[F01 - SP] <<Training Your Friend>>

[Yukiro 0]

Yukiro glanced around. It was so quiet in the library that it could make one think that there was a massive danger here. But, of course, there wasn't. It was in a safe zone after all. Yukiro ran a hand through his white hair as he out the book back on the shelf, right where it came from. He glanced at his shoulder. Yumi was curled up on his shoulder, sleeping peacefully. Yukiro wasn't sure if sugar gliders just needed to sleep more than one would think or if he'd just gotten bored. He used his hand to gently scoop the sugar glider up and place him in his pocket. If he was going to sleep, he might as well do it where he couldn't fall. It would be bad if he got hurt because of Yukiro's carelessness. 
With a heavy sigh he decided it was about time to move on. He couldn't waste all of his time looking at skills, he still had a mission to accomplish. He needed to learn more about sugar gliders. 

Edited November 16, 2019 by Yukiro

[Yukiro 0]

Yukiro moved onto the next shelf. This one's books looked more decorative than the others he'd seen; they were untitled as far as their spines went, and the colors were dull and easy to overlook. Still, Yukiro couldn't afford to miss what he was looking for on an assumption. He turned and went to the first shelf's first book. Pulling it off, he found no title on the cover and nothing on the back. When he tried to open it, he found the covers were stuck to the book. Yeah, these were for decoration only. 
Please tell me that wasn't their entire stock of actual books. I need information. 
He put the book back on the shelf and continued down the row. Nothing was titled, and none of the books would open. Yukiro sighed and put the final book back on the shelf. Nothing here. Time to move to the next isle. 

Edited November 16, 2019 by Yukiro

[Yukiro 0]

Yukiro finally sat down at the table. He let out a relieved sigh and looked over the pile of books he'd brought here. But no resting. It was time to learn. 

~Earlier That Day~

Yukiro had gone through several rows and isles on the bottom floor. Nothing had been of any use; the books were all just unusable items placed there to take up space. None of the cover opened, none of the books were titled, nothing of any interest was there. Nothing of any use, and nothing of any function whatsoever. Yukiro sighed. Maybe he'd try the top floor next. Walking slowly and dreading the repeat of wasted time and effort Yukiro climbed the stairs, which creaked loudly under his weight. The walk to the top seemed endless, but when he made it, he was pleased to find not only a large table big enough for several people in the center of the second floor; there were also various brightly colored books that looked almost new.

Edited November 16, 2019 by Yukiro

[Yukiro 0]

Yukiro set to work immediately. If there was a table that meant he could take the books there and read them all at once rather than have to sit in the isles and read there. The first row he went into was filled with books that detailed sword arts more closely. He picked out one for two-handed swords and carried it to the table. The next isle he went down had books on-- yes! Various mobs! Nothing that could help him in combat, but smaller, more unfamiliar mobs were listed; mainly the tamable ones. Which meant that sugar gliders had to be here somewhere. He looked for a while, but couldn't find anything that mentioned sugar gliders specifically. So instead he picked out a hefty book that seemed to list many different kinds of tamable mobs; sugar gliders had to be in there somewhere. He carried the heavy book to the table and plopped it down.

Edited November 16, 2019 by Yukiro

[Yukiro 0]

Spoiler

ID# 129320 | CD: 3
1/3

While he was here though, he might as well try to learn all that he could manage to learn. He went back to the shelves and started picking out more books; some were about myths, which translated to possible clues, others were on play styles, and he even found one about video games and MMOs. That one seemed out of place, but for someone who'd never played a game outside of Sword Art Online, it was a blessing and a half. He brought all of these to the table and put them down with a somewhat loud bam! 
Yukiro sat down and breathed a sigh of relief. He'd finally gathered all that he could need from this place, all that was left was to read it. 
Yukiro arranged the books so he had an order to read them in. Naturally, the familiar directory was first. Second would be the book about games, third would be the books about sword arts and play styles. 

