F01 [PP] << The First Few Lessons Are Free >>

[Oscar 0]

Spoiler

YUI'S GRACE CONSUMED, 4 REMAINING

STATS

LEVEL - 1
HP - 20
EN - 2
DMG - 2
ACC - 2
MIT - 9
EVA - 0

SKILLS

NON-COMBAT
»

PASSIVE
»

COMBAT SKILLS
» 

EXTRA SKILLS
»

WEAPON SKILLS
» CURVED SWORD MASTERY RANK 1
     ➥ +1 DMG WHEN TWO-HANDED WEAPON IS EQUIPPED
 
ARMOR SKILLS
» 

SWORD ARTS
» RAGE BLOW [X2] - 2EN The user makes one heavy blow, cleaving into the opponents chest.

EQUIPMENT

WEAPONS
» [EQUIPPED] "YUKI" - TWO-HANDED STRAIGHT SWORD (T1- RARE)
     ➥ +1 ACC
     ➥ +1 ACC

ARMOR
» [EQUIPPED] SAPPHIRE OVERCOAT (T1 - VANITY)
     
FAMILIAR
» n/a

BATTLE READY ITEMS
>>  3 HEALING POTIONS
>>  5 YUI'S GRACE

The best way to get started was at the start. Beginner quests! Since he was level 1, Oscar could get plenty of benefit out of doing them. They would also teach him exactly how gathering worked. It had been two years but he still hadn't quite figured it out. He came upon an NPC named Zackariah who was the NPC who gave out the Beginner Quests.

“Ho there,” He began, as Oscar crossed his path. “Could you help an old man out? You might learn something in the process!”

The Quest Interface popped up in Oscar’s menu and his finger tapped the “Accept” button. He saw that his objective was to find five Tier 1 Gathering Materials out in the field for Zackariah. Oscar hadn’t really ventured out much, but this was the lower floors. He couldn’t get into that much trouble could he? So he left the town and began searching for the Materials.

Edited August 2, 2019 by Oscar

[Oscar 0]

Spoiler

COMBAT ENCOUNTER
BOAR
HP: 10
DMG: 3

 

Oscar began his search just outside the gate. He combed through the grass, under rocks. Everywhere he could think to look for materials. Finally, he found a shiny spot and interacted with it. He watched the bar fill up and then, once full, he received one T1 Crafting Material. The quest tracker showed that he had gathered one out of five. As he rose to continue his search, he heard the snort of a boar behind him. He turned and readied his sword as the boar charged.

It just barely missed him and Oscar hopped backward, pointing the tip of his curved sword at the interloping creature. His sword began to glow as he readied a Sword Art to deal with the enemy. The boar circled around and stamped its feet, getting ready to charge again. Oscar placed both hands on his blade and planted his feet, also preparing to attack.
 

Spoiler

Oscar HP: 20/20 | EN: 2 | DMG: 2 | ACC: 2 | MIT: 0 | EVA: 0 | ID: 120568

Oscar rolls LD: 17 on Find Materials Check. Check Passed!

Boar uses Headbutt (MD: 5) for miss.

Edited August 2, 2019 by Oscar

[Oscar 0]

Spoiler

COMBAT ENCOUNTER
BOAR
HP: 10
DMG: 3

Oscar activated Rage Blow and rushed in, holding his blade above his head. Once in striking range, he brought the blade down hard on the boar. He heard the sound of his blow finding its mark and saw his enemy’s HP bar take heavy damage from the attack. The boar swung its head upward and caught Oscar in the knee for a Critical Hit. Oscar saw his HP bar drop by about a fifth and backed off.

These early encounters weren’t designed to be deadly, so the boar didn’t chase. It merely scraped its hoof against the ground and waited for Oscar to come to it. Which he appreciated. The looming threat of death really hit the nerves hard. His hands were shaking, causing the minor decorations on the hilt of his blade to rattle. Oscar adjusted his grip and got ready for the second round. It was just a boar. It couldn’t be an actual threat, right?

