[F01;SP] The Beginning | <<The First Lesson>>

[Shadow Wolf 0]

Following the Announcement

Months, years, days, all would be behind him in the short time it took for him to gain the skills and abilities required to make his way in the world. Not that those would come easily, quickly or...well, quickly or easily. He'd reacted to his newfound home in a way that was different from those around him. There'd been no anger, no frustration, no desire to lash out at the world and everything in it - instead he'd found himself oddly calm. Controlled. Able to think and plan and make his next move. He'd been frustrated for sure, but it hadn't driven him to the madness that he'd seen in some others as they'd clamoured to make sense of their newfound situation, the fact that they had become trapped in a world that they had no control over. 

As if they had control over the world beyond this game. Shadow had been amused by that thought, as he'd made his way from the main court following the announcement. He'd considered stopping to invite a few of the other players alongside himself, but had decided against it. He knew none of them, had made no connections since entering the game, and he wasn't sure if any of those he had passed were already accounted for by others. I'll just have to go it alone, for now. Until I can find someone...or a few others...who are like me, here alone. Then we can band together, and maybe make our way towards the top.

He'd skipped from the main plaza, content in his decision and figuring it was about time to begin his time here in earnest. He'd heard that the first true quests in the game began somewhere deeper on the floor, and figured that his best actions would be making his way towards them. "Once I finish picking up a few useful pieces, that is...then I can head off and see where to begin my journey in earnest. It...shouldn't be that difficult, I hope."

 

Statblock

Spoiler notes [Theme] Shadow Wolf | Lv. 1 | HP: 20/20 | EN: 20/20 | DMG: 4 | LD: 3 Tier 1 equipped Crystal [Tier 1 Trinket; Perfect] Enhancement: Loot Die [3 Slots]   battle-ready inventory N/A {0} N/A {0} | N/A skills Spoiler Utility Skills N/A Combat Skills N/A Weapon Skills Straight Sword [Rank: 1. Active: Passive. Effect: +3 DMG] Armour Skills N/A Active Extra Skills N/A Inactive Extra Skills  N/A Combat Mastery N/A Familiar Skills N/A skills Spoiler [x4] ST-I (4 EN) | A single-target sword art. [x3] AOE-I (1 + [2 * targets EN]) | AOE | A sword art that strikes multiple targets at once. [x4] TECH-A (5 EN) | STUN | A single-target sword art that stuns an enemy. buffs Spoiler Estate Buffs N/A [N/A]

Edited August 24, 2023 by Shadow Wolf

[Shadow Wolf 0]

The roads had been empty when he had left the Town of Beginnings. He'd stopped to collect a few minor items that he figured would be beneficial for his venture out into the real world - or at least, the real world of Aincrad. He'd taken a fairly straight path - avoiding any major fights along the way, knowing that he would need a bit more practice in his form and capabilities before he was ready to really fight anything more than a basic rat.

"Still, it's a beautiful world." He'd stopped along the roadway to stare out over the wind swept grasses, contemplating his current situation. He was conscious of the time he was wasting, the ways in which he could advance if he kept going properly and didn't stop to stare at every little thing, yet he couldn't help believing that sometimes he needed to simply enjoy where he found himself. "This is life now, and I should accept that. It will make the coming months easier, all things considered."

He'd heard the announcement, knew what it meant. They were going to be here until the entirety of Aincrad had been cleared - something that would take some time, regardless of how hard they pushed. He figured it would be quite some time indeed, based on everything he'd seen of the world so far, and what the announcement had shown them. One hundred floors, from bottom to top, each becoming more and more difficult the further up they went - a sign that things were eventually going to grind to a halt as players worked to keep up with the growing dangers, all while not putting themselves in overly large amounts of danger.

"Once we do get out of here, this will be a story to tell." He tried not to think of the fact that there were true dangers in the game. He didn't ignore them, or pretend like they weren't there. More, he simply realised that worrying over it would cause no benefit to anyone. "Stay alive, and there's no issue. Just need to be careful, is all."

