[F1- PP] <<The first few lessons are free>>

[Valentine 0]

Valentine briskly walked to his destination. Since finding his new lease on life he started to make an effort to get out of the game as soon as possible. When finding his resolve he has decided to work hard to become a front line fighter that pushes the front line to the end of the game. It was unfortunate that while stewing in his pity and sadness his level and skill fell behind. It would mean he would have to try four times harder to be as good as the current player cap. A long but arduous road, the best place to start were with quests that gave a lot of experience which brought him to his current destination.

A short conversation with the NPC Zackariah and Valentine found himself heading to the fields. The place had the ingredients that he needed for the quest. Five herbs were required so he was going to do just that. The field was full of noobs that made Val slightly annoyed, he walked to a more deserted area before he started to look.

 

Spoiler

 

Name: Valentine
Level: 3
HP: 20/20
EN: 6/6

Stats:
Damage: 4
ACC:2

Equipped Gear:
Weapon: <<Tubsir>> ( +2 ACC/2HAS)
Armor: <<Vanity>> ( Light Armor)

 

Items on hand:
 (3) Starter Healing Potions (Heals 50 HP)

 

Skills:
2 Handed Assault Spear [Rank 1]

 

 

[Hael 0]

Hael was a boy without ambitions. A typical day was spent in the company of his two friends, horsing around town. Collectively, their earnings ran dry. There was only so much a pretty penny could stretch, and ultimately, the boy was forced to check the quest list. It led him to a senile old man's shop, a friendly alchemist dubbed Zakariah. The quest was as easy as they came. Find a few herbs, how hard could it be? He fixed his cloak over his head and set forth for the picking ground. His first objective at hand: pick a specific set of herbs for a potion to craft. It seemed... mildly daunting. The boy squinted long and hard at the specifics. They were all strikingly similar, down to the shade. The only thing which distinguished one herb from another was the pattern of the cut. He let out an exasperated sigh.

It was going to be a long day.

Spoiler

Name: Hael
Level: 1
HP: 20/20
EN: 2/2

Stats:
Damage: 1

Equipped Gear:
Weapon:
Armor:
Misc:

Skills:

Extra Skills:

Mods:

Battle Ready Inventory:
Requires Extended Weight Limit 1
Requires Extended Weight Limit 2
Requires Extended Weight Limit 3
Obtained via Item Stash (Housing)
Obtained via Dimensional Backpack

Spoiler

ID: 171170 | VOID. Accidentally rolled on post 1.

 

Edited October 8, 2020 by Hael

[Valentine 0]

Picking herbs was an easy task for himself. The closest one to the provided description was next to the foot of a man, one meter to his right. He walked over to it before plucking it. The game did not care about how it was picked as long as it was. It would become an item in his box as soon as it was done. Valentine looked at the guy that was picking the herbs and gave him a once over. The man was cute in a nicely built way. Val would hardly ever make a move to speak to someone first so he simply started to move away. If Val was in a nicer mood, he would have told the man that both of the plants were not the ones they were looking for, from what he could see. Instead he took his silence with him as he continued to hunt down more plants.

 

ID# 171198      LD: 12

Quest Mats: 1/5

Edited October 8, 2020 by Valentine

[Hael 0]

Hael tousled his mousy locks, and snatched two stems from the earth. He held them up to scrutinize. Were these the ones Zakariah requested? He wracked his mind. Regrettably enough, his short attention span snapped back. He was left to ponder, perhaps gather one of every flora until something clicked. His saving grace, perhaps, could have been a man standing across from him in the field. Tall and stoic, he seemed to go about his own business. Something about him seemed intimidating, but of little concern. Hael would seek his answers lest he go a day on an empty stomach. He was banking on these quest rewards to provide some cash for sustenance.

He cleared his throat and approached the other from a distance. "Hey!" He called out, from afar. "Yanno anything about plants? I'm stumped." He dangled the herbs in mid air. "Look about the same, ain't it?" The boy supposed the extra herbs could garner cash, required or not.

Spoiler

ID: 171199 | LD: 19 | QUEST MAT [ 1/5 ]

 

Edited October 8, 2020 by Hael

[Valentine 0]

Valentine continued to walk for a moment before he noticed he was being spoken to. It was uncommon for people to bother exchanging words with him. It was usually his stony face and serious looking demeanor that acted as a deterrent to others. He took a moment to mentally process what the man was saying before responding. "Just pay more attention to the tips. While they look similar the tips are slightly more round then the others."

