[F01 - SP] <<Earning a Living: Merchant>>

[Jackpot 0]

Spoiler

Stats
Level: 1
HP: 20
EN: 2
DMG: 4
LD: 3

Skills
- One-Handed Curved Sword (Rank 1)
>>> +1 DMG

Equipment
- Crescent Elegy (T1 Rare Curved Sword)
>>> +2 DMG

- Gloves of Caerus (T1 Perfect Clothing)
>>> +3 LD

"Hey you wanna learn how to cheat the sy- I mean make good sales? Follow me."

Well, don't mind if I do, Jackpot thought to himself as he followed along behind the mysterious youth who had abruptly accosted him. He had felt at a loss ever since getting trapped in this game, his usual tricks and trades going unanswered. He wondered how the business was going on the outside. He wondered how his family was doing on the outside. In the end, they would be fine - he had taught them everything he knew. But he couldn't help but worry, at least a little bit.

It did feel weird following a kid around, though. What would passersby think? Luckily, they weren't outside for long, swiftly scurrying into an impossibly small shop tucked behind a much bigger inn. Had jackpot not been shown the place, he never would have guessed it existed at all. The boy led him into a back room, which looked like an absolute disaster. Various weapons, armors, trinkets, and more laid strewn about with wild abandon, their collective value surely astronomical.

[Jackpot 0]

"If you really want to learn how to be a Merchant, you have to be crafty and smart for this," the boy remarked, turning back to regard Jackpot. 

"No worries there, kiddo. This ain't my first trip around the sun. I've actually got quite a bit of experience with things like this - and I gotta say, you've got a sweet operation running here," Jackpot chortled, looking around with a grin on his face. The boy simply nodded in understanding.

"You best know what you are doing. I'll show you how to identify an it- No! I'm all out!" the kid exclaimed before pouting a bit. Suddenly he didn't seem as mature as he had only moments before. "Go get me some more, around 3, so I can show you how to do this." 

Oh-ho-ho, so the kid was issuing commands now, was he? Whatever. Jackpot was interested in what this boy had to say, and what he could offer in terms of knowledge about this world, so he obliged.

"Don't worry, 'Billy,'" he began with a snicker, poking fun at the NPC's name tag. "I'll get my hands on some items for you."

[Jackpot 0]

Quite an interesting turn of events. Jackpot hadn't expected to be heading into the fields to get his hands on some items, but it wasn't a bad way to spend the day. Get some loot, learn a new skill. It was all gravy, as far as he was concerned. With enough luck, maybe he could open his own shop and spend the rest of his days trapped within the game toiling away within its walls and avoiding danger at all costs. It wouldn't be that different from the real world, after all. 

But here within the floating castle Aincrad, rarely were things so simple immediately upon entering the plains, he was accosted by a random boar, which huffed and puffed and... died instantly, as soon as Jackpot's blade carved into it. "Wow, what a letdown," he mused with an irritated tone, sheathing his curved sword. A loot panel populated, displaying one of the items he had been tasked with finding. That was a plus, at least.

Spoiler

Encounter: Boar
HP: 10 | DMG: 3 

Spoiler

Jackpot: HP: 20/20 | EN: 2-2=0/2 | DMG: 4 | LD: 3

Jackpot used [x2] Rage Blow, -2 EN

Boar: HP: 10-10=0/10 | DMG: 3 | ID: 124840 | BD: 9, Crit for 5x2=10 DMG | Boar defeated

Looting:
Boar
ID: 124841
LD: 9+3=12 / CD: 12
70 col
(2) T1 Materials
(1) T1 Rare Armor [ID: 124841]

 

Edited October 2, 2019 by Jackpot

[Jackpot 0]

And then, not but a moment later, he noticed a glint out of the corner of his eye. Over yonder, sitting idly beneath a nearby tree, was a shield. He had to blink when he first laid eyes on it. It didn't look like anything too special, Uncommon in quality at best. But still, it was there. In plain sight. For all to see. Jackpot had never seen anything like this before. Perhaps it was unique to the quest he was participating in?

Regardless, he jaunted over to the stray piece of equipment and scooped it up, stashing it in his inventory while looking around warily. It was still strange to him that nobody had picked it up, and he doubted he would ever find a piece of equipment just lying there for the taking again in his entire Aincrad career. It was best to take what he could get, give nothing back, and continue along as though nothing had happened.
 

