Takao 0 Posted July 4, 2015 #1 Share Posted July 4, 2015 (Just as a forewarning, I'm still learning about all the systems and such, and I intend on experimenting with combat/looting in this, so if anything's wrong I'll apologize ahead of time!) Blue skies, fluffy white clouds, and a glowing sun beat down on the empty field. Despite the world being entirely virtual, the sensation of heat felt incredibly real. If it weren't for the brain-melting microwave of a helmet that kept him trapped in the artificial world, he may have been more inclined to sing the developers' their well deserved praises. His blade sliced through the air with grace and ease before returning to rest in line with his stance. A constant flurry of strikes, flourishes, lunges, and swings His real life experience with swords would be of some benefit eventually, though adjusting himself to the world was a challenge. He set the tip of the sword into the ground and leaned his weight ever so slowly onto it, an action he normally would've avoided if the sword's sharpness wasn't part of a program. “I think I'm finally getting the hang of this.†He spoke aloud to nobody in particular. “Won't be long now 'til that boar gets its comeuppance.†Takao stretched his left arm high into the air and exhaled a long, exaggerated sigh. The lowest level monster possible had nearly ended his brief virtual reality stint on the first day, which made him a little reluctant to immediately jump into the action again. He pulled the sword from the ground and rested the blade on his shoulder. “Alright!†Takao slid the blade into the scabbard on his side and cracked his knuckles. “First thing's first, I'll find a quest and get some sweet 'n easy experience.†Link to post Share on other sites
Takao 0 Posted July 4, 2015 Author #2 Share Posted July 4, 2015 The trip back to town was quick. He thought better than to wander too far with his current level and gear, but that was about to change. He had heard of a quest that should, he theorized, be perfect for him. From what he had overheard while walking through the town earlier in the day, a young NPC was offering players a quest for a sword tailored to their choosing. His equipment was laughable due to his lack of upgrading, so beefing up his attack power was definitely first on the list. Takao stopped in front of the building. The faint ringing of a hammer pounding into metal reverberated in his ears as he opened the front doors and approached the counter. He noted the icon floating above the being's head as she turned, smiled, and approached him. This was definitely the place. » Mornin'! How goes it, «Takka»? Takao returned the smile even though he knew it was just a bunch of personified programming that spoke to him. “Good morning!†His response was just as cheerful and upbeat as the NPC's! “I heard that you give out a quest.†His words seemed to spark her response immediately. » That's right! Are you looking for a new sword? I'd be happy to provide you with a brand new one, custom tailored to your liking with almost no charge! Takao rubbed his chin and pouted slightly as his expression turned skeptical. His knowledge of this quest was limited, but the inclusion of “almost no charge†immediately sparked his suspicions. The dark haired teen was, after all, under the impression that it would be a simple quest for some better gear. Maybe he'd have to help her around in the forge? He could handle that. “Ayup! A new sword would be great!†If only he knew what he'd be getting himself into. Link to post Share on other sites
Takao 0 Posted July 4, 2015 Author #3 Share Posted July 4, 2015 » Excellent! If you can provide me with a thorough description of the kind of sword you desire, I would be happy to help you! There is a price to this sword, however. He would've narrowed his eyes in suspicion again if he wasn't positively radiating giddiness. She wanted a thorough description, did she? Well... “Okay! I'd like a Sub-Type Xa blade, preferably black in colour if possible! It should be balanced for one handed use and be at a fair middle ground between flexible and hardness. I'd like the guard to be a style seven and the pommel an inverted type N, maybe made from polished brass, oh and-†His voice displayed a great deal of excitement to have a use for his extensive knowledge of the Oakeshotte typology. He trailed off upon noticing the blank look in the NPC's face and pursed his lips. “Did I break her..?†» Excellent! If you can provide me with a thorough description of the kind of sword you desire, I would be happy to help you! There is a price to this sword, however. She repeated herself as if his words had fallen upon deaf ears. His shoulders slumped and he sighed as comical droplets of sweat formed on his face. “Right... Should've known better, this is a JRPG after all... I wonder if katanas are overpowered..?†He shook his head and reaffirmed his attention on the NPC. “Alright! I'd like a straight, double edged one handed sword with a steel blade. I'd like the hilt to have a broad flat section that curves toward the blade, and a pommel that curves away. Too bad you can't like... read my mind or anything. I could just picture a sword from a show or something.