[SP-F1] Eye of the Tyger (Completed)

[Tyger 0]

Quest Accepted <<Earning a Living>>

 

Frustration.

 

Honestly, that was all she currently felt. All she did was toss and turn at night, inadvertently beating up poor Baldur in the process. They both would wake up exhausted. Tyger from no sleep, and Baldur from a mysterious boxing match he had no recollection of. The more time they spent on the first floor, the antsier Tyger felt. There wasn't much she could do about it though. Sticking her chin up, utilizing her equipment to the best of her ability, and being a productive member of their duo was about the best she could do.

 

Then why did she feel so bad?

 

Tyger rolled over, watching Baldur's chest slowly rise and fall as he slept. No matter how hard she tried, she wasn't getting to sleep anytime soon. Making sure to not wake him, Tyger slowly rolled out of the bed, landing as quietly as she could to put on her clothing and go outside. Tiger's Fang, as well as Baldur's sword, sat by the door of the Inn. They didn't have enough money for a house, and even if they did, she doubted they'd go for a house on the first floor. Her hand grabbed the buckle of her belt, so it wouldn't clink, and she slipped outside into the dark, cold night. If only she were more useful.

[Tyger 0]

The stars were pretty, at least. She knew they weren't real, but it was a hobby she liked to do back in the real world. Where she grew up, she didn't get to see many. When she visited Baldur's old home though... It was beautiful. There were no lights outside, no cities close to drown out the light... It was like looking up and seeing every star ever made. Nothing compared to that sight, but it made her feel closer to home. She wanted to be back there. To be fair, she was enjoying the game, but when she was ready to go away, to leave Aincrad, there wasn't the option. That's when she was reminded.

 

It was a little chilly outside, so Tyger figured she wouldn't be out for too long. She wanted to run a little bit, maybe tussle with a boar or two, just to get her past that line of insomnia to exhausted. Then she could return to Baldur and sleep until the sun woke them in the morning. Morning... How many days had they been here so far? How many morning routines had she missed? Icarus, her sugar glider, would always poke his head out of his pouch as she and Baldur left for their jobs. It was routine to give him a few head scratches, as well as his favorite treat, and then the critter would go to sleep. He was noctournal, ya know. Even cute animals have to have their beauty rest, apparently. If she ever leaved something in the house and came back in, the glider would get cranky because she was interrupting his sleep. Such a rough life. She felt so much pity.

 

She had to wipe away a tear. How many morning routines had she really missed? 

[Tyger 0]

"I can't keep thinking about this."

 

She had Baldur here, and that was half of what she woke up for in the mornings. Between him, and her fuzzy fur bat, they were her two fellas. Tiger's Fang had made it into her hand at some point, so she took that as a sign to go ahead and use it. She took comfort in the swords presence, thankful that she had a little bit extra to deal with in the current events. 

 

"With Tiger's Fang, I hit pretty hard. Let's see if I can one shot these boars, eh?"

 

She mused to herself, whirling her sword a few times in hand. At this late at night, there werent many players out to mull around. More mobs for her, apparently. A lone boar snuffed at something in the ground, so she charged it, scimitar ready to slice it in half. The pig squealed and scurried off to the side, avoiding her blade completely. When the creature's name turned red, and went to retaliate, Tyger easily sidestepped the creature.

 

"Easy Pumba..."

 

 

<<Tyger>> 9/9

<<Boar 1>> 5/5

 

• 
  

  • ID: 6761
  • Rolled a 3 on the d10 (battle) dice.
  • Rolled a 5 on the d10 (mob) dice.
  • Rolled a 7 on the d12 (craft) dice.
  • Rolled a 7 on the d20 (loot) dice.

   

   

[Tyger 0]

Tyger blinked a little bit of water out of her eyes. When she'd ran towards the boar, the condensation on the grass had splatted her pants, her hands, arms, anything exposed to the damp morning. This included her sword, which when swung, took all of that water and threw it towards her face. Joy.

 

"Look at me and you. We're a mess!"

 

She sighed, casually walking over to the boar, preparing for a lazy swing of her sword. There wasn't much pep in it, and because of that, it missed horribly. The boar was taken aback, and charged at her for an easy hit. However, Tyger just shoved it aside with a foot as she stared at it. 

