[PP-F22] Somewhere You Belong

[Reytac 0]

Reytac strolled back through the Town of Beginnings, listening to the hustle and bustle of the town and the players around him as he walked. Even now, when he had a house settled, he came here to just be around others – this was still the place where the most players hung out, and outside of odd events it was where he absolutely saw the most. He didn’t even think he’d managed to finish all the quests down here – he knew for a fact, now, that there was a dungeon, a heinous dungeon, hidden somewhere on this floor, but he also knew he far and away wasn’t ready for that one. But it was also cathartic, to come back here, and see how far he had come. 

Not that long ago he had been just like these players, stumbling about in their starter equipment, if they even had any, and unsure of where he was meant to be going. Now here he was, scouting out quests and hunting for a dungeon or two to try getting specialized gear to prep for the front line. Hell, he’d been where the little white-haired girl on the teleporter pads was not long ago, trying to figure out where he needed to go, with not a lick to his name. Idly Rey rested one elbow on the table of the little café he was at, watching people coming and going, when his gaze was drawn back to that white -haired girl. Maybe because she reminded him a bit of Nisa, who always had odd things going on around her, but he found himself watching – and nearly knocking over his chair as he shot bolt upright when the woman clicked on the twenty-second floor icon. 

”Miss wait no-“ His voice was drowned out in the hubbub of people entering and leaving the plaza, as the woman clicked the confirmation button and vanished into a shimmer of light. Rey cursed under his breath as he rushed over to the plaza, nearly knocking another player over in his hurry. He paid no attention to the burly man who took offense, as his fingers flew through the teleporter menu. 

It’ fine, it’s fine, she must know someone there. Or, at worst, she’s in a safe zone, and was just trying to sight see. Nothing to worry about. Even as Rey thought this to himself, he couldn’t shake a level of concern for the ill-equipped young woman. Maybe he was being overly cautious, and he’d get there to find out she was going there intentionally, or even a front liner herself and just didn’t have her ‘work’ equipment on. Still, he hit the teleport button, and followed after her, just in case he was wrong. Or, right. 

The teleportation, as always, left him stumbling for a moment, and he shook his head to clear the vertigo that clung to him, and looked around. Not far away he spotted the girl again, and this time he was able to see her face as she walked along aimlessly – heading towards one of the safe zone’s gates. She looked.. Confused, and a little lost, and he cursed under his breath as she kept almost walking into Npcs and the odd player that were up on this floor. Rey had been here before, when he visited Sentinel to pick up some potions, so he was a little familiar with the floor, but it looked like this girl had no idea where she was going. 

”Miss, wait-“ Reytac called out to the woman as he started walking towards her. The woman looked over her shoulder at him, and what happened next Rey would normallly have told the girl was a smart idea if a random, unknown man called out to her. She started walking faster, and when he called out again, she took off running, sprinting past people and out through the city gates. Reytac had started jogging when she sped up, and he cursed under his breath. The armor he was wearing was slowing him down, enough that she pulled away as he tried to get her to stop. Shouting reassurances that he wasn’t trying to do anything would have just been dumb, and gotten him tackled by any of the players who were even now starting to turn and see what the commotion was. 

Then he was out himself, immediately pulling his hammer out when the possibility of mobs spawning became a thing. He could still see the girl ahead of him, now trying to run off the path, and he cursed as he pushed his legs as much as he could trying to speed up and catch her before anything happened. He knew that most of the obs on this floor were fairly passive, but if she ran into something- 

Rey heard a shout ahead, a scream, and cursed himself for jinxing things. Turned the corner in the road that the girl had run around moments before, and saw a boar pawing the ground as it snorted again and tossed its head. The girl was on the ground in front of it, with one shoe on the other side of the boar – she must have tripped over the lazy beast, and it was upset its nap had been interrupted. Rey lunged, getting between the girl and the boar just as it squealed and tried to charge into her.

One of the tusks buried itself in his stomach, thankfully not breaking through his armor, but it did knock the wind out of him. He latched on and heaved, tossing the boar away as he brought his hammer up, holding his free hand over his stomach as he wheeze. 

The boar got back to its feet, stumbling a little bit, then let out another squeal as it looked at Reytac. Reytac swung his hammer in the air between the – and let out a sigh of relief when the boar decided it wasn’t worth it, and wandered off, disappearing into the trees. He slumpedd down a little, before turning slightly to look at the girl – woman, even if she was younger than he that was behind him. 

”I’m sorry, Miss, I really was just trying to help you. You accidentally came to the twenty second floor.” He said between gasps as he rubbed his sore stomach. The pain sensations were deadened, but that had still been a punch in the gut that had knocked the wind right out of him. He coughed to one side as he let his hammer head drop to the ground, then used it to prop himself up for a moment like a makeshift cane. 

