[PP-F1] <<Earning a Living>>

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The press of bodies around her left her uncomfortable, the crowd setting her on edge and grinding on her nerves. She hated crowds and would rather have stalked the streets as a solitary shadow. Alas, that simply wasn’t possible here. Starting City was plagued with an out of control population. Almost 5,000 players pressed together like a giant aimless herd. She supposed she couldn’t hold that against them, fear was a difficult enemy to face, especially when it crushed a person’s spirit and left them hopeless. Ayane was well acquainted with that feeling of hopelessness. That was the only reason she had even come into the City today, as she would have preferred to be on the edge of the large city, away from the other players.

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Alas, it wasn’t quite that easy. With so many crammed into the Starting City, and the players dedicated to completing the game having moved on to higher floors, Starting City had become a trap. Those that tried to stay, tried to ignore the situation, or simply gave into their grief and lost hope, would eventually find themselves left with nothing. No Col, no resources, no way of staying in the relative safety of the City. They would be forced to start trying to scrape together a living. That meant either trying to play the game, or preying upon one another, as SAO was a MMORPG, and resources in an MMORPG are always limited. Thus Ayane had decided that she would not be here when that day came, she would leave the City now, and use this time of relative peace to level her way onto the front lines.

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When Kayaba Akihiko had made his declaration, thousands of players had milled aimlessly, Beta Testers had struck off on their own to become more skilled, and the rest had tentatively made their way into the game. But they had moved like a plague of locusts, taking quests as fast as possible, farming the monsters around the city. The monsters would respawn, but they would do so slowly, and more and more unprepared adventurers were forced to move outside of the safe area around the town, and move deeper into more dangerous areas where they would face off against higher level monsters. The results were catastrophic, thousands died in the first month alone. It was not easy to face down an enemy creature that had depth and size. It was nothing like playing on a computer screen, it was real combat, and most people simply were not ready for that.

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Ayane had decided that this would not be her fate. She had used the time to work on her skills via the training dummies scattered around the perimeter of the city, learning to use the various Sword Skills that were so very important to survive in this world. Only when she could use the first few skills available to her as a Dagger User by reflex, engraining the moves into her subconscious muscle memory, did she feel comfortable in leaving the City. But before she would do that, she would be in dire need of appropriate equipment. Since she would not be using a party, and had no friends to turn to, ensuring that she had the best possible equipment was a necessity. And since she would be focusing on the Dagger, and other small fast weapons, she would be using the lightest of armors, dressing exclusively in cloth and leather equipment.

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That made her choice ultimately easier. Since she was alone, a solo player, she would have no one but herself to rely on. The Tailoring Profession would allow her to continuously improve her defense by crafting her own equipment that would be of higher quality than the items she could purchase from the various shops she had thus far encountered. So she had left the ‘safety’ of the Outer Rings of the City, and had come to the Central Plaza, where Kayaba Akihiko had made his awful declaration that SAO would be a Game of Death. She had mixed feelings coming back here, this was a place where the hopeless gathered, wallowing in their despair day in and day out. Her spine stiffened, and she pushed away memories of a time when she herself had fallen so far she could not pick herself back up.

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Memories of clutching the armrests of the chair that was her prison threatened to rise up, and she forced them back down like bile. Turning her focus to what was really important, she scanned the overcrowded area for the small shop that she had marked on her map back before the fateful moment where the GM had triggered a teleport to the Plaza and the game that should have been harmless fun had become a Game of Death. It took her a moment to find it through the sea of aimlessly wandering players, and even longer to navigate her way across the Plaza, but never the less she was able to make her way to Nimue’s Tailoring Shop. Ducking her head, she entered the small cozy shop and scanned the interior. An elderly woman with a caring smile was quick to greet her, and Ayane realized that this must be the NPC Nimue, who ran the shop, and acted as a Quest Giver to learn the Tailor profession.

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Ayane waited patiently as Nimue greeted her, and explained a little about the shop, before she inquired out loud. “How does one become a tailor?†Quests in SAO were interactive, they required instructions on the behalf of the player, to build a more immersive experience. As a cutting edge software and technological interface, the complex AI that maintained SAO made Nimue’s ecstatic reaction seem all the more realistic, even if the facial recognition software made some of the expressions seem a little too overdone. “Oh are you interested in learning the way of the Tailor player? How exciting! I would love to tell you more.†exclaimed the jolly old woman with a joyful laugh that certainly seemed realistic. It was enough to make Ayane, a solo player who avoided most interaction with others, slightly nervous. She was not used to much in the way of socialization with others, even NPC’s.