[Shadow Wolf 0]

Tolbana wasn't far from the Town of Beginnings, both in distance and size. His eyes had roamed over the stretching walls as he'd walked through the entryway and into the safe zone, the local guards giving a small wave towards him as he'd made his way along the pathway. He'd seen a small group of other players make their way in ahead of him, confirming to him that he hadn't been the only one with the idea - and in fact, had not been the first to arrive either. The realisation didn't bother him in any way, he'd never expected to be a leading force in this world.

"Alright, where to begin..." He glanced around the street he'd found himself stopped in, a small courtyard that seemed to house a centralised water fountain. NPCs and players alike moved through the area, combing for themselves any little bit of information, equipment or anything else that would give them a leading edge towards moving forwards in their quest for escape. Shadow was careful to avoid the other players, moving into a less populated area and nearly tripping over a grey-haired man that seemed ecstatic to see the player.

"You there! Stop, please!" The man shouted as Shadow stepped back. He paused in his movement, wondering what the NPC would have to say to him - his first real encounter with the world. "Pardon me, but I am in need of some assistance, and you appear quite capable."

Shadow found himself grinning at that. He doubted that he actually appeared capable, all things considered. That said, he also knew that the NPC was likely programmed to say just such a thing, and found himself not bothering with arguing the commentary. Instead, he waited patiently to see what else the NPC would have to offer, getting a sense that there was going to be a quest coming once the man explained himself more fully.

[Shadow Wolf 0]

"My name is Dorian, and I am the mayor of this town. As part of those mayoral duties, I issued a small loan to a member of the community a few months ago. Well, the time to collect had come around and I-" Shadow had waited patiently, and it didn't take the NPC long to continue his monologue, explaining to the player how he had lent money to someone within the town, and now needed it to be returned. 

"Just so I have this correct...you're not sure, entirely, whom you had loaned this money to, and now you require me to find the individual and have it returned to you?" His voice held the scepticism that he felt at the request, trying to figure out how exactly he was supposed to figure out whom owed this man - a mayor no less - the money, in a city that clearly held several thousand NPCs. 

Whether hearing the commentary of the player or not, the NPC suddenly continued his speech - acting as if the player had already accepted the quest itself. "Excellent, I knew I could count on you! You might start with Zackariah, the alchemist. He's often doing projects for the town, so it may have been him that borrowed the money."

A small window appeared before Shadow, offering a chance to accept or deny the quest. Thinking it over quickly, he figured it was an easy enough request, and something that would help him get his bearings in this world. That, and I have nothing else to do at this time, so...why not? Raising a hand, he pressed the acceptance button, noticing as a marker appeared in the map just at the top of his view. 

The mayor gave a few more quick comments of thanks, before rushing off and colliding with another player. Shadow waited until the other player had begun the prompt conversation that would lead to the quest, before making his way down a path that seemed to lead towards his destination. 

"First quest of Aincrad, accepted. Let's do this, then." He smiled as he passed by more NPCs, most of which seemed indifferent to his presence, although a few tried to catch his attention. He gave polite responses of refusal, moving past without stopping even as he turned them down. He had a feeling he'd find himself busy in this world, whether he completed this quest quickly or not.

[Shadow Wolf 0]

The marker had led to a shop, or at least what Shadow had assumed was some sort of shop. Truth be told it appeared as more of an alchemists dream come true, to him. Stepping inside he'd been met with a barely visible room filled with shelves upon shelves of bottled substances, a counter separating the player from the NPC who appeared focused on whatever it was they were currently brewing. 

He waited patiently for a few seconds to see if the shopkeeper - if it was even the shopkeeper - would notice his presence. As it became clear that his presence was going unnoticed, he stepped forward to the counter and spoke up. "Hello. I'm looking for a man by the name of...Zackariah?"

The individual looked up from their work, a slightly annoyed expression on their face as they were pried from whatever it was that they had been focusing on. Their response was abrupt, to the point, and far from welcoming. "Oh, hello, are you here to order something? I’m sorry, but I am currently swamped with orders, and I’m running out of supplies."

