[F01/21-PP] Working the Fields <<Nature's Treasures>>

[Snow 0]

Spoiler

 ID# 148276: || BD 3 || CD 12 || LD 3 || MD 3 ||

No Materials Found

Stats:
Level: 9
|| HP: 180 || EN: 18 ||
|| DMG: 5 || ACC: 1 || MIT: 35 || THN: 9 || RGN: 10 || BLD: 12/8-10 || 
|| Sif's Needle [+1ACC] [+2BLD] || Freya's Spite [+18MIT] [+9THN] || Gwendolyn's Wings [+9MIT] [+10RGN] ||
Using 1/5 Yui's Grace

 

Snow tugged at the straps of her armor. Her proficiency with heavy armor helped with the discomfort of wearing bulky plate on top of thick cloth and mesh, but still felt far less comfortable than casual attire. Yet, outside the city walls, such simple clothes meant asking for misfortune. Comfort aside, Snow needed some materials for her restaurant and a new <<Garden>> she heard of from local players boasted better odds of bringing home a decent haul.

The garden was located to the northwest of the Town of Beginnings. A small farmer's ranch stood in the middle of a large, flat plain. To the west, a small ridge line of rocky hills parted it from thick forest and monster infested hunting grounds. To the east, a placid lake of clear blue water reflected the sunlight that peered through the gap of Aincrad's floors. Lastly, to the south East, just off the path, a large public garden spanned outside the fence to the ranch. NPCs stood just outside in typical serf attire and talked among themselves while several players and NPCs alike stood between rows of varying vegetables, plants, herbs, and flowers. 

From her inventory, Snow summoned a small basket to her arm and removed the helmet of her <<Freya's Spite>> armor set. The freedom of long blonde locks from the helmet in the cool breeze took the stiffness right out of her shoulders. She took a breath and started down one of many rows in search for something she might find useful in her sushi restaurant. 

Edited May 18, 2020 by Snow

[Shield 0]

Shield

Spoiler

» Shield, The Immovable Object

• Modified HP:
• Modified EN:
• Modified MIT:
• Modified ACC:
• Modified DMG:
• Modified EVA:
• Battle Heal:
• Search: +1 [Yamata No Orochi Statue]
• Temp Buff:
• Temp Buff:
• Temp Buff:

» Base Stats

• Base HP: 1850
• Base EN: 176
• Base MIT: 181
• Base ACC: 0
• Base DMG: 2
• Base EVA: -1
• Battle Heal: 92 HP
• Search: +9

» Items Equipped:

• Manticore Mask - T3 Perfect Shield - Flame Aura I / Taunt / Mitigation I
• Seeking Aura - T1 Perfect Trinket - Loot Die III
• Blessed Greaves - T3 Demonic Heavy Armor - Mitigation II / Holy Blessing II
• Wedding Ring [+18 MIT]
• Hammerspace Backpack (HB) +1 BR item (allows stacks up to 7)

» Battle-Ready Inventory:

• Golden  Keys ^x7 | Unique Item | +2 Search on Chests
• Basic Teleportation Crystal ^x4 | Good Item | Teleports player to the Town of Beginnings
• Safeguard Potion ^x3 | Perfect Tier 1 | Safeguard
   

» Skills:

• Searching | 5 Ranks | +5 Bonus to LD, +5 to Stealth Detect
• Battle Healing | 5 Ranks | While in combat, recover 1% per rank (85HP) at the beginning of your turn
• First Aid | 5 Ranks | +4% HP per rank (+20% HP) on Post Action
• Picking | Purchased | +3 LD when opening chests
• Heavy Armor | 5 Rank | +35 Mitigation
• Energize | Purchased |  Restore 8 EN to target
• Block | 5 Ranks | +25 Mitigation
• Howl | Purchased | +2 Hate against each opponent (up to 4)
• Fighting Spirit | Purchased | +1 Hate when using Howl or Focused Howl
• Parry | Purchased | 3 Turn Cooldown | 5 Energy | Reduces incoming damage by 50%
• Fishing | Purchased | Fish for equipment and gain prestige among old men

