[PP-NK-F3] <<Worn Out Welcome>> An Underwhelming Request

[Telrenya 0]

Telrenya gave herself a small nod of encouragement, pressing down on the 'Send' button that hovered in front of the message she had typed out. The low-leveled rapier-wielder had spent a good deal of time taking initiative and asking around the town of Delilah. Specifically, she was looking for a certain kind of player. Her lack of defensive equipment meant that completing quests by herself was going to get more and more dangerous the higher the floor she moved to. A player that didn't mind defending against monsters was the perfect solution.

'Greetings!
Would you be willing to assist me with completing a quest on the third floor? I will happily offer you a share of the rewards for your help. If so, you can find me in front of the 'Wildflower Cafe' in Delilah.

-Telrenya'

At first, the blonde woman was worried that the message was too stiffly written, but urged herself to sent it off without any changes. She would be standing there all day allowing herself to tweak and change her words until she would eventually be satisfied. From the numerous people around town that had been willing to answer her questions, one player was overwhelmingly mentioned in high regard: a man who simply went by the name of 'Shield'. Appropriate, Telrenya thought, for the type of person she was looking for. With an over-confident smile on her face, the woman quickly made her way to the cafe she had mentioned, where she would wait patiently and hopefully for the player in question to make an appearance.

@Shield

[Shield 0]

Shield almost didn't hear the notification of his inbox. His head was lost in the sea of luminous crystals that had surrounded him for weeks on end now as he scoured the twenty-first floor for useful components and treasure chests. When the ping sounded in the semi-dark, he glanced around, thinking at first that he had dropped something metallic that had rung out against the ground. He shook his head, realizing very quickly how foolish that thought had been.

"I think the front lines are starting to wear on me," he thought aloud, dragging his fingers through the air to summon up his menus. "A low level carry? I don't really know what else it would be. I've done pretty much everything there is to do on those lower floors, and there's nothing that anyone but a fresh player would really need much help on."

There was a twisting in the general area of his stomach. He had spent so much time and energy on lower level players. While he did not consider this on its own to be a bad thing, and some had even progressed quickly under his watchful, protective eye, he did feel quite torn.

"My place is here," he said to himself, rubbing his temples and moving his gaze along the scenery of the floor of caverns. "Then again, my place is really wherever I'm needed. Why am I fighting this so hard?" With a forceful sigh that came out as more of a self-critical huff, he turned and made his way to the main settlement and the teleportation plaza. As he stepped into the teleportation grid, he sent off the brief reply he had penned.

Quote

"I'll be there shortly.

-Shield"

His presence was one that did not go unnoticed. Players pointed and gestured towards him as he approached the little cafe. Snippets of conversation floated past his ears, and the occasional 'took a hit from so-and-so' and 'didn't take any damage' and even 'he tanks for Calrex' caught his notice. He was unaware of it, but his jaw began to clench as he heard them and he picked up his pace. It made him incredibly uncomfortable. He wasn't even sure why.

Unfortunately, picking up his pace meant arriving all the sooner, which meant being forced to stand and wait for a player he did not know how to recognize in a very public place under a lot of eyes he did not know.

I think I preferred being alone on the front lines...

@Telrenya

[Telrenya 0]

It wouldn't take long for Telrenya to reach the agreed meeting place. With a small spring in her step, the blonde woman walked through Delilah just as an afterthought occurred to her. 'Oh shoot, I didn't tell him what I look like or anything...' A few taps of her index finger against her chin, and she came to the conclusion that she would send off another message once she'd reached the cafe. The pinging sound of a notification rang in her ears at just that moment, indicating a reply from the player she had reached out to.

After dismissing the concise reply that she had received, Telrenya spotted the Wildflower Cafe on the other side of the plaza she had stepped into. "Hey hey, isn't that Shield?" A male voice beside her caught the blonde's attention. The opportunity to identify the person she was meeting had presented itself, and Telrenya found herself pausing to find the player that was pointing out the tank to his party members. She spotted a boy with jet-black hair and an outstretched finger. While Telrenya stood still, her eyes followed his gesture until they reached a tall man with brown hair that looked to be waiting in front of her destination. As she stared at the man in question for a moment, she caught the boy's voice when he spoke up again. "He's like, the best tank on the frontlines right now!" Telrenya's mind slowly stopped paying attention to the conversation that followed beside her that included comments about the latest floor boss fight, and questions like why such a high leveled player would be here.