Spoiler

ID: 124842
LD: 3+3=6 | CD: 9
T1 Uncommon Shield acquired

 

Edited October 2, 2019 by Jackpot

[Jackpot 0]

And wouldn't you know it? Another, more rare looking shield sat against the tree on the opposite side. Jackpot cast a perplexed glance around the surrounding area looking for anyone else who might be seeing what he was looking at. No such luck. "What in the world..?" he questioned as he picked up the second shield, giving it a scrutinizing look before tucking it away in his inventory. It looked rare, but things were rarely what they seemed in this world.

After scanning around the area a bit more, he didn't see any other pieces of equipment scattered around. Which was slightly disappointing. Free loot wasn't something that Jackpot made a habit of turning his nose up at. Even if it was the most basic item out there, it had value and was free. There was something to be said about that.

But he needed to find another item, and time was running out. Well, kind of.
 

Spoiler

ID: 124843
LD: 9+3=12 | CD: 7
T1 Rare Shield acquired

 

[Jackpot 0]

Out of absolutely nowhere, a boar came rushing around the bend toward Jackpot. He nimbly leapt out of the way, landing on his hind quarters as he lost his balance stumbling backward. He scrambled back to his feet, unsheathing his sword and pouring his energy into it. A moment later, he let loose a slash, opening up a gridded crimson wound on the creature's hide. I squealed and doubled back, putting some distance between itself and its attacker before assuming a defensive stance.

Odd. He had killed the first one in a single blow. This one, however, had managed to cling to life, albeit barely. "Ahh, so you must be the alpha around here, ey?" he chortled with a snide grin, resting the blunt side of his blade against his shoulder. "Betcha think you're real tough, then. We'll see about that. One more cut from this bad boy and you'll be bacon."

The boar didn't respond, because it was a boar.

Spoiler

Encounter: Boar
HP: 10 | DMG: 3 | ACC: 3 | EVA: -3

Spoiler

Jackpot: HP: 20/20 | EN: 2-2=0/2 | DMG: 4 | LD: 3

Jackpot used [x2] Rage Blow, -2 EN

Boar: HP: 10-8=2/10 | DMG: 3 | ACC: 3 | EVA: -3 | ID: 124879 | BD: 6+3=9, Hit for 4x2=8 DMG | MD: 2+3=5, Miss

 

[Jackpot 0]

Whatever. Jackpot knew boars didn't talk. But he had also known until just a few minutes ago that shields didn't just randomly appear underneath trees. That being said, it wasn't like he needed the boar to talk to him, or even wanted it to. Well, maybe he did, just a little bit. He was so lonely. And a talking boar was the kind of thing that could cheer anyone up. Not only because it would be hilarious, but because he was sure he could make some money off of it. No such luck with this boar, it seemed.

So he killed it instead. All it took was one swing and the carving of his blade between air and flesh alike. Its sharp sting was met with little to no resistance, and the boar shattered into countless azure fractals in an instant. The loot panel that generated afterward was a sight to behold - perfect gear!
 

Spoiler

Jackpot: HP: 20/20 | EN: 0+1-1=0/2 | DMG: 4 | LD: 3

Jackpot used [x1] Basic Attack, -1 EN

Boar: HP: 2-4=0/10 | DMG: 3 | ACC: 3 | EVA: -3 | ID: 124880 | BD: 3+3=6, Hit for 4 DMG | Boar defeated

Looting:
Boar
ID: 124881
LD: 18+3=21 / CD: 6
70 col
(1) T1 Perfect Armor [ID: 124881A]
(2) T1 Perfect Consumables [ID: 124881B, ID: 124881C]

 

[Jackpot 0]

And then, as luck would have it, he stumbled upon yet another piece of mysteriously placed gear. This time it was just sitting in the middle of the path, and he actually watched a pair of travelers walk on it instead of around it. It had to just be a part of the quest. There was no reasonable explanation for something like this just lying in the middle of the street, and then for people to ignore it so flippantly. It was clear that only he could see these things lying about.

The good news was that that meant he wasn't going insane. At least, so he hoped. The bad news was that an opportunity like this would never, ever present itself again. He would never again just see loot propped up against a tree. Or lying in the middle of the road. No, from now on, he would need to work for it. How revolting. He would much rather just find things without putting in the effort for as long as he continued to remain in Aincrad.
 

