[SP-F1] <<The First Lesson>> Aloof Contentedness

[Them 0]

Spoiler

Them
Level 1 | HP 20/20 | EN 20/20 | DMG: 1 | MIT: 0 | ACC: 0 | EVA: 0 | LD: 0

Equipment:
-

Skills:
-

 

 

Cleo stood, the heel of a boot hooked upon the lowest panel of the fencing behind her, one hand dug into a pocket, and the other sprawled across a gate. Eyes high into the sky and away with the fairies, not a thought was passing through the player's white-haired head, and a look of aloof contentedness was sprawled across her face. That was until a flustered man, the well-fashioned NPC named Dorian, had approached in haste and with certain desperation about him. It had taken a second to earn any notice from the player. In a daze and without thinking, only wanting to help somebody in need, she took a step towards him and met his eyes with a tender look, the kind that a mother might give to a curious child. "Me? What can I do for you, sorry?"

The request was simple, if not strange, and one that Cleo wasn't entirely sold on. It was reminiscent of debt-collecting. Sure, she wouldn't have to break any knee-caps to pick up payment for a late loan - at least, she hoped not - but a Mayor should have his affairs in order, even more so if it's concerned with the town treasury. This was, however, just a game, and the player accepted the quest shortly after mulling it over. After more exposition from the man and further proof that he was unlikely to win the next election, the first quest objective appeared: Go to Zackariah's Shop.

 

Spoiler

WC: 246

 

Edited February 18, 2022 by Them

[Them 0]

Walking through the door to the Alchemist's store felt like passing through a wardrobe into Narnia, if Narnia was a dusty old room filled to the rim with trinkets and apparatus which towed the line between science and fiction. The bustle of the marketplace outside faded away, replaced by gentle bubbling from elixirs being brewed across the room. Behind the counter was a man that one could only assume to be Zackariah, who had taken a second from his clearly busy schedule to greet Cleo in kindness. "Morning," started Cleo as she traveled across the shop floor, examining various shelves lined with all sorts of decoctions on her way toward the counter until his flustered voice brought her to a stop.

 

Another request. Cleo blinked, arms folded, and sighed. It was becoming somewhat of a bother and actively detracted from the alone time that she was becoming accustomed to, standing by the fence with her eyes to the skies, loafing around. "Alright, you have a deal. I need to ask something of you from the mayor afterward." That seemed to garner a nod of understanding from the man - an NPC, as Cleo kept reminding herself - and the next objective appeared to her. Five materials. How hard could that be?

 

Spoiler

WC: 208

 

Edited February 17, 2022 by Them

[Them 0]

The focus of Cleo's search as she approached the city walls was anything that might catch one's eye or seem out of place. Flowers, herbs, rare woods, and more. Her strides shortened as the safe zone border drew closer, becoming shorter still before eventually coming to a stop. Fidgeting restlessly, Cleo felt a familiar trepidation which made her stop at that exact spot at the gate, every single time. The nagging feeling that something would go wrong, that only terrible things could be found on the outside, would plague her thoughts, causing her to second guess any journey into the unknown.

"Breathe. You're okay. You're in control." Those words echoed throughout her thoughts, a simple phrase but quite effective, taught by her therapist when presented with a challenging situation. Cleo soldiered on through the gate with a deep breath and ventured down along a path that lined the city's outer wall. Perhaps it was beginner's luck, but a patch of long grass sandwiched between two boulders caught the player's attention, and a thorough rummage of the spot earned her the first material for the quest. After stowing it away, she gave a contented sigh and continued along the path. It was a good start.

ID: 203767 | LD: 11 | Material Search | Success! (1/5)

Spoiler

WC: 205

 

Edited February 17, 2022 by Them

[Them 0]

A fork in the road lay ahead. On one side, far along, boars had taken to patrolling the path in hopes of charging an unwitting lone player. With a resolute "Nope," Cleo chose the other way and trekked merrily around the city's outside walls. She had still been fidgeting - more accurately, picking her fingers - a habit picked up when the game first started to attempt to cope with the stress. In the real world, her hands would have begun to bleed long ago, but no such wound would ever come of it in Sword Art Online. That was good and bad; It would never cause her pain, but there was nothing to ever stop her from breaking the habit, and it would be a real bummer when they were released back into the real world.