 

"Why do you fight? You're just going to respawn. Are you here to just keep on fighting, and keep that living streak for as long as possible?"

 

The boar snorted.
 

 

• ID: 6762
• Rolled a 1 on the d10 (battle) dice.
• Rolled a 1 on the d10 (mob) dice.
• Rolled a 9 on the d12 (craft) dice.
• Rolled a 10 on the d20 (loot) dice.

 

 

<<Tyger>> 9/9 (still missed)

<<Boar 1>> 5/5 (yeah we both suck apparently)

[Tyger 0]

"I want to keep my winning streak as long as possible too. You're data. Pixels. Shards of pretty light that disappear once I gut you."

 

The tone of her voice surprised her. She hadn't expected something so growled and aggressive would have come from her, but with no one else in sight, the person with anger issues was indeed her. Unless the boar was a fantastic mimic. If that were the case, she'd have to pick the boar up as a familiar. A talking boar would be fantastic. There was another lazy swing that was a bit closer to hitting it's mark, but not quite. The boar charged her again, but with it's size, it was easily dodged by a side step.

 

"I think I get it. You and me, we're pretty alike, you know? We both rush head into things. I think if I sat down and looked at this situation from different angles, i'd have a bit more luck hitting my targets."

 

The boar drug it's hoof against the dirt, but as late as it was, there was no dust to kick. Only chill.

 

"That and we're terribly impersonal. You haven't even told me your name."

 

 

ID: 6763

• Rolled a 2 on the d10 (battle) dice.
• Rolled a 5 on the d10 (mob) dice
• Rolled a 10 on the d12 (craft) dice.
• Rolled a 1 on the d20 (loot) dice.

 

<<Tyger>> 9/9 (still missed, omg)

<<Boar 1>> 5/5 (missed too, jfc)

[Tyger 0]

"Mine is Rhoan. I'm a 21 year old female who just moved to Japan."

 

Her hand gripped Tiger's Fang tighter. 

 

"You probably don't know where that is, do you. It's my home. Not in this game. Outside of it."

 

The boar stared her down, red eyes and red name standing out in the night haze. 

 

"It's kind of my home, although when I think about home, I think about sugar gliders. And cold nights where you need to tuck the covers in all around you to keep warm. Computer games, and Christmas presents from weeks ago you haven't put away yet because it makes your livingroom look alive. That's home."

 

She started running towards the boar this time, with a bit more enthusiasm. 

 

"I hope you understand... I've got to kill you to get back there. You'll come back, but I won't. I want my home back."

 

Her sword left an orange gash across the boar's hide, causing it to squeal out in pain. While she was close, the boar attempted to catch her leg with a tusk, but Tyger was already back to her spot across from the creature.

 

ID: 6764

• Rolled a 7 on the d10 (battle) dice
• Rolled a 3 on the d10 (mob) dice
• Rolled a 1 on the d12 (craft) dice.
• Rolled a 14 on the d20 (loot) dice.

 

<<Tyger>> 9/9 Hit Boar for 3 dmg

<<Boar 1>> 2/5 Missed an attack

[Tyger 0]

The boar stared at her as she continued to talk. Out in the open, in the middle of this field, no one could hear her. Not even Baldur. Tyger struggled to stay mad at the boar, but after so many passes, it was so pathetic it was almost funny. 

 

"I was kicking your ass left, right, up and down the other day. We just camped here and killed while nobody was here. We needed the XP. I don't get why I can't hit you now."

 

Her frustration was apparent, and the boar flinched as if it expected another attack. Instead, it got nothing. Tyger just stood there, watching the creature. Why bother? She was going to miss anyways. She just felt it. Instead, the time and energy used attacking the boar could be saved, or used to dodge it's attack. After a few uncomfortable moments, the boar made up it's mind and charged forward, surprised when Tyger jumped over it. 

 

"You're a boar. I don't expect you to understand. The only thing you have to worry about is finding a nice pig lady, settling down, having piglets and keeping these little idgits off your kin, right?"

 

Tyger shoved the tip of her scimitar into the ground and just glowered at the pig. 

 

"Rough life."

 

ID: 6766

• Rolled a 1 on the d10 (battle) dice
• Rolled a 4 on the d10 (mob) dice
• Rolled a 7 on the d12 (craft) dice
• Rolled a 15 on the d20 (loot) dice.

