[PP-PT-F01] [ASSIST] Debt Collecting...Again <<The First Few Lessons>>

[Oats 0]

Feeling sympathy for Astra, she watched his struggle to find materials. "I've found one!" she exclaimed when Astra asked, showing Astra the material pinched between her fingers, her grin radiating hope and optimism. Hoping it'd rub off on Astra.

The mysterious figure's movements in the woods didn't escape Oats' vigilant eyes. She may pretend not to notice, but she had seen it all before. Her curiosity piqued, she sensed that something was unfolding. What could Wulfrin be planning?

Kneeling, she continued to sift through the grass, hoping for a fruitful search. Meanwhile, in her other hand, she kept her fingers poised, mentally measuring the distance to the sword she might need to draw. Right now she is thankful for her military training. It still applied, even in the digital world.

-----------------

ID: 236691 | Looking for a material | LD 19 + 3 | Succeed! +1 Mat

-----------------

Despite Wulfrin's opinion, it was fortunate that she ate the fondue. Beyond its deliciousness, it seemed to enhance her luck. She examined another item in her fingers, shrugged, and then tucked it away.

Edited October 26 by Oats

[Siren 0]

Siren glanced over at Oats and Astra, noting how one of them had managed to find a material while the other came up empty-handed. She knew that disappointment well. "My first attempt wasn’t all that great either," she admitted, giving them a sympathetic smile. "But hey, that’s pretty much the story of my life." Kneeling down, she continued her search, eyes flickering over the flowers. Now, who’s gonna be my target today? She had a little ritual, every time she gathered materials, she'd make a flower crown and gift it to someone. Guess I’ll keep it a surprise.

Spotting a particularly beautiful blue flower, she plucked it delicately and wove it into a crown, threading the stems just right. Satisfied with her creation, she stood up, brushing the dirt from her knees, and made her way back to the group.

"I only found one," she announced as she rejoined them, shrugging. "But I’m not too disappointed, not after that quest with Reese." A shiver ran down her spine as the memory resurfaced. She looked at Astra, who was still without materials, and felt a twinge of empathy. With a soft smile, she approached him, placing the flower crown gently on his head. "Here you go, sugar," she murmured, her thick Southern drawl wrapping around the words, sweet as honey.

As she stepped back, her eyes drifted to Wulfrin. But something was… off. A shadowy figure, mirroring Wulfrin’s shape, seemed to scout the area nearby, blending into the background yet distinct enough to unsettle her. She squinted, glancing back and forth between Wulfrin and his shadowy double. What in the world has this man been up to? she wondered, concern flaring not just for him but for Ciela too.

Trying to shake off the strange feeling, she took a deep breath. But her gaze kept flickering to the shadow, the chill of unease gnawing at her.

* * *

Post Action: Searching for materials
ID: 238719 | LD: 18 (+6) = 24
1 materials found. 2/3 attempts.

Edited October 26 by Siren

[Wulfrin 0]

"Ah don't mind him," Wulfrin waved his hand in the air dismissing the curiosity in the most nonchalant way possible. "Let's just call it a safety net."

Based off the time that had passed, their time in the clearing would be coming to end soon. As Wulfrin was beginning to pack up his stuff, his line went taught and with a heave, he pulled the catch to the surface. At the end of his hook was a small ornate box. Once the rest of his gear was safely stored in his inventory, Wulfrin opened the box with care. A silent fist pump of excitement came from the swordsman turned fisher as he dismissed the contents to his inventory.

"Alright," Wulfrin said as he made his way to edge of the clearing. "By now each of you should be reaching the end of your gathering timer. Don't fret if you didn't get any materials, Zackariah wont care. Besides the gathering portion is more of a formality to introduce you to the concept. Take one last look around the clearing then we'll head back and report to the alchemist."

* * *

Fishing Attempt | RANK 5 | Success on CD 4+ | Critical on LD 8+
+ 2 EXP Per Attempt | +1 LD and CD on Attempts | +5 LD when opening Fishing Chest

Fishing Attempt
ID 236726 | CD 3+1=4 | LD 9+1=10

Fishing Chest
ID 236727 | LD 20+5=25

Result:
3 Perfect Weapons
3 Perfect Armor/Shields
1 Gleaming Scale
1 Material
+18 Fishing Exp

Fishing Rewards Total:

2 Materials
T1 Perfect Weapons: 236727a, 236727b, 236727c
T1 Perfect Armor/Shields: 236727d, 236727e, 236727f
1 Gleaming Scale
26 Fishing Exp

Edited October 26 by Wulfrin

[Astra 0]

"Let's just call it a safety net," Wulfrin responded to Astra's question. Curious about the intricacies of having your own shadow become a sort of familiar, but not wanting to pry too much, Astra nodded and continued to search for materials. 

