[SP-F3] <<Worn Out Welcome>> [COMPLETED]

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The town had much to offer - Nat quickly learned that the NPCs were on a whole different level to the ones encountered in any other game, and spent the entirety of his first day conversing with the various characters he came across without even realising. The quality of the stories they told him varied in their entertainment value, but it was the novelty of the experience which kept him going from NPC to NPC. By the end of the day he'd explored a good portion of the Town of Beginnings, but with much still to be uncovered. The realism of the virtual world he was trapped in continued to astound him - sometimes it was even easy to forget that he was trapped in a video game.

 

But the reality always came back to slap him across the face, and Nat was beginning to realise he'd have to get to work if he ever wanted to leave.

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By the second day of exploration (with a brief rest during the night), his interest in the simple, sometimes amusing stories of the NPCs was running low. There were only so many times he could hear how much So-and-So the Townsperson absolutely loved living in the Town of Beginnings and would never dream of going elsewhere, after all. And though the simple beauty of the starting town had been breathtaking at first, the knowledge that there were ninety-nine more floors to see motivated Nat to push on. Just as he was about to give up and find something else to do, an NPC told him of the master Armorsmiths Griswold and Hanna who would provide him with free armor as long as he provided the materials. Interest well and truly sparked, Nat set out for Floor 3 - the furthest he'd ever ventured in SAO, though he was certain he wouldn't dare leave the safe zone limits.

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He arrived with a flash of light and couldn't help but smile at the sight of the village built up all around him. It really was a charming place, and the bursts of yellow in gaps between buildings - the dandelion fields surrounding the village - were beautiful. He noted to explore it further when he had the time (and hit a higher level), then stepped down from the teleport gate and brought up his HUD to find the Armorsmiths on his minimap. It was only a short walk before he entered the store - greeted by a vast shop floor with armorstands lining the walls, displaying gorgeous armours which he was sure he wouldn't be able to afford for a long time.

 

"Tch, you look like you wouldn't be able to swing a sword, nevermind wear a suit of armour. Explains that butter knife you're using." The voice caught him off guard, low and gruff and seeming annoyed just with his presence. 

 

Before he even had a chance to reply, Griswold spoke again - calling to the back rooms of the shop. 

 

"Love, there's another one for you here!"

 

Griswold disappeared to the back rooms muttering under his breath - Hanna took his place behind the counter with a patient smile on her lips. 

 

"Good morning! Sorry about my husband. Now, what can I do for you?"

 

With that, they got to talking about the type of armour Nat wanted, it's design and colour. Not long had passed before Hanna gave a final nod and said, "I'll need four leathers from the Dire Deer on Floor 1. Shouldn't take you long, love. Off you go!"

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After the rush of going all the way to Floor 3 (and yes, he realised how silly that sounded), he was a bit disappointed to return to the Town of Beginnings. Even someone as easily amused as himself was bound to get sick of it eventually - at least, he thought, he was going out into the plains and! And he'd never seen a 'Dire Deer' before. It was even better hearing Hanna say the silly name with a completely straight face - it didn't seem to him like a deer could be particularly dire no matter how hard it tried.

 

But then, he didn't really want them to prove him wrong.

 

With dagger in hand as soon as he was out of the safe zone limits, he set his hand to his forehead against the morning sun and searched the surrounding plains for anything even vaguely deer-like.

 

And he didn't see an exceptionally ferocious Boar Runt which was aiming it's sharp little tusks at his shins.

 

ID: 19961

MD: 10 

DMG: 3

 

With a yelp, Nat ended up on his ass - a cloud of dust rising around him. Despite not actually feeling anything, he rubbed at his shins as if they were sore and glared at the angry little animal huffing and puffing in front of him.

 

HP:

Nat: 6/9

Boar Runt: 3/3

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ID: 19962

BD: 9

MD: 2

 

Nat pulled himself up into a crouch and continued staring down the vicious pig, which was now pawing at the ground as if about to charge. A cold chill ran down the back of his spine - that little critter had taken off a third of his health with one hit! He spun the dagger to hold it with the blade pointing towards the ground, then...

 

Both of them launched themselves forward - but Nat was faster. Thankfully. He couldn't bear to think how embarassing it'd be if he got himself killed by a first level grind mob.

