[F01-PP] Holy Sh*t this game has dragons!? <<DHA:1>>

[Valentine 0]

Treasure and riches. It was one of mans greatest pursuits as the benefit of both could make the most seemingly impossible dreams come true. Recently, Val noticed the gap in strength between Him and Grimm was growing. He loved the fact that his baby was growing strong he just did not want to be left behind. The only way for him to keep up was to continue to grow strong in this game of death. It was why Val accepted a dangerous mission in the first place. He was going to fight a dragon of all things. Creatures that represented the pinnacle of strength.

This started when Val noticed the quest details from the information brokers. According to what was written he believed he could take it on alone. Val was just not dumb enough to test the theory with his life. He was informed that someone else would accept the mission and meet him at his location. All Val could do was wait for his company to show up.

 

Spoiler

 

Name: Valentine

• Level: 17
• HP: 340/340
• EN: 34/34

Stats:

• Damage: 10
• ACC:3
• EVV:2
• MIT:5

Equipped Gear:

• Weapon: <<Dastardly Poker>> ( +3 DMG/2HAS)
• Armor: <<Cloudskin>> ( +2 EV, +1 Regen/Light Armor)
• Trinket: <Eye of Horus>> ( +3 ACC/Pin)

 
Items on hand:

• Debuff Crystal- Hypnosis (II), Lullaby (I) (ID:172666)

 

Skills:

• 2 Handed Assault Spear [Rank 4]
• Light Armor [Rank 1]

 
 

Valentine | HP:340/340 | EN: 34/34 | DMG:10 | MIT: 5 | EVA:2 | ACC:3 | REGEN: 1

 

 

@Oscar

[Oscar 0]

Oscar being seen haunting the streets of the Town of Beginnings was a rarity as of late. He had much bigger fish to fry with everything going on. But, it didn't mean that he could necessarily afford to neglect the stronghold that he had built for himself within the walls of the city. As he stepped off of the Teleportation Platform, Oscar looked around the main plaza to see if there was anyone in need of assistance. At that moment, he heard a familiar chime. Opening his interface, a message populated before him.

 

Quote

From: Conciliator

Oscar, got a newbie looking to take on the Emerald Hatchling. Give them a hand if you got a minute.

Oscar quickly sent a reply and waited for the coordinates to be sent to him. It took seconds. Oscar let out a soft sigh and headed out of the city to where his "client" was supposed to be awaiting him. He made a conscious choice to keep it low-key. Didn't want to completely curb-stomp it for them. So, he adjusted his equipment accordingly. Tesseleth's Fury would be overkill for this one. And by that vein, so would his back-up weapon. A bit of a stick situation, but he could always choose not to engage and just keep the quester topped up with First Aid. Finally, Oscar arrived. He was greeted by the absolute unit that was the client. Just a few inches shorter than Oscar and dressed in red attire. Reminded him of Bahr if Bahr wasn't a manlet. Oscar gave the man a wave and took off his aviators as he made his approach. "Local info broker tagged me and said you needed a hand with a quest. You cool if I let you handle the fighting and I keep you healed?"

 

Spoiler

Name: Oscar
Level: 75
HP: 1530/1530
EN: 165/165

Stats:
Damage: 19
Mitigation: 76
Evasion: 3
Accuracy: 3
BH:76
FLN:12
BRN:36

Equipped Gear:
Weapon: <<TESSELETH'S FURY>> - T3/DEMONIC/2HBA - BRN 2, FLN 2
Armor: << MYTHRIL GREAVES >> T3/PERFECT/HEAVY ARMOR - MITI 3 (+81)
Misc: << IVORY GOLD LEAF RING >> T1 DEMONIC TRINKET - +2 ACC, +2 EVA

Skills:
Two Handed Battle Axe [Rank 5]
Battle Healing [Rank 5]
Light Armor [Rank 5]
Parry [Obtained]
Searching [Rank 5]
First Aid [Rank 5]
Extended Mod Limit [Obtained]
Quick Change [Obtained]
Energist [Obtained]

Extra Skills:
Fighter Mastery: Fighter
Concentration
Survival
Meditation

Mods:
Ferocity
Precision
Finesse R3
Athletics
Sprint and Acrobatics
Justified Riposte
Field Medic
Barrier R3

