[SP-F1] The Start of Something Different (COMPLETE)

[Sotarou 0]

No Logout button... Kayaba's holding us hostage... and all I can do is think 'Why am I here?'

Kisuke- I mean, Sotarou, sat there in the courtyard just after the announcement had gone off... he had been looking everywhere in the <> for how to get a profession. He was about to get his answer from another player when the teleport happened... then the announcement from Kayaba... he was frantic with worry at the beginning of it... but soon, he began to feel less worry and more anger... anger at Kayaba for trapping him in this deathtrap; anger at his father for driving him to this game; and anger at himself... for looking towards games to run from something he shouldn't have been running from in the first place... and once again, all he could think was 'Why am I here?'

[Sotarou 0]

Armed with a small shortsword that didn't seem to fit him at all, he ventured forth and looked for any weak creatures he could kill in one hit... maybe with enough of them, he could actually level up and climb higher in the tower... in fact... he HAD to climb higher in the tower... for his own sake... he wasn't going to die in this forsaken, pitiful excuse for what would most likely be his... entire... life... oh, who was he kidding? There was no way he was going to pull this off! ... but no... he HAD to pull this off. He HAD to succeed. He had to win. That was his drive now. Before, he had gotten this game to get away from family... now... he had a new purpose... to survive! To win! To push forward and know that everything that comes after this... will be the next foot forward! The journey would be long... but the destination clear! Floor 100! Even if he couldn't be on the front lines, he'd work hard and maybe he could just make their weapons! If even one of his weapons turned out to help defeat the final boss, he'd feel like he accomplished something! So... that was his goal! But first... he had to get good enough to fend off the monsters in this place... because if he couldn't even defeat a small pig, there was no way he was going to survive the game. And that was not acceptable.

[Sotarou 0]

A few hours of fighting Pig monsters and gaining experience, as well as a ton of trash loot hardly even worth a Col, he felt a little winded. "Wow... I'll say this about the guy... Kayaba's made this game pretty realistic... I actually feel like I'm tired from all of this combat I've done... well... guess that's that... I'd better make my way back to town." And with that, he'd head into town to find out more about Professions and such. He wanted to learn how to do so... and noone was going to stop him from enjoying himself while he was in here anyway. Besides, those pigs brought him down to 2 HP left... he was foolhardy, but he wasn't going to go into another fight that'd potentially kill him in one shot...

[Sotarou 0]

After much searching, he found out that there was a quest giver on Floor 5 that would be able to help him with all that... and that made his day. But... at the same time, it also disheartened him... he knew that the first 9 levels, the bosses had been cleared, but at the same time he'd have to level up enough to be able to survive the fights he'd get into on upper floors... but before any of that, he'd have to get some sleep so he could recover his lost hit points. Thankfully, the starting Inn was extremely cheap in the Col department... not like it mattered, it still drained Sotarou's Col amount to... precisely zero. All that Junk that he sold, it helped him to get just enough Col to sleep safely... so... that's what he did for the time being.

[Sotarou 0]

The next morning saw Sotarou headed out onto the fields of Floor 1 once more to endure more pig abuse... he really hated this. He was fighting with a Shortsword, a weapon that didn't feel at ALL right in his hand... he seriously wanted to upgrade, but for that he'd have to fight enough Frenzy Boars to get enough Col to get possibly a longsword. It wouldn't feel right either, but it'd feel much better than attacking with a short little short sword. Almost felt like a knife in his hands... he, who had forged his own blade at one point... "Wow, I'm starting to think like my old man..." He did his best impersonation of him. "'A blade won't suit you until you craft it with your bare hands... then you know that you've crafted your own arm.' Pffft... yeah, great advice dad... not gonna help me much in here!" He shouted to the sky... which was probably a bad idea, since a few nearby Frenzy Boars heard him and all began charging him! He ran like the little wimpy fighter he was! Then... his brain switched over! 'What am I doing? I can take these things! They're only level 1! I've had plenty of practice now, I can take these things easy!' It's then he stops and spins himself around, preparing for battle. 'Okay, there's three of them... each at 2 health. This should be easy!' With that, he'd make the first strike.

~-- Edit after Battle Roll --~

The blade hit true enough, as he dashed forward towards the pigs and dragged his blade through the side of one of them... it didn't kill it, but it seemed badly hurt by the attack. They all then decided to charge him... but the injured one stumbled, bumbling into a second boar, which caused the pair of them to trip over themselves and not do any real damage... however, the third boar did get a hit in. Only one HP, but it felt like getting gut-checked by his old man! He slid back a few feet from the force of the blow, but he stood his ground! "Heh... gonna have to do better than that!"

Sotarou - 4/5

Pig 1 - 1/2

Pig 2 - 2/2

Pig 3 - 2/2

[Sotarou 0]

Sotarou took the opportunity of both of those pigs getting tangled up in each other to finish off the pig he had started on! A single sword swipe would do the trick, but he didn't want to be caught in the middle of two opposing rock walls that would crush him... so running towards the injured boar, he aimed a sword slash at it!