†He watched the NPC process the information and enter information onto the floating menu before her. » Okay! For your sword, I'm going to need you to bring me some ingredients to make steel! I'll need two iron ore and one carbon ore! Animals around the forest outside of «Horunka» Village will drop the materials needed! Do you accept? Takao blinked and frowned. Animals would drop the necessary materials, which meant that he would have to fight. Takao wasn't so good at that, but he had to start somewhere. After all, there were plenty of players already leagues ahead of him, and they had to start somewhere. A menu appeared in front of him with two options: «accept» and «cancel». He raised his hand and pressed «accept». Link to post Share on other sites
Takao 0 Posted July 4, 2015 Author #4 Share Posted July 4, 2015 Takao's eyes scanned the forest closely with each step he took along the dirt path laid out before him. If his mind wasn't preoccupied with ensuring that an ambush wasn't waiting around every corner, he might've been able to appreciate the beauty of nature – however virtual it might've been. “Alrighty... Just gotta find me some iron and carbon ore and I'm outie-five-thousand.†Takao muttered quietly to himself as he closed the map. The marker had lead him precisely where the NPC had directed, but gave no definite locations for monsters to kill or items to find. He turned and drew his sword as he headed off the path. Very rarely did these things ever come easy, he'd found from his experience with games of a similar genre, so he figured taking a detour through the forest itself would be best. A sharp series of whistles escaped from his lips. “Heeeere iron ore... or carbon ore too, I don't discriminate.†A few more whistles followed before he grumbled. “Where are you hidin'?†»ID: [22473] »LD: [2] Link to post Share on other sites
Takao 0 Posted July 4, 2015 Author #5 Share Posted July 4, 2015 The path behind him had long since disappeared behind thick foliage. Perhaps it wasn't the best idea to go wandering around so haphazardly, but he hadn't noticed anything out of the ordinary thus far. No monsters, no players, but most importantly, no items. He checked in the obvious places – as obvious as he could find in the middle of a forest. Nothing particularly stood out to him. He figured he'd find some giant outcrop with shining ore, but so far, nothing. Takao rubbed the back of his head and sighed. He waved his hand to open up the menu and checked the map. "Yep, still well within the quest boundaries... I must be overlooking something." He moved his hand again and closed the menu. “This might be even harder than I thought. Maybe I should've asked Sai for more details.†»ID: [22474] »LD: [14] Link to post Share on other sites
Takao 0 Posted July 4, 2015 Author #6 Share Posted July 4, 2015 Several long minutes of unrelenting searching for something, anything, had bore no fruit. With his sword held tightly in hand he continued to creep through the foliage that covered the forest floor. Rays of light were shining down through the canopy and onto his face as he moved, gracing him with small sensations of heat from the direct sunlight. He pushed large leaves aside with the edge of his sword and moved branches that blocked his path to continue onward. Another quick check of the map informed him that he was still well within the boundaries and still had quite a distance before he neared the edge. Looking up from the menu, he noted that the forest seemed endless. “Come to think of it, looking for ore in the middle of a forest is kinda strange, isn't it?†He entertained himself with a perfectly sane conversation with himself. “It'd make more sense if this were a mountain, or maybe a cave.†»ID: [22475] »LD: [10] Link to post Share on other sites
Takao 0 Posted July 4, 2015 Author #7 Share Posted July 4, 2015 His eyes widened. It was too good to be true, wasn't it? His eyes must have been deceiving him. Hands covered with cloth gloves raised to rub his eyes. As his vision refocused on the floating object that laid in a small clearing, he knew that this was no trick. This was real. The rock spun tardily in a circle. Takao had heard some noise and went to check it out, and from the out of place item, he imagined it was a monster drop somebody had discarded. “Hah, it's my lucky day!†He trudged out into the clearing with a big smile plastered on his face. One person's trash is another person's treasure, and this trash was a gift sent from the virtual heavens! Finally some progress for this quest was to be made! Takao reached his hand out for the floating item and felt time slow. His eyes opened and he watched closely as the rock began to split into pieces. It erupted into a flurry of glowing polygons before his very eyes. “N-...no way... it decayed...?" A moment of stunned silence fell over him. "Why must you toy with my emotions like this, game?!†»ID: [22476] »LD: [1] Link to post Share on other sites