"I've found one!" Oats being able to find some materials gave him a bit of hope. He smiled at his companion and raised his hand, giving a thumbs up. "Hey, nice! That's something." Even if he ended up finding no materials, at least his companions were. He hadn't spent a lot of time around them but so far he really felt like he could trust them. Relationships were being built. Wulfrin was the stoic and coolheaded DPS that was also a part time fisherman. Oats was newer to the field like Astra was, but had military experience, and apparently experience finding materials. Siren gave off an incredibly warm aura and demeanor with her southern charm and friendly ways. They were a good group, at least Astra thought so. 

As he continued to sift through the grass and shrubbery, he noticed Siren walking over to him. A lovely flower adorned crown in her hands. "Here you go, sugar," she said with her thick, sweet as honey, southern drawl. The flower crown was now placed on his head. 

"Oh!" At first he was taken aback by the gesture. Immediately a warm smile crept onto his face, and he stopped searching. "Thanks so much Siren, it's lovely. I feel a bit like a floral prince," he laughed. Her kindness really showed, and he really started to feel like he was forming connections in this world. 

"Maybe this will be my good luck charm," he said to Siren. Then, he got back to work. Zackariah wouldn't mind not having many materials, as Wulfrin relayed, but Astra still felt the need to help with the search. Suddenly, as he sifted through the strands of grass and the leaves in the bushes, he found one! 

"Hey, I found something. Finally!" He laughed and sat back on the ground for a second, looking around at his companions. At least he felt like he contributed to the group now. This flower crown must be good luck, just like he'd hoped. 

***
Post Action: Searching for materials
ID: 236728 | LD: 18 (+3) = 21 | Success +1 Material

Edited October 26 by Astra

[Oats 0]

Look at that! Astra has received a flower crown and has triumphed over the system's RNG. Good for him! She chuckled quietly to herself. Siren is quite a thoughtful woman for bestowing the crown upon him. They both deserve happiness. Despite being trapped in this game with impending doom, where someone may die sooner or later, happiness is their only way to move forward. When she was a teenager, she nearly took her own life, but a quote from a book saved her. It read, "The will to live is the heart of existence." She found her will to live. Now, it's unshakable. Everyone must find their own; it provides the willpower to take not just the first step but the second, then the third, and so on. It seems Siren and Astra have both taken that initial step. As for Wulfrin, he appears to be objective-oriented, not that she minds. He's the captain type. Anything he says goes. For now, anyway. She is confident she will be out of the nest and flying on her own pretty soon. This is a nice group, but what type of player will she be? Stay solo or always form a party? If she remains solo, then she will have to play smart. This quest is off to an excellent start in term of learning the system.

She shifted her focus to the ground at her feet, pondering her next move. Resolving to continue her search, she headed towards the moist soil beside the creek. There, she began her personal quest for what she hoped would be the final material.

--------------------

ID: 236750 | Looking for a material | LD 13 + 3 | Succeed! +1 Mat

Whoa. Three out of three tries. Guess she'd have to eat the fondue and rolls daily! She can picture her mouth being watery. Thankfully it didn't happen. 

Now that it's her final attempt, she is at liberty to contemplate Wulfrin's plan. Could it be trouble brewing? Despite the prospect of captaincy, would he betray us? In the world of SAO, where betrayal is commonplace, she must remain on her toes.

Edited October 27 by Oats

[Siren 0]

Siren was usually the type to take things in stride, brushing off most troubles without much worry. But something about Wulfrin's new shadowy companion tugged at her mind. It wasn’t just Wulfrin she was concerned about; her thoughts drifted to Ciela too. The strange presence was enough to make her wary, a rare feeling for her.

As she continued searching for materials, Astra’s voice drew her attention. He’d called the flower crown she’d made his lucky charm, and Siren felt a small blush crawl over her cheeks, momentarily taken aback by the sweetness of the comment. Trying to shake it off, she resumed her search, but luck wasn’t on her side this time, she came up empty-handed.

Just as she was about to turn away due to the lack of materials, she heard Astra cheer. He’d found a material. Her grin returned, warm and genuine. "Good job, darlin’! I’m glad my little good luck charm worked for ya," she praised, her honeyed drawl filled with pride. Moments later, Oats called out with a triumphant smile; she’d managed to collect all three materials. She laughed, the sound soft and amused. "Well, looks like you’ll be covering the rest of us, huh?" she teased gently, her eyes shining with playful appreciation.

Turning to Wulfrin, she gave him a nod. "Shall we head back to Zacky, then? I think he’ll be pleased with what we’ve managed to gather." She pushed herself up, dusting off her knees before looking around at the group with a bright smile.

"Everyone ready?" she asked, her voice brimming with anticipation for the journey back.

* * *

Post Action: Searching for materials
ID: 236752 | LD: 4 (+6 LD) = 10
No materials found. 3/3 attempts.