» Extra Skills:

• Concentration | No Ranks | Gain +1 BD for a single attack | 5 Turn Cooldown
• Familiar Mastery: Healer |  3 Ranks | +135 HP (Does not require post action)
• Martial Arts | 1 Rank | +1 Base Damage per slot with Unarmed Weapons
• Meditation | Purchased | Recover an additional 15 EN on Post Action | 3 Turn Cooldown
• Survival | Purchased |  Increases out of combat health regen to (15xTier) 45 per post

» Mods:

• Athletics: +1 DMG +45 HP
• Focused Howl: +4 Hate against single target on Post Action
• Dismantling: +2 LD when opening chests
• Stone Wall: +Gain 10 MIT and 45 HP from heavy armor. Reduces DOT by 25%. -1 to Evasion.
• Sharpness: Gives target +[Target's Tier] to Base Damage for 2 turns | 1 Turn Cool Down
• Justified Riposte: A successful Parry also stuns the target for 1 turn. | 3 Turn Cool Down
• Vengeful Riposte: A successful Parry returns 50% of DMG back to your opponent - mitigatable. | 3 Turn Cool Down

Roll

Spoiler

ID# 148277 results: Loot: 11+9=20 [2 Materials found]

Total Loot:

T1 Materials: 2

The Town of Beginnings was a difficult hole to fish. While the players there tended to be lower level, which is ideal for recruiting into a leveling guild, it was also full of a lot of players who had already banded together into tight-knit family guilds and the like. Shield pushed a mess of brown hair off of his forehead, sighing as he wandered past the edge of the safe zone into the rich farmland there. There was a slight drag to his step, more out of disappointment than actually being tired. Starting up a guild had its own tasks to manage. Recruiting members was a whole second job on top of that.

A new face stood out among the simply dressed NPC farmers and craftspeople, someone wearing heavy armor, not unlike the kind he once wore then venturing forth from the Town of Beginnings several years earlier. He took a few steps closer, keeping his stance neutral and his hands loose at his sides. "Gathering resources? Are you crafting yourself or exchanging for other crafts?" Shield glanced around at the abundant, open area to see if anything was actively spawning.

As luck would have it, there was a very healthy head of lettuce not too far from his foot. He stooped to pick it from the base, holding it aloft. "Either way, it looks like you're gathering for someone's kitchen. I'm Shield, by the way."

Edited May 25, 2020 by Shield

[Snow 0]

Spoiler

 ID# 148279: || BD 2 || CD 7 || LD 19 || MD 9 ||

+2 Materials~

Total Loot:
2 T1 Materials

Snow knelt down to some cabbage that caught her attention. In Japan, cabbage was a staple. From salads, to spring rolls, wraps, etc. cabbage added a nice crunch and cheap to boot; perfect for starving art students. Two of the heads in front of her looked just perfect for the picking and she swiped a menu to check. Perfect. A few selections and the vegetables vanished from the ground and appeared in her basket.

No sooner had she dismissed the last of the prompts, a deep, male voice spoke out to her. Her blue eyes looked up to the man's messy hair and mature, angular jaw.

"Oh," she caught herself utter. "Uh, for myself."

Snow felt warmth gather in her cheeks. She stood up abruptly and dusted off the dirt from her armored knees.

"I'm Snow." Her accent subtly shone through her few words and she bowed curtly as she became accustomed to in Japan. "Nice to meet you Shield."

Snow looked to the contents of her basket.

"I run a small sushi shop on the fourth floor. I'm almost out of ingredients. So, I'm just looking to restock." She looked back to the tall, dark stranger. "Are you gathering as well?"