Shadow shook his head, beginning to give a response in order to explain that he had been sent by the mayor to collect upon an amount owed. Instead, however, the man overrode him - his words no more rushed than they'd been before, and no more welcoming. "Would you gather a few materials for me? Flowers, herbs, rare woods, whatever you can find outside the city walls. I promise I’ll help you fill your order as soon as you return. In fact, I would be willing to show you how to do it yourself."

Shadow paused and considered the offer, wondering if this was just an ever expanding part of the original quest. Either way, he knew that there would be no further help from this man, who he still wasn't sure if it was the person he was looking for or not. He was left with only two options; head out and look for the materials that the man had requested of him, or turn back to the mayor and admit defeat without ever really starting.

"Alright, I'll see what I can find and then return." Shadow stated, before heading out of the shop and back into the street itself. A small dinging sound called his attention, and he looked down to find an update on the original quest, defining that he was required to head out of the city itself and look for anything that could be a material worthy of the request - and he needed a specific amount of them.

[Shadow Wolf 0]

He'd retraced his steps back to the entryway of the large city, passing by the same guards who had waved him into the city of Tolbana. He'd seen them wave to him once more, on his way back out, the same happy and content looks upon their faces. Shadow couldn't help but wonder if they would ever get tired of that action - if one day they wouldn't grow to become frustrated with their duty of simply waving to the passing players, standing at the entrance to a city that they may not get to ever explore.

"This world is almost too real, in a way." He mumbled to himself as he continued out into the fields beyond. He wasn't necessarily sure if he liked thinking about the facts that the NPCs may have real emotions, real thoughts, real personalities to them. It was something he'd always enjoyed previously, but now, here, it felt wrong somehow. As if it would make this world that much more dangerous to be apart of, in some way.

He told himself that he couldn't worry about that for the time being, that he needed to focus on getting a step ahead of being where he was - beginning with completing the quest he'd been given. He could at least do that much, all things considered. He let out a breath he hadn't been aware he'd been holding onto since leaving the city, looking across the grasslands for anywhere that would likely be a good place to start his search.

"The man had mentioned something about...flowers and herbs? I guess anywhere with flowers would be a good place to start..." A sudden thought occurred to Shadow, and he couldn't help but wonder if he shouldn't have requested some more information about what sort of flowers, or herbs. He had limited understanding of alchemy, and figured that with this world being what it was, asking likely wouldn't have helped regardless. "For now, I just need to look for anything that would be...flowery, I guess."

[Shadow Wolf 0]

Flowers. Shadow's gaze drifted across the open fields, noting a collection of various grasses, bushes and assorted trees in the distance. He could see spots of colours roaming the horizon, a variety of reds, blues, and other colours that seemed to clash with the greens of the grasslands. He paused for a few seconds, considering which direction to go as he was presented with numerous different options.

"Well, when in doubt..." He moved towards his right side, walking towards a collection of reds and blues that he had spotted from his vantage point. He was careful to move around the various groups of boars, wolves and large insects that seemed to call the area home - and which very clearly were dangerous. He spotted a pair of other players in the distance battling with a one of the large hornet creatures. Even from a distance Shadow could see that the pair was struggling against it, and although he stopped to watch for a bit, he found nothing enlightening about the situation.

"Maybe I'll just avoid those encounters for a bit. As much as combative experience is good...being alive is better." He wasn't sure whether to believe that they would truly die. Somehow he felt like there was no lie behind the words, but unless he was to experience it himself, he also couldn't confirm the truth behind it. Not that he was willing to test such an event. "It will remain a secret until it's no longer a secret...and that's the way I should approach it. Until it's proven otherwise, it simply...is."

The colours had turned out to be flowers, after all, and Shadow had taken a few moments looking over their detail before noticing that one of the bunch was a collectable material. The moment he plucked it, the stem shattering slightly beneath his touch, it registered as a collected item. He eyed it for a few seconds before depositing it into the inventory, standing up and glancing over the rest of the brush, but finding no other collectable materials.

