[SP-F1] «Earning a Living» ~Part 2~

[HikariZX 0]

Waking up from her sleep, Hikari stretched her arms and back, making a cracking noise. She noticed a red blinking icon under her health bar, sporting a different border than a debuff. "A system notice?" She thought while opening up the HUD, suddenly jolting back due to the shock of what she'd seen. The inventory screen read: "DATA CORRUPT" over all the items she had obtained just the day before, including all her materials and crafting tools. "W-wait... seriously?! You mean I have to do that all over again?!" Thankfully the quest was repeatable, usually taken again to receive more materials, as the tools were deleted upon reception if another set was detected. Dressing herself hastily, Hikari headed out of the inn, immediately sprinting towards "The Forger" at the exit of the City of Beginnings. Shouting his usual nonsense again, he agreed to give Hikari the repeatable quest. Again, the information was exactly the same:

"To be a Blacksmith!"

Requirements:

Collect: 0/5 Iron Scraps

Kill: 0/5 Kobold Miners

Reward: 1x Beginner's Iron Hammer; 1x Iron Anvil; 1-20x Crafting Materials

With her new knowledge of the state of the enemies, along with the path to follow, Hikari ran out the front gate, following her previous path towards the mountains.

[HikariZX 0]

Heading out the gate, Hikari remembered her newly upgraded "One-Handed Straight Sword" skill, which now allowed her to deal more damage in an attack. Noticing a lone Boar in the vicinity, Hikari decided to try it out. Approaching the boar, she began charging her "Linear" skill, the most basic of all skills, firing it at the boar as soon as it was finished.

Hikari - 15/15

Boar - 3/3

[HikariZX 0]

Battle Dice - 6 - Success! - 1 + 2 damage from weapon skill

Loot Dice - 4 - Fail! - no loot

(OOC: in the event that two enemies are attacking, the crafting dice will be used for the second enemy, corresponding the rolls to the same as the battle dice)

The boar gone, Hikari noticed she one-shot the boar without even a critical. Satisfied because of her new power, Hikari continued the trek into the mountains on the eastern edge of the floor. Reaching the lake again in record time, Hikari decided to rest a bit, she'd been sprinting full speed towards the mountains and needed to catch her breath. Sitting below a palm tree, Hikari noticed even the closest wolves to her, which stood only a few meters away, were doing nothing to attack her. "So even these guys are passive, huh? SAO really is noob-friendly..." Catching a bit of water from the lake on her hands, Hikari drank a bit and splashed her face with the remaining. Ready to start heading out once more, she began her dash at full speed, arms swinging wildly and silver hair flowing backwards.

[HikariZX 0]

The lake wasn't that far from the mountains, it only took Hikari about ten minutes to reach the entrance and encounter the fist group of Kobold Miners, four in total. Deciding that it was too risky to fight four enemies at once, despite her higher level, Hikari headed out to the middle of the biome, sitting on what she recognized as the tree she sat under before. Waiting for the first kobolds to either coincidentally pass by or spawn near her, Hikari started reminiscing about her first day in Aincrad. This character born as a male was reverted to his owner's appearance, changing his gender along with it. It was unusual seeing that a female player used a male character, as the opposite was more common. Before she could continue remembering, the first kobold of the day appeared in front of her. She knew that, while her weapon would give her a great advantage, the kobolds were no regular enemies, possessing more health than the boars and wolves, while also stronger and more defensive. Steeling herself for the battle, Hikari approached the miner, giving it a quick and powerful slash to its back.

Hikari - 15/15

Kobold Miner - 4/4

[HikariZX 0]

Combat Dice - 7 - Success! - 1 + 2 Weapon skill damage

Enemy Combat Dice - 4 - Fail! - no damage

(OOC: If both rolls are successful, damage will be counted towards both me and the enemy)

Though a great deal of damage was inflicted, the miner was still alive. Trying to retaliate, it swung its pickaxe to its back. Hikari, having stepped back immediately after her attack, dodged the swing no problem. The miner then started charging its "Skull Cracker", a move Hikari was familiar with and one she integrated into her own moveset. Attempting to dodge the oncoming attack, Hikari jumped to the side, charging a "Linear"

Hikari - 15/15

Kobold Miner - 4/4 -3HP = 1/4

[HikariZX 0]

Combat Dice - 3 - Fail! - no damage

Enemy Combat Dice - 18 - Crit! - 1 + 1 Damage

Unable to dodge in time, Hikari's skill was cancelled along with her health dropping slightly. "You just got lucky this time!" Having achieved a critical on Hikari still only managed to drop her health a little more than a seventh. Its AI having recorded the previous attack, the miner started charging its "Circle". Hikari, knowing this was its most dangerous attack, quickly tried to cancel it, moving forward and charging her own "Circle".

