[PP-NK-F2] Not so Prosaic

[Sey 0]

More sights to see, he would end up on the second floor where he would locate the "High Fields of Crossing" section. That was his goal anyways, but he was starting off in the safe zone as usual. And Sey was a little bit unusual for a new player. For one thing, he loved to be outside of the safe zones, despite being the level he was. A player killer had the right to stab him in the chest for making such a reckless mistake, yet he made it anyways. Sure, he was breathing right now because he was lucky, but how much time will it take for him to lose that luck? With this, he would end up rushing out towards the end of the safe zone as quickly as he could. What did he come equipped with? In his right hand was his assault spear, and on his chest was some uncommon armor. Yes, this was the equipment he would go to battle with. The ones that he had placed an order on a few days ago were still processing, which was expected of a big company. However, he had no patience when he could be exploring things. And that was what he planned to do now as well.

[Grave 0]

Explore this, explore that.

Search this, search that.

That is all I did. I had nothing better to do; meet new people, farm monsters, discover quests, occasionally overwork myself in my shop. It was the only thing I really could do, having dropped from frontline status... more painfully so since I had just hit that status before 'vanishing'. I had to get myself back up, complete quest after quest to get the skill points to raise my level. I had been left in the dust.

So why was I busy exploring the second floor? Because, as usual, I had nothing better to do. Of course, the shops were decent, albeit a little bit dark and creepy, but they were cheap and got their job done. I had just gotten images embroidered onto my coat a few days prior at a shop on the second floor. Not to mention, I had spent more time on the floor than almost any other, due to helping so many people with <<Breaking the Unbreakable>>. So the wilderness was a familiar setting.

I was about to exit the city when I noticed a player with vibrant white hair, seemingly low-leveled armor and a spear. He seemed almost too underleveled to even be up on the second floor, but I had learned from experience that appearances can be deceiving.

With a friendly smile, I approached the player from behind and tapped on his shoulder to get his attention. "Hey there!" I greeted him joyfully,

[Sey 0]

It would not take too long for him to receive his first surprise of the day, when he would be tapped on the shoulder. This made him flinch, so to amplify the shock he just received, he would then end up having a perky greeting exclaimed very close to him. This brought a lot of alert to him, his spear swinging around quickly before stopping himself from actually stabbing the being behind him, just in case it was a false alarm. To his relief, it was. So he'd place the spear down before letting out a little sigh of relief. H-hi. You scared me. He would explain before shaking his head, as if to wake up from a daydream. Sorry about that, I can't risk too much these days. Is there anything that you need, sir? The player would ask, tilting his head to the side and place his free hand in his pocket, awaiting the answer from the stranger. He'd be more than happy to help out... Despite being the low-leveled being that he was. The person in front of him seemed like a genuinely nice person, and if that were a mask, they were at the safe zone, so not too much can be done to him. So there was not too much to be feared.

Edited November 22, 2016 by Sey

[Grave 0]

I jerked back and raised my hands in surrender when the player stopped short of stabbing me with that pointy weapon of his. He lowered his weapon and sighed, and I scratched the back of my neck. "Yeah, sorry about that, I did not intend to startle you," I apologized politely. "Oh, that is fine, I understand! Danger could be anywhere. Just as well you are right near the edge of the city, any further out and it could have been deadly." I agreed with the white haired boy with a brisk nod. "Oh, not really. I just thought I might say hi, you know? You seemed interesting, and I was curious as to your level." I told him with a sheepish grin, realizing now how suspicious such a long-winded answer must have sounded.

[Sey 0]

Interesting? Well with his gear, he might have been interesting since he was up on the second floor. Considering how with his equipment he would probably not even survive on the first floor, seeing someone of his level with it would be rather surprising. This guy was being polite about it, so why shoot him down when he was genuinely curious? "Oh! My level? As of currently, I'm level 10." Which might have been embarrassing to admit considering his current clothing. "Which... Maybe not be too good considering what I currently have on right now, but I made it through." With this, he would tilt his head to the side, placing his free hand on his hip now as he wondered about the one in front of him. "Anything you say that sparked interest? What type of build do you have?" There had to be a reason why he was some form of interesting character, right? Perhaps a little analysis was in check. It's not that he was suspicious, he just wanted to know why a beginning player like himself would spark the interest of a different player that actually seemed interesting.