 

<<Tyger>> 9/9 Missed an attack

<<Boar 1>> 2/5 Missed an attack

[Tyger 0]

The boar was probably getting tired of how long the battle was taking, as was Tyger. She felt herself get into a defensive position. It was something she'd picked up from watching Baldur when he fought with her. It helped with her balance, as well as her center of gravity. When the boar got close, she yanked Tiger's Fang out of the ground and slashed at the boar, but the time it took to take it out of the ground was too much.

 

"Hnk!"

 

She wasn't sure where the sound effect came from, but it was painful to make, let alone need. The boar slammed into her stomach, and used the bounce back to back up, avoiding a second retaliation, as if Tyger was capable of such a thing. It only took her down one peg, but if she couldn't hit this boar in 8 turns, she was toast. It wasn't something she thought would truly be a problem, but this boar was from hell.

 

 

ID: 6766

• Rolled a 1 on the d10 (battle) dice
• Rolled a 6 on the d10 (mob) dice
• Rolled a 9 on the d12 (craft) dice
• Rolled a 7 on the d20 (loot) dice.

 

<<Tyger>> 8/9 Missed an attack

<<Boar 1>> 2/5 Hit Tyger for 1 dmg

[Tyger 0]

NOTE: I was level 3 when I started this fight, i'm going to pretend i'm still level 3 until I beat this stupid boar and then i'll go to level 4, as to not mess with anything. Plus I want the Col.//

 

Her inability to finish this fight was making her ridiculously mad. It was as if she'd left her frustrating circumstances of insomnia back at the Inn, only to get frustrated where she should have been feeling better! She hadn't felt this unlucky in her life. And of course, watching the boar only made it worse. The stupid creature almost seemed to be gloating. It's little beady eyes watched her every move, and it's maw was open to allow it to pant. They had been going at it for a while, now.

 

"You're just a stupid boar! What do you know? I do what I want!"

 

She snarled, charging forward with Tiger's Fang. Once again, another miss. Before she could come back with some witty retort, she had been knocked back on her butt from another headbutt from the boar. 

 

"First thing i'm eating when I get back to my body is bacon, you spiteful swine."

 

 

ID: 6769

Rolled a 3 on the d10 (battle) dice

Rolled a 8 on the d10 (mob) dice

Rolled a 5 on the d12 (craft) dice

Rolled a 13 on the d20 (loot) dice.

 

<<Tyger>> 7/9 Missed an attack

<<Boar 1>> 2/5 Hit Tyger for 1 dmg

[Tyger 0]

The boar couldn't be blamed for fighting for it's life. Despite the fact that it would merely respawn in a few minutes didn't necessarily matter. It was programmed to attack and defend itself. Tyger was programmed like that as well. As the beady eyed creature stared her down, eyes hesitant whenever she made a move, she knew that it was about to be finished. This fight had been silly, and sloppy. Tyger had hardly hit anything, and she wondered if that was something in her telling her to just go back to the Inn. The boar hadn't had much luck, though it had knocked Tyger on her butt a few times already.

 

"Thanks for teaching me something. I need to slow down and think sometimes, instead of charging headforward like a boar."

 

She paused. 

 

"Uh... no offense."

 

Tiger's Fang was prepped and ready, and it glew orange as she flew forward with a surge of energy, slicing the boar into two with her orange line. It exploded into the shimmering crystals, which slowly disappeared into the air. A small message popped up, congratulating her on her new level, which caused her to bite her bottom lip. Whoops. She didn't mean to level up, merely to come out and clear her head. These boars weren't worth much when it came to XP, but hopefully that meant Baldur wouldn't be far behind her.

 

 

 

ID: 6796

Rolled a 10 on the d10 (battle) dice

Rolled a 9 on the d10 (mob) dice

Rolled a 12 on the d12 (craft) dice

Rolled a 13 on the d20 (loot) dice.

 

<<Tyger>> 7/9 Hit Boar 1 for 5 dmg

<<Boar 1>> 0/5 

Dropped 1 mat, 25 Col

[Tyger 0]

ID: 6798

Rolled a 6 on the d10 (battle) dice

Rolled a 3 on the d10 (mob) dice

Rolled a 4 on the d12 (craft) dice

Rolled a 1 on the d20 (loot) dice.

