[PP|F1] <<Earning a Living>> Taking a Turn

[Sv3n 0]

The day had started off fairly heated. In his desperate search for food, Chase went downtown to look somewhere around the first for any good shops. The same way he’d found the hot dog stand belonging to Oscar, he saw what seemed like another stand for… ‘street food’, and he decided to take an order and try it out. As soon as he did though, he quickly found himself ready to brawl with whatever shady, slimy blonde was behind the stand.

“Please, dear sir, do try to calm down…”, the charismatic blonde begged him, however Chase seemed just as pissed as ever to be holding him by the collar. “Give me my money back, that’s a god damn vanity item! You can’t fool me, you-”. This was going to be a long day. “I’ve been caught. I tried to pretend I’m a cook by selling vanity meals I made and tried to get into form to look tastier… He picked up on it and doesn’t appreciate it much though, hmph…”. Sven wasn’t wrong- on any of these mental notes.

Spoiler

Name: Sv3n
Level: 1
HP: 20/20
EN: 2/2

Stats:
Damage: 1
LD:1

Equipped Gear:
Weapon: <<Plain Longsword>> (Vanity/OHSS)
Armor: <<White Suit>> (Vanity/Light Armor)
Misc: <<Golden Crown>> (Vanity/Trinket)

Skills:
Searching [Rank 1]

 

Edited October 7, 2020 by Sv3n

[ChaseR 0]

And what was the only way to get out of his current predicament? Sven had to crack his head open to find some way out of this. Chase didn’t care any- he would, even if he didn’t like to. He got himself the con-artist status in Aincrad, and if he didn’t want word of it spreading, he’d follow the bluehead’s instructions. That marked the start, and shortly lived, adventurer life that he’d live out. “Go over to that shop right there. There’s a cook grandmaster. Ask her to teach you.”, he instructed, glaring him down with eyes sharp as daggers.

It’s not like Sven could say much, he attempted to convince blueberry that he’d get an orange cursor, but boy was he ever surprised with the answer that he got. “I don’t mind an damn temporary cursor if it means putting you in your place for two minutes, you god forsaken greaseball!”

Spoiler

Name: ChaseR
Level: 62
HP: 1270/1270
EN: 124/124

Stats:
Damage: 19
Mitigation: 43
Evasion: 3
Accuracy: 3
BH:63
VAMP DEF:63
FRZ:24
BLD:24
HLY BLS:16
LD:2

Equipped Gear:
Weapon: <<Zero Degree Icicle>> (T2/Perfect/2HSS): ACC I, FRZ I, BLD I
Armor: <<Azure Overcoat>> (T2/Perfect/Light Armor): V.DEF I, HBS I, MIT I
Misc: <<Chained Bracelet>> (T2/Demonic/Trinket): EVA II, ACC II

Skills:
Two-Handed Straight Sword [Rank 5]
Light Armor [Rank 5]
Battle Healing [Rank 5]
Searching [Rank 1]
Fighting Spirit [Obtained]
Howl [Obtained]
Parry [Obtained]
Extended Mod Limit [Rank 1]
Charge [Rank 1]

Extra Skills:
Familiar Mastery: Fighter
Survival
Disguise

Mods:
2HSS Finesse [R3]
Precision
Athletics
Sprint & Acrobatics
Ferocity


Battle Ready Inventory:
Starter Healing Potions(heal 50HP)*3
Insta-Life ++ (T2/Perfect/HP REC III)*1
Woodland Armor (T2/Perfect) MIT III (1/3)*1
Teleport Crystal [F21]*1
Imugi's Inspiration (Mass HP Recovery)*3
Requires Extended Weight Limit 1
Requires Extended Weight Limit 2
Requires Extended Weight Limit 3
Obtained via Item Stash (Housing)
Obtained via Dimensional Backpack

Housing Buffs:
Filling: Increase the effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 T1 slot.
Relaxed: Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts.
Skylight (Searching): +1 Rank to the Searching skill.
Advanced Training: +2 SP to a thread. Limit one use per month [0/1]
Multipurpose: Gain +1 to LD, Stealth Rating, Stealth Detection, or Prosperity to one post in a thread. Can be applied after a roll

Guild Hall Buffs:

Scents of the Wild:
Kumatetsu Statue: +1 Base Damage for a thread

Wedding Ring:

 

Edited October 7, 2020 by ChaseR

[Sv3n 0]

It took a few minutes, but after a short while, Sven shied out of the grandmaster’s hut and coughed dryly before recomposing himself. “Now, I suppose you shall assist me in gathering the ingredients I’ll need, right my good customer?”. How theatrical of a performance was he putting on, one might ask? Why, only the usual. To his dismay, the boy was ever unwavering, just clenching his fist and reaching a hand up to his greatsword strapped to his back.