ID216838 | LD: 12+3=15 | Results: Success! [1/5]

[Shadow Wolf 0]

The first set of flowers had been easy enough to locate. It had placed Shadow in a good mood - a feeling that his quest was off to a good start, or at least it was appearing to be. He'd spent a few brief moments looking over the original brush, in the hopes that he would find another of the material pieces that he'd started with. He'd had to give up after a short time, however, when it became evident that there would be nothing more in the same location.

"Right, well. There's more locations to check. I would assume that the system wouldn't want us to simply remain in one place, that would be almost cheating." He mused at the fact that he would likely have to do some travelling around the area in order to complete his given task. He'd spotted a number of different brush in the area, so he was at least confident that he wouldn't need to go too far from the city itself - something that he'd originally been worried about having to do. As much as he was confident that the game would not look at terminating any of the players too quickly, he wasn't entirely confident in the fairness built into a system by those that would trap the players within it.

"Not that I can change any of that now. I'm just going to have to tread carefully going forward." Glancing about, he moved further to the right of the entrance, towards an area that housed what appeared to be a collection of yellow and orange flowers. For the first time, he wondered if it would've been more beneficial to study botany to some degree. He'd never expected to need to know plants, but now that he found himself grasping at the things, he couldn't help but think that maybe knowledge in the field would've been useful.

"Here's hoping I don't grab anything that's toxic to the touch." He grinned as he reached the flower bed, pausing to stare at them as he considered the thought. He doubted that such a thing would exist, but now that he'd said it aloud, he couldn't help but think that it was plausible.

ID216839 | LD: 7+3 = 10 | Failure [1/5]

[Shadow Wolf 0]

His original luck seemed to have died out rather quickly, and Shadow found himself wondering if there was a trick to finding the materials he needed. He stood over yet another bed of flowers, staring down at pieces that seemed to disintegrate at his touch, only to reappear where they had been moments before he had attempted to pick them. He'd tried everything he could think of, from breaking the stem off quickly, slowly and carefully, even to pulling just the petals from the flowers. No matter what he had tried, however, it led to the same conclusion - a collection of shards that left him with no gain.

"There must be something I'm missing here." He'd pondered aloud, settling back to sit and stare at the flowerbed. He'd hoped that concentrating on the problem at hand would somehow gain him some sort of insight that he had missed originally, but all it did was leave him even more confused and uncertain. "This would almost be vexing, if it weren't for the fact that it has an obvious solution...one that I'm just missing."

He'd moved from the original flowerbed to this knew one under the impression that he would not be able to pick from the same area before it had time to reset itself. An assumption that he had no grounds for proof or disproof on, but which he was now wondering if it extended further than the original flowerbed. 

"That wouldn't make sense though. Only being able to a material from a single area, before everything needed to time out and reset? That would force players to move long distances, or wait forever for resets...the time that it would take to finish this quest would become unbearable." He had no doubt that the system would work to hinder them in some way or form, but he doubted it would make their time here entirely unbearable. Not that he had any proof of that fact, but somehow he just felt that he was correct in his assumption.

ID217019 | LD: 4+3 = 7 | Failure [1/5]

Edited August 25, 2023 by Shadow Wolf

[Shadow Wolf 0]

"I guess there's nothing else to gather here...I'll try another location." He pushed himself back into a standing position, glancing across the field towards the other areas. He'd considered looking for something else, like the herbs that the elderly man who'd sent him on the errand had suggested, but Shadow had shook off the idea just as quickly as it had arrived. He had little knowledge about flowers, let alone the various herbs that one would find in this world or his own.

Deciding to remain with what he could easily find, he focused on scouring the flowers that seemed to populate the fields themselves. His luck, however, remained against him as yet another search proved futile. The few that he'd attempted to grasp had broken away in his fingers, leaving a small shattering of shards on the wind before disappearing entirely, just to reappear as the original flower mere seconds later.

"Well, at least I know the reset time on the flowers is short...so it's likely not an issue of how long it takes them to reappear." He mused to himself as he tried to figure out what it was that he was missing. He knew that there was a solution to his current problem, and he just needed to figure it out.