Takao 0 Posted July 4, 2015 Author #8 Share Posted July 4, 2015 Takao rubbed his face vigorously and pressed on. It would take more than one poorly timed monster drop to keep him down! ...for long, that is. A few minutes of walking had lead him to a small brook running through the forest. The ambient sounds of nature were calming, and with the addition of the gentle running water, the setting was serene. He had opted to moving upstream. The highest concentration of stone he had found was the very brook he hiked beside, so coming the assumption that he was most likely to find ore nearby seemed natural. The stream started heading upstream until he stood before a large rocky overhang. The stream at his level ended here, but from the water dripping above, he could tell it continued yet. “This place is amazing. I wonder what the high level floors are gonna be like...†A barely audible rustling reverberated in his ears from the foliage behind him. The clearing underneath the cliff provided little in the way of visibility, but as soon as the black snout, tusks, and glowing red eyes emerged from the underbrush, he knew exactly what caused the sound. "...You again." »ID: [22478] »LD: [3] Link to post Share on other sites
Takao 0 Posted July 5, 2015 Author #9 Share Posted July 5, 2015 [Combat Sequence] Boar Takao A single boar emerged from the foliage and immediately charged. With his sword in hand, Takao took a step back and readied himself for combat. His brows raised and his eyes widened in surprise, but he steeled his nerves and prepared to move. “H-hey, come on now! We can talk about this, can't we?!†Just as Takao was about to evade to the side, he lost his footing on the rocks, and the boar slammed into his stomach. He slid along the ground without even the slightest hint of grace and, by miracle, managed to stumble back onto his feet. He hissed out a grunt through clenched teeth and glanced down at the two tusk-sized holes glowing on his midsection. His eyes quickly darted to the health bar that sat at the edge of his peripheral vision and watched it deplete some. “Huh... that's less than last time. I must've gotten a level or two somehow.†Takao's attention returned to the boar. His eyes narrowed and a small smile appeared on his face. “I bet you thought it'd be just as easy as last time, huh?! Well, think again, my worthy adversary!†He raised his sword and slid his feet apart. The boar recovered from smashing its face into Takao's stomach only to have the blade dig deep into its side. Geometric patterns appeared in place of a bloody wound and the boar whined and howled in pain. “En garde, fiend!†»ID: [22481] »BD: [6] »MD: [10] (+2 critical damage) «Takao» » [[HP : 6/9]] «Boar» » [[HP : 2/4]] Link to post Share on other sites
Takao 0 Posted July 5, 2015 Author #10 Share Posted July 5, 2015 [Combat Sequence] Boar Takao The gash Takao had left in the boar's side didn't sit well with the beast, and rightly so. It staggered back after losing half of its health, then lurched forward into a sprint. It was slower this time around, perhaps from taking damage, which allowed for Takao to swiftly evade the boar's second attempt at tackling him. He took a hard step to the right, swinging the blade with his right arm at the same time. Both he and the boar missed their targets, which were each other respectively. Takao hadn't noticed it, but a smile was creeping up on his face. This wasn't so scary as before, he felt more in control of his body. It was moving the way he intended for it to, much different from his earlier blunders at the start. “Hey, I think I'm startin' to dig this virtual reality stuff. It's pretty fun!†»ID: [22502] »BD: [2] »MD: [1] «Takao» » [[HP : 6/9]] «Boar» » [[HP : 2/4]] Link to post Share on other sites
Takao 0 Posted July 5, 2015 Author #11 Share Posted July 5, 2015 [Combat Sequence] Boar Takao After giving the sword in his hand a twirl, the boar took after him for a third time. It was unrelenting in its pre-programmed and entirely unjustified hatred of him, but he couldn't fault an NPC for doing its job. Four hooved feet pounded against the rocky forest floor and closed in on their bipedal adversary. With a little more confidence this time around, Takao took a step forward. Then another followed, and then another, and soon he was running right at the boar that charged at him. His sword was held low and pointed forward, ready to strike. The boar lunged forward and leapt into the air. It missed as Takao escaped to one side and moved in for his own attack. He thrust the blade forward, straight into the beast. With the last of its health depleted, it exploded into nothingness. He straightened his back as the menu appeared, notifying him of the experience he'd received from the beast. The blade slid into the scabbard that hung from his side and he ruffled his hair, the smile on his face having grown. “That was really cinematic, even if it was just a boar! This is awesome! I can start grindin' at the this rate.†»ID: [22503] »BD: [8] »MD: [5] »LD: [1] «Takao» » [[HP : 6/9]] «Boar» » [[HP : 0/4]] Link to post Share on other sites