Realizing that his act wouldn’t cut it, he quickly began to head outside to the fields, followed closely by Chase who was making sure he wouldn’t attempt to escape. “Listen here, Seven. You join my party and if you try to leave, I’ll get every boar in the near vicinity to play football with you. Got it?!”, the young man commanded and the older one just nodded in response. It took a bit of thinking, trying to come up with whatever he’d have to say.

Materials: 0/5

Edited October 7, 2020 by Sv3n

[ChaseR 0]

“If I had a better morning, I might have gone easier on you- but you went and did it. Food is important in Aincrad, especially right now that every Cook is out of stock. Don’t just try to trick people like that, if one of the lower tiers tried to head into a dungeon with your foods, they might have been in danger.”. Of course, Sven’s first scheme wasn’t only bad, it was flawed. It didn’t net him a profit- if anything, it loaded people’s lives on his shoulders. That was no good, no good at all.

There was no point in making money at the expense of others’ lives. He’d have to think this through hard and well, some way to pay back all the risk he could have put people in and continue making up for it while still going on with his own shenanigans. This was like social work, except more flexible. 

T1 Materials: 1

Edited October 7, 2020 by ChaseR

[Sv3n 0]

Nobody would check on him, but it was his duty to not weigh down the entirety of the playerbase. Still, he had to get his impish impulses out somehow… And then he got exactly the idea. Using his charisma and clueless position, he’d get the information he wanted out of Chase. Of course, little blue would pick up on his own plan regardless along the way, but as long as he didn’t know the specifics, all was good for the blonde.

“Hm… So this quest is to turn me into a proper, culinary artist, isn’t it~?”, he asked rather poetically, only for Chase to give a slow nod and a very wary glare. “He’s definitely up to something right now. I swear, if he tries to weasel his way out of this…”, he grunted in the back of his mind and took a deep breath, continuing to stare him dead in the eyes. “Yes… Do go on.”

Materials Found: 1/5

Edited October 7, 2020 by Sv3n

[ChaseR 0]

The slimeball’s appearance was way too curious overall. He had some… weird, white tuxedo in a world like Aincrad, a completely arrogant yet fitting crown with various jewels decorating it, what seemed like a golden necklace peeking just barely around his neck and then a plain sword hanging by his belt near his waist. It was obvious he’d never even drawn the blade or attempted to- and that he wouldn’t ever try to do either. If anything, for how worthless he was being up to now, he knew how to keep his composure.

“Ahem. So then, that means I can make my own foods. And sell them to other players for whatever price. They’ll be whatever I wish, right?”, Sven’s inquiry continued, getting another slow and careful nod out of Chase, along with a tired sigh. “What exactly are you going to ask. If you can make the food expire? Cause you can’t, you damn-”

Materials Found: 2

Edited October 7, 2020 by ChaseR

[Sv3n 0]

“No, no, that’s not what I’m trying to do. I didn’t expect that people relied on foods and their properties so much- they up your stats, right? Meaning your damage, your defenses, your accuracy, your evasion… All of these go up depending on the food you make, don’t they?”, Sven questioned. For once, he sounded sincere even bar the charisma. Or maybe this was just his charisma fully at play. Another slow and careful nod from Chase.

“So then what are you playing at?”, he questioned only to receive an answer with a grin hidden behind Sven’s face, a devilish one at that. “The foods. I just wanted to know if they can be whatever dish I wish for. So… An omelet, if I want to. And if it can taste exactly like one. Or like a hot dog, maybe pumpkin pie…”, and the man rambled on and on about potential tastes to give his foods.

Materials Found: 2/5

Edited October 7, 2020 by Sv3n
Made an accident in the character for the roller. Sorry.

[ChaseR 0]

For however suspicious this would normally be, the sleazeball actually seemed to be truly interested in cooking. And despite Chase’s naivety, this wasn’t him falling for a trick- Sven actually meant it, he would begin to cook normally for the benefit of the players. However, as a way to get revenge back at Chase… “Tell you what. The first food I cook, tell me what to make it like and I’ll hand it over to you, since you paid me and I tried to scam you. Do we have a deal?”, he questioned, and got another drawn out sigh out of Chase. “... Sure thing. We do.”

The response he got was just the one that he expected. He knew little of cooking, but from what he had seen playing around with the system’s various tools and utensils, there wasn’t as much depth to it as there was in the real world. Mixing ingredients was good enough to simulate real tastes. And that only meant one thing.

Materials Found: 2

Edited October 7, 2020 by ChaseR

[Sv3n 0]

“Mixing nasty ingredients makes for nasty real tastes.”, Sven said in the back of his head and internally cackled like a maniac, knowing fully well just how sweet getting revenge on the boy would be. With the searching skill that he picked up along the way to get the materials he’d need for his profession faster, he continued to forage through the grasses for anything he could. Herbs, spices, perhaps some form of mushrooms even.

