[SP-F1] The Tonic of Wilderness (Completed)

[Evander 0]

Yesterday had been fairly unproductive; he had mostly just sat around, relaxing after the harrowing night before, but now it was a new day, the sun was shining brightly, and he had some time to actually get some work done. Evander got up from the bench he had been sleeping on and yawned. He actually had quite a bit of cash today- perhaps it was time to splurge and actually get a decent meal! He got up, did his stretches, and set off toward the forest. Ahh, the mornings, always so peaceful, with life beginning to awaken in the small rural hamlet and people starting to set about their days. Evander walked past the boundaries of the small village, and into the looming forest of trees. After all the socialization yesterday, it was good to catch a break and be in solitude yet again. He had time to actually process his thoughts now! Also, he had time to finally update his maps. The last time he updated it was by a... random boulder in the middle of the woods, was it? Eh, whatever, he could just make a new map for Horunka village and the environs surrounding. Hmm, maybe there were some interesting quests he could go check out in the village? Those could be exciting. Well, one step at a time. First, just scout out the forest around the village, then he could see what else lay in store for him today.

Edited March 2, 2016 by Evander

[Evander 0]

Evander stepped under the dense canopy of the trees. Spring was just about here, and birds chirped merrily away in the sky. Evander skirted around a mossy tree and continued along the small dirt path. The last time he had been in this forest, he had almost died, so not very many good memories were to be found here. Well, he should probably look around, see what kind of monsters were in the area, then look for any large landmarks, take a midday break, then begin to draw a map. That sounded like a good plan. He had no idea what he would do in the evening. Tour the village? Eh, whenever he got to that point, he would decide. Evander drew his sword. It was time to go hunting down some monsters. What would they be like? Were they extremely strong? Perhaps there were more of those disgusting Little Nepents he had fought earlier. Well, there was only one way to find out. Evander hoped he didn't die.

[Evander 0]

Evander crept forth slowly and quietly, hidden in the brush. He had found his first prey- and guess what, it was a Little Nepent. Perhaps these Little Nepents are the main mob around here, just like how the boars dominated the plains? Evander pondered. He really, really disliked these creatures. They were just so, unnatural without having eyes, or much of a face at all asides for its large slobbering mouth. He would do the world a favor by killing each one he found. This particular one seemed slightly stronger than the one he had encountered while journeying towards Horunka village, but that was to be expected, as he was going deeper into the first floor. Evander had grown stronger as well, and he was prepared to face the monster. He hoped for some loot, but expected nothing, as he had already killed a plethora of monsters, and so far the only thing they had dropped were inedible parts of their body that could be used for crafting, if he actually had a job. Well, enough dilly-dallying, it was time to face this monster. Evander stood up, then threw a rock at the monster. That should get its attention.

Begin Combat

Evander: HP: 16 Energy: 4 MIT: 0 Base DMG: 2

Little Nepent: HP: 8 MIT: 2 DMG: 3

Edited March 1, 2016 by Evander

[Evander 0]

Alright, let's get this thing started. Evander had been practicing for the last few days, and soon he was going to be ready to unveil his secret weapon: another sword art. In fact, two other sword art. Evander had been training up on his stamina, and he could now perform almost all of the sword arts his skill had provided him. He was so close, yet so far. Well, all Evander could do was open up with his prior strategy- using Snake Bite until he ran out of energy or the enemy died from its many wounds. The good thing was, with his increased stamina, he could now perform Snake Bite many more times than he could before. Evander looked warily at the monster. This one was stronger than its brethren, did it have any tricks up its sleeves? All Evander could tell about it was that it had more HP. Well, even if it did, he surely wasn't going to die in just one hit, even if the monster was able to score a lucky shot, so Evander just shrugged. Evander charged forward and called out "Snake Bite!", while the monster opened its mouth in anticipation. Evander performed the sword art perfectly, two long gashes tearing down the sides of the beast. The beast's chomp down missed its mark, and now, it should pretty much be dead. The monster had a tougher hide than what he had seen before, but he had pretty much rendered that extra armor useless. One more hit, and this should all be over. Evander hoped he would get something other than the creature's arm.

