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Sword Art Online: Infinity Edition [IC] [T] [Best Rookie 4Q '12]

Mana1

Mana1

10,078
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  • Age 32
  • UK
  • Seen Oct 17, 2023
[S-HIGHLIGHT]IC Thread[/S-HIGHLIGHT] - OOC Thread

29krwjs.png



Priority Mission: Defeat the Floor 8 Boss!
Click to expand...

Current Dungeon: 5
Recruiting Guilds: Black Cats, Knights of Blood, Fuurinkazan [Joining a Guild requires lv 10

~*-*~

​

Guilds:

Joining a guild in SAO:Infinity is entirely optional, however it may be a good basis for meeting both other players as well as for designing new NPC relationships. You may only be in one guild at a time, and should follow rough guidelines (eg, Black Cats would not have a large party in a dungeon, and would more likely be supplying weapons to fighters). You may join whichever you'd like in any way, you can mention receiving an invite and accept without my approval.​
  • Black Cats - A newly formed guild, focuses mainly on the collection and trading of useful materials rather than political or physical power.
  • Knights of Blood - One of the main clearing guilds in Aincrad. Their hierarchy is well structured, with very strict rules.
  • Fuurinkazan - A small clearing guild of friendly players, they are often found helping out lower level players.
  • ??? - You may lead your own guild, please PM information and whether you will be recruiting anyone.

Floors so far:
(Monster details and specific areas up to players, as long as they coincide with the general description)
Spoiler:



Extra Information:
Spoiler:


Players:
1. Elise Vivian Molyneux (Claire*)
2. Daniel Williamson (Machomuu)
3. Christina Ikara (Red's Hawt Chibi Peppers)
4. Khalil Withrow (Khawill)
5. Kappei Yamaguchi (AlexOzzyCake)
6. Leilani Garcia (Leaf Storm)
7. John Archer (SkyisUmbreon)
8. Kyle Lancaster (SwiftSign)
9. Dante Farefye (CarefulWetPaint)
10. Jonathan Turner (Garet)
11. Kamui Ozora (ShinyDiamond)
12. Natsumi Aido (PinkSapphire)
13. Jose Aldo Blancop (drunk ¬_¬)
14. Alec Bransen (Sir Bastian)
15. Savannah Hawking (Kranic)​

[Submitted: 10/10/12]​
 
Last edited:

Khawill

<3
1,567
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11
Years
Fester and Kayla

Fester awoke the day after the chaos, having camped in an alleyway. He stood up mind lost and began to laugh maniacally, "What should I kill today, boars, rats, maybe I can kill people. No no no, people can't be hurt by me, and I can't cook people in this game. No I can't." He looked around fidgeting, unable to keep still, "I can't take all this waiting, there are so many animals that are waiting for me to kill and eat, or maybe kill and sell." He pulled over a random player who happened to walk by and held the boy's shoulders. "Hey you, I need to kill, what should I kill? I can't decide." The player looked confused, "You're right I can just kill so many of everything it won't matter, thanks pal I bet you were programmed to help me." Then Fester skipped off happily, doing a chant about how to cook the animals.

Out in the wilderness Fester was having a ball, hardly using his sword skill. He had already killed enough to level again and was killing so fast he was almost able to keep up with spawn rates. Other players could only kill far away from where he was, afraid that he may be a player killer. One player came up to Fester and asked as much only to get a twitchy response, "You know, I can't kill players in a one player game, is that some sort of trick question? Are you a sphinx incognito? If so then I will slay you where you stand." The player was naturally terrified, but Fester just laughed, "I can't believe how well programmed they made you guys. You really looked scared." Fester walked away fidgeting and rambling, "Those NPCs are all so well programmed, I bet it took days to make them, maybe even months for one, and I can kill them in less than an second this is so great!" The players decided not to mess with him.

He spent the next day going around trying to force his wares on players, "The one that buy them are always hiding in these useless one gah!" Eventually one player did in fact want to buy some of his food, though the player had also not known who Fester was. "Oh great, you wanna buy my food? How much, all of it or most of it? I need to kill more don't I, how stupid can I be."

The player looked confusedly at Fester and obviously didn't know what this man was babbling on about. The player was of about twenty years and a female, though Fester wouldn't have cared if it was his own mother, why would he when the whole game is full of NPCs and he is the only player. "Uh, sir exactly how strong are you?"

"Why do you not want my food? I can't stay if you don't, all of this killing will go to waste and I'll have to kill more, adding more to the waste. You're going to make me waste kills." He grabbed his head and squeezed it tightly, annoyed by the paradox, "I thought AIs were the ones who couldn't handle paradoxes." His eyes widened and he perfectly froze, "I must be an AI," He shook his head violently, "No no it is a trick, to make you think you're an Npc so you can, uh."

The girl laughed, "Uh okay, I'm not a NPC, and--"

"Why would they waste time programming these people to say that, it is so wasteful. Maybe they want you to feel like your playing with other players, yes that's the most logical thing." He was rambling again, but the girl really didn't know if he was still listening, not wanting to get interrupted again, she spoke fast.

"Look I'm not very good at video games, Ive been stuck in this town since the lock in and I don't want to die, I'll buy your food but can you help me get to the last floor?" She hoped he would help.

"An escort quest? And someone that buys my food? That is so awesome, I can't wait, so what are the requirements of this quest exactly? Do I have to kill everything between here and the top floor?"

She didn't realize it would be this easy, the man was a complete fool, or maybe just insane. "Just keep me alive, and don't maybe we can help other players, er NPCs."

"I guess we can, but I don't know... Oh my name is Fester, but I just call myself Fester, you know. I think you should be called Rose or Violet or Flow because NPCs always have lame names and I'm sure you will respond to one of those."

"But my name is Kayla..."

"Well that isn't a very fantastical name is it? No Flow, or Violet, or Red because flowers are always names of females in games and such, or is it never..." He began to ramble again and eventually settled for Rose, "But I may change it later so don't get confused when I do. I'll accept this quest, how exactly do I do that?"

"You mean you got to your level just by killing?!"

"There is another way? I thought quests were optional, how silly of me." Regardless Kayla sent a friend request and a group invite, generally scaring Fester, though he got over it fairly quickly. "First we must feast! Because I wish to eat, and you have also wished to eat, and feasting is what they do in games like this. Or was it movies like this..." He walked off abruptly, Kayla following him, sure that she could easily manipulate him.

"After we get done uh, feasting lets go to floor 4 what do you say?"

"Is it part of the quest?" She nodded, "Well then I guess I have no choice in the matter, I'm sure I can find plenty of creatures to kill though so I can agree to this." Kayla just smiled mischievously, "Why does it say you are only level 5? That is so odd, I bet you were programmed to be weak. Or maybe I'm too strong, or maybe the game is glitching." He pondered the issues at hand.

Kayla was slightly stung by the insult but gave a warning, "If I die, I won't ever come back okay, and you can't finish the quest and nobody will buy food from you again." Fester just shrugged but agreed anyways. They continued to the alleyway were Fester spent most of his time.
 

Claire*

Here's to the crazy ones.
554
Posts
11
Years
  • Age 33
  • USA
  • Seen Apr 29, 2013
Elise Vivian Molyneux
​
"Come on, just a little more," Elise's voice rang out in the dark, dank, underground cavern of Dysthaven. She was tired, her digital body panting in imitation of how its real counterpart would react for precious air. The health bar in the top left of her vision taunted her with its bright yellow coloration, about three quarters empty now, almost in the red. Her feet shifted, kicking up perfectly rendered dust in the process from the mineral rich cavern floor. The large shield usually situated on her back was now in front of her, the main defense between her and her assailants; large, green Goblin like creatures with viscously sharp pickaxes, so creatively named "Goblin Miners."

