<<Earning A Living>> Beginner Trading

[Zulee 0]

Zulee stood in the Town of Beginnings with a sigh. The city was huge and daunting, and she hardly had any idea of where to even begin in terms of getting started. Though, with the outside world being as dangerous as it was, the only thing she could imagine was working on a profession. It was midday, and Zulee wondered just how one went about finding a profession. So she poked around the job board until something suitable showed up. She turned to the NPC and pointed to the paper entitled, <<Earning A Living>>. Sure enough, the quest menu popped up in front of her, and had her go through a few motions. Details about choosing a profession scrolled by, and Zulee selected merchant. A few more menus popped up confirming this choice, and then she had to confirm that she was ready for the quest. Hardly glancing over anymore of the details, she confirmed the quest and got on her way.

Thread Stats

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Stats

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Total SP: 5
SP Available: 0
SP Spent: 5

Current Level: 1
HP: 20
EP: 2

DMG: 4
EVA: 0
ACC: 0
MIT: 0

Equipment & Inventory

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Basic Two-Handed Straight Sword
Basic Starter Armor

Skills

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Total Slots: 2
Available Slots: 1
Used Slots: 1

Utility and Mobility Skills:
Combat Skills:
Weapon Skills:
► Two-Handed Straight Sword - Rank 1 - Novice

• +1 DMG

Armor Skills:
Mods:

Sword Arts

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Rank 1
Avalanche -1x1 - (1 Energy) - A simple one-hit sword art that cuts downward at a single target.
Blast - 2x1 - AoE - (4 Energy) - A pair of horizontal sweeping strokes that hits multiple targets.
Straight - 1x2 - (2 Energy) - Begins with the player bending their knees before thrusting forward with a singular powerful strike covering the gap between you and your opponent.

Edited November 26, 2016 by Zulee

[Zulee 0]

Zulee wandered aimlessly, believing that the plaza was the best place to begin learning how to buy and sell goods in this new virtual world. Zulee watched as NPC merchants waited patiently as people talked amongst themselves looking at wares. Zulee had chosen merchant, as she wasn't much for actual crafting, but thanks to her experience as a cop, she did understand the ideals necessary to make deals, shady or otherwise. She also knew that information was key, and how better to buy and trade information? As a merchant. She smiled, thinking that things would fall into place nicely, provided she could actually pull off earning the profession in the first place. A shop would give her the capability to learn the ways of this world in the safety and comfort of a zone where she and others couldn't be harmed. Not to mention there were no monsters in shops.

Edited November 26, 2016 by Zulee

[Zulee 0]

As Zulee walked, she tried to see if she could spot the difference between players and NPCs in their shops. She wondered if she could emulate an NPC as the players most likely did. No doubt that was what the quest required, do things that seem to make sense for being a merchant, and then go back to the board and turn in the quest for profit. What a life it would be once this was over. Until then, she had to at least pretend to be a merchant. She supposed she could start with the obvious idea of buying goods to sell later. There were a few options here. Basic health potions, some simple food, things of that nature. She wasn't entirely sure what materials were necessary for crafting, but she could look into that as well. The more she thought about it, the more confusing it got. Economics was not her forte, that was for certain.

Edited November 26, 2016 by Zulee

[Zulee 0]

Zulee decided to start with one of the basic necessities. Food! Something everyone needed, even in this game. Players still felt hungry, and they still had to eat. So she walked up to an NPC, beginning to haggle and work out what would be a good deal for some food that she could resell, though the NPC seemed unmoved and the prices seemed to be static no matter how she struck up conversation. Unfortunately, this was also when Zulee came to another startling realization. She... had no money. This realization struck her like a bag of bricks, as the NPC just looked at her expectantly. She wasn't sure how this computer program was about to react to her saying that she had no money, but she tried it anyway. It just smiled and thanked Zulee for her time, placing all the food back where it belonged. Zulee sighed, computer programs were certainly at least easier to deal with than people.

