[SP-F1] The first few Lessons... are free?

[Corvo 0]

Word around the Town of Beginnings was, if you wanted help, you looked for this guy named Zackariah. The NPC was your standard, starting off Quest Giver, a kindly old man who just wanted to help people find their way in the world. If you followed the clues, or just the crowd, you made your way to him without much of an issue.

Finding Zackariah didn't cause a Player to leave the safe zone, even if his quest inevitably would, so for the most part it ought to be cut and dry. Corvo liked the idea of a simple start, especially after spending so much of his time confined to the bottom of a bottle. Truth was, he still felt pretty worked over by life.

None of them knew what Sword Art Online was when it started. He'd only intended to play it behind the backs of a family that didn't want him anywhere near those types of games, and only for short periods of time. Nothing he read in the manuals or the criticisms prepared him for spending an entire chapter of his life inside virtual hell.

Then, the Captain and the others were alive. For a short time, the Vice-Captain had reached out, but even that faded into obscurity. The friends he'd joined to be with in spirit and enjoyment, had all but abandoned him. Corvo was a man drowning in bitterness.

That wouldn't stop him from waking up angry. 

Black bags under his eyes told the tale of fitful sleep. Corvo dragged through the alleyway toward where the NPC kept his workshop. He heard whispers and saw signs of disgust in the Players who passed him, all focused on his bedraggled state.

Perhaps they'd become so used to this world as it was, so austere and drowning in the survival of the fittest, they weren't prepared to see someone claw their way up from the depths of hell. They were all survivors in their own way, but how many of them had truly succumbed to madness?

The proud few, weren't pretty anymore.

His dingy smirk was met with kindness only when he greeted Zackariah.

[Corvo 0]

"You look tired, son," the older man gestured toward a chair. "Have a seat. We'll talk business in just a second. Would you like some tea?"

Corvo held up a hand, though he did accept the invitation to sit. "No, thank you," he replied, "I don't want to bother you too long. I'd heard you were helping people find their way, and I thought it was about time I dug in and tried to start on mine."

Zackariah smiled as he poured a hot glass of tea for himself and took the seat across the table from Corvo. "It sounds like it took you a great deal of thinking to come to this point," the NPC said without looking up at him. "So, you've probably come to the decision that you know how you want to move forward, you just aren't sure of how."

Corvo nodded. "About that, yeah."

"Well," Zackariah closed his eyes and stroked his beard sagely. "Yes, that's appropriate. That will suffice. I know what I'll have you do. Are you ready?"

Corvo leaned forward. "That was quick."

"If you really hadn't done the soul-searching already, you wouldn't be here, right?" Zackariah gave a chuckle. "But of course, you already knew that. What I need you to do, is to collect some materials for me. Five of them should do the trick." 

"Gathering materials," Corvo repeated.

"Yes, you have a skill for that, don't you?" Zackariah gestured toward Corvo, and his status appeared seemingly on command. The gather skill was faintly illuminated by gold light. "Find an appropriate area in the world to interact with and this skill will become available to you. There's a slight margin for error, but generally, you should be able to find something. If you're incredibly lucky, it can be something very nice. For now though, we'll focus on gathering items to be used in crafting."

Corvo nodded and stood. "Yes sir," he said, and accepted the quest.

[Corvo 0]

He emerged from the workshop, stretching himself out. What a strange old man, and yet, he understood better about what he needed to do. Corvo spied a few Players watching him, waiting for him to pass before they approached the workshop for themselves. He cast a long glance over them before he turned his attention toward the gate.

"Fuckers," he muttered under his breath.

Corvo hated people like that. Fear was a looming shadow, and uncertainty cast it recklessly. People who had no reason to show fear, feared things they had no reason for fearing. Education and knowledge were the gateways toward a mind free from shackles, but there were those who would rather live in chains than cast them off. 

That was the real evil about this world of Aincrad. People made decisions about who they were, and in many cases, people chose to live as thralls to their vices. Even he'd fallen victim to that. He accepted that he was no better, but...

...now, they were judging him for it. As he dragged himself through the gate, he could feel their eyes lingering on his back. Corvo grit his teeth angrily as the constraints fell away, and the safe zone was behind him.

"Focus," he told himself. "Five materials. Just five. Then, go back to Zackariah."

[Corvo 0]

He moved toward the first plot of grassy land that indicated he could gather. The skill went from gray to accessible on his HUD, which made identifying it that much easier. Corvo crouched next to it as the system sent his body through the motions, and he became acutely aware of the process. 