The infuriating digital deviants stood between her and the prize at the other end of this tunnel. Any craftsman's dream, a rare stockpile of valuable ore, the uses of which were unlimited in the right hands. Elise was in need of a new weapon, the one she had equipped was only minutely better than the starter sword she had so many weeks ago. All this time, she had just been waiting for the right ore to make one to her liking.

The lead Goblin charged, his status as the leader was indicated by his larger size and extra health. He swung down his mighty pickaxe with frightening speed, Elise was able to block it with her shield at only the last second. The sound of the two mixing created a deafening 'clang' that reverberated in her ears. Her shield having absorbed most of the impact, her health only dipped a little, to approximately thirty percent.

Elise had hoped to avoid this conflict all together, but as she quickly found out, her hiding skill just wasn't up to the task, in fact, it sucked. She had only made it past the first Goblin before he alerted the others and they were on her in a second. The first two were easy, but sheer numbers overcame her defenses quickly. The Goblins had come pouring out from every shaft and cavity imaginable. They multiplied like demonic rabbits.

Another swing from the Goblin, another block from her shield. It almost seemed like it knew she was on the verge of defeat. The smaller lackeys came rushing forward as she was occupied with the leader. They flanked her on both sides, their pickaxes hoisted in the air and came down with sickening purpose as they struck her in the shoulders. Oh, how glad she was that this game had no pain. Now her health was in the red, about fifteen percent left. If she wasn't careful, she would be dead forever, not just in the game, but in the world outside it too.

Quickly sheathing her sword, she ran her right hand into the pocket that was between her breastplate and shoulder piece. Her hands wrapped around something solid and smooth, a bright blue teleport crystal. She instinctually pulled it from its resting place, her sanctuary, and any solo-players best friend. Another Goblin leapt at her from behind, his attack landing firmly on her back. It was now or never. Gripping the crystal tightly, she activated it and with a quick, blinding flash, she found herself in the town she had set for it to default to, Blues Village.

It was a tiny village, packed neatly away in the deep shroud of a misty forest. It paled in scale to the Town of Beginnings, but it had a quaint, almost natural charm to it. Of the floors she had been to so far, this was one of Elise's favorites. It had to have been a Tamer's paradise, all the little sneaky amphibians running around and the like. That had been one of the skills she considered at one time, but in the end, decided against it.

"Dammit!" Her voice carried through the center of town, the few passersby giving her bizarre glances and whispered amongst themselves at her sudden outburst. Elise blushed only to the slightest degree and raised her hands in apology, "Uh, sorry..." She let her voice trail off, as the others nodded their heads and went about their merry way. Those Goblins, there had to be a way other than begging for a group to go raiding with, not only would she need to ask for their help, but then share all the ore with a large party. No, that was not the way to go about this. She could always power level and come back, but that would be pointless because there had to be better materials farther up in Aincrad, by then her sword would be even further antiquated.

Her feet followed the path through town, her health slowly regenerating in her peripheral vision. Many of the local NPCs were pushing their wares, nothing better than what she could make in the smithing department, but she did need to buy a few healing potions.

"Welcome, please select the item you would like and its quantity. You'll never find a better deal in all of Blues Village," The ever cheery NPC merchant spat out its preprogrammed introduction. A burly, generic looking mountain man was the choice for the Alchemy merchant on this floor. In any other game, he'd probably look like a very tall dwarf, with his beady eyes and grandiose beard that hung down to his portly navel.

"Best deal in Blues Village, huh? Yeah, not likely," Elise mocked the NPC as he stood there happily with a plastered on smile. "I'll just take five moderate healing potions." She completed the transaction, the virtual money, better known as "Col", having successfully transferred out of her account and back into the in-game economy. An idea struck her as she turned to leave his presence. "Hey, any chance..."

"Welcome, please select the item you would like and its quantity. You'll never find a better deal..." The NPC interrupted her mid-speech with his welcome as she reinitiated his conversation.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, best deal in Blues Village, I get it" She tapped her temple with the index finger of her right hand, maybe these NPCs wouldn't know the answer to her query. No harm in trying. "Hey, uhm..." She looked up over his head to see his label and name. "Shop keeper...Ali?" Really, Ali? He looked nothing like an Ali. "Any chance you would have anything that could temporarily raise my hiding skill?"

"I'm sorry, but the recipe for such a potion is player made only. Please seek out an appropriately skilled Alchemist."

Well, it wasn't the answer she was looking for, but it was a start. It may not have had the asked for potion, but at least it let her know that something like that existed out there. Now for the hard part, finding someone who was skilled enough in Alchemy. It wasn't exactly the most practiced skill, most people having gone for taming, or forging as their main non-combat skills. Maybe she could hire an information broker? But those always cost a fortune and their information could be less than stellar.

Blues village might not even be the best place to find an Alchemist, she might need to teleport to Celedona for such a thing. There had been whispers of a few capable ones running around there, but nothing concrete. At least it was a start. As she made her way back to the location she teleported in from, she selected the teleport option from the menu, it usually was grayed out when not in a town teleport zone, she selected Celedona and with another flash, found herself within the massive, stone-lined walls of Celedona. Without a moments hesitation, she began to canvas the marketplace, asking every player merchant within earshot if anybody knew of a good Alchemist.​
 
Last edited:

moon

37,467
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  • Seen Apr 19, 2024
KRISSU - Floor 2

A fisherman sat calmly by a lake on Floor 2, the artificial sunlight making his bald head shine and the surface of the water glimmer. The temperature on Floor 2 was always pleasant. He closed his eyes and leaned back, almost hoping that he wouldn't get anything hooked right now.

Suddenly, a splashing noise brought the fisherman back to reality. Someone suddenly shot up from the water, swimming as fast as they could towards the shore. The player's hair was red and flowed behind her like a stream of fire in the water. There were some seaweed there as well. Before the fisherman could ask himself why the other player was in such a hurry, another splash came and a huge, angry frog face broke through the surface right behind the red haired swimmer. It chased her. Oh.

Krissu had no time to think about fishermen on the shores. She was currently cursing herself for not having taken the time to improve her Swimming skill before going underwater to search for a special plant for her Alchemy. The lengths she would go for good ingredients... The frog let out a strangely croaking noise right when Krissu was close enough to the shore to feel the lake's bottom under her foot. Intuitively, she tossed herself to the side, down into the water again. A great thing to do, because the next second, a stream of hot bubbles shot past where she had just stood. She turned around and got up, backing away as she pulled out her Broadsword. That frogdemon wouldn't just give up, it seems. Krissu's hiding skill had easily gotten her past the schools of minor frogdemons in the lake; those designed for players of lower level than herself. But this one was apparently tougher. So she'd have to fight.

The frogdemon, thankfully, closed in on her and came to the shallow waters near the shore. That would make things so much easier; Krissu wasn't as good as she'd thought with holding her breath underwater. She raised her sword with both hands and took a deep breath, feeling the simple but effective Sword Art [Swing Down] activate. Shooting forward, she did just that. But the frog was too quick and leaped aside.

"How can you even do that! I used a Sword Art!" Krissu blurted out.

Her opponent didn't reply. Instead it croaked again and sent another stream of hot bubbles straight at the girl. She screamed when she got hit in the belly. But the next second, when the attack was over, she didn't feel any pain anymore. That was a great design of the game; if people had been bleeding and feeling pain, a lot more of them would have just stayed in Starter City.

She saw her health bar go down in front of her. But not much. This floor was designed for people who hadn't been journeying around Floor 3 as much as she had. Or Floor 4, for that matter, even though Krissu hadn't been there much yet. And Floor 5... She shook her head, forcing away thoughts of people clearing the game. She needed to clear this frog.