Taking a small respite, he leaned back into the grass, watching the few other players he could see in the distance. Some had chosen to focus their energies on fighting the creatures in the fields, rather than fulfilling the basic gathering quest that Shadow had found himself engaged in. He watched as they dashed around their various targets, using skills and brunt force to try and bring their opponents down. Daring, to say the least. I'd prefer not to be in their place, given the opportunity. He knew that he wasn't nearly ready to begin combat - not yet, at least. That was something that he would bring himself to once he was through with this quest, and a little bit farther ahead for his own part of this adventure.

ID217020 | LD: 7+3 = 10 | Failure [1/5]

[Shadow Wolf 0]

Knowing that he was wasting valuable time, Shadow only let himself sit and watch the other players for a short period of time before forcing himself up and into movement once more. Out of habit, he decided to check the nearby bed of flowers that he had already inspected, not truly expecting to find anything different about it. His luck, however, seemed to either change - or the system felt pity for him. He wasn't entirely sure which, and found that in the end he really didn't care to know which it was. As he pulled the flower from its bedding, careful not to destroy it, he felt a tinge of gratitude and joy. 

"Patience is a virtue, they say..." He stored the second material piece, mentally noting that he only needed to find three more before he could return to the odd elderly man and look at completing this quest. He found it odd that such a basic quest could take so long, already having been out in the field for well over half an hour. He hoped it wasn't indicative of what the future quests would look like - as much as he enjoyed experiences that seemed to never end, he felt that this specific one would be better if it were short lived.

"As lovely as this world is...being here longer than necessary may not be entirely beneficial. Although..." He wouldn't admit it aloud, but he did find his time here to be rather relaxing, in an odd sense of the word. Still, he knew that he needed to continue pressing forwards, otherwise he would be left behind in this virtual world.

ID217021 | LD: 12+3=15 | Success! [2/5]

Edited August 25, 2023 by Shadow Wolf

[Shadow Wolf 0]

The grasslands provided ample opportunity for Shadow to move from flowerbed to flowerbed, his eyes scanning each area as he passed it. He'd noticed that there was no visible cue to the pieces, and whether or not they would be collectable - something that he figured was a mean of making the task more difficult for those attempting to complete it. 

It would seem the game doesn't want us just picking everything possible...this will definitely make things that much more difficult. I wonder if there's ways to make these activities even easier... He'd purchased a crystal at a shop as he'd heard that it would help making searching for things a bit easier - the effect increasing his awareness, or his searching skills, he hadn't quite listened to the details entirely. Still, with the struggles that he'd been having, he wondered how anyone would be able to complete this simple task without such an item in hand.

"It would likely take them quite some time, and a lot of frustration..." He mused aloud in response to the thoughts. He hated to think of the poor individuals who would get caught up in the quest, only to find that they had failed to procure anything to make it easier on them. Leaving them to struggle against the will of the system itself.  "Or maybe they'll get lucky and manage to quickly find all the locations that have collectable items, without the need of any item assistance."

He mused about the idea, considering the implications of such capabilities. He doubted that anyone would truly have any success without some sort of piece of equipment, or other factor, which increased their chances. But he was also aware that he knew so little about this game, that he wasn't entirely sure of the outcome either. Pushing it aside, he filed it away as something to consider another time.

ID217023 | LD: 9+3=12 | Success! [3/5]

Edited August 25, 2023 by Shadow Wolf

[Shadow Wolf 0]

Putting aside his thoughts about how the system operated, and whether it would take him any longer without his equipment, Shadow turned his focus back to the task at hand. He wanted to be done with the quest - if for no reason other than it would place him one step closer towards helping to clear out the floors, and making some actual progress in the game. Around him, the wind continued to billow through the fields, pressing the grass over gently in an almost picture perfect way, all the while players began appearing in earnest, a sign to Shadow that he no longer had anything that could be considered a real head start on the other players in the game.

"Not that I truly expected to get that far ahead. I'm sure there will always be someone further alogn than I am. That's something I'll need to deal with, and accept." He moved to another group of flowers, looking over the bed before picking a thick stemmed black flower from the group, something about the piece standing out to him against the otherwise white background that was the other flowers.

