[PP-F1] Escorting Lady Kana (RGQ) (Koroshira, Zwei)

[Ashrah 0]

She looks too beautiful for a character in a game.

Arc studied the gentle features of the woman, decorated with painted lips and voluminous robes that befit her position as she swayed thoughtfully in the breeze. "Oh, I'm afraid that this just won't do," she said to herself. The mercenary tilted his head as he recognized the woman as a non player character and listened intently. "I wanted to make it to the next village before nightfall, but there are far too many boars on the road today. I'll have to wait until tomorrow morning, when the guards are able to clear the path for me."

Ah, I see. In Aincrad, the Cardinal system ruled all. It had the ability to pick and choose information from historical archives and recycle memories from the players in order to create a unique experience. Sometimes it even engineered quests tailored entirely to one or two people. These random encounters were often never the same, but they were extremely lucrative when they did arise. He smirked as he engaged the bureaucrat with a twinkle in his eye that said this'll be good.

"I can help with that," Arc said in a genuinely kind voice, his grin breaking into a wide smile. The woman glanced at him in confusion for a moment as she considered his words. "Oh dear, you were listening to that?" she asked with a rosy hue to her cheeks. "I didn't think anyone was listening. I'm terribly sorry. My name is Kana Karasu, and I'm represent the interest of the merchants in town. They wanted me to bring tidings of trade to Tolbana town, but it doesn't look like I'll get to do that tonight. It's a shame, too... the people I was supposed to meet are likely to have left before that, and I won't be able to close any deals if they're gone."

"I'm Arc," he offered, "and I'm a mercenary. I wouldn't mind helping you out with this one." He flashed a thumbs up that said he was more than willing, though Kana seemed puzzled. "You're an adventurer," she pondered his words, "but you're calling yourself a mercenary? Doesn't that mean you work for Col?"

"That's right!" he responded almost gleefully. "You get the idea, right?"

"Of course, I would be glad to reward you handsomely if you were to assist me in this effort. That would not be a problem at all." Kana bowed respectfully to him, which caused Arc to step back uneasily.

"Uh, hey, there's no need for formality..." he glanced back over his shoulder and noticed movement through the Starting City, other players coming close to his newfound quest. "Hey, hey, if you keep that up, someone is going to notice-"

[Zwei 0]

As I continue the search for my friend through the maze like streets, I noticed a woman talking to a man. It may have appeared to be normal, but as I stared at the building, I noticed there was no sign of any sort. I wondered what it was for... perhaps a quest? Unassigned buildings usually aren't anything else, and this was far too small to be anyone's house. I walked towards the group, keeping a cautious eye on the two, The woman could have been an npc, but I didn't trust any of the players here. I made sure to prevent myself from glaring at the other player, I didn't need to start any trouble just after spawning. As I got closer, I heard the woman say something about a road blocked by boars. The man seemed to look back in worry after saying a few words and watching the woman bow. I walked up beside him and stared at him with a blank, emotionless face. "A quest?" I had hoped something would come up sooner or later, as I did want to raise my level, but perhaps if I went on this quest, I could come back to town with hope that some people had a bit of knowledge about the whereabouts of my partner. My excuse was really to just kill time. I had already been walking the streets for five minutes, and I could see no end to them. I might as well do something useful.

[Koroshira 0]

Of course things start going to hell immediately after I think I have everything figured out. I thought, shaking my head at my own idiocy, believing that this "Death Game" was just what I needed in this life when I barely knew how any of this world's mechanics functioned. If I were a lesser sort, I would have snarled, lashing out and cursing my luck. However, I knew that so long as I keep a cool head on my shoulders and stay away from weak players and parties, I wouldn't be dragged down. However, after a time, the Col starts running thin and the XP starts drying up. Sadly, that's the position I had found myself in. Damn Beta-testers. Best quests, best loot, best hunting grounds...almost makes me wish Kuro had broken his legs earlier.