Letting out some kind of battle shout, she used [Swing Down] again. Once again, the frog leaped aside, but this was according to Krissu's plan. When the frog turned around again after its jump, it couldn't see her. Narrowing its eyes, standing in the shallow water, it looked around closely. Out of nowhere, Krissu came out with another Sword Art, [Lance of Will]. Also fairly basic, but devastating with the right hit. And this one hit. The Broadsword went straight through the frogdemon, piercing a hole in its chest. Not another croak came out before the enemy dissolved into a thousand pieces of glimmering data.

Krissu panted and went down on her knees in the water. That frog must have been at least level 8 or 7. The Hiding skill had worked in the heat of the battle! That was a quite interesting piece of fact. Perhaps she could develop this trick and use it more often? Then again... the best tricks are the ones they won't expect you to do. Smiling, Krissu got up again, content with having found a way to be good that differed from most other people's ways. And yet was quite fun. She examined her inventory and put back her Broadsword. The Kelp she had come for was still there. No frogdemon snatch technique had stolen it or anything. Good.

She should probably get back to her friend's shop in Celedona now. She had been out for quite some time and if she wanted to keep any customers in the Alchemy department, she'd better make sure to actually be available once in a while. She squinted her eyes and looked towards the stone walls of the town. A player practicing his Fishing skill met her gaze, standing some 30 meters away on the shore. She waved with a casual smile and he waved back as if in a daze. She shrugged.

Back in Celedona, her friend Architam scolded her from having been away.

"Did you know we had three customers asking for your Alchemy this day? THIS DAY ALONE?"

"So I'm popular! Can't help it," Krissu smiled as she made sure her digital clothing had dried again, and put the ingredients out on her preparation table.

Architam sighed and shook his head. He had become much more responsible and worrying after this month than he had been in the beginning, when he and Krissu had met by chance and slain boars together to grow to Lv3. His dark skin and rigid armor gave him an intimidating look. As a good blacksmith should have, he'd say.

"Whatever. Just... I'm worrying, alright?"

Krissu paused in her work and looked up at the other person standing in her little lab. It was one of the rooms in back of the shop; they had had to split them up and build some more walls to accommodate for Krissu's need of a place to make her Alchemy and Architam's need for a forge in the backyard. Their other friends shared other stores next to this one. The couldn't afford their own place alone.

"Thanks..." Krissu said. She meant it. Back in her real life, people hadn't exactly cared about her and been worried about her. Or maybe they had, but she just hadn't noticed. All she had thought about was being the best. Not failing her family. She had just assumed that they expected her to work nonstop. Of course, Architam would be glad if she worked nonstop too. But here, she was allowed to live too.

"I'll go put up a sign saying that you're here," he said with a calmer look and walked towards the shop's main hall.

"You made another sign?" Krissu raised an eyebrow.

"I figured you'd need one!"

The sign on the front door now read:
Embers & Bubbles
- Trustworthy Blacksmith available -
- Exotic Alchemist available -​

​
 
Meganium

Meganium

[i]memento mori[/i]
17,226
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13
Years

Leilani Estefania Juarez Garcia
Floor 2 - Celedonia | Level: 5

Both daggers are out right in front of her, in a cross position. It was a sign of self-protection. In armor, sporting out a red cape, a turtleneck shirt with a black armor plate covering her chest, and black skirt. Her black clothing symbolizes mystery, and it's good for hiding at night...even though she does not have a hiding ability. Her red bow on her head would be easier to see.

As the wind blew the trees around Leila, she watched the green monster vanish right in front of her. She spent almost a half hour fighting it, and finally, she was able to defeat it. She took a deep sigh as the monster becomes bits and bytes, disappearing immediately in the air. Falling down on her knees to the ground, she felt very exhausted. It took her that long to fight such a small monster, whereas she fought a monster 6 times the size when she was with the Dragon Scarce. "I….need to fight more. I must be stronger." She kept telling herself each time she defeated a monster. After a minute, she got up on her feet, and started to walk around the forest.

Then suddenly, a window popped up right in front of her. A new message.

New Message!
From: [DS] Ollie
Subject: Leeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeilaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

[open] [ignore]

It was Ollie, her former Dragon Scarce guild-mate. They haven't spoken to each other since the day they fought at this same floor, killing every member of the guild but them both. The leader of the guild was also killed. She smiled slightly at the window, remembering her time at the guild. Of course, Leila has friends scattered all over Aincrad, but she still prefers being solo, no matter what. Ollie was the braver one, than Leila, and with a higher level than her. Her level had increased slightly, only still at 5 since the last time she went training.

Leila touched the [open] on the left, and another window opened in front of her. It was a short message, a quick read.

>>>

Message
From: [DS] Ollie
Subject: Leeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeilaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
Hey Leila! It's been quite a while, yeah. I'm asking for your cookery skills, because well…I can't really cook! So, I killed this buffalo at the ranch and I'm wondering if you can use your magic to make some buffalo roast. Meet me at the marketplace, alright!

Ollie

>>>

Leila closed the message, with no intention to reply. She then heard a loud roar from afar, coming close to her current location. With no intention of chasing it, she decides to head the same way towards the marketplace. She was finally looking forward to seeing her friend, her former partner.

​
 

Claire*

Here's to the crazy ones.
554
Posts
11
Years
  • Age 33
  • USA
  • Seen Apr 29, 2013
Elise Vivian Molyneux
​
Sitting down with an audible huff, Elise leaned her back against the firm bulwark of a large fountain. Her mission so far unsuccessful, she laid her head back and listened to the blissful sound of the falling water. Of the people she talked to as of yet, she didn't have very many leads to go on. Maybe the others just didn't want to refer business to anybody but themselves? Elise shifted with agitation, her armor making a soft jingling noise in the process. Maybe this floor didn't have what she was looking for after all.

Elise lost herself in thought, her eyes watching the people who went about their business. Just like real life. The initial shock of their situation had rattled people, but soon, people just started to enter their own rhythm, just like they normally would. Each person took up a role, be it those on the front lines, the tradesmen who supported them, or the people who hid on the first floor. Human beings were resilient. Elise just wasn't really sure where she fit into that equation. As much as she enjoyed fighting on the front lines and trying to procure loot from the boss drops, she didn't really consider herself one of the "clearers". People whose every motivation now was to clear the game, they fought and died for just such a purpose.

Did this make her selfish? The thought nagged at her in the back of her head. Just because she didn't necessarily want to go back, didn't mean others lacked reasons to return. Elise shook her head to clear the thought from her mind, she didn't like when these thoughts popped up. Again she shifted, her body just couldn't get comfortable on the firm stone lip. As she crossed her legs at the knee, a small, shadowy figure approached and sat adjacent to her, almost unnoticed. By the shape of his body, it was evident he was a man, maybe a young one based on his size. It was very difficult to tell, as his face was covered by an all encompassing hood.

"Are you that crazy French chick who keeps asking about an alchemist?" The voice escaped from within the depths of the darkness that was cast by his attire. Definitely younger, seventeen, eighteen at the most. Probably American if she had to guess by the accent.

Elise smiled at the forwardness of his question, her gaze locked firmly in front of her, not even turning to look in his direction. "Oui," she answered him, knowing full well that the system would auto-translate for him into his native language. If anything, that might be the greatest invention in all of SAO, a system that literally tore down the language barrier. It was a good thing too, outside of French and English, she would be in trouble trying to talk with anyone else. She was curious as to what he wanted, although Elise could make a safe assumption.

"If you're still looking, I might be able to help. If you can jog my memory of course." He remained perfectly still, even his coat didn't seem to rustle in the slight breeze.

"Ah yes, an information broker," Elise responded, her distaste only barely perceivable in her speech. Another interesting career choice that SAO opened up for others. It wasn't exactly a skill per say, but there were definitely skills that aided in their work; such as hearing, tracking and hiding. Clearing her throat with a soft cough, Elise turned to look at him this time. "How much would it cost to get your memory in-shape again? Wouldn't want that thing getting fat and useless you know?"