"Hm," Cleo mumbled. To go back to the real world, was it truly possible? She knew of the front lines' efforts and roughly what floor they were on, but progress was slow. Like a prolonged legal case, the battles were few and far between, and although fate had sided with the players so far, all it would take is a single devastating monster to set the players back irreparably.

Up ahead, a flower up with petals which alternated a deep blue and a rich purple bloomed just a short way from the path. A slight detour later, Cleo was one material richer and one material closer to finishing Zackariah's request.

ID: 203768 | LD: 18 | Material Search | Success! (2/5)

Spoiler

WC: 247

 

Edited February 17, 2022 by Them

[Them 0]

Cleo's thoughts began to drift, once weary now eyes floating towards the marshmallow clouds. When the game started and 10,000 people became trapped in a madman's fantasy, she wondered how her parents initially reacted. Did they want to pull the NerveGear off before anything broke on the News? Assuming that anything did come up on the News, she supposed. In local time, it was already late into the night, and her parents were out of town for a conference in the morning. Most likely, they had already left before learning anything about it. The only one that might have been inside was Sven, her little brother, but even so, he was hardly one to bother Cleo nor want anything to do with her. Deep down, there was hope that he might have felt different about this and that he'd made peace with their strained relationship, only wanting his older sibling back. Probably not, but she had to hope.

 

Another suspicious patch of grass lent itself to Cleo's attention, and an inspection of the area earned yet another material. "Am I good or what?" Fate was smiling upon the player that day, and along the path, she continued.

ID: 203769 | LD: 17 | Material Search | Success! (3/5)

Spoiler

WC: 197

 

Edited February 17, 2022 by Them

[Them 0]

Further reminiscing, Cleo started to wonder what life would have been like if she hadn't put on the NerveGear, a gift from Dad. Perhaps, instead of diving into a fantasy world immediately, if she had waited until the following day and heard of the game's true purpose before entering it, she would have been given the thumbs up from her psychiatrist, and her mental state declared stable. University would have been an option again. Friends, a return to socializing, and the life she longed for, long before SAO.

Nothing good would come of hoping for the past to change, a realization that the defeated Cleo accepted with a sigh. To make a sad situation even more so, a stunning flower which might well have been a tangible material in steadier hands crumbled to nothing in her palm, and the wind picked up as if to cackle at the player's failure.

ID: 203770 | LD: 8 | Material Search | Fail! (3/5)

Spoiler

WC: 150

 

Edited February 17, 2022 by Them

[Them 0]

Another gorgeous flower led to Cleo's fourth material and left just one outstanding before she could return to Zackariah's. Whether blind luck or a natural knack for foraging, the task had been a lot easier than Cleo initially anticipated - then again, as a first-floor quest, it was one of the easiest in the game and the first one that had led her outside the safety of the city. Maybe it wasn't so bad out here? A quick scan of the environment revealed no threats, none of the make-believe monsters which she'd made up in her mind, lying in wait for a taste of Cleo. The odd boar was roaming the roads ahead, grunting and groaning, but they were easy enough to avoid. Perhaps, another day, she would venture further out. "Yes," she decided, "Tomorrow."

Nevertheless, she circled and started to go back to the city entrance. There was bound to be another material on the way, figured Cleo, and as much as she was beginning to feel comfortable, she still picked at the skin of fingers. There was still nervousness about her. It was a step in the right direction. A leap, even. Tomorrow, she would try a jump.

ID: 203771 | LD: 14 | Material Search | Success! (4/5)

Spoiler

WC: 200

 

Edited February 17, 2022 by Them

[Them 0]

In awe of her luck, Cleo spotted yet another peculiar-looking plant; An herb reminiscent of rosemary with a crescent, purple leaf at its top. Immediately, a notification chimed out to alert her that the quest status had changed, now displaying the simple objective: Return to Zackariah's Shop. She huffed triumphantly. "Well, that wasn't half bad!" It'd been a fruitful trip outside of the city walls and proof that, perhaps, there was less to fear on the outside than initially thought, yet she felt it was quite the right time to head on back into the city.

 

A short time later and Cleo was safely back within the city walls. Having greeted Dorian with a friendly wave and receiving another back from the Mayor, the player was in high spirits as she approached the Alchemist's shop once more, materials at the ready for whatever was next. As soon she pushed open the door, the soft-spoken man behind the counter immediately sprang up with joy in his eyes. "Why, that was swift! Now, let me show you some tricks of the trade."