Edited November 26, 2016 by Zulee

[Zulee 0]

Zulee frowned as she made her way back to the job board. She stood in front of it with her hands on her hips as she scanned it for something simple that could make her money. Most of the jobs offered were kill quests of course, something Zulee wished she could do, but didn't quite feel she had the power to accomplish. It didn't help that the more one looked at the fields around the Town of Beginnings, the more one saw the death of other players. And so she huffed again as her eyes continued to scan the loosely posted papers of the board. Finally, she saw a simple job, sweeping an inn. It looked to be for absolute beginners, and while Zulee didn't like the idea of being a simple maid, she had to start somewhere. So she pointed to the paper, and the NPC next to the board smiled as a quest window popped up in front of her. She readily accepted.

Edited November 26, 2016 by Zulee

[Zulee 0]

And so Zulee was now entrenched in a quest within a quest. Make money, to make more money doing something else. It felt almost too much like the real world. Too freeform. She was starting to get an inkling in the back of her mind as to how people got lost in these types of games. Zulee wondered if, had this not become a fight for her life, if she would have found herself entranced in much the same way as others. Would sweeping the floor to gain money, to gain levels, to then have enough strength to take on the bounties have pulled her into a world such as this? Would she have wanted to live a second life? She supposed she had wanted to escape from the danger that her normal life gave her. Instead she found herself trapped in a worse fate. She supposed "What if?" was pointless now. This was the reality.

Edited November 26, 2016 by Zulee

[Zulee 0]

It wasn't much longer before Zulee found herself at the inn where her basic quest was. There was an NPC waiting at the door, presumably the innkeep, who had a broom in hand and a sour look on his face. Zulee looked at the way he stood in front of the door, and immediately figured that this was not a place to stay in. This inn was built for one sole purpose, and that was to provide this quest. Idly, as she took the broom and pushed her way through the door and into the inn proper, Zulee wondered how many people had attempted to stay here, not realizing that the inn was a falsity created only to provide beginners with slight income. She even wondered how many people had, knowing it was an NPC, forced their way past him or tried to intimidate him. Just how lawless was this world? Were NPCs protected in the same way as the players? No doubt they weren't. Their death wasn't permanent after all, provided they could even die to begin with.

Edited November 26, 2016 by Zulee

[Zulee 0]

The cleaning necessary for the quest was rather obvious, as Zulee prodded at piles of dirt  and junk, which faded into pixel dust at the touch of the broom. She didn't even really have to dust. As Zulee wrapped up the quest, she started to test more things. She pointed the broom at a pile to see if it would go away, but no. It simply waited to at least be touched by the broom. But as soon as the bristles reached it, the pile disappeared, and Zulee found herself giggling at the absurdity of it. There weren't many dust piles though, and before she knew it she was being called back to the front of the inn by the NPC innkeeper. As she handed the broom back to him, which then faded from view, he appeared much less angry and much more jovial. For a moment, Zulee wondered why he didn't just do the sweeping himself, but then realized that if that were the case, she wouldn't have the smidgeon of Col in her pocket that she did. Always best not to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Edited November 26, 2016 by Zulee

[Zulee 0]

So, with a bit of Col jingling around in her pocket, Zulee made her way back to the original NPC that she had bartered with for food. She counted out her money and asked for the amount of food to fill the amount of Col she had on hand, before making the deal. All it had seemed to net her was a few loaves of bread, but everyone had to start somewhere. Smiling, and holding the bag of bread over her shoulder, she started to look out for hungry people or those willing to spend a bit of extra money on rations. It wasn't particularly special bread, and she wasn't a cook so she couldn't do anything to spice it up. But that wouldn't stop her from trying to hawk her new wares anyway. With a shout, she'd call out to passing players, but many just ignored her. She should have expected that though.