Takao 0 Posted July 5, 2015 Author #12 Share Posted July 5, 2015 Takao leapt from behind a tree with his sword raised. “Ah-hah!†Laying in front of him was... well, nothing. Just a patch of grass and a normal looking rock. Outstanding. An exaggerated frown settled on his face and he sighed. At this point he was just goofing around and enjoying himself. He hadn't heard any strange or hostile sounds, hadn't seen anything that might knock him flat on his ass, and hadn't encountered any players. The only thing keeping himself company was the ambient sounds of the forest, which he had to admit were very calming. “Man, I figured I'd have found something by now.†He lowered his sword arm and sat upon the rock. “Ah well. Just gotta keep looking. I doubt the place has already been wiped clean.†As soon as his starter gear wearing bottom rested on the rock, a menu appeared in front of his face. “Wuh-†He managed to confusedly mumble out as he read the description. His eyes beamed and glistened upon realizing what he'd picked up. «Iron Ore» A low-level material used for crafting. “Haha, yes! Finally!†He jumped to his feet as the rock exploded into glowing polygons and the menu disappeared. “One down, two to go!†»ID: [22505] »LD: [20] Link to post Share on other sites
Takao 0 Posted July 5, 2015 Author #13 Share Posted July 5, 2015 One of the three necessary ingredients to complete the quest and forge his new sword rested safely within the confines of his inventory menu. Only two remained, one more iron ore and one carbon ore. With the newly acquired knowledge that his butt had properties akin to a metal detector, he had set off with renewed vigor. Every rock was inspected closely, and upon doing so, he was very quickly learning that there were a lot of rocks in this forest. Too many rocks. So many rocks! They all look the same! A routine check of the map provided him with an answer he already knew good and well, and he was back on the search. “This has to be a low level quest 'cause it's so simple, but damn... They're gonna clear the game by the time I finish.†»ID: [22520] »LD: [2] Link to post Share on other sites
Takao 0 Posted July 6, 2015 Author #14 Share Posted July 6, 2015 This rock was much different from the others he's seen. It stood out on the north side of the clearing, though Takao was wary to just go walking out into the open after the last encounter with a certain boar that had it out for him. He rubbed his stomach and remembered the faint pain from being impaled by the tusks, but shook the memories from his head. It could have been worse, he imagined. Much worse. He moved through the forest until he reached the north side of the clearing and reached out for the rock. If it weren't for the discoloured protrusions that looked suspiciously like ore, he would have just glanced over it. A menu appeared in front of him as his hand touched the surface. «Carbon Ore» A low-level material used for crafting. Another smile graced his face. His hand tightened into a fist, which he thrust into the air. “Yes! One more to go! New sword, here I come!†»ID: [22543] »LD: [17] Link to post Share on other sites
Takao 0 Posted July 6, 2015 Author #15 Share Posted July 6, 2015 He estimated an hour had passed since he entered the forest in search of three items. The excursion should have been simple and easy. That's what he thought, anyways. In other games of the same genre, it would've just been finding some very obvious looking rock with a quest marker bobbing up and down above it. But in this, a world created with such mind boggling depth, he found it difficult to remind himself that he was still in a game. It felt so real. The heat, the humidity, the ambiance, his fatigue, everything working together in tandem to confuse and distort his sense of reality. He sat down on a log covered in moss and swiped his hand to open up the menu. He cycled through a depressingly small list of items and selected the «Bread» and «Water». They appeared before him, one in each hand, and he enjoyed the small meal as best he could. “They even managed to replicate taste... Man, this is like... this is revolutionary technology. Using it so maliciously just doesn't make sense!†Takao shook his head and continued eating his meal until none of the bread or water remained. “I gotta stop talking to myself out loud.†Items Consumed «1 Bread» «1 Waterskin» Link to post Share on other sites
Takao 0 Posted July 6, 2015 Author #16 Share Posted July 6, 2015 [Combat Sequence] Takao Wolf After a half hour's rest, Takao found his health to have regenerated back up to full. It was a long time to wait for three points of health, but he wasn't going to complain. Especially not now. A full health bar was perfect to help him combat the new wolf that had emerged from the forest. Takao drew his sword slowly and silently. It was he that was the predator this time, and he wouldn't allow his adversary to get the jump on him as they had in the past. He tensed his legs and jumped from the bush. “Incoming!†He yelled out. The wolf turned just in time to get a nice image of Takao's blade slicing through its fur and into its skin. The slash went clean through as Takao landed and the wolf whined in pain. Unfortunately, as he was moving to pull the blade back for another swing, the wolf lunged forward. It latched onto his arm and bit down. “Okay, owowow! I deserved that!†»ID: [22718] »BD: [9] (+1 Critical Damage) »MD: [7] «Takao» » [[HP : 10/11]] «Wolf» » [[HP : 3/6]] Link to post Share on other sites
