[F1-SP] <<The First Few Lessons Are Free>> {Ronin}

[Ronin Dragoon 0]

After the long day he had taken to become a blacksmith, Ronin was laying down on the bed in a room in an inn. Feeling restless, he looked through his menu to find what his next move would be. He found the section labeled "Help". "Pfft, let's see what this stupid thing has to teach me", he thought, tapping it. A new window popped up full of text, as well as a few pictures. Ronin began glancing through it, clearly unimpressed, until he found something that caught his attention. 

"Are you kidding me?", he exclaimed, sitting up. "There was a quest made specifically for beginner's this whole time and I skipped it? How stupid am I?" The quest was called "The First Few Lessons Are Free", and Ronin had missed it in his rush to find a quest to do. Ronin read the location of the NPC that gave the quest.

He laid back down. "First thing tomorrow", he thought. "I'll find this 'beginner's quest' and clear it real quick".

[Ronin Dragoon 0]

Ronin woke up with a start and sat up. His eyes were wide open, and he panted hard. He glanced around. "A nightmare, makes sense", he thought. He had been dreaming of the day he was told he would be stuck in this death game, along with every single other player. He glanced at his clock, which read five in the morning. "Might as well get up then". He equipped his armor and sword and made his way out of the inn and into town, tracking the location of the Quest NPC. 

The streets were lit by lamps which emitted yellow lights as far as he could see. Making one final turn, Ronin spotted the workshop that the NPC was in. He rushed down and opened the door to the workshop. Standing with his back turned to Ronin was an old man with long gray hair, silently staring at what appeared to be a small quantity of potions on the table in front of him. The word "Zackariah" flashed in green above the man's head.

[Ronin Dragoon 0]

"Zackariah?" Ronin called. "I hear you like teaching new travelers your craft". Zackariah turned and smiled.

"Yes, I am Zackariah. Good to meet you", he replied. "So another fresh young mind wishes to learn from me eh? I will teach you how to make a Healing Potion, but first you must gather something for me". "Great, another gathering quest. Right when I said I wanted to choose a quest where I could fight something. Fine. One more gathering quest", Ronin thought. After receiving the details of his new task from the man, Ronin exited the workshop. "I guess I'm looking for herbs". He let out a sigh. "At least this should be easier than looking for ore. Now, where should I go to look for them? Zackariah didn't exactly specify where I could find these herbs, so I guess I'll explore and head north". He ran off, muttering "It just had to be another gathering quest".

[Ronin Dragoon 0]

Spoiler

ID: 102000

LD: 15 - Success

Ronin made his way to the north gate of the Town of Beginnings. It was still dark, but he could see a few players walking around. He ran through the gate and into the wilderness, where he saw boars waking from their nightly slumber. "Guess the animals sleep too. How thoughtful of Kayaba to make this realistic", he thought. He looked out at the horizon. The flatness of the plains gave him a much clearer view than in the city, and the sky was tinted pink and orange as the sun was rising. Wanting to make sure he saw the sunrise, Ronin began searching the grass around him for the herbs that Zackariah wanted, all the while making sure his body was still pointed towards the majestic sunrise. He searched and looked up from time to time at the horizon. After a while he spotted a plant that was not like the green grass that covered the plains. Picking it up, he put it into his inventory.

1/5 Items Found

Edited June 24, 2018 by Ronin Dragoon

[Ronin Dragoon 0]

Spoiler

ID: 102001

LD: 2 - Fail

Pleased with his early find, Ronin relaxed and took his time with searching. He glanced up at the sun's gradual rise more, and it reminded him of home. "This is what I would've had if I had stayed in America", he thought. "Back at my high school, the seniors had senior sunrise. I would give anything right now to be back and not playing this game. Not that I actually care about my peers or my family, but because I felt safe then. Games were an escape, something that made me happy. And as much as they stressed me out, my video games gave me closure and a purpose. Now, here I am, with everything I ever wanted. But I'm not happy". He shook his head. "Focus", he told himself. And so the searching continued. As the sun climbed higher, its rays broke through the sky and illuminated the world.