Combat

Evander: HP: 16/16 Energy: 2/4 MIT: 0 Base DMG: 2

Little Nepent: HP: 2/8 MIT: 2 DMG: 3

 ID# 49746 results:

 Battle: 10 (Critical +2)

 MOB: 4 (fail)

Total DMG: (2+2)*(2*1)= 8 - 2(MIT)= 6 DMG done

Edited March 1, 2016 by Evander

[Evander 0]

Evander looked warily at the monster. It was beginning to sway on its feet, almost dead, but it was still alive. His best move, performed in the best possible manner, after all of this training, was still not good enough to slay a comparatively weak monster. Evander had his work cut out for him. Evander sighed, rolled his shoulder, and held the blade in front of him again. That was a lot of training he would have to do over the next few days if he wanted to be able to survive out there in Aincrad. And he still didn't have any armor at all! He needed to get some as soon as possible. He was tired of having to tank all of these hits with no mitigation whatsoever. Perhaps there would be a tailor or smith on floor 2 that could sell him some armor. Wait, focus on the battle, Evander reminded himself, the monster may be almost dead, but it can still kill you if you're reckless. Evander stepped forward again and prepared to unleash the coup de grace to the dying animal. Shoot! He missed! At least the Little Nepent tripped over itself... oh no. No, please no. Was it going to happen again? Was it going to be roll after roll of bad luck? Was his horrible luck going to force him to have to keep on tripping over everything yet again? Evander prayed to Lady Luck in hopes of a quick finish. 

Combat

Evander: HP: 16/16 Energy: 1/4 MIT: 0 Base DMG: 2

Little Nepent: HP: 2/8 MIT: 2 DMG: 3

 ID# 49777 results:

 Battle: 2 (fail)

 MOB: 1 (critical fail)

Edited March 1, 2016 by Evander

[Evander 0]

Evander got up from the ground and looked at the disoriented Little Nepent. It seemed it was also surprised at the course the battle had taken. Shaking his head, Evander stepped back and fell into a defensive stance yet again. He only had about one more chance at using Snake Bite- his energy was quickly running low. Evander sighed, and straightened his back. Evander closed his eyes. The Little Nepent cocked its head quizzically. He focused himself, taking deep breaths. He was not going to miss his next strike. He channeled all of his energy into his hands. He was not going to miss. He would step forward, perform Snake Bite, and finally end the battle. He was not going to miss his next strike! Evander opened his eyes and rushed forward ferociously. "Snake Bite!" The monster looked up, and began to whip its arms towards Evander. He missed. The arms knocked Evander into the next tree over, taking away his breath. Evander lay there in astonishment. He had actually missed. All of his focusing, for nothing. He missed.

Combat

Evander: HP: 11/16 Energy: 2/4 MIT: 0 Base DMG: 2

Little Nepent: HP: 2/8 MIT: 2 DMG: 3

ID# 49780 results:

 Battle: 3

 MOB: 10 (Critical +2)

Mob DMG: 3+2(critical)= 5 DMG done

Edited March 1, 2016 by Evander

[Evander 0]

Evander got to his feet slowly. He held his sword in front of him. He was not going to die to such a stupid creature. Ugh. He had run out of energy for Snake Bite. Now, he had to do things the old fashioned way- beating it to death savagely with his blade. It may have had a tougher than usual hide, but enough slashes should be able to kill it. Evander was angry now. It had actually happened again. He missed twice in a row. The only thing that differentiated it from last time was that the monster had managed to get a hit in. No more! He took a few deep, shuddering breaths, trying to calm himself. It didn't work. Evander looked with a baleful eye at the the Little Nepent. It was going to die. Evander charged forth, screaming. The Little Nepent seemed taken aback for a moment, but prepared itself to retaliate. Evander raised his sword for a savage cut into the creature's body, but he tripped over a root. The creature cocked its head again, then just slapped him with one of its tendrils again. Again. It had happened again.

