[SP-F1] A Midnight Jaunt (#1: On the Matter of Parties) .:COMPLETE:.

[Creius 0]

(OOC: For those of you whom will read or follow this a bit of preface for you. These "Midnight Jaunts" will be episodic threads I'll create, generally after something of significance, to develop my character a bit. If you are/thinking of partying with Creius then these might be good to read, or at least the latest one since it will include the most recent progression.)

 

It was right after he had split ways with Jonathan and Brax on the day that the three of them had met. Nathan walked back into the walls of the Town of Beginnings and looked around the darkening city. He really didn't want to go to bed just yet. The day filled with adventure had excited his blood and his senses were a bit too heightened. He wandered along the streets, approaching his usual resting spot. He lay down on the cobbles and looked up into the darkening artificial sky above him. Jonathan and Brax. The two names swam around his head as he considered them. He didn't think he was ready to completely trust them but he could definitely stick around them for a bit longer. Maybe a quest or two would be the extent of his adventures with them or maybe there was actually a bit of a future in their questing. He didn't think too far ahead though, there was still the matter of surviving until the next day. He sighed, not much time having passed since he had had lain down. He was feeling a bit antsy, maybe a walk would do him good. He stood up and looked in multiple directions, chose one, and began walking. It wasn't so much the direction that mattered to him right now, just the movement. Sure he could sit for hours and get lost in the expanse of stars, but that wouldn't resolve any of his thinking. No, he needed a nice peaceful walk to clear up his mind.

Edited December 18, 2015 by Creius

[Creius 0]

Nathan was walking down a random road that he had not thought about, for those curious he was southbound heading back towards the Town's gates. He was going at a slow walk, simply looking about. He didn't really consider what it was that he was looking at, his thoughts occupied by other matters, but everything was quieting down. The streets were empty for the most part, creating that ghostly effect that night did, and the streets were lit up by the dim torches that hung over the street. Onto Jonathan and Brax. His mind began its logical approach to thinking, considering the matter on many levels. He wasn't too sure what he thought about Brax personally since they had just met right before the adventure was done for the day. However, on a practical side, he knew that he needed companions of some sort and Brax seemed willing to provide. As long as it seemed that he wouldn't end up with a knife in his back it would be fine. He wasn't used to being even this open to others in MMO's like this. Usually everyone was out for their personal gain no matter the game. Of course SAO was a bit different since it was literally a death game. That was probably the only reason he accepted Brax's help. Any other game or any other time and he would have rather grind away until he was strong enough to progress. That couldn't happen in this game, he only had one chance. He laughed a little bit, just the nervousness spilling out.

[Creius 0]

Then what about Jonathan? The mysterious person who had reached out to him right before he had gone out all on his lonesome. Quite possibly Jonathan had saved him from certain death. Now that he had actually seen combat he figured he wouldn't have been able to handle it all by himself at the very first level. It seemed this game was bent on making people work together. Out of the few people he had encountered he somewhat trusted Jonathan. Not quite enough to where all suspicion was erased but it was enough for it to be significant. He didn't usually trust people and for him to even somewhat trust another was an astounding affair to him. The thought that he might be going soft came to mind but he discarded the idea. He thought back to when he had rejected the help of that higher level lady and knew he still heavily distrusted people. The fact that he didn't completely trust Jonathan also assured him that he hadn't completely weakened his guard.

[Creius 0]

Something caught his eye, a movement and some light. He stopped and looked at a very lit up building. There was a group of people inside an eatery and they were celebrating for some reason it appeared. Nathan approached the window and peered inside, watching as the celebrations carried on. They all seemed happy to be together. That wasn't something he'd ever really experienced before, that sense of belonging. You didn't make too many friends in a country where one day you might be holding a gun to each other and after the flight to his new home he never bothered reaching out. He'd always been alone. Now there was something though, a chance to warm that icy interior he had built. Maybe he'd found a place where he could actually make friends and just not care... He shook the thought from his head and turned away from the small guild of players. This world was just as evil as the one outside, if anything even more so. There were teenagers going around and enjoying the act of murder and you couldn't trust anyone here. No, this world was worse than the outside one. This world was created from evil for evil. He continued on his path towards the gates of the Town of Beginnings.

[Creius 0]

Now that his walk had resumed his thoughts returned to where they were previously. Lessa and his rejection of her. He thought back to that slightly heated moment when he had rejected her offer of help. He frowned as he deliberated over if he had done the right thing. Not only had he risked his own life but he had gone and risked another person's life by rejecting the offer. However she was multiple times stronger than he was and her help would have been much appreciated. Though, how could he have known she wasn't a PKer or a baiter for a PK guild. Green didn't mean anything in this world, he'd heard countless tales of the criminal guilds that dotted the world of Aincrad and that only fueled his distrust of humans. It had been that fueled fire, which had been roaring in his ears as he spoke, that had moved him to reject her offer. If he couldn't kill her then why should he trust her? He was literally putting his life in her hands and from his experience, humans tended to disappoint you. No, he'd done what he thought right according to experience. What did it matter anyways? Everything turned out alright and he had gotten a bit stronger as well.

