[OP-F1] Brave New World

[Guest]

He had slept through the night, if one could call it that. Alkor stretched his body out of habit as his virtual bones cracked and set themselves into place. He felt the crisp, warm air of Aincrad's first floor fill his lungs. It was still a new experience, waking up in a world that wasn't the one he knew. He didn't hear his mother's voice, nor smell the pungent fruits that were his normal morning meal.

Instead, he licked his lips at the delectable scent of sweet buns baking somewhere nearby. "Some things about this game same unfairly realistic," he complained; it had been his mother's decision to cut out breads and rolls from their daily meals, going off of some hair brained idea that simple carbohydrates were terrible for you. How was that even possible!? Sweet buns were delicious...

Bah! Alkor gathered his wits and stood upright, looking around. There was no way he could follow that aroma to its source (or if he could, he didn't want to waste the effort), so he abandoned his desire to taste the glorious confections. Instead, the brown haired boy struck off toward the edge of the village, intent on grinding out a few more levels. If he kept going at a steady pace, he could even make it to level ten in less than a week!

Well, it was a distant goal, but it was a start. At least he wasn't aiming for the fiftieth floor, right?

He swiped his hand through the air and brought up the menu, toggling the information about his amassed col, various items, equipment, and lastly his skills. He had a point to spend, but a lone point did nothing for him of import. He needed several to raise any attributes to a new level. It was a solid foundation to build on, though.

Alkor checked his equipment in particular for its durability and his HP (which had been restored from a full night of sleep and resting his body) before finally resolving to leave the village. It was dangerous to do anything without proper preparation, though he had to admit, he still lacked any decent amount of money to outfit himself. He needed healing items- a must, for a game where you couldn't die even once- and equipment to keep him from losing health.

He had learned- if nothing else- from his training among the boars that the key to all of this was being ready for anything. Good armor, good weapons, useful items, and money for the contingency when you ran out of any of the above were among the most important assets he needed.

For now, though, Alkor just needed to keep moving forward. He needed the col to get the upgrades, and the healing potions. Near the edge of town, he stopped and folded his arms. "I must be forgetting something," he thought out loud, going over his mental checklist.

[Razmor 0]

Angel materialized on the town Transport Pad, eager for rest from his latest quest. He was trying to save up on money to purchase a house on the upper floors, so he liked to stay on the 1st floor inns because they were cheap and mildly comfortable. He opened his menu and unequipped his Fallen Angel armor and stretched his back before hearing something strange; someone was talking to themselves. He turned his head and saw an unfamiliar player. The username said, <>. "New guy. Alright." Angel said to himself with a smile. He fixed his sword and shield before approaching the smaller player. He smiled his trademark smile and scratched his spiky white hair. "You missing something?" He asked the lower leveled player. Angel was always eager to make new friends.

[Guest]

He looked over both hands as though an item were going to materialize, but it never did. There was a shadow of disappointment flickering across his features as an unfamiliar voice struck him, and Alkor turned his head to look over his shoulder at the other player. In a safe zone, names were clearly visible over the avatar's head; in this case, the player was named "Angel". Oddly enough, despite already being level three, this was the first encounter with another player that Alkor had experienced. "Eh?" He asked, distracted.

He had heard the question, but his mind was still intently focused on the menu. Unlike most people, Alkor didn't like to multitask if he didn't have to. In a game of life and death, idle conversation seemed a less than compelling reason to divide his attention. "Oh, ah, no," Alkor replied after a long moment of hesitation, not wanting to seem too incredibly disrespectful. "I don't think so, anyway."

He knew he must have been forgetting something, though. The sinking feeling in his gut told him something was amiss. Whenever he got that, it meant things were going to go bad. He absently dispensed with the formality of offering his name. Even in the real world, he was something of a social pariah. It may have left a sour impression, but Alkor was oblivious to the slight.