~-- Will edit after Battle Rolls --~

The blade dug deep into the previously made wound, causing the Pig to shatter in death. "One down, two of you dumb pigs to go! What was I running for? You guys are a joke!" He waited for a ping of loot, but none came. "Damn... your friend didn't give any loot... how about you two?" Their response was a coordinated effort to attack Sotarou, however he just backed away from the spot and let them hit each other... a bit hard... they each took a point of damage from it! "Like I said, dumb pigs!"

Sotarou - 4/5

Pig 1 - 0/2 (Dead)

Pig 2 - 1/2

Pig 3 - 1/2

[Sotarou 0]

Sotarou took their momentary moment to attack one of the stunned pigs to end its existence and garner another chance for some loot... if he was going to fight out here, there was no way he'd feel better unless he had a Longsword... so either Col or a Longsword itself would work just fine! Though he'd prefer a Katana, he was pretty sure those didn't exist... nevertheless, he took aim and struck towards the boar!

~-- Will edit after Battle Roll --~

The blade was quick and true this time around, as the boar just stood there in its dazed stupor! One quick slice, and the boar's head was cleanly snipped from its body, before the whole thing just exploded in the telltale shards of a foe dying... and then, a ping! What was it, what was it, what was it... he'd check after the battle, as the last Boar attempted to hit him... and hit him he did! Hard! A critical hit that definitely knocked the wind out of Sotarou! He was still standing, but he definitely didn't want to take one more of those hits...

Sotarou - 2/5

Pig 1 - 0/2 (Dead)

Pig 2 - 0/2 (Dead)

Pig 3 - 1/2

[Sotarou 0]

Breathing heavily, Sotarou stared at this pig... it wasn't going to best him... not like this... he was going to end this battle, and this boar was going to die! With an almighty yell and a charge, he aimed once more for another decapitation, the rush of battle pounding through his heart!

~-- Will edit after Battle Roll --~

In his hasty charge, he failed to notice a pile of pig dung on the ground, his foot catching in it as he slipped to the ground! "Okay... maybe this game's a little TOO realistic..." Suddenly, the last boar charged him instead! But... thankfully, Sotarou had enough wits about him to roll out of the way and let the pig just end up a few feet away before it stopped fully. Sotarou quickly stood up... he had to be careful... that charge could have done some serious damage... and he wasn't about to endure that!

Sotarou - 2/5

Pig 1 - 0/2 (Dead)

Pig 2 - 0/2 (Dead)

Pig 3 - 1/2

[Sotarou 0]

More heavy breathing, he was going to end this pig's existence! No matter what it took! Looking around the battlefield, he made sure there was nothing he'd step in this time, and once again charged the boar! "I... HATE... PIGS!"

~-- Will edit after Battle Roll --~

But... he just slipped again! And on the same pig dung pile! "OH COME ON!" And once again, here came the boar. He tried to roll away again, but the pig was a little quicker, stomping down on Sotarou's hand! It wasn't a crit, thankfully... but he was still at 1 HP left... this was getting to be a bad situation for him. He had to end this fight and quickly... now he didn't care about the loot, he just wanted to win! He wasn't about to run, he was about to win!

[Sotarou 0]

Getting ready again and nursing his left hand, his right hand was still good to go to fight with... and that's all he'd need for now... he instead decided to let the pig come for him this time! This pig seemed intent on the kill, but he wasn't going to give him that satisfaction! As the boar charged, he side-stepped and attempted not to decap this time, just to land a hit! Any hit! Please...

~-- Will edit after Battle Roll --~

And by some sort of GM miracle, he managed to hit it! It ran past him and stopped for a second, then exploded once more in death. A small jingle of combat victory rang in his ears as he sighed in relief! Then another ping of loot acquired. "Cool... two pieces of loot... let's see what they are, then..." Pulling up the HUD, he checked his acquired loot... he blinked in disbelief... The first piece of loot he'd acquired was a Longsword, shown equippable... then... the second item... was a Katana! Shown to not be equippable at present... he'd have to learn more about that! There were Katanas in this game! Something he felt more at home with! And he wasn't going to stop until he learned how he could wield it. But for now, he switched out the Shortsword he'd been using all this time and now equipped the Longsword. But... the moment he had it equipped, he decided that he was going to head back to town! This was too much for him to deal with right now...

[Sotarou 0]

As Sotarou returned to town, he headed straight for the Inn and a good night's rest... though before he did, he checked his inventory once again... and as he thought, the Katana was still there. He rezzed it out and took a closer, more detailed look at it... it definitely looked well-forged... but at the same time, it looked like it could be a whole lot better... and he definitely was going to make it better. No matter what. But for now, he paid what little Col he had from selling his Short Sword to the Innkeeper and took a room for the night... little did he know, because he'd not even checked, that the battle with those three pigs leveled him up... tomorrow, he'd be a level 2 SAO player... he was starting to get the hang of it! And soon, he'd be swinging the Katana around like it was his own arm.

~-- OOC Below --~

Okay, so we have Sotarou having gotten his first level, his first tough-esque fight, and his first look at a goal! I think that'd be all of it for now... so...

-COMPLETE!-