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[F1-PP] The First Few Lessons Are Free [Completed]


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74367 results:

 Loot: 4

Shield shook his head hard and stood back up. Kicking off of the ground, he jogged his way to the opposite end of the clearing, hoping the physical activity would jumpstart his brain down a different track.

Jesus, why all of this as soon as I'm by myself? It's not like I've never soloed quests by myself in Crossreign.

He slowed his gait as he came to a fresh stretch of ground. Probing with his spear, he continued to hunt for materials. He had heard it said that grieving was a process, and that each memory needs to be dealt with on its own, but overall it's a slow process of overall recovery.

I guess those were just some memories that I hadn't dealt with before. I wonder how many more of those I'm going to encounter before I finally get out of here. I can't afford to have that happen in the midst of battle...

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Id # 74368: LD -7 = No mats [4/5]

Finally approaching where they had been hunting before, Beat scanning the area with his eyes, the sun beating down on him as the cool breeze blowing across the grassy plains sent chills down his still soaked back. Daigo had thought about going into game development when he was younger, because although video game eventually became a retreat from reality for him, he had always had a passion for them. He supposed that the reason he never got into the development of the games he played was due to his ability to already earn a living off of just playing them. Having to deal with angry users wasn't really his cup of tea. 

Where did he go? 

Beat walks a ways, finding the places where Shield had searched the ground with his spear, until he eventually found him. He walked up and kicked at a clump of dirt, half hoping to get lucky.

"Hey! How goes the hunt?"

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74369 results:

 Loot: 10

"It goes," Shield answered, internally sighing with relief now that he was no longer left alone to his thoughts. "I'm still short one material, but overall, this could have taken a lot longer to get to this point. You catch up with the rapscallion?"

As he spoke, he did not make eye contact, almost afraid that whatever episode he had experienced would still be visible behind his eyes, like a movie screen betraying his secrecy. Instead, he focused on looking preoccupied with his search, combing through the thicker clumps of grass and ground cover with his weapon.

The haft of his pole arm thudded against something solid, but for once, it was an actual rock. Shield turned it over with his weapon in hopes of finding something below it, but all he found was dirt.

At this point, I'd be pretty content with Beat's singing over whatever that was. I'm sure it will pass, but still... it might take a little time to shake off entirely.

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ID # 74370: LD-7 = no mats [4/5]

Beat was happy that they were having equal amounts of success more or less and cackled evilly when he was asked about the epic chase across first floor. He clenched and held out his fist as a sign of victory as he spoke triumphantly, his damp clothes a sign of his fight for a single herb.

"I did! I had to chase him all the way across the first floor though. We swam across the lake! Apparently muscle fatigue isn't a huge thing here. Definitely useful information for later. Now then, where were we, oh yes!" 

Beat's humming resumed, though his mood was considerably brighter, so it was actually quiet for the time being. He casually walked through the various patches of flowers and herbs, thinking it it was silly that it had to be special herbs and not any of the herbs he was trampling. His eye caught sigh of one that looked promising, but when he picked it, it had no id tag and was therefore useless to him. He scoffed and kept on looking. 

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74371 results:

 Loot: 7

"It doesn't surprise me that you gave chase for that long. That much stacks up with everything I know about you. What surprises me is that someone ELSE cared about one material enough to stay latched onto it instead of just dropping it. You may have met your other half just now."

The humming that Beat used to fill the space between them was much more tolerable than the singing, and before long, the sweeping motions of his spear had settled into sync with the tunes that Beat produced. He even found himself carrying the tune in his head. The longer he searched, the more distant he felt from his earlier episode.

"Hey, Beat?"  he said, only half paying attention to the end of his spear. "When we get out of here, how do you plan on living differently?"

This was more personal than he was usually prepared to be with acquaintances, but dealing with such heavy-hitting memories put him in an odd mood, so he went with it.

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ID # 74372: LD-3= no mats [4/5]

Beat chuckled at Shield's philosophical statement regarding his "other half." It was curious as to why someone would hold onto something that long, but maybe they were counting on Beat giving up first. If they had known who they and item-jacked, they would have never done it in the first place. He continued turning over rocks and plants with his sword, which was now more of an implement than a weapon to him. 

"hehe, yeah! He had no idea I don't give up. You would know that better than any one though. To be fair, this quest is rough enough without baddies jacking my finds."