Edited October 31 by Siren

[Wulfrin 0]

"Wonderful," Wulfrin said as he gathered up his charges for the day. "Onwards back to Zackariah's place."

Wulfrin once again took the lead back to the Town of Beginnings. He pointed out more packs of mobs as they passed, making sure to give a detailed info dump of what not to do. Really it was all a primer for what was to come, so he hoped they were paying at least some attention. If they weren't it wasn't a big deal truthfully. He was prepared for a fight, but pretty much anything down this far posed little threat. As he walked he thumbed through his inventory screen and materialized a small piece of a plant. One of his many field boss drops in his collection, the Nepent Ovule, was collected on this verry floor a while ago. Now he had finally found a use for it.

"Yo Zack!" Wulfrin announced their presence. "Newbies are back. Some found materials. Some didn't."

Wulfrin urged the others to present their findings before making his way back out of the shop. "I'll be waiting outside. He won't talk to me anyway."

* * *

Wulfrin adds 1x Nepent Ovule to his battle ready inventory

[Astra 0]

The relief of finding at least one material really settled Astra's nerves. On the brighter side, Oats had seemingly found every material necessary which really helped. At least they had completed this part of the quest without too much issue, though that's not to say that effort wasn't put in. 

"Good job, darlin’! I’m glad my little good luck charm worked for ya," Siren said to him. He hoisted himself off of his knees and stood up, extending an arm out and flipping his thumb upwards into a thumbs up. "At least it's something! The crown definitely helped. Seems like Oats carried us though." Astra let out a chuckle, and brushed the dirt from his pants. Maybe he tried a little too hard to find these materials for Zackariah. Who knew how consequential they truly were? 

As the scavenging wrapped up, Astra followed the rest of his party back to Zackariah's place. The shop was still full of an orgy of different scents, as well as smoke and items lining the walls. Astra wiped the smoke and other scents wafting through the air from his eyes. 

"Hey Zackariah, here's what I found. Sorry it isn't much. Any word on the money you owe Dorian?" As he presented his question he held out his materials towards the alchemist. He'd hoped deep down that even though he hadn't found much it satisfied the quest requirements, because he really wanted to progress and get on with it. He positioned his eyes towards the alchemist and let out a half-hearted smile, as if to say: "please let this be over and done with". 

[Oats 0]

As the group made their way back to the Town of Beginnings, Oats was engrossed in Wulfrin's insights about mobs, knowing that any tactical information could provide an edge over enemies, no matter how whimsical or insignificant it might seem. Setting morality aside, she understood the necessity of leveraging everything for survival. Once Wulfrin concluded his informal presentation, Oats navigated through the inventory menu to materialize the last material she had discovered. Holding it closely, the material appeared as a small, lustrous ore, seemingly perfect for crafting. She tossed it into the air, caught it horizontally, and then began flipping it playfully between her fingers. It was indeed a good day.

Upon arrival at Zack's shop, Wulfrin hailed the owner on our behalf as we entered. Astra stepped forward with his material, sparking a discussion with the craftsman. Observing Astra's slight facial twitch, she empathized with the challenges beginners face with basic actions, which only fueled her determination to level up. She hoped Astra shared her sentiment. When her turn came, she approached Zackariah and handed over all the materials she had gathered. "Could this be a satisfactory exchange for information on Dorian's debt?" Oats inquired; her tone gentle yet marked by candor.

Edited November 1 by Oats

[Siren 0]

Siren and the group walked back into Zackariah's shop, her voice echoing with a playful sing-song lilt as she called out, "Oh, Zacky! We’re baaack!" She could see Zackariah at his counter, looking expectant but a little wearied, as if the antics of players had become a familiar pattern in his day. (Which they had.) "Now, a few of us weren't so lucky, but Oats here pulled through and found all three materials," she announced, giving her friend a quick nod of appreciation.

As she approached the counter, she leaned in and batted her eyes dramatically, adding a bit of charm as she asked, "So, Zacky, we've brought what you asked for. Would you kindly tell us if our dear Dorian left his money here?"

Unfazed by her charm, Zackariah simply raised an eyebrow, looking more like a disappointed father than an amused shopkeeper. "Leave it to Dorian to forget something so important," he said with a sigh. "No, I'm afraid it wasn’t me who borrowed the col. You might check with Lyle, the blacksmith. He’s been meeting with the mayor quite a bit lately and may know more. Just up the road." His tone softened as he added, "Best of luck to you all."

Siren glanced over at Astra and Oats with a wry smile, already heading for the door before Zack’s potion-heavy atmosphere could give her a headache. “Well then,” she said, pushing the door open and stepping out into the fresh air, "Looks like Lyle's shop is our next stop. But we’ve got Wulfrin to lead the way, don’t we?" She chuckled, giving her friend a playful nudge. 