The young man snickered snidely at her obvious jogging joke. "Well, for a pretty thing like you, five hundred Col. Unless..." He turned to look at her, the new position let some light come in and illuminate the faint traces of a smile on his lips. "...You toggle that [Ethics Code Off] switch and we have some fun, I'll let you have it for free."

It was Elise's turn to laugh in derision. She had gotten used to this before SAO, a lot of guys acted this way when they found out a girl was playing a game with them. Especially MMOs. "Yeah, fat chance sweetheart."

"Can't blame a guy for trying, right?"

Elise didn't answer him, she simply swiped her hand down and pulled up the menu. Her fingers danced quickly over the options and transferred the currency over. Another chunk of change down the drain, hopefully she could afford to buy the potion once she found the Alchemist. If she could get to that ore, however, it would all be worth it.

"Much obliged, was it as good for you as it was for me?"

Elise rolled her eyes and thought about slapping him, but she knew the system would intervene in the midst of a town. "Just out with it already!" Her face flushed with annoyance.

"Alright, calm down. I'm going to tell you." His hands went to work calling up the menu, tapping rapidly and bringing up the map. After a few more seconds, he placed what seemed to be a pulsing dot in the middle of a street not far from there. Setting it to share mode so that she could see it completely, he quickly recalled it once she confirmed the location to memory. "There you go, happy?" He stood up, wiping his coat with his hands and bowing in unabashed mockery.

"Very. Now, leave." She waved her hand in his direction, his very presence repulsed her.

"Hmm, feisty. I like that." He took a few steps back, his boots creating a soft shuffle noise on the cobblestone flooring. "Just remember, for all your information needs, just holler. As I'm sure you know from the transaction screen, the name is Gideon." With that, he turned and left her alone, just as he found her.

"Yeah, you'll be the first on my list," She called after him sarcastically. There was some truth to her comment though. Good information brokers were hard to come by and if his information was reliable, she would probably use his services again, no matter how crass his behavior. Pushing off the fountain with an audible groan, she stood on her legs and threw her arms into the air to stretch. That feeling never got old for her.

It was a short walk to the designated location. Elise couldn't believe she had missed an Alchemist here before. Maybe Gideon was a scammer and just gave her a random location? Surveying the area, her eyes fixed onto a sign situated on the front door of a shop.

Embers & Bubbles
- Trustworthy Blacksmith available -
- Exotic Alchemist available -​

Elise cursed herself for having completely bypassed this shop before. She felt like an idiot needing to hire a broker just to find the place. What exactly was an "Exotic Alchemist"? Well whatever it was, it was promising in comparison to her situation before. Her armored shifted and clanged softly as she strode to the entrance and made her way inside.

"Hello? Uhm, I'm looking for the Exotic Alchemist."​
 
Last edited:

moon

37,467
Posts
16
Years
  • Age 34
  • Seen Apr 19, 2024
KRISSU

"Hello? Uhm, I'm looking for the Exotic Alchemist," someone said, entering the shop. Architam spun around and put on his greatest customer smile.

"Welcome to Embers & Bubbles!" he said.

The room wasn't as big as many other shops; they hadn't been able to afford anything bigger than this. The walls were of wood and held many swords, axes and shelves with potions and ingredients that the blacksmith and alchemist showcased. There was one corridor leading back to Krissu's alchemy lab and the backyard where Architam worked with his forge, and in that corridor was also the room where the two of them slept. Not together, no no. They did have their own beds!

"My name is Architam and my main skill here is Forgery. What can I help you with? Or would you rather be interested in aid within the area of Alchemy?" The dark skinned, bald man raised an eyebrow when he said that last part, unconsciously.

Krissu listened to her colleage from her lab, where she was just in the process of cooking up the kelp she had gathered. She smiled. They were competing slightly over who would have the most customers. There were more people with the Forgery skill in Celedona than with the Alchemy skill, but many players didn't bother with potions and substances and relied on solid weaponry alone so Architam usually had more customers anyways. But every once in a while, there were some who did appreciate bringing some of her Tweaked Health Potions with them on the field. They would have extra little effects like increasing Speed for a few seconds so that a person could gulp down the potion in a critical moment and then dash away out of harms way instead of getting stricken right away again.

She wondered what the new possible customer was after and kept listening.​
 
machomuu

machomuu

Stuck in Hot Girl Summer
10,507
Posts
16
Years
Daniel Williamson / Level 8
Floor 4: Dysthaven​


"Location: Unknown", that was the phrase that appeared over the map overlay upon looking up his lost friend. Daniel let out a sigh, though he didn't seem too disappointed, this had become a daily ritual since that day. He closed his menu and looked ahead, his time of mourning was immediately replaced with both fear and excitement. It was his second time on the fourth floor, and he was going to go monster hunting in a Cavern that he found. Specifically, he was in search of rare monsters; this was because rare monsters, despite the fact that they are mostly wanted for their incredible drops, often have high stats and unique skills for the sake of fending off hunters who want the aforementioned drops.

Now, there were several methods by which one could tame monsters that Daniel knew of. There was the ol' weaken and catch method, which was more popular with the gung-ho tamers. It was simple, yet it made it rather difficult to capture weaker or much stronger enemies, and it also made the creatures take longer to trust their captor, which is to be expected. There was the bait-and-traps method, where one would use traps of varying degrees and some sort of bait to lure in a creature, then after a Taming check, they'd be done. It's not simply a tamer's trick, though, and it's more often that one will see a hunter doing this than a tamer, as it's a great way to generate food and goods. Then, there were the befriending methods. These methods were about showing kindness to creature, which may sound simple, but as Daniel knew from years of Shin Megami Tensei and Rune Factory, it would probably be the most difficult. There are a bunch of different ways to make this happen, but the method that would be the easiest for Daniel would be using food as an act of goodwill and a sign of friendship.

Daniel started forth, but the peace that he had for only a few moments was brought to an end when he heard an ominous pounding sound. It would stand to reason that it be a blacksmith, given that he was in Dysthaven. However, the sound was far less clean and far more destructive, and it grew louder as time drew forth. In fact, the sound was rather reminiscent of large falling rocks, or some large falling object. He thought for a moment, thinking what it might have been, and it didn't take long for him to figure out that it was a Golem coming toward him. It'd be a strong partner to have, but they were far too slow. That, and he'd probably die before the golem teamed up with him. He took out his sword, and then he had a realization, and a dark one. He may have been level 8, but as it stood, the only pieces of new equipment he had since the start were...the jacket he won from the wyrm. He had completely forgotten one of the basics: levels are nice, but crappy equipment equals death. Upon realizing how beginner-level his equipment was, he jumped in a nearby cavity, hoping to hide from the goliath.

Player => Equipment​

Daniel found that he actually had more armor and clothing than he thought he did. They mostly seemed to be from drops and quests, since he was aware of the items that he gained from chests, He equipped he Beginner's Taming Gloves, Iron Boots, and his Beginner's Enchanted Sword of Water and then snuck behind the golem, then he performed a piercing art aimed at its spine. The golem stumbled forward, creating a sound that emanated with annoyance. As it turned around to face its aggressor, it swung its hulking thick limbs at a surprising speed. He used his sword to block the attack, but was still knocked into the wall with incredible force, causing considerable damage. He used his sword to support himself and stand up, and readied his sword for a counterattack.
 
Last edited:

Claire*

Here's to the crazy ones.
554
Posts
11
Years
  • Age 33
  • USA
  • Seen Apr 29, 2013
Elise Vivian Molyneux
​
No sooner had the words escaped her lips, before a dark skinned man in rigid armor and with the practiced smile of a salesman, spun to greet her. His look was slightly intimidating, Elise was mildly taken aback but regained her composure quickly.