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A few moments of conversation later, Nimue had explained the basics of the tailor profession, which was altogether simple really. By gathering materials, either in the wild, purchased from other players, or purchased from NPC shops; a Tailor could then use a crafting table to create an item. Tailors were able to use hides from beast type monsters, as well as harvest and refine silk and other types of fabric from Insect, Spider, and other monster types which could then be refined into higher quality material which would then be turned into useful clothing articles through the act of crafting, which worked like a simple form of sewing. A fan of cosplay and other such activities, Ayane had a working knowledge of how to sew, which she figured would likely serve as to help her in her endeavors as a tailor.

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Since this was an MMORPG, even if it was technically a VRMMORPG it couldn’t be as simple as simply saying ‘I want to be a tailor’ so shortly after the explanation, Nimue proceeded to give her a task to complete. “All tailors will need materials in order to craft their items player. You should look for materials from available sources. In the fields outside the city, you will find plenty of <> wandering the hills. Slay enough of these <> to harvest 5 <> and return to me so that you might make your first crafting attempt.†A very sensible and straightforward request, all things considered. From what Ayane had heard, <> was a rather simple monster, and would only attack in reaction to being attacked first. It made it an easy creature to farm, as one did not have to worry about aggro’ing a mob accidentally.

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Hurrying from the shop, Ayane rushed through the crowd towards the city entrance. At first it was rough going, so many players amassed together it made moving through the crowd a chore, but the closer she got to the exit, the more the crowds thinned. Most would not dare venture outside the city, instead taking shelter in the area where their health would not be reduced. So the exit was never really that popular an area for the players who had resolved to wait out the Death Game to congregate. Ayane preferred this area over the Plaza, as she felt it easier to breath without the constant presence of a mob pressing down upon her. The helpless players wandering about like cattle crushed by their desperation always served to rub her the wrong way.

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Given the experience, she was almost glad to slip outside the great wooden doors, into an area where she might enjoy solitude for a brief respite. Here she would not be bothered, she could relax and not worry about having to deal with the unwanted presence of others. Taking a short walk, she meandered the roads that led across the open hills, stopping every now and again to observe a battle between players and <>. From what she saw, the <> had a single attack, a powerful charge. It was a fast attack, one that might knock down the player. It was also rather predictable, with a lengthy buildup as the beast would paw at the ground with a hoof. Watching each battle silently, Ayane would count the time it took for the creature to buildup and attack. Yes, so long as she was vigilant and prepared, she felt she would be able to dodge that attack.

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Walking further, so that she might engage her target alone, without having to worry about other players showing up and trying to hog Xp in her hunting ground, Ayane unsheathed the <> at her waist. Little more than a crude iron blade, with a short crosspiece and plain wooden handle, it was far from threatening. Yet the weight in her hand was comforting in a sense, as though it signified her decision to fight for her own survival. Setting her feet, she silently assumed the posture she had practiced so many times on the cluster of targeting dummies that sat right outside the walls. Centering her weight, and lowering her center of balance, Ayane brought her weapon down low, holding the blade in a ‘saber grip’, blade pointed out. She felt the skill charge, like a buzzing sensation in the back of her head, before she released her built up attack.

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A pale purple glow suffused the plain blade of her <>, and the System Assist kicked into gear. Suddenly she was moving forward of her own accord, the blade held low and ready as she darted in. But the truth was, she was only half under the control of the system, she had stumbled upon that the first day she had started trying to activate the Sword Skills. Armed with that knowledge, she pushed herself into the skill she had practiced so many times. It was risky doing so, she might mess up activating the skill if she pressed too hard, but when it worked... Her blade flashed, once, twice, thrice; a suddenly flurry of shortened stabs. She pressed forward, pushing as hard as she could to her hands, to her rear leg she was putting her weight on. The result was <> a basic Dagger Attack, done at a speed that was more than just relying on the System Assist. This was how she chose to fight, this was the type of player she chose to be.

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<> placid blue eyes flashed red as it squealed in it's piggy rage, her blade had bit thrice deep into the folds of fat and muscle that made up it's stocky neck. Glowing red polygons fountained like blood, and Ayane quickly back away, her dagger held low before her as though she were trying to imitate the knife boxing she had seen in movies before becoming trapped in the game. She felt so alive, so powerful... To think that she, a girl who could no longer even walk outside of this game, was doing battle with a beast over a meter in length with wicked sharp little tusks. Truly, SAO was allowing her to become a different person entirely. <> pawed at the ground with his sharp little hoof, his nostrils flaring as he charged his own attack. She readied herself, digital muscles tensing in her thighs as she prepared for the inevitable charge.