Spoiler

ID: 124882
LD: 14+3=17 | CD: 6
T1 Rare Armor acquired

 

Edited October 2, 2019 by Jackpot

[Jackpot 0]

Curses. The only work he truly enjoyed was swindling people. Er, selling things. Yeah, being a salesman. That was it. He would never intentionally rip people off, that was for sure. Never had, never would. Totally.

Yeah. Totally.

Truthfully, it wasn't like he would ever do it unless he absolutely needed to. Like if his livelihood was on the line, or his life or the lives of his family, perhaps. That's the only situation in which he would swindle someone out of their hard earned cash.

Yes. Indeed.

Well, and maybe if the customer was rude to him for no reason. Then they deserved it. It wasn't like salesmen had an easy going - sales was hard work, even if it didn't seem like it. If someone wanted to disrespect him because he was on the clock, it was what they got for being so rude.

Uh huh. Yeah.

Nah, he genuinely enjoyed ripping people off. 

[Jackpot 0]

Perhaps that meant that being a salesman was the best profession for him. Yeah! It had worked out well for him in the real world. He had really made a name for himself out there. He had pulled himself up by his bootstraps, dusted himself off, taking a deep breath of air and-

Holy crap. 

What was that? Before Jackpot knew it, he was laying on the ground, knocked over so rapidly that he didn't even have time to realize what was happening to him. It was a boar, of course. It had come out of nowhere, as they do, and rammed its skull into his legs, sending him toppling over before he had a chance to react. It hadn't hurt, per se, considering that Sword Art Online had pain dampeners for this sort of thing. But it was definitely jarring, to the point that he had been holding his breath without even having realized it.
 

Spoiler

Encounter: Boar
HP: 10 | DMG: 3 | ACC: 3 | EVA: -3

Spoiler

Jackpot: HP: 20-4=16/20 | EN: 2-2=0/2 | DMG: 4 | LD: 3

Jackpot used [x2] Rage Blow, -2 EN

Boar: HP: 10/10 | DMG: 3 | ACC: 3 | EVA: -3 | ID: 124883 | BD: 2+3=5, Miss | MD: 9, Crit for 4 DMG

 

Edited October 2, 2019 by Jackpot

[Jackpot 0]

After he released the breath that he had been holding in, he quickly hopped back up to his feet - only to get clobbered by the boar all over again. It rammed into his legs and sent him spinning in place, practically levitating above the ground for a split second before face planting right into it. With a grumble, he stood again for a second time, brandishing his weapon and regarding the creature with scorn.

"That was extremely rude. If you were a customer, you'd be the sort that I would swindle. With a smile on my face," he spat, eyes narrowing as he prepared a combat stance. "Who knows? I might even be selling you, depending upon where I worked. As bacon, ham, speck in a hot dog. Who knows?" He giggled to himself a bit before lurching forward, his blade swishing through the air gracefully before slicing into the boar's thick hide.
 

Spoiler

Jackpot: HP: 16-4=12/20 | EN: 0+1-1=0/2 | DMG: 4 | LD: 3

Jackpot used [x1] Basic Attack, -1 EN

Boar: HP: 10-4=6/10 | DMG: 3 | ACC: 3 | EVA: -3 | ID: 124884 | BD: 5+3=8, Hit for 4 DMG | MD: 9, Crit for 4 DMG

 

Edited October 2, 2019 by Jackpot

[Jackpot 0]

The board didn't like this, of course. It began squealing and stomping around violently, thrusting its snout into the air and running around in circles like a four year old with a frappuccino. There was a comical quality to it all, with an energy akin to a grown man throwing a loud hissy fit in a McDonald's because his Happy Meal didn't have the toy he wanted. Moments like those, and these, were what Jackpot lived for. He couldn't help it when the edges of his mouth began to curl upward.

When it ran toward Jackpot for another pass, he didn't even try to move out of the way. He simply braced for impact, took the hit, and immediately counter attacked with a slash from his curved sword. Immediately, the boar shrieked and backed away, continuing to run circles just as it had moments before. All Jackpot could do was stand back and laugh.
 