Spoiler

Oscar HP: 16/20 | EN: 2 -2 = 0 | DMG: 2 | ACC: 2 | MIT: 0 | EVA: 0 | ID: 120569

Oscar uses Rage Blow (x2) [BD: 8] on Boar for 4 DMG. 

Boar HP: 6 | DMG: 3 uses Headbutt (MD: 9). Critical Hit on Oscar for 4 DMG 

Edited August 2, 2019 by Oscar

[Oscar 0]

Spoiler

COMBAT ENCOUNTER
BOAR
HP: 10
DMG: 3

Oscar rushed in and sliced at the boar for. His aim was off so he watched his sword sail harmlessly past the boar. As he tried to correct himself, the boar drove its head into his shin, dealing 3 damage to him. Oscar backed off and looked at his health bar. Then he looked at the boar’s. They were about even now. Oscar would need to focus if he was going to beat this thing. He blamed his nerves for that miss, truthfully. He took a steadying breath and did his best to calm himself down.

He tightened his grip on his sword and looked at his energy bar. It would be time for another Rage Blow after the next turn. He could possibly finish it off in two turns then if he could get it together. The Major’s word’s echoed in his head.

If they tell you they’re not scared, they’re lying.

Oscar was terrified of dying. He wanted to make it to the end and go home. There was no sense trying to hide that fact. He began to tremble and let his emotions run free for a bit. Thankfully, the boar stayed put while his meltdown occurred. Then, right as the storm of emotions rose to a fever pitch, he quelled it with another Major-ism.

“I control myself.”

Spoiler

Oscar HP: 13/20 | EN: 0+1= 1 | DMG: 2 | ACC: 2 | MIT: 0 | EVA: 0 | ID: 120570

Oscar uses Basic Attack against Boar (BD: 3 + 2 ACC) for miss. 

Boar HP: 6 | DMG: 3 uses Headbutt (MD: 7). Hit on Oscar for 3 DMG

Edited August 2, 2019 by Oscar

[Oscar 0]

Spoiler

COMBAT ENCOUNTER
BOAR
HP: 10
DMG: 3

With his nerves steadied, Oscar rushed in and sliced at the boar. He saw a hefty chunk come out of the boar’s HP bar, even though he only did 2 damage. The boar retaliated but missed him by a mile. Oscar exclaimed happily and hopped back, flourishing his sword a bit. He was started to get a little full of himself. So he reined that in. As the Major said, cockiness gets you killed.

His energy bar had refilled, so Oscar began to charge up another Rage Blow. If this connected, the Boar would be defeated and Oscar would have won his first combat encounter in the game. He kept his nerves steadied, calming himself to keep his hands from shaking.

You got this. And if anyone tells you otherwise, prove em wrong.

Oscar grinned at that particular Major-ism. It fit perfectly in this setting. Deep down, Oscar didn’t actually know if he had this. He needed to prove himself to himself.

Spoiler

Oscar HP: 13/20 | EN: 1+1= 2 | DMG: 2 | ACC: 2 | MIT: 0 | EVA: 0 | ID: 120576

Oscar uses Basic Attack against Boar (BD: 6 + 2 ACC) for 2 DMG. 

Boar HP: 4 | DMG: 3 uses Headbutt (MD: 2). Hit on Oscar for Miss.

 

Edited August 2, 2019 by Oscar

[Oscar 0]

Spoiler

COMBAT ENCOUNTER
BOAR
HP: 10
DMG: 3

Oscar rushed in and activated Rage Blow. He brought his sword up above his head and then brought it back down for a heavy hit to the boar. 4 damage was enough to defeat the boar and small victory screen appeared in front of him. Upon tapping it, several items were placed into his inventory as the boar was looted. He swiped his hand to bring up the menu and saw that he’d found an unidentifed Uncommon Consumable. He was overjoyed at the loot he received and leaped into the air, cheering.

“Awesome! That was so worth it!”

He forgot for a moment that had the fight gone the other way, he would have died in real life. But he didn’t care right now. He had shiny goodies to distract him. It was time to let his regeneration do its work and heal up while he looked for the rest of the items for Zackariah.