[Creius 0]

Speaking of getting stronger... He swiped his hand down and went through his menus until he was looking at his character info. There it was, Lvl. 2. Sure, it wasn't much but it was a stepping stone. Level 2 led to Level 3 which would lead to 4 and so on until he was strong enough to contend with the strongest of players. He looked at his rather pitiful stats and frowned a bit. He'd have to save up on those skill points and be careful on how he allocated them. He considered talking with Jonathan and/or Brax about it so they could all act accordingly. Not that it mattered at the current moment, he didn't have enough to unlock any more combat skills at the moment. Only his proficiency with his rapier was increased by any amount. He swiped through and looked at his inventory. Not much had changed besides that nice 200 Col he had gotten from his adventuring with Jonathan and Brax. 200 Col wasn't a lot but, like the level, it was a beginning. 200 could easily be turned into 20,000 with enough time given. He closed his menus out and looked up to the stars as he walked. There wasn't much to his name but there was enough to keep on living for in this death game.

[Creius 0]

That was a strange thought though... Why was he so intent on living? Even if he were to survive until the end of this game there was nothing to return to. He had no friends, no close family ties, not even a pet who he could care for. There was nothing, maybe the possibility of a future but nothing was set in stone. What was it that made him so keen on living? He looked up into the stars, as though they would provide the answer. A small part of him said it was because he was human. It wouldn't be natural if he wanted to die. It was basic human nature to survive and reproduce, human desires at its most basic. There was another voice though, one more sinister. It was whispering to him that it was because he liked it here. He wasn't afraid of fighting and dying, only leaving. There was a certain truth in the words and it scared him. There was no reason for him to want the game beaten, there was no reason why he would want to return to the real world. That left only one reason why he would want so much to survive. He liked it here. That thought scared him quite a bit. How could he possibly like it in this world... this fake world. He looked around at the buildings around him, the sky above him and then felt the chill in the night air. It could be so easy to forget this was only virtual, that this was the real world. Maybe he wanted to do that. It wasn't like there was war or school here. Just a never ending battle between players and mobs as the front-lines players moved up each floor. He could easily just go and lose himself in the world and forget all about his life outside of the NerveGear.

[Creius 0]

He reacted most violently to this line of thinking. He stopped in the middle of the street and pounded his temples in frustration. That thought had to get out. It might be too late though, the seed of thought had been planted. After the thought quieted for now he stopped and opened his eyes again. If he wanted to stay then why did he want to get stronger? There was only one reason why he could want to get stronger and that was in order to beat the game. Yes, that's what it was in all reality. He wanted to beat the game. Maybe not because he wanted out, rather because he wanted that sense of accomplishment. Why else did people play games? They searched for that ability to get lost in a new world and feel the sense of accomplishment that came with being successful in a task. This was what was actually happening in his head. He just wanted to win, to beat the system, to cheat death. At least that's what he consoled himself with. He shook his head and exited the gates of the town, entering the grasslands surrounding the Town of Beginnings. He hadn't really meant to walk this far but he was here now.

[Creius 0]

Now that he was outside of the wall and not intent on killing something the beauty of the world hit him for once. Everything seemed so calm and peaceful right now. He stepped off the path and headed into the grasslands where he knew the boars resided. He didn't go too far since he didn't want to attract the attention of any mobs right now. When he reached a seemingly suitable spot he lay down in the grass, amazed with how soft it felt on his skin. It was still hard to believe this world was entirely fake. With a sigh he looked up into the sky and got lost in the expanse of bright stars. It was such a tranquil location that he felt himself to drift off but an innate security catch caught him before he went too deep. He sat up with a start before he actually fell asleep. That sense of distrust had woken him up. He wasn't in a safe place to sleep and just because he was on the first floor didn't mean there weren't PKers. He shook the sleepiness from his head and stretched from the sitting position. It was probably best to move on and not stay in one spot. He stood up and began walking deeper into the grasslands, not really sure how far he intended on going.