He went back to his humming for a moment before Shield asked his second question. Beat had been struggling with that question since he had learned that they would possibly be stuck there for the rest of their lives. It frightened him, to a certain degree, that he found himself preferring the idea of living inside Sword Art Online forever over having to return to reality. His humming faded off as he considered his answer and he made sure he was facing away from Shield as he replied. 

"You mean if we get out? I'm not sure...I guess it depends on what happens in here. If I'm being honest, this isn't so bad. Real life sucks a big one sometimes." 

 

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74373 results:

 Loot: 16 = +1 Material [5/5]

At the mention of such sentiments, Shield pushed harder with the shaft of his spear, and there came a heavy thud as it stopped short on the ground. He bent over and parted the grass with his fingers to find the last material he would need for his part of the quest. He stored the item and checked the quest log to see a solid green check-mark beside the first objective. Slowly, he straightened back up.

"I'm very sorry to hear you say that. To be honest, I can't say I disagree with that comment regarding life and its tendencies. Still."

He turned to Beat, his spear dangling down by his side, no longer focused on collecting materials. There was a sternness in the angle at which he was holding his jaw.

"While I respect that you may not be eager to return to whatever life you left behind, I do not have the luxury of that choice. I'm not sure how much of a sacrifice I'm asking you to make by saying this, but I need you to be focused on the task of freeing everyone and escaping."

Shield had never had the sunniest of dispositions, but even at his most focused in Crossreign, he had never spoken with so much weight to his words, or at least not in front of his rival or any of Beat's guild.

"We're working together, now. Your goals are my goals. Likewise, mine are yours. I cannot accept the possibility of failing or dying, therefore, neither can you."

There was a silence in the air between them, and although Shield was not angry by any stretch of the imagination, the intensity of his words was startling.

"Do you agree to this understanding?"

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Id # 74374: LD-1= no mats [4/5]

Beat remained facing away from Shield as he listened, the casual "newbie" quest that they had embarked upon suddenly much more serious. He could feel the intensity of his ally's words and could instantly tell that Shield had a lot to go back to when this was over. Beat was certainly stubborn and his limited real life interactions with people made it difficult to empathize with the plights of others. This game had placed him in a real life situation that he was simply not capable of comprehending yet. He was not mature enough nor wise enough to think outside of his own selfish motivations without serious contemplation, something he had been doing a lot of lately. At the very least it was too new for him to be able to say what he would do if he had the chance to end Kayaba's plot right then and there. His gut currently told him that he would choose to stay until he died. Worse yet, some part of him knew that his view was wrong on some level, that it wasn't okay to think like that. 

What a mess...

He lifted his head and forced a genuine smile, not wanting to spark a fight nor put either of them in a position of being alone in this world. If there was one thing he was good at, it was running from real feeling and emotion. Still, he did know that he did not want to die. He could smile honestly for that at least. 

"I want to live as much as you do, believe me, I don't take this lightly. I don't see us failing as long as we're working as a team."

He gave an assuring smile, hoping he hadn't angered his partner. 

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74375 results:

 Loot: 13

He carefully picked through the words that Beat had chosen.

That... is not quite the question I asked.

Those words were very specific about which parts Beat was agreeing to, but Shield got the impression that there was also a certain specificity to what he was not agreeing to. For now, Shield was satisfied that they were not on opposite sides, and if nothing else, Beat would be useful to accomplish his ends. He had hoped for more, but it was non-negotiable. Being trapped had made him all too aware of how badly he needed to see his children again. He gave a grunt of acknowledgement and returned his eyes to the ground, deciding it was best to pick out extra materials while he still had the time.

"I will accept that answer for now. Understand this though."

His spear paused mid-sweep.

"The day that you can no longer act according to those goals is the day that we part ways. I trust your abilities implicitly, so I hope that day does not come. Do not take it personally."

One last time, his children flashed before his eyes.

"My priorities are placed above my own well being. That goes for yours as well."

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ID # 74376: LD-13=no mats [4/5]

Beat continued to look at him, relieved that Shield had not investigated his meanings further, not that he would have necessarily had answers if Shield had pushed him. Beat definitely wasn't ready to deal with the disconnect from reality he had pushed himself into. He distracted himself from his own problems by contemplating his ally's. Whatever waited for Shield on the other side was more important than his own life. An sensation that felt like an empty hole began to emerge in Beat's gut, as if it longed for something to care about so much that he could lay his life and anyone else's life for it. He slowly shook his head and smiled, watching his partner continue to search for materials, despite having finished the current portion of the quest. 