Edited November 26, 2016 by Zulee

[Zulee 0]

So when her plan of shouting at passerby failed, Zulee walked around the little plaza like a door to door salesman, offering her bread to any player who wouldn't immediately turn their nose up at her. Most simply walked away with a scoff, but some seemed at least interested in her plight. Zulee embellished the need to sell this bread, hoping that if nothing else, she could get purchases out of pity. But there was little luck on any front, as even those interested just gave her a pat and a nod, saying, "Don't worry, I'm sure someone will buy it." No matter that the someone wasn't them, which is what she really needed right now. Zulee even tried acting like a beggar, seeming increasingly more desperate to sell this bread, that this bread was all she had, and even gave a good shot at crocodile tears to see if it would gain a purchase, but no dice.

Edited November 26, 2016 by Zulee

[Zulee 0]

Zulee continued her pitching until it was increasingly clear that players simply weren't interested in purchasing her bread. From those who immediately turned her down, to those savvy enough to know that they could purchase the bread for a Col cheaper, it was an impossible task. So Zulee simply made her way back to the shop where she originally purchased the bread, selling it back and getting at least her Col in return. It wasn't much, but it was better than nothing. As Zulee stared at her still incredibly wimpy Col total, she wondered what it took to get a legitimate business started in a game like this. This was still a world governed by a different set of laws. A computer based on numbers won the day. A computer with a vast array of fake little people, all with seemingly different interests and personalities, just working off different algorithms. And then, Zulee had an idea.

[Zulee 0]

Zulee rubbed her chin as she walked through the Town of Beginnings, thinking about all the ways that one could game the system, no pun intended. She wondered if different floors had different prices. Perhaps there was items that could only be found or sold on different levels. Zulee decided to test it with the bread once again. This time, she only bought one loaf, but immediately after the purchase made her way to the Teleport Gate to head to the second floor. At the city there, she made her way to the nearest shopkeep and presented her prize, the single bread loaf. The NPC simply smiled, explaining that he would take it for the same amount of Col that she had originally purchased it for. Zulee sighed, but this wasn't the only NPC, and so she would not be immediately deterred. There had to be some sort of a difference. This bread was exotic to the first floor. Surely the game understood that.

Edited November 26, 2016 by Zulee

[Zulee 0]

Zulee made her way to the next shopkeep, and the next after that, continuing to receive the same response. All for the same amount would they purchase this loaf of bread. Zulee sighed, thinking that perhaps she had placed too much stock in the idea that each NPC was governed by different rules. Her bread truly wasn't exotic. It was just bread. She wondered if in her desperation she was starting to get delusional. In all of this, she had instead found that they all followed the same hidden rules, only appearing different. In a fit of frustration, she threw the bread on the ground, before watching it explode into a shower of pixels. "What a waste," she mumbled, before heading back to the Teleport Gate and the Town of Beginnings. It appeared that the only way to make money was to sell items that NPCs couldn't get, or sell items to players.

Edited November 26, 2016 by Zulee

[Zulee 0]

Feeling a bit disheartened, Zulee decided to take a watch and learn approach to this whole situation, once again eying the NPC and player shops. Despite that she had been at this all day, she still couldn't tell the difference between the NPCs and the players. The fact of the matter was, Zulee was basing things on too much real world experience. She had no experience with games, and so while this may have made sense in the real world, it ultimately was getting her nowhere here in Aincrad. This world was not governed by the same laws as the real world, and the more she told herself that, the more she hoped it would finally get through her own thick skull. So she parked herself on a bench overlooking some shops, both player and NPC run, and tried to find some logic in the chaos. Maybe even finally begin to tell the difference between how players acted and how NPCs acted when inside of a shop.

Edited November 26, 2016 by Zulee

[Zulee 0]

The more Zulee watched, the less sense it seemed to all make. Despite that all of the NPCs were governed by the same rules, you wouldn't be able to tell that by how they acted. Some were stoic and patient, others were in your face and reminded Zulee of a used car salesman. In many cases, players would walk up to NPCs, and often times just press a few buttons on a menu, before walking away satisfied. She had no idea what they sold or bought, though it was most likely basic items either way. Goods weren't handed over, and Zulee wondered if she was the odd woman out by having the NPC actually physically hand her the bread. All of this ended up just being frustrating though, as Zulee realized that through game systems everything became much more private. It was much more difficult to compare prices, know what items are being bought or sold, and overall learn from this experience. Zulee sighed and leaned back on the bench, closing her eyes in frustration.