Spoiler

Oscar HP: 13/20 | EN: 2-2=0 | DMG: 2 | ACC: 2 | MIT: 0 | EVA: 0 | ID: 120577

Oscar uses Rage Blow against Boar (BD: 7 + 2 ACC) for 4 DMG. Boar is defeated.

Oscar loots Boar (LD: 9, CD: 3). Obtained 1 Uncommon Consumable, 30 Col, and 4 T1 Crafting Materials (non quest). ID: 120596

 

Edited August 3, 2019 by Oscar

[Oscar 0]

Oscar decided to take a minute to rest up before continuing. As exhilarating as it was, he definitely did NOT want to get jumped by a mob again without being at full health and energy. So he sat down upon a rock and waited for his health to start ticking back up. It didn’t take long before he was back at full health. He hopped up and started scanning the area. Once he found a shiny spot, he began to interact with it. When the bar filled up, a single T1 Crafting Material was placed in his inventory. The Quest Tracker updated to show that he had found 2/5 materials.

“Alright, makin’ progress.”

Oscar spied another boar and wondered for a moment whether he should engage. After a moment of thought, he decided against it and gave the boar a wide berth so it wouldn’t aggro him. He still needed to find more materials and turn them in.

Spoiler

Oscar HP: 13/20+10 = 20 | EN: 0+1=1 | DMG: 2 | ACC: 2 | MIT: 0 | EVA: 0 | ID: 120581

Oscar searches for Crafting Materials. Rolls LD: 14 for search check. Check passed! Found 1 T1 Crafting Materials.

Edited August 2, 2019 by Oscar

[Oscar 0]

Spoiler

Oscar HP: 20/20 | EN: 1+1=2 | DMG: 2 | ACC: 2 | MIT: 0 | EVA: 0 | ID: 120582

Oscar searches for Crafting Materials. Rolls LD: 20 for search check. Check passed! Found 1 T1 Crafting Materials.

Oscar was on a roll. He quickly found the third material that he needed for Zackariah’s quest. If he kept this up, he’d be done really soon. Maybe he’d get a level up out of it! But he definitely knew what he was going to do as soon as he finished this quest. He wanted to get that weapon identified. His starter sword was pretty good, but it definitely wasn’t Perfect quality. A nice upgrade would be useful this early on and would definitely help him get stronger.

He took another break, taking the time to soak in the sights. The world of Aincrad was beautiful. If not for that nagging thought in the back of his brain about this being a Death Game, he might have let his guard down enough to get lost in it. But Oscar couldn’t truly enjoy something that was out to kill him. At least, he didn’t think he could. He was having fun right now, in the moment. Perhaps laying his inhibitions aside would help him in more ways than one.

"Don't overthink. Just do."

Edited August 2, 2019 by Oscar

[Oscar 0]

Spoiler

COMBAT ENCOUNTER
BOAR
HP: 10
DMG: 3

It had to slow down at some point. Oscar searched high and low, but he just couldn’t find the materials he was looking for. He decided that perhaps it was time to do battle with another boar. Luckily, a boar thought the same thing. A random swine came charging out from behind a tree. Despite having the jump on Oscar, he was able to dance out of the way. This caused the boar to miss him by a mile. Readying his weapon, Oscar prepared to activate Rage Blow on his next turn. His sword began to glow a light purple as he tapped into his EN pool.

The Boar wheeled around and began stamping at the ground, getting ready to attack again. Oscar placed both hands on his sword and tightened his grip. His nerves weren’t so much of an issue now that he’d gotten a fight under his belt. Plus, if things went south, he had healing potions to fall back on.

Spoiler

Oscar HP: 20/20 | EN: 1+1=2 | DMG: 2 | ACC: 2 | MIT: 0 | EVA: 0 | ID: 120591

Oscar searches for Crafting Materials. Rolled LD: 4 for search check. Check failed. Nothing found.

Boar HP 10: | DMG: 3 used Headbutt (MD: 2) on Zayne for miss.

