[F1-PP] The Second Lesson is Also Free [completed]

[Beat 0]

ID # 74473:  BD: 10 = Crit! +2 Dmg

Basic Attack: 5+2 dmg. Boar Pup 4: [-7/5 HP] Dead 

EP: 12/14

Seeing the work Shield was putting into on of the enemies, Beat was not one to steal a hard earned kill, especially from the tank. Tanks were known for doing far less damage than dps, but in the early levels, this was especially apparent. He decided to focus on the Boar still glaring at him from before after dodging his last attack. He chuckled as he rushed forward. 

"You're a brave little guy. Alright! Let's go then!"

Beat quickly closed the gap between them, wanting to end the creature's suffering quickly, despite his urge to end the constant squealing coming from the young boar. He swiftly made a sweeping chop with his right hand, cleaving his fierce, young opponent in half.  

"Time for you to be quiet!" 

 

Edited January 17, 2017 by Beat

[Shield 0]

Battle Rolls:

Spoiler

74476 results: Battle: 5 - Miss (-2NRG + 1 NRG)

 MOB: 7 - Hit - yadda yadda, no damage because tank

74477 results: MOB: 6 - Hit, no damage. Blah.

Shield

Spoiler

Lv	7	HP	140
DMG	1	LD	0
ACC	0
EVA	0
MIT	3
NRG	12

Still feeding off of the adrenaline from his most recent hit, Shield wound up for another strike, heaving his body behind the point of the spear. The flat of tip brushed against the round little body as it skipped out of the way with a shriek, its form undulating like Jell-O as the strike went astray. The two remaining porkers sounded a shout and each pulled away, running around in wide arcs in opposite directions so that they were charging towards Shield from either side. Being so low to the ground, they slipped past his shield, only to once again bounce harmlessly off of his legs and fall onto their sides.

Was that call just to rally for an attack, or-

As soon as he had begun to think that, little particles materialized just at the edges of Shield's vision, and two more pups burst out of thin air, the cacophony of squealing taking on new heights as the four butterballs skipped about excitedly at being united with reinforcements.

"Oh, wonderful! Of COURSE they can call more to fight with them! Oh how the tides of battle are turning," Shield drawled, nudging one of them away with his foot who had paused in its celebration in an attempting to chew on it.

[Boar Pup 5 - HP: 5 - Dmg: 3 (no crits), Mit: 0, Eva: 0]
[Boar Pup 6 - HP: 5 - Dmg: 3 (no crits), Mit: 0, Eva: 0]

Edited January 17, 2017 by Shield

[Beat 0]

ID #74475: BD: 6 LD: 21 (19+2)

Crescent Moon - 3x1 - AoE - (6 Energy) - Dmg= 5 * 3 = 15 

EP: 7/14

[Boar #2: -10/5 HP] Dead

[Boar #5: -10/5 HP] Dead

[Boar #6: -10/5 HP] Dead

Beat's brow furrowed as he watched two more pups spawn, adding their nuisance to the field of battle. He grit his teeth and checked his status bar to make sure it wasn't some sort of attack. To his surprise, it was no attack, simply an annoyance, one he would soon smear across the field of battle.

"Oh screw this! You want more, I've got more right here!"

He looked at the remaining two and saw how low the one Shield had been fighting was. He smiled, making a decision to avoid killing that one as he leaped into the air just as he had before, drawing his leg up swiftly as he rotated backwards, releasing a wave of energy with a loud crackle. A trio of agonized squeals could be heard as the attack hit home, leaving the remaining original and the two reinforcements in a crater, each leaving their tusks behind for Shield to pick up. Beat landed with a triumphant look on his face. 

"Hah! Eat that!" 

He would look to Shield and begin to cheer.

"Finish him Shield!"

 

 

Edited January 17, 2017 by Beat

[Shield 0]

Battle Rolls:

Spoiler

Shield: 74481 results: Battle: 9 - Hit! - 1dmg + 1dmg (crit)

 Loot: 12 - +1 Boar Pup Tusk

Boar Pup 1: MOB: 3 - Miss

[Boar Pup 1 - HP: 0 - Dmg: 3 (no crits), Mit: 0, Eva: 0] -2HP DEAD

(NOTE: The rolling record shows extra rolls. Beat and I rolled our attacks around the same time and I began rolling before knowing the others were dead. Fault lies with me for not waiting to see, but the records will confirm that the first attack was the one that hit.)

With a crackle and a chorus of squeals, Shield was left alone with the round monster that had been vexing him and dogging his steps. Or at the very least, running harmlessly into his feet. He gave Beat a nod and returned to his quarry. He swung, stepped into the attack, and split the boar cleanly down the middle with the tip of his weapon. There was an ear-splitting shriek left to echo down the dry river bed, not unlike when the boar pups had called for reinforcements, and then silence.