ID: 203786 | LD: 19 | Material Search | Success! (5/5)

Spoiler

WC: 180

 

Edited February 18, 2022 by Them

[Them 0]

"First, the ingredients." Zackariah inspected the pile of materials on his worktable with great intent, as if searching for the very best one to conduct his demonstration. "Well, such a fine collection! You've brought me some tip-top materials! Why don't we go with this one."

 

Truthfully, Cleo couldn't tell any difference between them at all. To her, they looked like generic things, each identical down to the very last imperfection and presumably serving the same purpose. Still, not wanting to offend the man, or perhaps to humor herself a little bit, she played along. "A fine choice." Sticking her boot against the wall, she leaned back with her arms folded to watch the Alchemist at work.

 

It was a simple process, nothing similar to typical depictions of potion-making. There wasn't any flare that one might expect, not a woosh nor a bang, but instead a sort of underwhelming puff. "Aha, still got it," bragged Zackariah. He took a step back and beckoned Cleo forwards, to which she moved away from the wall and took up position in front of the table. "Your turn. Now, remember, you want to make a Health Potion. These materials won't do for anything else."

 

Spoiler

WC: 199

 

 

Edited February 18, 2022 by Them

[Them 0]

Cleo started by carefully lowering the material gently into the beaker. Next, she poured a vial of strange, glittery orange liquid into it, about halfway until the material was fully submerged. Applying heat, she waited until the beaker began to bubble, taking care not to let the liquid become too energetic. In went a tiny jar of viscious red liquid, rapidly shifting the brew's color into a shade of crimson, darkening with each passing second as the bubbling began to cease. Eventually, and with steady hands, she gripped the mouth of the potion bottle with a pair of prongs, taking care not to let it slip from her grasp. Slowly, she lowered the bottle to a nearby rack, placing it next to Zackariah's, and - with the aforementioned 'poof' - Cleo finished the potion. "Nice!" she exclaimed after putting the tongs down, and she turned to the Alchemist for his approval. "Alright guy, tell me, how'd I do?"

 

"My, dear, you're a natural! Sure, it's a little rough around the edges, perhaps could have used a lower heat and such and such." Zackariah held the potion up to his eye, carefully inspecting its opacity. "All in all, a job very well done. Well, I can't let such talent leave empty-handed. Please, take some of my backstock as compensation for your efforts."

ID: 203787 | CD: 5 | Craft Healing Potion | Success - Uncommon Quality (1/1)

Spoiler

WC: 221

 

Edited February 18, 2022 by Them

[Them 0]

With Zackariah's request out of the way, Cleo finally explained why she was there - Dorian's folly, the loan - and the older man only chuckled in response. He informed her that the loan wasn't his but to try another associate of the mayor's, a blacksmith called Lyle. A pop-up appeared to announce to the player that they'd completed the first quest and that another began - <<The Second Lesson>> - Find the Blacksmith.

 

As her business was concluded and with no reason to stay, she bid the gentle Alchemist farewell. "It was lovely meeting you," she said, offering a hand that Zackariah shook in response.

 

"Likewise. Do please come again." His expression was kind, like a grandfather, and his palm warm to the touch. Cleo, pausing for a moment before beaming a smile, left the shop, waving one last time as she came out onto the busy streets of the first-floor city.

 

That last exchange had taken her by surprise, for it was the most human interaction she'd had in the game thus far, and the Alchemist wasn't human. He was an AI, unable to feel, yet the radiating warmth of his hand would have been natural enough to fool anybody. She couldn't decide whether it was comforting or dystopian levels of terrifying that, even if other players weren't always the nicest, some of the game's NPCs might well be good enough at conversation to keep a socialite such as her from going insane. Oddly, perhaps it was both.

 

Spoiler

WC: 250

 

Edited February 18, 2022 by Them

[Them 0]

"Come on, don't be a dick!" yelled a shorter man, clothed in a set of basic leather armor and a beautifully embroidered cloak, with long black hair streaming below his shoulders. His aggression seemed geared to another player, who was far taller and clad in a set of armor with a distinct lion shape pressed into his chest piece.

The taller man snorted. "I keep tellin' you Cruscius, finder's keepers. Get back to me when you got the Col." With a flash of a hand, he waved the other player goodbye, a smirk plastered on his face when he turned to leave. Cruscius, as the now-departed man had referred to him as, with a fist curled up, yelled in frustration at what was demonstrably a dispute between the two and threw a punch at the nearby wall, almost immediately recoiling from the pain.