 It was all he would say before going back to look. It was not his fault he was not good at conversing with people. He even slightly wondered if he should offer his assistance to the man. Valentine was just unsure how to go about doing that. Should he just watch over him and hope he get it right or just point to some plants to narrow it down for him. He shook his head before looking at a patch that had decent potential.

 

ID# 171200   LD: 3

Quest Mats: 1/5

Edited October 8, 2020 by Valentine

[Hael 0]

The other turned to face him, and Hael swallowed. The addition of eye contact enhanced the man's aura. A quick glance at his cursor read "Valentine". He pondered over the information, short and to the point, but still of little help. He sighed softly and nodded. "Yuup. I'm gonna try." He pulled up his HUD and noticed a clump of the herbs he gathered were listed as generic leaves. Seriously? His eyebrow twitched as he threw a clump of the useless clutter out on the field. He advanced forth, pictures pulled up on his screen. Maybe he was looking in the wrong area?

The browned haired boy squared his shoulders and moved onward, to another side of the patch. The arrangement of leaves changed, subtly so. He was convinced that this quest was a trap. He was lured in to pick leaves, how hard could it be? Until a whole field of them looked all but identical. His attention span begged to differ. He was visibly frustrated.

 

Spoiler

ID: 171308 | LD: 9 (None)| 1/5 QUEST MATS

 

Edited October 8, 2020 by Hael

[Valentine 0]

 Valentine was reminded about a squirrel a bit as he looked on at the other quest taker. It would have been amusing sight that had Val laughing audible if he had the capabilities to do it. Val had a thought about how it was recommended to not play the game alone. He may have generally disliked people but amusement was a good trait to start a friendship on. Still he was rational and chose to send a party request. Depending on how it went with the two of them together he would send a friend request after. It would make it easier for him to avoid working with dead weight.

A plant got Valentines attention before he would even see if the other accepted his party request. It looked like one of the needed herbs for the quest until he came upon closer inspection. This one was one of the plants but a mutation that made it pretty useless.

 

ID# 171311    LD: 10

Edited October 9, 2020 by Valentine

[Hael 0]

He seemed the slightest bit wired by his lonesome and a task which seemed unbearably tedious. He parted his lips to speak, only to be interrupted by a window in his periphery. He skimmed the contents with a doe eyed glance. He had not expected the gesture of kindness, but it was much appreciated. The boy accepted without second thought, a beam overtaking his features. He dropped an herb from his grasp, unbeknownst to him. "Thanks a bunch! I'm dyin' out here."

His gaze trailed off to the side, to a few stems of leaves nestled behind a rock. Curiosity beckoned him towards the source. With a swift tug, he unearthed the last tangible leaf. Excitement bubbled within as he noticed an identical pattern on the man's leaves. "I think I got one!" He stopped to ponder a moment. "It looks the same, ain't it?" He pointed at Valentine's herbs and then his small collection. "Wait - are we on the same quest?"

Spoiler

ID: 171360 | LD: 12 (1 MAT) | [ 2/5 QUEST MATS ]

Edited October 9, 2020 by Hael

[Valentine 0]

Valentine gave a nod of his head first. He stopped to speak when he comprehended the fact that more than one question was asked. It would be weird if he did not answer. A long time ago Sage even told him that normal people had normal conversations. It was not Valentines' favorite thing to do, but he was going to put in some effort. "Yes. I believe that is it and we should be doing the same quest."

He stopped talking as he went back to focusing to the mission on hand. He was aware of the fact that he should be attempting small talk but was incapable of doing so. A herb caught his attention, after a quick inspection and pluck, it was placed in his bag with the other herbs needed for the quest. Who knows if this man was going to be helpful or a detriment at the moment. The previous bout of vocal exchange was to brief to determine anything.

 

 

ID# 171365  LD: 13

Quest Mats: 2/5

Edited October 9, 2020 by Valentine

[Hael 0]

His eyes lit up at the information. "Awesome! How many do you have?" He brought up two sole herbs. There were a bunch of them in hand previously, but just his luck when it turned out that none of them were of use. He adjusted his collar returned to the field. He knelt down, hand placed on the bed of greenery. He searched for anything of use, however he found some beautiful blossoms instead. He hummed in thought. Those would make a beautiful centerpiece for their dining table. Flora of vivid pink, red, and yellow were stowed away. He dusted his trousers and pushed off the ground. 

He tucked the extra herbs into his pocket for safekeeping. His luck was turning out for the best, it appeared, when another identical type resurfaced. He made haste to snatch it first, hoping the other hadn't laid eyes on it first. The wind picked up, a cool breeze brushing against his skin.