Edited June 24, 2018 by Ronin Dragoon

[Ronin Dragoon 0]

Spoiler

ID: 102002

LD: 18 - Success

The rising sun allowed Ronin to see more clearly. He didn't have to bend down as much to figure out whether or not what he was looking at was indeed grass. "If Aincrad is a castle with no escape, doesn't that mean no sunlight should be able to get in?" he wondered. "Maybe Aincrad has its own sun? It's a steel castle, if the sun was on the outside, sunlight wouldn't be able to get in. Not only that, every floor except the 100th one should be dark. Sometimes I don't understand how this game can be realistic in one aspect and make no sense in another".

Ronin was finding it harder to gaze at the sun now. It's glow was becoming brighter, and half of it's gigantic shape could be seen above the horizon. This gave him more focus on the ground though, and he spotted another herb a few feet away from him. He ran over to it and picked it.

2/5 Materials Found

Edited June 24, 2018 by Ronin Dragoon

[Ronin Dragoon 0]

Spoiler

ID: 102003

LD: 18 - Success

Ronin paused to watch as the sun slowly broke off completely from the horizon, casting its shining rays everywhere. The land lit up around him, and when he closed his eyes he could feel the warmth on his face. "I never thought I could have this much of an appreciation for nature", he thought. "It's interesting how it took being trapped in a virtual world with environments that aren't even real for me to enjoy it. Maybe it's because of my allergies not being present, but it could also be because it reminds me of the real world and what I never got to do before being trapped in here". A strong breeze brushed past him, and a plant flew straight into Ronin's face. He grabbed it and pulled it off of him and took a look at it. It was one of the herbs he had been picking earlier. 

"Well what do you know", he smirked.

3/5 Materials Found

Edited June 24, 2018 by Ronin Dragoon

[Ronin Dragoon 0]

Spoiler

ID: 102004

LD: 8 - Fail

Now that the sun was up, Ronin earnestly continued his search for the materials. "This quest is certainly much easier than the one for the blacksmith", he thought. "I swear, if the next quest I take doesn't have anything to do with combat, someone or something's getting hurt". The grass swayed in the wind, and the boars grazed. Ronin watched as other players began emerging into the plains, killing boars or looking down at the grass much like he was, presumably doing the same quest. "At least I'm ahead of them, and I'm glad I got that blacksmith quest out of the way. These guys are in for a surprise if they think all gathering quests are this easy". A couple of players walked past him on the dirt path, laughing together. Ronin stared at them for a few seconds, and went back to looking at the grass. "Friends will just betray you or hold you back", he told himself.

Edited June 24, 2018 by Ronin Dragoon

[Ronin Dragoon 0]

Spoiler

ID: 102005

LD: 20 - Success

"You tried your best to be social in real life", Ronin assured himself. "Not your fault everyone in your generation is so selfish and possess no morals". These thoughts triggered an internal anger within Ronin, and he began working faster. "Yes, good. Harness that anger. Turn it into strength. You'll become the strongest. You'll get out of here. You'll show them." Ronin was beginning to notice that more and more players were appearing around him, and it made it uncomfortable because he feared they might be taking the herbs he was looking for. "I should move. The last thing I need is a bunch of people right next to me taking my quest items and space". He picked himself up and walked farther down the dirt path, away from the Town of Beginnings. He spotted an herb at the side of the road as he walked, picked it up, and sent it to his inventory.

4/5 Materials Found

Edited June 24, 2018 by Ronin Dragoon

[Ronin Dragoon 0]

Spoiler

ID: 102006

LD: 2 - Fail

"Ah, crap". Ronin came to a sudden realization. "I should've been looking at what I can do with my new blacksmith profession last night. Maybe I could start my own shop. Though it's not like I need Col for anything right now". He knelt down in a new clearing he had found with less people around and walked slowly, observing the ground carefully. "Four out of five materials already. This is so much easier than the blacksmith quest. Guess it does make sense that gathering plants is easier than finding metal in the Earth", he pondered. "I'll probably be able to do another quest today. I wonder if there are any more beginner quests like this one? I'll take a look for more after I'm done with this I guess." A nearby player had taken notice to Ronin's interesting behavior nearby and began to approach him, and Ronin paid no attention as he channeled his focus to searching.

Edited June 24, 2018 by Ronin Dragoon

[Ronin Dragoon 0]

Spoiler

ID: 102007

LD: 14 - Success

"What are you doing?", the player asked.