Spoiler

Jackpot: HP: 12-3=9/20 | EN: 0+1-1=0/2 | DMG: 4 | LD: 3

Jackpot used [x1] Basic Attack, -1 EN

Boar: HP: 6-4=2/10 | DMG: 3 | ACC: 3 | EVA: -3 | ID: 124885 | BD: 8, Hit for 4 DMG | MD: 8, Hit for 3 DMG

 

Edited October 2, 2019 by Jackpot

[Jackpot 0]

But, as with all good things, this, too, was destined to come to an end eventually. It was a shame, really. Jackpot could have stood there and watched the little pig run circles for hours. But the sun was going to be going down soon, and he wanted to get back to Billy with the items he had procured before running into something more fearsome in the dark. He had enough trouble fighting in the daylight - the idea of trying to hit something in the dark was legitimately terrifying.

And so he sliced into it with his blade, and it erupted into a shower of azure polygonal fractals before his very eyes. The loot panel that populated absolutely blew jackpot away. Three Perfects. In a single mob. No wonder it had given him so much trouble. Well worth the effort, in the end. If every mob that put up a small struggle like that gave loot as good, he would have almost thought about taking up a business as a hunter.
 

Spoiler

Jackpot: HP: 9/20 | EN: 0+1-1=0/2 | DMG: 4 | LD: 3

Jackpot used [x1] Basic Attack, -1 EN

Boar: HP: 2-6=0/10 | DMG: 3 | ACC: 3 | EVA: -3 | ID: 124886 | BD: 10, Crit for 6 DMG | Boar defeated

Looting:
Boar
ID: 124887
LD: 20+3=23 / CD: 7
50 col
(2) T1 Materials
(1) T1 Perfect Armor/Shield [ID: 124887A]
(2) T1 Perfect Weapons [ID: 124887B, ID: 124887C]

 

Edited October 2, 2019 by Jackpot

[Jackpot 0]

Without wanting to drag things out any longer, he adjusted course and began walking back toward the Town of Beginnings, eager to get back to Billy with his finds and get to identifying. He decided that he was only going to share with Billy the items that he had found laying around, rather than the ones he had gotten from looting mobs. Those seemed to be more valuable, and he would wait until he had a space of his own so he could identify them and keep them all for himself. Sharing them with a kid just seemed foolish more than anything.

But gleaning whatever experience he could from the child didn't sound like a wasted effort. The items had been easy enough to find, after all. Now all he had to do was learn how to identify them, presumably leave a couple with Billy, and then go about his business doing practically whatever he pleased and making as much money as physically possible. It didn't really need to be any more complicated than that.

[Jackpot 0]

He entered through the gates on the outer walls of the Town of Beginnings just in time. Dusk had finally settled upon Aincrad, and who knew what sorts of creepers and crawlies were beyond the edge of town now. In the Safe Zone, he needn't worry about things such as these. It was fortunate that such spaces existed. He couldn't imagine what he would do if suddenly the Safe Zone was turned off and a dragon descended upon the city, or something like that. He would probably scream like a little girl, throw himself to the ground, play dead and hope for the best. He'd probably die anyways, like the coward he was.

But that wasn't going to happen, so all was well. 

It took him a bit, considering the town was absolutely massive, but eventually he managed to make his way back to the exterior of the inn he had been passing by earlier when Billy accosted him.

[Jackpot 0]

With a deep breath, he readied himself and opened the door, sauntering through the shop and into the back room where Billy was waiting for him.

"Oh? Took you long enough, You get the stuff?" the kid inquired crudely, eyeing Jackpot with a scrutinizing scowl.

"Yep, found these three right here," Jackpot chirped as he produced the two shields and an armor piece, setting them on the table in front of Billy. The youth's eyes lit up as he examined the treasure, but the light was fleeting. He regarded Jackpot with the same scrutiny as before, seemingly putting his bargaining cap on.

"So here's the deal. I teach you how to identify items, you identify all three of these, and I'll let you keep whichever one out of the three that you want. We got a deal?"

Jackpot rolled his eyes at the offer. He had been expecting as much, but still found it patronizing to be treated like a noob in this industry. After a moment, he simply nodded. "You've kinda got me over a barrel here, so sure."

[Jackpot 0]

"Alright then, it's a deal. So here's what you do..." Billy leaned in close and started showing Jackpot the various things to look for in a piece of equipment to determine what sorts of qualities it had. As it turned out, this shield was indeed unremarkable in practically every way, and only uncommon in quality. Jackpot had been right all along, which seemed to speak volumes for his aptitude for this sort of work.

After identifying the quality of the item, Billy tasked Jackpot with uncovering the truth of its enhancement, using only the tools around the shop and the knowledge he had bestowed upon the violet haired goofball. And so Jackpot grabbed a nearby magnifying glass and scrutinized the piece, inevitably coming to the conclusion that it was a Recovery piece. "Looks like Recovery One, if I'm not mistaken," Jackpot said smugly, looking back to the boy expectantly as though waiting for his reaction.
 

Spoiler

Name: Recovery Shield
Your Profession: Merchant
Your Rank: 1
Acquisition Roll ID: 124842
Identification Roll ID: 124888
Roll Result: LD2
Item Type: Shield
Tier: 1
Quality: Uncommon
Enhancements: Recovery 1
Description: "A basic, lightweight shield that makes it easy to maneuver."
Post Link: http://www.sao-rpg.com/topic/18208-f01-sp/?do=findComment&amp;comment=582790

 

Edited October 2, 2019 by Jackpot

[Jackpot 0]

"Heh. Bout time you figured it out. Yes, that's a Recovery One shield. Now let's check out the next one," the child snickered, moving the first shield out of the way and plopping the second shield onto the table in front of Jackpot. Once again, he surveyed the shield, looking at its various lines and grooves until realized... it was another Recovery shield. Pure Recovery. What were the chances?

"I think it's... Recovery Two? Can that really be right?" Jackpot inquired honestly, turning back toward Billy.

"Yup. Bad luck, friendo. I don't think I've ever seen someone identify three Recovery enhancements in a row. You might be 'good' at this, but your luck sure is horrible. You sure you want to be a Merchant?"

"Of course I do. This is definitely what I'm good at, you'll see. Everyone has bad streaks like this eventually," Jackpot shot back, gritting his teeth and shoving the second shield aside.
 

Spoiler

Name: Recovery Shield the Second
Your Profession: Merchant
Your Rank: 1
Acquisition Roll ID: 124843
Identification Roll ID:
124889 | LD1
124890 | LD2
Item Type: Shield
Tier: 1
Quality: Rare
Enhancements: Recovery 2
Description: "A slightly less basic, lightweight shield that makes it easy to maneuver."
Post Link: http://www.sao-rpg.com/topic/18208-f01-sp/?do=findComment&amp;comment=582791

 

 

Edited October 2, 2019 by Jackpot

[Jackpot 0]

He then procured the armor he had found in the street earlier that day. From the looks of it, it seemed to be Light Armor. A swift investigation into its enhancements revealed that it was yet another double - but actually a good one. "Seems to me this one is a double Evasion enhancement. Pretty good for something I picked up in the road, right?" Billy's silence confirmed it. They both knew that the Light Armor was the superior equipment out of the lot. "I'll take that as a yes. You can keep the shields, I'll be walking our of here with the armor."

He hastily snatched up the article and stashed it in his inventory, casting a glance Billy's way. The child looked almost dejected. "Sorry kid, better luck next time. Guess this means we'll be in competition from now on, huh? You'll come to regret that later." With a snide grin, Jackpot offered the youth a wink before walking out of the shop.
 

Spoiler

Name: Robes of Robe-y Robeness
Your Profession: Merchant
Your Rank: 1
Acquisition Roll ID: 124882
Identification Roll ID:
124891 | LD12
124892 | LD13
Item Type: Light Armor
Tier: 1
Quality: Rare
Enhancements: 2 EVA
Description: "Light armor designed to make the wearer more elusive."
Post Link: http://www.sao-rpg.com/topic/18208-f01-sp/?do=findComment&amp;comment=582792

 

 

[Jackpot 0]

Now that was how you had a good day. Jackpot never would have believed when he woke up that later in the day he would learn how to identify items and become a full blown Merchant. Life was weird like that. He wondered if Billy would end up hating him later on, due to how much business he was sure to steal from the little runt? Ah, well. Perhaps the kid would look at this as a learning opportunity and grow from it. Or maybe he would give up the profession and just let Jackpot steal all of his customers. The latter definitely seemed like the superior alternative.

But for now, he was tasked with finding a place to sleep. That spot on the bench seemed nice. Without a house of his own and unwilling to pay money to the inns, Jackpot had resorted to finding spots in Safe Zones to catch a snooze. Perhaps once he opened up his shop, he could install a loft of some sort and simply sleep there instead. But for now, the bench was the solution.