[F01-SP] <<Earning a Living: Merchant>> - Freyd

[Freyd 0]

Freyd sat quietly on the steps of a small fountain in the market quarter of the Town of Beginnings.  To anyone else, he appeared to be staring at empty space, but his UI had a dozen different screens open as he compared and cross-tabulated different option.  He'd been there most of the morning.  A cup of cold tea sat at his side, mostly untouched, peaking the interest of several nearby pigeons who were daring each other to be the first to approach.  Local merchants had arrived early to setup or open their stalls and most of the regular morning shoppers had already made their rounds.  The day had reached that quiet lull, just before lunch, when those who hadn't yet made their morning runs realized that their inventories sat empty.  Even in a digital world, some habits never changed.

Freyd had spent all morning debating which profession to explore, weighing pros and cons, checking public notices about material stocks and drop rates, and also taking tally of the ratio of different shops around the district.  He was just compiling the results of his analysis when the realization struck him.  If he'd gone to this extent and trouble to work out the margins, he should really just be a merchant.

Spoiler

Level: 7 | HP:  140/140 | Energy: 14/14 | DMG: 4 | EVA: 0 | MIT: 5 | ACC: 1 

Skills - R1 2HSS, R1 Light Armor, Disguise

Equipment(In use)
Forgiven Disobedience (T1E3-2HSS)
Light Armor (Vanity)
No accessory

Consumables
(3x)Starter Healing Potions(50HP)

 

[Freyd 0]

"Hey you wanna learn how to cheat the sy- I mean make good sales?"  

The NPC was a teenaged boy, by the looks of him.  His appearance was so sudden that Freyd looked around for a quest-giving icon he might have accidentally triggered. 

If there was a profession with a trainer who was always looking for opportunities, he thought, this would be the one.

"Follow me," the kid said, wandering deeper into the market.  His wry grin and twinkling eye set Freyd on edge, after his recent experiences, but he followed warily.  

Their destination could only loosely be described as a shop.  In actuality, it was little more than a handful of wood planks, stacks of half-broken crates and someone's soiled shirt with the words 'Billy's Importi-um' written across it.  The whole thing was held together with bits of twine and rope, and any other discarded fasteners the kid had managed to re-purpose.  It was also only about five feet high, forcing Freyd to crawl in on his hands and knees.

 

[Freyd 0]

"If you really want to learn how to be a Merchant," Billy started, "you have to be crafty and smart.  I managed all of this because I'm smart and know where to find great bargains!" 

Freyd couldn't hide his amusement and allowed his smile to show.

"Profit, my friend, is what it's all about!"

"I was always told it was supposed to be about location."

"NONSENSE!!!"  Billy's agitated hand-waving caused half his stall to collapse.  He carried on without missing a beat, using one foot to push the more hazardous bits out of the way.

"You best know what you are doing. I'll show you how to identify an it- NOOOooooo! I can't be all out!?"  

Freyd poorly feigned his surprise, wondering if Billy had ever actually managed to pick up any stock.  This quest might also be nothing more than a scam for Billy the Kid to build stock using eager, noobish players, but he doubted that the system was that aware.

[Freyd 0]

"How unfortunate," Freyd said, dead-pan, as he struggled to conceal his smile.  "How could I possibly help?"

"Funny you should mention that," Billy replied without missing a beat.  His false surprise and desperation having vanished instantaneously.

"I need to you go get me some more unidentified item, so that I can to you how to, ...uh, identify them."  Not the greatest wordsmith, but his zeal was infectious.

"I happen to have a few-"

"NO!"  the boy interrupted, "They have to be... uh... special, from a unique location!"  He gesticulated wildly, as if it somehow made him more convincing.

Uh-huh.  Sure they do.  Freyd managed to keep a straight face.

"Gotcha," Freyd replied.  "And where would that be?"

"Through here," Billy beamed, pulling back the heavy tapestry that formed the back of his shop.  Freyd had thought it has been put up by one of the neighbours to dry.  Behind it was a massive trash heap.

[Freyd 0]

"You need to go in there," Billy said, pointing into the seemingly endless mounds of trash, "and find us three pieces to identify."

"What is this place?"  Freyd instantly regretted that the pain dampening mechanic didn't affect smells.

"It's where items go when players junk them.  Every once in a while, lazy players with poor organizational skills throw out unidentified loot along with the stuff they don't want.  It ends up here, in my own, personal gold mine!!!"  