"It's good that you have something you care about that much. Don't worry, I won't stop you from getting back."

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74377 results:

 Loot: 8

"Then we can leave it at that," Shield concluded with a note of finality.

That's what he preferred anyway. He had been through enough of a roller coaster today without delving deeper into personal matters.

I guess this whole thing is hitting me in waves. I thought I was fine at first, and that I could just soldier on. I guess I'm less of an immovable object than I thought.

Things were quiet for a long time as Shield continued to search, stepping around behind a bushy bit of overgrowth that jutted out from behind a stone. As the silence stretched on, Shield found it difficult to manage, and without Beat's humming, he found himself filling the space instead. He began humming a soft tune from a waltz, and his stepping soon fell in line. His motions with the spear became wider, and more of a swooping than a sweeping, still not turning up any new materials.

~I know you... I walked with you once upon a dream...~

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ID # 74378: LD- 8 = no mats. [4/5]

"Very well." 

Beat let out a sigh, his gut tight from the tense conversation. He was in no mood to sing and he moved himself a little distance away to avoid having to speak to Shield again. He wasn't mad at his partner, but he was feeling the need to retreat from the thoughts and feelings that had been stirred. The lull in conversation created a deep silence, but for once, it was welcomed by the normally cheery Beat. Time would only tell if he would get to a point where he could look inside himself and understand what these feeling were. That was the beauty of running away from everything real, it worked a little too well. 

After a while, he managed to calm himself, moseying back over to where Shield was, smiling as he heard the man humming to himself. The tune was somewhat familiar, but he could not place the tune for the life of him. Still, he knew the tune and began to hum the same song along with the older player, the two of them working away in the fields, humming a familiar tune. 

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74379 results:

 Loot: 16 = +1 Material

He wasn't sure what it meant that Beat had picked up alongside Shield's humming. It was a slow, simple melody. He could have just learned it from hearing it just now. He may have even recognized it from Sleeping Beauty, though this seemed unlikely. If he had recognized it and realized what it was from, he probably wouldn't have let on that he knew it. Young men could be very protective of their masculinity. Shield decided to disregard it. It wasn't important how he knew the tune.

~I know you... the gleam in your eyes is so familiar a gl...~

With a sudden lurch, his swooping motion came up short and he found his arms bunching up against the resistance of the spear. Looking down, he saw that it had snagged in an exposed root. As he went to pull it out, though, he saw a familiar hue in the dust. Turning his spear over, he prized yet another material out of the ground and packed it away in his belongings.

Looks like I'll get to hold on to something extra after all. Too bad I can't just hand it to Beat. The quest giver was painfully specific about that...

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ID # 74380: LD-7 = no mats [4/5]

Beat was enjoying their little duet as he continued to search, finding the task much less daunting than if he had tried to do this by himself. He wondered why he hadn't always played with someone else, even if just for the company. He shrugged to himself, deciding not to worry too much about it as he watched Shield potentially find something. He was happy until it turned out that Shield had indeed found 6 before he could find 5. His brow furrowed and he became indignant, throwing his arms up as he kicked a large divot into the ground. 

"Have I mentioned how much this quest sucks? Man, lemme tell ya, it sucks. Like, Hoover wishes it could harness this quest when making their vacuum's because of how bad this quest sucks!"

His rant turned into a grumble that he managed to keep somewhat hushed, but expletives tended to escape his mouth an extra kick of volume. 

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74382 results:

 Loot: 8

"Keep in mind this is only step one," Shield reminded him. "We've got lots of crafting and assisting ahead of us, so keep your pants on."

He rolled his spear haft between his fingers as he addressed Beat, lifting an eyebrow and shrugging as the stream of profanity continued unabated.

I don't know. I don't think the quest is as terrible as it was. But maybe that's just because I've been getting good drops.

His humming dropped to a lower register of pitch as he moved on to the next stanza, the lilting waltz swelling slowly in his mind's ear. The connection to that particular tune was one that should have brought on more unhappy emotions, but either because of being lost in the musicality of it or not having emerged back into reality after the little daydream remained to be seen.