"The quest name is 'The First Few Lessons Are Free' and you can find the NPC named Zackariah in a workshop in the Town of Beginnings. He asks you to gather 5 herbs for him", Ronin replied, without even turning around.

"Oh thanks", said the other player, and walked off. Ronin shook his head

"Selfish, just like the rest of them", he muttered. He looked up and saw an herb, but it was under a boar that a player was fighting several paces away. Ronin got up and ran and full speed towards the boar. As the player and the boar were about to clash again, they both turned and saw Ronin coming. Ronin kept going, slid under the boar, grabbed the herb, and ran off.

"Thanks!", he called, looking back for a brief second before running back to the North gate of the Town of Beginnings.

5/5 Materials Found

Edited June 24, 2018 by Ronin Dragoon

[Ronin Dragoon 0]

Ronin was amazed at how quick the quest had taken him so far. "Guess they don't call it a beginner quest for nothing", he thought. He stepped through the North gate of the Town of Beginnings. The town was quite full now that everyone was up. People walked, talked, ran, or dueled in the central plaza. There were simply too many people and it was too crowded for Ronin to continue running. "Interesting. I've never been to the Town of Beginnings during the day. This is a really busy place once everyone is awake". He resorted to strolling through the Central Plaza, and retraced his steps back to the street where he had found Zackariah and his workshop. "Hmm, I haven't exactly checked out the whole city either". Ronin's negative side appeared. "That's because there's no need Riley. God, you're such an idiot sometimes. Just hurry up and finish this quest. If you want to be the strongest you need to work faster". "Fine", his good side replied.

[Ronin Dragoon 0]

Spoiler

ID: 102016

CD: 12

"This street looks less creepy now that the sun has come up", Ronin thought. He walked over to the door of the workshop and opened it. Zackariah turned.

"I see you have the herbs. Good", he said. He led Ronin over to his desk and demonstrated how the healing potion was crafted. "He's a good teacher", Ronin thought when it was his turn. He stepped up to the desk. He had observed the man carefully, and understood everything he had just been taught. Ronin copied Zackariah's actions with careful precision, and soon a red liquid was bubbling inside a glass bottle. 

"Well done!", Zackariah exclaimed. "That's a rare quality potion you have there. Here, I'll trade you. 5 Uncommon Tier One Health Potions and a couple other potions for your rare potion". Before Ronin could reject, Zakariah took the potion and handed him a package. 

"I'll give you everything if you do one more thing for me", Zackariah said.

Edited June 24, 2018 by Ronin Dragoon

[Ronin Dragoon 0]

"And what would that be?", Ronin asked. 

"A friend of mine, Lyle the blacksmith, requested the items in this package from me. I'd like you to take it to him if possible. Don't worry, the materials inside aren't that fragile so you don't have to worry about it being turned upside down or carefully holding it or what not", the workshop owner replied, handing Ronin his potions. "I suppose it would be more convenient to you if I just gave you those now so you don't have to come back. It might be awhile before you come visit again". He winked at Ronin. "What's that supposed to mean", Ronin thought. "O man, this better not be one of those stupid chain quests where you finish one task and another one presents itself and you have to keep doing new tasks for an exasperatingly long time before you finally get the quest rewards. Gosh, I hate those. It's like trying to sit through filler in tv shows. I mean really, how many different problems can Ash encounter in between cities?"

[Ronin Dragoon 0]

Ronin accepted the items and the package, storing both in his inventory. He said his farewells to the old workshop owner and stepped out into the street. It was then he realized, he had no idea where he was going. "That old man didn't tell me where I can find his friend", Ronin thought. "I guess I'll have to look for him myself. This is a beginner's quest, I bet he's just down the alley or something". With that, Ronin walked into the streets of the Town of Beginnings, unaware of just how wrong he was. He passed by many shops, for he was in the merchant district. Both NPC's and players alike waved at him, yelling phrases like "We have the best deals in Aincrad!", or "You never knew you needed us until you've visited us!", or even "Buy one get one free!". It annoyed Ronin that people had to stand outside of their shop to advertise. "If they have to do that, they're probably not very good and have no costumers anyways", he thought. "If players are setting up their own shop now, that likely means they've completed Earning a Living also. That's not good. I'm not working fast enough".