Combat

Evander: HP: 8/16 Energy: 0/4 MIT: 0 Base DMG: 2

Little Nepent: HP: 2/8 MIT: 2 DMG: 3

ID# 49782 results:

 Battle: 1 (critical fail)

 MOB: 7

Mob DMG: 3 DMG done

Edited March 1, 2016 by Evander

[Evander 0]

Evander pleaded to the fickle Lady Luck. Why was she torturing him so? Was he actually going to die out here to such a weak monster? Dejectedly, Evander got to his feet and readied his sword. He looked at the beast. It stood there idly, waiting for him to charge in and make his move. Should he? Should he charge in and possibly die? Hmmm. This was quite a dilemma. Okay, I'm going to try one more time, and if I fail, and the monster hits me, I'm going to run. All I can hope for is that the monster doesn't chase me down or kill me as I'm running away. Evander sighed, and tried to calm his frayed nerves. He held his sword in front of him, watching the sunlight glint off the blade. He hoped that he would be able to defeat the monster. It was the first monster of the day, too! He lunged forward. The monster edged just a bit to the right, and he just barely missed. His only solace was that the monster had missed too.

Combat

Evander: HP: 8/16 Energy: 0/4 MIT: 0 Base DMG: 2

Little Nepent: HP: 2/8 MIT: 2 DMG: 3

 ID# 49784 results:

 Battle: 5 (fail)

 MOB: 4 (fail)

Edited March 1, 2016 by Evander

[Evander 0]

"Why? Why must the whims of fate constantly hound me at my every move? Why must I be chained to this endless cycle of failure after failure? Can a man not decide his own fate?" Evander cried out to the skies. Evander got to his feet. He steadied himself on a nearby tree and turned to face the monster. I think I'm going to take a break after this. Evander held the blade in front of him, and willed his whole being into his blade. He was probably going to miss again, but he was going to put up a good fight to try and avoid that outcome at all costs. The monster stood still, ready to try to attack him with all its might. Evander took one step forward, then another. Slowly, his pace quickened, until he was running toward the monster, ready to attack it with all of his might. His sword struck true, tearing a long gash into the beast's side. The Little Nepent, startled by this, missed Evander by inches.

Combat

Evander: HP: 8/16 Energy: 0/4 MIT: 0 Base DMG: 2

Little Nepent: HP: 1/8 MIT: 2 DMG: 3

ID# 49787 results:

 Battle: 8

 MOB: 5 (fail)

Total DMG: 2 - 2(MIT)= 1 DMG dealt (at least 1 DMG)

Edited March 1, 2016 by Evander

[Evander 0]

Finally! I finally scored a hit! Evander jumped back to his feet. He was joyous, but the battle wasn't over yet. The monster swayed on its tendrils. One more good hit should be able to finally kill the beast. Evander held his sword in front of him and took a deep breath, clearing his mind of emotion. He needed to rely on his instincts. Emotions like rage and happiness would distract him, and cause him to miss again. He needed to be calm and collected. He looked at the monster. It seemed to like to use its arms mainly for attack, likely because it had a fairly long reach, and if one got too close, it would use its mouth. Evander thought that he was beginning to understand the Little Nepent's attack patterns. Not enough to be able to predict every move, but enough to know its basic strategies. Evander lunged lower than usual, aiming for the tendrils. Perhaps this would startle the creature enough to be able to let him land a hit on it. And... Shoot! He missed! Again! Why, oh cruel world? It seemed the Little Nepent really was surprised by this, because its attack missed him.

Combat

Evander: HP: 8/16 Energy: 0/4 MIT: 0 Base DMG: 2

Little Nepent: HP: 1/8 MIT: 2 DMG: 3

 ID# 49792 results:

 Battle: 2 (fail)

 MOB: 5 (fail)

Edited March 1, 2016 by Evander

[Evander 0]

Evander rolled back onto his feet. Of course he would miss again. That was just to be expected. Any planning he did, any mental tricks he used, all of his attempts were useless against the overarching whims of fate. Evander sighed. This fight was taking much, much longer than he ever expected or wanted. He just wanted it to be over, preferably with him as the victor. He was tired. Having met failure after failure, both his patience and confidence had worn down. Evander took a deep breath and focused. Being dejected over his previous failures wasn't going to accomplish anything. The only way he would get anything done was if he just kept on trying. Evander raised his sword and looked at the dying Little Nepent. He chuckled a little. Even just earlier this day, he had thought the Little Nepents were extremely unnerving- now, whenever he looked at it, all he felt was detached. He guessed all of his misses and frustration had taken away his fear of the creature. Evander charged forward, determined to end the fight with one last strike. He cut down, leaving a deep cut in the Little Nepent's hide. The Little Nepent had been unprepared and missed. It exploded into many green particles. It was over. It was finally over. Evander knelt to the earth. He wiped the blade, then sheathed his sword. He already knew that, due to his horrendous luck, he would not be getting anything other than a mat from this creature.

