[F01 - PP] "A Body in Motion" <<The First Lesson>>

[Salem 0]

A whirlwind of vibrant colors encompassed his vision as Salem awoke in his new reality. The elaborate neon flares fizzled out into the happenings of a humble cedar abode. A few confused blinks seemed enough to ward off the dizzying introduction. With fingers outstretched, he began to examine his alternate form. It all felt so strange, yet also so real. Certainly at least, more real than any “[insert] reality” games he had previously played. Few other observations oriented him before he had slowly begun to stand. The process of activated nerves and cinched tendons were arguably the most comforting sensations he’d experienced in a long while. Speaking of which, why had it taken him so long to load into this world? Shrugging off his initial inspections, he began to sort through the myriad of menus that were blocking his sights. 

Dps package…weapon of choice…Claws sound cool, I’ll start with those.

The addition of items to his inventory was a welcome start, and in a handful of moments, he was on his way to exploring the ends of his virtual establishment.

 

***

Salem | HP: 20/20 | EN: 20/20 | DMG: 4 | ACC: 2

Spoiler

Salem
Level: 1
HP: 20/20
EN: 20/20

Stats:
Damage: 4
Accuracy: 2

Equipped Gear:
Weapon: Claws R1 (Rare) with 2 slots of Accuracy

Custom Skill:

Skills:
Claws R1

Active Mods:
Meticulous

Inactive Mods:

Addons:
Stamina
Precision
Focus
Resolve

Active Extra Skills:
Concentration

Inactive Extra Skills:

Battle Ready Inventory:
(3) Starter Healing Potions (Heals 50 HP)

Housing Buffs:

Guild Hall Buffs:

Scents of the Wild:

Wedding Ring:

 

Edited July 22, 2023 by SaIem

[Elora 0]

Another lapse in consciousness had plunged Elora into the obsidian expanse. The hollow sounds of machinery were among the few perceptions she could distinguish. In a daze, she slipped forward, fatalistically toed by the force of a figure unseen. Her hands clawed their way into a surface that smudged like wet clay. Digging into the mailable surface proved futile, however, as its sludgy consistency seemed to melt like wax between her fingertips. A series of stinging punctures slowly dappled their way across her body. Once again seized by a sinister paralysis, Elora could feel her skin become cold and clammy. Haggard gasps became caught in her throat as her eyes --

Flew open! She was staggering forward and falling toward the floor. With delayed reaction, she threw her hands before her. An ocean of sheets gnarled themselves around her legs, slowing the momentum of the fall. Her head rapped atop the floorboards with a dull thud. "Fuuuuck...", she groaned from the pain. By the time she'd lifted a hand to massage her forehead, it had subsided into a mere discomfort. Sure would be nice if it did anything to repair the emotional damage, she thought somewhat dramatically. Peeling herself up off the floor, she began to unfurl the cocoon of fabrics. Borris offered a reassuring squeeze from around her wrist. "F*ck these nightmares", she sighed in frustration, "This is getting exausting -- but I don't know what I'm supposed to do about it." Momentary pause gave way to a temporary solution, Tea would be nice. Hobbling over to her kitchenette, she pried open the cupboards to grab --

"Nooooo!", she whined with a hang of her head, "I forgot to get more -- I went through the last of my stash last night!"

Like a storming child, Elora equipped her gear and ripped off the plank of wood kick-standed against her door to hold it shut. With another swift push, the "door" was free from its hinges and barreling into the hallway.