Hikari - 15/15 -2HP = 13/15

Kobold Miner - 1/4

[HikariZX 0]

Combat Dice - 2 - Fail! - no damage

Enemy Combat Dice - 9 - Fail! - no damage

Her "Circle" not quite reaching far enough, Hikari kicked the miner away, performing a back flip and cancelling the miner's skill, though not dealing any damage. This was one of the most complicated fights she had yet, Hikari never knew about just the power of knocking an enemy away with your body, a technique she'd most definitely use again. Standing far away from the kobold, Hikari charged her "Linear", hoping it would hit the enemy or at least get her close to it.

Hikari - 13/15

Kobold Miner - 1/4

[HikariZX 0]

Combat Dice - 6 - Success! - 1 + 2 damage from weapon skill

Loot Dice - 5 - Fail! - no mats

The miner fading into bits, Hikari sheathed her sword, closing the HUD with a disappointed face. "This'll take a while" Hikari said while falling back onto "her" tree, it had become her best friend by now, providing comfort when needed and protecting her from the enemy's skills in the previous day. Slinking back, Hikari took this opportunity to throw away her corrupted items, freeing a grand total of seven inventory spaces up, something she didn't need, as she was just searching for materials. Slinking back onto the tree, Hikari closed her eyes, trying to listen for the next enemy. A few minutes passed, Hikari opened her eyes just to see a kobold standing right in front of her, looking at the mountain. "Kobold have lighter feet than I thought" She said with a sweat drop dripping down the side of her face. Taking this chance, Hikari immediately charged for the kobold, performing her favorite skill of hers, "Brilliant Storm".

Hikari - 13/15

Kobold Miner 1 - 1/4 -3HP = DEAD (-2/4)

Kobold Miner 2 - 4/4

(OOC: Unless there are two enemies in a fight, I'll be clearing out a dead enemies immediately from the list)

[HikariZX 0]

Combat Dice - 6 - Success! - 1 + 2 damage from weapon skill

Enemy combat Dice - 3- Fail! - no damage

Taken by surprise, the enemy doesn't even attempt to try and attack Hikari while its health is taken out into the red zone. Satisfied by the damage, Hikari jumps back to a safe distance. "Smooth til' now, just like the last one. You better give me those scraps now, bastard!" Noticing her attitude, the kobold quickly charges up its "Skull Cracker". A battle like the last one was ensuing, Hikari quickly tried to jump back as soon as the skill was released, charging a "Circle" meanwhile.

Hikari - 13/15

Kobold Miner - 4/4 -3HP = 1/4

[HikariZX 0]

Combat Dice - 3 - Fail! - no damage

Enemy Combat Dice - 9 - Fail! -no damage

Missing the skill, Hikari landed on the ground, also dodging the attack. The miner was still stuck, its pick having been trapped in the ground. Hikari thought about a skill to use, immediately thinking of her "Triangle Slash". Quickly dashing towards the miner, Hikari delivered three slashes straight to its snout in a triangular pattern.

Hikari - 13/15

Kobold Miner - 1/4

[HikariZX 0]

Combat Dice - 9 - Crit! - 1 +2 damage from weapon skill + 1 damage from critical

Loot Dice - 1 - Epic Fail! - no mats

Unable to move, the miner simply took the slashes, dropping its health down to 0 and awarding Hikari with an empty HUD. "Damn it! Are you serious?! That's two killed, but still no scraps!" Hikari looked at the quest once again, seeing a round 0 standing in the scrap count, while a resounding 2 stood in its counterpart's place, signifying the number of miners killed. Dropping down onto the shade once again, Hikari lied down instead of sitting, hoping to calm herself down a bit. A few minutes later, she heard the clear "whoosh" noise made an enemy spawning, relatively nearby. Having calmed down enough, Hikari saw another miner standing in front of her, wandering around the fields without a sound to be made from its paws. Deciding to act quickly and finish it off before it could attack, Hikari charged and released a "Linear" on the coyote man.

