[SP-F1] <<Earning a Living>> (Complete)

[RyouheiTakeshi 0]

After accepting his quest, Ryouhei decided that he would go and spend some time out in the fields, not only to search for materials, but also to begin his training.

If I'm going to be of any help to anyone around here, I have to work on my technique. Surely this can't be too difficult. Most MMOs are just point-and-click fests anyhow.

As he was headed towards the open fields, he caught a strange smell gently floating through the air, caressing Ryouhei's nose. It smelled like freshly-baked bread, one of Ryouhei's favorite foods. He became distracted from his original goal of exploring and leveling up as he wandered through the streets in the Town of Beginnings, seeking out the wonderous scent in the air. Finally, Ryouhei began to hear a very commanding voice shouting down the street,

Fresh, hot bread! Get your fresh baked bread here! Only at 300 Col a loaf!

Upon hearing this, Ryouhei quickly approached the booth, eager to try some of the bread. However, when he went to pay for his snack, he realized that he couldn't afford bread that expensive.

Pardon me, sir, but did you say that a loaf of bread costs 300 Col? Doesn't that seem a bit steep?

Well, sonny, if you've got an issue with it, you can just go make your own. I've got to earn a living here too, you know?

Hm... And where might I be able to learn to cook for myself?

Well, my supply comes from Horunka Village. All the hunters there love a great chef. You might be able to learn from Chef Cinder there. It's a bit of a trek from here, though. You may have to fight some monsters to make it.

Ryouhei pivoted to face the direction he came from and slowly walked away from the stand, all while the man continued to shout from his booth...

[RyouheiTakeshi 0]

Entering the open fields of Floor 1, Ryouhei felt a light breeze dance about the air. He looked around to see several different monsters wandering the fields as well as other players exploring the field. He looked down at his hands, noticing his heads up display surrounding his vision. He almost totally forgot it was there. Was he starting to believe that this was reality...?

No. I mustn't forget the real world. I have to get back there. For Kagami. For Mio...

Ryouhei took a deep breath and drew his sword from the sheath on his back. The distinct sound of the metal blade sliding out of its holster made him realize that this world was much more than a game. It was now a test, a trial. Something to examine his will to survive. He was no longer fighting for himself. He was fighting for his loved ones and their memories.

I WILL survive this. And I WILL become stronger than ever before...

With his mind focused, Ryouhei began to walk along the dirt road towards his destination...

[RyouheiTakeshi 0]

Not far into his journey, Ryouhei noticed a very suspicious-looking figure walking just ahead of him. He was dressed in what appeared to be a bandit's clothes. The man occasionally glanced back at Ryo, almost as if to ensure he was still there. Eventually, Ryouhei decided to look behind him to see if there was something back there that had caught the man's attention. Behind him, following at a distance, was another man dressed in bandit garb. Realizing that these men were following him, he decided to take a hard left to try and shake them off. As he went to turn, a cold blade blocked his path.

Where do you think YOU'RE going, kid? You seem a bit lost to us!

Ryouhei looked where the bandit ahead of him was only to find him right in his face.

You look a bit well-off, kiddo. Mind sharing some of that wealth with us?

Ryo looked to his left and right, glaring at the two highwaymen.

You two think you're threatening? I'll give you something to fear...

Ryo held his blade behind him. Using left foot as a base and his right foot to pivot, he quickly swung his blade in a wide circle to get both of the bandits off of him...

Ryouhei: 5/5 HP

Bandit 1: 4/4 HP

Bandit 2: 4/4 HP

[RyouheiTakeshi 0]

Targeting the first bandit, Ryouhei turned to face him. The robber pulled out a short sword while the other brandished a dagger. Ryo charged towards the first bandit, confident that he could hit him. The man simply sidestepped past Ryo's stab. Chuckling, he turned to slash Ryouhei. However, thinking quickly, he ducked beneath the swipe. Refocusing his efforts, Ryouhei went for a clean slash across the robber's chest.

[RyouheiTakeshi 0]

The robber attempted to dodge, but was unable to surpass Ryouhei's speed. Celebrating a small victory, Ryouhei quickly readied himself to continue his assault. The robber wielding a dagger took advantage of Ryouhei's arrogance to get a quick hit in against him. This pain merely enraged Ryouhei even further, and he focused his anger towards the bandits. He brandished his sword and whispered under his breath,

Now, you're dead...

Ryouhei: 4/5 HP

Robber 1: 2/4 HP

Robber 2: 4/4 HP

[RyouheiTakeshi 0]

Turning to face the bandit that stabbed him, Ryouhei charged towards him with a scream. Attempting slash after slash, Ryouhei aimed to kill the robber that managed to injure him. He knew that losing too many hit points would end his adventure as well as his life. He could never return home to the real world, never see Mio or Kagami again, and never finish his life. He wasn't about to lose to a couple of petty thieves.

Ryouhei: 4/5 HP

Bandit 1: 2/4 HP

Bandit 2: 4/4 HP

[RyouheiTakeshi 0]

While Ryouhei had sheer speed on his side, the bandit barely dodged each of his attacks. He decided to slow down and take a breather to try and regain his focus. Holding the hilt of his sword similar to a baseball bat with both hands, he began to charge up a huge attack. The last thing he yelled before taking a big swing was,

Batter... UP!!

Ryouhei: 4/5 HP

Bandit 1: 2/4 HP

Bandit 2: 4/4 HP

[RyouheiTakeshi 0]

Even with his focus, he was still unable to make his attacks connect. The bandit with the dagger chuckled and replied,

Oh, is it my turn now?

He began to stab at Ryouhei over and over, looking for a weakness in his defenses. While Ryo and the dagger bandit fight, the sword bandit attempts to stop the bleeding from his torso.