Still, even though it was a happy, nostalgic song for him, he could not quite manage to dismiss the little emotional lump from inside of his chest.

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ID # 74381: LD-20 = finally over! [5/5]

Beat threw his head back and release and exasperated sigh of frustration at Shield's reminder.

"Agh don't remind me!"

Beat's ranting slowly subsided, his frustration emerging as low kicks that tore up the ground, flinging dirt and plants through the air. A smile formed on the 24 year old's face as he quickly began to become amused with the flying debris resulting from his somewhat skillful kicks. As he went, he began to experiment with various body positions when throwing the kick. he gradually worked up to a small series of kicks that seemed to form a combination, ending with a jumping kick that he directed into the ground, kick up and small wave a dirt and plants.

"This skill is pretty cool. I-Holy crap!" 

He quickly bent down and snatched up the last herb needed, having unearthed it with his most recent kick. He added it to his inventory and turned to Shield, cracking his knuckles as he made his way back to the city.  

"Done! Let's go! I wonder what happens if you punch a quest giver?"

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74388 results:

 Craft: 8 = Rare. Success!

"He's in a safe zone, so although nothing would happen, I wouldn't try it. Come on."

It took a good deal of convincing on the journey back for Beat to not test his luck with attacking NPCs, but as soon as they were back, the kindly alchemist go each of them set up with a brewing stand and the appropriate materials. Each of them received a scroll with careful instructions, and as Shield went down the list, he began to settle into a rhythm.

It's a lot like cooking, really. In fact, from what I've seen, it's almost more like cooking than the actual cooking skill in the game, which seems more like a point-and-click puzzle game than an actual recipe.

Before long, Shield had managed to produce a crystal blue elixir. Zakariah clapped his hands.

"Excellent, young man! Are you sure you haven't been studying alchemy in your spare time?"

He whisked the completed potion away to later be bottled as he leaned over to check on Beat's progress.

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Id # 74389: CD- 1= failure. 

Beat's tongue was partially out of his mouth as he used a mortar and pestle to touch the herbs they had gathers, magically grinding them into a fine paste in an instant. He had seen someone do a similar act of wizardry when cooking by dicing carrots in an instant by simply touching the knife to the carrots. It did break immersion slightly, but the alternative was a tedious job system, and the goal of the game was to be fun, not tedious. He mixed the ingredients together in the bottle, watching the herbs and empty bottle disappear and reform as a broken bottle that leaked a rotten substance onto the table, testing everyone's gag reflex. Beat's open hand covered his face as he heard a scoff from the alchemist who turned away as Beat gave him a dirty glare. 

"Say something...I dare you..."

Having decided he had sufficiently intimidated the NPC, he turned back to the table and prepared himself to give it another attempt, muttering to himself as he did so as the vile substance eventually despawned, much to everyone's relief. 

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It was extremely difficult not to laugh at the antics going on at the station beside him. The acrid smoke half-choked Shield which made it easier to mask his amusement.

"I think the quest parameters could hear you trash talking them earlier and decided to up the difficulty for you."

The fumes cleared quickly, which was likely a feature of the quest or perhaps the crafting process itself, since it was merely a placeholder for the appropriate random number generation and stat application. Since this was a quest that could be accomplished without any actual ranks in alchemy, or any profession for that matter, Shield was sure that had not been the first botched attempt, nor would it be the last.

"I wish I could claim that I'm just better at the game than you are, but with early quests like this, it comes almost entirely down to luck. We don't have anything to boost the appropriate skills yet, so it just... you know... happens."

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ID # 74390: CD-11 = Perfect

Beat fumed as he repeated the process once more, grinding the ingredients into a paste, mixing them together and producing a bright red potion in a rather ornate bottle. He looked at Shield's a held his up against his with a grin. 

"Not bad Shield, maybe some day you'll catch up to my alchemical prowess. Yo beardo! Check it!"

Beat brandished the vial at the alchemist who quickly grabbed his glasses to examine the potion more closely. He hummed had hawed at it for several seconds before look at Beat with a surprised expression of approval. 

"Well, I must say, given your first attempt, I would have not thought this possible. Well done lad, you may have a future in Alchemy. Return to me if you would like instruction. Now then-" 
 

Beat had turned away and gave his partner a satisfied look before strutting out of the shop. 

"Screw that quest!! Done forever!" 

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