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With a harsh squeal, the piggy beast launched itself towards her, little hooves tearing at the grass as it charged headlong into her. Calmly she waited, counting a quick second before kicking off hard and launching herself into the air. This was not using the <> skill, this was simple muscle memory kicking in, she had no need to engage the System Assist for something this routine. Like a dancer she twisted in the air, into a side ways somersault that carried her out of harm's way as the <> charged by her. It was an amazing scene of grace, one that went unnoticed as she had gone so far out of her way to avoid partying with others. With her artful dodge complete, she was free to focus the full weight of her attention back on her target, who still had a full 2/3 of his health bar left. Her knife once again held before her, she resolved that the time had come to do something about that.

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Again she rushed forward, putting her all into the attack, the dagger flashing as she perforated the <> throat with her trio of stabs, with each stab she gave everything she could, putting all the weight and force she could muster to speed the movement of the skill. <> blasted into the creature's HP bar, as a fountain of red polygons colored the world in a flash that looked like a digital arterial spray. Her porky target's health bar dropped even further, dipping into the red zone before disappearing completely as the <> exploded in a prismatic star burst. She had succeeded in a <>, finishing off her wounded enemy in one hit. It was only the first target to fall to her blade. It was a very ruthless viewpoint, but necessary none the less. The <> was just a piece of data, controlled by the SAO mainframe, it was not a living creature, no matter how it squealed as though in pain. Armed with that thought in mind, and facing the realization that now that she hand entered combat it was either her or her enemy, Ayane stood resolved to keep killing the large pigs until her quest was complete.

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Taking a moment to let the stress of combat fade, Ayane calmly opened her loot table to check if her kill had yielded anything. To her surprise, it seemed she had received double hides for this kill. She would only need 3 more. With that thought in mind, Ayane surveyed the area around her, finding the nearest <> and moving into position. As far as enemies went, <> was pretty newbie friendly, with only the single charge attack, and a docile nature that would only go into attack mode if it was struck. That struck her as being pretty kind considering this was a Death Game that had trapped all the players. Low level players were free to practice their sword skills on <> without fear of drawing the Hate of every other <> on the nearby rolling hills. Then they were free to live or die against one enemy, trying to master the Sword Skills that were so essential to surviving this game. As sad as it sounded, many had died on these hills, unable to use the Sword Skills when faced with a meter long warthog charging at them in piggy rage. Nobody had ever played a VRMMO before, they simply weren't ready for 'real' combat.

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With her full attention focused on <> before her, Ayane maneuvered herself into better position. <> was a charger, it only had the single attack. If she tried to engage it on uneven terrain, she would make the battle harder for herself as she would be unable to move around freely. It would be best to start her attack from an angle that was relatively flat, and left her plenty of room to maneuver around, so that she might better make use of her agility to avoid the <> powerful charge attack. While it was true that as far as enemies went it was pretty weak, requiring only 2-3 good hits to take it down, that charge attack was pretty forceful, capable of knocking a player to the ground and damaging their HP. There was a profound psychological effect at work, damage to the HP would inevitably lead towards death, so players would freeze up in battle. Ayane had resolved that she would overcome this fear, so she readied herself to fight her opponent.

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Ayane settled back on the balls of her feet, bringing her dagger up before her in a reverse grip, the blade projecting downward from the back of her hand. Bending at the knees and lowering her center of balance, she activated her second Sword Skill, her dagger being suffused in a soft magenta glow. Her eyes narrowed, her focus targeting the unprotected neck of her opponent, before she released her hold and let the skill launch her forward, pushing off as hard as she could to speed her attack. Her charging slash proves to be an unwise decision, as her target shifts and she passes by in a flash, missing her rapid attack. Biting back a curse, she spins to face the now enraged <> already pawing at the ground with one narrow hoof, preparing to charge.

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She pushes her disappointment from her mind with a mental shrug, if she plans on being able to dodge she must focus entirely upon the enemy before her, there is simply no room for regret. A snort, and the <> launches itself forward, all four legs scrabbling as it charges at her screeching a piggy war cry. Bending at the knees, she counts, trying to time her attempt at evasion perfectly. It is so lifelike, as though she were preparing for a somersault in real life, she can almost feel the powerful muscles of her thighs twitching. A quick motion later, she is airborne, having thrown herself up and to the side, gracefully twisting in midair into a side ways somersault, appearing for all the world to have simply taken to the air to perform a handless cartwheel. <> charges right by her, and she draws her dagger back, flipping the blade back into a saber grip and drawing it back. Before she has even hit the ground, she activates her Sword Skill <> flashing out in a quick trio of stabs along the <> flank as it passes, screaming in rage and pain. Landing gracefully, she rushes forward, her body low to the ground, dagger held before her. She needs to get close enough to prevent it from charging again.