 

With a yell, he sunk his dagger down into the boar's head and twisted it for good measure. It snarled and snorted, trying to yank away, but exploded into a flash of pixels a moment after.

 

Nat picked himself up and brushed imaginary dust from his trousers. All that trouble and nothing to show for it... With a sharp little sigh, he scowled deeply and continued his search, setting off deeper into the plains. 

 

HP:

Nat: 6/9

Boar Runt: 0/3

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With the bright sun overhead and the softly rustling grasses all around, the gentle breeze on his face - he could almost get lost in the tranquility of it all. Lie down and close his eyes and forget about everything. Stopping for a moment, he brought up the HUD and removed his gloves - not like they added a bonus anyway - then brushed his free hand over the tallest strands of grass with an absentminded smile on his face. It was a nice thought, getting lost - but that's all it was, a stray thought, the result of a gorgeous day, a moment of respite. The reality would be unbearable - he needed people, needed conversation and laughter and connections to others and he couldn't imagine any of that in his empty, beautiful little hideaway. Wherever that was. Nowhere in Aincrad, that's for sure.

 

(Out of combat HP recovery +3)

(Nat: 9/9)

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It turned out that a moment of respite was all he was going to get - there was a noise ahead, a loud rustle in the grass and a snort. Equipping his dagger, Nat shielded his eyes from the sun to see what it was. A deer stood before him - head level with his, strong body covered in dark fur. Its eyes glowed bright red, as was the custom for many creatures in the game, and blood matted its fur in a couple of places. Black spines lined its back - each tip of its wild, twisting horns was sharpened to a fine point. With every puff of breath it expelled smoke from its flaring nostrils and hoofed angrily at the ground. 

 

What a handsome creature, Nat thought, feeling regretful that he was hunting it for its skin. He supposed it had every right to defend itself, just like he'd had every right when the boar attacked him. He was the aggressor here. 

 

"Come on, then." He spoke, and his words rang clear in the stillness of the plains. The deer huffed once more, as if in reply, and then it charged.

 

ID: 19975

BD: 1

MD: 8

 

As the beast approached, Nat swung his arm out, aiming for its neck. Sensing his movement, the animal lowered its head and caught his dagger in its horns, moving the weapon harmlessly out of its way. Then it yanked. Hard. Still attached to the dagger, Nat rolled to the ground - and the deer rammed its horns straight into his side, rolling him further. 

 

HP:

Nat: 8/9

Dire Deer: 6/6

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With a swipe of his legs Nat jumped to his feet, lowering himself, priming his body to jump out the way when the deer charged again. It was circling around him with its chest puffed out in pride - it got first blood, and now it feared him even less, he could see it in its eyes. Shaking its head, it reared up slightly and snorted again. Little clouds of dust rose up when it landed, and they hadn't even settled before the deer was charging at him again. Nat readied his weapon, the green glow lighting up his face. At the last possible moment, he spun sideways, aiming to slash at the beast's flank as it was passing him.

 

ID: 19976

BD: 3 (Miss)

MD: 4 (Miss)

 

But the deer missed him, and he spun out too far - all either of them had managed was switching places, as Nat ended up where the deer had started and vice versa. He expelled a harsh breath - half nervous laughter, half exasperation, and kept his eyes on the animal pacing in front of him.

 

ID: 19977

BD: 1 (Crit. Fail)

MD: 6 (Hit)

 

It didn't even give him a moment's respite before it charged again. He thought he was prepared, intending to spin out of the way once again... But the deer was smarter than that. It stopped on a dime and bucked, striking out with its powerful hind legs and catching him right in the stomach.

 

HP:

Nat: 7/9 (-1)

Dire Deer: 6/6

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Nat groaned - the kick had sent him flying and he could see his HP bar dropping bit by bit. Would he die, trying to get a stupid coat? Gritting his teeth he pushed himself up and glared at the deer - it seemed almost giddy now, practically prancing in front of him, and every snort seemed like a laugh directed straight at him. 

 

He spat at the ground in front of him and opened his arms wide. "Come on, then!" His voice was nowhere near as calm now, it was a taunt, and the beast responded to it immediately.

 

MD: 7 (Hit)

BD: 2 (Miss)

 

Just as expected, the deer charged at him again. He swung his arm out just like the first time, and when the deer lowered its horns to catch his arm again, he ducked out of the way and brought his dagger down, dragging across the animal's flank and leaving a bright red gash. It bayed as it tore away, cantering to a safe distance before it wheeled around and charged again.