[Grave 0]

The player responded it what seemed to be surprise, and I chuckled. "Level ten? You are much higher level than your gear suggests. May I suggest a good blacksmith and tailor to you?" I asked with a shrug, before pulling open my inventory and materializing my Albion Claws; the black steel flexible, yet without plates, much like leather. "This is only an example of the craftsman ship of a friend of mine I frequent." I demonstrated, flexing my fingers inside one of the gauntlets, before sending them back to the grey and gold abyss that was the inventory. He asked what had sparked my interest in him, and inquired about my build. "Ah, it was the armour mostly. It just seemed too... basic for the second floor, no offense." I explained with a sheepish grin. "But I think the white hair kind of stood out. Not many people have that colour around here. Then again, I cannot talk; who else would rock silver locks like me?" I added with a hearty chuckle. "About my build... I am a berserk healer. I stay alive through means of mitigation and self healing, while dealing a large amount of damage and healing others when they require it." I explained, crossing my arms confidently across my chest. "What build do you intend to go for?" I asked the player in return.

Edited November 30, 2016 by Grave

[Sey 0]

"Hey, I'm always up for connections. I have some orders on hold anyways, but maybe for future references!" He'd reply in turn, acknowledging that he was more than willing to have some help from another player. If he was able to gain information from recon and future events, he would most certainly take the chance without giving it a second chance. The sudden remark of him and his armor being far too basic would force him to move his arms out to the side in embarrassment, it was rather shaming. "H-hey now!" Though the part about the nice strands of white locks helped remedy the mental damage done previously as he would smile with pride. "A berserk healer? That sounds good, you'll stay on the battlefield for a good duration! For me... I'm aiming to balance. Leave no openings left open. I dunno if there is a name for it, but if that is the case, then I am whatever that is." He'd explain as he then would tilt his head to the side, wondering if this person understood what he had just tried to say.

[Grave 0]

"His name is Macradon, he owns a shop named the Blazing Typhoon. His wares are high quality and surprisingly cheap." I explained with a smile, remembering the last time I had visited Mac and received my Vanishing Dragon, as well as materials to create a feast with. "I am sure he should have something perfect for you." I reassured him with a thumbs up. He seemed embarrassed by my comment about his equipment and I bit the knuckle of my forefinger to keep from chuckling. "I meant no offense by that. I just thought it was strange you have yet to get higher equipment." I explained with a grin, removing my hand from my teeth. "Yeah, I took inspiration from a good friend of mine, who's a similar class, but has more focus on raw damage and less on survival." I explained, referencing Zandra, who wielded heavy armour, a two handed axe and a high level First Aid skill. "You would be what most would call a Jack of All Trades; an all-rounder, but with little mastery in any area." I told him, remembering Beoreson wanted to take a similar Jack role.

[Sey 0]

"Like an A.P.P then, and All Purpose Person. That sounds about right, though like you said,  you can rely on me only so little on a certain task alone. So those who can focus mainl on a certain field should be the ones to handle it. I'm more of a back up, in case something were to happen sort of case." Sey would explain, though if one focused more on damage rather than trying to survive, wouldn't that make them a DPS? Sure, there was healing as well, but that was because he or she was smart enough to know that evasive will not always work 100% of the time. But at the end of the day, she still only focused on the damage infliction. "The blacksmith did seem to have a lot of experience. And it's not like one can't have a break, so I'll just wait. Though it does kind of leave me out in the open, exposed to danger without the help of others. So there are always the upsides and the downsides."

[Grave 0]

I chuckled and shook my head. "I would  rather take a Swiss Army knife into the forest with me than a huge Bowie knife, if you get what I mean." I explained, making what I thought was a good comparison. "Being a Jack of All Trades means you have all bases covered; no matter what, you will have some way to fight, some role to fill." I clarified with a smile. "And besides, in real life you might not be able to master any of the multiple skills you are proficient with, but in a game such as this, you can still master all your skills, given time." I added with an even wider grin. The player talked about the blacksmith he had ordered from and my smile grew soft once more. "Hit Mac up in the future. I promise you will not regret it." I reassured him, before realising something. "Oh, crap, I never introduced myself, I just realised. My name is Grave. Level twenty eight. I like to go by the title of the Vanishing Dragon."

