F01 SP - A Strange Old Man << Katana Acquisition >>

[Oscar 0]

YUI'S GRACE CONSUMED, 2 REMAINING

“Tell me son, are you satisfied with that Curved Sword?”

Oscar turned to see an NPC lock eyes with him. The NPC wore a black robe and hood. Striking blue eyes could be seen, even through the dark veil cast by the hood. He had a long, gray beard and at his hip he wore a katana. The weapon type had always interested him, but he just couldn’t find the mastery skill in his Skill List. A dialogue option popped up. A red X was next to the word “No”, while a green circle was next to the word “Yes.”

If he were being honest, he wasn’t very happy with the damage output. So he tapped the red X for “No.” The moment he did, a T1 Vanity Katana was dropped into his inventory. He was confused for a moment. He read the text on it.

<< Training Katana >>
This weapon is given to pupils of the Way of the Katana. Training with this weapon will confer the Katana Mastery skill.

Spoiler

 

STATS

LEVEL - 4
HP - 80
EN - 8
DMG - 2
ACC - 2
MIT - 18
EVA - 3

SKILLS

NON-COMBAT
»

PASSIVE
»

COMBAT SKILLS
» 

EXTRA SKILLS
»

WEAPON SKILLS
» CURVED SWORD MASTERY RANK 1
     ➥ +1 DMG WHEN CURVED SWORD 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" - ONE-HANDED CURVED SWORD (T1- RARE)
     ➥ +1 ACC
     ➥ +1 ACC

ARMOR
» [EQUIPPED] << LIBRARIUM OVERCOAT >> (T1 PERFECT)
     ➥ +1 EVA
     ➥ +1 EVA
     ➥ +1 EVA

» [EQUIPPED] << AZURE TIGHTS >> (T1 PERFECT)
     ➥ +9 MIT
     ➥ +9 MIT
     ➥ +1 SAVVY

 

Edited August 4, 2019 by Oscar

[Oscar 0]

 

“I didn’t think you would be, child. The Curved Sword is a fine weapon, but it lacks power. Luckily, since you’re already proficient in it, it shouldn’t be too hard to learn how to properly use Nippon steel. Meet me at this location and I shall induct you into the ways of my Art.”

Oscar’s map was marked. The man wanted him to meet him on a hill just outside of town. Once the location was given, the man strode off. The way he walked, he seemed to glide upon the ground. Oscar had nothing else better to do, so getting a better weapon would be ideal. He followed the man to hill. Standing atop it was a willow tree that leaned dangerously towards the slope. The man stood under the tree and turned to Oscar. With the wry grin, the old man pointed backwards towards the tree.

“Your test will be to fell this tree.”

[Oscar 0]

 

“What.”

Was this actually a serious thing programmed into the game? Things like trees and walls were designated as << Immortal Objects >>. How was he supposed to destroy something that couldn’t be destroyed? But if this was what he needed to do in order to unlock his Katana mastery skill, then he would definitely give it a shot. After all, if he didn’t try, he already failed.

Oscar swapped Yuki out with his Vanity Katana. He lacked the skill to properly wield the weapon so there was no increase to his Damage stat. In fact, despite being a two-handed weapon, he was now weaker than he was when wielding a Curved Sword. How am I going to pull this off, he thought to himself as he stepped forward and drew the blade. He grasped it with both hands and held it stock straight in front of him. Before he could take a swing, the man spoke again.

“The First Art is called << Tsumuji Gurama >>. Spin on your heels while slicing to attack the enemy when surrounded.”

[Oscar 0]

Apparently, this was a tutorial for the Sword Arts. It must be completed before the actual test could be attempted, he assumed. The man struck the tree with the butt of his blade. The entire tree shuddered and shed blossoms, the pink petals fluttering down to the ground. Oscar was quick on the uptake and made ready to slice them. He brought his sword down, holding it horizontally and perpendicular to his body. Then, he spun. He was a touch early and missed every single one of the blossoms. He stopped and got himself into a neutral position.

“Again.”

One more strike, another group of petals. Oscar spun on his heels when they got within striking distance, glancing a few but missing the rest. Once he got back into neutral again, the man struck the tree again.

Another miss.

“Again.”

Another miss.

“Again.”

This repeated several times until, finally, Oscar was able to accurately slice through all of the blossoms in a single spin. Oscar celebrated internally but stifling a groan when he heard the word again.

“Again.”

