[F01-OP] <<The First Few Lessons are Free>>

[Skeleton 0]

Skeleton had caught wind of the old man Zachariah's beginner course. He had trouble finding the alchemist's shop but had noticed a few others making their way towards a store while he slowly searched the streets one at a time.

"I hope this is the one." muttered Skeleton as he pushed open the door to the store.

The door opened smoothly, lightly tilting a bell above to alert the owner. The old man was mixing potions with a stern focus, repeatedly referring back to a book every moment or so. His head head perked up from the bell penetrating his focus, eyes wide.

"Ah hello! Welcome to Zachariah's Tincture Workshop. Is there anything I can do for you?" said Zachariah.

"I was hoping to pick up a quest here." Skeleton said while making a gesture to the general area with his hands. "One to help get beginners started.

Zachariah's eyes narrowed as he grinned and began waving Skeleton to approach him.

"Of course, of course!  Come on in, Lad." 

Skeleton took in a sigh of relief and began making his way towards the counter.

"The first thing to do in Aincrad is to ensure your safety, and for that you need to learn how to craft a potion that will keep you kicking." explained Zachariah as he swiftly picked up a book, flipped a few pages, and slid it across the counter towards Skeleton.

"You craft potions using these herbs?" Skeleton questioned.

"A vial, some water, and some of these herbs will do the trick. Head out and fetch me 5 of these and I'll teach you how to craft the potion." Zachariah instructed.

Skeleton's eyes followed Zachariah's motions as he pointed towards the herb on the book, to the set of vials on the wall, and to a water tap at the side. His eyes returned to the herb on the page.

"It's found in the fields just outside of town. That's convenient." Skeleton said.

"Correct, and quite a few citizens actually grow it in their home." stated Zachariah as he motioned to a few potted plants by the windows either side of the entrance.

"I'm still going to have to gather the herbs despite you having plenty, aren't I?" Skeleton asked.

"It's for the experience!" Zachariah announced. "I wish you luck!"

"Thanks, I'm probably going to need it." Skeleton replied.

Skeleton turned back to the door, waving a farewell to the potion tinkerer and stepped outside the street once again. Skeleton took a look around to regain his bearings, searching for the exit to the town. Spying one to the east, Skeleton began making his way towards the field.

[Skeleton 0]

Skeleton found himself among an expansive field of grass a short walk away from the Town of Beginnings. He had noticed other players rummaging around and searching for something, and he had hoped it was the same herb as he was looking for. Skeleton crouched down to sit on his heels as he started picking apart the long blades of grass. Noticing something that he could only describe as leafier than the rest of the grass closer to the dirt, Skeleton reached down to grasp what he saw.

ID# 130266

LD: 8

Yanking up what he thought was one of the herbs he'd been looking for, all he found in his hands was a clump of grass.

"I was hoping to find these everywhere since this is a beginner's quest..." mumbled Skeleton.

Rising slowly from his crouched position he stretched his arms into the air. Stretched his back into an arc backwards to the point he almost lost his balance. Taking in a deep breath, he began to slowly scan the field.

Edited November 24, 2019 by Skeleton

[Skeleton 0]

Crouching once more, Skeleton found his vision being overtaken by the grass that he was slowly sifting though, nearly blade by blade and clump by clump. The herbs he was looking for were similar looking to the generic garden weeds that he would see sneaking through the floorboards back home but had a light colour.

"A lighter colour. Lighter green... If I remember right, chlorophyll gives flora their green, right? So more chlorophyll means.... more green...?"  Skeleton's mind wandered aloud.

Ideas of chlorophyll count being an indication of brighter greens and if the amount of chlorophyll in a plant indicated possible nutritional value of the plant. Skeleton began to autonomously sift through the grass with these thoughts running through his head, and slightly through his mouth as a mumble.

ID# 130267

LD:6

As Skeleton continued to sift through the grass, he began to blank on the purpose of his search. At one stage he found himself comparing the green of the grass against each other instead of searching for the herb.

[Skeleton 0]

The thoughts passing through Skeleton's head as he continued parting clumps of grass had begun to move from chlorophyll and greens, to thinking about colour itself. He had heard of other animals or insects having a much wider range of vision than humans. Being capable of seeing colours unimaginable. Seeing other colours as an entirely different colour itself. This took him a step further to remembering that pink light itself does not exist. The view that would be be seen through the eyes of animal carrying a wider range of vision would be astounding to say the least. You would have to relearn the colour spectrum.