Freyd could have sworn that Billy's image flickered for a moment, revealing reddish skin, small horns, and a flickering flames in lieu of hair.  A touch of brimstone lingered in the air.  He looked back at the kid, askance. 

"Yeah... okay.  Name the terms before I go anywhere."

"You must bring me three items, and the count of the items shall be three!"

"I think I've heard this somewh-"

"Not four, or two, unless moving on to three..."

"Yeah, I get it..."

[Freyd 0]

"You find and bring me three items," Billy rhymed off quickly, "I teach you how to identify them.  You keep one, and I get the other two.  Deal?"

Freyd's eyes narrowed.

"You can't actually go in there yourself, can you?"

Billy was silent, his mouth gaping.

"I keep two items," Freyd continued.

The kid grinned, appreciating the attempt at turning things around.

"Look, I appreciate that you tried, but I'm bound by my own contract and you're also getting the skill as part of the deal."

"Then give me the passcode."

"What?!" Billy's mouth was once again agape.  "How did you even-"

"I do my research."  Freyd's smile had faded.  This was now all about business.  "How much traffic do you still see here, compared to when the game started?  I'm guessing that it's a fraction of what it's nothing by comparison to those early days.  If you want my help, then accept my terms."

"When did you become the quest-giver!?" Billy replied.

 

[Freyd 0]

"Take it or leave it.  I have a host of other options available."  Freyd leaned backwards, back towards the central market, as if looking for other profession trainers.

"Fine!  The place is practically picked clean anyway."  He grumbled as he gestured and a pop-up appeared in front of Freyd.

*Quest Accepted*

"Pleasure doing business with you, Billy.  I look forward to a mutually-profitable exchange."

He strode casually into the junk yard, mentally evaluating each of the available piles for potential.  Finding one that seemed promising, he tried his luck.  Beneath countless broken fragments and components, he found a kite shield that still seemed serviceable.  Whatever crest may have once adorned its exterior had long since faded or been worn away.  It wasn't the sort of thing he would use, but he only cared about whether it could serve his immediate needs.

No ID tag.  That'll work.  Let's see what else has been dumped around here.

Spoiler

Per quest chart: T1 Uncommon Shield

 

[Freyd 0]

Storing the first item away, Freyd carefully moved some of the other debris around, trying not to accidentally trigger a trash avalanche in the process.  It was careful work.  Players had been picking this place over for some time, and newly arrived junk either seemed to fall randomly or be unceremoniously thrown among the rest.  Other than the smell, the place wasn't all that unpleasant.  There were even some rather beautiful pieces strewn around, though all of them had long since been broken down.  It was part of what made finding something in here more difficult.  The flashy pieces kept drawing the eye, where the useful stuff was often understated.

Carefully moving aside a number of broken weapons, most of their edges still sharp, Frey found an ornate silver buckler.  It seemed more decorative than useful, but it remained unidentified, which was all he cared about, for the purposes of this exercise.

Spoiler

Per quest chart: T1 Rare Shield

 

[Freyd 0]

Something rumbled around the corner, shaking the entire area.  One of the debris piles must have collapsed.  Some of them were dozens of feet high.  It wouldn't do to linger out here any longer than was necessary.  A few other piles shook precariously, as if waiting for an aftershock to topple them.  Freyd stood perfectly still until the entire area settled again.

Just need one more...

The small quake had jostled some of the surrounding mounds and brought new items to the surface.  A shirt of fine chainmail caught his attention, until he turned it over and found that the back had been dissolved by something - possibly acid or dragonfire.  Hopefully, the occupant had survived.  Freyd placed it aside, gently, out of a sense of respect, as if it were akin to an urn full of ashes.

Another outfit rested a short distance up the slope.  It looked mostly intact.  Made of dyed green leather, its style reminded him of Lorica Segmentata, the armor worn by Roman legionnaires.  It was a bit of an odd find, but met his needs.

Spoiler

Per quest chart: T1 Uncommon Armor

 

Edited June 6, 2020 by Freyd - The Whisper in Shadows

[Freyd 0]

"Alright, Billy," Freyd called out, emerging from behind the tapestry and wiping off all the gunk that had accumulated on his clothes, "I found what you were looking for.  Let's get to it."

"That was quick," came the reply.  Billy had busied himself repairing the portions of the shop he'd accidentally knocked over.  "Let's see what you found."

The first items was nearly as tall as he was.