Edited May 13, 2020 by Snow

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

Searching for Materials - ID# 148280 results: Loot: 10+9=19 [2 Material found]

Total Loot:

T1 Materials: 4

"A sushi restaurant?" he said, scratching his chin, tilting his jaw to the side as he thought. "Well, if sushi is the name of the game, you're going to need fish. And with a big boss fight coming up, you're likely to be getting a lot of orders from high level players before long, which means high quality ingredients..." He pondered a moment longer before clapping his hands together. "Right. Not that you know me at all, but I've just started putting together a new guild with a few of my fellow front-liners. We call ourselves Jacob's Ladder. One of our biggest goals is to not only prepare players for the front lines, but also to make sure they get the materials they need to be prepared for those fights." He pointed up, towards the sky, or more accurately towards the floor one ceiling. "Up on the twenty first floor, there's a good fishing spot. I happen to have the fishing skill. That's how I do a lot of my own materials gathering to barter with to other crafters."

He opened his hands palm up giving a little shrug. "I suggest you come take a look. It will be far more profitable, and it's a grade A chance to have a front line tank escort you. All I would ask in exchange is for you to listen to me talk about my guild while I fish, and you can make up your own mind if you want to check it out." It was an odd request, and Shield knew that. Shield wondered how Calypso might feel about him offering to escort little blonde girls all over Aincrad, but he knew that she would understand if he explained. As he awaited her answer, he noticed the lettuce at his feet regrowing. He knelt down again to harvest it before standing up and dusting off again.

Edited May 13, 2020 by Shield

[Snow 0]

Spoiler

 ID# 148282: || BD 5 || CD 6 || LD 2 || MD 4 ||
No Materials Found.

Total Loot:
2 T1 Materials

A guild...

Snow's attention focused to the corner of her peripherals where her name and health belonged. Beside it, nothing stood. A faint memory of a white and red shield from the Knights of Blood Oath lingered. While the prospect of premium fish enticed her, the wound of her past guild stung from the fresh salt cast unknowingly upon it. The expression wore on her sleeve.

"Um..." Her tone came soft and low as she hesitated.

I'm not ready. She thought. Helping out front line warriors? People that may have known Daire? What if I grow too attached... What if I lose more of them?

The blonde pondered. Her mind failed to give attention to the growing silence between them. She could only focus on the feeling of tightness in her chest. From her inward reflection, she felt a small lifeline come level to her depths. She took a breath. Snow resolved to leave the first floor and become what she felt she lost: a pillar of support. That form of strength required sacrifice and selflessness.

Her upturned brows lowered, posture straightened, and Snow nodded.

"Yes." The word came from her lips with determination. "Let's go. I could use the materials, and I want to help the front lines."

For Daire. For Opal. For everyone. Snow knew she needed to take big steps to close the gap. She didn't know Shield. She never traveled to the twenty first floor. Everything about this decision made the girl nervous. Despite the overwhelming instincts to stay safe, the girl's grip tightened and her mind committed to her decision.

Edited May 13, 2020 by Snow

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

Searching for Materials - ID# 148283 results: Loot: 14+9=23 [2 Materials found]

Total Loot:

T1 Materials: 6

He knew his request was perhaps unexpected, but he had not expected the full range of emotions that seemed to cross Snow's features. At a certain point, he was almost tempted to call off his request, or at least to remind her that there was no pressure to join the guild, only to listen. However, before he had a chance to back off, she had accepted his offer. He had half a mind to ask if she was sure, but the fact that he had just watched her go from doubt to resolve in such a short span meant that she had weighed her options and made that decision for her own reasons. Questioning that didn't feel right. With a brief nod, Shield gestured towards the town and began leading the way. He snagged a few healthy carrots before stepping away from the garden.

It wasn't a terribly long walk, but he spent the time regaling Snow with the origins of Jacob's Ladder. "So. Things began a while ago with some strife on the front lines, much of which I'm sure you're somewhat familiar with." He recounted briefly the battle with the Dark Elf Council, how players had sympathized with the floor bosses and turned on one another briefly. He described the tank meeting that Baldur had called, where he, Hestia, Calrex, Macradon, and Baldur had discussed potential directions for the front lines and ways to stop divisions going forward. How the discussion about divisions had opened further rifts and how player ended up leaving the front lines for a time.

"Fast forward to now," Shield said, stepping into the teleportation plaza up to the higher floors. "We have two full tanks and one full healer, plus a handful of off-tanks and off-healers... but it's not enough to really run full parties against bosses." He stepped into the teleporter. "Teleport! Tomoika!"