ID# 130268

LD:7

 

"Wait... How long have I been searching this spot...?" snapped Skeleton.

It was a question aimed at himself as he was unsure if he was searching the same spot again or not.

"I should move to a new spot to be safe."

Standing up he once again scouted the field to see if there were any obvious portions that had yet to be searched. The grass however was too tall and swaying in the wind.

[Skeleton 0]

Skeleton progressed deeper inter to the miniature jungle that reached up to his knees. Parting the grass, Skeleton began to lower further and further towards the ground. At this some would simply see the boy sinking ever so slowly into the grass. Subconsciously embracing his inner sloth, Skeleton searched through slowly traversing the grass, pushing himself along the dirt with his feet digging in to the dirt behind him. Hand arced ahead of him, parting the flora around him as he looked left, then right, then shuffled forward, and repeated.

ID# 130289

LD: 5

"Maybe I should start looking in to the possibility that the herbs aren't here..." Skeleton mumbled to himself.

He had been searching for quite a while, and with no materials to account for, Skeleton was beginning to grow tired from wading through grass. He smells like grass, he smells only grass, he probably has grass in his socks from the crawling.

Edited November 25, 2019 by Skeleton

[Skeleton 0]

Had anyone been looking toward the large portion of grass had Skeleton been searching, the scene which they would have witnessed would be a short portion of grass in which a single arm breach slowly, reached back inwards and grabbed a clump of grass to pull back. This would slowly reveal the tired, dirt filled face of Skeleton who had simply met the end of the field of grass.

"Ah god damn it." spat Skeleton.

ID# 130295

LD: 9

"All that grass and not a single herb. I've been at this for hours now." complained Skeleton.

 

He rolled over on to his back, splaying his arms and legs out. Should he begin making a grass angel it would seem that the angel lost control of his ability to fly from the bird's eye view of Skeleton's personal crop circle.

It was definitely time to begin searching for a different field to look for these herbs as he's clearly found an empty patch of grass.

[Skeleton 0]

Skeleton approached a new patch of grass further west. Hands on hips, he surveyed the area. Or what would look like surveying the area, judging from his slow twisting. This was not twisting, it was in fact Skeleton's willingness to stay standing had reached it's limit and caused his muscles to slowly stop tensing one by one. A short drop and roll later Skeleton was on his back.

"Heeeerb. Here heeeerb. Please just climb into my pocket. Or hand. Or just within reach." pleaded Skeleton.

ID# 130297

LD: 8

Despite Skeleton's best attempts at pleading with a herb who Skeleton wasn't even sure could hear him eventually led him to believe that the herbs were simply avoiding him and hiding from him. Those damnable herbs and their herb like dodging.

*Smack*

Skeleton brought his hands to his cheeks.

"Alright, let's get back at this one more time." he remarked.

He had managed to bounce back. A little.

[Skeleton 0]

Skeleton rolled over, returning to lay on his stomach.

ID# 130299

Loot: 16

A long leafy stalk swayed inches from his nose.

"Huh?"

He sniffed. Not grass. He slowly reached forward and poked it. Real. He wrapped a finger and thumb around it's stem, pulled until the roots gave in, finding there what he'd been missing. A herb. He could hear fanfares occurring as it was moved to his inventory and updated his quest progress.

1/5 Herbs Collected.

"They exist! They really do! Leafy! Not grass smelling!" Skeleton observed from sniffing the herb.

"Ugh, it's bitter though."

Skeleton felt revitalized by finally grasping the elusive herb which he's spent several hours searching for. Almost leaping up and out of the grass, Skeleton began ruffling through another bunch of grass. It had been a while since he felt motivated to this degree. It was almost enough to give him pause. Almost.

[Skeleton 0]

ID# 130332

LD: 8

It'd been quite some time since Skeleton found the first herb to complete this so called Beginner's Quest. He was beginning to wonder if maybe the local boars dined exclusively on them and if it were perhaps more profitable to to start hacking away at the boar population with his dagger.

"I've not even used my dagger yet..." he muttered.

"I ought to look into something combat based after this. The boars are definitely easier to find than these hell blessed herbs."

Saying this, Skeleton narrowed his eyes as his head popped up from the brush, slowly tracking a boar wandering the area nearby. Swiveling his head from side to side would allow him to see at least 4 different boar within rushing distance. Skeleton unknowing began placing his hand on to the hilt of his dagger before snapping back to the matter at hand.

"Herbs.... herbs... Leafy, bitter, chlorophyll-y..."