 

***

Elora | HP: 700/700 | EN: 104/104 | DMG: 21 | MIT: 66 | EVA: 1 | ACC: 4 | BH: 35 | LD: 3 | AA | BLGT: 32 | FLN: 8 | REC: 3 | STK: 40

Spoiler

Elora
Level: 32
Paragon Level: 5
HP: 700/700
EN: 104/104

Stats:
Damage: 21
Mitigation: 66
Evasion: 1
Accuracy: 4 
Battle Healing: 35
Loot Dice: 3
AA
BLGT: 32
FLN: 8
REC: 3
STK: 40

Equipped Gear:
Weapon: Essential Verdigris (T4 Dem Polearm | AA | Blgt | FLN | STK)
Armor: Skirmisher's Garb (T3 Perf LA | MIT 2 | EVA 1)
Misc: Black Zephyr's Zeal (T3 Perf Trinket | ACC 2 | REC 1)

Custom Skill:


Skills:
Polearm R5
Light Armor R5
Battle Healing R5
Charge
Energist
Searching R3

Active Mods:
Meticulous

Inactive Mods:

Addons:
Stamina
Precision
Focus
Resolve

Active Extra Skills:
Concentration

Inactive Extra Skills:

Battle Ready Inventory:
ITEM x1

Housing Buffs:

Guild Hall Buffs:

Scents of the Wild:

Wedding Ring:

 

[Salem 0]

The sudden blur of an object in motion was enough to cause Salem to startle. He quickly jolted backwards, narrowly avoiding a door in a crash-course with the wall across from it. "Jesus!", he couldn't help but shout as the large slab slammed to a hault. 

"Piece of shit! Good riddance!", shouted a slender woman with the shake of her fist. She gave pause for a moment, rolling a sore shoulder before turning to face his direction. "Oh hell! That didn't hit you did it?", she began with a surprised squeak, "There aren't usually any other players this early -- well at least not walkin' around!"

He wasn't entirely sure what to make of that comment. There aren't any other players awake this early, or ones that hadn't had their bodies broken by this delinquent of a woman? Salem simply cocked his head in confusion.

"Hey, actually --", she started again before he had the chance to respond, "I don't think I've seen you before. Did you...?" She leaned to the side to look over his shoulder, "Did you come from one of the rooms down the hallway?"

He followed the point of her finger, "Yeah?"

"Huh.", gawked the green-haired character, "I didn't realize there were still players who lived here. How long you been around?"

"A few minutes, I think", he guessed nonchalantly.

Edited July 22, 2023 by SaIem

[Elora 0]

"A few minutes, I think", the player responded.

A FEW MINUTES?!, she suddenly found herself thrust into terror, DOES THAT MEAN HE JUST WOKE UP? Elora had heard rumors of late-raisers, but not many as of recent. No one knew exactly why some people had loaded into the game so long after its release. Was it because of a glitch in the system, or of a poor internet connection? She couldn't say. "Oh wow, that's real recent!", was all she could manage to respond. I suppose it does make sense for him to wake up here though., Elora started to realize, This is the first place that I was able to see after entering the game. Maybe there's still space for new players to spawn in this Inn --

"Well, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to look around a little", he coyly interrupted her thoughts. With a step to one side, he was already slinking around her.

"Actually --", she piped up, turning tale to follow closely behind him, "I've gotta find somewhere to get some breakfast. If you want, I can show you around a little. Maybe help you get familiar with some of the mechanics?"

Edited July 25, 2023 by Elora

[Salem 0]

Oh boy... a tutorial., he thought with some exasperation, I guess it's not entirely unnecessary. I can just skip through her dialogue once it starts to become unnecessary "Sure", he remarked, "Why don't you take me to one of your favorites." Salem couldn't help humor her programming. After all, she was interesting and charming enough to tolerate. 

"Alright! Follow me then!", she commanded, enthusiastically taking the lead. "I didn't get your name, by the way. I'm Elora.", she added with a soft smile.

Reciprocating the curiosity, he answered, "I'm Salem." Kind of weird the game wouldn't already know that., he observed, it must prompt its NPCs to ask so that the dialogue feels more natural. I wonder how varied its conversations can get. "So, Elora", he decided to test his curiosity, "You said there weren't a lot of players around this place. Why's that?" He made an effort to pick up his pace, joining alongside her to better gauge her reaction.