[Wulfrin 0]

"Lyle," Wulfrin pinched the bridge of his nose and looked towards the ground in annoyance. "Right. Part two. Let me save you some time with this one."

Wulfrin was not pleased having to return to the rude smith, but as a necessary evil to overcome, Wulfrin begrudged led the group to the smith's shop across the Town of Beginnings from Zack's. The smith was hard at work striking a piece of metal of sorts. As Wulfrin crossed the threshold, his form shifted as the shadows of the dimly lit interior engulfed him before slowly retreating. Before the trio stood another Astra. Wulfrin had been studying the group pretty much the entire time, specifically for this moment.

"Sit tight." Wulfrin's voice came out of the fake Astra's mouth. "This guy is kind of a dick. He's no Abdullah mind you, but he's still a dick. Let me talk to him. When I'm done grab a weapon if you don't already have a perfect quality one. There are some tranquilizers over on the table next to the weapon rack. You'll have the choice of either fighting or tranquilizing five boars each. I'll go over a proper tutorial when we're back in the wilds."

After briefly pointing to the weapon rack Wulfrin as Astra walked within earshot of the smithy

"Um excuse me," "Astra" said just loud enough that the smith could hear him over the sound of hammering steel. "I was wonderin-"

"I'm busy." Lyle cut him off before returning to his work.

"Yes sir," Wulfrin continued in a perfect recreation of Astra's voice. "But I was sent by Dor-"

"Listen here," Lyle waved his leathery gloved hand cutting Wulfrin off again. "I don't do anything without payment. Go deal with a few of those pesky boarlets for me, and bring them back whole or else just their tusks. I don’t care which.  They're pretty weak, so even you shouldn't have any trouble.  Do that, then I'll hear you out. I've got some tranqs and some spare weapons over there if you absolutely need them. Just make sure you put them back when you're done. Else we're gunna have an even bigger problem."

"Yes sir," Wulfrin sheepishly slunk over towards the shadows at the edge of the forge. His form melded into the shadows before he reappeared out of the dark alley around the corner from the group.

"You guys finished up with the smith yet?" Wulfrin asked having shed his disguise and looking to continue his farse. "Best not to keep the grump waiting."

[Astra 0]

Naturally like any good quest, there was a part two. Of course the fatigued alchemist Zackariah didn't have Dorian's money, but that was no sweat to Astra. This was still just the start of his journey, and any hurdles were to be expected. Astra followed his companions as they walked through the Town of Beginnings to Lyle's forge, watching an influx of players and NPC's alike as they passed him by. 

As they crossed through the entrance to the forge, the sound of clanging metal filled Astra's ears. Astra looked towards Wulfrin, as he was leading the charge into the shop, and could hardly believe his eyes as Wulfrin's visage changed into Astra's own. 

"Woah...This is...Weird for me", Astra said with exasperation. At the same time, he was absolutely amazed. "You can do that? Wild". 

As Wulfrin-Astra spoke to Lyle, Astra tried to study his mannerisms. Is that really what I sound like? It's always strange to hear the sound of your own voice, let alone see someone who has taken on the exact form act as you. 

The smith directed the party to go and kill or tranquilize some boars, and was offering weapons and tranquilizers to help with the task. He was pretty dismissive, as well as a bit of a dick, just like Wulfrin said. Astra didn't mind much, however. He was here to do a job, not become friends with the grizzled blacksmith. Astra walked over to where the tranquilizers sat and took some for himself. 

"I'll trust my sword, but these tranqs should help. Yep! I'm ready to go." He said with a thumbs up to the rest of his companions. 

***

Astra obtains x amount of tranquilizers 

[Siren 0]

Siren's eyes went wide as she watched Wulfrin morph seamlessly into Astra's likeness and voice. What the actual fuck? Her mouth fell open. There was a look of utter bewilderment mixed with frustration as her mind raced. Oh, there is no way he’s doing that with my looks. Absolutely no fucking way.

When Wulfrin stepped back out of the blacksmith’s shop, she positioned herself squarely in his path. "I do NOT make requests like this often, but I really, really don't want you using my likeness unless it’s absolutely, undeniably fucking necessary. Are we clear, honey?" Her words were firm, her tone unwavering, though her drawl softened it like honey coating a thorn.

She then shifted her gaze to Astra, catching the uneasy confusion written on his face as he tried to process Wulfrin's unexpected mimicry. Without a word, she gently linked her arm with his, hoping to offer a bit of reassurance. The smile she gave him was warm and reassuring as if to say, I'm here for you.

With her arm still looped through Astra's, Siren pulled out her rapier, spinning it with a practiced flick of her wrist. "Personally, I think my sword’s more than enough. It’s only the best after all, especially since Wulfrin made it just for me. Screw Lyle and his tacky work." She shot Wulfrin a playful wink, a glint of mischief in her eye, as she lightly teased him.