Battle Ready Inventory:
Teleportation Crystal*1
Tactical Outfitting MK.III - T3 Demonic LA VampDef, ParaImmune, 2 Rec*1
Frosted Necklace - T3 Trinket LifeMending, 2 Rec*1
Money Shot - T3 2HBA AbsAcc, ACC, BLD*1
Empty Slot*1
Empty Slot*1

Housing Buffs:
Well Rested: -1 energy cost for the first three expenditures of each combat
Squeaky Clean: The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 25% (rounded down)
Hard Working: +2 EXP per crafting attempt and +1 crafting attempt per day
Filling: Increase the effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 T1 slot.
Item Stash: +1 Battle Ready Inventory Slot
Delicious: Turn 3 identical food items (same quality, tier, & enhancements) into a Feast. A Feast contains 6 portions of the food items sacrificed.
Relaxed: Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts.
Skylight (Searching): +1 Rank to the Searching skill.
Angler: +1 material gained when fishing

Guild Hall Buffs:

Scents of the Wild:

Wedding Ring:

Mega Slime Farm activated [+2 SP to Thread]

 

[Valentine 0]

Valentine gave the new arrival a glance over. Levels were often hidden unless a person wanted it public. You could still glance relative strength by the look of a persons gear. The stuff Oscar was wearing flat out told Val that he was no where near his level. That equipment called him broke in eight languages. If Val wanted to compare himself he would develop an inferiority complex. He sent Oscar a party request.

"That sounds like a plan. I plan on picking up some medic skills. Seeing them used in battle will be a great learning experience."  His recent experiences made him feel less inclined to use the spear. The game had more than one way to play. So branching out to keep Grimm and others healthy was one way to do it.

Val made his way to the really cute emerald dragon. He cracked his back like a glow stick, levelled his spear and prepared to charge. He could train multiple skills in the up and coming battles.

 

Spoiler

Oscar | HP:1,530/1,530 | EN: 165/165 | DMG:19 | MIT: 76 | EVA:3 | ACC:3 | BH: 76 | FLN: 12 | BRN : 36

Valentine | HP:340/340 | EN: 34/34 | DMG:10 | MIT: 5 | EVA:2 | ACC:3 | REGEN: 1

Emerald Dragon | HP:125/125 | DMG:50 | MIT: 25 | EVA:0 | ACC:0 

 

 

Edited November 4, 2020 by Valentine

[Oscar 0]

Oscar decided to start off combat with a quick basic attack. The hope was that with a lucky critical, he could establish a hate lead and Valentine would be able to assault the Hatchling unopposed. He struck like lightning, his weapon shimmering into existence for the briefest of moments. Tesseleth's Fury sliced through the hatchling and spouted a gout of black flame before disappearing into a shimmer of particles. It wasn't the critical that Oscar had been hoping for, but he'd applied the Burn effect nonetheless. From there, Oscar stood back and gave Valentine the breathing room he would need to get into the fight. Burn would gnaw away at the Hatchling's health in the interim. For now, Oscar would merely sit back, relax, and enjoy the show. He didn't imagine that his low-level companion would need much of anything at this point. He just didn't want to sit there and do nothing. "All yours. Give it hell my man."
 

Spoiler

Oscar | HP:1,530/1,530 | EN: 164/165 | DMG:19 | MIT: 76 | EVA:3 | ACC:3 | BH: 76 | FLN: 12 | BRN : 36 | ID: 176717 | BD: 8, Deal 6 DMG - BRN Applied
Valentine | HP:340/340 | EN: 34/34 | DMG:10 | MIT: 5 | EVA:2 | ACC:3 | REGEN: 1

Basic Attack vs Rhaegal -1 EN [Well-Rested 1/3] 

[BRN 0/2][Os1, Va0]Emerald Dragon | HP:119/125 | DMG:50 | MIT: 25 | EVA:0 | ACC:0 

Edited November 4, 2020 by Oscar

[Valentine 0]

"Sure thing." Valentine did not want to embarrass himself. Frontline players had various temperaments. It would not do Val a great deal of favor to screw up badly. Val did always want to slay a dragon. What kid growing up did not imagine themselves the heroes of stories doing miraculous deeds. 