"A Kite shield?  I haven't seen one of these in a while.  It's well-worn too.  See these markings here?"  Billy proceeded to recount various tells that could be used to determine what properties an item possessed.

"See here?" he pointed to a lattice of rivets on the shield's outer face.  "It's common on items favoured by tanks - Taunt enhancement.  I'm guess its previous owner caught more attention than he or she had intended."  Having completed his less, he tossed the item aside and motioned for the next.  "Got anything better that this?"

Spoiler

Per quest chart: T1 Uncommon Shield (Taunt)

 

Edited June 6, 2020 by Freyd - The Whisper in Shadows

[Freyd 0]

Freyd summoned the ornate silver bracers and gently placed it on the stacked crates they were using as a work bench.

"That's a bit better,"  Billy exclaimed.  He poked at some of the engravings on the outer face, nodding and mumbling as he turned the piece over and over again.  "See these markings, here and here?  This item's intended for tanking."  He looked Freyd over, as if assessing him.  "It won't be a good fit for you, but I'll be glad to take it off your hands."  

Freyd, for his part, nodded and focused on the lesson at hand.  This was going to take substantial trial and error, but he was looking forward to it.

"What about this?" 

He pulled out the Roman-looking breastplate.  The battle skirt looked very strange to him, but it might have been more practical in a warmer climate.  He just couldn't see himself ever wearing  it.  It wasn't his style, at all.

Spoiler

 

Only just figured out how to properly link posts in the roller.  I was accidentally linking to the thread before. Sorry!!

T1 Rare Shield -> TAUNT, THORNS I

 

 

 

Edited June 6, 2020 by Freyd - The Whisper in Shadows

[Freyd 0]

"Energy,"  Billy said plainly.  "Not an unhelpful ability, especially at lower levels.  It's certainly better than what you have on now."

How does one program sass?  It was an annoyingly impressive achievement, masterfully executed in this NPC.  Freyd had been impressed with Billy's responses since their first meeting.  He actually liked the... kid?  It didn't really matter.  It's responses were engaging and provocative, and were well designed.  Someone must have a put a lot of care into it.

"So that's it.  The contract is nearly complete, you just need to pick your poison."  Billy waved at the three items they had just been discussing.

"I'll take the buckler," Freyd said, favouring the items dual properties.  

"Of course you will," Billy sighed, disappointed by the predictable response.  "It's all yours.  Try not to let it end up back here too quickly."

"Thanks," Freyd answered. I also had a question on a separate matter.

Spoiler

T1 - Uncommon Light Armor -> REG I

 

Edited June 6, 2020 by Freyd - The Whisper in Shadows

[Freyd 0]

"I'm looking for a damage-type familiar,"  Freyd continued, "that could help increase my damage output.  I found a rather amazing weapon - or it found me - but I need to boost its output on noncritical hits."

"Go check out the local Pokemon gym,"  Billy said, mocking and dismissively.  "I only work in sales."

"Then sell me some info,"  Freyd quipped back.

That got his attention.

"You're better at this than I gave you credit for when I spotted you at the fountain, you know that?"  It was the closest thing Billy had said to a sincere compliment.  He'd take it.

"Thanks.  Now, about that info?"  Freyd wasn't the type to be easily distracted, once his mind was set on an objective.

Billy scratched at his hairless chin while he gave it some thought.  He stared at Freyd intently, like he was evaluating him as a player, like he would one of his items.

[Freyd 0]

"Snakes are among the stealthiest, deadliest animals one can find," Billy replied, his speech low and thoughtful.  "From the lowliest critters to mighty, mythical serpents, they have always captured the imagination and instilled fear in their prey."  

"You," Billy said frankly, "are not a snake."

Freyd looked unimpressed.

"But," he continued, raising one finger to help make his point, "there is another often-overlooked creature that rivals the serpent in its cunning: the mongoose!"

Freyd still looked unimpressed.

"Stay with me here," Billy pleaded.  "The mongoose doesn't overpower the serpent, it outsmarts it.  They wear their opponent down with guile and trick it into relying on perceived strength where there is actual weakness.  The mongoose is immune to venom."

He tapped his temple for emphasis.

"That is you, my friend.  Carefully apply that grey matter, and you'll do alright."

Previous snark aside, it was a nice compliment.

"Okay," Freyd said, nodding at Billy's words.  "I'll consider that."

