[SP-F1] <<The First Few Lessons Are Free>>

[Aoda 0]

Warm air brushed against Aoda's face as he pushed open the wooden door of an alchemy workshop. Inside stood a man with long, flowing white hair, who seemed to be fiddling with some sort of vial filled with an odd, green liquid. As the noirette entered, the alchemist glanced up towards him. "Come here for a moment, will you? You seem like a capable player. Let's see... would you care to assist me with something?" The NPC man inquired. Aoda had originally only entered the shop to browse the collection. However, he was in need of experience and col, so he thought it could be worth his time to listen to this man's words. After the young man nodded, the NPC continued to speak. "I am Zackariah, an alchemist. Recently, I have begun helping low-leveled players who may not be equipped well enough to fight on their own. Would you like to learn a bit about alchemy?"

As Zackariah finished his speech, a quest menu opened in front of Aoda. The lad was in need of a profession. It was a decent way of earning col, since he was too weak to grind monsters in the fields. Perhaps Alchemy was for him. "I accept your quest." The player replied, moving his hand above the "Accept" button and pressing down on it gently.

[Aoda 0]

ID: 76901
LD: 1

"Perfect! The first assignment I'd like you to accomplish is simple enough. Go fetch 5 materials and bring them back to me. Then, we'll talk more about alchemy." Spoke the alchemist. Like he had stated, it was no more complicated than making breakfast in the morning. The first thing he needed to do was find the most suitable spot to hunt for the materials. As he stepped out of the door, he gazed from side to side, just so he was sure he wouldn't be trampled on as he entered the hordes of players. It took some time to maneuver through the crowds, however he did eventually make his way to the other side of the Town of Beginnings.

Upon exiting the city, the young man admired the view of the plains and the blue sky above him. It always seemed to be a nice day on the First Floor, despite the fact that it was a death trap. "Where to start..." Aoda muttered to himself while examining his surroundings. From what he could tell, there wasn't much around him that he could take back.

Edited February 8, 2017 by Aoda

[Aoda 0]

ID: 76902
LD: 11

"Nothing here either." The noirette sighed, standing up from a crouched position after searching a small brush for anything craftable. Instead of treating the quest like work, he decided he'd get the most out of it and enjoy a quick walk through the fields. Despite the amount of boars, the area was quite peaceful. Aoda had always expected them to be warzones, but it seemed he was incorrect to assume that. Every so often, the young man would dig through the grass in search of something to bring back to Zackariah, but clearly he had not become any luckier after accepting the task, as he hadn't managed to find even a single item.

Edited February 8, 2017 by Aoda

[Aoda 0]

ID: 77506
LD: 19

"Finally," Aoda sighed in relief, "A material. Only four more to go. This will be harder than anticipated." The young man continued his search, his eyes swiftly scanning the ground ahead of him. He wondered if there was some fast trick for finding items that he wasn't aware of. He knew that he was able to obtain them from monsters, but like hell was he going to rush into a duel with a boar. The noirette was well aware of their strength against low-leveled players. He wasn't suicidal. 

While he wandered the floor, Aoda thought about his future in Aincrad. How would he survive? He was aware that he carried the potential to do so, but how does one access that potential? It was something the swordsman had never thought of before. Completing enough of these simple quests would hopefully help him acquire enough levels to gain the strength to battle.

(1 Mat)

Edited February 21, 2017 by Aoda

[Aoda 0]

ID: 77105
LD: 20

The young man would need a new set of gear as well. The basic beginner's gear that he was given in the beginning would no longer be viable at a certain point. Eventually, Aoda would need to pick up an upgrade. If only he knew of a blacksmith he could go to, or maybe a tailor. There were many shops inside of the Town of Beginnings that he could take a look at after he returned. For a moment, the man though about what kind of armor he'd want to wear. In Sword Art Online there were two options; light armor and heavy armor. He attempted to picture himself in a large set of armor, but he didn't think it would suit him.

Aoda continued walking, lost in thought, until he nearly missed a material on the ground. "It would have been a pain if I'd walked right past this." He chuckled, placing the item in his inventory for later.

(2 Mats)

Edited February 21, 2017 by Aoda

[Aoda 0]

ID: 77132
LD: 3

Deciding to take a break, Aoda took a seat in the grass and fell lightly on his back. He had managed to come across two items already, so he was able to spare a bit of his time and stop. The lad looked straight up into the azure sky, watching as the virtual clouds rolled past. He began to notice how similar the fake heavens of Aincrad were to the original. Somehow, it had almost been perfectly replicated to match Earth's sky. For a deathtrap, it was sort of... beautiful.

Then, the young man sat back up. He had, what, three more materials to look for? Sure, he had time to spare, but he was interested in learning alchemy from Zackariah and was becoming eager to finish hunting for items. "Time to get back to work." He told himself, standing back up on his feet and stretching quietly.