You can imagine my eagerness then when I picked up a faint voice speaking, "glad to reward you handsomely if you were to assist me in this effort..." There was more, but that was enough for me to instantly know this was an npc talking about a quest. More importantly, a quest that hadn't been taken just yet. Making a beeline through the crowd towards the speaker-a woman who's designer really must have had a bad day with the missus when he drew her concept art. However, my eagerness was replaced with the unmistakable urge to roll my eyes and be rid of other people. Standing in front of the NPC were two players.

Seeing as how barely anyone had ever noticed me in the real world, I cleared my throat out of habit, "You're both here for the quest, I take it?" I spoke, eyes constantly switching from one to the other studiously.

[Ashrah 0]

Arc almost sighed audibly when two other people came out of nowhere to elbow in on his quest. And here I thought I was about to make out like a bandit. The self-styled Mercenary turned at the query and folded his arms. "That's right," he answered in earnest as his gaze moved over both of the obviously nubile players. Granted, his own gear was hardly better than their scraps of starter gear, but his sword gave him the right to say he had the most experience of the three. It was hard to come by a perfect item so early on, even if it had been a gift from a high level player. "Actually, quests like this show up at random, so it's more like it was my quest, and you two just happened to show up conveniently in time for it."

"What are you three talking about?" Kana seemed indifferent to the subject matter, but her face was bright when she realized three handsome young men were ready and welling to jump right in and help her out. "You must be good friends, to joke around so." Her character sprite giggled girlishly as she tilted her head to one side and seemed to mock Arc as he leered at her in annoyance.

I haven't even met these people. Good friends? Pah. And they say Cardinal is supposed to know things about players.

"Don't worry, I have more than enough Col for the three of you!" she exclaimed excitedly. "You just have to kill the boars and get me to Tolbana before sunset, and then I'll pay you on the spot. Doesn't that sound agreeable?" Arc glanced over the taller man, then the shorter one, and he silently wondered if they even knew how to fight. It would be a really long escort quest if he had to pull all the weight.

"You," he indicated Zwei, "and you," he made an offhand gesture toward Koroshira. "Have you even been outside of town yet?" His eyes showed heavy traces of doubt and his jaw set in a telling frown. Too late, now. They're already being offered the quest. I'll have to make due with what I can.

"Alright, let's go!" Kana called out cheerfully, already well ahead of them.

"Hey, wait, when did you get all the way over there?" Arc called out after the NPC, who he jogged toward. Man, these random quests are really annoying.

[Zwei 0]

"Out side of town? No. But I can fight if that's what you're implying." As I thought before, fighting couldn't be that different in a game, right? I wasn't worried, I had just happened to wonder if I can actually still fight. I looked over to the woman and back at Arc and Koroshira, switching my gaze between the two. I decided I should've just started the quest and get it over with already, so I turned and walked towards the distant npc. I had hoped I could ask her about Aika on the way back to town, but for now, I decided to think about how I'll fight. How does one go on fighting a boar? I would guess they would use guns, but if they were restricted... maybe a long sword? I looked around my body and noticed a small dagger encased in a black leather sheath that rested on my right hip. After pulling it out, I tested its weight and twirled it around. I could fight with daggers, but against a boar I almost wish I had a sword. I like to keep range between me and unpredictable dangers. Although, I could move fast with the clothing I had on now. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. I looked back at my dagger and examined it's design. It didn't seem to be anything special, just a simple steel dagger, average craftsmanship. Sheathing the small weapon, I made my way towards the npc once again.

