Calyx 0 Posted July 22, 2014 #1 Report Share Posted July 22, 2014 Calyx wandered the streets of Starting City wide-eyed and enraptured, taking in the magnificent world he had just plugged into. The world of Aincrad was nothing like the beige, cookie-cutter suburb he had just been sitting in a moment ago; these streets were filled with color, life, and a world of new sensory experiences. Even the people here seemed different: better, somehow. Maybe it was the unspoken bond of SAO that everyone here shared; after all, each of these people had to be as dedicated to video games as Calyx was to have bought a NerveGear and preordered SAO, just to play it on opening day. Yes, these were Calyx's people. He was going to like it here. Link to post Share on other sites
Calyx 0 Posted July 22, 2014 Author #2 Report Share Posted July 22, 2014 As he walked by one of the town's many weapon stalls, a particularly ornate and shiny sword caught Calyx's eye. "Ooooh... how much is that one?", Calyx asked the NPC shopkeeper as he pointed to the sword. "20,000 Col", replied the shopkeeper. Given that this looked like a pretty ornate sword, it probably wasn't something Calyx would be able to buy with what little funds the game gave him to start off with. However, the actual prices of items and the relative value of Col wasn't something that was explicitly talked about much in the manual that came with the game's preorder (which of course Calyx had read over and over until he had it practically memorized), so Calyx pulled up his inventory to see what he had been given to start with, more out of curiosity than anything else. Link to post Share on other sites
Calyx 0 Posted July 22, 2014 Author #3 Report Share Posted July 22, 2014 "200 Col!", Calyx exclaimed out loud, accidentally. Calyx looked down at the dull, rusty starter sword that hung at his hip and lamented his newly discovered lack of power. Mildly less enamored with the virtual city around him, Calyx hung his head and started back down the street, away from the shopkeeper. This was going to be a tougher grind than he thought. It was an MMO, so some grinding was a given, but... 100 times the Col he had now, just for a sword? That seemed a little steep. Link to post Share on other sites
Calyx 0 Posted July 22, 2014 Author #4 Report Share Posted July 22, 2014 Then a thought struck Calyx: this was an MMO, and he was good at MMOs. He had been playing them his entire life. Sure grinding was a pain, but it's not like he didn't know how to do it. Step 1: Find level-appropriate monsters you can farm. Step 2: Kill monsters. Step 3: Acquire currency. Step 4: Rinse and repeat. SAO was more realistic than any other video game that had ever seen the light of day, but surely Kayaba Akihiko, in all his genius, wouldn't have made it any more time consuming to advance in than a regular MMO? After all, these people still had other lives in the real world to attend to. Link to post Share on other sites
Calyx 0 Posted July 22, 2014 Author #5 Report Share Posted July 22, 2014 Inspired by his newfound sense of purpose, Calyx set off through Starting City with his chin up once again. The preorder manual came with a rough map of Floor 1 and descriptions of some of the low level monsters, so Calyx knew there were some low level boars roaming the plains just outside the city. His sword was pretty bad, true, but it was almost certainly functional, and should be able to put out enough damage to kill a level 1 boar... Link to post Share on other sites
Calyx 0 Posted July 22, 2014 Author #6 Report Share Posted July 22, 2014 As Calyx crossed under the grand archway that served as the main gates to the city, he surveyed the field out before him. The vast expanses of grasslands dotted with lazily grazing animals reminded him of his aunt's house back in the real world. He and his parents used to visit her from time to time, and she lived in a much more rural area than the suburbs they came from. She didn't live on a farm per se, but she did live in the kind of area where you couldn't go much of anywhere without driving past at least a barn or a small herd of cows. The twilight backdrop on the plains in front of Calyx now was definitely beautiful, but something about it was... different, than the ones he remembered seeing at his aunt's house. Lesser, somehow, for being virtual. It seems strange that that would be the case, given that the NerveGear was supposed to be sending the same impulses to a player's brain that experiencing it in the real world would, but Calyx just couldn't shake the feeling anyway. That was something he would have to ponder another time, though. Right now, he had boars to kill. Link to post Share on other sites
Calyx 0 Posted July 22, 2014 Author #7 Report Share Posted July 22, 2014 It didn't take long wandering through the low grass for Calyx to come upon his intended target. The boar wandered nonchalantly around his patch of field, stopping occasionally to bite off some grass or sniff at a particularly interesting-looking clump of dirt. Calyx couldn't help but marvel for a moment at the way the creature moved. It seemed entirely lifelike, and had Calyx not known he was in a video game (and had he not been carrying around a sword), he might not have even known the boar wasn't real. Calyx had been somewhat of an aspiring game designer back in the real world, and he had toyed around with AI enough to know how difficult it was to make a program like this seem truly lifelike. He took in the beast and its surroundings for a moment in silent reverence, and then slowly drew his sword and advanced for the attack. Link to post Share on other sites