Edited February 11, 2017 by Aoda

[Aoda 0]

ID: 77137
LD: 14

In the distance, Aoda spotted a small item of some sort sitting idly in the grass. "A material, perhaps?" He strolled towards it carefully, but noticed a boar relaxing nearby. From what he could tell, it was in aggro range. The man thought for a moment, trying to decide on a way he could obtain the item, but came to the conclusion that it would have been too risky. Sadly, he would be forced to traverse around the boar and continue on his path.

For a while, the lad was certain that he was in the wrong area for material hunting. It was like he couldn't get his hands on anything! It was possible he was just being impatient, however. "I'll keep looking. I'm bound to find something eventually."

Edited February 15, 2017 by Aoda

[Aoda 0]

ID: 77324
LD: 3

You'd think looking for items in an open field would be as easy as it sounds, right? Wrong. The lad searched through each and every spot he came across, but alas, there was nothing.

A group of three players were laughing nearby the raven-haired individual. One was blonde, with short but clean hair, while the others had brown, messy hair. They looked alike, almost as if the two were brothers. It brought back both happy and sad memories of him and his own sibling. Aoda chuckled quietly before smiling gently. "Damn."

Edited February 21, 2017 by Aoda

[Aoda 0]

ID: 77729
LD: 18

"Finally!" Aoda exclaimed, jogging over to a spot where a small bush sat. All over it were small berries of some sort, although he wasn't sure what variety. He picked them up carefully before stepping up once again and stepping around the plant. The wind began to pick up a bit, although it wasn't by a lot. The young man ran his hand through his decently long, flowing black hair. His eyes moved up to gaze at the sky. It was truly a beautiful day.

"Two more materials to go, then I can head back and begin alchemy." He told himself before moving forward further through the plains. The boy wondered what the alchemist had planned for him. What kind of potions would he be making? It was hard to say, as there were a vast amount of variety.

(3 Mats)

Edited February 25, 2017 by Aoda

[Aoda 0]

ID: 77786
LD: 15

Another item was found shortly after the last. It was a small, bright red apple, that Aoda had assumed had been dropped by another player. He picked it up and looked around. There wasn't anyone else around, which was odd. "It must have been here for a while." The lad muttered, before placing it in his inventory. "One more item and I'm free to go back. I should finish quickly."

As he walked, Aoda noticed an increased amount of boars the deeper into the plains he traveled. He had to make sure he didn't aggro one, since it could be extremely fatal if he was challenged. "I should turn back now, I suppose. I'm not interested in fighting these."

(4 Mats)

Edited February 25, 2017 by Aoda

[Aoda 0]

ID: 77790
LD: 10

Turning around, he began to travel back to the Town of Beginnings. Aoda had decided that he was getting to a point in which he had almost enough materials to bring back to Zackariah. He assumed materials would spawn along the way back to town, so he didn't see the harm in returning early.

On the way home, a player, who was around Aoda's level, crossed his path. They both greeted each other, before continuing on their journeys. Could he have been doing the same quest as me? He wondered. If so, it was possible there wouldn't be any materials left in the area, depending on how lucky this man was. A sigh escaped the boy's mouth as he realized this.

Edited February 25, 2017 by Aoda

[Aoda 0]

ID: 78173
LD: 16

Clearly, The lad's previous assumption was false, as he had found an item shortly after. "Well," Aoda started, "That's all I need. Time to talk to Zackariah so I can begin my training." There wasn't much walking left to do before he returned to the Starter City, thankfully. The young man was in a hurry to attempt alchemy, so he had ended up almost running the entire way.

He stepped into the safezone, trying his best to remember where the alchemist's shop was. Aoda hurried into town before finally coming across the workplace. "Finally, I'm back." He chuckled, once again opening the wooden door to the NPC man's shop. The swordsman entered quietly, not inclined to disturb the man who was going to teach him the art of potion-making. He stepped up to the front table and waited for a moment, wondering where Zackariah was.

Edited February 25, 2017 by Aoda

[Aoda 0]

"Ah, welcome back young adventurer." Came a man's voice from a room in the back of the shop. Opening the door, the alchemist, Zackariah appeared. "I assume you have brought back the materials I needed?" He asked. Suddenly, a trade window opened up in front of Aoda. The boy dropped the materials into it and pressed the green "Accept" button with his finger. "Thank you for your assistance. Now, I could use your help in my workshop back there." Zackariah told the noirette, gesturing him to follow him into the workshop that he had come from.

"This is where I create all of my potions and crystals that you can see at the front of my shop. Now, I thought you could help me create a healing potion. Nothing too complicated, just a simple potion."

Edited February 25, 2017 by Aoda

[Aoda 0]

ID: 78762 CD: 1

The young lad's first attempt unfortunately failed horribly. He dropped a material into the cauldron and began to mix. However, he stirred it unreasonably quick, causing it to be unusable.