Edited November 26, 2016 by Zulee

[Zulee 0]

As Zulee tried to expel her frustration, she was pulled from her thoughts by a person clearing their throat. She sat upright in an instant, her eyes flickering open. Instinctively she wanted to reach for her sword, similarly to how she often kept her hand on her gun when on duty, but that would have done no good here, and served to just make her seem violent. "Who...?" she uttered, as she looked upon a stranger in armor, with a sword on his hip. He smiled, simply stating, "I've been watching you wander around this area for the better part of the day. Would you happen to be new, lost, or need some help?" Zulee grew a bit red at this, not actually realizing how obvious her actions had been, nor how obvious her new player status actually was. The man didn't seem to be of a super high level, or have especially extravagant gear, but he was helpful, and sometimes that was all that mattered.

Edited November 26, 2016 by Zulee

[Zulee 0]

Zulee smiled and stood, patting the wrinkles from her basic tunic and pants. She wondered what she should tell this guy. She wasn't sure if he had been watching her or not, or if this was just some sort of elaborate trap. For all she knew, he would try to lead her out of the city and into danger. Despite these thoughts, she scratched her cheek a bit sheepishly, before crossing her arms and nodding, "Yes, I suppose it's obvious enough, but I'm new at this whole video game thing. Thought I'd try SAO, got stuck here, and now I'm trying to earn a living until I can go bounty hunting." The man smiled, and it was an understanding smile, as if this story was all too common. Zulee wondered if it was. If there were more like her who harbored secret desires to escape to a new world, only to find themselves trapped inside.

Edited November 26, 2016 by Zulee

[Zulee 0]

So, the man asked Zulee a few questions, and then basically Zulee had to spend the next few minutes explaining her actions throughout the day. Many of the things Zulee said got no more than amused smiles, perhaps with the thought of, "I remember when I was once that naive." Though never said, Zulee could see it in the man's eyes. Though a few points had gained her outright laughter, prompting her to turn a darker shade of red and want to take the sword on her back and cut the man down. Though a few things prevented that. One, that was wrong, obviously. And two, she wasn't sure if that was even possible in the Town of Beginnings. Once again, her mind began to wander towards what laws, if any were present in the game, and she had to be brought back to reality by the man in front of her. Zulee simply smiled with a light apology, before awaiting his response to her adventure.

[Zulee 0]

When Zulee finished, the man sighed a bit, before asking Zulee to pull up her quest. Zulee obliged, before turning the menu for him to look at. "Yes, the Earning a Living quest. It's a bit misleading in what it asks you to do. Really, all you need to do is find a merchant and prompt them to teach you. The quest would then progress with their guidance until you earn your profession." Zulee's face fell almost immediately, and suddenly she felt incredibly stupid, wondering why she hadn't thought about this. The man must have sensed her sudden feelings, as he put a hand out to her and said, "No, no, don't take it so hard. The quest is written in a strange way, and plenty of even seasoned MMO players may miss exactly how it works. Please, let me take you to a merchant and we can get this wrapped up for you." Zulee sighed and nodded, allowing herself to be pulled along by the helpful player.

[Zulee 0]

Before she knew it, Zulee was in front of an NPC labeled as, <<Merchant Tutor>>, and once again she felt incredibly silly. She turned to the player to thank him for guiding her, but he was already gone. She gasped, and looked around, wondering if she had imagined it all. Perhaps this game was getting to her more than she had thought, but surely she couldn't have imagined all of it. She was here after all, and her subconscious couldn't teach her something she didn't know. She frowned, now more miffed than anything that he wouldn't at least say good bye. But tried not to let it get to her as she turned to the NPC and asked for help with her quest. Sure enough, a menu popped up in front of her, asking her to confirm her choice as a Merchant profession and accept tutoring. She quickly, and happily, accepted.

Edited November 24, 2016 by Zulee