[Freyd 0]

Freyd wandered back to his seat at the fountain and considered his options.  He held his new buckler in his hands flipping it over and over, fidgeting with it as he pondered where to setup shop.

"Where would a mongoose live," he asked himself jokingly.  

Leaning forward, he clasped the silver frisbee with both hands and tapped it against his chin.

"No," he thought better, "where would it set up shop, and how?"  He hadn't seen nearly enough of Aincrad to answer that question, but searching for a familiar wasn't a bad first step.  The first three floors were safe, but too passive.  Floor four was too cold for his liking, though he'd had the good fortune to meet Yuki there.  Freyd smiled wistfully at his folly, wandering to the upper levels without the slightest clue what he might be facing.  It could easily have gotten him killed, but turned out far better than expected.

[Freyd 0]

Floor five had potential.  He'd heard that it was favoured for low level grinding, which would be the right type of customer based to help him setup his business and train his skills.  He'd likely have to get into the grind himself to obtain items for junking or evaluation.  He laughed out loud at the idea that he'd soon be contributing to Billy's trash - but that had been the point, hadn't it?  What a weird world.

He flipped through the game notes on floor six, where he'd encountered the Gemini.  He hadn't known its name, at the time.  He'd spent hours reading and researching the various quest notes that were available after that incident.   It was that very habit that had compelled him to buy and use an immolation potion in preparation - an excellent tip, and good investment.  How much lore must the front line players have collected by now?  And, they must use it automatically, as if it had become reflex.

 

[Freyd 0]

Floor seven held marginal appeal.  Trolls and orcs made for interesting neighbours, but the landscape just wasn't overly appealing.  The Temple of Three had potential, though it of a more personal nature.  This choice had to make practical sense for business purposes.  Anyone can plop an NPC vendor down on the top of an isolated mountain without a viable source of food or water and expect players to accept it, but if there was no draw, he'd only get visitors once in a blue moon.  Maybe the argument about location, location, location, wasn't so far fetched after all.

The eight floor seemed redundant, repeating many details from the sylvan settings of lower levels.  Freyd simply acknowledged that it was hard to be completely original over 100 different levels, but the first ten seemed to have a disproportionate amount of forest. 

"Its generic character might make it more appealing for grinding," he thought.  It was a fair point, and worth consideration.

[Freyd 0]

Floor nine immediately ranked high on appeal.  Volcanic inferno lands were always a hotbed of activity.  Freyd shook his head shamefully for even having thought it, but the level itself offered potential.  There were likely to be extra-tough and dangerous beasts in that area, which could breed opportunity.  His imagination kept jumping to the fight scenes from Mustafar in Star Wars.  The scenery was incredible, even if the fight scenes were not particularly well-choreographed and the dialogue was terrible.  Their brief use of it in Rogue One had been spectacular as a backdrop.

Be here and now, Freyd.

Right.

Knorilt seemed lacking in amenities.  It might be a good spot to setup an establishment.  Dwarves are notoriously industrious in virtually all fantasy settings, which could be useful, if he could turn it into a source of revenue.  He added it to his growing list of places to visit, with several stars beside the name to highlight its potential.

[Freyd 0]

The tenth floor sounded beautiful.  It was probably beyond his current capacity for questing or grinding, but offered great shop options.  Underground settings offered the same diverse range of settings as the surface, and the game design had compressed all of that into a single floor.  Freyd also loved the Japanese influence and linked artwork in the help guide.  It definitely went high on his 'to see' list.

That's probably about as far as I should even consider, for the moment.  Any more would definitely be getting ahead of myself, not that I haven't already.

He closed down all of his UI windows and gathered himself to set forth.  Flipping a coin into the fountain for good luck, he made his way to the central plaza and teleportation gate.  He strode casually, taking in the sights and watching other players wandering to and fro.  'Customers', he reminded himself, as he regarded them.

[Freyd 0]

He made one final check of his loadout and gear as he climbed the steps up to the gate.  He'd prepared as best he could with what he had.  It was time to step into the next adventure and see where it led.  Part of him was also very eager to get to work evaluating some of the other gear he'd already found.  Some of it was bound to be useful, and he'd need it to keep pressing forward.  He didn't look back this time.  He was done with the doubt and uncertainty, and his experiences since leaving his self-imposed prison had made him a better person and given him a much-needed dose of confidence.

He pressed his palm to the smooth surface of the arch and closed his eyes.  This mode of transport still took his breath away every time he used it.  The world vanished as he stepped through.