[Elora 0]

"Huh, well --", she started, cupping her chin with a gloved hand, "My first guess would be because this place serves as a venue for debuting cyberpunk bands, if you haven't heard it before, you don't want to --" He had barely made out the warning she cast beneath her breath. "But the real answer is probably because this place is exposition material. The Town of Beginnings tends to be a busy hub for players, but most people don't stick around to live inside of these buildings." Contradictory to her claim, Elora was shoving bodies out of the way from left to right as the pair made their way down a creaky staircase.

"What's all this then?", he asked dryly.

"Oh. NPCs", she quickly responded, "Yeah, that's another less-than-glamorous part about The Hummingbard -- it seems to be some sort of spawn point for the worst kinds of NPCs" Elora heaved one final form out of the way before opening a door that lead into a surprisingly spacious, but oppressively dusty bar.

[Salem 0]

"I can see why people leave.", Salem cracked and spared her a glance. Green icon. That would make her a player., he inferred from the sea of of unmarked characters surrounding them. The perspective shift didn't cause him to regard her much differently. After all, a lot of people ended up being just as repetitive and superficial as pre-programmed entities. The two of them soon stepped outside of the bar and into a busy cobblestone street. Salem could feel his eyes synch in reaction to the difference of brightness. Raising a hand to shield his eyes, he began to make out the various signages of different shops. "Food for Fighters", "Armor Up!", "Potion Seller" -- not entirely original --"The Fur and Tackle", he cocked his head at that one.

"You the--"

Before Salem could even react, he was already stumbling over the body of a wandering NPC.

"Stop, please!"

"I ALREADY HAVE!", He retorted with a dumbfounded expression. His elven guide seemed to find the encounter extremely amusing.

"Oh sorry, I should have warned you --", she apologized through a bit of laughter, "You're gonna get bombarded with quests and tutorials this early on. This guy is Dorian and he --"

"My name is Dorian, and I am the mayor of this town --"

"WILL YOU JUST --!", Elora yelled as she plastered a shushing finger to his mouth. "Thank you! Anyways, this guy offers you one of the earliest quests in the game. A lot of new players take it to get money and materials early on."

Couldn't she have just let me learn that from the NPC?, with an patient sigh, Salem grabbed the woman's wrist and lifted it so that the man could finish his exposition. "So I gotta find Zackariah", he half-stated, half-asked.

"Uh huh!", confirmed Elora, "He's not far from here! Actually why don't you get a head start on that -- I'm gonna go get my food --"

"You don't --!", before Salem could decline her assistance, the green-haired player had already slipped from his grasp and disappeared down an alley packed to the brim with vendors.

Edited July 27, 2023 by SaIem

[Elora 0]

"Food food food~", sang Elora as she romped between patches of players and NPCs. It wasn't long before she reached her favorite shop, a humble shack that resembled a traditional ramen shop. "Goodmorning Bruce, I'm here to pick up some sustenance!", she proclaimed as her right arm rapidly parted the curtain that separated the counter from the street.

"What'll it be today?", the chef groaned in a tired tone which steeply contrasted her own.

"Miso and tea!", she started, "Except -- could you also add some noodles to the soup? Otherwise, it doesn't fill me up enou--" Before she could finish her order, a steaming hot bowl of soup had already slid to her side of the establishment. "Damn, you're too good at what you do", she chuckled and transferred over a portion of col.

With a crack of her chopsticks, she began to slurp down her meal, occasionally taking breaks to alternate between it and her serving of English breakfast tea. Now, to down this and track down Salem.

[Salem 0]

To say that Zackariah was easy to find would be an understatement. Traveling the few blocks necessary from the quest's starting point to his shop took mere minutes. “Oh, hello,", came a cordial greeting as Salem entered the building. "Are you here to order something? I’m sorry, but I am currently swamped with orders, and I’m running out of supplies.” 

