SP - F3 Earning a Living: Restocking the Store #2

[Mari 1]

ID: 12285  LD:16
Materials: 1

 

Mari had hastily gone on a hunt for materials yesterday; and she was somewhat successful, obtaining three full days worth of materials. However, she didn't want to stop there. With a proposed week till the boss fight, 3 days would not be enough - Mari wanted to go hunting to obtain as many as possible. 

So there she found herself; on the outskirts of the forest on the third floor. A forest filled with screams of terror -guarded by beasts of myth. There she was; picking mushrooms for her concoctions and brews; aiming to be twice as successful this time, as she was last time. 

 

[Mari 1]

ID: 12289  LD: 9
Materials: 1

 

Mari pocketed the mushrooms and stood, dusting off her hands. She had enough of them for now. But her brown satchel that sat casually at her side, was nowhere near full. It had a long, long way to go, and with only 1 material under her figurative belt, she felt she had a very long way to go. The most she had managed to successfully collect during one of her material gathering missions, without the quest bonus was 12. She hoped to beat that record today. Then, whatever that bonus would be; would just be icing on top of her proverbial cake.

[Mari 1]

ID:12290  LD: 7
Materials: 1

 

Mari seemed to be in a much better mood today than she was yesterday. Well, as good as her moods could get. she didn't seem as frustrated with collecting materials as she was earlier. Perhaps because this time she knew, that no matter what; she had a reasonable surplus in her store; and was able to to craft for a few days before it became dire. 

Mari was able to enjoy the scenery of the forest; and the brisk air; even the warbled screams from the misty depths was oddly calming to her. She continued to walk through the forest; toward her first destination that was marked on the map.

[Mari 1]

ID:12294 LD: 7
Materials: 1

 

The first location on the map, was actually the second place she had visited. It was closer to the outskirts of the forest. The clearing with the strange red flowers - and the butterflies. Mari found it easily enough, but as she neared the clearing she noticed two things; one, there were no butterflies in sight; and two, the flowers were not in bloom. Mari checked the time. It was well before noon, the last time she had seen the flowers; it was late afternoon. Perhaps they only bloomed at a certain time? Mari turned away from there with a sigh. She'd come back to the clearing later.

[Mari 1]

ID:12295 LD: 1
Materials: 1

 

The next location she had marked on her map was the large tree oozing sap. Now Mari, had plenty of this sap. She hadn't used any of it during her last crafting session, instead opting to experiment with the flowers she had found, but it was always a useful thing to have a surplus of. With both Kosan and Kiru purchasing Calming Honey, and Locke having a love and hate relationship with it; she figured it would be best to craft up a surplus of them. Mari nearly tripped as she stepped over a fallen log. Making her way to the tree.

[Mari 1]

ID:12304 LD: 1
Materials: 1

 

The tree, was in its usual spot; standing tall and proud amongst the thinner, smaller trees. However - this too seemed to have an issue which would stop Mari from harvesting any materials from it.Bees. Hundreds of them. Swarmed at the tree. Mari tilted her head, that was odd...bees went for honey right? Not sap - unless they were something else, wasps maybe? Some other made up specials to suit the realm that was SAO?

"dammit...." Mari muttered under her breath as she passed the tree at a safe distance; she would have to come back to it later too.

[Mari 1]

ID:12305  LD: 11
Materials: 1

With both the meadow like clearing and the tree out for the count, Mari had to decide where to go next. She continued deeper into the forest. She could visit the nearby river and pick up some fresh water, she used that as a base in nearly everything. With a small shrug of her shoulders Mari veered to the left; toward the stream. 

[Mari 1]

ID:12306  LD: 7
Materials: 1

 

Mari found the stream after a mere five minutes of walking. The stream ran through the centre of the forest, and spiked out into little pools here and there; Mari just so happened to come across one of those small, circular pools. Mari pulled her satchel off, and placed it on the riverbank. Followed by her black, heeled boots before she stepped into the water. The water was cool, but the morning sun was warm against her back, so it was a pleasant sensation. "Right; how hard could collecting clear water be..." Mari asked herself.

[Mari 1]

ID:12308  LD: 3
Materials: 1

 

Turns out, it was harder than Mari assumed. Mari pulled out a beaker, but before she could even start collecting water she had dropped it; and it smashed as it hit the waters surface. It's glassy fragments disintegrating into hexagonal data. Mari took in a breath, exhaling with a heavy sigh. What a pain, what's worse is that she had no one to blame but herself, and her own, slippery fingers.