[Skeleton 0]

ID# 130333

LD: 6

The abundance of the herb in the patch of grass was once again beginning to show a distinct lack of presence. Skeleton's mind couldn't help but wander as he began to slowly become more autonomous in his searching.

"I really should have partied up with someone for this." he thought.

"I overestimated my ability to gather herbs, and apparently my ability to make friends."

"Alright, next time, no solo. Unless I want to become a herb myself."

Skeleton had  once again let himself crouch down to the ground, slowly breaking into a crawl. Yes, the mythical and legendary stance of the searching sloth. Rummaging through the grass for so long had begun to remind him of the living room downstairs. Being filled with so much rubbish that you climbed over it to pass through, or crawled under it. Both would still set you into the room that stank with the various waster bags that seemed to have become furniture as they've been present for so long.

[Skeleton 0]

ID# 130372

LD:10

Slowly trawling through the grass, Skeleton's trail was beginning to spiral through the field. Coming to a halt, Skeleton dropped his posture to be completely flat on the ground.

"I think I need to rest for a little. It's too much to keep searching this much all at once." sighed Skeleton.

He folded his arms to rest his chin on them.

"Just for a few minutes. I'll just rest for a few minutes then get back to it." 

Skeleton's mumbling trailed off, as his eyes slowly dropped to a close. He had begun to doze off with the sun high in the sky hitting his back, along with the gentle breeze sweeping in among the grass. The continuous searching had run a toll on Skeleton's mind. The motivation kind. Physically he didn't feel all that tired from the search despite it being more physical work than he'd done in quite a few years.

[Skeleton 0]

ID# 130376

LD: 5

Skeleton has fully dozed off among the grass. His head tilting slightly before fully falling to the side to let out the slowly increasing frequency of snores from Skeleton. This would be the most peace he'd gotten in quite a few months, and he had unintentionally begun to take advantage of it. The only thing that Skeleton hadn't counted on was the grass. It brushed against him with the wind. Brushed against his face.

"Ah... ah..."

"ACHOO!"

Skeleton awoke from the jolt of his own sneeze, eyes wide from the shock, he shot up into a sitting position. Rubbing his eyes then his nose, checking to ensure his face was still there, Skeleton realized that he had in fact fallen asleep. Thankfully it was only a half hour nap, giving a little bit of a mental recharge.

"Alright, that's enough resting. I think. Let's get back to searching, in a few moments..." Skeleton bargained.

[Skeleton 0]

ID# 130380

LD: 6

It was a few moments later. Skeleton remained cross legged in the grass with his eyes closed and his arms folded. Skeleton had zoned out in these few moments to the degree that a large ball of bells would be fully capable of sneaking up on him.

Skeleton, form afar, looked as if he had taken to thinking deeply, or perhaps a niche variant of meditation where he sat. Entranced upon his activity. Enthralled by some conundrum.

However should you approach, you would simply hear his fully nasal based snoring. It would become apparent through his rhythmic inhalation and exhalations. You would also notice the slouching beginning to appear in his folded arms, his dropped shoulders, and his ever so slowly backwards tilt growing.

The backwards tilt was slowly raising his crossed legs from the ground, until he hit a sudden breaking point with the balance, bringing him to a rapid descent.

Thump.

 

 

 

[Skeleton 0]

Skeleton's fall shocked him awake, experiencing the same kind of freefall one would feel on leaning too far back on a chair's back legs. Careening without control to an inevitable death. Thankfully is was simply 3 feet downwards towards a cushioned ground thanks to the grass.

Skeleton lay staring at the sky, lamenting his idiocy and laziness to fall asleep twice in a short space of time.

ID# 130383

LD: 16

He picked himself up to begin searching the grass once again and found a lone herb sitting in a small empty patch. Skeleton's heart almost skipped a beat. Almost. Instead he felt a little portion of fury prick up at the back of his neck as he quickly whipped his arm forward, greedily snatching the herb from the ground. Thankfully, giving Skeleton relief that his eyes did not betray him by being immediately added to his inventory and updated his quest objective on his HUD yet again.

 

2/5 Herbs collected.

[Skeleton 0]

ID# 130384

LD: 7

Quickly separating the grass around the newly found herb, Skeleton attempted to keep the ball rolling for herb finding. The grass seemed to be almost entire searched until Skeleton stood fully upright as a bipedal entity for the first time in a few hours to scan the field. He could see where he had search by the line of flattened or parted grass. Lo and behold, there was a portion in the south where he had not been yet. A final attempt for this patch before he starts looking for a new field. Perhaps he'd come back tomorrow as the sun is beginning to set in the horizon and the moon was would surely be out soon.