Calyx 0 Posted July 22, 2014 Author #8 Report Share Posted July 22, 2014 Sword in hand, Calyx cautiously advanced toward the boar until he was within a few meters away. By now the boar had noticed him, and taken a curious interest in the new creature. Calyx and the boar eyed each other, both trying to size the other up, until the boar began to trot over to Calyx at a brisk pace. It was now or never, and Calyx wasn't going to pass up a free first shot on an unsuspecting target. If he was going to kill this thing, he would have to commit. As the boar stepped within range of sword strike, Calyx took his first virtual stab at its torso. *Battle initiated* Battle dice: 6 Calyx does 1 damage, blocks no damage Calyx health: 5/5 Boar health: 2/3 Link to post Share on other sites
Calyx 0 Posted July 22, 2014 Author #9 Report Share Posted July 22, 2014 Much to Calyx's surprise, his sword sliced the boar's underbelly, despite the boar veering away when it saw something being thrust at it. The boar squealed in surprise, and rounded back to face Calyx. Absorbed in his delight at landing a hit on his first try, Calyx was oblivious to the boar immediately charging in behind him, until the moment before he boar planted a tusk on either side of Calyx's left leg and hoisted him into the air, causing him to tumble backwards and land with his neck on the hard ground. Boar hits Boar does 1 damage, blocks no damage Calyx health: 4/5 Boar health: 2/3 Link to post Share on other sites
Calyx 0 Posted July 22, 2014 Author #10 Report Share Posted July 22, 2014 What an idiot. He barely lands one hit and then gets so wrapped up in his accomplishment he makes a total noob mistake. Calyx really needed to step up his game. Ignoring his bruised ego and thankful for that fact that players can't feel pain in SAO, Calyx stood up, brushed himself off, and readied his stance for another attack. That boar wasn't going to get the best of him like that again. Not content to let the boar come to him again this time, Calyx made a controlled but powerful charge toward the boar, with his sword raised above his head. Dice roll: 7 Calyx does 1 damage, blocks 0 damage Calyx health: 4/5 Boar health: 1/3 Link to post Share on other sites
Calyx 0 Posted July 22, 2014 Author #11 Report Share Posted July 22, 2014 *THUMP*. Calyx landed a clean hit on the boar's torso with his dull sword, and the beast seemed to be on its last leg (so to speak). Unfortunately, the boar hadn't taken kindly to Calyx charging back at it in a rage, and the boar had decided to attack as well; only this time, it was aiming with its tusk instead of its snout, and gored its right tusk clean through Calyx's right arm as he had swung his sword down onto the boar with his left. Calyx rolled off to the side, instinctively clutching his bloodied arm and in shock from the boar's sudden rage. He tumbled across the ground, gradually slowing and ending up on his back as the dust settled. The boar stood some distance away after the charge, waiting to see if its victim had been defeated. Boar critically hits Boar does 2 damage, blocks 0 damage Calyx health: 2/5 Boar health: 1/3 Link to post Share on other sites
Calyx 0 Posted July 22, 2014 Author #12 Report Share Posted July 22, 2014 Enough was enough. This boar meant business, and Calyx was in trouble if that boar got in another hit like that. Sure, he could just restart in town with only minor damage to his gear, and it was only the first day, but he'd rather not have to deal with the setback, and he'd feel personally insulted, even if no one else knew about what had happened. Alright. No more games. (Heh. Calyx chuckled to himself at the irony.) Wait, weren't there special superhuman moves you were supposed to be able to do in SAO? Why hadn't he been using those? Calyx was starting to get frustrated at his own incompetence. "Okay, what was that dash skill?", Calyx muttered to himself. "Sonic... something. I think I just have to hold my sword back like this and..." As Calyx raised his sword to the side and behind him and braced himself like he was about to launch into a run, his sword started glowing. He turned to look over at the luminescent weapon for a brief moment before the System took over and thrust his hand outward, charging him toward the boar. Dice 3: Calyx misses Calyx does 0 damage and blocks 0 damage Calyx health: 2/5 Boar health: 1/3 Link to post Share on other sites
Calyx 0 Posted July 22, 2014 Author #13 Report Share Posted July 22, 2014 The System propelled Calyx at superhuman speeds, but in the heightened state the boar was already in, and from the distance Calyx was away, it managed to dodge the attack just in time. The attack did, however, startle the creature, giving Calyx time for one last chance at an attack before the boar might have the presence of mind to attack again. Boar is startled and does not attack Boar does no damage Calyx health: 2/5 Boar health: 1/3 Link to post Share on other sites