Unlike artisans, blacksmiths and tailors, he was a lucky one. Cooks and alchemists had it best in both ways- they always had hustle since buffs were invaluable, and they could use anything they picked up for a craft of theirs, while equipment crafters were more limited to ores and materials and less so to vegetation and spices that the entirety of Aincrad was filled with. “Yet another strategical move by the number one trickster in all of Aincrad…”

Materials Found: 2/5

Edited October 7, 2020 by Sv3n

[ChaseR 0]

Oh, what horrid tastes Chase would fall victim to. He wouldn’t let Sven off just like that though. Once he got his profession, he was planning to keep him around as his personal cook, of sorts. He’d take any food that Sven had for cheap due to his failed scamming, however in return Sven could cook the foods however, whichever and with whatever way or ingredients he pleased- within reason of course.

He was fully aware that the blonde was capable of using even dirt as part of the main ingredients, which would get a scheduled fistful right to the face and a good kick over to the boars’ direction. Something he could assure that Sven, definitely didn’t want to do. He was made for tricking and conning others after all, and he knew that fully well- otherwise, he’d be a fighter instead of trying to make money off the unaware in the first town still. 

[Sv3n 0]

After a bit of foraging, he wiped some sweat off of his forehead, looking down at his hand filled with a few materials. They were probably not near enough, but now was time to count them all. “What are you doing over there?”, Chase suspiciously asked him and neared closer, tilting his head over the crouched man’s shoulder to watch him counting the materials one by one. “... Can you ever do something without looking shady?”, he grunted and scratched the back of his head with one hand, passing over some materials he'd picked up and then moving back again to give him some space.

Not enough to run away, but… Sven just laughed in response. He quickly put all of the materials back in his inventory and held a hand out towards the bluehead, giving his usual shit-eating grin. “By the way, the name’s not Seven. It’s Sven. And yours is… Chaser? Was the real one Chase, or is there a deeper meaning at play?”

Materials Found: 2/5

Edited October 7, 2020 by Sv3n

[ChaseR 0]

His charisma was quickly turning into what sounded very cynical, and poor choice of words at the same time given his current predicament. “... Don’t comment on predictable names when you’re wearing yours on your sleeve with a number all the same.”, Chase just huffed, untouched by words. He was rude, but that was to be expected after he tried to con a frontliner into spending col on bogus food.

“Do you have what we needed to head back over to the grandmaster cook so you can pay me back already or will you continue to dilly dally over here in the fields?”, he questioned in slight annoyance, keeping both of his arms crossed once the two pulled their hands back from the handshake. “Hmm… If I’m right, I should have everything necessary. Then again, a second check would never hurt- or more materials to hoard while they exist in order to pump out more dishes, isn’t that right?”

[Sv3n 0]

“Nah, that’s not right.”, Chase blatantly shut his question down with furrowed brows and the same suspicious look on his face. “You have limited attempts at cooking or whatever your profession is per day based on your rank. Meaning you’ll be a scrublord at first, and then you can work on becoming a better cook to give me more deals a day. You’ll be doing exactly that to pay me back, so that I make sure you’re actually not just rubbing off on me right now. Got it?”. For the first time in ever, Chase was actually being assertive and even scaring Sven slightly.

Then again, it’s not like he didn’t deserve it any after attempting what he did… If anything, he was still being treated with much more lenience than he should have- if being violent or stealing was enough reason for an orange cursor, attempting to cheat money out of somebody for what’s air to breathe in return, should be a criminal action all the same. But Cardinal wasn’t taught to look at it all equally- it was taught the outliers and acted on them, and them alone.

Materials Found: 3/5

Edited October 7, 2020 by Sv3n

[ChaseR 0]

The older man had little options left but to simply agree and take the deal. Then again, so long as those were the terms, he could have his own fun with it- nothing too bad. “I’ll still sell to others, you’ll get at most half of what I make each day, and still at half price than the normal I’ll sell for. Do we have a deal, Chase?”, Sven rather cockily attempted to barter the conditions, getting a quiet and intense stare from the blueberry.

After a bit of thinking about it, he loosened up and the tension in the air began to disperse. The two shook hands again as the two exchanged nods with one another. “... Very well then. Actually help others this time and I see no issue with this.”, he agreed in response, still rather wary about the guy. So far at least, he was proceeding with the quest as he should, so he must at least be serious to some extent- that or very desperate to act like he’d pick up the cooking proficiency just to get caught lying in a few minutes.