Combat

Evander: HP: 8/16 Energy: 0/4 MIT: 0 Base DMG: 2

Little Nepent: HP: 0/8 MIT: 2 DMG: 3

ID# 49796 results:

 Battle: 8

 Craft: 11

 Loot: 2

 MOB: 4 (fail)

Total DMG: 2 - 2(MIT)= 1 DMG dealt (at least 1 DMG)

Edited March 1, 2016 by Evander

[Evander 0]

Evander got up after five minutes of just relief that it was over and done with. He walked over to where the Little Nepent had died. Would he, could he dare to hope that there was something other than just a mat? Nope. Evander looked down at what the Little Nepent had left behind in the grass. It was a portion of its vine-like arm. Just like every single other drop that he had ever gotten from a Little Nepent. Luck couldn't even take pity on him and reward him for suffering through failure after failure. Evander sighed and put the mat in his inventory. Just as he had expected. Evander wandered over to the nearest tree and sat down. The sun shone through its branches, green light scattered over the growing grass. A bird was in its nest above him- he could hear it chirping cheerfully. He didn't feel like doing any more scouting around right now- right now, all he wanted to do was just sit here, and maybe start making his map. He pulled out a piece of parchment and charcoal, and set to work.

+1 mat from Little Nepent

Evander: HP: 11/16 Energy: 1/4

[Evander 0]

There. It was done. It was a masterpiece. Evander especially enjoyed the stick figures he had put in the village, and the broccoli trees. Evander laughed. Who was he kidding, he wasn't any artist. However, it was acceptable and suitable for his needs. He was fairly certain he had gotten the scale right, and the accuracy could not be doubted. Evander put a X on the location he currently was at, to mark where he had encountered monsters, then packed up his map and charcoal. He stood up. The sun was nearing its apex now, perhaps it was time to go back to the village and see whether there were any good restaurants. Evander felt like splurging today and actually eating the first decent meal he had eaten in about a week. Perhaps it's to console my overwhelming depression at fighting that monster, Evander thought wryly. After lunch, he would head back out and finish up his map. Evander began to walk back on the dirt path he had taken to get here back to the village, kicking a rock along the way and whistling a tuneless tune.

Evander: HP: 14/16 Energy: 2/4

Edited March 1, 2016 by Evander

[Evander 0]

Evander strolled back into the small village. It was probably around a little past noon, and he was anticipating the lunch he was going to eat. Where could he eat at in this village? Evander walked down the main dirt road, looking around for some eatery at which he could devour a week's worth of food. After about five minutes, he scratched his head. It appeared the only place where he could get a bite to eat was at the Inn. Well, better than nothing. Evander opened the wooden door to the Inn and stepped inside. It was fairly well-lit, with lamps on every wall and candles on each table. It appeared that he was the only one in here, besides the NPC innkeeper. Evander sat down at one of the tables, and a NPC waiter came out to take his order. According to the waiter, there was a whole plethora of options. There was roast pork and... roast pork. "Uhh, I guess I'll have the roast pork?"

"Excellent choice, sir," the waiter responded. Wow. This was some serious high-class dining right here.

Evander: HP: 16/16 Energy: 3/4

[Evander 0]

The food came out, and it actually looked pretty good! Evander was assuming the pork came from the boars in the plains around the Town of Beginnings, but it could have been just generated out of nowhere, he supposed. Either way, he was sure it was to be delicious. Taking a sip of water, Evander got down to the arduous task of eating. Around six minutes later, the plate was empty, and Evander was stuffed. He knew he didn't need to eat in Aincrad, but it did feel good to finally sate his hunger and eat something. Evander paid for the food, then got up and left the inn. That was a good meal. He felt lethargic, and wanted to take a moment's rest. He walked to the outer edge of the forest, sat by the nearest tree, and looked up at the blue sky, and the puffy white clouds moving past. He thought about the mysteries of life, the complexities of the human mind, and his thoughts slowed as he began to drift off to sleep.