[Oscar 0]

The NPC would accept nothing less than perfection. It took hours, but finally he was satisfied. Oscar was able to slice through the blossoms with perfect accuracy several times in a row. Video game or not, Oscar was out of breath. He never imagined it would take this much effort to learn how to wield a katana. The NPC was merciful and gave him time to collect himself and enter a battle stance again. Once he did, the man set a training dummy up right in front of Oscar.

“The Second Art is called << Ukifune >>. A powerful blow knocks the target into the air, stunning it when it crashes back down to earth.”

Oscar activated the sword art, a light blue aura cloaking the length of his katana. Then, he stepped into the attack. The aura intensified as he brought his Katana down low and arced it upwards with a powerful slice. The Target Dummy was sent flying high into the air, its head hitting one of the upper branches of the tree before it began to fall back down to earth. Then it collided with the ground, the dummy shattered into myriad fractal polygons.

Edited August 4, 2019 by Oscar

[Oscar 0]

“Good, good! Now have a seat while I regale you with a story.”

Oscar did as he was told. This was truly an immersive experience. He wanted to fully immerse himself in all the minutiae of this “quest.” He sheathed his katana and pulled the scabbard from his belt as he sat cross-legged on the ground. Between both of them lay their weapons, parallel to one another. A light breeze began to blow as the icy blue gaze of the man met Oscar’s. He cleared his throat as the wind died down.

“This is a story of how I came to learn the Katana. I was about as old as you were. My master found me in the crowd, just as I did with you. And he brought me here to teach me the Art. These Arts have been passed down for generations. I felled my tree. To learn the Katana is to put your life into the blade. To symbolize this, I planted a new tree. The one we’re sitting under, in fact. Just as these tree branches shelter us, so too does the Katana shelter the weak.”

Edited August 4, 2019 by Oscar

[Oscar 0]

The Strange Old Man continued.

"My time is coming to an end. Thus, I must pass my art to a new generation. The new generation must fell my tree and take up where I will leave off. Understand the importance of the path you walk, young one. Now, for the final Art."

Oscar and the man stood up, picking their blades up as they did. The man looked at the tree with a mournful expression and then turned back to Oscar. He drew his blade and leveled it with Oscar. "This is Han'ei. Let them feel the bite of your blade with two swift slices!" Faster than Oscar could track, the Old Man sliced the air twice. The wind generated from the blade buffeted him and blew his hair backwards. When the wind subsided, the old man sheathed is blade and pointed to the tree.

"Fell my tree, young one. Prove you have what it takes to take up the Katana."

[Oscar 0]

Oscar drew his blade and held it stock straight. He looked at the mighty tree and back to his sword. By cutting this tree, he relieved the old man of his duty and also made a pact to take up the blade for the sake of others. Dark clouds began to stretch across the sky. The sound of thunder could be heard in the distance. Oscar closed his eyes and took a deep breath. This was a covenant that wasn’t to be taken lightly. But Oscar had long-since pledged his life to others. Why should the virtual world be any different?

He stepped forward and used Han’ei. The length of his blade bit deep into the trunk of the tree - that wasn’t actually an immortal object after all. He pulled the blade free and used a second slice. Then, he turned his back to the tree and tapped it with the pommel of his blade.

[Oscar 0]

The tree was sliced through about five feet up from the dirt. At Oscar’s tap, the entirety of the tree began to slide down the slope. It started slowly, but then picked up speed until, a moment later, the tree was crashing down to the base of the hill below. Oscar wiped the sap from his blade with his coat and slid the blade back into its scabbard. The Old Man clapped as a tear rolled down his cheek.

“Thank you young one. The years had grown heavy upon my shoulders. But now, for your final test.”

The old man charged forward and sliced at Oscar, who just barely managed to dance out of the way. He drew his blade and parried the next blow. It was all he could to do keep up with the man’s onslaught. They locked blades and, owing to his youth, Oscar was able to overpower him in the clash. The two leaped back from one another.

“Your next test is to defeat me!”

[Oscar 0]

Despite his old age, the man was fast. It was almost like he was fighting multiple enemies at once. Trying to block from all angles was making his health bar tank like a lead weight in water. But then, he remembered something. The First Art. <<Tsumuji Gurama>> was a spinning slice that hit in a circle around him. The perfect maneuver for this situation. Oscar spun in place, slicing in a wide area around him. He felt his blade bite something and the Old Man hopped back.

“Good! Remember your training, pupil.”

Remember my training.