For this particular type of material, a flower or herb, the practice was to find the base of the stem, close as possible to the roots. Once identified, you gripped it tightly and pulled until the roots came free and ideally, the material would be sent to your inventory as a success. Unfortunately, that was not the first experience for Corvo

Somewhere in the process, something went wrong. He felt give, like the plant had ideas of its own about being ripped from the soil. He quickly attempted to loosen his grip, but to no avail. The stem snapped about halfway up, and the material was ruined.

His attempt was a failure. "Well, no one starts off good at anything," he snorted. "Better get on to the next one."

He said that, but Corvo was immensely frustrated. It felt like a slap in the face for this game to take so much from him, but not at least give him something so simple in return. It was just a flower, wasn't it?

Nothing in this life comes free. He remembered those words, and in a familiar voice. With a sigh, he took that stern, yet loving reminder and tried to find comfort in it.

 

ID:157381 CD: 3 <fail>

Edited July 5, 2020 by Corvo

[Corvo 0]

He took a moment to clear his thoughts and let a deep breath fill his lungs. There was clarity to be found in the freshness of clean air, and he exploited that to full effect. The toxicity of his thoughts seemed to fade away as refreshment purged his mind, and the dagger wielder took a moment to orient himself.

"So, I'm right outside the gate," he murmured as he surveyed the first floor. "That means the closer I am, the safer I am, relatively speaking." It wasn't strictly the case, but there were less mobs nearby. He saw the occasional boar, but if he stayed far enough from them, they paid him no mind.

"And the appearance of these nodes for collecting is pretty randomized..."

As he said those words, he spotted another not too far off the path. "Perfect," he said as he moved quickly toward the grassy area and knelt down. "Now, this time if I focus..."

Corvo did his best to pick at the very bottom of the stem, and the system seemed to respond to his efforts. Almost like knowledge that he had, translated into how the system dictated his success or failure.

He recalled something about how your skills outside Aincrad had some effect on the skills you had in the game. Who had told him that, again?

 

ID: 157383 LD: 14 <success>

1/5 materials collected

Edited July 5, 2020 by Corvo

[Corvo 0]

It seemed like the second attempt had given him a sudden stroke of luck, because as soon as he plucked the first, the second appeared visible in his HUD not ten feet from where he was. Corvo hurried toward it and crouched, remembering what he'd learned from the first couple of tries.

When he pulled it free, it glowed gold and disappeared into his inventory. "I'm getting the hang of it," he told himself as he glanced around, careful to take stock of his surroundings. He almost rushed head first into an encounter with a boar, but managed to see that coming with only seconds to spare.

Today wasn't the time to rush directly into combat. No, for now, he'd get used to how the system worked and start familiarizing himself with the intricacies of non-dangerous interactions before he rushed head first into anything that might get him killed.

He wasn't afraid by any means, but in a world where fighting was crucial to survival and death was a very real possibility, one could not take too many precautions.

"Okay, that's two," he counted his inventory, then referred to the quest log. "Looks like I'll need three more before I can go back to the old man's workshop and move on."

ID: 157384 LD: 13 <success>

2/5 materials collected

Edited July 5, 2020 by Corvo

[Corvo 0]

He moved toward another node for collection and as he crouched, he overheard the sound of giggling and laughter nearby. When he followed them to their source, he saw two female Players leering down at him as they headed back toward the Town of Beginnings. "Is he doing that quest?" one asked.

"What a newb!" the other cackled. "How far behind can you get?"

"Apparently pretty far!" the first girl noticed Corvo glaring at her and smiled. It wasn't a kind thing, he had seen people give that sneer before. It always meant they were looking down from on high, scowling at you as though you were a lesser being. "You need some help?" she called over.

"No, thanks," Corvo replied. His fingers slipped, and the material was ruined. Even if he hadn't meant to show any weakness, the system apparently noticed his lack of focus.

"You sure?" she asked, grinning. "It looks like you're having a bit of trouble with that. If you want-"

"I said I'm fine, miss," Corvo replied with a bright smile, uncharacteristic of his ratty garb and dirty looks. She blinked. "If I want your help, I'll ask for it," he told her.

"Well, that's just not nice," she chided. "Here I am being kind-"

"Oh, hell with that," Corvo shot back, finger jabbing through the air at her as he found his feet underneath him. "You're having a go at me and you know it. You wanna help me? Get out of my face and let me do this quest in peace."