Cleo, a witness to the drama and always wanting to help a (possible) friend in need, approached the writhing Cruscius with an odd mix of amusement and caution. She made her presence known with a wave and slowed to a stop, hands in pockets, before him. "Hey," the silver-head started, "You alright? Does it hurt at all?" she took a look at his hands, noticing he was holding the injured one by the wrist.

Spoiler

WC: 216

 

Edited February 18, 2022 by Them

[Them 0]

At first, distracted from the pain, Cruscius ignored the approaching Cleo and was much more concerned with the consequences of his misguided action. He turned pretty hastily, an annoyed glint in his eye, which softened on seeing who the other person was. Or at least, who the other person wasn't. "What? Oh, yeah," he shook his fist, seeming to have outlasted the pain. His eyes, a dark brown, were partially obscured by strands of black hair, which he brushed to one side. "It's fine. Thank you for caring, I guess. At least there's one decent person around here!" The man then made a rude gesture at his fleeting associate, who may have caught the raised words but was most likely out of earshot.

 

Cleo, relieved to have the opportunity to have a human conversation, gestured at a bench next to them and moved to sit down. "Hey, I don't know about decent, but I hope I'm nicer than that guy." Sat down with a leg crossed over the other, an arm hanging behind the bench, and a curious look in her mauve eyes, she looked at Cruscius, who had also taken a seat. "What was that all about, anyway? That guy holding out on you?"

 

Spoiler

WC: 210

 

Edited February 18, 2022 by Them

[Them 0]

"Oh, where to start." Exasperation was rife in his voice. Cleo was enthralled, listening. "Me and Yrden, that asshat, met a little while ago on a quest. I saved him from a pack of wolves, damn close to death too, and we've been buddies ever since. Guy's a little cocky, but he seemed alright." There was a noticeable shift in his tone. "Until this morning, that is. We're on the third floor grinding monsters for perfect items when two of them drop at the same time, and he gets the last attack on both of them. I weakened them down to nothing, so I deserve at least one of them, right?"

Cleo panicked at the game talk, for she hadn't gotten the game's terminology down just yet; Days ago, she assumed 'AoE' was a funky way of saying 'ouch.' "Duh, obviously," resorting to blind agreement, which was convincing enough for Cruscius.

"Thank you!" He seemed to be glad that somebody else was listening to his side of the story. "I was even gonna let him take the first one we got and keep grinding for the second one, but I'm not strong enough to go out there safely by myself, so I doubt I'll be able to try again until I level up a little more." Cruscius grimaced. "Just when you think you know a guy, huh."

"Sorry, got carried away there a little bit." His voice reset, becoming softer, and he held a hand out to Cleo. "I'm Cruscius, Level 5."

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WC: 252

 

Edited February 18, 2022 by Them

[Them 0]

"Nice," blurted Cleo, "Cool name, a little better than mine. I'm Cleo, but my username's Them. Level 1."

The two exchanged a handshake when curiosity overcame the higher-level player. "Them, huh? I bet that gets a little confusing sometimes for others."

After contemplating that thought for a second, she shrugged. "Maybe, I guess. I wanted it to be ambiguous, mysterious even. When you hear somebody say the word, then you'll never know who they're talking about, that kinda thing." Cleo felt immersed in a rare sense of comfort from the conversation and found herself genuinely relaxing for the first time in a long, long while.

"Hm. Well, that might work out for you," smiled the guy, his full attention given to Cleo. "It's too bad you're only Level 1. Not a lot of people like that around anymore. Anything holding you back, or?" Cruscius, now even more curious, faced the rest of his body toward the silver-haired player.

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WC: 158

 

Edited February 18, 2022 by Them

[Them 0]

Anything holding you back? Yes, Cleo wanted to say. Crippling unease of the unknown, of things that lurk in the shadows in the open world outside the starting city. Of the blood-stained people who had slain another, living person under the faux-anonymity the game provided them. The fear of dying, of not seeing her family ever again. Of wasting years of life in a world which she had only entered in the first place due to feeling bad for her father's misguided gift, the NerveGear.