”My name is Reytac. Uh, it.. Kinda looks like you need some equipment. Sentinel Armaments is on this floor, we can probably help you get set up there. Or I can at the very least take you back to the safe zone – which you really shouldn’t leave, even if you’re being chased.” He offered as his breathing recovered and stabilized.

 

 

Reytac | HP: 720/720 | EN: 86/86 | DMG: 21 | MIT:66 | ACC:3 | LM: 1 | EVA:2 | BH:7 | LD:3

Tier 4 

Lvl 34

Edited 7 hours ago by Reytac

[Bliss 0]

Bliss was out training, wanting to test her limits. The forest was quiet. It was the perfect training area. At least until she heard shouting coming near the town outskirts. She assumed it was probably just a couple of players arguing over loot, either way it wasn't her problem. That changed quickly. A high pitched squeal came through the trees and she spotted a boar breaking through the trees. "Oh, fuck me." She attempted to dive out the way but she wasn't fast enough. The boar barreled into her sweeping her away. She clung onto the boar for dear life. "LET ME GO YOU LITTLE FUCKER!" She began hitting the boar with her wrench in hopes it would let her go. "STOP. MOVING. DAMMIT."

The boar moved wildly through the forest, taking Bliss for an insane ride. She hoped the boar would finally release her. She spotted the players who she assumed she heard, she could've sworn she'd spotted the man before, but she knew she'd never seen the woman. From what Bliss could see, the man seemed concerned. It was at that moment that the boar decided to buck, sending Bliss through the air as she collided with a tree. THUNK. It was almost a scene out of looney toons. She flopped onto the ground, landing flat on her ass. "Damned pig." Her voice was dripping with frustration. She brushed herself off and stood up. She made her way over to the two players, catching the tail end of their conversation. "Oh for sure. Wulfrin can get you kitted out, he doesn't charge for newbies. Plus his wife makes some really good pastries over at Fondante's Inferno." She smiled at the pair. "I'm Bliss. I have to agree with Reytac, you should watch yourself outside of safe zones. There's a gang currently operating on this floor that's been hassling players of all levels. I wouldn't wander off too much, especially while you're lower level."

* * *

Spoiler

Bliss | HP: 500/500 | EN: 68/68 | DMG: 3 | MIT:60 | ACC:1 | REC: 1                                                                                                                            
 

"Name: Bliss
True Tier: 3
Level: 25
Paragon Level: 0
HP: 500/500
EN: 68/68

Stats:
Damage: 3
Mitigation: 60
Accuracy: 1
REC: 1

Equipped Gear:
Weapon/Armor/Trinket: 
  - Mechanic's Tool Set | T1 Perfect Thrown Weapon |  ACC I | DMG II
Armor/Trinket: 
  - Variable Half-Plate | T1 Perfect Light Armor | MIT II | REC I
Shield/Armor/Trinket: 
  - 

Combat Mastery:
  - Combat Mastery: Mitigation R3

Combat Shift:
  - 

Familiar Skill:
  - 

Custom Skill:
  - 

Skills:
  - Light Armor R1

Extra Skills:

Inactive Extra Skills:

Addons:

Mods:

Inactive Mods:

Battle Ready Inventory:

Housing Buffs:

Guild Hall Buffs:

Scents of the Wild Totem:

Wedding Ring:

Crafting Profession:

Gathering Profession:
"                                                                                                                            

 

Edited 9 hours ago by KnightessCiela

[Aeva 0]

“You want a floor that’s serene? Why not try the 22nd? That’s what it’s practically known for!” The encouraging words of a local NPC operating as an information guide touted proudly as the pale-haired girl watched him with curiosity. She was still having trouble identifying which people were real and which ones were just programs, often forgetting about or simply not noticing the green icons floating above their heads. Aeva hadn’t been back on the first floor for what? 4 years? Though for the players it had apparently felt like 6. It was so strange. These streets and roads were so bustling and teeming with activity, both from players and NPC’s alike, though her only memory of this floor was the haunting emptiness of it all, and the nightmare that came after. There had been nobody, and now it was packed to the brim. It felt almost surreal, though Aeva was slowly starting to grasp the nature of her new reality, no matter how much she preferred it otherwise. For every player here, whether they were a frontliner or just a humble shopkeeper in a safe zone had built a life in this new world. What other choice did they have? She had missed so much when she was… Absent. It was all overwhelming, and she needed to get away from it all. Just for a few hours. Somewhere quiet and peaceful. The fields outside town weren’t an option. They brought back memories Aeva wanted gone. That only left her with the choice of ascending to a different floor. Which brought her to a small little information kiosk within one of the town’s many plazas. 

Aeva had never played an RPG before hopping into SAO. She hadn’t even touched a video game in her entire life. The only reason she was in this game in the first place due to subtle curiosity spurred by boredom. So when the helpful graphic of floor 22 showed up and mentioned a player level recommendation it went completely over Aeva’s head! She only saw pictures of how beautiful it looked and decided it would be perfect! With a goal now in mind the silver-haired player made her way toward the large teleport pad. She arched an eyebrow and suddenly jolted as the pad’s menu popped into the air before her. Remembering this was how the game worked, Aeva hesitantly scrolled through the list before seeing the number ‘22’ appear. Another moment passed before she pressed the icon, and suddenly her world vanished in a flash of blue light. 