"The nerve of some people!" she huffed, red in the face. Her friend stared at Corvo, stunned. 

"What was that?" she asked.

"He's got problems," the first girl shook her head. "Come on, we've got things to do and we've wasted enough time here.

Corvo smiled quietly to himself as they disappeared from view.

 

ID: 157386 LD: 2 <fail>

2/5 materials collected

Edited July 5, 2020 by Corvo

[Corvo 0]

It took him a few minutes to collect his thoughts. The urge had been there to strike her, but the chivalric upbringing his father had beaten into his mind was at war with feral instinct. Aincrad brought out the worst in some people, and for Corvo, that was even more true. The urge to fight, that unbridled bloodlust, who he was behind the mask of "Corvo" would always be at odds with the person he made the ultimate decision to become.

This world didn't deserve an Evan. This world didn't deserve to ruin a good man. This world deserved to burn.

In the end, she was gone. Whatever vicious sentiments he had were like dust in the wind, because the likelihood he would ever see her again was abysmally low. Even with a handful of people trapped inside Aincrad, only a few were ever truly going the same place. Unless he saw her again on the front lines...

....as if he'd ever get there himself.

How many people had left him in the dust now? How hard was it to climb the ladder, if this wasn't even the very bottom rung? Corvo exhaled sharply through both nostrils and grabbed at the stem of another flower.

This wasn't going to deter him. Nothing was going to stop him from becoming the person he knew he could be, and someone that he, his parents, and his friends would ultimately be proud of in the end.

Even if I have to spill a little blood along the way.

And the flower gave, adding another material to his collection.

ID: 157389 LD: 13 <success>

3/5 materials collected

Edited July 5, 2020 by Corvo

[Corvo 0]

The next few minutes were bereft of flowers. Perhaps the lack of spawns reflected some refresh in the system, or the emptiness in his own mind. Strange thoughts like that plagued him as he treked along a set path, hugging the Town of Beginnings as he waited for something to pop up. 

When it finally did, he pounced. Were quests always this nerve wracking? 

I wonder if the others have all struggled this way. There was a pause before he laughed. Who cares if they did or not? This struggle is mine, and they're not here to help. If I reached out now, could they ever take me seriously?

There was the Captain, Alkor... but he'd never reached out. What did that say? And Mari-- he could probably call out, but he knew she wasn't in any clear headed place, either. No, the best thing to do was forge ahead alone. 

He could face all those questions when he was as strong as they were. And they'd have to give him answers. Right now, no one owed him anything.

Another flower appeared, but it seemed his mind was not in it, because he failed again.

But, he'd get the next one. He was starting to get his head in the game.

 

ID: 157399 LD: 2 <fail> 

3/5 materials collected

Edited July 5, 2020 by Corvo

[Corvo 0]

"Yes!" he proclaimed triumphantly as he plucked another flower carefully from the ground, and a window appeared in front of him. Only one more of these to go, and he could get back to Zachariah and on track to finish this quest. He was especially amped to get himself moving and stronger so he could see what else this game had to offer. The Town of Beginnings was boring and while he could find practically anything he wanted to survive, he wasn't really living.

He doubted that anyone in his family would be proud of him if he spent an entire two, three years doing absolutely nothing. They wouldn't be proud of him for being trapped inside a video game either, but he would have to cut that loss because it was unavoidable now anyway. "Alright, now..."

Corvo stood up tall and took a better look around. There were plenty of open, grassy areas he could search, but he didn't want to waste any time.

ID# 172905 Loot: 18 <success>

4/5 materials collected

Edited October 15, 2020 by Corvo

[Corvo 0]

Yet again, the fates saw fit to deny him. 

He had not expected it to be easy, but he found himself frustrated with whatever algorithms or gods commanded RNG inside of Sword Art Online. He cursed that his life had an even more strictly governed system than before and packed himself a generous pipe of tobacco, ignited it, and began to inhale habitually. Part of him wondered if he would take the habit back to the real world with him, while the other part of him was just glad to have that familiar burn on his tongue.

"Man, I miss South Carolina," he muttered to himself as he scoured the countryside for flowers. 

He felt so compromised. The life he had before was spent admiring blades, ogling beautiful women, and practicing the martial arts. Now, he was reduced to a life where the phrase "I studied the blade" was no longer ironic or a thing of memes. The virtual world was a horrible place, and he had no friends here. It was incredibly lonely, and he hated it. 

