[F01 - PP] First Steps towards a larger world

[Kimihito 0]

Times like these reminded Kimihito of his past. How he and his dad were out and had fun,whether that meant walking around town or staying home and watching movies. It had only been two years since the launch of Sword art Online yet to this moment,Kimihito still felt like it was day one. The day when he was trapped in this death game. Had he regretted buying the game,using it and logging in? He didnt really know himself. One thing was for sure, he had to survive and return. He had to prove to people that he was determined,that he wasnt useless as many thought.

It was early in the evening that he was having a walk around town,avoiding large groups of players and isolating himself. He didnt think he was worthy of having friends,he viewed himself more as a burden than helpfull. And so, after twenty minutes of walking, he finally stopped. In the central square of town,near the fountain. He sat down on some stairs,that lead people to the south of town. He took a look around, noticing that he was alone. "Time to eat" He mumbled to himself. And so he did, using the menus he got out a piece of bread and started biting it,eating. Even if it somehow felt nourishing,he didnt really care. "Two years huh..Still worthless.." He mumbled to himself again,rolling his eyes and finishing his bread "When will you even do something important.. When will you finally go out there. The world is large and isnt waiting just for you." These were his thoughts, and these thoughts alone made him build up tears in his eyes. 

Finally,after a bit,he stopped. He thought he was worthless but in reality he really wasnt. He never knew how strong he was. Maybe that incident two years ago was too much for him. But he had to do something about it. He knew he had to. Clenching a fist,he got out his Rapier,unsheathing it "Someday..For sure.." He managed to say this words,sounding more like a promise than a statement.

@Dustin

[Dustin 0]

"Is the bread here that good?" Dustin asks. Dustin was in town headed to his shop. His shop being on the first floor meant Dustin was down here a lot. The player draws his sword and Dustin recognizes it. I know that pose. That's the "I hate myself but one day, I'm gonna do something about it pose." He smiles. Dustin used to do that pose a lot until he started adventuring again. Now he just loves swords. "Hey, I like your sword, does it have a name?" He asks. Dustin loves swords with names. They are his favorite topic. He draws his sword and grins. "This her is my baby. She's helped me a lot in the past 2 years." He chuckles. "Her name is Fury's hand." He hugs his sword and spins around. Dustin didn't care what people thought, you tend to like the thing that has saved your life on more than one occasion. "So I'm assuming you don't go out and adventure much do you?" He asks, trying to make a conversation.

@Kimihito

Edited September 1, 2018 by Dustin

[Kimihito 0]

As Dustin showed up and asked about the bread,Kimihito slowly looked up. "I uh..Depends on what you like i guess" He was somewhat shy,and didnt hide it, why would he anyway. Then Dustin asked about his Rapier "Doesnt have a name,no." He said, staring at the ground and gripped the rapier tightly "Why would it have a name anyway, it's not like im using it. Dont think i deserve to use it anyway" He mumbled, but it was loud enough for Dustin to hear.

He looked up to see Dustin hugging his sword "Huh.." He just blankly looked at him, then at his sword "Fury's Hand.. Well,sounds well enough if it has been helpfull i suppose" Then he stared at the ground again. He didnt understand why people here were cheerfull, he didnt even understand why he was still alive in the first place. Yet here he was, on the first floor while others were fighing in the frontlines. Then dustin asked about whether or not he goes out for Adventuring "I dont really uh..Go out for adventuring. Cant say i will survive.." He said then sighed "But lately i've been thinking, even if my time here is time wasted in the real world, why shouldnt i do something.. I've seen people like you being cheerfull and all. It just..I dont know what to say about it" He mumbled the last part. He would slowly get up, looking at Dustin and then sheathed his rapier "I uh.. My name is Kimihito.."He extended his hand for a handshake,although it was obvious he was shy but he did it, after all, he just realized that meeting people might not be so bad.

