[PP-F01] No Need to Rush <<The First Lessons Are Free>>

[Xlearsight 0]

After putting this off for another period of time, Xlear had decided that he couldn't let himself get idle again. His friends were now starting to tackle a few quests, so he decided to meet up with them at some point in a few floors. The boots that were accompanied by the armor he had been wearing for as long as the game first started, were now crunching beneath some leaves as he treks his way along a road. Where was he going? Honestly, he had no clue. From where he was walking, however, any player that knows the map of the floor would know that he was currently nearing Horunka. Faint smokestacks rising from the chimneys of a few homes could be seen from where he was. He counted three of them.

"Oh. A town's nearby. Guess I'll go and check it out. Maybe there's a quest that I could attempt to clear.."

 

Quote

Xlearsight 
Level 1

• HP: 20/20
• EN: 20/20
• DMG: 2
• MIT: 6

Weapon
Wanderer's Strongarm [2H Sword] | DMG I

Armor
Wayfarer's Coat [Light Armor] | MIT I

Skills
2H Sword - Rank 1

 

Edited April 1 by Xlearsight

[Freyd 0]

Freyd dropped suddenly from a treetop smashing a fist into the ground with a satisfying thump that spooked and scattered all of the remaining wildlife within a hundred feet from the force of the blow.  Darkly clad in traveling leathers with a charcoal-coloured cowl over his head, he might easily be confused for a scout or possibly even an assassin.  Both might also be accurate, depending on the circumstance, but in this particular case the motive was lunch.  The ragou rabbit lurking in the low green foliage had been trying to give him the slip for an hour, with some limited degree of success.  It was a wily little thing, worthy of its rarity and reputation.  No wonder people prized it so.  But Mina had promised to teach him Rosa's recipe and he knew this elusive beast to be its key ingredient.  Continuing their 'cooking lessons' was important - enough so that he let other critical duties slide so that he could harry the hare here on floor one while untold crises developed elsewhere.  "I have people for that," he reminded himself aloud, only suddenly realizing that he wasn't a lone, a pair of boots with a possibly startled wearer standing just ahead of where he'd crashed down like a meteor.

"Oh, uh... hey?  How's it going?  Sorry about that.  Just trying to fetch a future dinner."

***

Vanity Tag: @tricolor_mina

Freyd | HP: 1160/1160 | EN: 150/150 | DMG: 24 | MIT: 78 | EVA: 2 | ACC: 4 | BH: 63 | LD: 5 | AA | BLGT: 32 | P.V.O | REC: 8 | STK: 40

Spoiler

Freyd, The Whisper in Shadow
Level: 32
Paragon Level: 120
HP: 1160/1160
EN: 150/150

Stats:
Damage: 24
Mitigation: 78
Evasion: 2
Accuracy: 4
Battle Healing: 63
Loot Dice: 5
AA
BLGT: 32
P.V.O
REC: 8
STK: 40

Equipped Gear:
Weapon: The Thing Behind All Lies (T4 Demonic MA, AA, Blight, Static, Para.Ven (Off))
Armor: Fallen Angel Garb | T4 LA | MIT 2 | REC 2
Misc: Fight O'er Flight (ACC 2, EVA 2)

Combat Mastery: Damage R3
Combat Shift: AOE
Familiar Skill: Grappling Familiar
Custom Skill:


Skills:
Martial Arts R5
Battle Healing R5
Light Armor R5
Searching R4
Charge
Energist
Quick Change
Extended Mod Limit
Extended Weight Limit
Fighting Spirit
Howl

Active Mods:
Night Vision
Tracking
Meticulous
Emergency Recovery
Untraceable

Inactive Mods:

Addons:
Ferocity
Precision
Resolve
Reveal
Stamina
Focused Howl

Active Extra Skills:
Disguise
Survival
Forgotten King’s Authority
Hiding R2

Inactive Extra Skills:
Meditation
Frozen Hide
Brawler
Photosynthesize

Battle Ready Inventory:
Teleport Crystals x7
Mass HP Rec [Inst] (+10% HP) x7
Mass HP Rec [Inst] (+10% HP) x7
Crystal of Divine Light (Reusable) x1
Rhino's Horn (Reusable) x1
Hmr.Pk: Samael's Pride | T4 MA | FLN 2 | HLY 2 x1
EWL: Hope's Covenant - Resolve +4 (T4 Demonic Weapon (MA) - AA, Phase, Frostbite, VO) x1
EWL: The Shadowed Rose| T3 Trinket | ACC 3 | Para.Imm x1