Calyx 0 Posted July 22, 2014 Author #14 Report Share Posted July 22, 2014 Holding his sword down at his right side with his left hand after missing his previous attack, Calyx saw the small opening he had before the boar might attack again, and knew he had to make it count. Without thought for activating any particular skill this time, Calyx did what felt most natural, most powerful, and grabbed the sword with his right hand as well to swing it back up into the boar's chin. Just as he did, the sword began to glow again, and filled his virtual arms with a strength only the System could bestow, as he swung back up at the irksome boar. Dice roll: 3 Calyx does not hit or block any damage Calyx health: 2/5 Boar health: 1/3 Link to post Share on other sites
Calyx 0 Posted July 22, 2014 Author #15 Report Share Posted July 22, 2014 Calyx swung for the boar's head, but it was already in the process of retreating after the and was just out of range of Calyx's attack. Swing, and a miss. The time Calyx took making both attacks gave the boar a moment to recover, and when it did, it went on the offensive again; only now Calyx was paying attention. He knew that the boar wouldn't sit still forever, and that if he missed with his , the boar would likely go after him again. Using the momentum of his swing, Calyx let the weight of the sword help carry him up and over the boar, out of reach of its attack. He spun around in the air and landed facing the back of the boar, which had just finished charging past him. Boar misses Boar does no damage Calyx health: 2/5 Boar health: 1/3 Link to post Share on other sites
Calyx 0 Posted July 22, 2014 Author #16 Report Share Posted July 22, 2014 Okay, so maybe those System skills aren't all they're cracked up to be. Deciding against going for a third System attack, Calyx pulled his sword up and over his left shoulder like he was about to swing a baseball bat, and heaved down at the boar as hard as he could as he charged toward it on his own; no "System assistance" this time. Dice roll 1 Calyx does no damage and blocks no damage Calyx health: 2/5 Boar health: 1/3 Link to post Share on other sites
Calyx 0 Posted July 22, 2014 Author #17 Report Share Posted July 22, 2014 Calyx was so focused on charging at the boar and catching it off guard before it turned around, that he didn't notice the large rock in his path, which he promptly tripped over. While SAO may not have let him feel the physical pain of his face slamming into the dirt, it certainly didn't stop the burning flash of shame that swept over him. "The System never would have let me do that...", he mumbled as he quickly got up out of the dirt, hoping there wasn't anyone around to see that. There probably was. Probably girls. He was right outside the starting city, for Kayaba's sake. As he got up, he saw the boar turning to face him, now fully prepared for his next attack. Any element of surprise he may have had was now gone. Thrown in the dirt, along with some of the skin from his face. Humbled, but still determined to conquer this blasted boar, Calyx tried to mentally run through the list of sword skills he had read about in the manual. Boar does not attack Boar does no damage Calyx health: 2/5 Boar health: 1/3 Link to post Share on other sites
Calyx 0 Posted July 22, 2014 Author #18 Report Share Posted July 22, 2014 . When the name of the skill came back to him, Calyx knew that this was the ability to strike the final blow to this nefarious boar. Channeling all his rage at himself and at this stupid digital animal, Calyx crouched and held his sword in both hands, off to his left side. His feet began to glow this time, as well as the sword, and after a brief moment, he leapt into the air toward the boar. Dice roll 3 Calyx does no damage and blocks no damage Calyx health: 2/5 Boar health: 1/3 Link to post Share on other sites
Calyx 0 Posted July 22, 2014 Author #19 Report Share Posted July 22, 2014 Midway through the air, Calyx already knew he was done for. The boar had moved out of the path of his attack, and he was about to slam into the ground, defenseless for plenty long enough for the boar to get at least one good shot in. And that's exactly what happened. As Calyx's slammed into the ground where the boar had been moments ago, the boar wheeled around and took a shot at his back, tumbling him face-first into the dirt again. Boar hits Boar does 1 damage Calyx health: 1/5 Boar health: 1/3 Link to post Share on other sites
Calyx 0 Posted July 22, 2014 Author #20 Report Share Posted July 22, 2014 Fed up with this stupid boar, and tired of overthinking things, Calyx shoved off the ground and turned to swing at the boar that was standing just behind him, seemingly mocking his ineptitude. The attack was a powerful one, and fueled by anger; but not so clumsy that it couldn't be recovered from after Calyx likely missed. As he whirled around, swinging the blade in his left hand, the sword began to glow again, and he felt his swing accelerate toward the beast before him. Battle dice roll 7 Calyx does 1 damage and blocks 0 damage Calyx health 1/5 Boar health 0/3 Loot dice roll 16 Good quality item - Light metal armor Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts