Oats

The Emerald Lily | Charm Trinket | T1 Rare | LD 1, QUA 1 [desc.] A stunning green gemstone shaped like a blooming lily, radiating tranquility and enhancing intuition for its wearer. <<Earning a Living quest, Artisan>> Link to thread:

Malachi leaped from a stool to stand beside Oats, seizing the crafted item and hoisting it before the small window where sunlight streamed in. He rotated it, scrutinizing every angle. "It's... It's... MAJESTIC!!!" he proclaimed, arms thrust skyward in victory, while Oats and Kali looked on, eyes wide. Seizing Oats' arms, he declared, "You've FINALLY done it, my pupil!" 'Finally?' Did he mean to praise or insult her? His neutral demeanor gave nothing away. Yet, she found it amusing, akin to an NPC with a scripted set of lines or actions triggered by a student's success. She thought the develope

When the young grey haired short beard guy of an Artisan looked up and down at both of us in the clothing he gave us, he exclaimed, "Ah, excellent!" He clasped his hands, "So, you've decided to dabble in the arts of crafting, have you? My name is Malachi Ringly, but you may call me the master." Oats and Kali looked at each other perplexedly. "Let's see what you've brought me, and hopefully, it's not just a collection of rocks." He peered at materials spreaded out on the table closely, "Look like they're in great quality. Alright, let's make something fabulous- or at the very least, something t

A bell rang as Oats opened the door to the Artisan's shop. The shopkeeper glanced up to notice Oats and Kali behind her. "Hello! Have you found the materials yet?" He seemed oblivious to the puddle they were creating, which was typical of an NPC, not programmed to react to situations outside their script. "Yes, I have. Here they are," Oats replied, swiping, sliding, and clicking until five materials transferred to the Artisan through the trade window. He accepted them gratefully, but instead of closing the window, he offered a few items in return. Her interface pinged with new information: one

"Hey! I've got everything," Oats called out to Kali as she waded through the water towards the grassy ledge above the creek's edge. Kali ran over, exclaiming, "That's great! I double-checked the perimeter, and it looks like we're clear. No monsters or PKers, thankfully. PKers really scare me. We should reach the town without any trouble!" He grinned at Oats after speaking. "Excellent. Let's not waste any more time here. Come on," Oats said, stepping onto the ledge. Unfortunately, it was too weak to hold her weight and collapsed. She yelped, flailing her arms in a futile attempt to grasp s

Oats rubbed the side of her chin with her black sleeve and chuckled. "Your reaction is definitely quicker! I noticed your move, but I wasn't prepared. A couple of years out of combat can make one rusty," she sighed and shrugged. "I need to work on my battle sense. I'm glad to have you as an opponent; who could ask for a better practice partner?" She smirked at the girl standing at the opposite end of the area, facing each other as the wind blew westward, fluttering their hair in that direction simultaneously. "You're right, I can retrain my information absorption skills. Let's go at it ag

Could materials be concealed beneath these rocks, akin to Patrick in the Spongebob series? She was suddenly reminded of the taste and texture of Pop-Tarts she had shared with her younger brother while watching Spongebob on TV. It was their cherished Saturday ritual, as it was his favorite show. She surmised that her father also had a ritual—tuning and fixing his old blue pickup truck, equipped with oversized tires and roof lights, built for the woods. He would always work on it outside while they watched Spongebob. Her hands plunged into the water, disrupting its smooth surface and sendin

It seems it's not here, she thought, straightening up. Could it be behind these rocks? She took a few more cautious steps, mindful not to slip on the slick stones beneath the water. Once there, she started another thorough scan. ------------------ ID: 237011 | Looking for a material | LD 13 | Failed! ------------------ She couldn't help but become slightly annoyed. Usually, she maintains her composure and isn't easily fazed. Almost nothing gets to her. But hey, nobody's perfect. Everyone can get irritated at some point. In stark contrast to her, there's her mother, who wo

As her foot plunged into the water, a rush of coolness envelops her skin, sending a delightful shiver through her body. The sensation is refreshing, contrasting sharply with the warmth of the air around her. As she lowered her foot onto the creek bed, she felt the smooth stones beneath the water, a mix of flat surfaces and rounded shapes, slightly slippery but stable enough to support her. The cool water flows around her ankles, wrapping around legs like a gentle embrace. She took another step, this time more confidently, feeling the water rise to mid-calf. The icy exhilaration contr

Her gaze swept over the water, searching for the last material she needed. She scanned each grid methodically, knowing she couldn't afford to miss it. It was the only thing standing between her and becoming an artisan, not to mention a soft bed. The day had been long. ------------------ ID: 237008 | Looking for a material | LD 6 | Failed! ------------------ Mhm... it seems it's not around here. Perhaps over there, by the mid-sized rocks jutting out of the water like sore thumbs? Standing at the bank's edge, she accessed the equipment menu and removed her boots. After clos

Turning back to the gracefully flowing water, which wove around the rocks, she hoped her leveling up would be as smooth. Would she hit a setback and die in the game? Not if she prepared thoroughly. She resolved to gather all she needed before heading somewhere. Her thoughts drifted to the skills she would want to acquire. Parry? Search? Regardless of the skill, she knew she needed to accumulate SPs, Skill Points, and that meant leveling up swiftly. Perhaps she should fight a few enemies for practice before attempting the Gemini quest she had saw the other day. Ah, she would ponder over it

"These are perfect!" exclaimed Oats. Night held a trinket aloft, allowing Oats to examine the Brass Omamori more closely. "This one goes in my pocket? Okay, got it. Good thing my skirt has pockets." She then inspected the black marble, adorned with touches of gold, white, and red. The craftsmanship was exceptional, befitting an artisan of her caliber, promising durability and eliciting her gratitude. After a thorough examination, she returned it for paper wrapping. Both the Brass Omamori and the Artemis ring were stunning in appearance. "Thank you again for these. I will put them in a goo

This time, Oats relocated to a different spot along the riverbank where it bends, allowing for more contact with the water, possibly indicating an abundance of materials. She knelt at the edge, gazing into the water as she submerged her hands. The clear blue water flowed around her wrists, morphing into various shapes with each sweep of Oats' hands beneath the surface. ------------------ ID: 236751 | Looking for a material | LD 19 | Succeed! +1 Mat ------------------ Thrilled, she found the material wedged between the smooth rocks of the riverbed. Its sparkle, catching the

ID: 236718 | Looking for materials | LD 18 | Succeed! +1 Mat --------------- "I knew it!" she murmured under her breath, followed by a sigh. Speaking at a normal volume again, she said, "Two down, three to go." "Only three more? That's not too bad. You'll have them all before the sun sets at this rate." "Confident, aren't you? There's only one way to find out." Despite how tough it is without having a bonus, perhaps Kali is right. This location is proving to be sufficient. At this rate, she'll quickly gotten her craft skill. She sat up straight to stretch her back

After a brief rest, Oats decided to resume digging. She sat up and yawned, finding it remarkable that even in the digital world, she could feel fatigue. Perhaps the data was transmitted to her physical body, causing a reflective reaction of tiredness? She wasn't sure. Ellie would have the answers. Oats is going to leave the game design to Ellie and planned to bombard her with questions once she exited the game. The frontline was now at the 29th floor, with 71 more to go. Time had slipped by—months, possibly years. It seemed as though it might take a lifetime to finish the game, but they had to

ID: 236716 | Looking for materials | LD 10 | Failed! -------------- Oats gazed toward the horizon, her face devoid of emotion. "Seriously?" she sighed. It was inevitable; RNG is inherently unpredictable. A peculiar sense of pride washed over her as she grasped the meaning of RNG. Perhaps she was becoming a gamer. Could she be as hardcore as her former bunkmate Ellie from the military base? She doesn't know, yet she felt certain that Ellie would be impressed by her ability to have a gamer conversation. Rising, Oats decided to recline on the grass. She laid back, hands laced behind he

"Ow!" Oats staggered backward from the blow to her head, but quickly regained her balance. "Even those stronger than you have weaknesses to exploit. Find it and cut me." the mentor instructed as she positioned her sword to her side. Oats rubbed the top of her head, puzzled. "How can I do that? I can't see any weakness. If the opponent moves, then yes, I get a chance to observe. I've been in a military operation and have seen how enemies move. But you... you were just standing there. How can I spot a weakness in someone who doesn't even lean to one side?" Oats pondered the mentor's advice.

"Okay, thank you so much for this! Well, I must say I'm usually not much into jewelry. Let's see... maybe two rings? Or a ring and a pair of subtle earrings? Or a ring and a delicate hairpin? An ankle bracelet, perhaps? I'll let you choose from these options." She swiped down in midair and after couple of clicking, she sent NIGHT the 1k Col. -1k Col "Do you want me to note down the custom order?" she inquired, glancing over the order paperwork. There are two distinct formats, one for inventory and another for custom orders. If so, she would likely leave some fields blank, allowi

Look at that! Astra has received a flower crown and has triumphed over the system's RNG. Good for him! She chuckled quietly to herself. Siren is quite a thoughtful woman for bestowing the crown upon him. They both deserve happiness. Despite being trapped in this game with impending doom, where someone may die sooner or later, happiness is their only way to move forward. When she was a teenager, she nearly took her own life, but a quote from a book saved her. It read, "The will to live is the heart of existence." She found her will to live. Now, it's unshakable. Everyone must find their own; it

Her wrists were deep into the soil, but she wasn't concerned; the river was close enough for a quick rinse. At the moment, her focus was solely on gathering materials. She had delegated the task of monitoring the forest creatures to Kali. As for the nature of these creatures, she couldn't be certain. Boars, perhaps? Regardless, she was getting sidetracked by thoughts. ---------------------- ID: 236715 | Looking for materials | LD 5 | Failed! ---------------------- Argh. "There have to be more materials around here somewhere," she thought to herself as she moved to a differ

Her hands were wet from sifting through the soil by the river, where everything was damp. The wetness offered no resistance, allowing Oats' knees to sink deep into the earth. She hardly noticed, conditioned by the grueling Marines training that required crawling through pig intestines in the rain, sometimes with live rounds firing overhead. Now, she could live in the mud without even realizing it. Her fingers combing through the muck, searching for materials that her instincts insisted "must logically be here!" ---------------------- ID: 236714 | Looking for materials | LD 20 | Succe

Slightly frustrated, Oats muttered, "Not here. Maybe under those rocks?" She stood up and moved towards the different area, beginning to lift the stones in search. Reflecting on it, I probably should have visited Zackariah's shop for his fondue first. The gathering bonus it gives was pretty sweet. She sighed over the memory of the melted cheese on a roll Siren gave to her. She'd like to learn how to cook them herself one day, just so she'd be able to eat them at absolutely anytime. Now that would be so awesome. Her brain basically is drooling over the thought. She shook her head to dispel

Oats, getting the hang of the game, felt it was always safer to return to familiar territory, especially when searching for something. She explained to Kali her choice of location. "For my first quest, Wulfrin, another player, brought me and a party here to gather materials. I need to collect more for the artisan. This place seems as good as any." "Do you need help searching?" "Nah, I'm fine. Keep an eye out for any mobs in the woods, though. We avoided them last time, but who knows if one might stray from its routine and wander here. Shout if that happens," Oats instructed Kali. "An

As the Eastern Gate dwindled in the distance, Oats paused to survey the surroundings and get her bearings. "This way," she declared, leading Kali down a well-trodden path. She was confident they were headed in the right direction; the air near a creek carried a unique blend of scents that evoked tranquility and a connection to nature. Drawing closer, Oats first noticed the refreshing, crisp scent of clean, flowing water, reminiscent of rain or newly sprung springs. An earthy undertone, rich with the aroma of damp soil and decaying leaves, added depth to the overall scent. Guided by these smell

Both were navigating through the Teleport Gate Plaza, sidestepping the frequent blue flashes of players teleporting in and out. The plaza is designed with an open and airy layout, featuring a series of large, intricate teleportation gate that stand prominently at its center. The gate pulse with a soft glow, hinting at their powerful technology and amazing data crunching nature of the in-game environment. One could easily mistake it as magical. Even with thousands of players moved up floors, there are still hundreds coming through the Town of Beginnings. Surrounding the teleportation gate,