Edited August 2, 2019 by Oscar

[Oscar 0]

Spoiler

COMBAT ENCOUNTER
BOAR
HP: 10
DMG: 3

Oscar closed the gap quickly and brought his sword up above his head. Putting his weight into it, he arced the blade down into the Boar’s back. A thin purple trail followed the blade as it traveled downward and struck the boar in the back with great force. The mob’s HP bar had a healthy chunk taken out of it. The boar attempted to counterattack, but completely whiffed Oscar’s shins. Oscar pressed his advantage.

He stepped forward, forcing the boar backward and switched hands. He was ambidextrous in real life, so it was easy for him to do in SAO as well. Now in his left hand, held the blade in a reverse grip and attempted to thrust it down into the Boar’s back, near where the Rage Blow had hit. It wouldn’t do any extra damage or anything, but practicing finesse against a Boar was a relatively safe way to get better at the game.

Spoiler

Oscar HP: 20/20 | EN: 2-2=0 | DMG: 2 | ACC: 2 | MIT: 0 | EVA: 0 | ID: 120592

Oscar used Rage Blow (x2) against Boar (BD: 5 + 2 ACC) for 4 DMG. 

Boar HP: 6 | DMG: 3 used Headbutt (MD: 1) on Zayne for miss.

Edited August 3, 2019 by Oscar

[Oscar 0]

Spoiler

COMBAT ENCOUNTER
BOAR
HP: 10
DMG: 3

Oscar, unfortunately missed his mark and due to the beast’s squirming and drove his blade deep into the ground by mistake. This provided the boar with an opening to punish. And punish it did. It managed to land a critical hit to Oscar, dealing a hearty 4 DMG. Oscar ripped his sword from the group and hopped back, taking a moment to gather his composure. Perhaps it was a bit too soon to attempt any fancy maneuvers. But then again…

If you don’t try, you’ve already failed.

Another Major-ism came to mind. Emboldened by the words of his foster father, Oscar swapped back to his right hand and leveled his blade with the boar. 6 HP left. Three hits. Or one plus a Rage Blow. That’s all it would take. And the boar would need significantly more than that to take him down. Plus, he had the benefit of health potions. There was no risk in him trying to have a little fun with it.

Spoiler

Oscar HP: 16/20 | EN: 0+1=1 | DMG: 2 | ACC: 2 | MIT: 0 | EVA: 0 | ID: 120593

Oscar used Basic Attack against Boar (BD: 2 + 2 ACC) for miss.

Boar HP: 6 | DMG: 3 used Headbutt (MD: 9) on Zayne for Critical Hit. Deal 4 DMG

Edited August 3, 2019 by Oscar

[Oscar 0]

Spoiler

COMBAT ENCOUNTER
BOAR
HP: 10
DMG: 3

Oscar advanced quickly on the boar and dealt a swift blow for 2 DMG. The boar attempted to counterattack, but just barely missed. The two stepped past each other and then wheeled around at the same time to face one another. Oscar was getting pumped. This battle was going swimmingly. He was earning some major insight into the way combat worked. He was also having lots of fun. He’d let go of his inhibitions and was making the best out of the poor situation he found himself in.

Oscar’s energy was full. He tapped the pool and began to ready a Rage Blow. If it connected, then this battle would be over and he could collect his loot. He was trembling, but this time with excitement. He couldn’t wait to see what he found when he beat this Boar. If the last thing was anything to go by, it would be pretty good.

Spoiler

Oscar HP: 16/20 | EN: 1+1=2 | DMG: 2 | ACC: 2 | MIT: 0 | EVA: 0 | ID: 120595

Oscar used Basic Attack against Boar (BD: 7+ 2 ACC) for 2 DMG.

Boar HP: 4 | DMG: 3 used Headbutt (MD: 5) on Zayne for miss. 

Edited August 3, 2019 by Oscar

[Oscar 0]

Spoiler

COMBAT ENCOUNTER
BOAR
HP: 10
DMG: 3

The Rage Blow found its mark, dealing critical damage to the boar for a killing blow. Oscar quickly looted the boar and found an unidentified rare weapon and another consumable, along with a bunch of other goodies. They were added to his inventory and Oscar walked off, whistling a tune. This experience was quite eye-opening. Any reservations he had about actually playing the game were gone. How else was he going to get revenge for his charge unless he did so?