"Well, that's another success." He smiled as the piece was deposited into his inventory. He needed only one more find, and then he could return to the strange individual who had given him this side quest. "And then hopefully I can finish off with the mayor, and move onto something more...well, I won't say entertaining. Even the most mediocre of actions in this world is going to benefit us in some way..."

Shadow found himself enjoying the thought that even the smallest actions could have a large impact upon his world. He had always enjoyed the aspects in his roleplaying experiences, where the smallest things had the biggest impacts; something that made the world feel like it was coming to life for him. Now, he found himself in a place where such things were not only plausible, but entirely possible.

ID217025 | LD: 10+3=13 | Success! [4/5]

Edited August 25, 2023 by Shadow Wolf

[Shadow Wolf 0]

He'd moved back towards the entrance of the city itself as he'd come closer to completing his search. He knew it was a risk, heading back through areas that he'd already searched through - and recently too - but he figured that he was as close to being done as he was going to get. That, and if need be he could head back along the same path and repeat his searches, with the hopes of not having to travel too far out from the city's shadow. 

His efforts weren't in vain however, as he found the final piece that he needed from a flowerbed near the city's entrance itself. He'd picked the golden coloured flower with care, placing the material into his inventory before standing and brushing off the bit of dirt he'd collected while kneeling down. Once again, he found himself admiring the realism of the world he'd joined, down to the single specks of dirt that clung to his clothing. It may not have been perfect, an obvious game in the way certain things operated, but it went far beyond his original expectations nonetheless.

His search completed, Shadow moved back towards the city. He wanted to return to the man who had sent him on this errand, and complete whatever else may be required to get the payment the mayor was looking for. Then he could, hopefully, consider the quest completed and his time here one step forward. He smiled as he passed the guards, returning their wave out of reflex more so than noticing the action itself. He found himself in a joyful mood, the success he'd already had making him feel like his time in Aincrad wouldn't be as horrible as he may have originally been expected. "We'll be out of here in no time, at this rate."

217026 | LD: 9+3=12 | Success [5/5]

[Shadow Wolf 0]

His walk back through the city had been far less relaxing than Shadow had expected. He'd had to wait at the entryway as the collection of growing players arriving caused a small blockade just inside the city itself. He'd considered, for a brief breath of time, going around the blockade and attempting to relocate the shop through alternate routes. That thought had been dashed however as soon as he remembered just how large the city of Tolbana was. Smaller than the Town of Beginnings, sure, but still large enough that if he took a wrong turn he could find himself lost for hours, and possibly having to backtrack to the crowded area later on regardless. 

Looks like the front runners have finally caught up. He slipped by a taller, red haired man as he made his way along the alleyways. Shadow couldn't help but feel a single second of annoyance. He'd rather enjoyed the peace and quiet that had come from the city devoid of players. He'd know, in his mind, that it wouldn't last. That hadn't stopped him from enjoying it - and in turn disliking the ending that did finally arrive.

Still, he figured he was well ahead of the main body, which gave him the chance to at least begin making his way further and further into this adventure. He wouldn't be a front runner, that much was for sure, but perhaps he could at least remain ahead of some of the others who were slowly trickling in.

At least, that had been his intention. The crowd, however, had made him begin to wonder if he wouldn't slowly lose his place in that category as well. Not that there was anything to be done - short of forcing his way through the people, which he figured would go extremely badly if he even attempted it. Instead, he would simply have to wait for a passage to open up, and slip through once it was possible.

[Shadow Wolf 0]

His waiting hadn't lasted anywhere near as long as he had expected, an opening appearing and providing him with a way through the crowd. He'd slid through with an ease, making his way into the courtyard proper and the adjoining roadways. A collection of steps later and Shadow had found himself on the path to the shop that had originated this search and return quest, his spirits growing as he came closer to completing the whole situation. 

"Ah, welcome back! Did you find the materials for your potion?" In contrast to the last time he had arrived in the shop, the keeper appeared aware of his presence the moment that Shadow had walked in - as if the active quest somehow alerted the individual to the fact that a player was present and requiring attention. After a quick affirmation from the player, the NPC had continued his speech, jumping into an explanation of what the player would require. "So, what you're going to do is take all of those materials, and we're going to combine them into a paste, to begin with..."