Edited November 16, 2019 by Yukiro

[Yukiro 0]

First things first, Yukiro had to start reading the familiar book. It was the longest by far, but it was his best chance at finding the information he needed. He checked the first page. No glossary, no index. No table of contents. No way to find what he was looking for fast. Yukiro sighed. Perhaps it would at least be in alphabetical order. 
It was not in alphabetical order. 
With a groan Yukiro started flipping through the massively thick book page by page. Small boars were on the first page, followed by wolves. Owls came after the wolves, then eagles, and then snow sprites, which Yukiro didn't even know was a thing. The super-rare will-o-wisp was next, then there were cats... 
Oh man. This was going to take forever, was it not? Yukiro decided he might as well read up on some of the possible familiars. It was better to know what was out there than to not know and pay the price. 

Edited November 16, 2019 by Yukiro

[Yukiro 0]

Yukiro paused at a page with a familiar called "Salamander". The book read as follows;

Salamanders can be found on floors five and nine. They are small, lizard like creatures with deep red or black scales. To find one you'll have to look carefully; these lizards are quick, agile climbers that blend in well with their surroundings. They are generally around 10 inches in length, but rumors of salamanders up to three feet long have been reported. Salamanders are most famous and notable for their ability to produce fire from their bodies. Most can only ignite certain parts of their bodies (ex; neck, back or legs) but some have been know to fully ignite their entire body. This makes them, while not much of a threat on their own, a problem when encountered while engaged with an opponent, as you will be forced to evade the area where the salamander is. 
When taming salamanders, do not sneak up on them or startle them. Be patient and let them come to you. 

Edited November 16, 2019 by Yukiro

[Yukiro 0]

That certainly wasn't the amphibious salamander Yukiro was familiar with. He moved on to the next page, which was titled "Tsuchinoto". 

These tamable mobs are even rarer then they are shy-- and that's no small thing. Tsuchinoto can be found on any floor, with features and details (such as coloration and specific abilities) that vary depending on the floor. The most common Tsuchinoto is capable of healing, and is generally found on any floor with a moderate climate. It is very near impossible to find one; tsuchinoto supposedly only spawn once every week on only of the achieved floors. And that single tsuchinoto will go into hiding if it is startled, sometimes if it's only discovered, and will become unavailable. Because of the tsuchinoto's rareness it is rumored that it's abilities are greater than that of other familiars, though this has never been proven. All information on tsuchinoto was given by an anonymous source. 

Edited November 16, 2019 by Yukiro

[Yukiro 0]

Yukiro decided he should tell NIGHT about finding out that tsuchinoto are in the game. He'd send her a message later. But for the time being, he turned to the next page. The mob listed here was "Spider".
Yukiro turned the page again. The next mob was a "basilisk". 

The basilisk is a tamable mob that spawns in dark, dirty caves on the third floor. They have a unique form; it's body resembles that of a lizard, nut it's front 'legs' are actually bat-like- wings. Their head is that of a chicken, as are their legs. They have piercing yellow eyes that, contrary to popular rumors, do not do anything. This mob is not shy-- in fact, it is very aggressive and will not hesitate to attack the player. The most effective way to tame it is to keep the food item between the player and the basilisk as much as possible. Once tamed the basilisk will communicate using a series of clucking and hissing noises. 

Edited November 16, 2019 by Yukiro

[Yukiro 0]

Spoiler

ID# 129321 | CD: 11
2/3 Successes

Yukiro considered the information. If it could be tamed basilisk must not be terribly dangerous mobs. But he should still make sure to watch out for them. He turned the page again. The next tamable mob was the "kappa".

Kappa can be found in any lake or river, but where in the body of water is a different story. It's difficult to lure one out, but when you do you'll only see the top of it's head poking out of the water. Kappa have a turtle-like shell and four 'legs' that resemble a gecko's webbed feet. It's head has a 'bowl' on top of it; the bowl is an indent in the kappa's head that contains water. The water can be spilled out as a healing skill, and it will slowly regenerate. The kappa will also wrestle other mobs, making it helpful in combat. Kappa are said to be easy to lure out with a cucumber, but this is unconfirmed. 