Ryouhei: 4/5 HP

Bandit 1: 2/4 HP

Bandit 2: 4/4 HP

[RyouheiTakeshi 0]

Ryouhei quickly attempted to glance off the stabs, but he wasn't fast enough to outspeed the dagger. The bandit hit on a critical spot, reducing Ryouhei's HP even further than before. He realized that if he didn't do something, it would be game over for him. Choking down fear of death, Ryouhei went for another clean cut to the torso, hoping that he would manage to land a hit.

Ryouhei: 2/5 HP

Bandit 1: 2/4 HP

Bandit 2: 4/4 HP

[RyouheiTakeshi 0]

Starting to become more confident with combat, Ryouhei was able to not only pull off a clean hit, but he was able to get in some extra damage. The bandit cried out as Ryouhei himself hit a critical point. The thief raised his dagger and shouted,

NOW YOU'RE DEAD, KID!

He took another violent series of stabs at Ryouhei, hoping only to finish him off. Ryouhei began to sweat as he tried to dodge each and every attack that came his way.

Ryouhei: 2/5 HP

Bandit 1: 2/4 HP

Bandit 2: 1/4 HP

[RyouheiTakeshi 0]

Smirking, Ryouhei easily dodged past each of the robber's attempts to finish him. He chuckled to himself and said,

That the best you got?

He quickly returned fire with another attempt at his baseball swing technique. While he knew it wasn't the most efficient way to deal damage, he knew that it would work and get him out of his sticky situation. By this time, the other bandit had recovered enough to get ready to go back into combat.

Ryouhei: 2/5 HP

Bandit 1: 2/4 HP

Bandit 2: 1/4 HP

[RyouheiTakeshi 0]

With one final swing, Ryouhei cut clean through the second bandit, bringing his combat days to an end. The bandit looked directly into Ryouhei's eyes just before disappearing into nothingness in a shower of blue pixels. About that time, the other robber was looking to get vengeance for his dead partner. He took a swing at Ryouhei, who caught wind of the attack just barely in time.

Ryouhei: 2/5 HP

Bandit 1: 2/4 HP

[RyouheiTakeshi 0]

Just as Ryouhei was feeling the sting of another successful attack, he also felt a surge of power flow through him - he had leveled up! And none too late, for he was running low on HP. With his newfound strength, he took another huge swing at the last bandit standing before him while shouting at the top of his lungs.

Ryouhei: 3/7 HP

Bandit 1: 2/4 HP

[RyouheiTakeshi 0]

...however, his new power wasn't quite enough as he wiffed right past the bandit. The thief, still in a great amount of pain, attempted once again to finish what he had started. His last attack had almost GIVEN Ryo more health, so he was looking to finish this fight and go on about his business.

Ryouhei: 3/7 HP

Bandit 1: 2/4 HP

[RyouheiTakeshi 0]

It felt as though these two characters were ghosts. Or at least that's what Ryo thought! Both of them had continually missed so many attacks and he had grown bored of the fight. He attempted to stab directly into the bandit's throat so that he could earn his rewards for the fight and continue working on his quest...

Ryouhei: 3/7 HP

Bandit 1: 2/4 HP

[RyouheiTakeshi 0]

With one final swipe, Ryouhei finally dispatched the last of the bandits. While he began to catch his breath, a small window popped up in front of him that said,

RESULT: +40 Col

He had done it. Somehow, he had won his first fight in SAO. While he wasn't quite used to the combat system yet, he felt that he was getting better. Ryo began to analyze the last fight and realized that he had become overconfident again. Damn it, why did he always get so arrogant in video games? No, this is no game. Not anymore. There is absolutely no room for failure here. Failure in Aincrad will result in something much worse than a respawn timer. His last fight had worn him out, so he decided to find a safe place to nap for a while and revel in his first of hopefully many victories...

[RyouheiTakeshi 0]

Ryouhei slowly awakened from his slumber, expecting to be back at home in the bed that he had awakened in for the rest of his life. However, he found himself beneath a tree out in an open field in some peasant clothing with a cold blade strapped to his back. He was still here in Aincrad, trapped within this horrible Death Game that had separated him from his loved ones. After a good stretch, Ryouhei suddenly realized he wasn't alone. He noticed another cutpurse standing behind a tree. He was so poorly hidden that Ryo didn't even need to use <> to see him. However, the bandit had the upper hand since Ryouhei hadn't yet drawn his weapon, and quickly used two daggers to slice at Ryouhei.

Ryouhei: 7/7 HP

Bandit Cutpurse: 6/6 HP

[RyouheiTakeshi 0]

Ryouhei was ready for the bandit this time and was able to avoid his brutal attacks. Ryo scoffed at his attempts to deal damage and responded with a series of swipes of his own. Ryouhei soon realized just how quickly he responded to the bandit in this situation. Was he really getting accustomed to this world, treating it as reality? He couldn't possibly be forgetting the real world, could he...?

Ryouhei: 7/7 HP

Bandit Cutpurse: 6/6 HP

[RyouheiTakeshi 0]

Ryo's thoughts were distracting him, and the thief took advantage of this to avoid each of his advances. Ryouhei shook it off and made sure to pay attention to the rapid stabs the cutpurse was attempting. He needed to do much better than he did in the last fight. He decided that he'd rather avoid being close to death, if at all possible.

Ryouhei: 7/7 HP

Bandit Cutpurse: 6/6 HP

[RyouheiTakeshi 0]

Ryo was easily able to sidestep the bandit's vicious jabs. He realized that all he had to do to master the combat system in this game was put himself into the situation. He decided to try something new. He was attempting a huge swipe to the bandit's torso in an attempt to push him back. He questioned whether or not he could knock the thief back, but he decided to go for it anyway.

Ryouhei: 7/7 HP

Bandit Cutpurse: 6/6 HP