Housing Buffs:
Rested: -1 energy cost for the first two expenditures of each combat
Clean: The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 20% (rounded down)
Hard Working: +2 EXP per crafting attempt and +1 crafting attempt per day
Filling: Increase the effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 T1 slot.
Item Stash: +1 Battle Ready Inventory Slot
Delicious: Turn 3 identical food items (same quality, tier, & enhancements) into a Feast. A Feast contains 6 portions of the food items sacrificed.
Relaxed: Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts.
Skylight (Searching): +1 Rank to the Searching skill.
Angler: +2 Fishing EXP per attempt
Practiced Angler: +2 Fishing EXP per attempt, addition +1 LD/CD to fishing attempts
Advanced Training: +10% Exp to a thread. Limit one use per month [1/1]
Multipurpose: Gain +1 to LD, Stealth Rating, Stealth Detection, or Prosperity to one post in a thread. Can be applied after a roll
Decor [Potted Tanabata Bamboo Tree]: This buff affects the player and their choice of up to two party members.

Guild Hall Buffs:
Lucrative: Reduce LD needed for Salvage by 5 (10+ for Alchemist crystals, 6+ for everything else). +2 EXP per craft. Rank 9 crafters receive +1 crafting attempt per day. Rank 10 crafters receive +2 crafting attempts per day.
Col Deposit: +5% bonus col from last-hit monster kills and +10% bonus col from treasure chests.

Scents of the Wild:
Kumatetsu Statue: +1 Base Damage for a thread

Wedding Ring:

Fishing: Level 4 | 461XP

 

[Xlearsight 0]

"AH!!" Xlear stopped in his tracks upon the sudden arrival of Freyd. Despite having no experience with fighting yet, his hand reflexively hovers over the handle of his sword strapped to his back. He wasn't ready, but he would fight if he had to in case this player was more devious.

Oh, but wait, he has a green cursor. Okay, he's good, then.

"I mean...ahhhh, looking for food. I figured that. Have any luck so far?" He finally sets his hand down to his side again, studying Freyd more closely. Thinking to himself, Xlear wondered if many of the frontliners just found it pleasant to come down here often. Even if it was to take a break from clearing, he thinks he wouldn't have time to do that once he's up and fighting with them.

"And I don't know how it's going. I'm only now deciding to get off my scaredy-cat phase and start climbing floors. Better late than never, right?" He slowly and nervously chuckles to himself.

Edited September 25, 2023 by Xlearsight

[Freyd 0]

Standing back up and stretching his arms high with a twist of his lanky torso, such actions should be completely unnecessary within the confines of the game.  And yet, they granted a sense of realism and normalcy that could also other wise be lacking; it just felt right.  From each high-held hand dangled a skinned with of gamey rabbit in looted form and prized particularly by players. 

"Oh, sweet!  Bonus loot drop.  That helps make up for all the time I spent chasing this damned thing."  Both sets of meat strips vanished with a flash, vacuum sealed in whatever elsewhere space played host to players' inventories whenever not in use.

"Oof!  Yeah.  I remember that phase too.  It took me over a year not to jump at my own shadow, then find the courage to step foot beyond the walls.  Good on you for making it out."  Freyd flashed the new arrival a pair of thumbs up, since his hands were just on their way down.  "Well, you're not far from Harunka, if you want to do some hunting or gathering.  It's a safe zone, so the mobs would be your biggest challenge."  Even as he spoke, Freyd's deep blue eyes peered at his companion's gear from beneath the shadows of his cowl, gauging and assessing their potential.  Such was the curse of every appraiser that professional habit compelled them to review any gear set forth for their inspection, deliberately or not.  "You'll definitely want some better gear before you pick any fights.  I'm pointing newcomers to The Knight Shift in Tomoika - that's the main settlement on floor 21, and also a safe zone. Speak with Ren, the proprietor.  He hooks up players that are just starting out with whatever equipment he can, and at no charge."