He sat down under a tree and waited for his hit points and energy to tick back up. While he did, his thoughts drifted back to the real world. He wondered how the Major was doing. Was he worried? Was he cussing Oscar like a sailor for doing something dumb like getting stuck in a game? Probably. That would be just like him. But that’s how Oscar knew he cared.

Spoiler

Oscar HP: 16/20 | EN: 1+1=2 | DMG: 2 | ACC: 2 | MIT: 0 | EVA: 0 | ID: 120597

Oscar used Rage Blow (x2) against Boar (BD: 9+ 2 ACC) for 6 DMG. Boar died.

Oscar loots Boar ID: 120598 (LD: 13, CD 6) 1 Unidentified Rare Weapon, 1 Uncommon Consumable, 50 Col, 2 Bonus T1 Mats
Weapon is unidentified but will be treated as Katana Acquisition.

Edited August 3, 2019 by Oscar

[Oscar 0]

Oscar got lost in his reminiscing. He thought about all the kids that he left behind because he was stuck in this game. He wondered how they were doing. If he’d had enough time to really help them before getting stuck. How would his being trapped impact them? Would they grow emboldened? Backslide? He truly hoped they were all doing well and had taken his lessons to heart. Every single one of them had great potential and he would hate to be part of the reason why they didn’t achieve it.

He snapped out of his reverie and noticed a gleaming spot by his hand. He lifted his hand up and interacted with it, pensively watching the progress bar fill to completion. The fourth T1 Crafting Material was added to his inventory. One more to go and then he could go report to Zackariah. It was time to get to back to work.

Spoiler

Oscar HP: 16/20+ 10 | EN: 0+1=1 | DMG: 2 | ACC: 2 | MIT: 0 | EVA: 0 | ID: 120600

Oscar searches for materials (LD: 19). Check Passed! Found 1 T1 Crafting Material.

Edited August 3, 2019 by Oscar

[Oscar 0]

Oscar searched high and low for the last material and couldn’t find it. It was a shame because he now had plenty of materials from those two boars, but they didn’t count for the quest. He noticed that he’d gone quite a ways away from town. Not wanting to run into any stronger monsters, Oscar headed back the way he came. While he wasn’t against the idea of fighting more boars, he did his best to avoid them. He really wanted to just get this quest done at this point.

Thankfully, there were no more boars that wanted to tussle. That or he stayed well out of their aggro ranges. He was just outside of town now. Surely there would be a material he could find nearby. It would be very convenient for sure if he found something on his way back to town and, by extension, Zackariah. He’d grown a little mentally fatigued from this outing and could use the break.

Spoiler

Oscar HP: 20 | EN: 1+1=2 | DMG: 2 | ACC: 2 | MIT: 0 | EVA: 0 | ID: 120604

Edited August 3, 2019 by Oscar

[Oscar 0]

Try as he might, he just couldn’t find any more sparkling areas. He looked under trees. Next to rocks. Even next to the lake. But he just couldn’t find anything. It bummed him out a bit. Perhaps he could just go inside the city and take a quick nap. Today had been a busy day and he needed the rest. But the Major’s voice rang out in his head.

You can rest when the job’s done. Don’t confuse lazy with tired!

The words reinvigorated his spirit and embolden his resolve. The job wasn’t done yet. He could rest when all was said and done and put to bed. He resumed his search with renewed vigor, searching absolutely every nook and cranny until he found what he was looking for. He looked like a man possessed by a demon. A demon that wanted to find plants, but a demon nonetheless. Oscar would keep going in this frenzy until that last crafting material was his.

Spoiler

Oscar HP: 20 | EN: 2 | DMG: 2 | ACC: 2 | MIT: 0 | EVA: 0 | ID: 120605

Edited August 3, 2019 by Oscar

[Oscar 0]

The frenzy worked! Oscar found the shiny spot he was looking for and interacted with it. When the bar filled, the final crafting material was placed in his inventory. The quest tracker directed him to return to Zackariah, so he headed back into town and made a beeline for Zackariah’s workshop.