Hikari - 13/15

Kobold Miner (previous) - 1/4 -4HP = ULTRA DEAD (-3/4)

Kobold Miner - 4/4

[HikariZX 0]

Combat Dice - 8 - Success! - 1 + 2 damage from weapon skill

Enemy Combat Dice - 9 - Fail!

The battle started off the same as all the others, Hikari generating Hate, making the enemy locked on her, though it was stunned and its health decreased to a mere quarter, her investment in her weapon skill paid off. Quickly turning around towards Hikari, the Kobold charged forward, a clear dark purple light emanating from its pick. Hikari, recognizing the glow as the skill "Linear", one she had not seen anyone besides herself use, quickly tried to counter it with her own, attempting to parry it away.

Hikari - 13/15

Kobold Miner - 4/4 -3HP = 1/4

[HikariZX 0]

Combat Dice - 9 - Crit! - 1 + 2 damage from weapon skill + 1 damage from critical

Loot Dice - 3 - Fail! - no mats

Barely missing the attack, the miner was impaled through the chest, immediately shattering into blue polygons and fading away. Closing the HUD in a fit of rage, Hikari stomped the ground hard. "Grrr... Why?! Seriously, this is ridiculous!" She was furious now, this was the second time she'd do this quest, simply because of a stupid system error. (OOC: I actually messed up big time in the combat in my last thread and willingly gave up my items to compensate.) Laying back down, Hikari let herself rest and calm down, being angry would only make her perform worse in combat. Sensing a shadow on her, Hikari opened up her eyes to another kobold, who angrily attacked her with no hesitation. Hikari, attempting a parry, swung her sword in front of her while dodging to the side.

Hikari - 13/15

Kobold Miner (dead) - 1/4 -4HP = OVER KILL (-3/4, can you tell I'm kinda bored here? Yeah? Good.)

Kobold Miner - 4/4

[HikariZX 0]

Combat Dice - 2 - Fail! - no damage

Enemy Combat Dice - 1 - Epic Fail! (HAHA) - no damage

Successfully parrying the attack, none of the parties suffered damage. Hikari, quickly getting up from her dodge, jumped back to put some distance between her and the miner. "Damn, was thing that near me when I attacked the other one?! I though these guys were freakin' passive!" Thinking that, Hikari jumped forward and around the miner, quickly slashing the enemy away.

Hikari - 13/15

Kobold Miner - 4/4

[HikariZX 0]

Combat Dice - 7 - Success! - 1 + 2 damage from weapon skill

Enemy Combat Dice - 17 - Crit! - 1 + 1 damage

Replying to the attack, the enemy slashed back and though it was not enough to prevent its health from dropping to the red zone and being blasted away, it succeeded in hitting Hikari, resulting in a critical hit and making a thin red, line appear on her stomach, knocking her away as well. Now with even more distance between them, Hikari needed to use a skill to approach the enemy, if not also dealing some damage. Knowing what to do, Hikari charged up her "Linear" skill at the same time as the kobold started charging its "Skull Cracker". Releasing it shortly after, Hikari aimed for the enemy.

Hikari - 13/15 -2HP = 11/15

Kobold Miner - 4/4 -3HP = 1/4

[HikariZX 0]

Combat Dice - 9 - Crit! - 1 + 2 damage from weapon skill + 1 damage from critical

Loot Dice - 11 - Success! - 1 mat

Cancelling the skill, "Linear" brought the health of the enemy down until there was no more. Looking at the HUD, Hikari gave a satisfied smirk. "About damn time." And closed it, accepting the Iron Scrap into her inventory. Quickly searching the area around her so the same thing wouldn't happen again, Hikari noticed the place was empty, if not for her. Sitting down, examining the quest, Hikari now looked a lot more cheerful, a smirk on her face, silver hair flowing in the wind and red eyes shining, she closed the HUD, reading 1/5 Iron Scraps and 4/5 Kobold Miners. Waiting for the sound of spawning again, the memories of the first day returned. The look in the mirror, her then rugged face being enshrouded in light, returning to the one that was hers, her body mass shrinking along with her height, she returned to her own body. She remembered it vividly, the feeling she got from her senses being removed, then returning again to her own body, digitalized and trapped in this Death Game. Soon enough, the final kobold she needed for the quest showed up, though she knew it wouldn't be the last she'd defeat today for sure. Quickly charging a "Circle" behind her, Hikari ran towards the enemy, releasing the skill when she thought she was near enough, generating hate just from the usage.