[Mari 1]

ID:12311  LD: 15
Materials: 2

 

Mari tried a second time, grabbing another beaker; and scooping up water into it. She went to sit on the riverbank, as she pulled out a small water filter, and placed it over the top of the beaker, sealing it with a rubber band. "Right, almost done." She grabbed another beaker and tipped the full one upside down over the empty, and watched as the water slowly dripped into the second one. Casually allowing her legs to kick back and forth till it was finished and she was left with pristine water. "See, not so hard." Mari told herself.

[Mari 1]

ID:12390  LD: 1
Materials: 2

 

Mari gave a somewhat content sigh as she sat on the riverside. Casually letting her tired, sore legs soak in the water. Mari would stay here; like this, just for a moment. She had a long way to go material wise; but for once she was not in any sort of rush. "Too bad I can't shake myself of these nightmares; else this might actually be calm" Mari muttered bitterly.

[Mari 1]

ID:12391  LD: 7
Materials: 2

 

Mari yawned, as she pulled her feet out of the water. She then shifted to a sun spot, allowing her legs to dry out in the sun. There was no way Mari was going to be putting wet feet into her black, leathery boots. That simply spelled disaster. A stinky, uncomfortable disaster. Mari pursed her lips, as she debated her next move; and what other materials she would need.

[Mari 1]

ID: 12392  LD: 19
Materials: 3

 

Once her feet were dry Mari equipped her boots back on, and was ready to leave; but something caught her attention, from the corner of her eye. Mari noticed a strange; luminescent weed growing in the shallows of the pool of water; Mari dipped her hand in and pulled it out. It was silken to the touch, and oddly; as she pulled it out of the water she found that it was almost water proof. Beads of water slid right off it. Mari placed it into her satchel before draping the satchel over her shoulder.

[Mari 1]

ID:12393 LD: 2
Materials: 3

 

Mari stood, dusted herself off and continued on her way, casually walking alongside the river. If Mari kept heading due East - she would eventually hit the cave she used to reside in. Mari wondered if the entrance was still in tact, she did recall destroying one of her previous caves, but couldn't exactly remember which.

[Mari 1]

ID: 12394  LD: 17
Materials: 4

 

Mari, who was walking along the riverside stopped at a fork; should she continue to follow the river due East? Or shift her direction and go North East, a path Mari had yet to take. Mari decided to go and explore the unknown; it was better than nothing. She shifted; and started travelling a new direction; pausing briefly to collect a pale blue flower that was growing on the riverbank. She placed it in her satchel.

[Mari 1]

ID: 12395   LD: 4
Materials: 4

 

As she delved deeper into the forest Mari noticed that the mist that was ever present began to grow thicker, Mari scrunched her nose. She was thankful she had night vision; soon it'd probably activate, and her vision would be less obstructed. "More mist means less players, less players means more interesting gathering options..." Mari mused.

[Mari 1]

ID: 12396   LD: 13
Materials: 4

 

And, just as she had assumed; Mari's vision flickered; before her Night Vision seemed to automatically kick in. She was travelling in the thickect of a blanket of clouded fog; mists that carried with them the warbled scenic screams of forgotten souls. Mari didn't pay any of that much mind, she was here to collect materials, and those sounds, that eeriee yet breathtaking sight of a forest shrouded in mist, it was all just a distraction.

[Mari 1]

ID:12397   LD: 8
Materials: 4

 

Mari had wandered into a field of blue flowers; and she had to pause; she wrinkled her nose at the odd scent that came from them. Her eyes began to feel heavy, as did her body. Mari realized what was going on, and quickly pulled out a bottle of water, wetting a scrap of material she had and wrapped it around her nose and face. The scent from the flowers was pulling her into a sleepy state. But she was quick enough to ensure she wouldn't pass out here.

[Mari 1]

ID:12398   LD: 4
Materials: 4

 

"What the hell kind of flower is this?" Mari asked herself, voice muffled by the makeshift mask she wore. She bent down to lightly brush a finger over it. It was soft to the touch,  and it had no visible residue on it's surface. Mari squinted, she noticed something else... Mari waved her hands, dispersing the mist that sat on the forest floor, and widened her eyes at what she saw.

[Mari 1]

ID:  12399   LD: 5
Materials: 4

 

The floor was littered with animals; tiny animals. All seemingly dead and in different levels of decay. With thin tendrils of green wrapped around them. So That was the type of flower this was. It seemed as though it lulled unsuspecting creatures into some sort of sleep; only to wrap its vines around them and somehow feed off them. "Gross..."