@Dustin

[Dustin 0]

Dustin points to himself and smiles. "The name's Dustin." He says. "I used to be like you. Scared, hiding on the first floor because you can't guarantee you'll survive. But I saw that some people needed help, so I did it. I helped them and now it's easy." He chuckles. Dustin wasn't always so chipper, having seen his brother get murdered in front of him. Dustin flicks Kimihito in the forehead. "Whether you think it or not, a weapon is an extension of its user. Are you saying your sword is better than you?" He asks, Dustin was mad at this point. Why couldn't people understand the number one rule of sword play? "Kid. I have something to tell you." Dustin says to the player who is the same age as him. "The sword isn't great on its own, It's the user who makes the sword great. If you didn't know that then of course you don't deserve that sword. Preschoolers don't deserve swords." Dustin says.

"And nobody deserves swords, we have to do our best to earn them." He says, crossing his arms. "I was taught that in grade school, when my father started teaching me to use one. Eventually I was hunting bears with a sword." He says. Dustin was taught to fight in a harsh environment, and him being a teenage boy meant he was stubborn. "I'm not happy because I like being here. I'm not happy because I'm out there fighting. I'm happy because I'm trapped in a tough situation and those are my favorites. The best part is, I don't have to do it alone." He says, looking up at the sky. "We're trapped in a game from hell, but we're trapped here with 8,000 friends." He says. "Nothing unifies people better than a common enemy."

@Kimihito

[Kimihito 0]

"Well uh.. Pleased to meet you Dustin" He said,staring at the ground. Then he said that he was on the first floor "Well,thats what i am realizing right now. That i shouldnt be staying here and i should do something" He said and sighed as Dustin talked about the weapon being an extension and about Kimihito's rapier "Look, Dustin. I uh.."He sighed again and took a deep breath "It's not that i am scared or that the sword might be better than me, it's that i am afraid of what is out there, what might happen to me when i venture out of town." Kimihito said and frowned "Well maybe i do not deserve the sword. Maybe i am useless. Who trully knows? But the thing i want to achieve is that i want to show that i can do stuff too. Maybe i will go out for an adventure.."He mumbled the last part and stared at the ground 

Then Dustin talked about the worth of Swords. Kimihito would not look at him but he was listening to his words.He found the fact that dustin was hunting bears with a sword interesting but didnt say anything,just staring at the ground. That talk reminded him of his own childhood. Going to his mother's flower shop almost every day, helping his dad sort out the basement. Good memories. Then as dustin talked about the 8000 players trapped in the game and called them friends,he looked up "I always thought that this situation was a waste of time. But lately, seeing people being happy even if they are in this situation, makes me wonder. Should i do something to enjoy my time here? Will it be pointless? Thats what i ask myself everyday. But maybe,it is time for me to leave this place." He spoke normally now, not mumbling and used the inventory menu to get out some more bread "Want some?" He asked, forming a small smile "Oh and sorry if i made you upset earlier. I just am like that sometimes"He looked away for a second then back at him.

@Dustin

[Dustin 0]

“No, save your bread. I’m not hungry.” He says. “Look, I understand. I used to be he same way.” He adds. Dustin was not lying, he used to sit and wait for stuff to come to him. “Hey, why don’t we prove that you can do something? If it gets too dangerous I’ll help you, but if not, you have to promise you’ll stop moping around in the town of beginnings.” He says. Dustin hated when people hid in the town of beginnings. If you don’t fight then you’re wasting time, not only for yourself but for those people on the frontlines. “I’m gonna give you a tip. Find something to fight for, it might just make you the best fighter in the game. I fight to one day see my mom again.” He clenches his fist. “I already missed my brother’s funeral.” He looks at the player. “You have to fight for a reason, not just to fight either. That mentality gets people killed.” He adds. This was Dustin’s burden, he didn’t want to dump it on this kid. “Sorry if I bummed you out. Let’s go prove your worth.” He smiles.