[Creius 0]

He passed through the tall grass as quietly as he could and began thinking again. Maybe he could find a guild... No, that didn't seem like a good option. He had never worked well with guilds before, partying up usually being a trouble for him even. It wouldn't magically begin working just because he had started playing SAO. No, the party thing was just an exception. He didn't even know how long he would be doing that for, it might have been just a one time thing. He was certain he could go out on his own soon which was more his speed in games like this. The real question though was whether he actually wanted to do that. There had been a sense of... He couldn't quite think of the word.. natural camaraderie maybe? Yeah, camaraderie with Jonathan. Almost instantly they had worked perfectly well together, quickly getting used to each other's movements. He wasn't too sure he liked that though. He was just a little too used to being all on his own and fending for himself in combat. There was a difference of course. In most MMO's you had infinite chances to get it right but in SAO there was only one chance. Was he really thinking of risking his life and chance to beat this game just because of his anti-social tendencies? Not right now he decided, at least not for now he wouldn't solo too much.

[Creius 0]

There was great complaint in his mind after this resolution though. He was a solo-player and partying went against all his playstyles. He couldn't go and change now, he'd been playing in that way for too long! There was a bit of contesting in his mind as he debated the matter further. Maybe he really was going soft... He'd never had to rely on others before, no matter how hard the game was. He had always been successful to some degree without the help of another player. What could possibly make SAO different? If he was so skilled and hardened then he wouldn't have to worry about dying in this game. Somehow though he had ended up relying on another player to kick start his actual playing of this game. Some parts of his mind began calling him weak, calling him a softened fool who would end up getting himself killed for trusting too much. Other parts told him that he had done what was necessary to survive. That some primal instinct had stayed his hand long enough to ensure his survival. He wasn't too sure which side to believe though. It was certainly true that he hadn't needed help before... It was also true that he very probably would have died had he fought on his own though... He stopped and shook his head, kicking at the ground in frustration. Why couldn't it just be one or the other? Why couldn't he just completely hate humanity and never trust them or trust them enough to work with them? No, he had to be somewhere on the lower side where he was usually independent and sometimes dependent.

[Creius 0]

He felt a bit frustrated with this line of thinking. It was far too complicated to be simply handled with a nights thinking and he knew that. It required time and thought but he didn't really want to devote either of those. There were more pressing matters to focus on at the moment, such as getting stronger and better. However, he couldn't just ignore the problem like he wanted to. The problem affected his ability to get stronger so it needed to be resolved as quickly as possible. He saw something on the ground and picked it up, a smooth rock. He began turning it over in his hands as he thought deeper and deeper on the matter. On one side he could still see his level of distrust. Lessa and Brax were prime examples of this. He definitely hadn't trusted Lessa with his life, thinking she might just as quickly snuff it out. The main reason he had stuck with Brax was because he felt obligated to for now. The guy had saved at least one of their lives, lives which Nathan had ended up endangering in the first place. So the distrust that he was accustomed to was still prevalent in his thinking. That didn't explain Jonathan though...

[Creius 0]

Jonathan was a special case out of the three players he had really talked to in the game so far. Some guy walks up to him and offers an invite to some farming. Sure, he liked to blame the fact he had joined up with him because it was necessary for his survival. Was that all there was to it though? Could he actually be going soft? He didn't like the thought that he hadn't made it too far into the game and he was already too weak to carry on by himself. The thought of going soft appalled him and he was a little agitated with this possible fact. He'd gone on too long to go and change his ways now... There was no denying though how well the two of them had worked together. Maybe it was time for a little bit of change.. Nothing to drastic, just trusting one or two people for now. See how it went and act accordingly. He could do that and survive. First however, he had to prove he was still able to survive on his on. He began walking into deeper into the grasslands, in search of his prey. Anything would do for now, just something.

[Creius 0]

As it turned out, his wandering brought him to a boar very similar to the one he had encountered with Jonathan earlier. He could see the silhouetted beast against the dark ground as it moved around in search of more food to munch. "Sorry little piggy, but your dinner is going to be ruined." He took his arm back, moving the rock in his hand into a more comfortable position. This would be proof enough he could handle himself in combat. In one quick motion he flicked his wrist forward and launched the rock at the boar, striking it in the rump. There was a loud squeal in alarm as the pig reacted to the sharp pain it felt. It wasn't enough to even register damage, but enough to catch its attention. The boar turned around and faced its assailant, snorting and pawing at the ground completely ready to charge.

 

 

[Creius 0]

Boar:    Health: 4/4      DMG: 3      MIT: 1

 

The boar snorted a few times, pawing at the ground and digging a rut into the earth. This nasty little human had gone and interrupted its midnight snack in such a rude way. It could feel a slight sting where the rock had landed and left a bright red mark on its rear. It have of a final and loud snort before breaking out into a flat sprint at its attacker. It lowered its razor sharp tusks as it came in for a strike on the player.