"Welcome to Embers and Bubbles!" He called to her.

The shop was quaint, almost cute actually. Elise had seen bigger shops, no doubt about it. But the wood adorning the walls, the swords and axes accentuating it like metallic, medieval artwork added to the charm. The potion lined shelves definitely indicated that this was the residence of an Alchemist. Elise had considered getting a shop like this at one time, but she hated being locked down to one location. It made selling her wares difficult without a permanent location, but most of her creations were for personal use anyway. She got along just fine renting other craftsman's buildings. A lot of them parted with their tools for a little bit, for the right price of course.

"My name is Architam and my main skill here is Forgery. What can I help you with? Or would you rather be interested in aid within the area of Alchemy?" The man continued, his eyebrow arching as he concluded with the last part.

Elise raised her hand in a cheery wave, her mouth taking the shape of a genuine smile. Although she spent much of her time alone, she did enjoy being around other craftsmen, a lot of times, they shared a great deal in common. Most of the people who didn't seem obsessed with clearing the game were craftsmen too. Of course, Elise wasn't sure in this case.

"My name is Elise," she introduced herself, taking a few steps in and examining some of the weapons dangling from the wall. "I apologize, Mr. Architam...." her hands ran over a sword, curiously inspecting the quality of his work. "...I'm a member of the forging community myself." She grasped the sword and held it out, feeling its balance in her hands. It felt good, the dispersion between the grip and pommel to the point of the blade felt weighty, but not exceedingly so. A few careful practice jabs in the confined space and she placed it back on the wall.

"I don't really need help in that regard," she added off hand, as she returned her attention back to him. "I've come because I need a certain potion created. Specifically, one that boosts a person's hiding skill for a little while." Her left hand rubbed the back of her neck self-consciously. "I was hoping that this 'Exoctic Alchemist' would be able to assist me with that."

"Is he or she in right now?" She asked, her hand playing with a rivet on her breastplate absent-mindedly.​
 

Khawill

<3
1,567
Posts
11
Years
Fester, Floor One
"This is where I camp out and stuff, nothing fancy." Fester stretched, "It used to be pretty public until I scared off the NPCs that walked by." Fester just walked around after not getting a response. Rose was in awe at how someone would choose somewhere so bad to stay, even for a game. "I'll miss this old place when we go, if we have to get to floor one hundred then I don't think we'll be back until after."

"But..." Rose was about to correct him but stopped herself, if he knew he would leave the game after them he wouldn't help her. She had already started though and finished her sentence, "But what if we find a better place to stay."

"I don't think so, I think this may be the best place to camp out ya know." He stretched and yawned, "We aren't sleeping until floor two, after a few fights we will be fairly awake then we can rush to floor four. Why are you going there anyways, floor five is much better and I have yet to actually go there?"

"Because I use a greatsword, I need to find a blacksmith, also that floor is closer to my level so I won't die as easy."

"That is understandable, though what other skills do you have? Why would you use a big sword? You look so weak!" He rubbed his head, "Must be some kind of developer joke."

"I'm no joke! And my skills are hiding and Alchemy." She crossed her arm, "Can we go now?"

Fester was sitting on a chair that head been knocked over in a way that he back was laying on the ground and his legs were in the air. He was reading the guide, "Says here that that zone is level 6-12, you are too low."

"That's why I'm bringing you!" She said crossly.

"Do I look stupid to you? I'm level 12 which means that even I can't be a complete guardian for you. If you want me to die fine, but it will take too long for me to get to you from spawn, meaning you will die." He looked Rose in the eye, "I don't know what happens when NPCs die, but I'm sure it is like the real world, I bet you won't respawn." Rose shivered, suddenly she knew why this man was feared by the players there. Fester raised an eyebrow, "How odd, they program all NPCs to feel fear? Well don't you fear me, I promise you will not die, but you better know how to attack otherwise I can't keep this promise."

Shaken and fearful, she answered back, "O-okay, I know h-how to fight." She then realized that there was no way she could stop him from helping her. "Let's take the portal to the fourth floor instead of walking though."

They walked to the portal to the fourth floor, "Are you ready? I almost forgot about these, and you better stay close to me, I know how weak you are." He laughed, and Rose laughed nervously, "I bet we will kill hundreds of enemies, I hear these next two floors are much harder than the ones I've been to." They walked through the portal.
 
Squirrel

Squirrel

9,535
Posts
12
Years
  • Age 29
  • Seen May 11, 2023

Rapp - Floor 5 Dungeon

"Agh my sword shattered; quick it's going to get me!" Rapp overheard the cries of a stoutly fellow whom had been in the middle of hacking into a Wall Creeper's chest as he quickly turned and threw a shining new sword made of bone and iron into his outstretched hand. "Thanks kid, you're a life saver - literally!" The man said whilst planting his new sword into the beast exactly where Rapp had told him to, causing it to begin shattering into thousands of tiny blue pieces. "I guess I owe you the drops, eh? Here you go, some more of that funky ore stuff you were looking for. It's the least I owe ya. Say, what can you make with this stuff anyway?" Rapp gave him a knowing smile before turning his back and exiting that section of the cave.

Too easy, these guys hand over their drops like it's nothing. Not that they'd be able to use them anyway. Rapp began humming to himself as he made his way through the dungeon looking for dungeon crawlers with weakened equipment to make deals with. Rapp was all he had come to know himself as; by this point he barely even remembered the real world. He'd become so engrossed with the world he now inhabited that he'd even forgotten to worry about the body which he used to inhabit and why might be happening to it now - this new world was his home. Rapp peered around and quickly spotted his next customer.

"Hey, I think your chest plate is about to shatter... I could give you a good deal on a new one if you'd like? Made from the finest materials and hand crafted, it'll keep you safe for a long while I guarantee."
"I don't have much... Uh... Name your price?" replied the timid soldier whilst fighting off a duo of Black Bats.
"Much money? That's okay, I'm not interested in money, that stuff's for the townspeople to worry their heads over." Having grown up without a single yen to his name, Rapp really wasn't lying on this point.
"Then what do you want? I can offer you protection? A place to stay the night? Anything, just say it quickly or these bats will get us both!"
"Use your axe to clip the bat's wing then finish it by slicing straight down the middle. Trust me. Just do it."
"But I don't... That's not how you kill bats... Their weak point is the area under their belly, I should be aiming there - why would I listen to a level 6 like you?"
"I said trust me."

Begrudgingly, the man swung his axe as Rapp had commanded and the bats dropped to the ground after colliding into his chest. A menu appeared infront of him as his chest plate shattered into a thousand pieces; Items dropped: Bat Bones; Black Leather. "Here." Rapp held his hand out with a trade request for a replacement set of armour. "Give me what it dropped and this armour is all your's." The man quickly handed over the bat's carcass and smiled at the seemingly great deal he'd just been offered before running off to exit the cave and return home. S'alright, not like I don't have fifty more to give away. Would've thought the main clearing part would have better equipment, I could make this stuff with my hands behind my back - especially with all the rare materials these fools have been parting with...

Rapp jumped back urgently as a large black claw emerged from the wall infront of him and began violently slashing the air around it. The monster revealed itself with piercing red eyes and a menacing look on it's face before darting forward straight for him. It made hideous noises as it cut through the air and landed straight infront of Rapp, before raising it's large slender claws as if preparing a fatal strike. There was no one around to help and the monster was five levels too high for him to take down on his own; could this really be the end already?
 

CarefulWetPaint

Doctor Lobotomy
1,193
Posts
12
Years
Dante FareFyre - Floor 5 Dungeon.


The hideous birds dropped to the ground before shattering into thousands of blue data fragments as Dante sheathed his sword. The scruffs of Dante's boots became silent as he turned on his hiding skill and continued to explore the floor five dungeons. He had already been in there for over half a day without seeing another player, this slightly worried him. Though Dante had only been in the dungeon for just over half a day his inventory was already almost full. The respawn rate was even higher in the dungeon now then it was in the beta test. "Ugh this sucks, how has the boss room not be found yet, I'm already 2 levels above the recommended for this floor because of this insane spawning!" Complained Dante as he cut down a Wall Creeper that hadn't even noticed him.

Have I travelled to deep into this dungeon too quickly? Dante thought to himself as he turned around and started heading back towards the entrance. Dante's armor was still in perfect condition as it was a high level item from a boss drop but the rest of his gears durability was starting to get low enough to worry about. Hmm, I really need at least a new sword soon; this sword won't do it for the boss battle. Swiping his right hand in the air he opened up his menu. He stopped walking as he opened up his map to see where he was. After quickly looking at the map closed it and began in the direction to the exit of the dungeon.

As he neared an intersection, Dante saw the first player character he had since entering the dungeon running past with a large grin on his face. The player was a man that was carrying a large axe in his hand and was patting his chest piece as he walked past.
"Hello!" Dante greeted as he stepped into the man's path.
"Oh, hello." The man replied seemingly annoyed by Dante talking to him.
Slightly vexed Dante tried to continue the conversation. "Have you found the boss room yet?"
"What are you talking about? People have only been exploring this dungeon for a few hours." The man replied, looking at Dante like he was crazy.
"Oh, okay then.." I've been here for over half a day already. "Bye then, oh is there anyone else in here?"
"Yes the rest of my party is just ahead of me and there was some guy selling weapons and armor back there a bit." With that the man continued walking down the corridor in the complete opposite direction of Dante.

Thud, thud. Those were footsteps, seems they are moving quickly, probably in panic. Clank. That sounded liked someone hitting the ground, Dante thought to himself as he pick his pace up a little in the direction of the sound. Peering ahead as far as he could he saw a set of red glowing eyes and a person cowering on the ground. "Oh man, may as well." Dante said to himself with slight annoyance in his voice. Lunging forward Dante activated his speed skill and quickly closed the distance between himself and the wall creeper as it began to throw its clawed hand at the quivering person on the ground. Within a micro second Dante activated his sword skill [Slash], cutting the Wall Creepers hand off with his first swing, than slicing the creepers body in half with his next slash, under a second after his first swing.

The data fragments began disappearing as Dante turned and looked at the person who he just saved. The man just sat there, staring at Dante with a dumbfound look on his face. "Really, what are you doing here if you can't even defend yourself against a wall creeper..?" Dante asked as he continued to look at the man sitting on the ground in front of him.
 
Meganium

Meganium

[i]memento mori[/i]
17,226
Posts
13
Years

Leilani Estefania Juarez Garcia
Floor 2 - Celedonia | Level: 5

A pale, brown-haired teenage boy stood there on the wall, flipping a coin. He awaited for Leila's arrival. It seemed that Ollie hasn't changed all that much since the Dragon Scarce. He survived a few battles, including the one partnered with Leila. He opposed the idea of Leila being a solo player, but he really can't baby her.

"Ollie!" Leila said in a British-like voice. "It's been a while, I must say."

Ollie flipped out and dropped the coin on the floor, immediately picking it up after one drop. He looked up at Leila's beach blue eyes, glued on Ollie's face. He chuckled a bit as he stood up straight. "Leila! You're here! I…wasn't expecting you would be coming. I…didn't know you were on the same floor as well."

"I've been here for quite a while. I train a lot here." Leila replied, "I was beating up a few monsters and goblins that were spawning around the forest area of Celedonia. I'm still at a low level, but I'm working on it."

Ollie sighed, he placed his hands inside his black jacket pockets, his head looking down in disappointment. "I..haven't done any training at all, except for hunting."

"Why is that?"

"I just haven't. Don't really have the interest anymore in battling, or even reach the final boss level. The time we fought here against the boss and we lost all of our guild members, it was horrible to see our members die in such a short time." Ollie's memory of the Dragon Scarce guild was engraved inside him, his worst nightmare yet. Leila had already shook off that memory, but she preferred not to come back to it.

She shrugged, and sighed. "There's a lot to be done here before we try something big. So much to complete."

Ollie sighed and turned around, glancing at the merchants selling fruit and vegetables, both of them were men. They were able to sell a basket of carrots in one sale. "Speaking of other things to do, I got a buffalo I need you to cook. You're the only person I know that has cookery skills."

Leila nodded, she hasn't cooked anything in quite a while. "You can always count on me, Ollie. Send me the Buffalo, and I'll see what I can do. Where do you want me to cook it?"

Ollie pointed to the end of the Marketplace Street, as he sends the Buffalo electronically to Leila. "I live right down there. Not too far for a walk."

Immediately afterwards, Leila received a window notifying an item sent from Ollie.

New Item Received
(1) Buffalo
Item in bag
[Use Now] [Use Later]

Leila pressed [Use Later], as she does not plan to use the Buffalo now. "Well, you must be starving. Let's go to your place then." She smiled as she started to run through the marketplace. "Come on, Ollie! You called me for a reason!"

Ollie didn't realize how Leila was too excited to cook. It was probably something she adored, especially in real life. He caught up with Leila and had her follow him to his place, which was a few buildings down the road. Honestly, he couldn't wait to eat some Buffalo.

​
 

moon

37,467
Posts
16
Years
  • Age 34
  • Seen Apr 19, 2024
KRISSU

"I don't really need help in that regard. I've come because I need a certain potion created. Specifically, one that boosts a person's hiding skill for a little while." A pause. "I was hoping that this 'Exoctic Alchemist' would be able to assist me with that."

Krissu heard that. A smile crept up on her lips as she thought about it. A booster for Hiding skill, eh? She could do that... Yeah, she had thought about it before actually. But since her own Hiding skill was quite good as she was using it as good as daily, she hadn't needed it herself and therefore didn't keep a stash. She had thought about some recipes for it though, having analyzed the effects of ingredients and talked with other alchemists in Celedona. She knew what she needed. But that ingredient wasn't really... easy to get. Not at their level, at least.

"Is he or she in right now?" the customer asked.

"Eh... I see," Architam said. He actually managed to not sound too disappointed. Good colleague! "Yes, she is in. Krissu?"

Krissu cleaned and wiped her hands free from the kelp she had been preparing and went out to the main room. The customer was a short girl with chestnut hair, blue eyes and bronze armor. She did look like a fighter, with a sword and a shield. Yet, she had come here for Krissu and not for Architam's skills.

"My name is Krissu," she introduced herself with a smile and decided to not pretend that she hadn't overheard the previous lines. "Elise, was it? Nice to meet you. So, you need help with Hiding? I think I have a really good recipe for that... unfortunately, the one ingredient I lack is the most crucial one." She put a finger to her chin, as if she was thinking. "I'd need to go and get it first. On another Floor. It's no worry though! I'm used to gathering my own ingredients."

"Krissu," Architam suddenly interrupted. "I have to go and gather some of my own ingredients, if you know what I mean." He smiled widely.

"That sounded really gross. I don't know what you mean," Krissu said with a wrinkled nose.

"Metal. Really, what..." Architam sighed. "It was nice to meet you, Elise," he added before leaving the shop through the front door.​
 

Claire*

Here's to the crazy ones.
554
Posts
11
Years
  • Age 33
  • USA
  • Seen Apr 29, 2013
Elise Vivian Molyneux
​
"Eh... I see," Architam replied. To Elise's ear, he soundly slightly disappointed, but not drastically so. Elise was sure he'd have plenty of other business however; people with good forging skills were always in high demand. "Yes, she is in. Krissu?" He called for his colleague.