Aeva’s eyes opened to a rather beautiful sight, the quaint little town nestled in a verdant forest. It reminded her a of the fourth floor a little, just with markedly less snow. Though something was still strange, Aeva forgot to even consider getting a map! Cursing herself the girl wandered through the road almost running into a few people as she peered around for a path that looked like it could lead to an exit. That’s when it happened. 

  ”Miss, wait-“

Someone was calling out, and curiously Aeva looked over her shoulder to see a rather tall man hurriedly making his way in her direction. His eyes were locked with her own, and his expression conveyed a sense of urgency. Aeva wasn’t sure what he wanted, but her anxiety began to rise and she quickly sped up her speed. Damnit! Had her confusion been so apparent that someone was already trying to capitalize on it? At best this stranger wanted to peddle something to her, at worst… She didn’t want to think about it. The concept of “safe zones” in the game were also still something Aeva was struggling to grasp, not understanding the borders or how they worked and thinking this man could mug her at sword-point if he liked. When he started to match her speed and even attempt to catch up to her, Aeva’s fear became far more apparent. She quickly broke into a run down the road and turned the corner rather abruptly, drawing the attention of some passive NPC’s and the odd player but Aeva was too nervous to stop for anything. Soon enough, her feet began treading gravel as she exited the settlement’s border and she turned to see if the man was still following her. 

He had a hammer???

“Ah! I- I don’t have any money!” Aeva claimed as she saw the imposing weapon behind her. Where did he even get that thing? He didn’t have it a second ago! Her only hope now was to lose her pursuer in the forest! Hurriedly moving through the trees, Aeva kept looking over her shoulder to keep tabs on the man before she suddenly tripped! With a hard thud, Aeva fell face-first into the grass, her heartbeat rising even quicker when she heard angered squealing behind her! Turning on her back, Aeva cried in fear as an imposing boar huffed and prepared to charge! Just then, the man appeared once more, diving from the forest and standing between her and the angered animal! She looked up at the stranger in shock, getting a familiar feeling. This was nearly how Mari had saved her as well.

The man took a painful-looking hit from the boar before managing to ward it off with his impressive strength, holding up the hammer once more, but facing the beast. He was protecting her? Why? He was just chasing her a moment ago. Finally, the stranger turned told her his intent. He was trying to help her? She accidentally came to the 22nd floor? Why would he think that? “I uh..” She began, still a little shaken from the experience. “Are you okay?” She asked with genuine concern, not understanding if he felt pain or not. 

The man introduced himself as Reytac, and claimed that Aeva needed some equipment. Were these woods really that dangerous? “Thank you for that. I didn’t know there were boars in this forest.” She’d nod as he finished speaking. It seemed like everywhere she went, she almost died, and some saint would save her skin at the last second. Was she just incredibly lucky or stupid? Probably a mixture of both. 

“Safe zone?” She said with a tilted head; the confusion in her tone was easy to hear. Before Aeva could even introduce herself, the squealing returned, along with the loud shouting of another unknown voice! Her attention instantly turned toward the treeline to see the massive boar return, only this time, he had a passenger? There was a blonde girl furiously wacking the creature with a wrench as she clung to its side, but before long, it wildly bucked and sent the smaller woman flying into a nearby trunk! As for the boar, it appeared frustrated with all these players and scampered back into the woods, leaving the three of them behind. The woman soon recovered, much faster than Aeva thought, and approached the two before speaking. Acting like nothing just happened! She introduced herself as Bliss and appeared to know Reytac, at least by name. Not only that, but this woman had apparently heard some of their conversation and offered her own input! “Oh! Uhh, nice to meet you, Bliss!” Aeva would begin, finally getting to her feet and brushing off the dirt and leaves from her clothes. “A- And you, Reytac.” She’d nod in thanks. “Are you sure you’re okay? Both of you? I- I don’t have any healing.. Uh.. potions, but I could buy you guys some from in town.” She would ask with a slightly worried tone, trying to remember what the item was called and noting how hard the girl had fallen as well. Reytac had just taken a boar tusk for her, so at very least owed him something. 

The two strangers were unknowns to Aeva but they both seemed helpful, she was just glad her strange luck continued to hold. “I’m Aeva. If you think it’ll help to go this armaments place we can check it out.” She replied with a smile as her nerves began to relax. “Though I haven’t uh… Used a weapon before.” She confessed with an averted gaze. Not just in the game, but at all. Aeva knew nothing about traditional sword techniques, let alone the sword arts that existed in this game.

Aeva | HP: 80/80 | EN: 26/26 | DMG: 1