"It took me a bit, but I'll notch that in my belt as my first kill. Despite you holding back for it."

Shield gave Beat a fist to bump once again before reaching down to retrieve the little tusk that had been left in the dust. He checked his stats, noting that his energy had not suffered as much due to his improved accuracy, but he knew Beat's would have dropped considerably further.

"Let's rest again, in case more little whelps spawn. Your energy will be valuable in dispatching them quickly to get back sooner, so let's take the time now while we have it."

The stalwart adventurer took a seat in the dust and leaned back against the sloping, empty bed of the river, closing his eyes to give them a little rest.

Edited January 17, 2017 by Shield

[Beat 0]

ID # 74646: LD: 19 (17+2)= 1 T1 mat found (4 Total)

EP: 8/14 [rest 1/3]

Beat rolled his shoulder as he admired the two small fissures he had left in the ground. HE would have never thought he would be able to do something like that with his bare hands, though it was all thanks to Sword Art Online. Still, it reinforced his idea that leaving the game would be less preferable to real life. He could recognize that this notion was not necessarily normal, but he also thought it was a fair one. In the game, there was no neglectful, drunken father, no bills, no work and no body that knew his life situation. It was like getting a clean slate on life and, to make things even better, he got to live a video game. Sure his life was on the line, but at least he had more power over his life in here than he did out in the real world. 

"Hm?"

His thoughts were derailed by the skin of one of the boar pups laying in the bottom of one of the fissures. Beat bent down and scooped it up, smiling as he realized it was yet another material. He placed it into his inventory and moved to sit next to Shield. He sighed as he closed his eyes, glancing at his energy bar before fully relaxing. 

Edited January 19, 2017 by Beat

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

74648 results: Loot: 16 - Success! +1 Material

"Overall, I think we did alright for our first unaided combats," Shield said, letting his eyes slip open a little to stare at the sky.

From this angle, he couldn't tell he was in the badlands. It just looked like a clear sky, which he was more than alright with. It may not have been real weather, but at the moment, it felt nice, and if he had to settle for being stuck here, that was at least something pleasant to go along with the experience.

"I never thought that choosing a profession in a game was going to be a matter of such importance, but I'm having difficulty making up my mind. When I first joined and saw the options, blacksmith made the most sense, but... once you have a good set of items, it's not the armor and the weapons you'll need to get more of."

He stretched his hands out on either side of him, glancing over to his right. As fortunate as he had already been, he spotted another bit of something that had settled behind a stone nearby. He rolled over and took a closer look, discovering it to be a piece of boar meat.

Snatching it up, he stowed it away with his other materials.

"Rich little porkers," he marveled.

Edited January 19, 2017 by Shield

[Beat 0]

ID # 74651: LD: 13 (11+2)= no mats (4 Total)

EP: 9/14 [rest 2/3]

As beat relaxed, he found himself unable to completely let his mind drift off. He began to be concerned about his body in real life. Who was taking care of it? Was someone taking care of it? Surely people had noticed thousands of people not waking up from their slumber, not to mention the notice Kayaba had mentioned sending to everyone. His introspection was interrupted by his fellow party member. It was a welcome interruption. He nodded as he reopened his eyes, following a cloud that was slowly making its way across the orange sky. 

"I've had similar thoughts. Tailor or Artisan were the two I was looking at, but now I'm thinking Alchemy or Cooking makes more sense. Temporary buffs stack with your gear and can even fill in gaps in your enhancements." 

Beat's stomach growled at the mention of cooking. 

"Plus, it might be nice to be able to eat a good meal while we train and travel."

Beat had eaten a little since he had gotten here, but he had yet to have anything terribly stellar. He began to crave sushi and ramen, two of his favorite dishes. These thoughts invoked additional protests from Beat's stomach. Deciding to change the topic from food, he spoke towards the sky, to Shield. 

"So what profession are you considering?"

 

 

 

 

Edited January 19, 2017 by Beat

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

74653 results: Loot: 9 - No mats

"It's hard to say. This isn't just like any old game with their professions. You're actually going to be using it to survive. The thought of being a cook had occurred to me, but if you're considering it, I might hold off and see if we can find something that dovetails with your work."

He sat up and continued to poke around, not really moving from his spot, since the last little bits of material they had found were dropped from their opponents, but at the moment it seemed they had picked the bones pretty clean.

"I had heard people talking about merchants as a profession, but I haven't really loo-"

Somewhere nearby, there came a loud, garbled noise, like someone choking into a heavily distorted bullhorn, but there was nobody around.

"What the... Did you hear that, Beat?"

Shield continued looking for the source, standing and pacing back and forth across the little gully. Out of the corner of his eye, in the direction the most recent batch of boar pups had come from, he thought he saw a flickering of red light, but by the time he looked, it had gone. He pointed to where he had seen it.

"Did you..."

Edited January 19, 2017 by Shield

[Beat 0]

ID # 74655: LD: 15 (13+2)= 1 T1 mat found (5 Total)

EP: 14/14 [Rest: 3/3]

Hearing the noise as well, Beat stood up as quickly as Shield had, his eyes scanning the perimeter carefully. He was beginning to wish he had spent his first few points in search and detect at the moment, hoping they weren't about to be killed from stealth. The rumors of player killers stalking low level players to "thin out the numbers" hadn't been fully substantiated, but if it was true, then there wouldn't be much they could do about it if a player of Rain's caliber decided to kill them. His eyes quickly zeroed in on a red glare that faded as quickly as it came. 

"Yeah, what was that?" 

As soon as he asked, his worst fears were alleviated as a loud, somewhat distorted squeal came from where they had seen the red glow as a vague shape began to form, glitching in and out, parts of what appeared to be a large boar glitching in and out of existence. He balled his fists up, ready for a fight, assuming they could fight whatever it was. 

"Looks like a glitch of some kind. Should we fight or just get out of here? No telling what will happen if we touch that thing."

 

 

Edited January 19, 2017 by Beat

[Shield 0]

Enemy Stats:

Spoiler

["Mama Boar" - HP: 70 - Dmg - 10

Battle rolls:

Spoiler

74658 results: Battle: 1 - Miss

 MOB: 1 - Miss

The air was split by a powerful roaring scream of anger, and Shield whirled once again to face the spot where the sound seemed to have come from. On the same spot where he had once seen the crimson mirage flicker at the corner of his vision, and about chest high, there came a great distortion of choppy pixelated flailing limbs, and with a crackle and a booming thud, a full-sized boar materialized and fell to the earth, sending a shock through the ground beneath him.

"That... That wasn't part of the quest description! It must be leftover from beta testing! An enemy too difficult for low level players."

The creature's baseball sized eyes swiveled, and fixed Beat directly in their gaze. Shield took his eyes off of the beast to look at Beat and back again. Apparently, mama boar knew which player had killed most of her pups. Scuffing her razor-sharp hooves across the clay, she burst forward with explosive speed that caught Shield off-guard. He attempted to stab with his spear, but she powered past him too quickly to properly grab aggro. As the boar stampeded past him, he managed to grab one of its large, broken tusks and drag it to a halt.

It turned on him, tossing its head to the side and attempting to gore Shield, but her tusks banged harmlessly off of his shield, despite him feeling considerable force behind the blow.

"Watch it, Beat! This one's no slouch! If she gets a tusk into you, you're gonna feel it!"

Edited January 19, 2017 by Shield

[Beat 0]

ID #74661: BD: 6 = Hit!

Delayed Sword - 4x1 - (4 Energy) - DMG: 5 * 4 = 20  EP: 10/14

Mama Boar: 50/70

Beat smiled as the fully formed boar managed to stabilize. It was obviously some kind of glitch that it had spawned, but it didn't make any difference Beat. He was just glad to finally get an opponent who was clearly more appropriate for their level. He grinned as it charged at him, having a feeling that Shield would intercept like any good tank would. Shield didn't disappoint and as he dragged it to a halt, Beat made his move. He closed the gap between them in an instant and delivered a trio of kicks, stunning the boar before he ending the combination with a fierce chop to the base of the creature's neck. His attack hit home and invoked a series of deep squeals and grunts from their new opponent. Beat's grin widened as he looked straight into the beast's eyes, knowing that they would win this fight. 

"Come on! You're going to end up like your kids at this rate! Heheheh!" 

 

Edited January 19, 2017 by Beat

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

Action: Howl +3 Hate

74662 results: MOB: 3 - Miss

"Well, it's a good thing you can hit back!"

As the creature felt the impact, it wheeled around, dragging Shield with her as she about-faced. Turning his full attention onto the boar, he clung on for dear life, pulling himself in front of her eyes and bellowing into her face with the full force of his lungs.

"What are you looking at him for, ugly?! You got plenty to deal with right here!"

She flinched from the sound, but came back with redoubled fury, attempting to buck Shield off of her with all of her might. He held fast, hugging himself to the side of her muzzle and kneeling to try to pull her off balance. It worked, at least to an extent. The hooves of the behemoth boar stumbled so that her front legs went down onto their knees, but they stayed under her.