Spoiler

ID: 171370 | LD: 18 (1 MAT) | [ 3/5 QUEST MATS ]

 

Edited October 9, 2020 by Hael

[Valentine 0]

Instead of speaking Val simply took out the herbs he had on hand as well. He was matched with Hael when it came to quantity, he was unsure how long the man must have been looking. Judging by how quickly he was finding the herbs Val was reasoning that the quest must not be difficult. It was a given that as a beginner quest it should have been easier than other quests. Still he could not help but wonder if it was too easy.

Val placed the herbs back into the quest storage. If the quest was easy he still did not want to spend too much time on it. The sooner he could finish this quest the faster he could make it towards the front lines. Val was determined to get out of the game as fast as possible so it meant doing everything as best and fast as he could. He picked up another herb and stored it.

 

ID# 171371   LD: 12

Mats: 3/5

Edited October 9, 2020 by Valentine

[Hael 0]

The man seemed little of words and a bit stoic, but Hael would not give up on him. The party request meant that his company wasn't entirely intruding. He took that as his ticket to blab on. "Since we're buddies for now, I'll introduce myself." He aimed to cut the silence. "I'm Hael. Nice to meet ya..." He glanced up at the other's name bar, "Valentine." She smiled brightly, willing himself into an upbeat state of mind. The quest was going easier thanks to a twist of luck. At this rate, he could find more than he came here for. 

Hael noticed another patch of herbs nestled in the field. A particularly pesky root, he found, embedded nicely in the soil. He managed to pluck one and threw it into his stash. Four herbs, identical and recognized by his inventory. He was fortunate to have started this quest on the right foot.

ID: 171372 | LD: 11 (1 MAT) | [ 4/5 QUEST MATS ]

Edited October 9, 2020 by Hael

[Valentine 0]

Val slightly shook at the word buddy, this would be the first person to refer to him as such besides Sage. If the man was going to call him a buddy he may as well let him now that he can call him by his nickname. "Nice to meet you as well Hael. You can feel free to call me Val." It was a short self introduction but he felt satisfied. He was talking in a way that he believed others spoke. It was a true testament to his dearth of social ability.

The herb collection was going well a patch was never far off from where Hael found one, in fact while Hael was struggling for one he found one not even a foot away. If it was not the case he would have walked off to more places were the herbs were likely to spawn, even if it was more dangerous Val believed he could handle himself.

 

ID# 171374   LD: 19

Mats: 4/5

Edited October 9, 2020 by Valentine

[Hael 0]

Valentine -- Val, seemed warmer now. A bit of the intimidation wore off and Hael relaxed his shoulders. A soft smile overtook his features. "Val it is." He double tasked, searching for leaves and attempting conversation simultaneously. The quest started off on a roll, the specifics were simple. Why was he getting his leaves mixed up? He peeked over to see Val calmly collecting what he needed. He seemed focused, focused enough that the boy thought he was a distraction. He hummed a chipper tune, perusing the field. He'd plucked that particular patch dry. He was forced to move to a different section.

Combat boots kicked at the soil, leading him towards another area. He flexed his fingers and began to search, to no avail. "I can't believe I'm struggling to find a leaf," he commented, with a chortle. Oh well. Good things needed at least a bit of sweat to be earned. He may have not found what he needed, but there was another fragrant herb he could use for meals.

Spoiler

ID: 171375 | LD: 4 (None) | [ 4/5 QUEST MATS ]

 

Edited October 9, 2020 by Hael

[Valentine 0]

 

Maintaining a conversation was becoming the most difficult part of the quest. His prudent nature for details made finding the herbs easier. Hael looked like he was struggling a bit while Val picked up the last herb he needed from an overlooked patch. He felt as if he could have informed Hael to pay more attention but he did not want to start criticizing his new friend. Trying to instill good habits into people was something that happened gradually. While Val would do his best to guarantee Hael's life the man needed to improve on his own terms. Val considered himself a lot of things but a trainer was not one.

Since Hael was his friend now he stayed behind as he looked. He could use the time to temper his social abilities and even look for more materials for his shop. It would not be a waste of time as long as he kept himself busy.

 

ID# 171380   LD: 17

Quest Mats: 5/5

Edited October 9, 2020 by Valentine

[Hael 0]

Hael noted the man's calmer, quieter demeanor. He seemed friendly despite his lack of words. "You're done already?" He waved his four herbs. "I have one more. Wait for me!" He pumped his fist for motivation and scurried off for new ground. He remained in close range to the other, digging around. He hurried, lest he was left behind. Questing out on his lonesome was a drag. Even if Val didn't say much, he could work with it. Company in and of itself kept him up to pep. His ticket to success was just around the corner. He all but stepped over the herb he was searching for. A quick backtrack lead him back to it. One swift swipe, and his inventory registered five herbs. A heavy sigh escaped him.