Shadow listened intently to the directions, knowing that he would have to mimic them as soon as the instructor had finished. He eyed each piece as it was pointed out, but before he knew it he'd been left to his own vices - the instructions complete and his task set before him. Manipulating the flowers pieces, he tried to follow the directions that the NPC had shown him, his hands moving quickly through the various tools that were required, and watching as the paste was slowly liquefied. 

After a few moments of extreme focus, Shadow found himself holding a vial of red coloured liquid that seemed to be similar in design to the piece that the NPC - now clearly an alchemist of some sorts - had shown him prior to beginning. Holding it up, he glanced over at the NPC, waiting to see what would be said. "I believe this is complete..." 

ID217127 | CD: 7 | Results: T1 Rare Healing Potion

[Shadow Wolf 0]

The alchemist had turned at Shadow's words, glancing over the potion that he had made quickly before his face erupted into a smile. He clapped his hands together and gave an approving nod before launching into his reply. "You did a fantastic job. Now, was there anything else?"

Shadow waited a second before shaking his head. He couldn't help but feel a slight bit of annoyance, but knew there was nothing else to do but ask his question again. Sighing heavily, he pushed the annoyance from his mind and voice, trying to remain as pleasant as he possibly could in the situation. "I was tasked by the mayor to find someone who had been lent some money, which he is looking to collect upon. I was...given...your location, in order to try and determine if you were the one who had taken the money. It would appear that the mayor has horrible records, and has forgotten whom they had lent the amounts to..."

Shadow trailed off as he realised the personal note that he was adding to his commentary. He hadn't wanted to point fingers at anyone in particular, but the words were out before he could stop himself. Still, the NPC seemed unfazed by his commentary, listening somewhat patiently and showing no physical response to the blame that had been clear in Shadow's words and voice. Instead, the NPC simply shook his own head, before giving his response.

"Leave it to Dorian to forget something so important. No, I'm afraid it wasn't me that borrowed the col. You might try Lyle, the blacksmith. I've seen him talking with the mayor frequently the past month or so, and he's just up the road. I wish you luck!" Without another word, the alchemist turned away - a sign that the conversation was over, and that Shadow was left with nothing more than the chance to head off into another direction in search of the missing money.

[Shadow Wolf 0]

He'd stood there, confused, for longer than he would've liked to admit to, trying to make sense of the fact that he'd just been left with almost nothing in reward for what he'd completed. Slowly, his eyes had shifted down towards the notification box that had appeared, a large block of congratulations atop further information confirming the materials, healing potion and the new quest he had unlocked. Slowly, his eyes moved back to the shopkeep who had turned its back to the player, apparently no longer concerned with Shadow's presence. 

He lifted his hand, reaching out towards the shopkeep as if to grab hold of the man and force him back around, before letting the hand drop again. Cocking his head to the side, he shook his head and smiled to himself before turning around and leaving the store. "Looks like I'm not out of this quite yet...I wonder if all the quests will be chained like this. That would get super annoying after a time...especially if we're supposed to complete them in order to free ourselves of this world."

Still, he'd managed to complete the first one, which put him ahead once more. He'd simply need to hunt down whatever was required for this secondary quest, and then he'd be ahead of the game, so to speak. He glanced back towards the shop that he'd exited, wondering if it would be at all worth his while to head back in and try to obtain any further materials - a distant memory from his roleplaying games reminding him of how important a health potion could be, especially in a game that could get violent and dangers - before realising that it was probably worthless. The location didn't have the feel of a true shop, more of a quest stop at best, and he felt like the NPC inside would be no more likely to sell things to him now, than they had been willing to deal with him at the start of the quest.

"For now, I just need to head out, and see what I can do about completing this quest...line. I guess it's a line now, although I hope it doesn't turn out to be an unending line..." He shivered at the thought, nonplussed by the idea of having to carry an entire questline up to the one hundredth floor of Aincrad.