"You got this, Beat! Keep it up! She'll leave you alone for a little bit longer still!"

Edited January 19, 2017 by Shield

[Beat 0]

ID# 74664 results: Battle: 10 = Crit! +2 Dmg

Delayed Sword - 4x1 - (4 Energy) - Dmg= 7 (5+2) * 4 = 28

Mama Boar [ HP: 22/70]

Beat maneuvered around the board as Shield stayed directly in it's face. He could feel the force from Shield's yell and noticed the immediate change in the Boar's behavior. Beat shook his head, laughing at how simple the mob AI was in terms of how easy it was to "tank and spank", but this was only the first floor. Things would not always be so easy. Still, he had easy picking this day and would not squander them. He resumed his attack by landing another triple kick into pressure points on the Boar's body, halting its movements momentarily as he struck the exact same place at the base of its neck once again, a thunderous crack echoing out.

"Eat that!" 

The boar's legs buckled, but it did not fall as it roared loudly, finding its resolve. Beat grinned as he prepared to finish the task. 

"Tougher meat is always more time consuming to prepare! This is fun!"

Edited January 19, 2017 by Beat

[Shield 0]

Combat Rolls

Spoiler

74665 results: Battle: 6 - Hit! - 1 dmg

 MOB: 8 - Hit! - 10 dmg (-3 Mit)

Shield

Spoiler

Basic Stats
	Lv	7	HP		140-7+18	Tier	1
	DMG	1		LD	2	SP	16
	ACC	0				Spent	15
	EVA	0				Remaining	1
	MIT	3
	NRG	12-1+1

		Stealth			Healing
			10		Energy/Turn	1
					HP/Turn	+18 when hit

 

Shield managed to untangle his spear hand from the bed of tusks, pull back and stab down into the creature's snout, causing her to grunt angrily in protest. She bucked, tossing her head high, this time dislodging Shield as he lost his grip, stumbling back on the ground.

Now free from his grasp, she thundered towards Shield, rearing up and lashing out with her front hooves. They left a gash across their target's chest, sending bright red particles to skitter about in the air between them, but even as the damage was dealt, the wound mended, and Shield's health gauge immediately refilled.

"You're gonna have to do a lot better than that!" he cried, holding out his spear to prepare for another attempt to drive it into the monstrous boar.

His shield separated them, its glinting surface hiding all but his face and his spear hand from view as he squared off with the creature.

Edited January 19, 2017 by Shield

[Beat 0]

ID# 74668 results: Battle: 7= Hit!

Delayed Sword - 4x1 - (4 Energy)  - Dmg: 5 *4 = 20

Mama Boar [1/70 HP]

Beat would play off of Shields hit, sinking his strength into each kick as he repeated his assault for a third time. His feet glowing a blueish white as he assaulted the boar once more, the beast's legs finally buckling as it's body heaved in pain. It squealed weakly as Beat delivered to final blow of the art, his glowing hand, hitting home as it had twice before. He smiled as he waited for the beast to vanish, and was surprised as the draining health bar stopped I just short of empty. Beat jumped into the air in frustration. 

"What?! Oh come on! That has to be like, ONE hit point! Screw that, Shield! Let me kill him!" 

Beat had leapt into the air to prepare his finishing move, though he was low on energy, he figured a standard attack, while not as flashy as his sword arts, would do the trick just fine. 

Edited January 19, 2017 by Beat

[Shield 0]

Battle Rolls:

Spoiler

74669 results: MOB: 7 - Hit! - 10Dmg (-3 Mit)

Shield:

Spoiler

Basic Stats
	Lv	7	HP		140-7+18	Tier	1
	DMG	1		LD	2	SP	16
	ACC	0				Spent	15
	EVA	0				Remaining	1
	MIT	3
	NRG	12+1
		Stealth			Healing
			10		Energy/Turn	1
					HP/Turn	+18 when hit

With one powerful hit after the next to the fluke enemy, Shield watched the creature's life draining away before his eyes, stopping just at the last little bit of health.

I could take the kill... It's close... VERY close...

Glancing at Beat, he wondered how his rival might react to having his first serious kill taken away from him, but as much fun as it would be, Shield knew it was a bad move. There was a very compelling little ring on his companion's finger that could make quite a bit of difference if he waited.

The boar, however, had no intention of waiting. She reared up, squealing with rage before breaking into a run. Shield held up his protective barrier, but one stray tusk managed to force its way around the edge and sink deep into his arm. Another gash of crimson as he was turned around, sprawling on all fours from the impact.

Even before he was back on his feet, the wound had closed, his health bar bouncing right back up to where it had been.

"Make it happen, Beat! Punish it for surviving that last attack!"

Edited January 19, 2017 by Shield

[Beat 0]

ID# 74670 results: Battle: 3 = miss...

EP: 1/14

Beat's time in the air slwly began to fade and he began his decent, his legs both together as he continued to pick up speed. AS he got close, he bent his knees and stomped with both legs.

"You're done!"

At the same moment, the boar managed to wriggle loose from Shield enough that it leaped backwards and out of the path of Beat's attack. His feet cratered the ground, kicking up a large cloud of dust the cleared quickly due to the moderate breeze that had begun to blow through. Beat breathed heavily, his energy at one and his body feeling the fatigue from battle. Swords Arts were powerful, but they drained energy quickly. He would need to find a way around this limitation. He briefly thought back to their conversation on professions and decided that he would pick the one that would help him overcome his energy deficiency. Beat pulled his legs out of the holes they had been buried in and stomped towards the boar angrily. 

"Hold still bacon bits!" 

Edited January 19, 2017 by Beat

[Shield 0]

Battle rolls:

Spoiler

74672 results: MOB: 8 - Hit! - 10Dmg (-3Mit)

Shield:

Spoiler

Basic Stats
	Lv	7	HP		140-7+18	Tier	1
	DMG	1		LD	2	SP	16
	ACC	0				Spent	15
	EVA	0				Remaining	1
	MIT	3
	NRG	13+1
		Stealth			Healing
			10		Energy/Turn	1
					HP/Turn	+18 when hit

It was incredible how tenacious the beast was. Then again...

"Wait, Beat, what if it can't be beaten? It's already a glitch. Maybe part of the glitch is that you can't strike it down like a normal enemy!"

Before he had time to elaborate on the thought, the creature was on him again, charging in snout first and scooping him up into the air with its broad, spade-like end. He crashed down several feet back, crimson bursting from under him where he struck and vanishing into the air around him.

"This could be a problem... but as long as I can keep the pressure on, we're not down for the count. It can't keep damage on me. We have time to figure this out!"

He circled around the creature, banging his spear on his shield.

"Come on, tall, dark, and hairy! Show us your weaknesses! We promise we won't exploit them or anything..."

Edited January 19, 2017 by Shield

[Beat 0]

ID# 74673 results:  Battle: 2= another miss

EP: 1/14

Beat grinned at the idea that the boar was actually unbeatable. 

"Pff unbeatable...then it will just a good punching bag!"

Shield certainly had a good point, but this was the first real fight they had participated in and he would at least enjoy exploring the combat system for a little while longer before giving up entirely. He chuckled as his partner taunted the Boar with his shield. 

"See? How do you like it? Bet you wish we would just shut up!" 

Beat was enjoying himself, but his body was certainly tired. He assumed it was due to how low his energy was. The game hadn't really allowed him to feel too much fatigue when he had sprinted across floor one, but doing something that actually depleted his energy reserves was physically taxing. He was glad that the fight was a simple one and that they had the opportunity to learn these things in a fairly controlled environment. Beat looked at the boar with a small bit of pity and walked up behind it, swinging quickly at its temple, wanting a clean knockout. The moved out of the way and Beat just laughed, enjoying the dragged out fight. 

"Hey Shield! Maybe this is its limit break!hahaha!"

Edited January 19, 2017 by Beat

[Shield 0]

Battle Rolls:

Spoiler

74675 results: MOB: 8 - Hit! 10dmg (-3Mit)

Shield:

Spoiler

Basic Stats
	Lv	7	HP		140-7+18	Tier	1
	DMG	1		LD	2	SP	16
	ACC	0				Spent	15
	EVA	0				Remaining	1
	MIT	3
	NRG	14
		Stealth			Healing
			10		Energy/Turn	1
					HP/Turn	+18 when hit

The battle was beginning to grate on him. No, his energy stores were not depleted in the slightest, but the more he thought about the potential for further glitches, the more he worried about a fluke of high damage due to a coding issue. He continued to circle, banging on his shield.

"We need to finish this, Beat! If it can be beaten, then do it!"

Distracted by the loud noises, the boar paid no notice to its biggest threat. Its great eyes narrowed and it pawed at the ground again, charging at the shining surface like a bull charging at a cape. Like a matador, Shield attempted to step aside as the charge came to fruition, but the beast had too much momentum, and it knocked Shield clean off his feet again.

He grunted and struggled upright again, the damage falling off of him like it was nothing.

At least for now everything is working normally, but if we can't drop it, this is going to be a problem...

Edited January 19, 2017 by Shield