stopped in her tracks, holding a hand out to her side as the siblings stopped short as well, catching themselves from running into her back. They looked to each other, exchanging nervous glances as the voice continued, asking about a quest. Blue eyes scanned the foliage in an attempt to spot any attackers. While she hoped to never encounter them, the unpleasant truth of orange players still haunted Aincrad. In most cases, she had to assume the worst in order to ensure her and her party's safety. The woman turned back to the teens just behind her and placed a finger over her lips in a 'shush' motion, offering them a reassuring smile. Making sure they stayed close, Teion turned off to the right where she believed the voice to have come from.

She wouldn't consider herself stealthy in the slightest, so the sound of her metal armor was likely to give away her position. When they had moved only about twenty or thirty feet from their initial position they came across a man, alone in the middle of the woods. The violet-haired warrior had already kept a hand on the handle of the large axe she carried on her back. The stranger held a rolled up paper, but otherwise seemed to be as low-leveled as adventurers came. She glanced up to the green marker above his head, but her stance didn't yet relax. She wasn't hired to drop her guard, and the notion of using an "innocent" green player as a bait for PKing didn't sound so far-fetched to her nowadays.

Casting a suspicious look at the man, Teion finally spoke up. "We are traveling south, to complete the quest that rewards the Martial Arts skill," The words left her cautiously. In the event of a trick she wasn't sure how much information she should divulge, but at least this, she thought, was fairly common knowledge.

[B0nse 0]

((OOC: No worries, I wasn't making any commentary on your roleplay earlier, just Connor's thought process!)) 

He'd figured that his question scared them away, but ever the hopeful, he extended his wait, glancing at the nearby foliage in hopes of seeing their faces. The silence tempted him to think of orange, but once again, he refused to believe ill-intent would be behind those words. His palms clenched and loosened and soon he could hear the clank of heavy armor. He glanced toward it to see a hint of purple among the green, a hint that soon became a woman with two children at her side.

Her axe was worrying, but he was certain she would sheath it in due time."Hello," He smiled, looking down to the teens with a semi-salute before meeting eyes with what assumed to be their sister, "I'm headed towards that quest too, called you guys out on the off-chance we had the same destination in mind. Since that's the case, would you three be fine with me accompanying you?" He paused to gauge her reaction, the bird chirped once again, "I'm not all that familiar with the area, and while I have a map," he rose it up for them to see, "I can't necessarily take the fastest path since I'm not that strong...plus, company would be nice, eh?"  He took a few wary steps forwards, hands jutted upwards in a gesture of peace, "I can go on my own if it's problematic to have me." 

[Teion 0]

As the stranger explained himself, Teion's eyes scanned the area behind him with caution. She couldn't spot any assassins, and the man seemed honest enough to trust. Still, to accept his request wasn't her call. Easing up on the grip on her weapon, Teion turned to the pair beside her, wordlessly asking for their decision. With her body language, the young girl seemed against the idea, but the boy leaned over to whisper something that softened her expression a bit. They both looked up to meet Teion's gaze, giving her a nod in unison.

The axe-wielder smiled softly at their trusting nature. As the verdict had been reached, Teion turned back to the man as she pulled her hand away from her weapon entirely. "Alright, you're welcome to join us." Her tone was not as warm or inviting as her words would suggest, though it would likely come off more as indifference than anything else. The warrior gave a quick wave for him to follow as they turned back to their original path. She made sure the younger players were in front of her now, and glanced back briefly to ensure their newest member was following behind them. Feeling it would be either foolish or rude to silently continue their journey this way, Teion spoke up again once, "So you're out here alone?" She eyed him inquisitively at the clear starter gear he wore, curious as to what would possess him to travel past the first floor, so far away from the safe zones alone.

[B0nse 0]

The children's refusal to speak in anything above a private whisper was confusing, but proof enough of how their cookie crumbled. People were allowed their oddities in and out of Sao, especially in Sao, so he wouldn't question their act of silence. However, he did make note of the girl's aversion, if only for the sake of the future. He lowered his hands, "Thanks," a nod of appreciation and he moved to Teion's side, keen enough to know that she was the type of person who'd rather him stay in sight. Her precaution was a sad but necessary thing, a thing which brought to question why he himself wasn't like that. He was aware of all the risk,  but at the same time, still optimistic. He refused to believe experience alone could change him, so what made him different? That question would sulk at the back of his mind for quite a while, but now, her voice drew him back to the earth at his feet. "Yeah, I'm alone," He glanced towards her and her prying eyes, following them down to his attire, "I came here to learn Martial Arts simply because I practiced it back at home, every little thing counts, and I suppose that If I'm going to react to certain things like a martial artist, then I might as well get the skill for the martial artist...that way my little tricks actually deal damage," A bush he would have cut through passed by, he gave it a sideways glance, "I got by purely through taking advantage of safe routes through monster agro, what I'm holding here is detailed map of F2," He rose the map up once again, "It's got everything I could ever need."  