Elise bounced on the balls of her feet a few times in anticipation. In all honesty, alchemy was a skill that was totally foreign to Elise. She hadn't even payed it the slightest bit of attention in the skills menu. She hadn't even met that many Alchemists up until this point, most people having gone for forging, speed or taming. Elise wondered offhand why this Krissu girl had chosen Alchemy. It probably appealed to her in some way.

The girl appeared from a room in the back, Elise ran her eyes up and down appraisingly when she first appeared. A habit that developed after just the brief time she had been trapped in this game. A good understanding of the world around you could save or ruin your life. The first thing that stuck out was Krissu's bright, almost fiery red hair. It reached far past Elise's own, down to about the length of her back with the faintest hint of curliness. Her green eyes provided nice contrast to the hair, wide and alert to the world around them. The girl definitely did not have the most common colorings in the world, any of them to be honest; SAO or the real world. She must have stuck out in a crowd with that hair, all the easier to spot for sure.

"My name is Krissu," she introduced herself with a smile. Elise had already known that when the Architam fellow called for her, but she smiled back nonetheless. "Elise, was it? Nice to meet you." So she had obviously overheard her and Architam's conversation. So, you need help with Hiding? I think I have a really good recipe for that...unfortunately, the one ingredient I lack is the most crucial one." Elise didn't like the sound of that. In that second, she kissed that precious ore goodbye. Krissu put a finger up to her chin, her look like that of one in deep thought. After a few second she finally added, "I'd need to go and get it first. On another Floor. It's no worry though! I'm used to gathering my own ingredients."

Elise let out a breath she didn't realize that she was holding. The goal was back in sight, that wonderful sword she could make was real in her mind again.

"Krissu," Architam interrupted suddenly. "I have to go and gather some of my own ingredients, if you know what I mean." He finished with a wide smile. Elise had no idea what he meant and she wasn't quite sure if she wanted to.

"That sounded really gross. I don't know what you mean," Krissu said with a wrinkled nose. At least Elise wasn't the only one who was lost on his meaning.

"Metal. Really, what..." Architam sighed. "It was nice to meet you, Elise," he added before leaving the shop through the front door.

"It was nice to meet you too!" Elise called after him as he stepped out and she returned her attention back to Krissu. "You guys are adorable together," she said to her with a small laugh. "Kind of a Yin and Yang thing you've got going on there." A small, teasing smile crept across her face. She wondered how these two met, maybe they knew each other in real life. The thought went back from the depths from where it had arisen as she returned her attention back to the task at hand.

"So... that potion," she tried to broach the topic again post interruption. "What ingredient do you need? I don't know much about alchemy, but I have explored a lot of the currently available floors. I might know a thing or two about what you need, and we should probably settle on a fair exchange right? She raised her eyebrow inquisitively.​
 

moon

37,467
Posts
16
Years
  • Age 34
  • Seen Apr 19, 2024
KRISSU

"You guys are adorable together," Elise said to Krissu with a small laugh right after Architam had left. "Kind of a Yin and Yang thing you've got going on there."

Krissu almost jumped, letting on a look of disbelief on her face. "Eh... that's not really... We don't..." She just shook her head and tried to regain composure after that little comment. She and Architam? Please. They were just friends. Bickering colleagues. Room mates. She really trusted him. Wait, when you regarded all those things, it could really seem like they would be good together, couldn't it? Maybe they... No, god, what was she thinking? All of these thoughts whirled through her over the course of just the couple of seconds during which she shook her head.

"Anyways!" she said, a little more abruptly than she had planned. "About that potion."

"So... that potion," Elise said too. "What ingredient do you need? I don't know much about alchemy, but I have explored a lot of the currently available floors. I might know a thing or two about what you need, and we should probably settle on a fair exchange right?"

Fair exchange. Now Krissu felt a bit better, a confident smile creeping back up to her face. The reason she was polishing her skills was that she wanted to be good at them for the sake of being good, but she couldn't deny that she enjoyed being able to make a living on them too.

"It's called Dustskin Velvet. It's a kind of dark, brown plant that grows only on Floor 4 from what I have heard. I talked to another alchemist who bought it from a warrior who came down here to sell what few plants he had found on Floor 4. Since the place is so barren, you're not really expecting it to be an alchemist's paradise, but the plants that do grow there are actually quite potent. Like the Dustskin."

When she talked about her alchemy, Krissu's green eyes seemed to take on an emerald shade that shimmered in the reflection of light from the window. In her mind, she imagined what kind of trouble one would have to go through to get their hands on some of this ingredient on their own. She really hoped it grew closer to the entrance of the underground caverns than the other alchemist had said...

"Listen," she began, clearing her throat with her thinking eyebrows down. "I do enjoy making small journeys to gather ingredients. But since this is an especially tough one..." She watched Elise's face tense as she continued speaking, "I need you to come with me. I am at Level 9, but I'm not the most natural fighter. There's a reason I have a shop and not a guild badge at the front lines, heh. And if I may ask," she glanced at Elise's armor and shield, "are you just a fighter or do you have some trade skill that you major in, too?"​
 

Khawill

<3
1,567
Posts
11
Years
Fester and Rose
They stepped through the portal, Fester looked at all of the sand. "Aww it's a desert, why" he dropped to his knees, looked lifted some sand with his hands, looked at the sky an wailed, "Wwhhhhyyyyyyy" He did this for three minutes then collapsed, "I think we are going to die, sand is my mortal enemy."

Rose looked at him, "Uh what" The comment stunned her, "How can sand be your mortal enemy..." She kicked some, she looked out and saw a small sand tornado forming.

"Have you ever tried killing sand!? Well you can't! And it's slippers and gets in your shoes and pants and makes you feel all uncomfortable." He was rolling in the sand, which made Rose question how aware he was of things, he was crying now, making Rose get overly confused, a man like this crying was a terribly odd sight for her.

"Uh, don't cry we will, uh, get through this?" She lightly patted him on the shoulder whil squatting, "Come on I heard there are some aves where people mine, I bet there are monsters there."

"No I can't walk, I'm weakened by this monstrosity of nature, virtual or not."

Nearby the sand was bulging, slithering toward the two players. Rose stepped back to think, then saw the sand moving toward her. It sunk, worrying her, suddenly the ground under her felt different, weaker somewhat. Out of instinct she dived forward, just in time for a sand borer to explode out of the sand, diving right back in as if it was water. "F-Fester, we have got a problem!" She dodged another attack, the monster was level 10, clearly out matching her. "You need to protect me! You promised!"

Fester heard her and immediately stopped fearing the sand, his one track mind had set it to the side. He pulled out his sword, "You there! Beast come at me!" He waited ready, waiting for the worm to borrow. He watched the moving sand, then watched it sink. He waited for it to come up for another attack, counting the time between the burrow and the attack. Five seconds he counted, before taking some damage from the attack. He took a health potion and waited for another burrow. Again five seconds and burrow. He took another health potion, this time he held his sword ready. He counted to five after the dive, jumped back, and unleashed his sword skill. Rose watched as the monster turned into code in front of her.

The monster was so high level she had gained a level and a half, though she still wasn't strong enough to fight another one. "Quick let's go to that cave over there." She was hoping to get inside before he had time to remember his sand phobia. "I think I saw another in there!" He ran as fast as he could, which was just a bit faster than Rose.

"There is no monster in here, just tunnels and NPCs." Indeed there were a few players in the tunnel, likely around three in sight alone. He turned around to go back, looked down and sighed, "We cannot go this way, it is to dangerous." He said calmly and as if he was protecting Rose from the floor boss. "We should follow this cave, hopefully we will be able to get to an underground town."

They walked through the town, Rose watching carefully for monsters, Fester rambling in a normal voice to Rose about how bad he believed sand was.
 