Edited May 13, 2020 by Shield

[Snow 0]

Spoiler

 ID# 148514 results: || BD 5 || CD 7 || LD 4 || MD 4 ||
No Materials Found

Totals:
2 T1 Materials

Snow placed her basket and the two materials she had found into her inventory. As she followed Shield, he elaborated on his guild. When he mentioned strife on the front lines, she remembered reading about some problems Daire complained about on the higher floors. Some of the names mentioned came up in her letters. Snow nodded as he came up to speed and they arrived at the central gate. Shield spoke the key words and light flooded her vision. When it dissipated, the scenery changed completely. For starters, darkness prevailed over light with no sky in sight. Faint glows provided adequate vision inside what looked like a massive cavern. Large, luminous mushrooms hung overhead and buildings were constructed underneath or inside their stems.

”Wow...” snow commented. This was her first time this high.

She turned her attention to the players nearby. The armor and gear they wore seemed much more ornate and lustrous compared to hers. She felt out of place.

”Well, where to Shield?”

Edited May 13, 2020 by Snow

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

Fishing - ID# 148582 results: Craft: 11 [4 Materials found]

Total Loot:

T1 Materials: 6
T3 Materials: 4

"We'll be heading down the mining tunnels to a cavern down deep in the ground," he answered, motioning her to follow before taking off with his typical long-legged gait. "There's an underground lake there that's one of the must lucrative fishing spots I've ever encountered. It was constant traffic during the Easter event, believe me."

As they crossed the rope bridge out of town and passed through the entrance to the mines, Shield continued to regale Snow with what led up to the formation of the guild, discussing his return to the front lines and reuniting with friends. "Baldur and I had aspirations once to create a guild that might unite the front lines. That..." he looked for a better word, but failed to find one. "It backfired. So when we were reunited after all that time, we instead decided that if unity was not an option, at the least, we could strive to fill the gaps the front lines need. Bringing in new players and helping to train them up. Supplying the crafters with materials so that they can get the items made that front liners so desperately need going into those big fights," he said. They turned down another corridor, passing by row upon row of pale, glowing crystals. Shield stopped in front of a cluster, pressing the center most crystal.

The wall beside him slid up and out of sight, opening up into a lake so still and undisturbed, that at first it did not appear to be a lake at all. Its surface perfectly mirrored the stalactites above, making it seem as though it was just a particularly stalagmite-covered section of floor, except for its edges, which were oddly angled and gave away the lake within. "So, that is half of the symbolism behind Jacob's ladder. We are the ladder that bridges the gap between where people and resources are and where they need to be." From his inventory, he summoned out a fishing rod. Casting out into the water, he stood, and he waited.

"I apologize for being so long-winded. But I feel it's a story that needs telling. The players need to understand the real state of the front lines to know how important our work really is." At that, the bobber on the end of his line vanished and his pole bent. The reel spun, which he stopped and began to wind in, bringing in a large, and incredibly fat fish. "About the most tender, fatty, well marbled fish meat you'll find in Aincrad. Compare it to salmon in the real world."

Edited May 25, 2020 by Shield

[Snow 0]

Spoiler

ID# 148783: || BD 10 || CD 3 || LD 8 || MD 3 ||

No Materials Found!
Total:
2 T1 Materials

Snow nodded and followed Shield's lead. The rope bridge and the cavern both made her nervous. In fact, her presence in the wild of the upper floors made her nervous. Yet, with Shield's company, it helped keep her from losing her cool.

He seems nice. Maybe a little too casual, but nice. Snow thought to herself with a stifled giggle.

When they arrived at the underground lake, she couldn't help but feel awe stricken. Placid, clear, and completely serene. Snow deduced that it must also be near some form of lava flow deeper down because the cavern felt several degrees warmer than the underground tunnels prior. It was comfortable. Without much ceremony, Shield cast his line and pulled a beast of a fish from the depths. Snow's lips parted in shock at its size.

"I bet," she agreed to Shield's comment about its quality. Snow couldn't help herself and ran her lithe fingers across its thick scales. Not a single sign of scarring or deformation. There must be plenty of food and no predators for something like this to be common down here.