[Sv3n 0]

Now that the two had agreed upon their conditions, they began to slowly head back on to the town. While this wasn’t the best way to get acquainted with one another, Chase had a good feeling for what Sven was like right now- he’d try to squeeze an extra penny or two out of anybody for the right item, and he had the charisma of a marketing figure. It was surprising that his first attempt, and thankfully the only one, was on Chase in and of itself. Horrible luck on his behalf, or some others might even consider it good luck. In this case, most that weren’t the blonde.

“What’s up with the crown anyways?”, Chase asked in an attempt to familiarize himself with the borderline thief. If they were going to stick together due to the agreement they’d come to, they might as well get familiarized with one another beforehand. “Ah, this? Well… I’m not a thief really, but…”. And that’s exactly what it was, a clever play of words. Nothing more, nothing less.

Materials Found: 3/5

Edited October 7, 2020 by Sv3n

[ChaseR 0]

“... King of Thieves? Are you trying to play it smart with puns, or are you just dancing around my question?”, he growled in return and clenched both fists, only to get a laugh out of Sven. Even now, he could laugh. He never seemed to lose his cool after all- emphasis on seemed. “No, that’s really what it is. It’s a stupid pun, something to get people’s interest, plus… No better neon sign to wear than a golden, bejeweled crown to give yourself all the attention you’ll need to run a successful business. Right?”

He had a way of thinking that Chase couldn’t wrap his head around, but… He wasn’t the best person to talk about business to really. His own shop wasn’t really thriving, having more than two whole sales when it came to people. Technically four, but with each person buying two trinkets, that left him to a very low score he should have been embarrassed for really.

[Sv3n 0]

The two now stood outside of the cooking grandmaster’s hut, as Chase shot a quick glance to the side, ready to open his mouth and instruct him to step right in. Before he could do that even, Sven seemed to be on with it. He began to strut inside, arrogant as ever, with his chest slightly puffed out and whole stance changing slightly to resemble confidence. “I wonder if he realizes it’s an NPC waiting for him inside… Everybody says I’m the odd one for treating them properly, so…”

And then it struck him. “... Don’t tell me he’s going to try and ‘lure’ the cook in with his ‘natural charisma’ bullshit. Please don’t.”. Thankfully, none of that was really at play. If anything, he was actually already on with trying to cook. “Hey, make it some kind of a bread bun, you hear?”, Chase called out to him, only to get a thumbs up from inside with the posh-looking man’s back turned to him.

[Crafting failed. -1 T1 Material]

Edited October 7, 2020 by Sv3n

[ChaseR 0]

Waiting outside, it took a few minutes and there were still no signs of Sven. There was no way he could have just left mid-quest, so he was probably still attempting to cook all the same. Whichever the case, bluehead over here would wait as long as it took. With a deep sigh and a look around the streets, he noticed the lack of players- most had probably made their move on to trying to get stronger and join the frontlines, while dreamers would dream on in the warm embrace of inns where nothing can really hurt you.

This even brought him back to the little adventure that resulted in him finding out about DAY in Bistro's shop, and then with a visit to NIGHT's house. "It's been just a week, but we've made plenty of memories here, all of us. I can only imagine what it's like for those that were out here for months, trying to fight their way out of Aincrad... And then you have people like Sven, trying to take advantage of the helpless and newbies down here. Tch."

[Sv3n 0]

Sven continued to dillydally around the kitchen, trying his best to appear flashy and managing little. For as much as he could achieve the flashy results, seeing as all he had to do was rely on a good streak of luck, he wasn't getting any and that just put him to shame more and more. The grandmaster cook was looking at him with a bit of worry and disappointment plastered on her face due to his theatrics, and he didn't seem to be helping her any with how much his attempts at cooking failed on and on.

"Watch this, I assure you I will get it right now to not let you down, my humble head cook of this restaurant.", he almost sang out and prepared to work on another attempt, letting out a deep breath. Inhaling, exhaling... He was ready to do this successfully and make a competent meal out of this quest, as a start to his career as cook.

[Salvage. Keeping material.]

Edited October 7, 2020 by Sv3n

[ChaseR 0]

Chase continued to reminiscent in the meantime, his mind running as far back as when he met Shay, Ariel, Kiluia, Haine... All these pleasant encounters he'd made down here in the first floor... He was starting to wonder what life in Aincrad would have been without them- without Shay, he'd be lost. Without Ariel, he wouldn't have done a few missions or gotten his armor. Without Kiluia and Haine, he'd be lacking some competent allies he could rely on. Without NIGHT, he'd be nowhere, struggling to get even a single point of SP through quests around the mid second tier.

He relied on others a lot to get where he was right now, but that's alright. Because that's what everybody did. Give and take, that's how Aincrad worked. It was a well oiled machine where all the gears need to work in tandem. That's why he was helping newbies like Ozwald, or even Sven over here get started so he could contribute to the people he tried to take from. "... So all I have to do is keep helping others, and I'll have returned the favor."