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

[Blood 0]

My eyes were definitely their usual color as I ventured into the darkness of the night. It was approximate nine right now and the shopkeepers were on their way to close down their shops for the night. However, night time is when I am most active... When I am most ready to pounce on my targets. The night is the time to act as it is much harder for you to be spotted and night is the time of death. like that, I have learned and adopted the ways of nocturnal, sleeping during the day and staying active at night. Today, I had a special purpose so I sheltered myself outside a famous alchemist's house. He was an NPC and it was not the potions that I wanted. It was the beginner quest that he handed to new players that I want. Indeed, I have no intentions of buying items from an NPC.

[Blood 0]

And there he was in the distance. The white-haired man was about to close down the shop and normally, I would approach him with my blade facing him, ready to cut at any moment. However, he was an NPC so he was harmless and he would have to give her the quest no matter how much he didn't want it. I smiled, they were powerless. Useless actually and it's quite funny if I think about it. They were implemented within the game yet they were of such worthless existence. Their inability to act on their own free will would have triggered the United States Civil War all over again. Too much thinking at this point, and I simply just walked up to him with my starter clothes equipped as I have yet to receive anything else. "Alright, old man. I am here for that quest." I said, staring him right in the eye, challenging him to question my authority.

[Blood 0]

"The name is Zackariah, not an old man, mind you. Please excuse your-" 

The look I gave him was enough to shut him up without anything further from his useless mouth. An NPC had no authority to challenge a player, that was how this game worked, or at least how this game should work. It's kind of pathetic that they gave NPCs emotions and words as if they were actual people while in reality, they are simply objects, barriers in this game meant to be killed off for pleasure. When I am ready, they will all perish under my blade if I cannot kill players. They are first... Players come later. Indeed, I am a hunter, a killer unlike the rest of the powerless folks in this game.

"Now, let's get down to business, spare me the trouble of asking you on how to get started on this game and provide me with the quest window."

[Blood 0]

"Alright," He shuddered, obviously feeling the aura of intimidation literally surrounding my form. He was obviously scared and I loved it. The way he shook when he looks at me. The way he holds his hand in a defensive position as if he can actually defend against me if I did attack him. If this wasn't the safe zone, I would probably get away with it, but since this game is of such unrealism, it would appear that I simply cannot attack NPCs in the safe zone no matter how stupid they were and how undetected I was. The guards are literally like gods in this game as if they knew exactly what happens even though the event should be undetected. I shook my head, watching as the pop-up quest window appeared. Without a hint of hesitation, I clicked on the accept button and walked off to do exactly what it told me to do.

Edited August 5, 2017 by Blood

[Blood 0]

ID: 87498 LD: 8

I walked out of the safe zone. Normally, people would be too scared to go out during the night because they are scared of the element of surprise from enemies. However, one must adapt to the night and learn how to fully incorporated into their own personal battle strategy and use the stealth to their advantage. In addition, it is much quieter at night since all the players are asleep in their bed and the boars themselves are sleeping just like they would in real life at night. It was the perfect opportunity to go out material searching for this quest. And the first place to look is the area right outside of the safe zone. Unlucky for me, though, I have been unable to find anything. Perhaps the darkness had interfered with my vision and hence hindered my ability to search for materials as well. Honestly, I needed to go deeper out of the safe zone to actually have a chance of finding anything.

Edited August 5, 2017 by Blood

[Blood 0]

ID: 87499 LD: 14

Just like I had anticipated, I was able to find a herbal ingredient as I walked further from the area. It was an excellent find and it had proven to be the first material that finds its way inside her inventory. I was quite pleased that she had only failed once before finding the material. Of course, I would fail lots of more in the future but for the time being, I will search carefully and to the best of my ability to complete this quest as fast as I possibly can. As a low-leveled player, I simply cannot boost my stats so that material searching is easier. I sighed, leaping over a small barrier - hill, that stood in my way just like how I will jump over every single barricade that comes my way during my time in this game. They will not threaten me and I will improve my power to defeat all in my way.

Materials: 1

Edited August 5, 2017 by Blood

[Blood 0]

ID: 87500 LD: 20

Next, I decided to carry on with the grasslands as I had already found one material in this land. So I decided that I would simply crouch around and hopefully find another material that I can put into my inventory for that alchemist so I can complete the quest. It was a shame that I was unable to find a material on the first attempt or else I would have two by now. With one glance, I was able to spot a glitter in the distance. Knowing that the shininess was a sign of the presence of a material, I charged forward at top speed but maintained my stealth and posture while I was at it as well to make sure no one spots me at my level one stage in which I can hardly do anything other than getting hit by a powerful attack and getting killed as a result of it.