"No, just here to fulfil this quest.", he stated, gesturing up the informational guide that sat within his UI. A few segments of dialogue later proved that the quest wasn't going to be as straightforward as it appeared. At least that's pretty typical., he reassured himself. A notification from his interface indicated the change in requirements: "Gather 5 materials for Zackariah". Only 5? That's a pretty low bar -- shouldn't be too hard. Spinning on his heal, Salem turned to exit the -- She's back., he thought with some annoyance.

"Oh, you already unlocked the next step -- nice!", congratulated Elora through the remaining bites of her food. She promptly discarded her dish on the ground for the system to take care of it.

Salem spent a few seconds staring at the stone floor as he watched the object fracture, then fizzle into thin air. "Well that's awfully efficient", he couldn't help but remark. Shaking the distraction, he refocused his attention to the task at hand. "Looks like I should be able to collect these just outside the wall.", with a hesitant sigh, he added, "You said you wanted to join me?"

"Oh, sure!", Elora clapped her hands together as if it was the first time the suggestion had crossed her mind, "Actually, I think we're supposed to enter a party together before we start. You wanna take care of handling that?"

Salem wanted to roll his eyes at her request, but took the liberty of hunting down the correct menu and creating an invite to send her way.

Edited July 28, 2023 by SaIem

[Elora 0]

"Thank you!", chimed Elora as she accepted the request. "Then the town gate should be right...this waaay!", she announced as she sprang ahead to guide Salem toward their intended destination. 

"I don't know how you can have this much energy", he remarked with a hint of exhaustion on his face, "I only just started playing and I already feel like I've lost some stamina just by looking at you. It's like you move around at a higher FPS than the rest of the world."

"WHAT?", she blurted with a snort, "No I don't. I just walk with purpose -- I've got shit to do!" Elora wouldn't consider herself a go-getter, but as of late, she couldn't deny a greater sense of urgency in her day-to-day activities. When she entered SAO, it was easy to waste most of her days meandering around town and bantering with NPCs. Now, it felt like she had a responsibility to improve, not just for herself, but for the sake of others. "I gotta grind and level up as much as I can so that I can help The Frontliners.", she reaffirmed herself.

"Frontliners?"

"They're the players that fight the floor bosses, the ones at the top of the ranks!", she explained as she made a show of flexing one of her arms, "And I just became one of them!" Elora flashed him a hawty smirk before adding, "And I'm honestly so terrified!"

Edited August 1, 2023 by Elora

[Salem 0]

Her appearance doesn't match her level., he observed with a bemused glance, Maybe that's for the best. Sometimes it's more advantageous to keep your cards close to your chest. "Must not take too long to get there if you've already unlocked it. I'm sure you'll do fine." A second take at her revealed an even more disheveled expression.

"You're right! If I managed to join them after such a small amount of time how will I even know if I'm ready to fight?", the woman whined as her form began to crumble from an overwhelm of worry.

"What --?" I didn't mean it like THAT!, Salem searched for the right words to appease her insecurity, "I mean, you've probably done a lot of grinding already, right? That's the only reason you could've leveled up fast enough to become a Frontliner." He took a moment to clear his throat and reach for a patch of glowing moss that laid just beside the city's wall, "Don't worry about whether or not that makes you deserving of the title. Destroy the bosses and prove to yourself that you can handle it." A gentle peeling of the sage-colored carpet was enough to separate it from its mother stone and plop it into his inventory.

"You did it! That's the first item of the quest!", Elora quickly praised in harmony with the sound of a success chime.

 

Spoiler

ID: 214572 LD20 Natural Success (1/5 Materials Found)

Edited August 8, 2023 by SaIem

[Elora 0]

A slight suppression of her supportive enthusiasm proceeded a hesitant sigh, "Yeah, I guess you could say I've done a lot of grinding, but it's mostly been with the help of other people."

"So? How will that be any different than fighting with all the experienced players?", Salem questioned as he scanned the surrounding scenery for more materials.