Folding his arms over his chest and leaning his chin to rest upon a pair of fingertips, the Whisper's pensive nature shone itself early in their conversation.  "Beyond that, I suppose you could lean into the First Lesson quests.  They're a bit tedious, but help learn the system basics.  Want some help?  It's not far from here and can earn you a decent start on your journey."

[Xlearsight 0]

"Knight Shift...Floor 21. Got it." He nods to himself as he tries to remember that for later. Still, that was for whenever he makes it to that floor, which would make it a bad idea for him to make that trip now at his current level. He could only imagine the kind of mobs on that floor, which made him slightly shudder. He originally planned on doing a few quests for some col, but more importantly, to get himself into a habit of doing quests.

"You already looked a little busy, though. If it's just quests on this floor, it shouldn't be that hard, right?" He directs his attention to the plains ahead of him, searching for any monsters that look like a decent starting point. Thanks to the system's assistance, his two-handed sword was light, but he was now wondering if he had made the wrong choice when he first selected his starting weapon. However, he couldn't have known this would happen with the whole death-game issue.

Xlear sighs to himself as he then shifts to meet Freyd's gaze. "I think I'll be good at least on these first few floors by my lonesome. I can't always ask for help, so I'll need to learn."

[Freyd 0]

"Busy?  Dude.  This is just about as not-busy as I ever get.  My name's Freyd, by the way.  Nice to meet you.  And you may want to avoid assuming that floor level determines difficulty.  There are things here on floor one that could challenge a frontliner.  Along the same lines, the areas around the teleportation portals on most upper floors are perfectly safe."  A grimace crossed his face as he spoke.  "Honestly, your biggest threat won't even come from mobs, but from other players.  PKers come in all shapes, sizes, and even icon colours.  Just because it's green, doesn't mean they can't be setting you up."  Certain that he'd just planted the necessary doubt in the man's head, Freyd pulled back his cowl to reveal his features, plain and unremarkable as they were.  Pale skin, framing angular lines and thin brows that arched like some bird of prey, he sported intense blue eyes beneath an unruly mop of black hair that resisted all efforts at grooming.

"Knowing who to trust can make all the difference in this world.  Finding a guild can be a good start, though some are more helpful than others depending on what you bring to the table."  Stuffing his hands into a pair of pockets concealed among the endlessly wrapping layers of fabric that made up his outfit, it wouldn't be a stretch to imagine the man casually reclining against a bar or even a giant dragon as he spoke.  Not much seemed to phase him.  "You make your own path, my friend, but asking for help when you can have it is never a bad idea.  And also, fair warning: the Monument of Life is full of newbies who were confident that the boars on this floor pose no threat."

[Xlearsight 0]

"I knew PKers were an issue, but I didn't know they could still get away with it even by being green. My buddies and I were all nervous about PKers, which made us not want to leave the town. I don't know why I decided to leave now. I got tired of being afraid. Even my friends are going out to take this game down." 

The white-haired newbie briefly looks around, the thought of a PKer putting him on edge again. Still, if there were one still on this floor, it'd have been news around town by now. However, he imagines it will be an issue on the higher floors. Dismissing that thought, he then answers Freyd's introduction.

"Oh, Xlearsight is the name. Just Xlear would be fine, though. If you're offering, then I won't say no to it. I need to learn how actually to fight, anyway. I hope Haruto and Genma are getting some help from others, too. I don't know what I'd do if I saw their names on that Monument..."

[Freyd 0]

"Humanity's worst enemy is itself, more often than not.  Just look at Kayaba.  He's got every other PKer's kill count beat by the hundreds, if not more."  Freyd grimaced at the thought, the image of those countless names carved into the Monument of Life flashing through his mind's eye.  "I regret to say that we have to be careful about who we trust, most certainly out in the wilds.  Steer within safe zones whenever you can, and try not to travel alone.  That's when you'll be most vulnerable.  They're like any other predators, you see.  Some will travel in packs, and most will seek wounded or isolated prey.  Some, sadly, have simply gone mad and act out their derangements and delusions in terrible ways.  Those are the hardest to predict or defend against."  This conversation hadn't been meant as some sort of morose survival guide, even if its was valuable intel.  Freyd simply let the matter drop.