Materials: 2

Edited August 5, 2017 by Blood

[Blood 0]

ID: 87501 LD: 4

I have already managed to succeed in finding two herb-related materials on the grasslands so I decided that I would continue to search for this part of the first floor. In the distance, two boars were walking along the fields, probably taking a nightly stroll across the land or something. They say that even the mobs have their own personality and characteristics which make this game more unique than the others. Of course, I enjoy that as well. What's the fun in killing if you don't get a response from the victim? Everyone who dies at your hands would die the same way and that would be way too boring if you ask me. Unluckily for me, it seems that I have already depleted the land of its materials from the surrounding radius. Indeed, it was time to move on and I knew it the moment that I couldn't find anything. Hence, I simply moved to another patch of grass and started searching once more.

Materials: 2

Edited August 5, 2017 by Blood

[Blood 0]

ID: 87502 LD: 11

Once more, I was able to find a material as soon as I reached a new area. I hope that the streak would continue because I hate having to spend too much time on this passive material gathering. I'd much rather go fight those two boars that I just passed because that seemed like fun to tear them apart and defeat both of them at the same time. Indeed, I find no interest in doing this material gathering thing and it seems like a complete waste of time to me but I guess I will have to do this quite a bit if I want to craft later. In fact, I even decided that investing in the gatherer skill would be a good investment later on because I will be able to get a lot more materials than I would be able to without it and as a poison user, I would need it.

Materials: 3

Edited August 5, 2017 by Blood

[Blood 0]

ID: 87503 LD: 10

I looked on the horizon to see that the sun was beginning to rise. Honestly, the alchemist had come to his door to close down the shop later than I thought and now I was in a tough situation. I would need to find all these materials before the sun was up, so I can go to the alchemist and claim my reward. Of course, he seemed extremely afraid of me so he might not give me the extension quest, but that will come later. For now, I will simply focus entirely on the actual material gathering of the quest so I can get it complete in as little time as possible. I sighed, once again, this acre or so of grasslands was unable to provide me with any sort of materials, and I am, to be frank, quite disappointed that this big patch had only provided me with one material.

Materials: 3

Edited August 5, 2017 by Blood

[Blood 0]

ID: 87504 LD: 5

I sighed, leaving the area to find a new one in which seemed highly likely to have a material for me to find. Of course, my intuitions are correct most of the time, but my instincts managed to fail me this one time as I had actually failed to find any materials within a few seconds of coming into the area. It was a shame really, that I had been proven wrong by this game but after thinking about it for a few seconds in my brain, I realized that I haven't searched the area enough to determine that there were no good materials around here. I was willing to take the risk of wasting time in this area in order to prove that my intuitions were correct. Indeed, I was determined that I was correct in my decision to search for materials here and so, unlike the other times I would stay here.

Materials: 3

Edited August 5, 2017 by Blood

[Blood 0]

ID: 87506 LD: 19

Just like what I suspected, I was able to find a piece of material in this land. The surrounding acre of green actually provided to be quite useful and I was able to find a material that I instantly added to my inventory. At this point, the sun was about half up the sky and in a few more minutes, it would find its home once more and stay there for the people of Aincrad to observe and enjoy its radiant rays. I, on the other hand, do not find this warmth and heat as enjoyable as the other players in this dreadful game. What can I do, though? I am used to the beauty of night time, the cold and bitter darkness that hides and cloaks me from the dangers of the world, the same darkness that gives me the danger and fierceness to kill with no hesitation at any situation

Materials: 4

Edited August 5, 2017 by Blood

[Blood 0]

ID: 87511 LD: 12

I only needed one more material for this quest to be complete... Or at least this part of the quest. Indeed, there was the second part that I would have to finish but that will come later and soon enough, I will finish this quest without any trouble. One material shouldn't be that hard and I should be able to find it before the sun fully finds its way on the sky. With a look on the ground... The same ground that I had found my last material, I spotted a herb on the ground that I simply picked up and immediately began to head to the safe zone. The day was here and she needed to finish the quest by providing the quest giver with the materials that she had been asked to search for. I yawned, this should be time for my sleep but I'm out here finishing up a quest. Next, I strolled casually into the safe zone.