Using the Katana Sword Arts appeared to be the trick to defeating the NPC. He seemed programmed to defend against basic attacks, but not Sword Arts. That gave Oscar an idea. Rain began to fall as their battle continued. Lightning lit up the sky as the two of them circled one another. On the next clap of thunder, Oscar would move.

[Oscar 0]

 

There was a flash of lightning. The light glinted off of the edge of Oscar’s blade. The rain soaked the ground beneath his feet, turning it into an earthy slurry of dirt and water. Something not quite mud, but definitely not dirt anymore. A loud thunderclap reverberated through the air. At that moment, Oscar advanced. His blade glowed a bright pink, casting a rose-colored light over the darkened ground as he dipped the blade down low and brought it back up with great speed and strength. The Old Man smiled as he was knocked skyward by the blow.

He remained relaxed as he ascended and reached his apex. Then, he crashed back down to the ground rather unceremoniously. <<Ukifune>> had done its job and stunned the old man, leaving him absolutely defenseless. His next move was obvious and the old man had a look of resigned acceptance on his face.

[Oscar 0]

Oscar stepped forward, his blade glowing pink again. His blade dipped low and he brought it up, slicing with the full length of his blade. Then, he brought it back down, again dealing a full-length slice to the old man. He sliced him from hip to neck and then neck to hip on the opposite side, carving an X into his chest. His initial strike was punctuated by a bolt of lightning, the second by a clap of thunder. The old man fell backwards and groaned.

“Come closer, my pupil,” he said so softly that Oscar could barely hear him over the wind and rain. Oscar sheathed his blade and rushed to his teacher’s side.

“You have defeated me, my pupil. You’ve proven yourself worthy to take up my torch. I can pass on with no regrets. Your final test, young one, is to plant a new tree. When you grow old like I have, you must present this same trial to your successor.”

Edited August 4, 2019 by Oscar

[Oscar 0]

 

“Place this seed on the stump of the old one. Quickly now, before I expire. I want to see your tree before I go.”

Oscar took the <<Bloodstained Seed>> from the old man and placed it in a small indentation in the stump. The half of the tree at the bottom of the hill shattered. The polygonal fractals danced in the air for a moment before surging back up the hill. They each moved into place, the mirror-like shards forming the shape of a tree. With a flash of light, they all connected at once and reconstituted a new tree. It was a carbon copy tree from the old one, pink blossoms and all. The old man had a smile on his face and beckoned Oscar to his side again. Oscar rushed over and listened to the man coughing as fluid filled his lungs. He gazed up in awe at the tree before turning his gaze to Oscar again.

[Oscar 0]

“I have now set you upon the path of the Katana. Know that where you travel, so does justice and mercy for the weak. And if you should encounter God on your journey, God will be cut.”

With that, the man expired. He burst into a storm of fractal polygons that scattered upon the wind. Oscar looked up at the tree and took in all that he had experienced from the ordeal. Kayaba might have been an absolute madman, but he knew how to write quest dialogue, Oscar would give him that. He thought back to the Old Man’s last words with a smile. That smile then turned to one of confusion. He clicked his tongue and looked back to where the old man had lay.

“Did he just quote Kill Bill?”

Oscar took that back. Kayaba was a madman who knew how to write quest dialogue AND had good taste in movies.

[Oscar 0]

Oscar decided that he wanted to gather some materials before heading back. The monsters in this area were stronger, so he wasn’t about to fight them with his pitiful 2 DMG. Instead, he elected to find materials out in the field. He searched high and low, looking for materials and he finally found a glowing spot on the ground. He pressed his hand to it, his fingers dancing across the panel as the gathering progress bar slowly ticked up.

It was basic gathering, but it excited him every time he did it. He could turn this into just about anything. Or help other players out. The possibilities were endless. The progress bar filled and a material was placed in his pack. Oscar whistled a tune and continued onwards. It was nice to get out and walk sometimes. Indeed, all you really needed was brisk jaunt through the wilderness to truly settle the nerves.

Spoiler

Oscar HP: 80 | EN: 8 | DMG: 2 | ACC: 2 | MIT: 18 | EVA: 3 | ID: 120826

Oscar attempts to gather items. LD: 20. Found 1 T1 Gathering Material.