The fact that he was in a game was the only reason he had no qualms about slaying the beautiful green creature. The fact that even if it seemed real it was not alive made the killing easier. Val rushed out with a quick poke that missed as the dragon leaned left. A quick follow up was made as the spear was spun around to slash at the dragon. The dragon released a snort as it simply stopped flapping to hit the ground. Dodging the spear with ease. The dragon turned its head to glance at Val, a clear note of laughter in its eyes. It swiped at Oscar that it viewed as an actual threat.

"I got it. I will make a dragon skin cape from that brat."

 

Spoiler

 

ID	Battle	Craft	Loot	MOB	Character	Link	Purpose	Time
176719	2	11	2	7	Valentine		<<Vent Forth>> vs Rhaegal	2020-11-04 12:55:47

BD: 2 + 3 = 5 (Miss)

ID	Battle	Craft	Loot	MOB	Character	Link	Purpose	Time
176720	2	6	2	5	Valentine		Rhaegal attacks Oscar	2020-11-04 12:58:21

MD: 5 - 3 = 2 (Miss)

 

Oscar | HP:1,530/1,530 | EN: 164/165 | DMG:19 | MIT: 76 | EVA:3 | ACC:3 | BH: 76 | FLN: 12 | BRN : 36 | ID: 176717 | BD: 8, Deal 6 DMG - BRN Applied
Valentine | HP:340/340 | EN: 32/34 (-2 EN) | DMG:10 | MIT: 5 | EVA:2 | ACC:3 | REGEN: 1
 

[BRN 1/2][Os1, Va0]Emerald Dragon | HP:83/125 | DMG:50 | MIT: 25 | EVA:0 | ACC:0 

 

 

Edited November 4, 2020 by Valentine

[Oscar 0]

With his hate lead somehow established, Oscar decided to capitalize on it. Without removing his hands from his pockets, he summoned a blue barrier comprised of transparent hexagons. The barrier rippled around his form for a brief moment before finally disappearing. A buff icon would appear on his status bar. The next time he was struck, he would halve the damage and stun the target. It was really just a bit of insurance in case Valentine wasn't able to connect with an attack next round. If he was, Oscar figured the hatchling would just die. If he didn't, then Oscar would stun the quest target and prevent keep the two of them safe from needling claws and wing buffets to the face. This situation reminded Oscar of the great Buff Debate he'd had with Bahr. An accuracy buff would have decided combat already, but Oscar wasn't here to shill his shop. Nor did he really want to make Valentine feel any worse about missing a simple target. "Just keep swinging. You're sure to hit sooner or later."

Spoiler

Oscar | HP:1,530/1,530 | EN: 160/165 | DMG:19 | MIT: 76 | EVA:3 | ACC:3 | BH: 76 | FLN: 12 | BRN : 36 | ID: 176717 | BD: 8, Deal 6 DMG - BRN Applied
Valentine | HP:340/340 | EN: 32/34 (-2 EN) | DMG:10 | MIT: 5 | EVA:2 | ACC:3 | REGEN: 1

Oscar activates Parry -5 EN

[BRN 1/2][Os1, Va0]Emerald Dragon | HP:83/125 | DMG:50 | MIT: 25 | EVA:0 | ACC:0 

 

[Valentine 0]

"No no no. I can do it boss. I will finish this off now." Valentine was being cheeky with his speech. If he had to guess by his current progress he believed he would have finished the boss. Valentine may not have actually hit the creature at the moment but the health was dropping too fast for it to be remotely strong.

Valentine spun like a top as a slash connected with the dragons back. It stopped to glare at Valentine as another slash connected. The dragon had fully turned around to swipe its claw at the spearman. Valentine did not stop spinning he dodged the attack on his heels as he brought the spear back around. The last of the three slashes connected before Valentine made a sudden thrust with his spear. The dragon was stabbed through like a kabob. The health hit zero quickly as the poor creature died. "Told you I could do it."