Dashing directly forward and toward the patch of grass, Skeleton had forgotten how to walk after being along the ground so long. A few stomps through the grass until he collapsed, pushing forward while still falling, propelling himself face first into the dirt.

 

[Skeleton 0]

ID# 130431

LD: 2

"Uggggghhh. Why am I like this?" whined Skeleton.

Skeleton picked himself up from the ground, brushing dirt and grass off of his clothes. He was sore, but it didn't hurt. It was mental fatigue taking it's toll from searching for a herb all day.

"Okay, I'm taking that as a sign that I need to stop." he reasoned.

Skeleton stretched, seemingly releasing a long rumbling groan of hunger from his stomach. He had just realised that he had not yet eaten today. It was at this point that the hunger pangs started to make themselves known. Gripping his stomach, and stepping out of the grass field and onto the road, Skeleton began making his way back to town.

"I hope the inn has something decent today. I can't stand more leek and potato soup..."

At the end of the day at least he was able to get 2 herbs. This quest was beginning to seem much more tedious, and making more sense why people were growing this themselves at home.

[Skeleton 0]

ID# 130442

LD: 5

The sun was high in the sky already as Skeleton begin making his way to the fields. Thankfully the inn had prepared a stew the night before and had some left over for breakfast. Skeleton had developed a simple palate for food growing up, meaning the only thing would really irritate him would be a long streak of the same meal, or brussel sprouts. Skeleton had once attempted to simply eat a whole bowl of of boiled brussel sprouts. This was his first time tasting the vegetable but he had heard in school they were delicious, and cheap. Skeleton had learn the meaning of objectivity that day as he felt a need to spit out the vegetable he had stupidly over prepared in bulk... for the week.

Remembering that week brought shivers down Skeleton's spine.

Finding a new patch of grass to search, Skeleton crouched down and began parting the grass, portion by portion once more.

[Skeleton 0]

ID# 130446

LD: 5

Skeleton's search continued similarly to the previous day. Crawling through the grass, searching part by part for the elusive herb. He had begun to consider simply attempting to plant the 2 he had already collected as he may grow the required herbs through that process much faster than searching. However the possibility of being able to dot hat himself was uncertain and would potentially waste time researching and testing than simply searching for the herbs manually.

 

Skeleton continued his usual pattern of beginning by crouching and somewhat waddling through the grass before slowly laying down on the ground as time passed. As he recognised how low to the ground he had gotten he would often jump to his feet, stretch his back and limbs, then return to repeating the process over from the beginning.

"I honestly figured that by now I'd have at least leveled up. Or fought something... Or just simply have gotten these herbs. Is this normal for MMO's? This is my first so I don't know any better..."

[Skeleton 0]

ID# 130450

LD: 20

It was roughly noon by this stage. He had searched a large portion of this new field he found in the north western area nearby.As his mind began to slowly wander back to brussel sprouts and 100 reasons why they're they're worst vegetable, he for once had managed to stumble across a herb on purpose for the first time. Skeleton knelt down, plucking the herb from the earth. His HUD and quest counter updated as the herb dissipated in his hands to be added to his inventory.

3/5 Herbs collected.

"Alright, at this rate I might actually complete the quest today. Or tomorrow morning if I keep going at 2 per day." Skeleton said as he evaluated the time remaining in the day.

"Then again, if search faster I might possibly get it done sooner..."

Skeleton scratched his head, thinking on whether or not the effort and motivation means anything as he isn't in a desperate need to complete the quest. The boars aren't exactly itching to kill him.

[Skeleton 0]

ID# 130451

LD: 9

Against his better judgement, Skeleton had found himself crawling back along the ground again. His feet pushing the dirt behind him to get the rest of his body to lurch forward slightly. Skeleton began to worry about his actual well being outside of the game. It'd been a long time since he'd been trapped in the game but he doesn't know if his parents were keeping him alive somehow, or if the social services show'd up for a well being check.

 

"Actually, it was probably work... They wouldn't dare let anyone miss a day without needing to be hospitalised... And I guess this does count. I would need to be fed and hydrated every day, and there's no way in hell that mom or dad would care enough to check on me." Skeleton said, biting his lip.

He fell into a cross legged sitting position.

"Have they even realised I'm gone...?"