So, it was going to be nice to get back and chat with Zachariah.

ID# 172906 Loot: 3 <failure>

4/5 Materials collected

Edited October 15, 2020 by Corvo

[Corvo 0]

He meandered over to a spot not far from the gates to the Town of Beginnings and copped a squat. His eyes moved cautiously over the open field that spanned practically as far as his field of vision and sighed. With a huff, he exhaled a cloud of smoke and pried the pipe from his lips. His eyes were glazed, but there was no one around to tell him that he ought to stop.

His mind wandered over days like this, lazy, filled with thoughts about the future and what it might bring. Back then, he was sat behind a computer screen messaging back and forth with his friends in an online game that didn't have he capacity to end his life. Friends that, apparently, existed in this world with him and hadn't even bothered to try to contact him. What had happened that they wouldn't?

Did the Captain care so little?

He shook his head as he noticed a spawn right next to him, and his hand darted out to seize the crafting material. "Well if it ain't just my lucky day!"

ID# 172907 Loot: 18 <success>

5/5 Materials collected

 

Edited October 15, 2020 by Corvo

[Corvo 0]

When he returned to Zachariah, the man greeted him warmly. "Ah, you've returned! I trust you were successful in gathering the reagents I asked for?"

"Got 'em right here, as requested," Corvo held out the items to the man, who accepted them with a broad smile. "Weren't no easy thing, lemme tell ya. Swear to Christ if I had it to do again I'd just as soon pay someone-"

The kindly old man only chuckled as the young firebrand waxed poetic about his woes. "Here, here, I promise it will all be worth it if you just follow me. I'm going to have you help me craft a potion."

"Eh? A potion? With flowers? This ain't some kinda weird Aincradian Meth is it?"

"Healing potions are the most commonly used items by Players in their adventure," Zachariah explained, "so I thought you might benefit from knowledge on how crafting works here. I've taken the liberty of preparing a work area for you, fully stocked with everything you will need. Are you ready?"

"Well, it'd be rude of me to say no at this point," Corvo shrugged helplessly. "Alright, old man. Show me how to break bad."

[Corvo 0]

He moved toward the burner and stared down at it incredulously. "Yanno, man, I gotta be honest with ya, I failed chem class twice in High School," he said, backing slowly away from the workstation. Zachariah caught him by the shoulders and spurred him forward with just a bit of extra push. 

"Nonsense, it's much easier than you might think," the old man never stopped smiling and chuckling as he spoke, moving toward the flame and guiding Corvo's hands toward the bottle, then the materials in turn. "First, you..." he made a movement that the redhead only slightly saw the whole of, but continued regardless. "...and then...!"

"Yeah, I missed that whole thing," Corvo shook his head, "look I'd be glad to pick you some more flowers, but I really don't wanna burn your house down."

"I'll show you one more time," Zachariah told him, "and I'll slow it down a bit. Pay close attention, you're going to give it a try."

ID# 172908 Craft: 2 <Jesus I suck at this>

Edited October 15, 2020 by Corvo

[Corvo 0]

He felt the scream welling up in his throat, but managed to bite it back. Did he really have to do this? It felt unnecessary, especially given that he had no interest whatsoever in alchemy. If he was going to choose a profession, it'd be something that let him play around with knives and swords. Y'know, the good stuff.

Corvo watched intently- or, as intently as he could manage- as the man went through the motions another time and nodded vacantly. "You know, I just don't think I got what it takes to be a Master Drug Dealer." Old Man Zackariah only laughed and continued to brew the potion, then when he finished, set it to the side and gestured for the Player to take the wheel.

"Now..."

"Fine." Corvo threw up his hands and set to work grinding the herbs down to a paste. That part, at least, was easy enough. The more times he attempted it, the easier it seemed to get; but the small details still escaped him. Once he got to the emulsion, too much liquid diluted the mixture, and yet again he failed to craft the intended potion.

He shot the old man a venomous glare.

"Again!"

 

ID# 172912 Craft: 3 <No man I really suck at this>

Edited February 22, 2021 by Corvo

[Corvo 0]

Instead of argument, Corvo immediately threw himself into the labor once more. He knew the motions, the grinding with pestle and mortar, the proper ratio for emulsion, and the carefully churned viscosity that gave the craft its particular flavor. While health potions weren't necessarily delicious, there was an art to making them palatable. Zackariah taught him that.