 

 

Angry snarls captured Tyger's attention immediately as a large, tawny wolf crept behind her. It was scrawny, as they all were, and it's red name either meant Tyger had stepped into it's aggro zone, or it wandered over this way within it's programming, and snuck up on her. Maybe the boar was going to be it's meal, if this game worked that way. Wolves hunted at night sometimes, and with no players slaughtering all the wolves and boars at this hour, there wasn't much stopping them at this hour. She hadn't had much time to relax, so she'd have to be careful. Luckily, she leveled up so her HP had been reset.

 

"You're a bit aggressive, aren't you?"

 

The wolf replied with a jump, fangs glimmering in the moonlight as it attempted to snap it's jaws around something attached to her. Anything, really. The pattern was predictable enough, allowing Tyger to sidestep and avoid the attack completely. 

 

"I don't wanna fight, I wanna sleep now. Thanks."

 

The wolf still growled, so Tyger charged forward, slicing at the canine. A small cut, but damage none the less.

 

<<Tyger>> 11/11 Did 3 damage to Wolf 1

<<Wolf 1>> 3/6 Missed

[Tyger 0]

ID: 6799

Rolled a 1 on the d10 (battle) dice

Rolled a 1 on the d10 (mob) dice

Rolled a 9 on the d12 (craft) dice

Rolled a 14 on the d20 (loot) dice.

 

 

Together, locked in combat, the two circled around. Tyger had to be careful, she had thought this was the boar only zone, where they wouldn't attack unless provoked. However, she was out of that boundary. The last thing she wanted was to circle around, 'sharking' with this wolf as she'd nicknamed it, and then step into more aggro zones. As the wolf seemed a bit faster, it ran forward, using it's powerful back legs to jump once more. Tiger's Fang was up in a flash. Perhaps she could attack it 'just' right, and miss getting hurt. 

 

The sword slapped away the wolf, but it had hit with the side of the blade, doing no damage. Just her luck. The wolf let out a bit of a yelp as it hit the ground, landing somewhat awkwardly. It's head whipped around, fangs beared as it snarled at her. 

 

"Hey, don't look at me. You did that to yourself."

 

The wolf raised a paw up to avoid putting weight on it as it continued hobbling circles around the lone player. 

 

<<Tyger>> 11/11 Missed

<<Wolf 1>> 3/6 Missed

[Tyger 0]

She almost felt bad for the spawned wolf. They had locked their gazes together for the past few seconds, just staring the other down. It would growl occasionally, showing it's fangs and acting as aggressive and intimidating as possible. she could understand why. It was hurt, and there was something bigger and stronger than it watching. Tyger knew it would come after her, and since it was faster, that moment was going to happen soon. She fell into the defensive stance, Tiger's Fang in front of her to try and protect her from whatever the wolf dished out. 

 

The canine made up it's mind, snarling as it charged forward, jumping once more. It was a little off balance with only three legs, so Tyger dodged it easily. As soon as the creature landed, Tyger spun and dug her scimitar into the back of the hound, finishing it off quickly. Much quicker than the boar fight, thankfully. The wolf shattered into hundreds of pieces, rising into the air before it disappeared completely. A small box opened in front of her, like it had when she'd earned Tiger's Fang. She accepted the item. Anything to help out with this game was welcome.

 

ID: 6800

Rolled a 10 on the d10 (battle) dice

Rolled a 3 on the d10 (mob) dice

Rolled a 9 on the d12 (craft) dice

Rolled a 20 on the d20 (loot) dice.

 

 

<<Tyger>> 11/11 Hit wolf for 5 dmg

<<Wolf 1>> 0/6 Missed

 

Wolf dropped:

 

Name: Feline Grace

Type: Uncommon

Description: A simple, beaded necklace infused with a strange power. The outside beads are made of bone. The inner bead is made of Tiger's eye.

(+1 Evasion)

Type: Armor/Accessory

+1 mat

[Tyger 0]

The tip of Tiger's Fang sunk into the ground when Tyger shoved the blade nose down to have it stand there while she fiddled with her virtual menu. The item would definitely be useful, so the last thing she would do is leave it here. She'd almost forgotten her sword when she had her first battle. She'd gotten lucky, and must've accidentally pressed accept without realizing it. Otherwise, the drop would have stayed there until later, or maybe timed out? Either way, she was getting better at paying attention. 