Angel was a higher level than he was, which meant he had more experience. It was possible he wanted to offer help, but it was equally possible be might try to player kill a weaker player. Alkor had grown paranoid of other players in the first day he'd spent in Aincrad. His brown eyes traced a path away from the newcomer's eyes, and he folded his arms in a defensive posture. "Did you need something? "

[Razmor 0]

Angel watched the player with mysterious eyes and an even more mysterious grin. It was common for players to be cautious of others, especially in a PVP world of permanent death. At one point or another, Angel himself was in the same position. But he had paid his dues and earned his experience, and now he knew better. "I've got everything I need. But it appears that you're distracted. So I ask again, are you missing something?" Angel looked over the player once more, looking at his basic gear and weapon. Angel remembered those days, and he remembered how tough those days were. But that's one of the reasons he liked to come to the lower levels, to help people through those days and to help them survive. It was one of his personal missions in the game.

[Guest]

Was it... something I was supposed to be doing? This time, his query was internal, though his face still showed signs of question. It was an introspective ordeal, though he had to appreciate the other man's effort. "I think I was trying to figure out where I should be going," he replied in earnest, though his social skills still lacked to a depressing degree."To be honest, I'm not sure where the safest places to go are for increasing my level and skills, and I've only made it this far by devoting my time entirely to boars. It's safe, but it's slow."

Up to this point in the game, Alkor had not taken any quests or done much exploring that deviated from the main path. In the town, he was safe from any foul play, so he saw no harm in reaching out- just this once- for advice."It's not that I need anything, really, I'd just appreciate some direction."

His eyes glanced sidelong away from Angel, the closest he could come to asking directly for aid, however small. He was not inclined toward politeness, at least not with people he did not know. Still, he put forth his best effort in not running the only chance he had at learning something off.

If he succeeded in that, he could start making some real progress. "I know my equipment isn't much to look at, and my skills are woefully low, but getting by on bare minimum for now means I'll have more means to outfit myself later. I'm not worried about shops just yet."

Years of grinding through RPG games had taught him well; if you don't need it, don't splurge for it. Eventually, you're going to come across some you are going to need. Then, well... then there would be problems.

[Razmor 0]

Angel smiled again, looking at the player who had asked for help. "So what you're asking for is a place to get a decent amount of XP and is also safe? Well kid, that place doesn't exist. If you want progress, you've gotta go out and earn it. Now if you want it, I can accompany you to the outer layer of the floor, you know, where the toughest enemies on the floor reside. By myself I can take care of anything out there, but you need XP. So," Angel slowly drew his sword and balanced it on his shoulder. "You wanna get some new experiences or stay in your comfort zone forever?"

This question weighed heavily on Angel's shoulders because it had been a question he had asked himself a long time ago. He had been in the same boat as Alkor, and the more he observed the player, the more he saw himself reflected in the player. He felt like this kid could be an intriguing project or maybe an apprentice of some sort. Maybe Angel could give this player a fighting chance in this cheating world? If so, he'd do his best to help the player.

[Guest]

He gave a gruff sigh at the exclamation, still avoiding any sort of eye contact. Alkor knew comfort zones were out the window a long time ago, but he would be damned if he was going to throw himself into the fire on a whim. It was true, in one sense, that he was never going to get anywhere waltzing between point A and point B on the first floor of Aincrad, but he wanted to avoid this sort of situation altogether.

Alkor had always been terrible at interacting with others. The very thought of letting this unknown player help him went against the grain of everything he had ever known, more so than exposing himself to the dangers of the outer areas of the floor. "I can't just stand by and watch someone for nothing," he protested. "I have to do something useful, or I'll be wasting your time."

He matched Angel's gaze finally, and took a breath to calm himself. Everything in his mind told him not to go forward with this, but he refused to be held back by his terror. It was just another obstacle. "I have to pull my own weight."

[Razmor 0]

Angel nodded. "I won't carry your weight, but I won't watch you die. Just think of my presence as, insurance." He said with the same grin. A headstrong player who doesn't want to be taken care of; like looking in a mirror. Angel was liking this guy more and more. Angel swung his sword in a slow circle before beginning to walk out of the safe zone and into open ground. Almost immediately he spotted a pack of wolves on the horizon, watching him but for the most part remaining still. Angel smiled again. "You wanna take them or do you want a more, 'sizable' prize?" He asked, spinning his sword once again.