Spoiler

ID	Battle	Craft	Loot	MOB	Character	Link	Purpose	Time
176730	7	4	1	8	Valentine		<<Vent Forth>> vs Rhaegal	2020-11-04 15:31:42

BD: 7 + 3 = 10 (Success) = 10 * 10 = 100 - 7 = 93 DMG Rhaegal dies.

 

Oscar | HP:1,530/1,530 | EN: 160/165 | DMG:19 | MIT: 76 | EVA:3 | ACC:3 | BH: 76 | FLN: 12 | BRN : 36 | ID: 176717 | BD: 8, Deal 6 DMG - BRN Applied
Valentine | HP:340/340 | EN: 22/34 (+1, -11 EN) | DMG:10 | MIT: 5 | EVA:2 | ACC:3 | REGEN: 1

[BRN 2/2][Os1, Va0]Emerald Dragon | HP:0/125 (-93)| DMG:50 | MIT: 25 | EVA:0 | ACC:0 

 

 

Edited November 4, 2020 by Valentine

[Oscar 0]

"Great job," Oscar said as a slight grin tugged at the corners of his mouth. "Pretty flashy execution there." Oscar let out a yawn and checked his watch. This hadn't even killed an hour of his day. Well you know what that means. Oscar beckoned for the man to follow and turned on his heels. "Come on, let's go get some lunch." He didn't peek over his shoulder to see if the man was following as he made the short jaunt back to town. He'd spent a lot of time on this floor, navigating every rock and stump with a trained gait. The lenses of his shades cast a dark tone over the verdant landscape. At least the sun wasn't in his eyes. After they'd made it back to the gates to the city, Oscar stopped and turned to face his companion. "I know a great place. Looks like a hole-in-the-wall, but it's got some great food."

[Valentine 0]

Valentine followed Oscar with elated steps. "This sounds like fun." The words did not describe all the thoughts he had. Hole in the walls were descriptive words for poor. He learned all about it in his freshman year of Highschool. At the time Sage had treated him to a place called McDonalds. He even ordered of the dollar menu. It was the first time that Val discovered food could be so cheap. Getting trapped in Aincrad he learned all about how inexpensive things could be. Now he could go to one of these hole in the walls and appear ordinary.

"I am not picky when it comes to food. As long as it is not poisonous I can pretty much eat it." Being polite to a fault did not translate to stupid. If the food was horrible he would politely decline it. Safety risks to his well being could not be tolerated. 

[Oscar 0]

Oscar laughed. "You actually eat more poisonous things than you think. You like spicy food? Peppers are borderline toxic to humans, but we love to dice 'em up and feel the burn." He never really knew as much about food in the real world as he did within the confines of the game. There was a surprisingly large amount of practical culinary skills hidden within the NPC dialogue and books within the game. As someone with the Cook profession, Oscar was able to use it more keenly than most. But if he ever got out of here, he remained convinced that he could change careers to professional chef in no time. "But we won't have to worry about that unless you like some heat in your food. Follow closely. It's easy to get turned around in the back alleys of this city," he added. And like that, he was off. From the gate, he headed to the plaza and walked past the platform between two buildings flanking one of the many labyrinthine streets of the Town of Beginnings. He deliberately slowed his pace as their path became more and more winding. His turns came more frequently, a left, a right, two more lefts. Even Oscar sometimes got turned around. But, finally, they came to a dilapidated building that housed two shops. One being The Crusty Bahrnacle. Oscar pointed to the shop and spoke. "If you ever need Light Armor or a fist weapon, guy who owns that place is a damn good Tailor. The shop next to it, however..." Oscar opened the door and stepped away from the threshold. "Is mine."

[Valentine 0]

"Yep. I love spicy food. It is a family trait." Valentine gave Oscar a grin. He was starting to like the man. Earlier Valentine believed he would have a hard time getting along with frontline players. When Valentine was weak they would not give him the time of day. As he grew stronger it was easier for him to talk to them. Valentine was gaining confidence but he was not dumb enough to believe he was super strong. He understood if he tried asking Oscar for a spar the man could backhand him back to the grave. "That's nice to know. The place is not bad. I used to actually have a shop not far from here." Before he moved in with Grimm on the snowy estate they own on the fourth. This place was actually within a short five minute walking distance. He was mildly surprised he never noticed it before. "Now I run my music shop out of my estate. It is invite only for songs but I guess I can extend and invitation to you. Seeing as how you invited me here."