 

This was also proved by the fact she heard the second wolf this time. Before the creature could sneak up on her and react, Tiger's Fang had been extracted from the ground, and Tyger had wheeled around, giving the wolf a quick slice. It yipped in surprise and snarled, gaping jowls snapping at her arm with the sword thrust. 

 

"Not today, wolfy."

 

She snapped back, listening to the 'click' of the wolf's teeth as the snapped together with nothing in between. A satisfying sound, indeed.

 

ID: 6831

Rolled a 6 on the d10 (battle) dice

Rolled a 4 on the d10 (mob) dice

Rolled a 2 on the d12 (craft) dice

Rolled a 8 on the d20 (loot) dice.

 

 

<<Tyger>> 11/11 Hit wolf for 3 dmg

<<Wolf 2>> 3/6 Missed

[Tyger 0]

The moon was still high, which meant that Tyger still had some time before she'd get too tired and have to trudge back to the Inn to go to sleep. That also gave Baldur some sleep, since she wouldn't be tossing and turning. Exhausting herself seemed like the best route to go, it was just a cherry on the top that she'd gained a level and was getting stronger. Lucky her, eh?

 

"Listen pup, I know you're programmed to be all ruthless and stuff, but you don't have to stay and fight. Just turn around and walk. You can't win them all. You on the, like, worst floor for winning a battle."

 

The wolf blinked, a sign of it's incomprehension, and snarled at her, tongue lolling out the side of his mouth in an angry pant. The wolf wouldn't listen to reason. so Tyger ran forward, slashing at the canine. It missed, but the retaliation from the wolf missed as well. A useless round, to be sure. 

 

"Apparently I only fight well when the Sun is out. Maybe i'm a Kryptonian."

 

She spoke, amused with her witty reference.

 

ID: 6835

Rolled a 5 on the d10 (battle) dice

Rolled a 3 on the d10 (mob) dice

Rolled a 4 on the d12 (craft) dice

Rolled a 5 on the d20 (loot) dice.

 

<<Tyger>> 11/11 Missed

<<Wolf 2>> 3/6 Missed

[Tyger 0]

The wolf wasn't about to listen to any more of Tyger's banter. It was tired, hungry and for some reason, confined to this particular area on this floor. If you couldn't go around and explore, you'd be cranky too. Tyger picked up on the heightened aggression quickly, and got into an offensive stance. Frilled lizards on Earth made themselves look bigger to scare predators away from making them a tasty snack. Size was power, so all she had to do was intimidate the wolf enough to finish it off before it tried to do any real damage. 

 

"Yah!"

 

She yelled, Tiger's Fang swinging in a wide arc around her head. The wolf cocked it's head to the side, confused and surprised by the maneuver. Tyger took advantage of the distraction, jumping forward to dig the tip of her scimitar into the chest of the wolf, causing it to explode easily. The shards disappeared, leaving Tyger alone once more in the fields. Casting a quick glance over her shoulder, Tyger made her way back to the tamer, non-aggressive parts of the first floor, as to not get into a pickle by herself.

 

 

ID: 6836

Rolled a 6 on the d10 (battle) dice

Rolled a 10 on the d10 (mob) dice

Rolled a 1 on the d12 (craft) dice

Rolled a 4 on the d20 (loot) dice.

 

<<Tyger>> 11/11 Hit Wolf 2 for 3 dmg

<<Wolf 2>> 0/6 No chance to attack (Drops 1 mat)

[Tyger 0]

"You know, child... If you're this frustrated, you could put that frustration to good use."

 

A shrill voice graced Tyger's ears when she walked into the neutral zone. She didn't remember seeing any players a few minutes ago, so when she whirled around quickly, Tiger's Fang was already in her hands. Instead of seeing someone aggressive, it was an NPC. She seemed like an older lady, so Tyger wasn't as aggressive. She stuck her sword into the ground, having it stand up beside her while she began to speak with the woman.

 

"Hmm? How so? I figured the most productive thing I could do would be to just come out here and fight mobs."

 

It sure helped her insomnia. 