Edited November 16, 2019 by Yukiro

[Yukiro 0]

Kappa... Yukiro could swear he had heard of kappa from somewhere before... But he couldn't quite place where. He shrugged it off and turned the page. The next mob listed was a "phoenix". The description was as followed;

Phoenix are large birds found on any floor above the tenth floor. They have feathers colored red, yellow, orange, white, and very rarely pink. Phoenix have a wingspan of around two feet and, including their impressively long tail feathers, a height of roughly three feet. These sizes can fluctuate. Phoenix are known for helping pinpoint prey, fight foes, or heal players. They are non-aggressive, more likely to flee than to fight, but will fight back if provoked. Despite their rarity and difficulty in finding them, phoenix are among the most sought-out familiars in all of Sword Art Online. Phoenix stats, once in battle can range from minor to boss level. It is recommended that only high-level players seek out phoenix. 

Edited November 16, 2019 by Yukiro

[Yukiro 0]

Phoenix were legendary. Even Yukiro had heard of the immortal bird of rebirth. It had even been used as a mascot for one of the kendo teams he'd seen. But still, the great bird was not what he was trying to find. He turned the page and kept going. The next mob was a "Young Kirin". 

Kirin are boss level monsters that can appear on any floor. It's abilities include stunning, unmitigated lightning damage, obscenely high HP and damage stats, and so on. A small thunderstorm is anywhere the boss has spawned; players of all levels are advised to not go near any potential Kirin encounters as they are among the strongest possible field bosses. But, even more rare than the Kirin spawning is a Young Kirin. Young Kirin are, in essence, smaller versions of the Kirin with greatly reduced stats and the potential to be tamed. Young Kirin have never before been tamed, as they only spawn in place of regular Kirin (which nobody will approach), but it's supposed to deal incredible amounts of damage and provide great luck for whoever tames it. It may be accompanied by a Kirin when it spawns, so players are advised to avoid attempting to find this familiar at all costs. 

Edited November 16, 2019 by Yukiro

[Yukiro 0]

Yukiro paused. Kirin. A randomly spawning boss that can appear on any floor. He read further on the bosses notes. 

Kirin: This boss will rarely spawn, and when it does all other mobs in the area (with the exception of the even rarer Young Kirin) will be struck by lightning. The Kirin is regarded as a lightning deity and all of it's attacks will involve either massive area attacks or attacks that deal extreme damage and bypass all mitigation and skills. It is difficult to hit as it possesses incredible speed, and it's scales (should you manage to hit it) are harder than most possible armors. Hitting the Kirin with a sword art will also deal shock damage to the attacker, though this damage can be mitigated. The only warning of where the Kirin might spawn is a large black thundercloud. It's spawn will be signaled by a massive clap of blueish lightning that will spawn the Kirin and kill the other mobs. These clouds might not always spawn Kirin, but avoid them nonetheless. 

Edited November 16, 2019 by Yukiro

[Yukiro 0]

Yukiro stared in awe at the hidden boss's description. He even had to read it a few more times to fully comprehend what he was seeing. The Kirin could spawn on any floor, and with those stats... 
Could it be an event of some sort? No, maybe it didn't even exist. It all sounded too surreal. Yukiro finally read the last line on the page. 

The Kirin and Young Kirin are, in part, just myth. The chances of their existence are next to zero. 

Yukiro sighed a breath of relief. It really was all just rumor. Though the fact that the Young Kirin was listed in this book... He would still have to avoid any possible Kirin spawns. Taking a chance like that was not even close to worth the risk. Yukiro turned the page, but didn't read it quite yet. Instead he leaned back in his chair and let out a large breath. 

Edited November 17, 2019 by Yukiro

[Yukiro 0]

Spoiler

ID# 129346 | CD: 2
2/3 Successes

Yumi stirred a bit in Yukiro's pocket. He squirmed a bit and poked his head out from inside of the pocket. Yukiro used one finger to stroke the sugar glider's head. Yumi purred a bit and slowly sunk back down into the front pocket of Yukiro's shirt. He must be tired, Yukiro decided. Spending all that energy zipping all over Yukiro's body must have been quite the adventure for the little sugar glider. 
Yukiro decided to take the time to read while he still could he leaned forward and flipped a few pages further into the book. He skipped a few animals he recognized. Bear cubs, skunks, and snakes were among the pages he skipped. He didn't stop until he'd landed on a page that he thought was interesting. 
He passed by ferrets and bats. Crows were listed along with ravens and blackbirds. Rabbits and hares, as well as foxes and various kinds of dogs were listed too. 