Claire*

Here's to the crazy ones.
554
Posts
11
Years
  • Age 33
  • USA
  • Seen Apr 29, 2013
Elise Vivian Molyneux
​
Without realization, Elise must have struck a nerve about the two of them being adorable together. Krissu's face took on a look of disbelief that Elise had to use a great deal of composure to not laugh hysterically at. Maybe she had misjudged their situation after all? Even after Krissu stammered through an excuse that it wasn't really like that, Elise decided to let it go. It wasn't really her place to pry into anybody's situation, it doesn't mean she wouldn't have fun with it later however.

Krissu seemed to regain her composure after they switched gears to discussing compensation. A smile crept back over her complexion, and she began to regale Elise about the ingredient that she needed to make the potion. Her eyes seemed to take on a knowing look as she continued talking. The girl knew her stuff, no doubt about it. That information broker was worth his salt after all.

"Well, I don't think I've ever seen something called Dustskin Velvet. I've spent a great deal of time on level 4 too," Elise answered back to the other girl. She began to walk to the side of the room and leaned her left shoulder against the wood-lined wall for support. She zoned out for a second as she tried to recall any plants on that level. She had always been so keen on finding ore, that she never payed even the slightest bit of attention to plants in the area. Then again, she had no need for plants, so nobody could hardly blame her.

"Listen," Krissu spoke up again, breaking Elise's thoughts. "I do enjoy making small journeys to gather ingredients. But since this is an especially tough one..." Elise locked gazes with her, slightly apprehensive about what was to come. "I need you to come with me. I am at Level 9, but I'm not the most natural fighter. There's a reason I have a shop and not a guild badge at the front lines, heh." This did shock Elise a little bit, although she hadn't ruled out the possibility of actually having to join her in hunt for the ingredient, she had hoped to find someplace to rest for a bit. "And if I may ask," Krissu continued, her gaze seemed to search over Elise's gear. "Are you just a fighter or do you have some trade skill that you major in, too?"

"Well," she answered hesitantly. "I do the same thing that your, ahem, 'friend' does. That is to say..." Her finger ran over the heart shaped emblem emblazoned on her breastplate, her craftsman's mark. "I have a pretty high forging skill, probably a little higher than Architam here if I had to guess." She gestured her hand towards the wall of weapons.

"I guess we could do a product swap, unless you'd prefer money? I don't have much of that at the moment. Maybe I should have taken the free option with the information broker after all," She joked sarcastically without realizing that Krissu would have no idea what she was talking about.

"Anyway, I'm level 11 right now. I would be happy to escort you and make sure you're okay. Besides, I need the potion and you shouldn't have to die to get it to me." Elise smiled at her again as she swiped down her right hand to pull up the menu and toggle the party screen while shooting over an invitation.​
 
Mana1

Mana1

10,078
Posts
15
Years
  • Age 32
  • UK
  • Seen Oct 17, 2023

Kyle Lancaster Floor 5; Level 12


"Cawww" Threatened the bird, diving just out of reach of the rickety bridge and Kyle's attack range. The deformed flier flapped its huge, tattered wings, tearing towards Kyle at speed. The birds were quick, even with his speed specialisation he had a job at avoiding their piercing attacks. This one grazed past him, catching his armour and a slither of health.

Beep. Beep. A flashing icon appeared in front of him:

New Message!
From: Micah

[open] [[S-HIGHLIGHT]ignore[/S-HIGHLIGHT]]​

Now's not a great time dude, thought Kyle as he prepared for the next assault, the bird weaving from side to side on its speedy descent. Bracing himself, Kyle waited for the attack and the perfect time to counter. The bird cawed one more before throwing itself to the wind, his grip tightened on the great steel axe... beep beep.

Kyle swore as the message box popped up again, however he was quickly cut short by a sudden jab to the shoulder, being thrown off his feet and along the wooden planks of the bridge - the bird had managed to get behind him in the chaos, getting one powerful attack straight to a weak point. Dragging himself to his feet, Kyle readied himself once again, determined to level up before entering the dungeon before him.

"Duck!" Cried another player, his target being thrown back from the force and falling heavily to the bridge. The crippled bird was a prime target now, with one swing Kyle took the bird down to zero health, it bursting in to pixels with one shrill cry.

Kyle caught eyes with the player, a well built woman with heavy armour and a huge, blunt hammer. No doubt a dungeon clearer. "You knock 'em down I'll finish them off?" He suggested, quickly opening the party menu with a swish of his hands, "We can make quick work of these and clear the way." She smiled, tipping her helmet in Kyle's direction before swiping the [join] button.

(...)

​
 
Garet

Garet

GhostFire
729
Posts
13
Years
Beep beep. "Wha-?" Jet glanced up as a flashing icon appeared, his fingers pausing in their tapping.

New Message!
From: Kaiser
Subject: About that guild...

[open] [ignore]

Jet was sitting with his back against a wall near one of the entrances to the town of Dysthaven when the icon appeared. His left hand resumed tapping as his right swiped the [open] button.

Subject: About that guild...
Hey, Jet, I know you haven't been keen on joining any guilds, but I'm wondering if you're interested in joining the Knights of Blood. I'm pretty sure I arrange for someone who can do it to invite you to join up. Interested?

Jet's sunglasses hid his rolling eyes as he closed the message without replying. Yeah, sure, join up with the Knights of Blood, that guild that people find so awesome, with its clearing goals and strict rules and, in Jet's opinion, some very stuck-up players. "No, thank you," he muttered, pushing himself up onto his feet. He didn't resent Kaiser for asking or envy him for his status as a clearer. As a matter of fact, Kaiser had become one of Jet's first friends in Aincrad, and they'd often been partners or in the same party.

No, what made Jet turn away from Kaiser's informal invitation were the guild's rules - restrictions, the way he saw it - and the fact that clearing and exploring were not really the same thing. Not to Jet. Besides, he had something he wanted to do right now. There was one cavern in particular that Jet hadn't taken the time to explore in depth, and he didn't feel quite ready to brave the dungeon on Floor 5, even if he'd just barely reached Level 13 a few hours before.

Jet turned and walked through the town's entrance, effectively leaving the floor's safehouse. He turned on his Hiding skill as he turned in the direction he remembered the cavern's entrance to be in. It wasn't long before Jet had found it again and entered, his fingers silently tapping as he stuck close to the walls. Not really in the mood to fight anything, he thought, edging past a pair of Goblin Miners. Jet already knew what they generally dropped, and he wasn't about to spend more time soloing to see if any more unique drops were around. Jet also passed by a few other players later on in the tunnel; he wasn't as concerned about them seeing him, but he didn't want to talk, either. Eventually, though, Jet found himself in a relatively dark, deserted tunnel. Now here was where he would start.

Thud. Not a good sound when you're alone. Thud. Jet pressed himself against one of the walls as the thuds continued. Within moments, a Golem walked by, coming from the direction he had been about to go in. Thank you, Hiding, Jet thought, stepping back into the middle of the tunnel as the Golem disappeared around a corner. Now to--

A gravelly, annoyed sound emanated from around the corner. It was shortly followed by a faint thud, as of something hitting rock. "At least I shouldn't die against this," Jet muttered, drawing his Poisonous Dagger of Speed and Strong Dagger of Ice as he snuck back around the corner. He was in time to see a player hit the wall and the Golem bring back an arm, seemingly for a swing at the swordsman in the tan coat. Jet darted forward, daggers in hand, as he targeted the Golem's midsection with a Silent Strike art that struck true. And turned off his Hiding in the process.

The Golem screeched, annoyed and in mild pain, as it swung its arms down at the now-unHidden player before it. Jet jumped back, avoiding one arm but taking a blow from the other, turning his backward jump into a stumble. Once he was back on both his feet, Jet found himself near the other player. "Team up?" he asked quickly, daggers up and ready.
 
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