[Koroshira 0]

I nodded that I had been outside of town-it had been my first destination after the chaos that was the announcement hit, before realizing I had no idea where to go or even what I needed to do-before realizing the NPC wasn't too keen on sticking around for the escorts as she was moving down the street towards the exit. The man who had spoken was jogging after her, and I took a moment to ponder what I had done to be stuck with these immensely unfavorable conditions before taking off after the two, shooting the small one a single glance. Dark hair, small frame, dagger...mostly unimpressive except for one thing: his eyes. They looked dead. That was definitely worth more studying, but alas, it was only a glance, and I currently had more important matters to deal with-such as chasing down an NPC for compensation and xp. However, when I got the chance, I would definitely look into that one more. I nodded in slight affirmation before allowing my eyes to land on the other player I would be traveling with. Taller than the small framed one and a few years older, the gear he had looked much better than the cloth both the small one and myself donned, as did the sword he had. I couldn't tell exactly why, but something told me that blade was different than just a gear drop. Sadly, as his back was facing me, i couldn't really tell much more than that. Hmm...desperate times...would rather do this solo, but I guess it'll be worth it after studying both of them.   

[Ashrah 0]

"We're just about to leave the city," Kana called back over her shoulder. Arc was close enough behind that the motion almost startled him, but he gave a nod that he had heard and understood. The noblewoman smiled thinly. "I hope you're ready!" She sounded more enthusiastic than displeased about the whole ordeal, but the mercenary managed not to let his frustrations air themselves out. "Hopefully they're not clustering together today," the NPC pondered aloud. Arc almost cursed. Cardinal was warning them, whether they knew and understood that fact or not. The slightly weaker players might find themselves faced with some difficulty if he didn't afford them some generosity. Arc swiped his menu quickly open and sent them both party invitations.

"Be careful, and let me know if you need me to jump in and help either of you. The system likes to be vague and drop hints, but there's a method to the madness." Kana seemed almost zoned out at his words, staring right through him as if they made no sense. The NPCs did not register that SAO was a game, nor that they were just strings of data. Whenever someone spoke in an out of character capacity, they readily ignored it and dismissed it as insanity. Arc hated that about them. It made them less real, and him too. "She warned us that the boars may end up attacking more than one at a time. You should prepare yourselves for that possibility."

Kana seemed amused when he spoke about something she did understand. "You're a quick learner," she observed. That was about as high praise as higher class NPCs got. Noblesse Oblige. Arc had his weapon out before she spoke a second time. "And you're all business. Adventurers should all be so enthusiastic."

You'd like that too much.

"Looks like we've got company straight out the gate," he intoned. No sooner had she praised him and walked several feet out the gates, boars seemed to materialize from nowhere. The first was only ten feet out. "It's going to give us a few seconds to acclimate, then attack. The algorithms on the first floor are less proactive, but there's still a danger. Make sure you know your role before things start. I'll handle taking the damage so you two can get used to your weapons and the fighting system for now."

It wasn't his ideal role, but Arc did not mind taking a few hits here and there. It would keep the lower levels alive for the foreseeable future. The two handed sword wielder brought his weapon low to the ground and rushed toward the boar, letting it get sight of him. For now, it would see him and focus its attack in his direction. That would not last after it was struck, of course.

"Hit hit hard, hit it fast," Arc urged. "I'm not specialized for keeping their attention, so try not to piss them off too bad."

Arc: 80/80 HP 8 Energy

Boar 1: 4/4 HP, 3 Damage, 1 Mit

Quest Tracker:

[0/9 Boars killed]

Edited September 2, 2016 by Arc

[Zwei 0]

To me, Kara seemed all too happy about us traveling as a group. My subconscious hinted that she would easily be taken down by a boar, but then I questioned if the NPC's could even die. It didn't matter though, as she hired us for this reason. I followed the others, somewhat lagging behind. My only wish was to complete this quest and find Aika, and I was never much for interacting with others. Speaking of interacting with others, Arc turned to look back and notify Koroshira and me of the boar's attack styles. 'Multiple targets, huh? This way, we can easily take down a boar, if we confuse it that is. Either way, we just have to pay attention to a single enemy, and try to evade the rest.' I mentally questioned how Arc and Koroshira were going to handle this, and my curiosity got the better of me.
"What is your attack plan?" The question was aimed towards both Koroshira and Arc, Hopefully, I didn't just start a long conversation. Looking ahead to keep an eye on Kara, I waited for a response. Whatever it was, I had hoped we could all agree on something. It would be a pity if I were to die. Needless to say, Arc was a couple levels higher than me and Koroshira, so he would be good to use as a shield, and he could withstand it too. I just hoped Koroshira hadn't gotten the same idea.