Evander: HP: 16/16 Energy: 4/4

[Evander 0]

When Evander awoke, the sky was auburn orange with the light of the setting sun. It appeared that he had slept the day away. Evander stretched, then got up. He had wasted the day away. He would have to scout out as much as he could around the village while there was still light, then return to the village before any of the more dangerous monsters came out. He supposed he could just finish up the rest of his scouting tomorrow. Blech, where had the time gone? Evander yawned, then walked beneath the canopy of trees. He surveyed the land around him, taking in any interesting sights and noting them in his mind. There was a stream over there, a quite large boulder over there, and a small ditch over by the side of the road. He pulled out his maps and continued to sketch out the land around him using a piece of charcoal. When night fell, he had been able to map out, accurately, about half of the area around the village.

[Evander 0]

It was too late now to continue on safely. Evander returned to the safe refuge of the small, lighted hamlet. He was still wide awake, and now pondered what he could do. Perhaps he could interview the NPCs of Horunka village and see if there were any interesting quests that he could take? It was worth a shot, and much better than just standing around and doing nothing. Evander knocked on the door of the first small cottage he saw, and a friendly-looking male villager opened the door. He beckoned Evander inside, and closed the door behind him. "Won't you have dinner with my humble family, stranger?" Wow, the people of this village were very friendly. Evander acquiesced and sat at the dinner table beside one of the two sons of the villager. The wife of the friendly man set bowls for everyone, and ladled out some stew for all to eat. He had hardly been in this house for a few minutes, and already they were being so kind to him. Evander didn't know what he had expected, but it certainly wasn't this. He thanked them profusely for the food.

[Evander 0]

Evander walked out of the small homely cottage feeling refreshed and satisfied. He knew that these people were not real, but for an hour, he felt like he was part of a family again, just a little. Ah, he was fairly homesick now. He had been able to avoid it so far, but being included in their tight knit family circle had brought back memories of the past and the time he had lost. Evander wiped a little droplet from the corner of his eye and began to take a walk around the village. The moon was high in the sky, and a cool night breeze swept across the village. He stuck his hands in his pockets and listened to the sounds of the night: the crickets chirping, the hooting owl, and the rustles of the larger nocturnal beasts prowling in the brush behind the wall of trees. The lonely howl of a wolf rose above the tree tops. He sat and laid back against the side of a house, looking up at the moon and the stars. The night sky really was beautiful on a night such as this, with not a cloud in the sky. Evander sat there, alone with his thoughts.

[Evander 0]

Several seconds passed, but they felt like eternities spent in contemplation.  Evander thought of all of the trapped lives in Aincrad. He thought of their weeping and mourning families outside of the game. He thought of the hardships that every single person endured every single day. He thought of the struggle to survive and thrive. He thought of the devotion and hard work that everyone had poured into trying to escape this castle in the sky. He thought of many, many things, but most of all, he thought of the suffering. The broken and weak. Those hurt by the cruelty of the system. It was a no-win situation. As they strove to escape, they lost their lives and their humanity became slowly eroded away, but if they did not try to escape, they would waste their lives away, trapped in this game forever. The only thing they could do was to fight and hope that they weren't changed too much by the harshness of this world and become jaded or lose hope altogether in themselves and humanity.

[Evander 0]

Evander unsteadily got to his feet. He didn't know how long he had sat there, reminiscing on happy times with family, thinking of his current life in Aincrad. The moon was setting, the stars were beginning to fade away. Had he pulled an all-nighter just thinking about life in general? Evander rubbed his eyes sleepily. Yep, he had just pulled an all-nighter thinking about the many lives in Aincrad and the lives that they had before. Well, it was better than thinking about death and becoming depressed. Evander stretched and began to walk around, trying to wake up his legs. The black night sky was beginning to lighten to a dark blue, and the stars all but completely receded away. Evander looked towards the east, towards the rising sun. Its light spread over the hills and trees, bringing light to the lands yet again. The new day dawned before him. How many countless opportunities were available to him today? How many new surprises lay in store? Perhaps he would even pay a visit back to the Town of Beginnings to get some badly needed equipment. Only time would tell.

Edited March 2, 2016 by Evander