[Sey 0]

"Chill name. I'll check them out then. Hm, I wonder what other things I can get there. Eh, I shouldn't count my luck so much without guaranteeing it will do me anything. I'm not the best in the col department as of currently anyways." He would explain before shrugging. Oh well, it was not the worst thing to happen to him really, he had enough to be able to live inside of an inn that he had grown familiar with. As long as he slayed a boar once every two or three weeks, he was able to have a home for himself. The food was decent and the beds were comfy for the players, probably not something that those in the past had back then. "Well, if it's not like real life then, I should be fine with just not being exposed in some form of way. I want to have some form of use as well in some way to everyone, even if it's not the best. And hey, if it could save a life, my own or another, then why not?"

[Grave 0]

"Mac mostly does weapons and armour," I explained to the white haired boy, "heavy armour of course. I do not think a metalworker's fingers are nimble enough for a needle and thread," I jested, chuckling at my own joke shamefully. "Tell him Grave sent you, might be lucky to get a discount. If not, I would be more than happy to hand you some Col to get you started," I offered with a kind grin, rubbing my middle and forefinger against my thumb as if rubbing a note of cash. "Of course, I may need a favour in return, probably just a hunting partner or something. Or a meatshield," I joked again, laughing at myself louder this time. "I am sorry, that was mean, I would not put my friends in harm's way like that," I clarified to make sure I did not hurt the boy; I'd literally known him for not even ten minutes, I did not want to accidentally insult him. I nodded in response to his analogy of what I had explained about his 'Jack of All Trades' style. "That is the way to think. You can help everyone out, no matter what. You will never be left out of hunting parties or raids just because there are too many tanks or too many DPS players, because you could be something completely different."

[Sey 0]

“Heavy Armor sounds fun. I think people are bound to be hit anyways. If there is any way to lower the impact, I would gladly do it.” The snow-haired player would explain, placing his hands in his pockets now before then turning around, looking at his surroundings for the moment. The town of beginnings, it was nice, all this in one bit of technology. Highly advanced, Sey wanted to discover more about this design and how it was even a thing. “Eh, a tank can take the hits. Not that I will be there for a long time, but it will eventually be there as I level up.” He explained as he would then return his attention back onto the conversation. “Absolutely. The more different, the better. It’s why I chose this unfortunate weapon, but looking at the sword skills, I’m happy that the promise of an update is being told to us.”

[Grave 0]

"Yeah, there is only so far you can go with evasion. There is still a chance to get hit, and without good mitigation, any hit you take will take a large chunk out of your health," I agreed with the boy, nodding my head. "And besides, evasion does not scale with the tier of the armour like mitigation does. The latter is obviously the superior at later levels," I stated, remembering when I used to wear light armour and take blows that hit like a freight train. With the Vanishing Dragon most attacks were little more than a tickle. "Yes, the one handed spear... I had a friend who wielded a greatshield and a two-pronged spear that, while it did little damage, paralyzed almost anything it touched. It was best used in a team situation when your partners can capitalize on the paralysis," I reminisced, supplying the player with more ideas as to the direction he could go with his build.

[Sey 0]

"Sounds like an awfully slow loss for those who end up in a duel with them. There are bound to be players with... Other intentions... Than beating the game. I need something to be able to defend myself against them. Evasion sounds nice, but what if it fails? THEN I have a much bigger problem." He placed the tip of his finger against his chin and tilted his head to the side, looking to the side as he would think of what he would be able to use. As of currently, he was not too sure if he was able to lower damage to a standard that he would like to. "How trustworthy can the mitigation stat be? If it is able to reduce damage, I want to know if it's enough to be able to save a life. Or if not, I want to know if it's even something to consider in the first place. I would rather not have a single skill point wasted in stuff I would rather not use." This game was crucial, Sey did NOT want to mess this one up.