 

Edited August 5, 2019 by Oscar

[Oscar 0]

The storm had cleared up and the sun was shining again. The gathering nodes should be easier to spot in the sunlight. But where everything was coated with dew, it was hard for him to tell the difference between bloom lighting and an actual gathering spot. He was, however, quite impressed by the attention to detail. The freshly-rained-upon grass looked almost exactly as it would in the real world. Oscar would have been fooled if it wasn’t so perfect. He searched high and low, but despite his best effort, he was just having too much trouble differentiating between wet grass and a gathering spot.

He didn’t let that get him down though. At the very least, he was having a nice walk. He couldn’t ask for too much more than that. Indeed, the crafting materials would simply be a bonus. Oscar really just required some time to walk and clear his head. That quest had been rather heavy.

Spoiler

Oscar HP: 80 | EN: 8 | DMG: 2 | ACC: 2 | MIT: 18 | EVA: 3 | ID: 120827

Oscar attempts to gather materials. LD: 10 Nothing found.

Edited August 5, 2019 by Oscar

[Oscar 0]

Oscar’s stroll continued! The rain was beginning to dry, but it didn’t help much on his quest for materials. This scenery reminded him of the ranch. Except for all the boars grazing across the landscape, he dealt mostly with cows. At times, he would have preferred swine to cattle. They’re less high maintenance. Just feed em scraps and give em some mud and they’re good to go. But Cattle required grooming, tagging. Lots of open space for them to graze. Then, when it was breeding time, you had to… Yeah cows were pretty gross.

But now that he thought about it, pigs were even more gross. And more dangerous. Once a cow was at ease around you, it would relax and wasn’t much of a threat most of the time. But if you fall into a pig pen you better get out quick or else you’ll get eaten. After some thought, Oscar decided that he definitely wouldn’t trade cows for pigs. He stopped and tried to look around for materials, but couldn’t find anything. So he continued on.

Spoiler

Oscar HP: 80 | EN: 8 | DMG: 2 | ACC: 2 | MIT: 18 | EVA: 3 | ID: 120828

Oscar attempts to gather materials. LD: 13 Nothing found.

Edited August 5, 2019 by Oscar

[Oscar 0]

He was beginning to get a little too far away from town. So he backtracked, enjoying the scenery he had already seen but for a second time. The entire way back, he was scanning for monsters so that he could give them a wide berth. He was pretty confident that he could deal with any possible threats, but the fight would just take so terribly long he’d probably die of boredom. While he tried to look out for goblins or boars, he also scanned the area for any gathering materials.

He didn’t find anything, but he didn’t let it get him down. Oscar stopped for a moment when he reached the tree on the hill again, taking a beat to relive the quest in his head. It had been such an emotional rollercoaster. The storyline had been enjoyable to play and the integration with game mechanics was spot-on. Oscar almost wished it could do it again.

Spoiler

Oscar HP: 80 | EN: 8 | DMG: 2 | ACC: 2 | MIT: 18 | EVA: 3 | ID: 120829

Oscar attempts to gather materials. LD: 4 Nothing found.

Edited August 5, 2019 by Oscar

[Oscar 0]

Oscar had left the tree behind and started the last leg of his journey. On the way, he made sure not to get into any combat with boars. He really didn’t want to fight anything right now. He just wanted to get back to town, have a meal, and get some rest. It had been an emotionally-stressful day. Just outside the gate, Oscar saw a glowing spot. He placed his hand on it and drummed his fingertips against the wall as the progress bar filled up.

One T1 Crafting Material was deposited into his inventory and Oscar strolled through the gate. He walked the city streets with his vanity Katana on his back, sparking looks of interest from some of the players who had been holed up inside the city. Oscar flashed the ones who looked at the new weapon in awe a smile and headed for the nearest Inn.

Spoiler

Oscar HP: 80 | EN: 8 | DMG: 2 | ACC: 2 | MIT: 18 | EVA: 3 | ID: 120830

Oscar attempts to gather materials. LD: 19 Obtain 1 T1 Crafting Material.

Edited August 5, 2019 by Oscar

[Oscar 0]

Oscar arrived at the inn and sat down at his usual table. Most people were out fighting on the upper floors, so the Inn here in the Town of Beginnings was rather empty. But he liked it that way. It meant prompt service and there were always vacancies in the rooms above the tavern. He ordered a flagon of mead and roast duck from the ordering panel and patiently waited for his food to arrive. When it did, he tucked in and quickly devoured all of the food before him. Then, he chugged the mead and let out a small belch, earning him a sharp stare from the one or two other patrons in the Inn. He then slapped some Col on the counter and headed upstairs for the night. He set his katana by the door and flopped down on the bed. Minutes later, he was out like a light.