Turning to the silver haired man, he nodded. "Ready when you are." The next step as a trip back to town. He assumed they'd be put to work shortly.

 

ID: 171384 | LD: 15 (1 MAT) | [ 5/5 QUEST MATS ]

Edited October 9, 2020 by Hael

[Valentine 0]

The chance to look for materials to take back to his shop never came. Hael gathered the last of the herbs before he could look to find something. When Hael found it Val would start making his way back to the old man. It was time the duo wrapped up this part of the quest.

Val was shown a modest station and given a rundown on how to craft the potions. He was given a set of ingredients and asked to start from there. Zackariah was a busy man but the explanation he gave felt relatively straight forward, it felt like he was making tea in the real world. Heat the water, crush the herbs, soak herbs in water, then drain. Val was able to finish the process in under a minute before he had a rare quality successful potion. He was given a smile and set up with the next portion of the quest. He decided to wait for Hael before delivering the given package to Lyle Tealeaf.

 

 

ID# 171392    CD:8   

Rare Quality Successful Potion made.

Edited October 9, 2020 by Valentine

[Hael 0]

Herbs gathered, the duo made way for Zakariah's shop. The walk was a quiet yet peaceful one. Time went by in a flash, with the shop less than a mile away from the outskirt. 

The two arrived at the shop, a cozy wooden building akin to a holistic lab. Assortments of herbs and vials rest in jars on the countertop, little bots and beakers stewing away. His eyes lit up at the prospect of partaking in the craft. The instructions, as it turned out, were underwhelmingly mundane. He frowned, throwing together herbs in a pot. He watched, chin propped on palm as a bright blue bled into the water.  He stirred consistently with a silver rod, watching the ingredients melt away. The end result, much to his surprise, was a sparkling, thick liquid. Zakariah patted his shoulder for a job well done and seized the potion.

A hefty package dropped into his arms, a parcel for Lyle Tealeaf. He moved to leave, and much to his surprise, his party member was waiting for him. Hael rushed to open the door for him and slipped by. On the way to the shop, Hael cleared his throat and spoke. "This wasn't so hard. I wish there was more quests this laid back." He continued his rambles. "I'm gonna take this col and eat some ramen." He salivated at the mention of it.

Spoiler

ID: 171393 | CD: 11 | x1 Perfect Potion

 

Edited October 9, 2020 by Hael

[Valentine 0]

Giving a nod in agreement Val seconded Hael's statement. Ramen did sound good and easy quests like this were a decent respite. As he knew it would only get harder, Val often took the time to remember and enjoy the little things. 

The walk towards the smithy was not hard. The location was crystal clear when given to them and players would be hard pressed to get lost in the game. Unless you were a noob that had no clue how to use even the mini-map it would be redundant for someone to get lost. The exceptions when they are both locked is just that, an exception and hard ever happens. The walk to the smithy was not one of the moments. So Val walked in and handed the package to the only NPC present. The NPC looked to be sizing Valentine up, a sensation that he was used to. The majority of NPC's were just regular people in the game. They responded to his presence people in the real world just might have. Val marked his quest as complete and turned it in.

Edited October 9, 2020 by Valentine

[Hael 0]

Hael practically salivated on the way to the shop, ramen the prevalent thought in mind. With the quest nearing completion, all he could think of were the rewards. He tallied it up in his head, today's work would reap benefit. He could go for some more quests, for picking daisies wasn't the most strenuous task out there. He'd just have to ask Val what his plans were from that point on.

The boy grunted, the package heavy in his arms. He squared his shoulders to support the weight. A simple stroll to the other side of town revealed the blacksmith, Lyle Tealeaf. Yet another shop with a  kitschy interior and an old man, he was beginning to catch the trend. He dropped off the package, feeling an instant weight off his shoulders. Quest prompt exchanged and rewards given, he watched the quest name mark out on his HUD. A sense of accomplishment washed over him.

THREAD COMPLETE

Valentine - 4 SP (2 quest, 1 page, 1 bonus), x5 T1 Rare HP Potion, x1 T1 Uncommon DMG Potion, x1 T1 Special Over-Health Potion + 200 COL

Hael - 4 SP (2 quest, 1 page, 1 bonus), x5 T1 Rare HP Potion, x1 T1 Uncommon DMG Potion, x1 T1 Special Over-Health Potion + 200 COL