[Ronin Dragoon 0]

The city was surprising well lit for one that was filled with buildings towering over Ronin. No shadows could be seen, only those of the market stands and players around him. A player approached him. 

"Hey you!", the player said, as Ronin looked suspiciously at him. "Wanna trade?" 

"Get out of my way", Ronin replied, walking around him. "I don't need your help". "As if I had anything good to offer anyways", Ronin thought. "Come to think of it, who does have anything good to offer? All the quests down here should be easy, it's not like we're in the end game where everyone is just trying to perfect their stats with the rarest items and equipment possible. Probably either a scammer or he was hoping his luck would go his way. I got news for you kid, no one's stupid enough to trade with you. I hope".

"Stop talking to him", his negative voice told him. "If you wanted to say something to the guy you should've said it out loud, don't keep it to yourself you coward".

 

 

[Ronin Dragoon 0]

Ronin entered the town square, or rather, the town circle. It was a huge circular area in the heart of the Town of Beginnings, where every new player that had logged in on that fateful day of release had spawned. It was also the same place everyone was told that they were stuck in the game, and would die in real life should their health ever drop to zero in here. Now, as Ronin walked in, the area felt so much more empty. That being said, there were still a lot of people there. Players leaned against walls and pillars, chatting about whatever people would normally talk about while trapped in a death game. People were running off through the gates into the wilderness, presumably on some sort of quest. A few players added each other and formed a party, after which they strolled off together through the North Gate into the plains. Ronin focused his attention on two players in the center. Both had their weapons drawn, and were tapping on menu windows.

 

[Ronin Dragoon 0]

Ronin watched as suddenly, both players jumped back. He noticed their stances changed, and now they really looked prepared to fight. The player on his left was using a two handed sword, while the one on his right wielded a one handed one. A large timer of 60 seconds had appeared between them, and they were both frozen, anticipating the start of what Ronin guessed was a duel. "Interesting", he thought. "This is a game where you can die if your health hits zero. Just what are the rules for this duel then? Or do they plan on fighting to the death?" The timer hit zero and both players lunged at each other. The one handed sword user parried his opponent's hit, and delivered a strike to the ribcage. A window popped up declaring him the winner. "First strike wins huh? Guess that would make sense". Ronin continued his search for the blacksmith.

[Ronin Dragoon 0]

Ronin was lost. The Town of Beginnings was a huge area to cover, and a small shop where a blacksmith NPC dwelled could be anywhere. Ronin searched up and down, far and wide, encountering different players, taverns, shops, even forges. But none had contained the name of an NPC named Lyle. "There aren't any shops around here", Ronin thought. "I should return to the merchant district. That's probably where it is". His mood improved as he walked. "At least this narrows down the location of this blacksmith NPC. That place is so crowded, though I guess it would be pretty hard to miss a forge. Last time I saw a blacksmith he was large, carried an even larger hammer, and had his anvil outside, which made him easy to spot. Maybe this blacksmith is hidden away behind a wooden door, just like Zackariah". Ronin checked the whole district, and halfway through his double check he found it. Unaware of his discovery, Ronin opened the door to the blacksmith's shop, and inside was an old man hammering a heated ingot on an anvil. The familiar green text above his head flashed "Lyle Tealeaf", and Ronin let out a sigh of relief.

[Ronin Dragoon 0]

Unfinished weapons and armor hung off the side of the walls, tools were scattered all about, and only some sunlight entered through a window. Lyle turned towards Ronin. Ronin spoke first.

"I've come to deliver a package to you from Zackariah", he said. 

"Ah, a friend of Zackariah", Lyle replied. Ronin took out the package from his inventory and handed it to Lyle.

"Thank you swordsman. I requested this from him awhile back. I rely on him to send me these packages quite often you know?" Lyle continued. "Do you think you have time to help me with something? I can make it worth your while". "And here we go", Ronin thought. "The part where he asks me to embark on another quest to help him, then he'll send me to someone else and they'll need help too".

"Lemme just sit this package aside", Lyle said, setting the package down at the back of the room. "Now, as I was saying, I could use your help".

 

Quest Summary

Spoiler

Rewards:

- 5 Tier One Health Potions of Uncommon Quality (+40HP)
- 1 Tier One Damage Potion. (+1 Damage)
-1 Tier One Over-Health Potion (+50 Temp. HP)
400 Col
3 SP