Edited November 17, 2019 by Yukiro

[Yukiro 0]

Yukiro flipped to a page that had a creature he didn't recognize from the real world. He nearly skipped it because it was a snake, but the rest of the title caught his attention. "Metal Snake". He read about what it was. 

The metal snake is a unique creature. At it's most basic, a metal snake is a snake that was covered in scrap metal, creating an armor-like coat all over it's body. How dangerous it is depends on the snake that's been coated, but it's generally safe to say they have a dangerous bite. Leaving the food on the ground and letting the metal snake go eat it on it's own is the safest way to tame it. The most common use is surprisingly to have the snake wrap around the player's body to serve as extra armor. 

Yukiro thought about that. Armored snakes. If animals could become armored in this game, some of them could pose a threat. He'd have to be careful of that too.

Edited November 17, 2019 by Yukiro

[Yukiro 0]

With another turn of the page Yukiro finally found what he was looking for. A page on sugar gliders. Now he could learn what he wanted to know about them. 
The page read;

Sugar glider are, while not a rare mob, a relatively difficult one to encounter. This is because they live high up in trees and rarely come down, so generally it's only a determined player who's willing to climb up and try to tame them that can get one. 

Oh. Then a sugar glider flying into your head without warning is not normal. Go figure. 

Sugar gliders are nocturnal, so they'll struggle to stay awake during the day and sleep at night. But if you keep a regular sleep schedule, they should adjust fairly quickly. 

That explained why Yumi was sleeping so much. He was just used to staying up all night and sleeping all day. 

Sugar gliders are also curious in nature, which makes them a difficult familiar to control. 

Edited November 17, 2019 by Yukiro

[Yukiro 0]

"Now you tell me," Yukiro muttered. Hard to control was not what he had been hoping for. But thus far all Yumi had wanted to do was run and explore. And sit on Yukiro's head. So He supposed it wasn't all that bad. 
He read on; 

Sugar gliders are very difficult to use in battle. They're small and relatively weak, so you have to make sure they don't get hit. But their eyes can see very well, and thus, it can learn to help you predict a foe's actions.

How does that even work? What's the correlation between seeing well and predicting something's actions? Yukiro could do that because he could see his opponent, but how would Yumi do that for him? 

Sugar gliders communicate using many sounds, which include barking, purring, hissing, singing, and crabbing. 

Ah. Yukiro guessed it wasn't going to tell him. He scanned the rest of the page, making sure not to miss anything before sighing heavily. That was a little disappointing.

Edited November 17, 2019 by Yukiro

[Yukiro 0]

Yukiro was about to close the book when something caught his eye. The page next to the sugar glider's page was nearly blank. No illustrated image covered the cover. So long description or information whatsoever. The title was simply "???" and the description read;

Unknown.

The rest of the page was blank. Yukiro stared at it for a few more moments before closing the book and picking it up. What was the... unknown creature? What would it be? Did he want to find out? It might be very dangerous. In fact, it probably was. But that didn't stop Yukiro from being curious. He wanted to find out some day, maybe when he was stronger. 
Yukiro returned the book to it's place on the shelf. It was something he hoped he'd never have to read or even look at ever again. He'd just spent way to much time here. He should just skim the rest of the books and leave so he didn't go insane from doing nothing but read.

Edited November 17, 2019 by Yukiro

[Yukiro 0]

Spoiler

ID# 129381 | CD: 1
2/3 Successes

Yukiro read about the video games book first. He learned about basic terms like MMO, RPG, PK and more. He finally started to understand what people were talking about in this world! It was like he was learning to speak the language of a foreign country-- all the things people said that he wasn't understanding was making complete sense now! 
The next book he moved onto was the book on tactics. How to fight mobs effectively, how to grind for loot and exp. It explained the flow of a boss battle and strategy for scouting things out. 
So much of the game world was making sense now! He felt so much less ignorant of the language, of the culture! It felt like a weight had been taken off of his shoulders. He could function in this new world. 
Yukiro closed the book and began returning the various books to their shelves. He was ready to leave this place. 

Edited November 17, 2019 by Yukiro