 

"That may be true, but what does that get you? Experience. Just that. But what if you could make items, or something more?"

 

The lady had a point.

 

"Fair enough. What did you have in mind?"

[Tyger 0]

"You went earlier to see some of the shops. Anyone can own one, ya know. Instead of coming out here every night, defeating monsters that only make you a bit stronger, you could be making blades for you, and not necessarily, uh, what's the word... outlevel your man? Besides. How different is a sword from a hammer, anyways? You've proved you know how to use that sword already. I feel like I don't need to show you how to use one."

 

This woman definitely had a point. Guilt had been eating at her since she'd outleveled Baldur. 

 

"I have been thinking that i'd like to make somewhat of a difference if I could. Perhaps making items would be the best thing!"

 

The old woman NPC pointed a wobbly cane at Tyger's bag at her side. 

 

"Looks like between the mobs tonight, and whatever you've done already, you have enough mats to get started. I say you open up a shop. Give it a witty name, and make armor for those in the town, and whoever else might wander in. If you want to make such a difference, that is. The quest is here. You're a little late getting started, but I think you'll put it to good use. Just meet the required mat level, which you should already have. Use a Boar Tusk and a Silver Ore."

 

Her words struck Tyger, and the girl nodded, giving a slight bow to the older woman. Her finger searched the menu until she found the accept quest button, seeing her mat count meet the requirements.

 

"The mobs did drop a few mats! I could totally open a shop and get started!"

 

In her excitement, Tyger had forgotten to ask the woman her name. But, when she turned to face her again, the NPC was gone. Humph, crazy old lady indeed. But, helpful.

[Tyger 0]

When Tyger arrived back in the Town of Beginnings (which wasn't a far walk considering she'd trekked pretty far before she met the NPC) there was the little icon showing where to turn in her things. An empty shop, actually. It was a bit past the Inn she and Baldur slept in, but perhaps they could sleep in the shop when it was closed for the night? At least while they were in the first floor. The empty shop was dark, but when she approached, a menu came up.

 

Which profession would you like to take?

 

The list was long, and ranged from tailoring to alchemists, even performers. Tyger did a little performing when she was in high school, and even had the leads in a few plays. But, she wasn't much of a solo singer. She was much better in a group, so that was out. The older woman had suggested becoming a Smith. When she thought about it, it definitely made sense. Tomorrow she could show Baldur everything she did tonight, and then they could go out and search for ores and what not, and maybe even make a sword or two! Wouldn't that be something, eh?

[Tyger 0]

Her finger pressed the Blacksmith icon, and the quest had been completed. The shop door unlocked, and opened slightly, allowing Tyger to step inside and explore her new shop. A menu bar came up, giving her all the instructions and parameters for creating items, and using mats. She'd have to hunker down and read it. At this rate, she wouldn't be getting any sleep, would she? There were a few tables scattered here and there, and the inside of the building had changed to form a Smithery. In the doorway leading to the forge, there was a little sign that read 'forge.' There were stairs to lead upstairs, where she could keep extra things she'd made to sell, or even sleep up there. There were a few papers, so she formed up an order list, and went into the back.

 

She'd keep her mats here, just in case anything happened on the field and she'd lost them. Or, was there a maximum item count? If she kept too many mats on her, she'd end up missing out on some if she didn't empty it out occasionally. And, she couldn't transfer the drops to Baldur, which equally sucked. So, mats stayed here. Check.

 

"Damn, i've got a lot of work to do, eh?"

 

She grinned. A figure was outside the door, with a few pieces of equipment. With a closer inspection, it turned out to be the older lady. 

 

"I wouldn't be a good quest giver if I hadn't given you these, eh? Come here, and i'll show you."

 

There were a few supplies, and Tyger smiled. 

 

"This'll come in handy. Thank you!"

 

The older woman walked into Tyger's new shop, and let the forge. Combining the boars tusk, as well as the silver ore, was enough to create a dagger of shining silver. The woman knew what she was doing!

 

"Be careful. If you hit the hammer too hard, you'll weaken your item. It'll become brittle when it cools, and will snap at the first sign of combat. But, i've got faith in you."

 

Tyger watched the woman with interest, and she put the bag of supplies on the table. 

 

"Thank you again!"

 

The young girl was almost exploding with excitement. She couldn't wait to get started!