@Kimihito

[Kimihito 0]

Kimihito put away the bread when Dustin responded that he wasnt hungry. He would slowly get up from the steps "Well. It is kinda understandable. Everyone was like me or you at somepoint.."He said,looking at the people passing by. Then Dustin suggested they go out so Kimihito could prove his worth. "Well um.. As i said i do want to leave this place.I actually was going to suggest that to you earlier" And he wasnt lying, he wanted to prove that he can fight, he wanted to leave the town. After all, a whole world is waiting out there. "I might as well enjoy my time here,i dont want these two years to be bad memories..Even if it means i might die,i'll try to live my life to it's fullest,this is no longer a game afterall.. What was i thinking.."He mumbled the last part. He seemed a lot more determined now.

Then Dustin mentioned his Brother's funeral "Huh? Your brother's funeral? Dont tell me he..Nevermind..My condolences"He sighed lightly. He didnt want to make Dustin Sad or upset him so he didnt say anything more. "I hope i'll find a reason soon enough. A good reason. For now,i'll fight for my own survival. I'll try to atleast enjoy this world. Maybe it wont be that bad."He said and stretched his arms "And dont be sorry. I honestly needed that." He said,and smiled at Dustin when Dustin smiled at him. "But where will we go?I dont know a lot about this floors layout. I've only been a few miles out of town."He said and looked around. 

@Dustin

Edited September 1, 2018 by Kimihito

[Dustin 0]

“Don’t worry, we’ll only go as far as the field right outside of town.” He says. That was where Dustin farmed to get where he is now. He would spend hours there every day. It was his favorite pass time. “Don’t worry, If you have my back, I’ll have yours.” He laughs. He likes to have someone’s back in a fight. Even if they don’t have his, he’ll help people. He hates people who just go around, ignoring all the problems that aren’t theirs. Dustin likes to meddle in problems that aren’t his own. But not too much where it’s weird. It’s how he was taught. “Hey, if we see people who need help, we’re helping them. It doesn’t matter if we die, what matters is that we help people.” He turns and smiles, “No players left behind. Rule number one of being awesome is never let a player die.” He walks towards the exit of town.

@Kimihito

[Kimihito 0]

Kimihito nodded to Dustin as he said that they will go to the field outside the town "I've been here before,a year ago to be exact." He said and scratched his chin. Then he thought as Dustin asked him to have his back so he would have his,he nodded again "Of course. Dont worry about it" Kimihito was reminded his first days in the game,when he wanted to go out and adventure. He also remembered why he stopped wanting to go out of town. A lot of people were discouraging it. Then Dustin said they should help people in need if they see them "Of course,why wouldnt we? Might meet more people too that way heh" He chuckled lightly and then sighed a bit.

"We wont let anyone die,thats a promise" He said, his determination returning. He walked with Dustin towards the town's exit,looking around and admiring the scenery. The market stands, the people socializing. It almost reminded him of real life. The social interactions, the crowded cities, all of it. And he was somewhat glad to see that. As they reached the town's exit, he looked at Dustin "Lets go then. Im ready Dustin" He smiled reassuringly at him.

@Dustin

[Dustin 0]

Dustin takes a step out into the field. The field was empty when it came to players. There were some low level boars over to the right of them. There were some wolves far out in front of them. "Who do you want to fight first. I kill boars all the time, so you should pick them. They're way easier and like a gateway target." He says, pointing over to the boars. He nods over to the wolves. "Of course, if you want a better challenge, there's always those wolves over there." He says, grinning. Dustin was bored of fighting by himself, but he didn't care who he fought. It almost wasn't a challenge to stay on the first floor anymore, but Dustin liked killing monsters there to get materials. "I suggest the boars. They're slower, so it'll be easier with your rapier." He says. Dustin always ignored the stats when it came to small fights like that. He knew the stats of every monster after the first hit, but he didn't care. "I personally would pick the wolves. They look to be higher levels, so I's assume they're more difficult." He says, grinning.

@Kimihito

[Kimihito 0]

Kimihito looked around the empty plains,spotting the boars and the wolves. He got out his rapier "Well uh..I'll just do the boars for now.." He said,looking at the boars,inspecting them "Things arent that interesting down there huh..Well it'll do. Everyone has to start somewhere" He said and did a stretch "Maybe i'll do the wolves later." He said with a smile. Then he admired the scenery, the beautifull green plains. "It sure is beautifull out here huh?"