[Oscar 0]

"I appreciate the invitation. In the meantime, take a seat at the bar. Let's put those spicy food genetics through their paces," Oscar said. When one thought Grandmaster Cook, a diner didn't really come to mind. While it had quickly become evident that Val had caught on to the sheer disparity between their levels, he still had one more surprise up his sleeve. Oscar took off his coat and tie and hung them on a rack just outside the kitchen door. Then, he disappeared through the black swinging door. Once inside, he rolled up his sleeves as he considered what to make. Something hearty to sate their appetite. Chili immediately sprang to mind. It was the perfect way to blend spice but also fill empty bellies. He quickly set to work - dicing onions, slicing peppers, and preparing the meat. When you got down to brass tacks, you couldn't just throw meat into a pot of hot bean water with some onions and peppers and think that it would come out right.

Rather than a ground beef blend, Oscar went for diced flank steak. A cheap cut of meat. Tough. But it was easier to seal in the flavors. Onions, garlic, and peppers went into the pan. As they began to sweat, the air became thick with spice. It stung at his throat and eyes, but only slightly. Oscar had spent enough time in the kitchen to be used to things like that. Val, mercifully, would only be treated to the wafting aroma of the components being sautéed. Once the vegetables had begun to soften, Oscar added in his chunks of flank steak as he prepared his base for the chili. Hand-made tomato puree was added to a large pot with a little water. By the time it had reached a boil (which didn't take long because, you know, Aincrad) the contents of his skillet was ready to be dumped in. He let everything blend together after adding some kidney beans. Again, a normally all day affair reduced to minutes via video game logic. When all was said and done, he lifted the lid to find a perfectly simmered and thickened chili.

The chili was added to a bowl atop some rice and paired with a crisp ale. Usually one to would drink to get drunk, but the flavor of the dish and the flavor of the beer would mesh well together. Once everything was prepared, he brought two trays containing food and drink out of the kitchen and sat one down in front of Val. "You said you liked spicy, so I brought the heat. Tell me what you think."

[Valentine 0]

Valentine made an oath in his heart that he would not be shocked by what was brought out. What kind of young scion did not try all sorts of delicacies. His baby food was high grade caviar of various colors. He had a personal chef attend to him as far back as he could remember. Valentine was polite but doubted the man could create a meal capable of amazing him.

The first bite changed his perception. "It is pretty spicy. Not the spiciest but the tingle is great. The spice sticks to your tongue and heightens the overall flavor of the dish." Valentine was speaking as if he was an experienced food critique. He was talking out of his eating habits. At the moment it was one of the best things he has tasted since being inside SAO. He did not have much in the way of chef profession friends. He honestly assumed they were useless people that idled their time away. Imagine his surprise when he found out he was incorrect. "It is nicely seasoned and cooked well. I am impressed you were able to do that so quickly."

[Oscar 0]

"Well I'd imagine it would be a given, being as I'm one of this game's only Grandmaster Cooks," Oscar said. He was pleased to test his cuisine against someone with a refined palette. For Oscar's part, nothing got him through those cold Massachusetts winters on the farm better than some spicy chili. As he dug into the capsaicin-laced concoction, the heat reminded him of the home he longed to get back to. "You don't want straight heat in a spicy dish. You need some sweet or sour in there to give contrast. It's why I never understood why people bothered putting themselves through the spiciest snacks they could find. Burnt tongue isn't a taste, you know." Oscar took a long draff from his ale and placed the glass down with a click of his tongue. "I can't seem to nail beverages though. Maybe that's more of an alchemist thing? Still, not the worst beer I've ever had."

[Valentine 0]

"You think with how many people are logged into the game there would be a lot more Grandmasters. I mean I am not one to talk. I may be almost Grandmaster level, almost is not exactly though. It can be difficult for consumable professions to say the least." Valentine polished off his food and dabbed at the sides of his mouth. The game may have not paid a lot of attention in terms to hygiene. That did not mean Valentine wanted to be a slob, ingrained traits were often hard to dissipate.