Now he'd know what to give the Alchemists shit for, later.

As he toiled over the table, the old man crowded him and watched intently. "Ah ah! That's enough, that's enough!" Corvo pulled his arms back reflexively when Zackariah spoke. "Almost overdid it there! I commend your audacity though! Not many people take quite so long to figure it out, but you've done it!"

"Yeah, that's... not a complement."

"I have some things for you, since you've successfully completed the task I've given you," Zackariah told him, unshelving several potions which he turned over to the low level Player. "These will be useful to you in your travels. Feel free to use them however you like, as a token of my appreciation."

"Yeah, thanks," Corvo said as he sent the items to his inventory. 

ID# 183522 Craft: 6 (Success! Uncommon potion crafted)

Edited February 22, 2021 by Corvo

[Corvo 0]

He stretched out his arms and gave a loud yawn. With his task complete, the quest was done. He watched the experience bar tick up gradually, somewhat let down by the fact that it didn't actually feel any different to level up. With a VR experience, he halfway hoped that becoming stronger had some actual effect, like puberty or something.

(Ok, so it wasn't a perfect parallel.)

Idly, Corvo pulled his dagger from its sheath and began to examine it. The weapon wasn't anything special, it was just the one he got upon creating his character. "Sure would like something prettier," he muttered to himself as he picked his teeth with the tip of the weapon and scowled. Aincrad was bigger and more difficult than he ever anticipated it would be.

Now, he just needed...

"Could you do me a favor?" Zackariah asked him suddenly.

Corvo glanced back. "Depends," he answered, "if it involves brewing another potion, I'd honestly rather gouge my eyes out."

"This package," the man produced a neatly boxed item and handed it off to Corvo. "Could you deliver it to the Blacksmith, Lyle Tealeaf for me? I would really appreciate it."

"Oh. Yeah, sure. No problem buddy."

[Corvo 0]

Corvo walked through the Town with the package in his arms, carefully plotting his course toward the destination marked on his map. Once he was there, he placed it down on the porch and knocked. "Hey there," he called out, "I've got a package for Lyle Tealeaf? It's from-"

"Ah, yeah, the package from Zackariah! He told me he'd be sending someone. Bring it right on in!" Lyle stepped away from the anvil with hammer still in hand, waving Corvo on in. "Thanks so much, I've been waiting on those tempers. Special orders take a bit of extra love to complete, you know how it is."

For once, Corvo did know how it was. He understood exactly what Lyle was talking about; but instead of starting them down a conversation rabbithole, he only nodded. "Yeah, don't mention it," he said with a quick wave. "I've got some other stuff to take care of, so-"

"Actually, if you have a few minutes, I've got something I'd like help with. You seem pretty reliable, so I figure asking you might actually be the move."

[Corvo 0]

He found himself questioning the extent of his goodwill by the time the conversation ended. Readily accepting every quest as they were offered was a good policy for gaining experience, but he wasn't strong enough to handle some of the things thrown at him alone. He needed to find a healthy way to improve himself, something that had a low risk and high reward. This chain was about to throw him, very literally, to the boars.

Corvo was facing the world outside the safe zone again, and this time he wouldn't be avoiding the mobs. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, imagining what life would be life if he hadn't logged into the game. Where would he be right now? Would he be fearful of his life every single time he walked out of his house?

No.

It was that answer that told him what he had to do. Corvo had never been the type to shy away from a challenge. Even in the real world, he tackled things head on and enjoyed the struggles that were thrown his way. The fear of death did not dissuade him then, and it wouldn't do so now. He took that first step with a bit more swagger, smirking even.

This was gonna be a good ass time.

[Corvo 0]

Corvo pulled the dagger from its sheath again, this time with every intent to use it. He broke into a proper run. This world ain't so bad sometimes, he thought as the wind blasted against his face and through his hair. The first floor was only the beginning, but it gave him a good taste of what this world had to offer. He felt his lungs fill with air and his heart pound against his chest, even the blood in his veins.

He'd not felt this alive in a long time.

In the days when he was young, the man behind the avatar spent his time sparring and fighting in a reckless attempt to be the best among his peers. He got competitive, he threw himself headlong into any conflict just to taste victory; but to Evan, even defeat was sweet.

He only felt alive when he was fighting.

Now, his fight was about to begin in earnest. It was a for his life; and he wouldn't have it any other way.