Then he clenched his teeth,preparing for his first time of combat. "You can do this.."He thought to himself and looked at his reflection on his blade. He was determined to succeed. Dustin had his back afterall so it wouldnt be so bad. "Well, why dont you go first? It's been a while since i did a fight with a mob. Kill one of them and i'll do so aswell. So go ahead Dustin." He said with a smile, watching the boars.

@Dustin

[Dustin 0]

Dustin runs forward at the boar and slashes downward at the boars side. Dustin lands the slash and turns around and smiles. "It's that easy... Oh shoot." He dives out of the way, but the boars tusk catches his leg. "Come on, it's not that scary." He pulls down his hood. "Just stab that one over there in the side." He says, pointing to a small boar. Dustin smiles at the boy still watching a few meters away. "Come on. Just do the thing and the thing will be done." He says, shrugging. "Come on, it'll be fun, all the cool kids are doing it." He chuckles. Standing up and walking over to the other player he laughs. "You can handle that thing, just don't get hit and you should be fine." He says. Dustin had been doing this for a while, so the damage didn't really affect him much.

Spoiler

ID: 105334

BD: 6

Dustin's attack lands

10 - 5 = 5 HP

MD: 10

Boar gets a crit

3 - 14 = 1 DMG

160 - 1 = 159 HP

Dustin: 159/160 HP | 14/16 EN | 5 DMG | 1 EVA | 14 MIT | 0 keen | 0 ACC

Boar: 5/10 HP | 3 DMG

@Kimihito

Edited September 2, 2018 by Dustin

[Kimihito 0]

Kimihito watched silently at first as Dustin attacked the boar. He wasnt surprised to see the boar fight back and ignored Dustin's comments. He concetrated and looked towards a lonely boar. He prepared to attack the boar,taking a deep breath "Here i go!" He ran towards the boar and stabbed it quickly on the side. Then the boar tried to fight back but it's attack failed so it did no damage to him. "Doesnt seem too bad i suppose.."He was chuckling himself now, smiling a bit. He was glad he actually did damage to the boar, as he hadnt expected to do any to it. "You're next Dustin! Lets see what you'll do now" He winked at him,smiling.

@Dustin

Spoiler

ID: 105340

BD: 8

Kimihito's Attack Lands

10-3= 7 HP

MD: 5

Boar fails to land its attack

20-0= 20 HP

Kimihito: HP:20/20 | 1/2 EN | 3 DMG | 0 EVA | 0 MIT | 1 ACC

Boar: HP: 7/10 | 3 DMG

 

Edited September 2, 2018 by Kimihito

[Dustin 0]

Dustin stands up and picks up his sword. "Alright, lets do this. I hate these boars." He says, pushing his sword into his side and laughing. He lunges forward and stabs the boar in the side. "Have you ever played any RPGs? Other than SAO. I used to play games all day every day." He pulls his sword out and sheathes it. "Now it's your turn." He smiles at the other player. I hate this stupid boar. Also this kid, he can pull this off. He walks to the guy and laughs. "You can do this, it's nothing but a poke in the side." He says in reference to the mans rapier. Dustin always associated Rapiers with girls, but the man he was talking to hadn't carried it in a feminine manner at all. Dustin held his sword with pride and tapped the mans shoulders. "You're officially a warrior. Which means you have to fight and survive with pride." He laughs. The boy had no power to do so after all.