[Teion 0]

Teion felt the man's words tugging another smile at the corners of her mouth. "Well you're brave, I'll give you that." The woman replied, nodding at his explanation for seeking out the quest. As he held up the map, she studied it briefly while they continued walking. "Mm, good thing you had that, then." The small group reached the clearing she had been heading for earlier. Forest floor gave way to the rocky ground not far from the base of the mountains. Squinting up at the bright sky, Teion extended a hand upwards, pointing to the partially-visible hut nestled among the landscape. "There we are. There's a path leading up to it, over here."

As they continued forward, sure enough a not-so-obvious trail led into the mountains. The two teens excitedly took the lead, and the violet-haired woman kept just behind them. Despite its winding, the path was more or less direct--following it through would drop them just outside of the NPC's hut.

((OOC: Not feelin' it as much today, sorry xD))

[B0nse 0]

"Hmm, I'd have to disagree," There was a reason his level was one, after all, as much as he hated to think. He made to speak words along those lines but thought against it, the subject of his own personal vices simply wasn't proper for that time and place, besides, he wouldn't want to bother. The voices of the two younger players could be heard dimly over the din of the path, their soft voice voices granting no hint to what they spoke of beyond a few words. He wanted to hear them, to speak with them simply because he hadn't already, but alas, he could not, and so their words faded to nothing and the hut came into view. He squinted his eyes and stared it down, "Hmmm, looks nice" perhaps he'd been abit too careful in charting his course, then again, it was only through caution that he'd bumped into the three. 

The teens took the lead and he tried to recall what mob spawn had scared him away from taking that particular path. His memory failed him, so instead he simply looked to the purple at his side, "How many of you are taking on the quest? I'm assuming the kids are going to go for it, but are you?" He looked to her blade, "You held your axe in a two-handed grasp...so that's probably a 'no' now that I think about it...but small talk is nice, hmm?" 

(No Prob :y) 

Edited May 18, 2016 by B0nse

[Teion 0]

As the group reached their destination the excited young ones ran ahead the moment the coast was clear. They'd approached the simple hut that existed quietly among the mountain range. With no monsters in sight, the siblings rushed to find the NPC which would issue them their quest. Letting them out of her sight for now, a chuckle escaped Teion and her attention turned back to the player beside her. "No, I'm just playing the role of bodyguard. A lot of lower level players aren't comfortable traveling so far from towns on their own. Hence, I commend your bravery." She pushed the compliment. Whether she was trying to make up for her icy introductions, or didn't want the man to think badly of himself, she opted to change the topic regardless.

"But, I'll be enjoying the atmosphere." Starting slowly towards the hut herself, the woman crossed her arms in front of her. "I've heard completing this quest can take a while, but I suppose it's appropriate." She held a bit of a smirk on her face.

Edited May 18, 2016 by Teion

[B0nse 0]

"Hmm," He couldn't argue, nor did he see the subject as even worthy of effort, so he let it slide; if she saw him as courageous then so be it. He reclined to his thoughts and turned back to the path only to be shaken awake by the unexpectedly close hut. "Eh, yeah, the atmosphere is nice," he muttered absentmindedly, his gaze flowing to the boulders which pecked into the sky at the hut's side. Her words and he smirked, " 'A while?' If punching a rock for few hours means you've gotten past the hardest part of your martial arts training in Sao, then that's what I'd call a vacation!" he chuckled at the thought. "The hell I've put myself through practicing is far worse than some bloody knuckles, not that I mind~" He vanished the map away, making note to check it for their path once he got the chance, "Anyways, let's catch up to the kids, hmm?" 

With a beckoning gesture he broke into a jog, carrying himself without a hint of clumsy looseness despite his bulk. "You know what they say about the last one there!" He slowed himself to see how fast Teion would go, not willing to leave her behind by way of a head start alone.   

[Teion 0]

Teion chuckled in response, increasing her pace to match his as they closed the remaining gap between them and the quest location. As they approached and entered the simple hut, the woman spotted the pair of teens speaking with the only other soul she could spot in the building--an elderly man who she only assumed to be the owned of the hut and the questgiver NPC.

Teion brought a hand up to her mouth to stifle a laugh as her eyes fell on the two players. The girl, who had spent the majority of their journey with a tough attitude was now quite distressed, tears of frustration visible at the corners of her eyes while her brother tried his best to calm her. The cause of her outburst, Teion assumed, were the bright red whiskers painted clearly across her cheeks. The elderly man was paying the kids no mind; he had issued their quest and continued to go about his business. The violet-haired woman placed a hand on her hip as she approached the pair, offering them a sympathetic smile.