[Shadow Wolf 0]

The town of Tolbana had much to offer, if one knew where to look. Unfortunately for Shadow, he didn't know where to look - in fact, he didn't even know where to start looking. He'd barely made his way into the town before being accosted by the mayor with the request to complete some sort of money-hunting quest, which had led him to gaining a introduction into potion making and the general gathering that could be completed within the world of Aincrad. Beyond that, he'd wandered through a few side streets, and found his way towards an alchemist. He refused to consider himself well-versed in any way into the settlement's ins and outs, much less the basic tourist destinations that one could be expected to visit in such a locale. 

"A place like this must have something for people to visit, however. Even if it's nothing more than a simple cafe...I guess now that I've finished the first part of the quest, I could take a few minutes to wander the area. See what attractions there may, or may not, be..." He chewed on his words, as if thinking about the plausibility even as he spoke them aloud. He wanted nothing more than to immediately rush into the next portion of the questline - that would be how he would get ahead, and stay ahead, after all - but he forced himself to stop. He knew all too well the burnout that came with rushing, and what that meant for his future. He needed to pause, and take into consideration the old story of the turtle and the hare. "There's no victory if you never cross the finish line..."

Far from content, but realising the logic behind his decision, he shook away the little bit of doubt that had been forming in his mind. The heavy sigh that had left his lips made him feel entirely out of character, but like an appropriate response to the situation that he found himself in. "I guess I'll just...look for something that seems welcoming, and maybe a bit interesting."

[Shadow Wolf 0]

With his decision made, Shadow found himself wandering through the streets. At first, he had intended on doing nothing more than a few moments of exploration - travelling along the nearby alleys and roadways, scouting out possible locations that he could revisit at a later time once he was completed with a few more of the more introductory quests. As time went on, however, he found himself drawn more and more into the life that was Tolbana. He wandered passed shops that showed a clear indication of being open and available to anyone who desired to enter, making note of a few but otherwise ignoring most. He spotted everything from blacksmiths and weaponry shops that sold the arms and armour one would need to survive, through to trinket stores that housed beautiful pieces that would accent any outfit. His eyes passed over numerous odds and ends that caught his attention, before moving on to the next piece.

Hours had passed before Shadow realised that he'd hit the end of another dead end street, the wall before him a sign that he could go no further. Turning back, he retraced his steps towards a small market area that he had passed by moments before, the aromas of freshly baked goods and brewed drinks catching his nose. He'd fought the urge to stop immediately, figuring that there was more to find in the secrets of the town. He knew that, eventually, he'd need to find a place to stay for the night - that, or find himself sleeping on the street, which was far less appealing. Through luck or good planning, he'd passed a number of small inns that served as housings for any who didn't have a home within Tolbana itself, and figured he'd wander into one and see what the night would cost him.

First, however, he had planned on stopping at a small bakery that had caught his attention - the smells reminding him of the things he'd left behind when entering the world of Aincrad. He'd felt the hunger bite at him suddenly as he'd passed, realising that he would still need to eat in this virtual world. Realism, at it's worst, I guess.He'd chuckled slightly at the thought, wondering if he'd feel differently if he weren't trapped within the game.

"Excuse me..." He gave a short nod towards one of the displayed buns, smiling at the attendant behind the counter. The NPC had come across as so realistic that Shadow had forgotten for a moment that he was stuck in a game, the figure smiling as he pointed out what he wanted and waited to pay. The entire transaction was only a mere collection of breaths, but for the entire time Shadow found himself forgetting the world that he was in, the dangers that he faced and those that were still to come. For the time being, he felt at home.

---

Thread Summary
Word Count: 7,017
EXP: 7,017 / 10 x 1 x 1 = 701 + 450 (Quest) = 1,151
Col: 400 (Page Completion) + 500 (Quest) = 900
5 materials
(5) T1 Uncommon Health Potions: Heals 5% of Maximum HP.
(1) T1 Uncommon Damage Potion: +1 DMG for an entire thread.
(1) T1 Uncommon Overhealth Potion: Adds 5% of Maximum HP to users Maximum HP for a thread.
(1) T1 Rare Health Potion.