Spoiler

ID: 105353

BD: 6

Dustin attacks the boar

5 - 5 = 0 HP

MD: 2

Dustin: 159/160 HP | 14/16 EN | 5 DMG | 1 EVA | 14 MIT | 0 keen | 0 ACC

Boar: 0/5 HP | 3 DMG

@Kimihito

Edited September 3, 2018 by Dustin

[Kimihito 0]

Kimihito stood and watched as Dustin killed the boar he was attacking. Then he asked if Kimihito had played any other RPGs "Of course i have played other RPGs. And i used to play games all day myself." Kimihito smiled back at Dustin, seeing that they had a hobby in common. Then it was Kimihito's turn to strike at the boar he was supposed to kill "On it Dustin." He got out his rapier again "Here i go!" He dashed forward, and stabbed the boar to the side, doing some damage to it. The boar attempted to fight back but yet again, it's attack didnt find it's mark, not hurting Kimihito "Alright, this aint so bad..I could get used to this" He chuckled lightly. "Looks like it's close to dying heh.."He said,smiling again. "Dustin, thanks man. I really appreciate it that you came out here with me. Not many would do that down here.." He said to Dustin,then sat on a rock,thinking of his next move.

@Dustin

Spoiler

ID: 105368

BD: 7

Kimihito's Attack Lands

7-3= 4 HP

MD: 4

Boar fails to land its attack

20-0= 20 HP

Kimihito: HP:20/20 | 1/2 EN | 3 DMG | 0 EVA | 0 MIT | 1 ACC

Boar: HP: 4/10 | 3 DMG

 

Edited September 3, 2018 by Kimihito

[Dustin 0]

Dustin looks at the boy, and laughs. "What are you doing? You don't have time to do that, go kill it." He sits down, having already done his job. He was back at full health at this point so he didn't need to worry about the monsters. Also, he was faster than the boars. They were just fat pigs so he wasn't ever really scared of them. His smile disappears and he pulls his hood up. His head falls forward and he begins to snore. He had fallen asleep like he had so many times before. This was different. This was falling asleep while still in immediate danger. He lays there motionless as Kimihito does what he does. Dustin's arm falls to the floor and he leans falls forward. He was completely asleep at this point. His legs fell straight and an occasional head twist were common when Dustin slept.

@Kimihito

[Kimihito 0]

Kimihito laughed a bit as Dustin said that he shouldnt be doing what he was doing and got up from the rock,preparing his rapier for an attack. He took a deep breath and rushed towards the boar, and stabbed towards it,missing the attack. As the boar ran towards him,he prepared to back off but the boar once again ended up failing it's attack,causing him to lose 0 hp. He sighed and gripped the handle of his rapier,preparing to strike back at the boar. He hadnt noticed that Dustin was asleep at first,but then as he looked back to him,he noticed and heard the snoring. He facepalmed "Why in a time like this.."He mumbled to himself and turned towards the boar "This ends here.."He mumbled to himself again and took a deep breath,preparing his attack.

@Dustin

Spoiler

ID: 105445

BD: 2

Kimihito's Attack fails

4-0=4 HP

MD: 1

Boar fails to land its attack

20-0= 20 HP

Kimihito: HP:20/20 | 1/2 EN | 3 DMG | 0 EVA | 0 MIT | 1 ACC

Boar: HP: 4/10 | 3 DMG

 

Edited September 5, 2018 by Kimihito

[Dustin 0]

I remember being just like that, zealous, but hopeless. “Hey, You got to hit the boar to kill it.” Dustin jokes, with a small chuckle in his voice. He didn’t know whether that was going to distract him, make him mad, or make him laugh. In any case, Dustin would step in if he needed to. “Come on kiddo, you can do it.” He adds, trying to reassure him. Dustin had fought boars enough times to know their moves like his own, so killing them was no issue for him. This kid however, didn’t appear to know that there’s a pattern. “Hey, kimihito, If you’re having trouble, step back, watch the enemy. Look for any patterns when you attack and use those to strike where they will be next.” He adds, trying. To explain how he could use the system against itself. With constant study of the boars, Dustin was able to kill them rather quickly. It helps that he has the Mitigation now, too. “Also, look for any signs of an attack before the attack. I know these signs, but if you want to get better, you’re going to have to find them on your own.” He finishes, he wanted to tell the boy, but if he did it would do nothing but hold him back.

@Kimihito

Edited September 14, 2018 by Dustin