"Wow. This place is amazing, Shield." Snow turned to the lake and wandered along its shore. Several outcrops of crystals stood and glowed with an eerie light. Mushrooms without stems lined the walls like little sconces and flooded the secluded lake with an array of colored brightness. Too absorbed in its beauty, Snow forgot they were here for ingredients and materials.

She paused. The hand that ran along one of the glowing mushrooms fell to her side and she turned to the older gentleman.

"Tell me more about your guild." The request came with a puzzled look on her face. "Tell me about the front lines."

@Shield

Edited May 14, 2020 by Snow

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

Fishing - ID# 148792 results: Craft: 5 [1 Material found]

Total Loot:

T1 Materials: 6
T3 Materials: 5

"The front lines..." Shield paused, trying to think how to finish the sentence to sum up such a complex situation. "It's full of a lot of very strong-willed individuals. There are a lot of players who are adamant we all get along and work together. There are a few who are contentious and arrogant. There are a number who don't get involved in the politics and just show up for the actual raids." He considered what else might be pertinent to share. There was plenty for him to ramble on about, but he had already done a lot more speaking than he was used to and felt as though he was dominating the conversation.

"As far as Jacob's Ladder... at the moment, we're very small. There are players who act as the pillars, propping up and supporting the other players. That would be myself, Baldur, Oikawa, and Mari. Right now, most of what we do is work on gathering new members who need help leveling." He cast his line out into the waters. Already his previous catch had disturbed the mirror surface. The optical illusion was shattered, as what once appeared to be more floor was now a rippled reflection of the ceiling and its glowing facets and pointed stalactites. "The whole guild hall is built around a dojo that Baldur founded, one dedicated to helping those who have lost their way find redemption." The pole arched forward slightly. Whatever was on the other end was much smaller than the last. Shield reeled it in, producing a much less sizable catch. It flapped on the shore for a moment before seizing and falling still,  surrendering to the air and turning into a fresh cut of pale, white fish meat.

"What about you?" Shield asked, turning the questioning back on Snow. "What has been your experience in SAO?"

Edited May 25, 2020 by Shield

[Snow 0]

Spoiler

ID# 148983: || BD: 3 || CD: 8 || LD: 2 || MD: 4 ||
No materials Found!
Total:
2 T1 Materials

Mari...

The name set off a memory on the fourth floor. It just snowed and she loved the sight of fresh powder on the trees. She noticed a lake just outside of town and when she went to explore it, she met a redhead with an orange marker. Snow played over the conversation they had and how she embarrassed herself. Snow offered to be Mari's pillar since the redhead felt as though all she was good for was supporting others. Mari laughed and Snow felt humiliated. Thinking back, however, she did mention being a part of a guild.

I shouldn't bring that up, Snow thought. So stupid, Alyssa...

"I see," she opted for instead. His question about her current experience was quite loaded. Snow knew she wore her emotions on her sleeve. This new to adventuring, she had yet to learn to steel herself and hide her thoughts.

"It uh... It hasn't been the best? If I'm being honest?" she admitted, trying to keep the more painful details to herself. "There's a lot to learn, and the gap to be useful looks hard to close. Sometimes..."

Snow sighed.

"Sometimes I ask myself, 'Is this really worth it?' There are plenty of people who decided to stay in the starting city and plenty that are up here on floors like this. There's not many--"

Snow held out her arms and did a small spin.

"Not many like this..."

Her hands fell to her sides.

"Well, at least there are nice and helpful people still. If it weren't for them and for you, who knows where I'd be?"

@Shield

Edited May 15, 2020 by Snow

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

Fishing - ID# 148985 results: Craft: 2 [0 Materials found]

Total Loot:

T1 Materials: 6
T3 Materials: 5

"Like this? Like what?" Shield asked, shrugging, his stony features staring back at Snow. "Small? Feminine? Armored?" He was being terse, clearly not convinced of whatever point she was trying to make about herself. "We have plenty of players with any and all of those traits fight successfully on the front lines. The only thing stopping someone from getting there is themselves." He reeled up the extra line that was left after having unhooked his last catch and paused.

"That said, there is plenty that can be done to assist someone who is willing. Other players will run quests with you, help you grind for loot, give you advice on how to build your skills..." Shield pulled back the arm that held his fishing rod and cast out into the water. "We're all in this until we get ourselves out. There's no reason not to be working together to get each other stronger." At the moment, the fish weren't biting. Shield reeled in and cast out to another part of the lake, but at the moment it was proving fairly fruitless.

Edited May 25, 2020 by Shield

[Snow 0]

Spoiler

ID# 148987 results: Battle: 7 Craft: 6 Loot: 11 MOB: 5
1 T3 Material Found!

Totals:
2 T1 Materials
1 T3 Material

Snow scrunched her face to the side, teased at a lock of blonde near her cheek, and sighed. Quietly, she walked up to the lake's rippling edge. The placid waters danced faintly, enough to reflect the various colors of light from around the cavern into a lovely spectacle. She got low and hugged her knees.

"Yeah..." Snow looked at the thin, clear waters of the tapered shore. Fine, crystal sand and smoothed stones looked as though trapped under glass. Not a sign of algae or debris marred her view.

"Maybe I'm just one of those players who isn't willing." Snow reached down into the water and ran her fingers through the silky sand. They caught on something sharp and she pulled back quickly. She stuck her fingers in her mouth out of instinct.

"Ow..." Her brows scrunched and after she realized the damage was merely cosmetic, she went in for the attack. From the shore, she pulled out a rather sizable mollusk in a tightly closed shell. To her, it looked like an oyster or mussel. She gave it a disapproving stare until the marker for an ingredient appeared and she added it to her haul for the day.

Meanwhile, Snow milled over Shield's comments. 

"Were you always willing to fight, Shield?" Snow asked, turning her head to him while remaining perched. 

@Shield

 

Edited May 19, 2020 by Snow

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

Fishing - ID# 148993 results: Craft: 3 [0 Materials found]

Total Loot:

T1 Materials: 6
T3 Materials: 5

"And that's fine," Shield said, his reel clicking slowly as his fingers turned the crank. "We weren't put into this situation by choice. We can't expect everyone to be able to summon the courage to step out onto the front lines," he went on, giving a little shrug. "What we do need though, is some kind of help. Even if all you're doing is crafting. As long as you're putting your all into that, then that's enough."

Shield's pole seemed to bee serving very little purpose at the moment. That was the unfortunate nature of fishing. If nothing is biting, there isn't anything you could do about it. He finished reeling his line back in and cast it back out once again, trying to get his hook to land more centrally in the lake. Out of the corner of his eye, he did notice Snow's finger being 'damaged' by something in the water, though he was not near enough to see until she pulled the shellfish out of the shallows. "Yeah, you gotta watch out for the wildlife. My current familiar is a little kinder, but my last one was a snapping turtle..." Shield shook his head and said under his breath, "bastard used to bite my fingers clean off..." He frowned as he examined his fingers, thankful it was only a video game and that such injuries were not permanent.

He pondered her question for a moment. "I suppose so," he eventually answered. "My friend and I took some time to really get up to speed, but I always knew I'd end up where I was from the start. I don't think that's the case for every front-liner. I think some of them got that choice forced upon them."

Edited May 25, 2020 by Shield

[Snow 0]

Spoiler

ID# 148994: || BD: 4 || CD: 1 || LD: 1 || MD: 9 ||

What he said wasn't wrong. Snow felt glad he didn't judge her. She feared many of the players that risked their lives hated lower level players for their inactivity. That guilt weighed on her every day she lived in the Town of Beginnings. That acceptance from high level players made her feel better about her choices.

"I didn't even do that..." she mumbled as Shield started speaking again. She turned her glance to the water's edge.

Shield's comment about his snapping turtle familiar made her crack a smile but also raise a brow. She turned back to him, head tilted.

"Bit your fingers... off?" She looked at her own hand. She couldn't comprehend losing a finger.

Does that mean I can lost an arm or leg too?!

She pondered the words he spoke. "Forced" stood out to her. Snow didn't really feel forced but technically, Daire's words when she first started her journey sometimes felt like an obligation. Yet, she still resolved to do something about it. In a way, Snow decided to join the fight of her own free will. Her friend only nudged her into action. It only took her life though...

"Yeah, I guess I wasn't forced. Really. I'm just... It's just scary. To go from college classes, homework, affording rent and food to having to fight for your life... I don't know how you all do it but..."

Snow nodded. Her determination showed present on her face.

"I want to figure that out. I think I want to hep others too. I want people like me, who are still scared, to feel safer."

Edited May 15, 2020 by Snow

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

Fishing - ID# 148996 results: Craft: 10 [3 Materials found]

Total Loot:

T1 Materials: 6
T3 Materials: 8

Shield nodded to her puzzlement. "All the way off. There are stories of players who have lost hands or arms fighting monsters. When you get healed, as the hit points are restored, so too are any missing extremities." He was about to make a joke about how losing the head was a little more permanent, but it was a dark joke to be sure and probably not very appropriate.

At that moment, he finally felt a bite. It was a little tug at first as the fish took the bait, and then a pull as it realized it was trapped and tried to free itself. Shield pulled back , setting the hook into the catch so it wouldn't get away before winding the reel, battling against the fish's resistance. Unfortunately for the fish, by now, Shield was an experienced angler, able to take advantage of every pause as the fish would change directions, bringing the unfortunate creature slowly but inevitably back to shore to haul it up out of the water. With a sigh, he let it flop around on the ground until it gave up on life and turned before their eyes into a small pile of fish filets.

He stored the items away in his inventory and straightened up. "Well, I suppose we lived in a privileged time in history," Shield said thoughtfully. "Humans have had to fight for their survival or their freedom for the majority of the time they've been on this planet. Having the expectation that we would never need to do that for any significant amount of time is a rare thing, looking at all of those thousands of years..."

Edited May 25, 2020 by Shield

[Snow 0]

Spoiler

ID# 149014: || BD: 3 || CD: 12 || LD: 17 || MD: 5 ||

• 2 [T3 Materials] Found!

Totals:
2 [T1 Materials]
3 [T3 Materials]

As she thought of losing an arm and having it grow back stirred around in her mind, Snow tilted her head at some movement in the sand. She dipped her hands in the water and began gently moving the sand away. As she did, two brightly crustaceans emerged. No bigger than her thumb, they held their tiny claws out in protest to her probing. They prepared for battle; a battle which quickly ended when Snow struck with pinched fingers right behind their snippers. Several little legs kicked out in the exposed air.

These will work great for ebi dishes. Snow thought.

Their lives ended while Shield spoke, and Snow added them to her inventory for later.

"I guess," Snow replied. She never really considered this kind of archaic survival. Once her parents afforded her trip to Japan, most of her expenses were covered. Snow had everything she needed except for a decent air conditioner in the hot and humid summers. In the republic, her family struggled to meet bills and they often had to stick to the same meals, but even that seemed like a luxury by comparison.

"Nice catch! You look like a natural. Did you ever fish before SAO?"

Snow silently pondered Shield's guild while she waited for his reply. Between Mari and Calrex, she knew three of the guild's members. It reminded her of when she first met Jomei, Mac, and Opal. Maybe Jacob's Ladder was similar to her old guild.

@Shield

Edited May 19, 2020 by Snow

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

Fishing -ID# 149037 results: Craft: 3 [0 Materials found]

Total Loot:

T1 Materials: 6
T3 Materials: 8

"Very occasionally," Shield replied, getting the last of his previous catch squared away. "Never for anything serious. It's just the most effective way a soloing tank has to try to get equipment in the wild." Straightening up, he strode over to a fallen stalagmite. It was like a felled tree, easily a foot across at the base where it had snapped off. With a few more feet, it might have even met the stalactite that was its brother on the ceiling. Now, all it was good for was a sitting stool, which was precisely what Shield liked to use it for. He took a seat and swung his pole back, sending out another cast into the silent lake.