[Guest]

Alkor followed the player out of the safe zone and into the dangers beyond. His sword slid out of the sheath with a familiar hiss, and he glanced over the blade thoughtfully. Insurance? The guy certainly picked an interesting word, there. Alkor just didn't want to burden the guy- a higher level player, at that- with having to pull a double load. Of course, he came off as arrogant, because he sounded cocky.

It couldn't be helped. The young swordsman blinked when he was asked about the wolves, and he glanced up to consider them. "Sure," Alkor managed, "we can start with those." It would be a good gauge of his progress, trying to take on multiple enemies at once. On top of that, he had the other player to ensure he wouldn't get overwhelmed. Of course, that was assuming the other player didn't want to let him die.

At this point, he didn't have any room to worry about getting betrayed. He would cross that bridge if they came to it. Alkor strode forward toward the mobs, already trotting toward him as he silently prayed not to die.

[Razmor 0]

Angel nodded and equipped his shield, a large piece of steel with various dents on it's surface in the shape of a circle. The shield had saved him many times before, and against many more enemies than a pack of wolves. He slowly approached the pack, counting a total of 5 enemies. He managed a smile, "Alright, I'll draw their attention and you take them out alright?" He said as he readied his shield. Then he took a deep breath and activated his <> Skill. When he opened his mouth, an unearthly roar rolled across the plains. Instantly the wolves perked up their ears and focused on him. The leader howled his own howl before charging at Angel, the rest of the pack following him in the assault. Angel planted his left foot behind him and braced for the impact. After counting to three, the leader crashed into the shield. Angel didn't budge as he bounced the wolf back and the pack surrounded him, almost ignoring Alkor's presence.

Angel (25/25 HP)

Alkor (9/9 HP)

Wolf Leader (6/6 HP)

Wolf 1 (4/4 HP)

Wolf 2 (4/4 HP)

Wolf 3 (4/4 HP)

Wolf 4 (4/4 HP)

[Guest]

"Ehhhh?" Alkor's eyes flickered over toward Angel as the man let out a bestial scream, and he saw all the wolves converge on the higher level character while the whole world seemed to recover from being shaken. That, Alkor's decided, was awesome. There were many skills in this world he had never seen before, and this one renewed his excitement for seeing each and every one of them. It was like standing in that long line, waiting for the game all over again.

Except this time, he didn't have to wait to get in on it. This time, Alkor smirked because he was living it. "Got it," he affirmed as the stronger player took the brunt of the wolves' attention, and a larger wolf crashed into his raised shield. Alkor wasted no time rushing up toward the closest wolf and bringing his weapon viciously toward the beast...

...and he met with air as it jumped back and away, clearly annoyed with him. He gave a heavy sigh at his failure, then adjusted to give himself time to prepare for his next attack. He looked over, worried that Angel might be having trouble.

Angel (25/25 HP)

Alkor (9/9 HP)

Wolf Leader (6/6 HP)

Wolf 1 (4/4 HP)

Wolf 2 (4/4 HP)

Wolf 3 (4/4 HP)

Wolf 4 (4/4 HP)

[Mayonaka 0]

In the distance I heard a loud howl echo through out the "un-safe" zone in Aincrad. That's odd, I wonder if a wolf is summoning something...or maybe a skill from another player? I muttered out loud and got off of the grass, dusting myself off. Either way it still peeked itself into my attention, I had to know or else I would go insane, plus I was bored beyond belief. The skill, if it was a skill, was something that would be useful when drawing attention to yourself. I charged forward from my previous location until I saw a mob of wolves surrounding another player. My feet stopped themselves when another player entered my vision, they had it under control..maybe..