[Koroshira 0]

I drew my weapon as I accepted the party invitation, before moving to Arc's diagonal right and answering Zwei's question in as little words as possible, "Triangle formation with the NPC behind us. Arc tanks, we flank." I didn't put much thought into my words, only surveyed the battlefield, knowing we didn't have much time before they were on us. The quest tracker that popped up said we had nine boars to kill off, and each boar did three damage. Not the best odds, as two hits, or one critical and I would dead like so many others. I had to put trust in someone other than myself in order to survive, and that fact alone was almost enough to make me bite through my own tongue. Alas, there was no other way if I wanted to be able to power level quickly enough so that I wouldn't die immediately later on. The things I do to survive. Getting into a battle stance, I watched as the boars closed in and narrowed my eyes in anticipation, my heart beating even faster than the pre-race jitters I always had at the start of competitions. Now...who would make the first move? It was either up to me or Arc, as Zwei was equipped with a dagger, not the best for mid range attacks.  

[Ashrah 0]

Arc moved with fluidity that belied grueling training. His real life movements echoed in the motion of his avatar as he sped along toward the boar and heaved his weapon with skill that showed he was slowly acclimating to it. The two handed sword raked through air as he planted his foot and moved in a full moon shape. He twisted his body and used the momentum to angle his strike for a deathblow.

The boar screamed out its protest as it raked its horns into him and streaks of red lined the mercenary's torso. As if in answer, Levantine ripped through the boar like it were no more than a seamless portion of the air itself. The strike cleaved evenly and the boar wore a stunned face for the fleeting seconds before it burst into strings of data. Arc swung through and brought his weapon up, reclining it lazily over his shoulder. "Ahhh, darn," he muttered. "I overdid it."

He glanced at his health, still far from red. "Hopefully the next ones aren't quite as easy," he grinned broadly as he acknowledged the others. This ought to give them an idea of how combat worked in SAO. That was the idea of the first fight, wasn't it? "I'll let you guys handle the next one."

"Oh dear, that was fantastic!" Arc almost forgot about the NPC who gave them the quest to begin with. She smiled with admiration and folded her hands together to display her approval. "I was right to bring you all with me, you're so strong!"

Arc only grunted in response.

ID# 66851 results:

Battle: 8

Craft: 9

Loot: 5

MOB: 6

Arc: 77/80 HP 8/8 Energy

[Boars Killed: 1/9]

[Zwei 0]

I stood and watched closely, more so at the boar than Arc or Koroshira. If I could get the attack pattern down... I was sure to be able to find away around it. Within the hits between the two, the boar was killed, rather quickly. Combat appeared to be easy, but I couldn't be sure. Knowing Koroshira was fighting with me made me regret ignoring his fighting pattern. I didn't want to get in his way, and I certainly didn't want him to get in my way. Supposing Koroshira hadn't been damaged, I mentally noted him as being the main tank. I only hoped he thought of the same thing. I didn't feel like communicating with the group. Getting the quest done was all that mattered to me, and it would be best if it was completed as fast as possible. Glancing at Koroshira and Arc, I pulled out my dagger, twirling the sharp weapon as I always did. The next boar could come anytime, and I didn't want to experience a surprise attack. I rushed to stand about a yard behind Koroshira, raising my dagger once I was behind him. His triangle attack plan worked just fine... with the three of us. With just Koroshira and me in the battle, we had to stick close, and use each other as cover. It would have seemed selfish to many others, but in my eyes, it was a great plan. Seeing how Koroshira's sword would slow him down, He would be best to provoke the boar. As soon as it would charge him, I'd hope for Koroshira to strike and dodge, and I would be free to do the same. Only I had no backup plan, but who needs a backup plan for a boar? these two just took one out in two hits. I didn't bother explaining this to Koroshira of course. I couldn't guarantee the plan would work even then. It was best to just play along with whatever happened, but at least I had a plan. Now that I thought of it, I questioned if Koroshira was even thinking of a plan, or if he just decided to hit it until it was defeated. Either way would be fine, but if he wasn't careful, he would be sorry.