'Hm? What? Best frontline...?' Telrenya felt her stomach drop as the pieces began to come into place. Had she just messaged one of the highest-leveled players in Aincrad to ask for help on a third-floor quest? The woman swallowed, forcing herself to move forward until she had approached the brunette. Her nerves had her behaving rather stiffly, but she still raised her right hand to rest over her heart as she bowed to the man in her typical greeting. "You're... Shield, right?" She smiled and brought her fingertips together in front of her torso as she straightened back up. Trying not to let her embarrassment show too strongly, she continued. "I didn't realize you were a much higher level than what's suited for this area... Really, I don't want to waste your time, so I understand if you aren't actually interested."

[Shield 0]

The newcomer thankfully addressed Shield first, clearing up any ambiguities about who it was he had agree to meet. A lot of players might regard the meeting as something to agree to warily, but he had not made any enemies that he was aware of, and being a merchant meant having easy access to teleport crystals, if for some reason situations turned unexpectedly hostile. Shield returned her nonverbal greeting with a slight incline of his head before addressing the actual words.

"I am. There isn't any need for concern," Shield said, waving away the uncertainty with his hand. "I got where I am partially thanks to higher level players carrying me as well. It would be hypocritical for me to be unwilling to do the same." He motioned for the other player to follow and made of the edge of town. "Which quest are you hoping to tackle?"

He could feel a number of eyes on him still, and rather than addressing them directly, he thought it best to ignore them, opening up his menus to the notes he had kept on various quests.

"Hoya of Minos?" he listed aloud, along with the other possible options for the current floor. "The dark elf? Are we stepping into the elves' rivalry with the treants?"

He had not been particularly genial, which was not to say that he was necessarily being rude. Perhaps 'business-like' was a better word for it. The corners of his mouth did not move, and his dark eyes continued to stare forward, his perpetual poker face remaining impenetrable despite his misgivings about treating the situation with such sterility.

Maybe being up on the front has already started changing me.

@Telrenya

[Telrenya 0]

The man had replied with reassuring words and a comparison to his own time and experiences in the game, allowing Telrenya to relax a bit. Still, the brunette seemed a bit... 'Reserved? Stoic? ...Unfriendly?' While he waved for her to follow along, Telrenya tried to search for the right word to describe her first impression of the seemingly famous tank. 'No no, he seems nice. I've just been around Able too much.' She assured herself. The difference between Able and Shield's personalities was certainly drastic.

While her internal discussions continued, the blonde woman came to attention when Shield began listing off some general details of what she only assumed were the various quests available on the third floor. His knowledge was impressive, but pushing that thought to the side for now, Telrenya focused on answering his question. "Oh, the name of the quest is Worn Out Welcome. I believe the objective is to defeat a dark elf, yes." She picked out his mention of it. She wasn't sure if she wanted to continue on for a moment, but made the quick decision to give a touch of small talk a try. "I want to progress as quickly as possible, so getting this armor reward should be a big help." The woman wore a small smile as she walked, her left hand idly resting on the hilt of her rapier while they made their way to the city's edge.

@Shield

[Shield 0]

As soon as she had mentioned the dark elf, Shield immediately changed tack and made for the spot in the forest that he had visited before with the player Yuurei. It was a simple enough quest and wouldn't take up too much of their time. It was also considerably lower risk than some other supposed 'low-level' quests, like the one that required fighting mutated plants on the lower floors. He shuddered slightly at the balance of that fight and quickened his step.

"That shouldn't be a problem," he said, nodding slightly as he pulled up his map and plotted the course. "Have you managed to complete any other quests so far, or is this your first time really trying to level?"

The artificial sunlight was almost too much for his eyes. The dimness of the current highest floor was perpetual, and over his many weeks exploring its many nooks and crannies, he had grown to accustomed to its conditions. One of his hands had taken up a practically permanent position shielding his eyes. He knew that the quest took them into a forest, which would help, but Shield still did not care for so much brightness.

@Telrenya

[Telrenya 0]

Telrenya followed after the man attentively, being careful to keep a steady pace. "Oh, mm," The woman seemed to give a moment of thought to her answer. "Well I have done a couple on the first floor. I'm a bit...scared to really tackle them on my own, so..." She hesitated at the admittance before a sheepish grin broke out on her face in an attempt to lighten her own anxiety. "I managed to get myself a weapon, so once I can get just a little more armor I think it'll be a lot better." She explained vaguely, not directly stating which part of the situation would become 'a lot better'.

It didn't take long for the duo to reach the edge of the Delilah. Within minutes they were past the safe zone's border and heading in the direction of a dense forest. Telrenya's head swiveled to survey the fields around them. The scenery seemed a bit similar to the first floor, but the area around Delilah had a very distinct feel. It felt more...foresty? Natural? Elf-like? The blonde wasn't sure how she could even describe it.