"You have been very quiet about your feelings on the front lines," Shield said, slowly beginning to reel his line in. "You have mentioned perhaps not feeling you have a place there, I suppose, and maybe that is your only answer, but you seem curious enough about it." The steady clicking of his reel called out softly from his pole. The spindle slowly wound up an inch or two of his line at a time as he waited patiently for a fish to mistake the movement for life.

Edited May 25, 2020 by Shield

[Snow 0]

Spoiler

ID# 149038: || BD: 5 || CD: 2 || LD: 17 || MD: 10 ||

+2 [T3 Materials] Found!

Totals:

2 [T1 Materials]
5 [T3 Materials]

Fishing is effective for tanking... Snow committed that tidbit to memory. She had already planned on learning how to fish at one point. She ran a sushi shop after all and had a nice little pond at home.

Snow was quiet about the front lines. She didn't know how to feel. To her, the front lines was a place of turmoil, conflict, and death. Daire always wrote about how exciting it was, how he met so many people and made so many friends. She often spoke of the front lines like they were a family. All families have their ugly ducklings and golden children. Yet, it all seemed foreign to Snow until she left the halfway homes in the Town of Beginnings.

"I'm not sure what to feel, Shield." Snow's ankles and knees began to tire in her squatted stance. She braced and lowered herself onto her rear to get more comfortable on the underground lake's shore. Once settled, she looked over its expanse.

"It took my best friend and another of my friends..." Her words weighed heavily for her, but Snow remembered the horrible things she said to Calrex and his reply. "When I say that, it hurts, but I know that people like you and the others have lost more than just a few people..."

While Snow looked out over the lake, a small, albino crab scampered from behind a rock. She met it with a raised brow and it put up its dukes. Snow cocked her head to the side. It charged and with a finger, Snow booped it from above so it couldn't move. It's claws snipped but couldn't reach her finger. Giving up, it fell slack and a prompt to accept it as cooking materials appeared. Snow tapped accept and the little, feisty crab was no more.

"It's just..." Snow took a breath and leaned back, bracing her weight with both arms. "I'm trying to be brave. To be strong. But I don't know how. I want to be a pillar of support for other players. I want to protect them -- to help make their lives better in here."

She tilted her head back with eyes closed. Why was she just spilling all of this to him? She didn't know the man and he lead her to one of the more dangerous floors to a secret cavern just to fish. Yet, she didn't feel like her life was in danger, nor that she made a bad decision. Her eyes opened and focused on the hundreds of pointy rocks above which took years and years to form.

"I feel like I can't do any of that if I don't even know how to protect myself. I have armor and a weapon I barely know how to fight with, but I still don't feel like I know what I'm doing."

Her head fell toward where the slow click of Shield's reel sounded. Blonde hair spilled over her shoulder as she looked at him.

"The front lines is like a goal that feels just out of reach, but I still want to grab it." Snow reached out an open palm toward him and as her hand covered him, she closed her grasp.

@Shield

Edited May 19, 2020 by Snow

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

Fishing - ID# 149041 results: Craft: 11 [4 Materials found]

Total Loot:

T1 Materials: 6
T3 Materials: 12

"Who said you need to use a weapon on the front lines?" Shield said, giving her an inquisitive look. He reached to his hip and unsheathed his sword, tossing it onto the ground at Snow's feet. It was chipped and battered. it looked as if it was about to snap in half, but it was holding strong together. "Inspect that. See if you can figure out what enhancements I have on that sword."

He cast his line back out into the water and began to slowly reel in once again. There was nothing special about his sword, and he knew that very well. It was a vanity item, something he just used to parry attacks. He could do so with anything. It wouldn't even need to be a sword. As he continued pulling his line back it, something pulled against him once again. And it pulled hard. Shield dug in his heels and reeled as hard as he could. At first, the fish didn't give him any ground at all, but it quickly tired, and he began to pull in the catch. And what a catch it was. Easily as long as his leg and even fatter than the first catch. "Now that's some good sashimi there."

Edited May 25, 2020 by Shield