 

MD: 6 (Hit)

BD: 7 (Hit)

 

Deciding to press his advantage, Nat sprinted after it. He ducked to the side and slashed his dagger across the deer's belly, but with a quick twist of its body it managed to turn around and catch him with its horns, lifting him up and slamming him down.

 

MD: 9 (Crit. Success)

BD: 10 (Crit. Success)

 

Nat was left lying on his back, panting heavily. The deer gave him only a few moments to breathe before it brought those massive horns down into his chest, and he cried out, feeling like the life was being crushed out of him (and in a way, it was). Struggling, his arms flailed as he tried to push the animal away - a stroke of luck and he managed to swing his dagger into its massive neck, causing it to rear up and jump away - leaving a trail of bright red pixels behind it.

 

MD: 7 (Hit)

BD: 1 (Miss)

 

It took a lot, but Nat managed to pull himself up to his feet and chase after the panicking animal. Though it was too quick for him to do any real damage, he managed a glancing blow before it jumped away from him.

 

MD: 10 (Crit. Success)

BD: 6 (Hit)

 

Seemingly realising that it was about to die, the deer gave one last charge. Nat tried to spin away but with his health so low, his limbs so heavy, his movements were sluggish - the deer got one more hit in before he brought his dagger down right between its eyes and it burst into a spray of bright pixels.

 

HP:

Nat: 2/11 (-5) 

Dire Deer: 0/6 (-8) 

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Completely and utterly exhausted, Nat collapsed to the ground and lay flat on his back, panting. He knew that going after another deer would be suicide, so he decided to rest where he was until his health regenerated.

 

(LD: 8)

>> +1 Deer Hide

 

With a notification noise, the 'Congratulations!' message popped up in front of him - a separate message from his quest journal informed him that he had three leathers left to collect. He groaned out loud, cursing his decision to ever take the quest. If he died trying to get a coat with some silly low-level enchantment, he'd never forgive himself.

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The sun was setting by the time he managed to pick himself up again, and the pleasant breeze which had distracted him that morning was now sending shivers down his spine. A terrible chill had seeped into his bones from lying on the ground and he'd almost been killed by a first floor mob. It seemed like he had no shortage of things to complain about, but... at least he was a quarter of the way done and then he'd have a nice reward to show for it. And then, he'd never voluntarily go near another deer in his life - virtual or not. 

 

Nat stretched his arms high above his head, and groaned as he felt various bones crack back into place. He cleared his throat, shook strands of grass from his hair and wiped the sleep from his eyes - the usually sparkling jade iris was duller now, both due to the setting sun and his dampened spirits. Nevertheless, it was time to move on. He figured walking would help him warm up, anyway.

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These deer he was sent to find seemed to be a bit more uncommon than the usual wolves and boars running around the plains. Whilst he could see plenty of the latter lazing all around (watching them from a comfortable distance, of course), there were no Dire Deer to be seen. He supposed it was sod's law that he could see everything but the actual thing he was looking for, and stopped walking to droop slightly and run a hand through his unruly hair.

 

ID: 19995

BD: 8 (Hit)

MD: 10 (Crit. Success)

 

And then there was a bang and Nat was tumbling headfirst through the grass, coming to a stop staring up at the sky with a completely confused expression on his face. Hearing a familiar-sounding snort behind him, he groaned before pushing himself up to his feet. "Guess I got what I wished for, huh?" He muttered as he prepared a battle skill, just managing to dodge the charging deer coming his way and getting a hit in while it passed by.

 

HP:

Nat: 9/11 (-3)

Dire Deer: 6/7 (-1)

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ID: 19997

BD: 2 (Miss)

MD: 5 (Miss)

 

As the deer spun around to face him again, he noticed it was bulkier than the one he'd just fought - and apparently angrier, considering its absolutely reckless (and unprovoked) attack. But in its haste and complete and utter desire to stomp Nat into the ground, it managed to miss completely as it reared up towards him. He tried to use that to his advantage, swinging his arm out in a wild slash... but his aim was poor and the animal was quick; he barely caught the hairs on its rump.