"You'll want a bit more experience with the basics before worrying too much about fighting.  A bit of bad luck could permanently ruin your day at this level.  Why don't we head to Tolbana and talk to the mayor.  Dorian is his name.  He's a bit of a manipulative prick, or else supremely lazy, so mind the grease on his palms when he shakes your hand.  He'll have a favour to ask, helping to collect loans from some locals.  The whole thing always seemed like a shakedown to me, but I've never found proof."  Pivoting on the spot to consider the sun's position, as well as popping open a quick UI, Freyd pointed towards the northeast.  "It's that way, a couple of miles from here, and won't take us long to reach."

Finding them a trail to travel through the woods, Freyd picked up the chatter again.  Smalltalk was never his thing, and he seemed rather awkward about it, but his friends had all recommended that he make the effort.  "Why are you not traveling with Genma, Haruto and the others?  Have they outleveled you or something?  Or have you not let them know that you've actually left town?"

Edited March 25 by Freyd

[Xlearsight 0]

"Kayaba... right. He's got way more blood on his hands than anyone in here." Xlear decided not to dwell on it, instead listening to Freyd's suggestions. At the mention of Tolbana and the mayor, he perks up. "Heh. I guess some things don't change even in a game like this. I might be lingering around there before I move on."

As they continued to move on, Xlear began thinking about his plan for moving through the floors to catch up with the other frontliners. He wasn't treating this like some walk in the park, yet he silently didn't want to think of every day being filled with fear and looking over his shoulder. That could get exhausting after a while. He looks to Freyd once he mentions his friends. 

"Yeah, they kinda got lucky, and a party of mid-clearers, you could say, asked them to join up so that they could get them up to speed. It was right after I started leaving to go out alone. At first, they were too scared to go, and they practically begged me not to leave the town either."

[Freyd 0]

"Hrm.  Fickle fortunes of fate, huh?  Yeah. That's way more common than most of us would like.  Well, if we can get you through the first few lessons, maybe you can close the gap and rejoin them?"

Pointing ahead at the sleepy rural hamlet on a shallow rise, white smoke drifted slowly from a series of hearths and shops.  Even at this distance, there was a certain wafting scent of fresh bread in the air, sullied slightly by the odour of the various boars roaming randomly in the surrounding fields.  They stayed clear of the roads, and weren't naturally aggressive.  Freyd steered them clear, just in case, and soon to safe harbour in Tolbana's central courtyard.  It didn't take long for Dorian White to wander their way, his frumpy, bumbling manner appearing as a cross between indecision and ceaseless worry draped over a kindly, elderly face.  Freyd didn't buy it for an instant, thinking him an agent of the system sent to lull players into false senses of security, but the man did have his uses.

"You there! Stop, please!"

"Here we go again," muttered the Whisper, under this breath, waiting patiently as the NPC repeated the same spiel Freyd had already heard a thousand times.  "Yes, yes," he interrupted more testily than intended, "You loaned someone money and can't remember who.  Xclear, here is going to help you out and you will reward him handsomely when he does, RIGHT?"  What began as a dismissive rant became borderline threatening near the end, with Freyd pressing his cowled head right into the man's face.  Blanching, Dorian nodded fervantly.  He might also have soiled his pants.

[Xlearsight 0]

"Yeah, I need to hurry to see them again. I just can't go too fast with things, or I could end up dead. I still can't grasp that, even after looking at the monument daily. It's just not something you'd ever think you would hear." He tenses up slightly upon seeing some boars roaming the area. Part of him wanted to fight them to test himself, but he had to remind himself not to make foolish decisions like that. After all, this type of mindset is how many people don't even make it to the second floor.

"Wow. You must not like him at all, or you've done this quest a million times. Or both." Xlear smiles in slight amusement as Freyd practically bullies Dorian into silence.

"So, do I simply express my willingness to take the quest, or is there a specific procedure to follow? Unless there's no real right or wrong way to do these kinds of things."