"Perhaps you could try mixing it a bit slower. Keeping it at a steady pace will help you successfully create the potion. It is your first try, so there was no reason to expect too much. Go ahead, try again." Zackariah told Aoda in his gentle, friendly voice.

Aoda did what was asked and placed his hand on another material, still stirring with his other. "So, I only need to make one, right?" The man asked, not looking up from his work. It was a challenge, but he seemed to be getting the hang of it rather quickly. "Yes, a single potion is all I am in need of at the moment. Your assistance is wonderful." The white-haired NPC replied.

[Aoda 0]

ID: 78763 CD: 3

With a plop, the material fell gently into the liquid. Aoda blended it in carefully, watching as it slowly changed from a dark purple to a warm, bright pink colour. It was all going well until unexpectedly, some sort of gas erupted from the cauldron's mouth, ruining the elixir. "Ah. That will happen ocassionally. It all depends on the material as well. Try again, maybe you'll get luckier the next time around. Practice makes perfect, right?" Zackariah explained, presumably trying to cheer the noirette up. If that was the case, it was working. He picked up another material from the table and started once more. "This time I'll get it right for sure."

He dropped it in, making another plop sound. It was sort of satisfying, hearing the item fall into the dark liquid. Time to fuse the material with the rest of the potion. Once I get this healing potion, the quest should be finished.

[Aoda 0]

ID: 78765 CD: 5

After a lot of mixing, Aoda finally managed to successfully create a basic health potion for the alchemist to use in his shop. "Ah, this will do splendidly. As a token of my appreciation, take these items. May they come to use in the future." Zackariah said, rewarding the player with five health potions, a damage potion, and an overhealth potion.

At first, Aoda found it hard to accept the items, but then realized that he was talking to NPC after finishing his quest. It was a lot of decent quality items. Enough to save him in a fight. He was thankful that the items were given to him.

"Now," Zackariah started, after the noirette finished thanking him, "There is a blacksmith in town who I am acquainted with. If at all possible, would you care to bring him this package?"

[Aoda 0]

With a nod, Aoda took the package from the man. He wasn't completely positive where the smith's shop was, but it couldn't be too hard to find. At least, that's what he hoped. With a friendly wave, the noirette opened the wooden door of the alchemist's store and left quietly. He had been given a lot of potions, so delivering the package was the least he could do. He stepped into the extremely busy streets and sighed, trying his best to weave through the hordes of players.

As he walked, Aoda's mind began to wander. He wondered if his brother had completed this quest at some point as well. The lad had never seen it around before, so he'd assumed it was newly added. Of course, he wasn't positive, but he'd like to hope so. It was a simple way to get a bit of col and some items. He thought everybody should do the easy quest, if they hadn't already.

[Aoda 0]

Turning a corner, Aoda walked down a back alley, considering the fact that it might have been a smaller shop. If only Zackariah had given me a map or directions. This wouldn't be as hard as it is now. The player thought with a quiet sigh. As he came to the end of the alley, he realized there was a marketplace nearby. He thought it was probably best for him to take a look there, since it wasn't far away and there were definitely going to be a various amount of shops there.

He couldn't help but wonder whether or not this blacksmith would have another quest for him to take on, hopefully one a bit more challenging. Collecting materials was more of a hassle than anything. It wasn't the man's favorite thing to do, but at least he got to try making a potion in the end.

[Aoda 0]

As he came to an arrival at the marketplace, he looked around. There was but a single smith around. Probably a good plan to check it out. The player thought, stepping forward towards the store. Looking down at his gear, Aoda seriously wished he had a bit of col on him. He was seriously contemplating buying a weapon or some armor from the NPC's shop. His eyes moved to the right, where a young NPC woman painted portraits of players for a small amount of col. They were exceptionally good, being made by AI and all.

He didn't look like it, but he was a bit of an artist himself. Aoda loved drawing, painting, sculpting, and a lot of other forms of art. He even made some money off of it at some point in his past. Maybe he'd do it again someday.

Finally making it at the door of the shop, Aoda opened the door. It was a lot heavier than the door of the alchemist's building, although he wasn't sure why that was. Maybe it's a different kind of wood or something.

[Aoda 0]

"Excuse me," Aoda began, "Are you Lyle Tealeaf? I was sent by Zackariah, the alchemist, to deliver this package." He held the package in his palms before placing it down on the front desk. The shopkeeper and smith was tall, a lot taller than Aoda was, with a sort of grey beard. He looked like a typical RPG blacksmith, which was what the man had expected. 

The NPC took the package. "Oh yes, thank's a lot. I'm Lyle Tealeaf, the one and only. These are the materials I had asked for a little while ago, but I'd assumed Ol' Zack would've brought them himself. So he sent you? That must mean he thought you could use a bit of help with something, seeing as you are quite a low leveled player. Tell ya what. Come back in a day or two and I'll give ya an assignment to take on."