 

HP:

Nat: 9/11

Dire Deer: 6/7

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ID: 19998

BD: 5 (Miss)

MD: 8 (Hit)

 

With the energy he'd invested into his previous attack, not connecting to anything sent him reeling slightly - completely unbalanced for a split second. Though he tried to regain balance and steady himself as soon as possible, ready to spin around, the deer was faster. While he was still unbalanced, a solid kick to his back sent him crashing to his knees. He grunted, hitting the floor hard, even though he managed to turn it into a roll and bring himself to his feet again. Swaying slightly, he stood straight again, once again ready to try to dodge an attack (or, as it was turning out, take another hit).

 

HP:

Nat: 8/11 (-1)

Dire Deer: 6/7

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ID: 20000 (ayyyy ding ding ding)

BD: 4 (Miss)

MD: 3 (Miss)

 

Nat approached the deer swiftly, but with a little more caution after all the beatings he'd taken. It seemed that his enemy was starting to play cautiously, too - where he swung, the deer would neatly hop out of the way. Where it tried to gore him with its vicious horns, he'd manage to roll out the way. If he slashed, it would rear up to avoid his blade and he'd spin away to avoid its hooves. They were dancing around each other, both searching for weaknesses in the other, but not finding any cracks. 

 

HP:

Nat: 8/11

Dire Deer: 6/7

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ID: 20002

BD: 4 (Miss)

MD: 3 (Miss)

 

The dance continued. He jumped back from a kick aimed straight at his chest, the deer spun and cantered around him when he got too close for comfort. Though he found it a little irritating that he couldn't even deal with a first floor mob, he preferred the miss-and-miss dance infinitely more than the hit-Nat-over-and-over-again dance. 

 

HP:

Nat: 8/11

Dire Deer: 6/7

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ID: 20003

BD: 2 (Miss)

MD: 6 (Hit)

 

Finally, Nat lost his patience. While it seemed like the beast's guard was down, he launched himself forward with all his strength, but... as soon as he saw the look in the animal's eye he knew he'd been tricked. Just how clever are these things, anyway? I'm on the first floor! With a bright glint in its red eyes, the deer bucked out of his way and scooped him up into the air with a shove of its horns. He landed heavily a few feet away, but managed to struggle back up. He was panting now, edging away carefully.

 

HP:

Nat: 7/11 (-1)

Dire Deer: 6/7

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ID: 20010

BD: 9 (Crit. Success)

MD: 3 (Miss)

 

Whilst he charged another weapon skill, the glow even more noticeable in the early evening gloom, he drew a sharp breath in. Meanwhile the deer was looking vaguely gleeful as it pranced to and fro in front of him - he hoped that its pride would cause it to make a mistake. He needed it to, because the move he was planning would rely pretty heavily on it. Leaning down, he grabbed a rock from the ground with his free hand and threw it with perfect accuracy directly at the deer's nose. Infuriated, it charged and reared up right in front of him - Nat took advantage and ran his dagger straight up into the beast's belly, then rolled away before it could come down on him.

 

HP:

Nat: 7/11

Dire Deer: 4/7 (-2)

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ID: 20011

BD: 3 (Miss)

MD: 6 (Hit)

 

Rolling away after the attack, however, left him completely open - and the deer was even more enraged, having realized it had been taunted and tricked. It caught him while he was picking himself up from a crouch, pivoting on the spot before it slammed its back hooves into Nat's lower back. Whilst it was coming around for another attack, he was sent into the dirt, face-first. Planting his hands on the ground he brought himself to his feet with a grunt of exertion. It looked to be another close fight.

 

HP:

Nat: 6/11 (-1)

Dire Deer: 4/7

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ID: 20013

BD: 3 (Miss)

MD: 2 (Miss)

 

 

Though his health was looking lower by the moment, Nat felt slightly reinvigorated by the success of his taunt and the solid hit that followed. He knew he could still win this with a bit of skill and a load of luck. But he could also see that his opponent was nowhere near giving up - it really deserved to be called 'Dire', the ferocious beast that it was. It was hoofing at the ground and snorting angrily, waiting for Nat to make the first move. 

 

Well, he did. His slice cut cleanly through thin air, and he managed to leap clean over the sweeping horns meant to knock him off balance. It seemed that they were locked in another standstill.

 

HP:

Nat: 6/11

Dire Deer: 4/7