"Because they're -- I guess they're not much higher ranked than me", Elora realized just as the retort had spilled from her lips, "I think it's really just because...it's such a new setting for me to be in. I'm not used to being at the top of -- well, anything." It was a difficult insecurity for her to identify, let alone accept. In a lot of ways, she'd grown used to putting the blame on the strangers around her. What was she supposed to do now that she would be regarded as an equal, or even stranger, a superior to some of them? "I don't know how to handle it all."

Edited August 3, 2023 by Elora

[Salem 0]

Salem did his best to listen to her lamentations as he scanned the nearby scenery for additional plant life. Rolling over a few stray stones with the end of his foot proved fruitless, so he resorted to continuing along the path they had initially embarked on. The sensation of sunbeams trickling down from above stretching over the extent of his body was enough to raise his spirits. I could get used to this, he reveled as memories of frigid limbs became saturated in the warmth of this alternative reality.

"I don't know what to tell ya...", he replied with splayed fingers combing through wispy prairie grass, "But it seems like you're putting an awful lot of stake into what others think of you." Singling out and plucking one of the stems from the field, Salem gave it an absent twist before snapping it free from its head. "You have the right to determine your place and your worth." He turned to Elora before candidly tossing the small seedpod into the center of her face.

"You'll only get walked over if you act like a doormat."

 

Spoiler

ID: 214573 LD7 Fail (1/5 Materials Found)

Edited August 8, 2023 by SaIem

[Elora 0]

The scraggly projectile suddenly bounced off of Elora's nose, causing her to startle. Shaking her head, she blinked to stare at him with a stupefied expression. "Y --", she stuttered before snapping, "WHERT THE HEEL! Yew jerst threw that at my face!" Her standoffish reaction was quickly dismissed as she pawed at her face to banish a residual itch. 

Salem cracked into an irksome chuckle before replying, "Just wanted to see how you'd react. Got you out of your head for half a second."

With arms crossed, Elora huffed in return. If he tries that again, I'll put him down before he can even react --

"See", he started soon after, "You can handle yourself."

Elora's annoyed stance relaxed into one of contentment at the recognition of an compliment extended. Unsure of how to rekindle the previous topic, she opted to change their conversation. "So -- what weapon did you choose?" A gloved hand gestured randomly through the air, summoning a verdigris spear into her grasp. "I went with the spear -- though, I guess it's called a polearm now."

Edited August 9, 2023 by Elora

[Salem 0]

Salem took note of her fiery reaction, not to mention the accent that came along with it. Is that...Scottish? Irish maybe? It subsided almost as quickly as it had begun to garnish her words. I guess she's quick to anger, but also quick to console. Interesting. The outburst was followed by an attempt at small talk. Desperation to fill dead air was bothersome, especially when it replaced a far more engaging topic. 

"Claws.", he responded bluntly as his hand reached up to -- Actually.

He seized the opportunity to summon each apparatus, leather gloves reinforced with a concealed ribbing. Quadruplet blades extended several inches from the base of his knuckles. Leaping up, he briskly lodged one set into the bark of a passing tree. The other swung, swiping a ripened fruit from where it hung with surprising precision. The object promptly popped out of the air and entered his inventory with a playful alert.

 

Spoiler

ID: 214574 LD14 Success (2/5 Materials Found)

Edited August 9, 2023 by SaIem

[Elora 0]

"Whoa!", Elora exclaimed with raised fists, "That's so cool! I've actually never seen a claw-user before!" Stepping closer to where he'd dropped, she raised a curious finger to begin inspecting the weapons. "Seems kind of inconvenient though. How're you supposed to do anything else if they're coming out of both your hands?" 

Salem gave pause before flexing his fingers in a particular way which sheathed the blades back and into a housing further up his forearms. "Like that, it seems.", he remarked with little surprise.

"Just like Wolverine!", she squealed in excitement. "I'd be scared with fighting so close to a monster though -- you'll probably need cat-like reflexes to avoid getting cut or stomped on.", after musing at the logistics, she added, "So, are you good at landing on your feet?" The playful question seemed to elicit something painful from Salem's face, which twitched and turned away in response.