Hikari - 11/15

Kobold Miner (ded) - 1/4 -4HP = -3/4

Kobold Miner - 4/4

[HikariZX 0]

Combat Dice - 9 - Crit! - 1 + 2 damage from weapon skill + 1 damage from critical

Loot Dice - 11 - Success! - 1 mat

Cancelling the skill, "Linear" brought the health of the enemy down until there was no more. Looking at the HUD, Hikari gave a satisfied smirk. "About damn time." And closed it, accepting the Iron Scrap into her inventory. Quickly searching the area around her so the same thing wouldn't happen again, Hikari noticed the place was empty, if not for her. Sitting down, examining the quest, Hikari now looked a lot more cheerful, a smirk on her face, silver hair flowing in the wind and red eyes shining, she closed the HUD, reading 1/5 Iron Scraps and 4/5 Kobold Miners. Waiting for the sound of spawning again, the memories of the first day returned. The look in the mirror, her then rugged face being enshrouded in light, returning to the one that was hers, her body mass shrinking along with her height, she returned to her own body. She remembered it vividly, the feeling she got from her senses being removed, then returning again to her own body, digitalized and trapped in this Death Game. Soon enough, the final kobold she needed for the quest showed up, though she knew it wouldn't be the last she'd defeat today for sure. Quickly charging a "Circle" behind her, Hikari ran towards the enemy, releasing the skill when she thought she was near enough, generating hate just from the usage.

Hikari - 11/15

Kobold Miner (ded) - 1/4 -4HP = -3/4

Kobold Miner - 4/4

[HikariZX 0]

Combat Dice - 10 - Crit! - 1 + 2 damage from weapon skill + 2 damage from critical

Enemy Combat Dice/Loot Dice - 15 - Success! - 1 damage/1 mat

Impressed more that the move actually hit than the massive critical it generated, Hikari closed the HUD, accepting another Iron Scrap onto her inventory. "Damn, that was easy..." The enemy had gone down without much of a fight, dealing a bit of damage in return for the skill by swinging its pickax at the right time, creating a small gash on Hikari's leg. Maybe she'd need to be more courteous next time. "A slash would be enough of a warning, perhaps?" Giving a slight chuckle after saying it, Hikari sat under the tree again. "Only three more to go." With some luck, two kobolds were all she'd need to complete it. Successfully jinxing herself, Hikari turned to a nearby miner, sprinting towards it, attempting to split in two with a slash to the stomach.

Hikari - 11/15 -1HP = 10/15

Kobold Miner (dedz) - 4/4 -5HP = -1/4

Kobold Miner - 4/4

[HikariZX 0]

Combat Dice - 10 - Crit! - 1 + 2 damage from weapon skill + 2 damage from critical

Enemy Combat Dice/Loot Dice - 4 - Fail! - no damage/no loot

Feeling proud for succeeding in doing exactly what she wanted, Hikari got even madder from closing an empty HUD, kicking a stone into the mountain side. The enemy truly was gone without a fight this time, another massive critical managed to split its legs from its torso, making both pieces explode in a flash of blue. This enemy had been completely fruitless, maybe the next ones would give more scraps. Thinking that, Hikari slunk back onto the tree, hands supporting her head. Remembering the first day again, Hikari could not help but shudder. Upon knowing the situation and having her body back to normal, Hikari rushed to the inn, her red eyes wide open in disbelief, tears swelling up in both. She holed herself up for one month at the inn before finally trying to do something about her situation. Knowing what to do to help clear the game even faster, she took this quest, knowing that she could help other players out. Having been reminiscing, Hikari didn't even notice the enemy that spawned right in front of her, causing her to panic and fall to the ground head-first. Noticing that the enemy wasn't attacking, Hikari quickly used her best move yet, "Demonic Wolf's Fang".

Hikari - 10/15

Kobold Miner (deded) - 4/4 -5HP = -1/4

Kobold Miner - 4/4

[HikariZX 0]

Combat Dice - 3 - Fail! - no damage

Enemy Combat Dice - 8 - Fail! - no damage

As soon as the Hate was generated by the swing attempt, the kobold kicked Hikari away, though not dealing any damage. Wide-eyed, Hikari was surprised a kobold could be so fast and generate Hate just by a swing attempt. Not giving up, Hikari got up and started charging her "Linear" while the kobold quickly started charging "Skull Cracker" as well. Due to "Linear" charging faster than the opponent's "Skull Cracker", Hikari was able to get in close and released her "Linear" on the kobold.

Hikari - 10/15

Kobold Miner - 4/4