Materials: 5

Edited August 5, 2017 by Blood

[Blood 0]

I looked around, piecing together exactly where the alchemy shop was so I can walk over and claim my prize. It took a while, now that I am quite tired from the lack of sleep. My bed time in the morning had already passed and it was clear that it's showing. I'm not used to being awake in the morning, so it's quite troubling that the shop is only open during the morning. With a glance, I realized that the shopkeeper had yet to open shop, but it was only until a certain time that the door would stay closed. If he was, in fact, staying away from her, then he will lose business. It was a waiting game and eventually, I, Blood, will prevail and win this game. I smiled slyly as the door opened, revealing a white-haired NPC with a surprised facial expression, obviously not expecting an assassin standing out of his door so early in the morning.

Edited August 5, 2017 by Blood

[Blood 0]

"Well, aren't you the one for doing things early." He joked a joke that I didn't find delight in like most of the jokes that I hear from victims about to face their death. It was a nervous joke, a joke that really didn't have the humor in the tone of their voices. Instead, it was an attempt to show that they didn't care while they truly did.

"Yes, now. I want my reward." I spoke back to him, informing him that I have completed the quest that he had put me to. However, he responded with a confused face.

"Reward? For what. You need to craft something for me first." He said. I sighed, he was an NPC and there was no point of arguing with him. 

"Well, let's get started then. I don't have all day." I finished, inviting myself inside the shop after the short passage of conversation.

Edited August 5, 2017 by Blood

[Blood 0]

ID: 87512 CD: 1

"Alright, craft me a healing potion." He exclaimed, to which I responded with a mean glare toward his direction. No one tells me what to do... I don't need such specific directions and the potion maker was proving to be quite the annoyance, to say the least. I basically had a good idea of how to craft since this game has already proven to be a game in which everyone doesn't really have to do much except improve their numbers. No physical abilities, no emotional abilities. Any sort of real world experience is not needed to succeed in this world. However, she found that she can move faster than normal people despite the fact that she doesn't have the numbers to back it up. I smiled, my eyes red as I realized that I have failed miserably. Looking at the man once more, I began to ask for another material when he handed me one without me speaking.

Edited August 5, 2017 by Blood

[Blood 0]

ID: 87517 CD: 10 (Perfect)

"Try again," he said, not even getting impatient at the fact that I had wasted one of his materials. Not that I cared of course since he probably had an infinite amount of materials and he was programmed to be kind to the player that had accepted this quest. I sighed, looking down and putting the herb into the alchemist station once more. With a deadly explosion, I thought I had failed once more. However, what lay on the table was a potion that was perfectly red and ready to be used.

"Perfection! Good job. You completed your quest!" He shouted, a bit too loud, surprising me a bit so that I leaped back a couple of steps in self-defense from the horrid noise. It was too early in the morning for him to be shouting and she hoped that not all of the NPCs were like that. I sighed, 

Edited August 5, 2017 by Blood

[Blood 0]

So I expected some sort of pop-up to pop up after I made the potion but instead of a pop-up the old man walked confidently to the back of the alchemy shop and walked out with a small box of sorts... a package. I rolled my eyes, knowing immediately that what is coming next will be a chained quest that follows up this current one. I am not very excited about it but I assume that it'll be fine as long as I get some rest first and get more skill points and levels as a result of this new quest. I sighed, anticipating his words and his words had indeed come from his mouth soon enough.

"Alright, I have a package for you to deliver to someone if you don't mind helping me out. Please deliver this to Lyle Tealeaf. She's a blacksmith on this floor so she won't be too hard to find."

[Blood 0]

I nodded, knowing that I won't have much choice and like stated before, I'm fine with it as long as I have the ability to complete it by myself and in my own time. In addition, it should be a nice boost to my personal skill points collection. I yawned, the day was catching up to me and so I headed back to the inn that I was staying at for the current moment. I had seen what it was like to be an alchemist and it seemed that they were very good at making potions. That was not what I want to make though, for I want to make something that can help me out in combat. I want to make poison. I want to make something that pierces harder than a blade and sharper than an axe. Indeed, I want to make danger, not heal others with the use of alchemy.

Edited August 5, 2017 by Blood

[Blood 0]

I sighed, my eyes were basically closed as I collapsed in my small room in one of the emptiest inns in Aincrad. It did not provide the best service in terms of food and cleaning but I don't spend very much time in here anyway and the emptiness gives me a nice feeling of isolation and safety. To others, my introversion is quite odd but to me, this introversion is perfectly normal. In this game, power is everything, and I, having started later than others due to a specific reason mentioned, later on, will strive to obtain that power which is so important in this game. I will have victory and show others who I am and who I can be. I want to show them the power of death, the power of my blade. For now, I need to level up so I can buy more items and equipments as well as receive more skill points. With a sigh, I slept for a few hours until nightfall when I stood from my bed and walked over to Lyle's place.

Edited August 5, 2017 by Blood