ID: 42196     MD: 4

The boar came charging in at its target and aimed its tusks at the center of the chest, intending to impale the human and restrict its movements. The single-minded charge worked against it though as the human nimbly side-stepped out of the way into safety. The boar let out a loud squeal as it started to pass the player, anger evident in it's tone.

 

[Creius 0]

Nathan:   Health: 8/8     Energy:2/2 (-1)

       DMG: 2     

   Nathan smiled contemptuously as the boar came charging at him, an adrenaline rush building up inside him. There was no reason why he should fear such an enemy, why had he been scared in the first place? This enemy equated to every other slime and wolf that was found in every MMO. The first mob was supposed to be easy to vanquish, that was just how the game was. As he side-stepped out of the single-minded charge he snorted back at the boar and made a half-assed swipe with his rapier, missing it by quite a bit. He wasn't quite ready to beat it, just a little bit longer. Though not much longer, he wasn't an idiot. No point in giving the boar an unnecessary advantage and risk death. No, next run he'd hit it with something a bit special he had acquired from his level up.

 

ID: 42209     BD: 3

Edited December 16, 2015 by Creius

[Creius 0]

Boar:     Health: 4/4      DMG: 3       MIT: 1

 

    The boar squealed very loudly as it charged by its intended victim, hearing the much hated hiss of a blade swiping through the air. It followed through on its momentum and turned to its target. When it started running this time it was noticeably more controlled. It wasn't running as fast and was following the slight movements of the player with its tusk. That isn't to say it wasn't moving fast though, it only taking the boar a few seconds to reach the player. Once it reached the player it lashed out with its tusks, expecting another attempt to dodge by the player and it proved to be correct. As the player tried to jump out of the way it caught the tip of the boar's tusks and got a long cut in the side, leaving the line of red pixels on its body where the injury was sustained.

(3 DMG to Creius)

 

ID: 42210      MD: 6

 

[Creius 0]

Nathan:    Health: 5/8       Energy: 2/2 (+1-1)  

          DMG: 2

 

   Nathan watched as the boar went squealing by him and smiled. He tried to tap into his skill with a Sword Art but hadn't experimented with it before. While he was focused on trying to repeat the whirlwind maneuver, not realizing it was locked to the battle-axe, the boar continued its charge. When he  swung out at the boar he didn't feel anything special from it, none of that heavy attacking that Brax had done earlier. He frowned a bit, he had the energy so why couldn't he use it. It was quite embarrassing, especially when the boar still managed to hit him with its tusks as he tried to roll out of the way at the last moment. The pain was quite a bit but he didn't see any blood, just the red pixels that marked where he had been hit. He grunted a bit and  picked himself up, readying for the next attack from the boar.

[Creius 0]

Boar:     Health: 4/4      DMG: 3       MIT: 1

        The boar turned during its charge and carried its momentum through a large semicircle. The boar came out of the turn pointing its sharp tusks once more at the player standing across from him and let loose a loud squeal as it went into that single-minded sprint that would tear any beginner player to shreds if it connected. There was one problem with a charge like this however. It was impossible to turn itself if it needed to correct its course.The boar snorted and squealed as the human once again simply side-stepped out of the path of the charge before the blow could even land. The boar was unable to correct its course in time and wasn't able to get the tusks within range of the player. Once more the player had an open chance to strike at its side as the boar went barreling past.

 

ID: 42421       MD:   3

Edited December 17, 2015 by Creius

[Creius 0]

Nathan:    Health: 5/8       Energy: 0/2 (+1-2)  

          DMG: 2  (2 * [2*1 (Rip Ravine)] -1= 3 DMG to Boar) 

 

    Nathan picked himself up and fiddled with his grip on his rapier, trying to think through what had happened with his attempt at using a sword art. He'd done everything like he had seen Brax do it earlier in the day. He frowned a bit as the boar was about halfway through his circling. There had to be something he was missing. He closed his eyes, trying to think through the problem. He couldn't think of anything that he had done wrong though. He'd placed his blade off to the side and tried to access that attack but he couldn't. Then the sound of thundering hooves came to his ears and he opened his eyes to see the boar doing its charge once more. He side-stepped out of the way and prepared to lash out. It was such a large target, there was no way he would miss it. Maybe he could even strike twice while the boar was passing. He raised his sword, preparing a swipe down. He felt something, almost as though something were invading his mind and trying to control him. He fought it very briefly then followed through. He saw his blade shining a brilliant red, similar to that as Brax's axe had, and watched it slice down the boar's side, raise back up, and drop once more. It created a very neat V in the red pixels that indicated injury and Brax smiled. So.. that was how you did it.

 

ID: 42422        BD: 7

Edited December 17, 2015 by Creius