[Shield 0]

There seemed to be some hesitation in Telrenya's reply, but the exact reason escaped Shield. Regardless, he knew the quest well enough and knew that it posed little threat to either of them as long as he kept up his tanking duties. The further they walked the denser the trees became. He could not yet make out the clearing where the elf awaited them, but he wasn't concerned. It was only a matter of time before they ran into it.

"It's good that you're not afraid to ask for help," Shield added. "Pride has no place in this game, especially at lower levels. If we're going to beat this thing and get home, we need as many people alive and working towards the goal as possible. Even those who aren't fit for battle have a place, if they look for it."

Glancing back at the girl behind him, he assessed her briefly before turning his eyes back to the woodland path ahead of them. He wasn't quite sure what he was looking for. Perhaps answers as to what exactly her part would be.

"Don't feel like you need to force yourself to fight," he went on, picking up his thoughts where he had left them. "There are quite a lot of non-combat jobs that supply and protect those who do stand on the front lines. That being said, if it's where you wish to be, there may well be a place on the front lines for you someday."

@Telrenya

[Telrenya 0]

Telrenya felt a growing unease when the man spoke. He alluded to the fact that Telrenya didn't look much like a fighter, and she couldn't stop herself from mentally agreeing with him. She wasn't brave or courageous like some of the other fighters. She wasn't particularly tactful, strategic, or noteworthy. Any talents that she possessed were either of little value in Aincrad, or spread thin to make it difficult to focus on one particular strength.

His last comment brought her only the smallest sense of relief. The woman gave a small nod, as if to agree with his words. "It's not the place that I'm best-suited for," She admitted. "but there's something I'm searching for, and I believe that's where I need to be to find it." She spoke with certainty and determination in her voice. "I mean, I want to help everyone, too!" She hurried to continue as if she felt the need to add to her reasoning. The blonde brought a hand up to linger at the back of her neck, left a bit shy after her choice of words.

[Shield 0]

"That's good," Shield said with a punch of enthusiasm to his tone. It was a relief to him that the player he had signed on to help was after more than just levels and loot. "I'm glad to hear it. Do you have any preference on how to handle the fight? I'm more than willing to stand back and let you do the hitting, but unless I change gear, as soon as it hits me, my thorns will pretty much do the boss in."

He didn't let himself show it, but he began kicking himself almost immediately after speaking. It sounded like bragging, and after the whispering crowds in the town behind them, that was the last thing he needed.

"My point is, if you want some practice, just let me know," he said, trying to steer his word choice away from anything that put him further up on the uncomfortable pedestal he seemed to have been placed upon. "You won't be in any danger, so we can take it at whatever pace you like."

@Telrenya

[Telrenya 0]

Telrenya would have been lying if she said she wasn't apprehensive about the actual combat to come. The first memory that came to her was of the last quest she'd taken and the long, frustrating battle with the giant wasp that had followed. She frowned, only hoping she wouldn't have to rely too heavily on the man walking beside her.

It was strange to think that someone could kill a monster in one hit. Not even that, but Shield mentioned the thorns enhancement, meaning he didn't even have to do any hitting. For a moment, she felt small as the difference in their levels hung over her head, but Shield's voice brought her back to the topic at hand. "Right... I think, I'd like to try. At least a little." Her words felt stiff as two scenarios lingered in her mind's eye--not being able to handle the boss on her own, or not getting the chance to.

Her blonde hair swayed gently side to side as her head lightly shook. She hoped to shake the nerves off at the same time. 'He seems nice, I'm sure there's nothing to worry about.' She tried to reassure herself, something she found herself doing often. Telrenya reminded herself about the gear she had acquired as of late, which in turn had her realize that the only thing she had equipped on her person was her rapier. They had already traveled a good distance into the woods, to the point that Telrenya held her breath for a moment nearly every time she would hear a twig snap or a rustling of leaves. "I almost forgot..." She mumbled out, feeling the need to preface the use of her inventory with some audible excuse. She scrolled through the menus as they walked, pressing a few buttons to bring two items into being--on her left arm a dark, square shield that displayed the face of a demon , and draped over her shoulders a thin cloak in varying hues of yellow and orange.

[Shield 0]

"Well, if you want to try, now is your chance," Shield said, pointing ahead through the trees.

Just beyond the trunks ahead of them, the path opened up into a clearing. In the center, leaning on a long swihander, stood an elf in thick leather armor. Its skin was dark, almost blue in hue, like the night itself had manifest into a humanoid creature. Its stance was firm and unwaivering. Had Shield not fought it himself and seen how little damage it could do, he might have believed it to be a strong foe.