 

"Maybe. No. Kinda," started the player, putting her thoughts together. "I'm not about to go run out there and die. I'm not a 'game' person, and I didn't come here to kill things, level up, or get the strongest armor. I came here to explore my thoughts, feelings, and sense of self. I can do all of that in town."

 

"Oh." Cruscius hadn't been expecting that answer, clearly. "Fair enough. It's not for everybody. There's some scary stuff out there. But, it's not all that bad, at least on the first couple of floors. Those boars that hang around the city go down in one or two hits from anything, pretty much."

 

Spoiler

WC: 197

 

[Them 0]

"Yeah, get out of here, buddy," laughed Cleo, "I saw a guy on the first day get impaled by one of those things, right through the chest. Sad, now that I think about it."

Cruscius just shook his head. "Don't let day one impressions put you off. Many people died then. That was before anybody knew what to do or that there were even any consequences to dying. Poor guy was probably trying to test out the death mechanic." Cleo watched him sit up. "The next time you get the urge to go out there, try going out with a weapon and spec into a weapon skill. For the most part, they're all good, so it's up to preference. If you want to be quick and have the best chance of dodging, I recommend the dagger, otherwise something hard-hitting, like an ax."

It was a shame that she hadn't a notepad, but she followed along and made a few mental notes. The skill menu was familiar, for she'd examined it a couple of times but never felt the want to spend points on anything. Hardly any skills were helpful to her in town.

"Is there anything else? Oh, yeah, <<The First Lesson>> gives you some useful stuff, definitely do that before you go out fighting."

Spoiler

WC: 215

 

[Them 0]

Cleo sat on this new information, pondering for a while. A weapon skill, was that a good move? Could the guy be trying to screw her over? It felt like the first logical step to do damage and defend oneself. "Alright, guy, you got it. I'll get myself some metal and, I guess, slice up a couple of piggies. I never thought I'd be saying that outside of a production." Noticing a little bit of confusion from Cruscius, Cleo elaborated. "Theatre production, I'm involved with a lot of that at University. Well, I was, before the game, and some other stuff." She shook her head, "Unrelated. Sorry, enough about me."

"I just beat <<The First Lesson>>. I have to see some Blacksmith, Lyle, I think. Can I get a weapon there?"

Cruscius nodded, appearing somewhat hung up on what Cleo had said previously but not enough to backtrack the conversation. "Should be able to, you can get an Uncommon one by completing the quest as well. You'll want it for the quest after that, too."

The silver-haired player swatted at the air. "Ah-ah-ah! Spoilers! Don't tell me where this loan thing goes; I want to find out for myself."

Spoiler

WC: 199

 

[Them 0]

Cruscius drew up his arms in caution, "Okay, okay! Can't say that it's the most exciting story in the world."

 

Cleo gave him a stern look.

 

"Sorry, not a word more about the questline. If you're interested, though, there are lots of interesting quests out there to do, and most of them involve combat in some shape or form. If you level up a few times, we can hit some of those together if you want?" 

 

A friend? Ecstatic, she nodded, perhaps too vigorously. "Yes. God knows I'm screwed if I go out there by myself." A window appeared in front of Cruscius and, a couple of seconds later, an invite came through. A friend invite. "Got it. Done! What does this do, sorry?"

 

"That'll let us keep in touch. I'm mainly on the third floor, so we probably won't bump into each other too much down here." Cruscius stood up, stretched his legs, and breathed a heavy sigh. "Thank you for the talk and for keeping my mind off of Yrden."

 

Spoiler

WC: 172

 

Edited February 18, 2022 by Them

[Them 0]

Friends: 1. It was not a bad day overall. She had finished her first quest, made her first friend in Sword Art Online, and learned a valuable tidbit of information that would help her set off outside the city and into the greater beyond. "Yeah, anytime. See you around!"

 

Cruscius bid the other player adieu with a friendly wave and headed off down the same street Yrden had minutes ago.

 

Once again, Cleo was alone. However, it didn't feel the same as it did before. Back when she'd been lounging around on a fence post, nary a thought running through her silver head, she'd been truly alone, not a single associate with which to associate. Now, she had a purpose—the beginnings of a new social circle, exciting thoughts, and tangible goals to aim toward and look forward to. Her attention drifted toward the sky, to the marshmallow clouds which floated lazily beneath the first floor's ceiling, to nothing in particular—a return to a state of aloof contentedness.

 

Spoiler

WC: 166

 

Edited February 18, 2022 by Them