Edited August 9, 2023 by Elora

[Salem 0]

"So, are you good at landing on your feet?"

What should have been an innocent inquiry felt like it had carved a fissure through his chest. Images of shrapnel coated in scarlet suddenly overshadowed the serendipity he had felt. Turning away from her, he did his best to stifle his nerves. "Nah", he managed to admit with an uneasy laugh, "I got pretty fucked up." Massaging the sides of both his thighs with anxious hands, he decided to elaborate, "I couldn't feel my legs until today, at least, not for a few years." Not since the accident. "It feels good to move again.", he concluded before brushing past her to create some distance between them. She didn't need to know that..., his conscience cautiously scolded. What had gotten the better of him? The emotions regarding all of it still felt too raw to handle. Besides, someone like her, she wouldn't understand.

"I'm sure it'll take some getting used to.", he added for good measure to dispel the dampened atmosphere.

 

Spoiler

ID: 214575 LD7 Fail (2/5 Materials Found)

Edited August 10, 2023 by SaIem

[Elora 0]

Elora felt her stomach drop as soon as she sensed she had something wrong. With breath caught in her throat, she fervently listened to his unfortunate response. "You were...paralyzed?", she pieced together from what little detail he disposed. A slight nod reaffirmed that she had understood correctly. Waves of guilt rippled through her as Salem moved to walk away. "I'm really sorry...", she croaked with slumped shoulders, "I didn't mean to bring up anything like that."

"You didn't know.", he consoled from ahead. 

With a stifled sigh, Elora tried her best to dispel any lingering dread from the social misstep. "Well, if it's any help.", she started to perk up, "You carry yourself like a total natural." She swore she could catch the slightest smile in response to that remark. For a number of minutes, all that passed between them were the sounds of wind and distant wildlife. Despite their straightforward objective, Elora caught her mind beginning to play through countless possibilities of the upcoming raid.

Edited August 12, 2023 by Elora

[Salem 0]

Salem appreciated the silence. This was the first time he'd had a moment's peace since encountering the blasted woman. Hiking in this sort of environment could best be described as 'pleasant'. All around them, dragonflies danced in the temperate air. Salem swore he had spotted one phasing through a stray flower on more than one occasion. An undulating emerald sea expanded as far as the eye could see. Gradually, he'd begun to detect the sensation of fine water droplets drifting into his arm. It wasn't long before a barely-audible static grew into a substantial rumble.

As the two of them climbed a nearby knoll, his companion exclaimed: "Oh! I've been here before! This is where Jackpot and I came to gather herbs for my Alchemy quest."

Is Jackpot a player or some sort of pet?, he silently wondered.

"This'll be a great place for us to find materials -- LOOK!"

Before he could follow her gesture, Elora was already racing down the slope to the banks of a sandy stream.

 

 

Spoiler

ID: 214576 LD1 Critical Fail (2/5 Materials Found)

Edited August 11, 2023 by SaIem

[Elora 0]

Elora's heels sunk into the mud as she slid down the hill. Such a sudden displacement of momentum almost caused her to slip and close the remaining distance along her back. Slowing to safety at the brink of the brook, she lifted her boots one at a time to shake off any residual muck. "There's tons of herbs down here!", she belatedly explained. She looked back to see a hesitant Salem still sticking to the path. "Well? They're not gonna pick themselves!", she goaded in a sing-songy voice. 

Finally, he seemed to follow in her footsteps. Taking his time, he'd managed to make it most of the way before an especially precarious patch of moss tore out from under his weight. The stoic player's legs swept out from under him like he'd just been struck by a bowling ball. Elora was captivated by the spectacle of it all, her silence only being broken by the buzz of a poorly-contained laugh. "OH MY GOSH!", she shouted, extending the hand that covered her mouth to offer him a way up, "A-are y-you ok?"

Edited August 16, 2023 by Elora