Takao 0 Posted July 6, 2015 Author #17 Share Posted July 6, 2015 [Combat Sequence] Takao Wolf “One damage, huh? That's pretty low... I wonder if levels have some kinda influence on damage mitigation.†Takao thought aloud while the wolf still bit down firmly on his arm. The pain was there, but it wasn't as intense as he'd originally thought it to be. “Of course it isn't.†He thought to himself as he raised his sword arm up. “If it was too high for little bits of damage, it'd be too debilitating to fight.†He swung and missed, and- ... Wait, what? He missed? The wolf was right there-! ...Where'd the wolf go? He looked down at his arm and noticed that, in his uncharacteristically distracted state, the wolf had let go of his arm and disappeared. Half of its life was gone, had it run away? Takao scanned the area but found nothing. His leg tensed just as he was about to take a step, but a sharp pain ran up the appendage, followed by a muffled but still very audible growling. He turned to see the wolf biting down on his leg. “Ow – okay, I – OW! ...definitely deserved that.†»ID: [22719] »BD: [2] »MD: [10] (+2 Critical Damage) «Takao» » [[HP : 7/11]] «Wolf» » [[HP : 3/6]] Link to post Share on other sites
Takao 0 Posted July 6, 2015 Author #18 Share Posted July 6, 2015 [Combat Sequence] Takao Wolf Takao spun the blade in his hand with ease. He turned it so that the blade faced backward and thrust down onto the wolf. With the enemy preoccupied with chowing down on his delectable limb, he managed to stab is straight between the shoulder blades. It whined again and released his leg, then snapped forward again. He moved quickly this time around and pulled his blade free while avoiding the wolf's attempt at a counter attack. Of all the things he was thankful for in this virtual world – and truthfully he wasn't thankful for much – the fact that it didn't feel too real when he managed to land a hit was at the top of the list. It didn't feel like a knife going through skin and flesh, it was an entirely different feel. He wouldn't have been able to handle combat if it was realistic. Which was rather ironic, considering the promise of realistic swordplay was exactly what drew him to the game in the first place. Takao's eyes darted to the wolf's health and watched it drop. Barely a sliver remained, but the beast seemed as feral and dangerous as ever. He smiled and lifted the tip of his blade slightly, ready to attack again. »ID: [22724] »BD: [6] »MD: [2] «Takao» » [[HP : 7/11]] «Wolf» » [[HP : 1/6]] Link to post Share on other sites
Takao 0 Posted July 6, 2015 Author #19 Share Posted July 6, 2015 [Combat Sequence] Takao Wolf Neither Takao or the wolf moved at first. They were biding their time, waiting for the other to strike first, so that they could evade it and return the favour with some damage of their own. The wolf took a step forward and hunched down, its hind legs tensing and readying themselves to leap forward. It stopped when Takao made the first move instead. He sprinted forward and closed the short distance quickly. His blade glowed with the preparation of a sword art, and as he swung forward, the blade cleaved through the side of the wolf. It grunted and whined before exploding into nothingness. Takao shifted his stance and straightened his back. He glanced over his shoulder to where the wolf had been standing and a small smile worked its way onto his face. He checked his health and huffed out a breath. “It's getting easier now. I'll be able to grind no problem soon.†He watched as the reward menu appeared in front of him. He gave it a quick glance and noticed an item had been dropped, something to do with crafting. Takao closed the menu without a second thought and slid the blade into its scabbard as he walked off. »ID: [22725] »BD: [6] »MD: [2] «Takao» » [[HP : 7/11]] «Wolf» » [[HP : 0/6]] «Reward» +1 Material Link to post Share on other sites
Takao 0 Posted July 6, 2015 Author #20 Share Posted July 6, 2015 “Okay, so... the east and north sides are clear. I'll check the west and then start heading back. I'll definitely find something by then.†Takao closed out of the map and glanced around the forest. From what he could tell through the foliage, the sun still seemed high in the sky. He knew fully well there was a clock built into his menu, but a simple glance up the sky was all he needed. He set off and resumed trudging through the forest, heading west by the looks of the built in compass. After nearly tripping over a log and getting caught in some vines, he managed to find the main path once again. Happy to be reunited with some form of civilization, Takao began to walk along the path this time, still in search of that fabled iron ore that he needed. »ID: [22726] »LD: [8] Link to post Share on other sites
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