"Don't be intimidated," said Shield under his breath. "Even at your level, it couldn't even come close to killing you before I had a chance to take aggro."

He double checked his equipment, making sure his various pieces of armor were properly in place, from his Spirit Plate and Spirit Spines puoldron to his faithful Manticore Mask shield. Lastly, he drew out a mundane one-handed sword and gave @Telrenya a nod.

"Whenever you're ready."

[Telrenya 0]

The party came to a stop and Telrenya felt her spine straighten when Shield pointed out their target ahead of them. Her head dipped forward to return Shield's nod, her normally soft and passive expression sharpening up a bit as she mentally walked herself through her planned motions. Moving around in combat was so foreign to her, often leaving her dizzy or disoriented when Cardinal assisted her with a dodge or strike.

'The only way to get better is to practice.' She reminded herself, drawing her blade from its sheathe with her free right hand.

Telrenya took a deep breathe before rushing forward, keeping her thin blade steady beside her. The steel began to glow a soft white as she readied the strongest sword art she had available to her. Lunging forward, the Elf hadn't even reacted to her initiating combat before her weapon had buried itself into its shoulder. Swiftly pulling the rapier free, she repeated the process three times across its torso before the glow around it dissipated and she took a step and a half back. The woman remained at the ready, waiting for the Dark Elf's move, but the creature simply staggered forward. The HP bar floating beside it drained rapidly, plummeting all the way to zero.

Shock. Disbelief. Those were two emotions pasted plainly on Telrenya's face. "I--What... In one?" Her thoughts came out jumbled and unfinished while her eyes glanced to either side of the clearing, as if expecting some other enemies to ambush them.

ID#: 88224 | BD: 9 - Critical Hit!
(5 Base) + (1 Critical) = (6 DMG) x (4 Sword Art) = 24 DMG

MD: 4 - Miss! (Dead)

Telrenya: 180/180 HP | 18/18 EN | 5 DMG | 9 MIT | 14 Thorns
Dark Elf: 0/12 HP | 9 DMG

Edited August 31, 2017 by Telrenya

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

Searching for Materials:
ID# 88226 results: Loot: 5 + 5 = 10 - No materials

"Pffft-" Shield burst out, doubling over and laughing with the full force of his torso. "And you were so concerned about the fight going into this!" he crowed, clutching at his chest. It took him a few moments to regain himself enough to fully stand and wipe the tears of mirth from the corners of his eyes. He cleared his throat before attempting to string more words together. "My apologies. That probably came across as rude. You surprised me is all. Not that I doubted you, but it looks like even if you hadn't crit, that fight would have been over faster at your hands than at mine."

He held up his weapon turning the chipped blade this way and that so Telrenya could see how unspectacular it was. Opening his menu, he put the weapon away and dismissed the victory window that had appeared before him.

"Come on," he said, motioning for her to follow as he swapped out his weapons for his searching gear, "Let's get you back to town."

Edited August 31, 2017 by Shield

[Telrenya 0]

Telrenya's shoulders stiffened as the sound of the man's laughter reached her ears. A thin veil of blush painted her cheeks, nose, and ears while embarrassment held onto her like a vise. Finally breaking free after Shield had issued his apologies, Telrenya spun around with a straight spine, a shade of crimson still apparent on her skin. She looked flustered more than anything, and quickly bowed towards the man, her blonde hair spilling over her shoulders.

"S-s-sorry!" She stammered out. She lifted her torso a bit, almost hesitantly, and brought her empty hand up to lightly scratch at her cheek with her forefinger. "Although you don't seem to mind very much..." She mumbled and averted her gaze. "Still, I'm sorry for calling you all the way out here...for nothing." She had to resist letting out a heavy sigh with those last words. Despite Shield's kind demeanor, Telrenya had a hard time believing that this endeavor had been anything more than a waste of his time. He had prompted them to head back to town, and it took the woman a few moments to sheathe her sword and convince herself that she could move her feet.

ID#: 88261 | LD: 10+1=11 - Fail
No Materials Found

@Shield

Edited September 1, 2017 by Telrenya

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

Searching for Materials
ID# 88262 results: Loot: 8 + 5 = 13 - No materials

Shield shook his head to put her embarrassment out of the picture. His gait was steady, though not hurried. There were certainly places to be, but none of them pressing.

"There was no way to know you'd score a hit your first, second, or even fifth shot," he said, his tone intentional and reassuring. "When life and limb are on the line, go with the safe bet. Besides, there's a significant advantage to seeking out help from higher places."

The forest was dense, but the further along the trail they walked, the more patches of sunlight began to dapple the ground beneath their feet, filtering down through the leaves above.

"Besides, speed and caution are in every player's best interest, and bringing in higher leveled players does both," he went on, nodding almost in agreement with his own sentiments so Telrenya wouldn't have as much opportunity to second-guess. "If you want to make it up to me, all you have to do is to do the same for another player when the time comes. If you keep on your game and keep gaining levels, you will definitely have that chance."

Edited September 1, 2017 by Shield

[Telrenya 0]

Bringing a hand up to gently slide her fingers over the back of her neck, Telrenya easily took his words to heart. It wasn't hard to recall the times when she had struggled to land a single strike on an opponent, and she wasn't sure if her earlier display was a sign that she was growing familiar with the feeling of swordplay or it was just a lucky hit. A small smile widened her expression, and she found herself again lingering on the memories of the various players she had met thus far that exuded a similar kindness and helpful attitude. "It's nice that there are a lot of people who are so nice." She felt the need to make a comment. She wasn't so naive to think that there were no selfish or evil people that tried to take advantage of their position in this game, but she would certainly continue to hope that she would never have to find herself in an unfavorable situation with one of those people.

"Oh, and will do." Telrenya nodded her head in response to Shield's request. She felt like she was the farthest from someone who could help another player, but maybe once she had some more levels under her belt that would be a different story.

ID#: 88371 | LD: 13+1=14 - Fail
No Materials Found

Edited September 6, 2017 by Telrenya

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

Searching for mats
ID# 88436 results: Loot: 13 + 5 = 18 - 1 Material

Telrenya reassured him of her intent to pay it forward, and Shield turned his eyes back to the worn woodland path in front of them. A part of him felt like it should seem more trivial to come all of this way for the task at hand, but he knew how much it had helped him and Beat once upon a time to have a few high level carries, and it was quite the opposite of trivial on the other side of things.

As they walked, the patches of light began to spread out and connect with one another, revealing outlines of limbs and leaves rather than simply spots along the way. They turned a bend, and there on a stone, Shield spotted a patch of lichen on a gnarled trunk near the road.

"Ah, here we are," he said, stepping off of the path to inspect the fuzzy growth. Tapping it lightly with his finger, he summoned an item menu from which he selected the option to collect the item. "Things like this can be used in any number of crafts, from cooking materials to alchemic reagents. You never know."

Edited September 14, 2017 by Shield

[Telrenya 0]

"Hmm..." Telrenya hummed as she curiously craned her neck at a slight angle in order to inspect the item that Shield had gathered from the forest. She was no stranger to material gathering and how it worked in the game--but she was certainly no master forager.

"Do you craft, then?" Her curiosity overwhelmed her as the question left her without much thought. Before he would answer, her mind worked quickly while it seemed to make assumptions on its own. 'Maybe he's a blacksmith... Or an alchemist?

Once her brain's stint of hyperactivity had died down and the topic of materials and crafts had been addressed, Telrenya's mind began to wander at a much slower pace. Another question had come to mind, one that was far too personal for their shallow relationship of acquaintance. And so, she decided against blurting out her thoughts again as the city gates marking the edge of Delilah came into view.

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

ID# 89138 results: Loot: 18 + 5 = 23 - 2 materials total

"Not quite a crafter," Shield answered,  spotting a second patch of moss beside the first and gathering it before dismissing his menus. "I'm a merchant. I sell materials more than I actually use them."

He opened a new dialogue box, using his menu to send the materials and the handful of Col that he got from the quest over to Telrenya. As they passed through the entrance to the safe zone, he gave a nod and glanced over at his new acquaintance.

"Just remember," he said, his tone even, though with a note of importance behind it, "my payment for carrying you and helping you with loot is for you to in turn do the same for someone else when you're strong enough to do so."

It was a little business-like, but it was not unkind or stern in any manner. For the most part, Shield was eager to avoid too much attention upon reentering the town. He gave a slight tip of his head and a raise of his hand.

"Take care. You know how to contact me if you need me."

With that, he turned and made his way to the teleportation plaza, turning up his collar and focusing his eyes on the ground.

 

- Quest Rewards -

- Both -

1 SP

- Telrenya -

+1 SP

400 Col

2 Materials

Leather Coat: An uncommon armor with any standard armor enhancement chosen by the earner of the weapon which fits the armor type chosen. Only one person may earn this armor per thread.

Edited October 4, 2017 by Shield