A sip of his drink was enough to wet his whistle. "You know the day after tomorrow I can use your assistance with the next dragon. I would say tomorrow but I have errands to run. There is no guarantee that I will be able to make it. I have a friend to help and a temple to explore."

[Oscar 0]

"I've found that comparatively few Players have actually elected to play the game," Oscar said. "The Frontlines only consist of a couple dozen Players. That's including the up-and-comers like myself. Barely a drop in the bucket compared to the thousands stuck here. So when I see or hear of a Player trying to make their way up the ladder, I usually drop everything to help them out. Even if it's for a quest I've already cleared." Oscar swiped open his menu and sent the gentleman a friend request. "That's why I would prefer that - in lieu of putting your neck on the line for something that might be out of your depth - you call me up. There's no shame in getting carried through a game that will literally kill you if your health bar reaches zero. It should go without saying that I'm down to help with whatever quest you need done."

[Valentine 0]

The sudden friend request actually made Valentine happy. The players from his guilds were usually front liners and they were well liked. If most of the eccentric legendary players were as easy to get along with as Oscar. He believed the game had a high probability of being beaten. Valentine accepted the friend request without thought. Having a high level person to depend on could be a future trump card for himself.

"Thanks a lot. It is probably not an easy feat to go back and be of use to others. You could decide to relax on an upper floor and take your time. A lot of people do not even have the gall to work towards the front lines. As the chances of death could rise. It makes sense that people are afraid of death. It takes courage to be scared and still work towards a better future. I guess SAO is no different from real life in that regard."

[Oscar 0]

Oscar laughed and shook his head. "I'm not so humble that I'm gonna pretend it isn't a pain. But it's still my responsibility. Perhaps the only difference between here and the real life is that the Haves are willing to get back into the trenches and drag the Have-Nots out of it," he said. "Perhaps the secret to this whole ordeal is that we need to help each other. I don't see us getting out of this mess otherwise." He took another bite of his meal, still piping hot despite the tangent they embarked on. It was more out of a reflexive response to food being in front of him than any feelings of hunger. "I stopped being afraid of dying a long time ago. We all gotta go sometime. Best we can ever hope for is leaving something worthwhile behind. So if I die, I die. Least I can do it on my feet instead of being cowed into hiding in the Safe Zones until we get gout of here. I'm not saying you should 'get over it,' but accepting reality comes with its benefits."

[Valentine 0]

Valentine politely waited for Oscar to finish. He did not want to be the type of guy that just ate an ran. "Well now that I know of this place. I can at least start brining my friends here." Valentine stood up, threw out his garbage, and returned to his seat. "As you are running a business I would be remised if I did not give you something for the meal. I do not have much in the way of funding but here is some col." Valentine took out 400 Col. It was not enough to cover the bill but it was all he had on him at the moment. "If you need more. Just let me know. I can drop by my place. I usually do not carry a lot of col. Too bad credit cards were not SAO approved."

After Oscar would finish up Valentine would take the time to excuse himself. "Whelp it was fun. Can't wait to see you tomorrow." Valentine gave his salutes and farewells as he left.

[Oscar 0]

Oscar laughed. "If that be the case, I might start manning the shop again. I really only show up to fill the occasional order. It would be nice to have some customers again." He left out the part about most of his business being driven away by the homicidal loose end from real life. Oscar slid the money back to Valentine and shook his head. "Keep it. The things I kill for Col drop far more than this in a fraction of the time. I'm not doing this to get paid. My business hasn't been profitable since I started it. 400 isn't gonna change that." Oscar said the last bit with a laugh. True, the odd request from Frontliners or questers gave him a small cash infusion, but it was all almost immediately spent via his acts of philanthropism around the game. Val's sum would be a drop in the bucket compared to what he'd already lost. It was mob grinding that kept him in the black. "I'll catch you later though. Like I said, if you need a hand on anything, you know how to reach me."

Thread Summary
Valentine - +3 SP [+1 Quest, +1 Page, +1 Bonus], 900 Col [500 Quest, 400 Page]
Oscar - +4 SP [+1 Page, +1 Bonus, +2 Mega Slime Farm]