[Koroshira 0]

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Zwei move out of the triangle formation and approach me, but before I had a chance to get him to back off, a boar charged right for me. Slipping back into a stance, I took a deep breath, my heart feeling like it was beating out of my chest, before pivoting on my heel at the last moment, bringing my blade down upon the boar's neck. Sadly, this blow did not kill it in one fell swoop, but it did knock it off of its hooves. Based upon the sliver of health hovering above its head, I reasoned that a single attack would be enough to end it now. I turned my back on the boar, awaiting another charge and knowing that Zwei wouldn't let an opportunity like that pass him up. It was a loss of xp, but keeping on the defensive from boar charges was definitely the better plan for now. When their numbers thinned, then it would be beneficial to go on the offensive.

ID: 66931 Battle:8 Craft: 8 Loot: 8 Mob: 2
Damage: 3 (+1 for weapon skill, +1 for crit)

Koro: 20/20

Boar: 1/4
 

Edited September 6, 2016 by Koroshira
Screwed up on health numbers

[Ashrah 0]

"Watch out," Arc called offhand to Koroshira, "it didn't die, so it's going to be focused on your now. The system is pretty basic down here; if you hit one, it gains hate toward you. Whoever accumulates the most hate is the target. Just like every other MMO you've ever played, arguably, but with higher risks attached." The quick synopsis was for the beginner's benefit, and even if he already knew how aggro worked it might be good to remind him. SAO was pretty unforgiving when it came to that sort of thing.

The mercenary turned his gaze toward Zwei, who was already moving to flank the boar. "Use the opportunity to strike while it's focused elsewhere. One at a time shouldn't be too hard to handle, but it's only going to get rougher from here." Seeing as the other two had a basic grasp of the combat structure as it had been established, he fell back to calling out helpful hints and instructions. It was important that they learned early how to cooperate as a team. It occurred to Tobias that a mentality fostered in the low levels was a lone wolf sort of thing, and it would take time to break free.

For now, that meant lending his sword and his experience. Even if it was limited, it was something.

Koroshira: 100/100

Zwei: 100/100

Arc: 80/80

Boar: 1/4

[Zwei 0]

While Koroshira was busy fighting the beast, I was closely listening to what Arc was saying. The Hate system interested me, and I was sure it would be more than helpful. I wasn't the type to venture alone, and if I were in a group, I would be using others as cover. Unfortunately, the Hate system also worked to my disadvantage. If I did end up venturing alone, I certainly wouldn't be able to take on a strong enemy, no matter what strategy I used. I didn't plan to wear anything but light armor, and noting the little protection it gave, I would easily die had I fought alone. Although I knew what I should and shouldn't do, I had made the decision to not stick with Koroshira. He was a level 1, like me, and I wasn't sure how much experience he had from the real world. I hadn't made my mind up about Arc however, only because he was a higher level than us. It would be beneficial to stay with him, but considering the comparison between what he fights and what I fight, I supposed it would be too dangerous. I figured I might as well just search for some factions, and hope they let me in. I wasn't sure it was the best idea, but it was all I could do.

Suddenly, Koroshira jumped out of the way, and my thoughts were ripped back to reality. Luckily, the boar had been knocked off balance by Koroshira, and it swerved to my right. I had been saved by Koroshira's hit, but unfortunately, I wasn't able to hit the boar. I figured it would be best to not think from now on, and so I neared Koroshira once again, ready for the next attack.

ID# 66978 results:

Battle: 3

Craft: 8

Loot: 10

MOB: 2

Zwei: 20/20

Arc: 80/80

Koroshira: 20/20

Edited September 18, 2016 by Zwei