Do you guys n- I was interrupted by a rude wolf charging at me with it's teeth bared, growling at me. I allowed the beast to chomp on my leg. As I was saying, do you guys need any help? I cocked my head to the side and tried to ignore the wolf gnawing into my virtual flesh.

Mayonaka 25/27

Unknown Players

Angel 25/25

Alkor 9/9

Wolf Leader 6/6

Wolf 1 4/4

Wolf 2 4/4

Wolf 3 4/4

Wolf 4 4/4

[Razmor 0]

Angel watched as Alkor missed his first strike. He quickly focused back on the leader. It was a little bigger than the others but they all shared the same ferocity and anger in their eyes. Angel brought his sword back, locking eyes with his enemy. Then his blade flashed for a second and he swung forward, ripping the blade through the air.....

.....He smiled as the weapon slashed through the Wolf's hide, taking a good sized chunk out of it's HP. He swung the blade in his hand, his eyes now beginning to scan the rest of the pack. His shield still stuck close to his chest, ready to block whatever came his way. But then he heard something behind him. He turned his head and saw a player approaching. Before he could react a wolf rushed past him and bit down on her leg. Angel was about to rush to her aid when he realized that the player was unaffected by the bite. He frowned for a second, leaving the answer to the question up to Alkor.

Damage = 1+ 1(weapon) + 1(Skill level) = 3 Total

Mayonaka (25/27 HP)

Angel (25/25 HP)

Alkor (9/9 HP)

Wolf Leader (3/6 HP)

Wolf 1 (4/4 HP)

Wolf 2 (4/4 HP)

Wolf 3 (4/4 HP)

Wolf 4 (4/4 HP)

[Guest]

Alkor blinked as the woman... or was she a girl? Anyway, he blinked when she hurried up to the pair and started to talk, and gaped when the wolf sank its teeth into her. "Uhhhhhh..." Had she just allowed that to happen? That definitely wasn't normal...

He needed to focus, but it was suddenly a taller order than before. "I'mnotsosurewe'retheoneswhoneedhelp," he muttered discontentedly, but not loud enough to be heard. At least, he thought it wasn't. There were a whole lot of things about this world Alkor couldn't be sure of.

His blade acted in lieu of his mouth, sailing toward the wolf who had bitten the girl. If nothing else, he was going to try to be useful to someone. And, if he succeeded, there would be one less wolf to worry about.

Alkor grinned devilishly as his weapon sank into the creature, causing it to let out a "yelp!" The red line that appeared across its side caused it to let go of the Player and slink back toward the rest of the pack, where it must have thought it would be safe. The weakest of the group let out a low chuckle.

He assessed the female player, who's name still appeared as unknown. Her HP still appeared to be green. "Are you alright?" He asked, preoccupied with the battle too much to be worried about social stigmas.

-Alkor deals 2 damage, normal 1 +1 for One Armed Straight Sword Skill

Alkor (9/9)

Angel (25/25)

<> (25/27)

Wolf Leader (3/6)

Wolf 1 (4/4)

Wolf 2 (4/4)

Wolf 3 (2/4)

Wolf 4 (4/4)

[Mayonaka 0]

My glare came across to the other player that muttered to himself, then softened ever so slightly when he removed the threat from my leg. I crossed my arms upon being asked if I'm alright. Yes, I only lost a small fraction of my HP, besides it didn't hurt. The wolves seemed to be content with teething into me but I wasn't, I really wanted to just kill them all right now. Do you guys mind if I join you in this fight? I asked, remaining calm even though I was antsy.

Mayonaka 25/27

Unknown Players

Angel 25/25

Alkor 9/9

Wolf Leader 6/6

Wolf 1 4/4

Wolf 2 4/4

Wolf 3 4/4

Wolf 4 4/4

[Guest]

[Non-combat post/out of post order]

"I guess it can't be helped," Alkor replied, "I'm not going to come between you and your revenge." It was a silly thing to say, but it made sense. Every point lost from your health in this game was a point closer that a person came to death. The feeling of wanting satisfaction only seemed normal.

He gestured with his free hand toward the wolves, indicating that the girl should feel free to join in. There was nothing much to say for now, until the mobs were cleared. They could chat later. Or not, but Alkor didn't linger on one possibility or another. He readied his blade for the next round of combat.

"Angel, get ready!" He called, "they're coming!"

[Razmor 0]

Angel shook off the distraction of the new player and returned his focus to the leader. The wolf glared at Angel and they starred each other down. Angel's grip tightened on his sword and he blinked once, then he planted his foot and rushed forward. He brought his arm around in a wide arc.

Damage = 1+ 1 + 1 = 3 Total

The blade cleaved clean through the leader, severing the wolf in two. He rolled after the strike and ended up behind the remainder of the pack, his shield close to his chest the entire time. He flipped his sword tip around to face forwards, his eyes locked on the rest of the pack. But then he noticed Alkor standing there and remembered their agreement. Against his better judgment, he sheathed his sword and stood straight. His eyes continued to watch the wolves, but it occasionally drifted over to Alkor. They were mischievous, but also curious.

Alkor (9/9)

Angel (25/25)

Mayonaka (25/27)

Wolf Leader DEAD

Wolf 1 (4/4)

Wolf 2 (4/4)

Wolf 3 (2/4)

Wolf 4 (4/4)

[Guest]

Alkor tore forward the instant Angel broke into his roll, using the chaos of the pack leader's death to make his attack that much more efficient. In the end, all hits and misses were dictated by the game engine, but it felt realistic enough to try something new. His blade slashed in a tight, controlled motion toward the same wolf he had damaged earlier, seeking to finish the job.

"Nrgh..." Alkor's blade narrowly missed the wolf, who found an instant of clarity among all the confusion to twist away from the blow. It raked claws across his outstretched hand, and three red streaks stained his avatar. He took a step back and clicked his tongue in distaste, glowering down at the group of enemies.

This was more challenging than a single boar, by far. He righted himself into an even stance, tip pointed skyward. Alkor didn't say anything, focused on the battle. He slowly considered different venues of attack, trying desperately to think of the best way to get better accuracy.

Alkor (7/9)

Angel (25/25)

<> (25/27)

Wolf Leader (Dead)

Wolf 1 (4/4)

Wolf 2 (4/4)

Wolf 3 (2/4)

Wolf 4 (4/4)

[Mayonaka 0]

Thank you, I'll introduce myself when this is over. Now.. I said with a smile and drew my sword from my back. Unlike the starter sword mine was made for doing extra damage. The downside was it was quite heavy for me to lug around all the time. I'm not a chew toy you lousy mutt! I pierced my blade through the center of the wolf with an enraged voice. The bite it took of me before indeed hurt, a lot. I didn't admit that to them though. After appearing on he other side of the wolf I took a few cautious steps away from he our animals so I didn't draw too much attention to myself .

Mayonaka 25/27

BD 6+2=8 {-1 Damage}

Unknown Players

Angel 25/25

Alkor 9/9

Wolf Leader dead

Wolf 1 3/4

Wolf 2 4/4

Wolf 3 2/4

Wolf 4 4/4

[Razmor 0]

Angel watched as the two players struck their own wolves. By this point the remainder of the pack was focused on Angel, clearly angered by the death of their leader. Angel watched both of them, waiting for a moment. He didn't want to use his sword as he had already told Alkor that he was only there to keep things under control. So instead of waiting to attack, he waited for a moment to defend. As the two wolves started to circle him he slowly turned his body clockwise, always keeping his eyes on at least one of them. Then they attacked. He held his shield up and swung it, knocking on of the wolves back. But he couldn't turn in time to stop the other one as he jumped at him and sank it's jaws into his shoulder. He grit his teeth in pain as he struggled to remove the wolf from his shoulder.

Mayonaka 25/27

Angel 23/25

Alkor 7/9

Wolf Leader dead

Wolf 1 3/4

Wolf 2 4/4

Wolf 3 2/4

Wolf 4 4/4