[Grave 0]

I nodded somberly. "Yes... those players populate the world. They scamper through Aincrad like rodents... and I would exterminate every one of them if I had no morals. Not to say I do not wish them ill like I would any other ordinary murderer." I spat venomously. "You should start early while you still have the chance. There is only so much mitigation you can get from armour every tier, and while armor skills only give a small amount of mitigation in the early ranks, the later ranks give a lot more. I made the stupid mistake of leaving the armour skills until later... only rank two in heavy armour, and it supplies next to nothing, but it is a stepping stone to more protection." I explained, sighing at my own stupidity. "Start on the armour skill early, it may just save your life later down the track." I advised the snow-haired player. "Because once you get it high enough, you can afford to exchange mitigation slots on your armour for other utilities like regeneration, thorns or recovery." I added to clarify my point.

[Sey 0]

"I... Don't know much about the stats of this game that are not common in other games unfortunately." He explained, not quite sure what the words this person were meant to mean anyways. It was not like he spent his whole life inside of the Dictionary, so things like "Mitigation" were not so quick to click to him. "Is there something like a guide book around here? Somehow able to get us through all of this? What did the first player do in order to make sure they lived?" Well, if there was nothing, then that player was probably dead. But Sey knew that it could not hurt to ask. The older players were the ones who can teach the younger ones. They were the Beta's and everything, so they probably had the data. But the thing was, they were not the most liked out of all the players, since they did have an advantage. Chances of them saying anything was highly unlikely, at least... He would think.

[Grave 0]

I chuckled at the boy's response to my rambling about armour. "Mitigation is just another word for defense. The higher your mitigation, the less damage you will take, no different to other RPGs." I clarified with an honest smile. He asked about a guidebook and I had to scratch my chin. "I am not entirely sure... I sort of winged it when I started and learned the ropes alone. You might be able to find one if you hunt around." I explained with a simper. "The beta testers probably compiled some kind of guide for the new players but I never heard anything so you will have to check that theory out yourself." I told the snowy haired player, scratching the back of my head. "If not... maybe some of the frontliners can get something together. And if even they cannot, I would be willing to write something up for the players to make use of. It is only fair they receive the same knowledge that we have gathered over time." I offered with a wide smile, before turning to look off over the fields. "Being a kind of Aincrad Journalist sounds nice," I pondered, scratching my chin once more, "exploring the farthest reaches of the castle with nothing by the armour on my back and a notebook, detailing my adventures and the landscapes I stumble across." I sighed with a soft smile. "I might just do that some day. For now though, I need to work on getting to the frontlines," I finished mumbling to myself and turned back to the other player.

Edited April 27, 2017 by Grave

[Sey 0]

"Well, the Beta Testers... Hm, I dunno. If they are still hated, i'm not sure they will reveal themselves." The snow-haired player explained, tilting his head to the side. "Well, in that case, it would be a good idea for a quest to be taken then. I will see what I do from there, I'm sure I can get myself enough col to get some rooms in some inns." With that said, he would then turn around and proceed towards the quest board. It was a nice time, and he was a little bit more informed as well, which was why he had a little bit of advantage now. Starting off would be the beginning quests, which was a very important factor for him to have considering the other players with his level were probably not so informed. "Well, thanks for the assist. I think I will be able to handle some things now. See you around though, I'm very much sure about that." And he would then depart from the scene.

[Grave 0]

"There are still many haters who blame them for the deaths we have suffered," I responded with a pained sigh, "I am not sure they will reveal themselves, in fear of the masses who point fingers to them," I groaned, and rubbed the back of my neck hopelessly. "The players do not realize it is because of the beta testers we are not all dead." I concluded and looked up at the player. "Go for it, if you need some questing tips I can help you out." I informed the boy with a wide smile. "When you get to the eleventh floor and above you can buy a house if you need," I added in response to his mention about an inn. I nodded to the boy as he gave his speech of leave and I saluted him. "See you around, and stay safe." I encouraged the player and watched him leave my company, before I headed off on my own way also.

---

Thread Rewards

Grave: 200 Col, 1 SP
Sey: 200 Col, 1 SP