[OP-F1] A Single Step

[Davven 0]

The North Gate of the Town of Beginnings was the main exit from the starting Safe Zone of SAO. Technically, it was the only exit, as trying to leave the city to the south would just lead to a very, very big first step. Still, the gate retained the name, as the rest of the First Floor lay northwards of the city, from smaller towns to the Dungeon Tower.

Inside the walls, a short distance from the gate, a young man in drab villager clothes sat and stared at the large wooden doors, clutching a simple starting short spear. Behind a pair of crooked glasses, grey-blue eyes flickered across the passing crowds of NPCs and Players, taking note of their equipment and mentally comparing it to his own. His calculations were, to put it mildly, slightly skewed in their favor.

"Well this is a pickle," Davven muttered to himself. "I need better equipment if I'm going to survive outside the walls. To get better equipment, I need Col. To get Col, I need to-" here he shuddered briefly "-kill Mobs. But to fight Mobs without being at risk of actually dying, I need more equipment than what I can get for free. Fan-freaking-tastic."

[Davven 0]

Eventually, Davven had to accept one certain fact - he wasn't going to get anywhere just sitting down and worrying. Keeping a tight grip on his spear, he walked past the NPC gate guards, and looked around at the floor. A vast grassland spread out before him, with the occasional mesa-like structure here and there, topped with waterfalls and strange moon symbols. Further off he could see a forest and huge lake, further still a range of short mountains, and at the far end of the floor the Dungeon itself, a massive tower stretching up into the false sky.

 

Of course, that was far and beyond Davven at that point. For now, he had a much simpler goal - find a Boar. From what he had studied in the Town of Beginning's library, as well as reports from other players, Boars were the weakest and most plentiful Mobs in the area, with a health of 3 and damage of 1. On the one hand, with such low health even Davven could theoretically take one down in a few hits, maybe even just one if he was lucky. On the other - Davven gulped nervously - his own health wasn't much higher at 5, and if the Boar managed to land a critical hit on him, he might not be able to get away.

 

Maybe... maybe I should just turn around. I could go back to the city, live off of the free supplies like I've been doing the past few months. There's way too great a chance that I could die, actually die from doing this. Why can't I just trust that the front-liners will get us out of this? I don't have any armor, any healing supplies, this is stupid!

 

Davven shook his head and gritted his teeth. No, I can't think like that. I can't let myself be scared into staying in town for any longer. If I do this, I can earn Col and move forward, get supplies and help other people out. If someone gets hurt, but I'm back in town and can't help them... I can't allow someone else to die because of my cowardice, when I could have prevented it. I have to do this.

 

Scrounging together what resolve he had, Davven kept walking into the grassland.

[Davven 0]

After a while, Davven spotted a group of health bars, under which he found a pack of Boars wandering around and rooting at the ground. Davven watched for a while as they tore at the simulated ground and it repaired itself behind them, going over everything he knew about the Mob type. Found in fields around the Town of Beginnings, weakest of all enemy monsters, critical point on back of head, and a passive monster. Means that I don't have to worry about drawing in any other Boars, but also means that I'll have to... strike first.

 

Davven crouched at the top of a hill, adjusting his glasses nervously. Remember, it's not alive. The monster is nothing but code, a part of this whole deathgame. I'm not attacking a living creature, I'm not killing something with a life of it's own. The Boar is not real. I am real. By destroying this monster, I get closer to the real world. I am real. I am real. "I am real!" With a shout of those three words, Davven raced forward and sabbed out at the Boar.

 

[iD: 9893]
BD: [7] Hit
MD: [9] Critical Hit, +1

 

"Yes!" Davven gave a cheer as his spear struck the side of the Boar and left a glowing orange gash, but then gasped as the Boar fixed its beady little red eyes on him, gave a piercing squeal, and slashed at him with its tusks, leaving a much larger streak of orange across Davven's chest. Davven stumbled backwards, shocked at the result of his first attack. I hurt it, but if this thing gets a major critical I'm dead. Actually dead! This isn't real. This can't be real!

 

Davven 3/5
Frenzy Boar 2/3

[Davven 0]

Davven planted the butt of his spear against the ground, as he looked at the Boar with wide eyes. The Monster itself scraped at the ground with a hoof, snorting in simulated anger as it prepared to charge. Taking a shaky breath, Davven stood back up and readied himself to attack in kind.

 

[iD: 9897]
BD: [1] Critical Failure

MD: [1] Critical Failure

 

Overcome by terror, Davven leapt to the side at the last second, a half-hearted stab at the Boar missing by a wide margin. The Boar itself seemed to be blinded by anger, as it simply charged straight ahead until it realized that it hadn't hit anything. Squealing in fury, it spun around and faced Davven once more.

[Davven 0]

Clambering back to his feet, Davven chided himself for dodging in fright. This is the weakest Monster in the entire game! I can't let myself get scared by that! Davven swung around and aimed his spear to meet the oncoming Boar's attack.

 

[iD: 9899]

BD: [3] Fail

MD: [10] Major Critical Hit, +2

 

But it was not to be. With a piercing squeal, the Monster knocked aside Davven's spear like the piece of wood it was, and knocked the player to the ground. Davven didn't even have time to scream as the Boar lunged forward and it's tusks-

 

Davven 0/5

Frenzy Boar 2/3