“Oh,” Zackariah began. “You’re back so soon? Do you have the materials I asked for?”

A contextual menu popped up asking Oscar if he wanted to hand over the quest items. He hit accept and the materials spawned in on Zackariah’s table.

“Oh wonderful! Such good condition too! Before you go, would you mind helping me make a Healing Potion?”

Oscar didn’t have much of a choice in the matter. His quest tracker updated with the words “Craft a Healing Potion.” He had to do it before the quest was completed. Just exactly how long was this beginner quest? Some materials were dropped into his inventory and a tutorial menu came up regarding crafting. Oscar read up on the process and then stepped in front of the crafting station.

Spoiler

Oscar HP: 20 | EN: 2 | DMG: 2 | ACC: 2 | MIT: 0 | EVA: 0 | ID: 120606

Oscar searches for materials (LD: 20). Check passed! Found 1 T1 Gathering Material.

Edited August 3, 2019 by Oscar

[Oscar 0]

 

Oscar tapped the crafting station and scrolled through the window that popped up. Eventually, he found the item he was looking for and tapped it. He noticed that his success rate was only 66%. That seemed to be the magic number for a lot of crafts. Regardless, there was nothing to do but to attempt it. Hopefully, he wouldn’t need to go back out and gather more materials if he failed. He watched the progress bar fill and crossed his fingers, hoping that it wouldn’t fail. He almost jumped for joy when he saw the success message pop up.

“Nice job! Thank you for your help!” The Healing Potion was taken out of his inventory and a package was placed into it. “I just need your help with one last thing. Do you think you could deliver this package to Lyle Tealeaf?”

Oscar’s quest tracker updated again. At this point, Oscar just wanted this quest done so without even a glint of anger, Oscar ran off towards the location marked on his map.
 

Spoiler

Oscar HP: 20 | EN: 2 | DMG: 2 | ACC: 2 | MIT: 0 | EVA: 0 | ID: 120607

Oscar attempts to craft a Healing Potion (CD: 6) Check passed! Healing Potion created.

Edited August 3, 2019 by Oscar

[Oscar 0]

Oscar strolled through the town on his way to turn in this package to Lyle. He sincerely hoped this was the last step of the quest because he was starting to feel hungry. He knew he was probably being fed through a tube in the real world, but that didn’t change the sensation within the game. Hopefully, some of the Col he earned today would be enough for a hot meal and a night at the Inn.

He smelled the smithy before he saw it. That thick smell of burning metal hung heavy in the air long before he actually walked through the threshold. Inside, there was an NPC named Lyle Tealeaf who was operating the forge. The blacksmith turned and a window popped up, asking if he would like to turn in the package to the NPC. Oscar clicked the checkmark and a small “Quest Complete” window popped up.

“Thank you for this package. I’d been expecting this! Now would you mind helping me with another matter?”

A new quest popped up in his menu. Oscar would leave it there, unaccepted as he turned and left the shop. He needed a quick break before he got into anymore questing.

Spoiler

Oscar HP: 20 | EN: 2 | DMG: 2 | ACC: 2 | MIT: 0 | EVA: 0 | ID:

 

Edited August 3, 2019 by Oscar

[Oscar 0]

Oscar wandered the town for a while, taking in the sights and just generally enjoying a job well-done. He’d go back for the second quest later, but for right now, he really wanted to go ahead and decompress. He wasn’t one for grinding really hard on one thing. There was plenty to see and enjoy in the world of Aincrad. And, as long as he was stuck here, he might as well make the best of it. The Major wouldn’t have it any other way, either.

If you’re in Hell, become a demon.

It was time to embrace this situation for what it was: just another obstacle to be overcome. Oscar was good at overcoming obstacles so why would this be any different? But he couldn’t do it alone. He would need friends and allies, people to support and encourage. This would have to be a team effort. No one man could change the world. But one man could affect change with a word.

Spoiler

Oscar HP: 20 | EN: 2 | DMG: 2 | ACC: 2 | MIT: 0 | EVA: 0 | ID: