{SP-F1} Dedication <<The Second Lesson, is Also Free>> COMPLETE!

[Pinball 1]

7:00 A.M. The sun had only just risen, and a well rested Pinball had just awoken. There was a slight breeze in the village, bringing cool air to the small village. It was high time he finished this questline. That is, if it is a questline at all. Pinball assumed it was, because it seemed to be a beginner focused quest, and there was a follow-up quest immediately after the completion of <<The First Lessons are Free>>. Pinball equipped his dagger, as well as some of the potions he had acquired as a reward for the previous quest. Personally, Pinball was hoping that it was a slaying type quest. As much as the gathering quest had helped him, he found that fighting was much more enjoyable. Whether the fighting was enjoyable because of the rush it gave, or because it served as a way to vent his anger towards the situation he was caught in, he didn't know. Stretching as he walked, he made his way to the Lyle Tealeaf's forge, where he would accept whatever challenge the blacksmith had to offer.

Edited October 14, 2017 by Pinball

[Pinball 1]

"I've been looking for you, lad," Lyle Tealeaf, the blacksmith grumbled. "You ready to take me up on the offer? I could really use a hand, if yer willin'." Pinball nodded. He wanted to finish these quests, to get better at this game, and, ultimately, to survive. "Yeah, I'll help you," the boy said. "That is, depending on what it is you need help with." The blacksmith stroked his chin, apparently deep in thought. Was the system searching for the appropriate lines to respond with? Lyle suddenly appeared as if had made up his mind. "Aye, there's boar pups runnin' about, causin' havoc. I don't usually enjoy askin' strangers for help, but I'm not a fighter." The blacksmith appeared in pain. The system had a weird way of exaggerating avatars' expressions. "I think I've found a way to stop the trouble these boar pups are causing, and helping others at the same time," the old blacksmith said. "Bring me 3 boar pup tusks, to help me restock me forge." The bearded man nodded, as if he himself was dedicated to getting it done.  "Of course," Tealeaf mumbled, a small smile on his face, "there'll be a reward if ya do take me up on my offer." Pinball nodded. "I accept," Pinball replied, nodding. A small window appeared in front of him, showing the quest completion requirements. "Be back in a jiffy," Pinball nodded, and started running to the town's safe zone borders.

[Pinball 1]

The short jog out of the safe zone seemed a lot faster than it should have been. Maybe he was moving faster out of excitement. Maybe it was just a grim determination moving him. Pinball couldn't put a name on the feeling that seemed to grip his stomach, choking him up. It felt as if he could barely breathe, but he knew there was nothing wrong with his breathing just the same. He also couldn't tell if it was a good feeling or a bad one. The boar pups quickly came into sight, and he flipped his dagger out of it's sheath. The pale emerald blade shined in the morning light, blinding the boy when he glanced at it. The boar pups were wandering aimlessly, and haven't yet taken notice of the teen. Pinball took advantage of the mob's ignorance to stretch a bit, shaking off the weariness. "Alrighty, time to get to work," he yawned, flipping the knife in his hand.

[Pinball 1]

Pinball chose the first boar pup that came into sight. The thing he noticed immediatly was that they were much smaller, and that it seemed much angrier. The boar pup charged at the boy, squealing it's furiated little heart out. The sheer suddeness of the charge was enough to throw Pinball out balance, who in vain tried a swipe at the boar even while dodging, which ended with Pinball laying on his back. After muttering a few choice words, Pinball scrambled to his feet to face the boar, who seemed to be prepping itself for another charge even now. A bit embarrasing, thought Pinball. Well, damn good thing nobody was around to see it. Composing himself, Pinball gripped his dagger, the pale emerald blade shining in the morning sun. "Well, can't help it now," he said aloud, now completely dedicated to the task at hand. He knew what had to be done, and he would see it through. 

** ID# 88500

BD: 2

MD:5 - MISS, MISS 

 

Pinball: HP: 60 / EN: 6 

Edited September 18, 2017 by Pinball

[Pinball 1]

Pinball rushed the boar, throwing caution to the wind.  His green dagger glowed brightly, the start of the sword art <<Round Accel>>. He jumped, and the boar, still recovering from the last clash, had no where to dodge. His sword sliced through the boar, and with a sick crunch, the boar shattered into pieces. For a second, Pinball stood there, frozen, knife held outwards. The, with an audible sigh, his posture returned to normal. That had not gone how he thought it was going to. He had honestly expected much worse. But the reality was the opposite. He had annihilated that poor Boar Pup in a single attack, and afterwards, stood in some anime character pose. The teenager let out a laugh. This was a good start, but he wondered how long it would last. Taking one last look at the translucent polygonals drifting away, he spun on his heel, and ran towards his next opponent. 

ID#88615

BD: 9 (Critical Hit!)  MD: 1 (MISS/Dead)

Pinball- HP: 60 EN: 4/6

DMG: 2 base + 1 enhancement + 1 crit= 4 * 1 * 2= 8 DMG

Boar Pup: -3/5 HP <DEAD>

Edited October 4, 2017 by Pinball

[Pinball 1]

Mid-stride, Pinball realized it wasn't even noon yet. He stopped, checked the time. Only 7:38 in the morning, and Pinball was running around like a fool trying to finish a quest. In light of this realization, Pinball took a step back. "It's been a while since I've really taken a look at myself." But the thought of digging into even his own psyche struck him as a daunting task. It was the rare man who could truly take a look at himself, and be content with what was there. He let out a small sigh, and, with a thump, dropped backwards onto the ground. He chuckled to himself. You've been sighing a lot lately, he thought. When did that happen? Is it tiredness? Or something else? He pushed these thoughs aside, instead opting to gaze at the sky. The sun was rising, but he wouldn't get to see it reach it's peak. That was the privilege only of the 100th floor, and nobody, not even the front liners, had that privilege. Never thought I would miss the sky. Strange, the things you miss. 

[Pinball 1]

Pinball lay there a second, staring at what was the "sky" of the first floor. He didn't think, he didn't move, just stared into the void. He didn't feel much of an emotion. He felt rather empty, upon further inspection. He sat up, covering his knees with his arms, now staring at the grass. What am I doing? he thought absently. The grass swayed in the morning breeze, but he knew that the grass wasn't real. Neither was the breeze. This world's sky, grass, air, water. All simulations. Pinball decided that he hated it. But there was nothing he could do to change it. He shook his head. All of these moody thoughts were really bringing him down. What was it all those life coaches said? He couldn't remember. He had hated life coaches anyways. It all seemed so strange now, these thoughts. Of the real world. Of reality. His concept of the word was changing, and sitting around wasn't helping. With sudden energy, he jumped to his feet, forgetting the entirety of his recent inner-monologue. "Please, whatever higher power is out there, please let me get this done early, so I can find a safe place to sleep."

Edited October 2, 2017 by Pinball

[Pinball 1]

"Easy Peasy!" the teenage boy shouted, his dagger a shining blur in the morning light. The bright green knife cut through the boar, and with a squeal, the pup recoiled. Backing off, Pinball almost felt bad for it. Then he remembered the mobs weren't living things. They were bits of code. Nothing in this reality was real. Not even his own body. He took another step back, his knife held loosely in his hand. He wasn't losing nerve, he was losing interest. Interest to keep going, despite the dour situation he found himself in. He took a breath. "That's not how I was raised," he told himself. Saying it aloud made it sound even more true . Pinball raised his dagger, and prepared another strike. "I'll keep going. For now, at least." As the boar pup recovered from it's shock, so did Pinball, and the two faced each other once again. 

#ID 89132

BD: 6+1= 7 (Hit!) MD: 1 (Miss!)

Pinball: HP- 60/60 EN- 5/6 

Dmg: 3 base

Boar Pup: HP- 2/5

Edited October 4, 2017 by Pinball

[Pinball 1]

Pinball, eager to finish the fight, rushed the boar, his knife held straight out... which must have put him off balance, when the boar barreled into his legs. Both Pinball and the boar tumbled into the dirt, face and all. Pinball was the first to recover, his face rather red, though whether from the fall or the embarrasment of getting sent into the dirt by a clumsy, ineffective tackle, nobody could be sure. Just to double check, Pinball's head flashed left and right, making sure nobody was there to watch his extravagant fail. This clash, he decided, was the polar opposite of the boar he killed in a single swing. In the previous fight, he had finished as gracefully as a dancer, while in this fight, he felt like a child would after tripping up on a loose stick. He pulled himself up, only to find that the boar had already recovered, and was glaring at him menacingly. Miraculously, neither Pinball nor the Boar Pup had sustained any damage. Although, the way the boar charged at him told Pinball that his luck may very well soon run out... 

#ID 89134

BD: 1 (Miss!) MD: 1 (Miss!) 

Pinball: HP- 60/60 EN- 4/6

Boar Pup: HP- 2/5

Edited October 4, 2017 by Pinball

[Pinball 1]

The boar was charging at him with full intent on doing damage, and it seemed like Pinball wouldn't be able to do much about it. Unless...

Pinball was in a sitting position when it happened. Acting out of instinct, he threw himself forward, somersaulting forward. He came up with his knife out... and impaled the boar pup on the end of his dagger. There was a momentary pause, and the boar pup shattered into pieces, the light blue polygonals drifted away in different directions. All that was left was Pinball, the breeze, and his thoughts. It took a while for the teenager to realize what had happened. Things like this barely happened to him, seeing as he was a lanky highschooler left without a modicum of athletic prowess. He stood up, brushing off his pants, and grabbing the knife, which he had dropped in the dirt immediatly after the kill. All that he could say was, "Wow." He took a second to catch his breath, and then searched the area, looking for his third, and final, target. 

ID# 89135

BD: 9 (Critical Hit!) MB: 2 (Miss!)

Pinball: HP- 60/60 EN- 4/6 

Dmg: 3 base + 1 crit = 4 dmg!

Boar Pup: Hp- -2/5 <DEAD>

 

Edited October 4, 2017 by Pinball

[Pinball 1]

(OOC: I forgot to actually use the LD to recover the boar tusks. So, I'm going to treat every post before this as a LD failure, since to me I feel like it's easier to just write more than go back and edit all of it. My fault for not remembering the details of the quest, lol) 

Before moving on to the next boar, Pinball checked his quest progress. He expected to be more than halfway finished with the quest, but what he saw instead sent a chill down his spine. "Zero... zero out of three boar tusks? What?!" He slapped his head, Lyle Tealeaf's words echoing in his head. "Oh my God! I was supposed to be looking for boar tusks!" Pinball, infuriated, kicked the dirt. He was raging about, stopping only after punching a tree. "This is... this is..." Entirely your fault, idiot. He had gotten so cocky with himself too. Pinball, in his arrogance, must have dismissed the blacksmith's information much too quickly, eager to get the quest over with. In doing this, he sets himself back quite a bit, now having to go back and fight boars until he recovers these items. "This... is going to take a lot longer than I thought." Feeling mad and stupid at the same time, Pinball trudged back into the plains, where he had found the spawning point for the Boar Pup's not too long ago. 

Edited October 4, 2017 by Pinball

[Pinball 1]

"What a waste," the boy muttered darkly. He hadn't spent too much time in the fields, but the fact that he hadn't been doing what he was supposed to be doing the entire time made it seem like a grievous loss. He shook his head, and without another word, rushed the Boar Pup in front of him. The sudden movements, coupled with the Pup's shocking speed and ferocity must have been what knocked Pinball to the ground. Either way, Pinball quickly came to the conclusion that he had made a mistake. Weird how the things you do in the moment seem like good ideas... and only later you realize that it was not, in fact, a good idea.  He cursed angrily, then rolled away from the raging Bull Pup, his dagger gripped tightly in his hand. "Alright buddy, you'll get yours," he hissed, putting himself into position, readying himself for the next clash. 

ID# 89257

BD: 1 (Critical Miss!) MD: 9 (Critical Hit!) *Boar Pup does not recieve bonus dmg 

3 dmg dealt to <Pinball>

Pinball: HP- 57/60 EN- 5/6 

Boar Pup: Hp- 5/5

Edited October 10, 2017 by Pinball

[Pinball 1]

The Boar Pup grunted, shook it's hind leg, and charged Pinball, squealing with a bloody passion. "C'mere, you," Pinball grunted, darting down and stabbing the Pup as it neared him. Shocked, the boar let out a pained shriek. Pinball jumped back, and the Boar Pup ran back a bit, and circled a tree, it's eyes never leaving the teenager. Pinball chuckled. "You'd be cute, if you weren't trying to kill me. And ugly." Pinball laughed some more, and the boar kept circling the tree. "Alright, alright" he said, raising his arms by his side. His dagger was still in his grip, but Pinball was more relaxed now, and so the knife hung loosely in his hand. "Let's finish this up. One more swipe, I reckon?" It was a rhetorical question, of course. 

ID# 89258

BD: 7 + 1 = 8 (Hit!) MD: 3 (Miss!)

Dmg= 1 (base) + 1 (rank) + 1 (enhancement) = 3 dmg 

3 dmg dealt to <Boar Pup> 

Pinball: HP- 58/60 EN- 5/6 

Boar Pup: HP- 2/5 

 

Edited October 10, 2017 by Pinball

[Pinball 1]

One last thrust of the dagger, and the Boar Pup was no more. It was a critical hit, but one that was totally unnecessary for the kill. The Boar shattered into pieces with the chime of bells, and drifted away on the morning breeze. "Such a cheesy line," Pinball muttered, reflecting on his inner thoughts. He hadn't been writing lately, mostly because he didn't have anything to write with.. He was pretty sure there was some type of the journal he could buy to write, but even then, he would probably be typing with a keyboard instead of writing with a pen. It would not be nearly the same as a good, old fashioned, paper and pen writing session. He sighed, all previous cockiness now lost. Pinball took a crouch, and, thrusting his dagger into the ground, took a breather. Please let me have gotten my drop... This is a long process I am not in the mood to go through. 

ID# 89272

BD: 10 (Critical Hit!) MD: 1 (Miss!)

Dmg: 1 (base) + 1 (ench.) + 1 (rank) + 2 (Crit) = 5 dmg! 

<Boar Pup> is DEAD 

Pinball: HP- 57/60 EN- 5/6 

Boar Pup: HP- -3/5 <DEAD> 

Edited October 11, 2017 by Pinball

[Pinball 1]

Pinball scanned the rewards menu... And lo and behold, he had recieved a quest drop! "Yes!" he rejoiced, pumping his fist in the air. "Yes, yes, yes, yes!" He was running in circles now, a huge smile plastered on his face. "Alright, some good luck on my first try," he huffed, his grin still present. Maybe this wouldn't be as hard as he thought? Nah, he thought. Just beginner's luck. Knowing SAO, it'll be actual hell to get anything from here on out. He shrugged, still smiling from his most recent success. It didn't matter, he was making good time. It was 7:54 in the morning now. "Shouldn't be too long. After this, maybe I'll just go and finish this questline once and for all." Picking up his bright, green knife and putting it in it's sheathe, Pinball charged into the fields once again, eager to confront his next opponent. 

ID# 89298 

LD: 18 (Success!) 

<<Boar Tusk>> recovered! 

1/3 <<Boar Tusk>> recovered.

Out of Combat Healing: 

Pinball:

HP- 57/60 - 60/60 

EN- 5/6 - 6/6 

Edited October 11, 2017 by Pinball

[Pinball 1]

Pinball, taking sight of his foe, rushed in, throwing caution to the wind. His knife let a long, thin, red gash across the Boar Pup's side. Pinball paused after his attack, and found the Boar Pup's tusk had left a rather large gash in his right leg. "Christ," he muttered. It wasn't that serious, and his HP wasn't even half way depleted, but taking damage in general greatly unsettled Pinball. He shook his head, cleared it. He had barely struck the enemy, in retrospect. He was going to need to get rid of this dagger soon, it wasn't exactly up to Pinball's standards. He took the few seconds he had left before the Boar Pup once again engaged to contemplate his future options. I like the idea of a rapier and shield combo, he had the time to think, before the boar whipped around to face Pinball. "Let's finish this." 

ID# 89299 

BD: 5 + 1 (ench.)= 6 (Hit!) MD: 9 (Hit!) *<Boar Pup> does not deal critical dmg. 

COMBAT: 

Spoiler

<Pinball> - Dmg: 1b + 1r + 1e = 3 dmg! 

<Boar Pup> deals  3 dmg! 

HEALTH/ENERGY:

Spoiler

Pinball: HP- 57/60 EN 5/6 

Boar Pup: HP- 2/5

 

Edited October 11, 2017 by Pinball

[Pinball 1]

"Come here, come here..." he muttered as the boar rushed at him. At the very last possible second the teenager pounced, his dagger nailing the Boar Pup square in the forehead. A momentary pause, and the mob shattered into a million pieces. Dead, quick as that. "Well, that's that," he said with a huff. One more boar down. As he sheathed his dagger, Pinball took a moment to think about his choice in weapon. I really can't do this anymore. I don't know why I thought a dagger would be a good idea... He took a crouch, grunted. I'm going to get a rapier... and some kind of shield, with light armor. The combination of the three gave him the impression of a fencer. He had spent many afternoons back in Florida, where he would watch tournaments on television. He would always imagine himself in their shoes, except instead as a brave warrior, fighting dragons, saving the princess. "Cheesy stuff," he said aloud, now a bit disgusted by the thought. 

BD: 10 (Critical Hit!) MD: 1 (Miss!)

COMBAT: 

Spoiler

<Pinball> attacks boar for 5 dmg! 

Dmg= 1b + 1r + 1e+ 2c= 5 dmg

<Boar Pup> Miss! <DEAD>

HEALTH/COMBAT: 

Spoiler

Pinball: HP- 57/60 EN 5/6 

Boar Pup: HP- -3/5 <DEAD>

 

Edited October 12, 2017 by Pinball

[Pinball 1]

No items recovered. With a shrug, Pinball dismissed the rewards screen. It wouldn't do to get discouraged. Quests were all about dedication, it seemed to him. Pinball absently stared at his dagger for a bit, thinking about nothing in particular. Maybe he was thinking about nothing. Or maybe he wasn't thinking at all. It wasn't clear which, not even to himself. But nothing has to be something, since nothing is a concept. Right? What if nothing really is nothing, and nothing is just a human construct to help them understand what nothing is. He kicked the dirt, aggravated about nothing and it's implications. Pinball couldn't even keep up with his own thoughts. He looked up, away from his dagger, out at the plains. The breeze was ever so gentle, the trees and grass swaying so peacefully in the wind. It was too perfect. Beautiful, almost. The only thing keeping it from achieving that beauty for Pinball was the grim situation of the game. He longed for reality, for the real world. For school, for television, from writing. "Back to work," he growled, the melancholy thoughts of home only worsening his anger.

ID# 89304 

LD: 3 (Failure) 

No items recovered.

OUT OF COMBAT HEALING:

HP: 57/60 - 60/60 

EN: 5/6 - 6/6 

Edited October 13, 2017 by Pinball

[Pinball 1]

The next Boar Pup was much like the rest. It's strange behavior, a mix of cowardice, aggressiveness, and passiveness confused Pinball. Most of the pups seemed to be aggressive, until they got hit. Then, as if summoning up their courage, they would attack again. Pinball didn't feel like dealing with that again. He gripped his Emerald Shiv, activating <Round Accel>. "Hasta la vista, baby," he muttered, before releasing the Sword Art and wreaking havoc on the Boar Pup's body. Two large slices in the boar, and it shattered into pieces. A bit overkill, Pinball thought gloomily. He imagined himself in the boar's position, getting attacked by some higher level player. Pinball realized, that with one smug comment, he would get one-hit killed by any frontliner. He gulped, and then shook his head. He would get there, so that nobody was a threat to him anymore. He would be the strongest, if not one of the strongest, and that was that. "Right," he said, examining the rewards menu... 

ID# 89305

BD: 10 (Critical Hit!) MD: 9 (Boar Pup is DEAD) 

COMBAT:

Spoiler

<Pinball> attacks <Boar Pup> for 10 DMG! 

<Pinball> - DMG= 1b + 1r + 1e + 2c = 5 * 2 (Round Accel) = 10 DMG

<Boar Pup> is DEAD 

HEALTH/STATS 

Spoiler

Pinball: HP- 60/60 EN- 4/6 

Boar Pup: HP- -5/10 <DEAD>

 

Edited October 13, 2017 by Pinball

[Pinball 1]

<Boar Tusk> recovered! greeted him upon the examination of the rewards screen. "Yes!" he yelled out loud. Only one more left to go, then I can finally call it quits. Hopefully, the next boar would drop another Boar Tusk, so he could finally return to Lyle Tealeaf. "Alright, alright, alright," he repeated, trying to calm himself. This would be his second sucessful quest, and for Pinball, that meant the world. He was getting stronger. More experienced. Faster. All because he had the dedication to get it done. He made an assumption that the quest line would continue after this, and that excited him even more. If it continued, he would attempt to get it done the same day. It was more than a bit ambitious, but he couldn't help but think about how great it would be to get these quests finished. "Alright, If I'm lucky, this is the last boar pup I have to deal with all day."

ID# 89306

LD: 14 (Success!)

<<Boar Tusk>> recovered! 

2/3 <<Boar Tusk>> recovered. 

Out of Combat Healing: 

EN- 4/6- 5/6

Edited October 13, 2017 by Pinball