[Freyd 0]

"Yeah, sometimes nodding is all it takes for pickup the quest, though there is often also a pop-up with 'yes' and 'no' options."  It was a little surprising that Xclear hadn't seen it yet, but the prompts could occasionally be laggy.  Dorian himself moved on, scurrying away from Freyd, wide eyed and sweating profusely as he struggled against his own girth, clearly unaccustomed to the exertion.  

"Sorry.  I've been through this quite a few times, and you start to notice patterns in the actions of certain NPCs over so many repetitions.  I used to believe that Dorian was an innocent, if slightly befuddled and forgetful, old man, but have seen him wield his influence with a masterful subtlety.  You'd be amazed what he gets away with just because people think he's an old fuddy-duddy."  Sparing his companion a slew of unnecessary details, he moved on to point the way to Zackariah's shop.  "How about we just focus on getting this done so that you can catch up with those friends of yours?"

[Xlearsight 0]

"To think Kayaba would want to add these things in an already stressful game. But I'm just starting to think he treats this as a joke or something. Not cool at all." Xlear follows his benefactor to Zackariah's abode, wondering what to expect from this next person. As he walks, he glances around the area and observes other lower-level players moving around town.

"Sheesh. I wonder if they'd also hit this place up for the quest. I wouldn't be too surprised. When I last talked to them, they said they were already heading to the fifth floor. It's great that they're moving on, but with everything you told me earlier, it's almost too good to be true. I decided to leave, and now they do? I was excited at first, thinking that seeing me leave finally gave them that push. I'm probably overthinking it, but you don't think these people they're with could be..not one hundred percent with them?"

Edited March 29 by Xlearsight

[Freyd 0]

"People are weird," Freyd added, shrugging his shoulders.  "Without knowing more about your friends, it's tough to offer any kind of meaningful opinion.  What was your relationship with them?  Did you know them outside the game or meet them in here?  Everyone has had to find a way to deal with the trauma of being trapped in here."  He paused, suddenly, as if the obvious had just slapped him upside the head.  "Have you tried messaging them and just asking them where they are?  If they are your friends, shouldn't they want to hook back up and help you catch up with the rest of them?"

It had taken Freyd longer to piece that one together than it should have, but relationship counselling was about as far possible from being counted as one of his strengths.  It felt weird, even uncomfortable, offering such opinions, as he had such limited experience on such topics.  Too much the loner, he admitted to himself.

"Zackariah's shop is just up ahead.  He'll want you to go collect some herbs for him.  Don't worry, he's a good and decent man."  Gesturing Xclear forward, Freyd fell into step behind him.  It was his companions' quest, after all, and he wasn't about to mess it up for him.

[Xlearsight 0]

"I've tried several times to message them, but neither has responded since the other day. Genma said they would take on a mob boss and that it was fun. He said something about the group having another guy in there who's all cloak-and-dagger. Still, I can see on my friends list that they're still...well here. So, for now, they're fine. Still, I am a tad antsy and should kinda hurry and make my way up there to them."

As the duo approached the shop and Freyd fell more in line behind Xlear, the greenhorn player nodded at his comment about Zackariah. "Well, gathering shouldn't be hard then, right? Just find a bunch of what he needs in one place and get them all there. Easy." He walks up to the door and lets himself inside.

"I guess this means all NPCs will have a different experience. It's almost a nice way to take a break from worrying so much about our situation, which can get draining sometimes."

ID:221104 | LD: 2 | Gathering for Zackariah | Fail

Edited April 1 by Xlearsight

[Freyd 0]

Something about Xclear's story still didn't add up in the back of Freyd's mind, and he was starting to get concerned that the man's companions might have fallen prey to misfortune.  The cloak and dagger guy was potentially worrisome, but given his own appearance he was hardly in a position to judge.

"What are their names, again?  You mentioned Genma and Haruto.  Were there any others?  I have some pretty mad tracking skills and might be able to confirm their whereabouts.  In the meantime, why not just get this task done and put a little more EXP under your belt?  It can only help you help them, when the time comes, right?"  Motioning towards the fields in the distance, Freyd stared wistfully while recalling the sheer number of times he had sat around doing this very same thing with so many other players taking their very first steps outside of the Town of Beginnings.

"There's nothing more we can do for them at the moment.  Maybe if you tell me a little more about them, I'll be able to find them more quickly and effectively?"

[Xlearsight 0]

"Well, I should remind you that I never met these folks they went with. As far as my friends, Haruto is a bit thin, around my height if a bit taller. If there's a better thing to notice him by, he's got this scar on his neck. When we were kids, he was messing around with his dad's tools and got that from it. He always lies and says he got it from a bird pecking him. But that's nothing to brag about when you think about it. Unless he took a recommendation from someone, he should still be using claws. We all dared each other to use a weapon that the other person chose for another. Genma chose for Haruto to use the claws, Haruto chose for me to use the big sword, and I chose for Genma to use a spear. And speaking of Genma, he's just a fat idiot. And he's got this terrible laugh, but terrible in that it's almost contagious. It's hard to explain; you'd have to hear it to understand."

Xlear ends up rambling a bit about his friends. He doesn't want to depend on others for help like this, but if these people aren't genuine, there is no way he can help them on his own. He wasn't above asking for help—far from it—especially if forgoing tips would mean death here. Still, he felt more responsible for them both. He had to leave this death trap with them both alive.

"Alright, back to this quest." He walks into the shop of Zackariah. "Hello!"

ID:221105 | LD: 12 | Gathering for Zachariah | Success: 1/5

Edited April 1 by Xlearsight

[Freyd 0]

Noting the descriptions and saving them to his mental roster, Freyd nodded as Xlear outlined some of their notable traits.  "So, fairly typical guys, by the sounds of it.  I'll let some friends know to keep an eye out for them.  Hopefully, we'll have you all back together soon enough."  As Xlear set himself about the task of gathering whatever he could for Zackariah, Freyd found himself a familiar spot next to a nearby bubbling brook and pulled out the gaudiest looking fishing rod, complete with green-headed mallard grip.  It looked like it had just fallen out of the 1950s and would probably disrupt digital technology just by its mere presence.

"Don't mind me," the Whisper added, by way of explanation.  "The quest won't allow others to help you, other than just moral support.  So... I'll just be over here fishing."  Casting a reel out into open water.  "Any other questions that I can answer?  This bit can take a little while to get through."

[Xlearsight 0]

"Well, hopefully, there's nothing foul going on. If that is the case, I'd rather leave them be. They'll be fine on their own if they're together. I recently got into games later than they did, so I think they'll be fine. I need to catch up. Once I do that, everything will be fine from there, and we can start hitting this game where it hurts! After all, we are long overdue to add our own firepower into the mix."

Xlear casually walks around as he's searching, keeping track of his count. "So, Freyd. What has it been like for you and those making the way for us small fish in this big pond? I bet it's been bad, but it can't all be that bad, right? Got any funny stories to tell? Or is it just something weird to look out for once I see the rest of you all up there? Because this won't be the last you see of me."

ID:221822 |  LD:6 | Gathering | Failure

Edited April 9 by Xlearsight

[Freyd 0]

Listening attentively, the natural tension in Freyd's shoulders seemed to ease slightly.  So it is the same for most of us.

"You'd be amazed to discover how many people feel the same way when in your situation.  I know I did, back in the day, and it really doesn't feel like it was that long ago."  The bobber on his reel swirled momentarily, caught in a minor eddy forming in the brook's meandering motions and gone just a quickly.  Epiphany could be just as quick and subtle. "Don't feel like you need to rush.  The joy is in the journey.  It's cliché, I know, but with good reason.  I felt the same sense of urgency - the need to rush and help the front lines."

Fishing something out of his inventory, instead, he tossed it to Xlear. 

"Here.  Take this and use it.  It might help your odds a bit.  Can't have you wasting away picking up rocks while the universe pressures you to peak performance."  One wry grin later, Freyd returned to his task, feeling unexpectedly good about the transaction.  Charity wasn't really his style - or was it?  How many times had he done similar things to help others without realizing the motivation.  It had always been about achieving victory, but maybe it was also more than that?  Maybe it was just a decent thing to do.

***

Post Action: Freyd gives Xlearsight:

Sweet and Sour Licorice Bites | Tierless Perfect Snack | Loot Die 3 | 215014 | Tiny morsels of strawberry cream flavoured licorice