Living La Vida Sarutabaruta

I finally made it to the big 1-0! Yay! Level 10! Evasion Boost!

Coeurl >> Fear me Sarutabaruta, here I come!!!

3 yagudos gangs up on Coeurl
Coeurl is defeated by her inflated ego

...at least I had time to kill more monsters before that unfortunate miscalculation, so I didn't fall back down a level. But back out I went, and following the advice of my new linkshell friends, I targetted bees, crawlers, mandragoras and yagudos around Starfall Hillock in West Sarutabaruta. They told me of some people in town that constantly needed items from those monsters (except for bees, since they are pure profit.) Those people are:

• Illu Bohjaa, who needed Crawler Calculi as proof of exterminating the vermins eating her dhalmels' food supplies;
• Yoran-Oran, who's studying the phenomenon of mandragora migration from Kazham to Sarutabaruta;
• Nanaa Mihgo, who's collecting *LOTS* of Yagudo Necklaces for some odd reason.

So I was running around, picking my fights more carefully, making a killing in supplying wind crystals, beehive chips and silk threads to crafters, while making my name a bit more well known in Windurst. ...I know, Mihgo isn't the type of spreading the word in that nation, but my fellow guildmates told me she's quite influential in Norg, wherever that is, and that I should get started with getting known there ASAP. Anyways, all went well, and I was starting to believe I could do that with one hand in the back and blindfolded. With that in mind, I thought it'd be fun to charge that next crawler with my eyes closed, just for kicks.

So I closed my eyes, ran up to its position using the icky noises to tell where it was, swung at it... missed... but heard the tell-tale sound of a crawler dying.

Galkator defeats the Crawler

I opened my eyes, and there was a massive Galka gathering the loot from my crawler. ...*MY* crawler!!!

Coeurl >> HEY!!!
Coeurl >> I was clearly going to fight that crawler!
Galkator >> Tough luck, I was going to fight it too.
Galkator >> I just happened to get to it first.

Coeurl examines Galkator
Coeurl realizes Galkator is a L67 Monk

Coeurl >> Couldn't you go kill tougher crawlers elsewhere?
Galkator >> Yah, I sure could...
Galkator >> But I'm here right now, ain't I?
Galkator >> Besides, I'm trying to get some Windurst fame.
Coeurl >> How? By going overkill on defenseless creatures?
Galkator >> Hey. Those people only care about results.
Galkator >> Whether I'm L75 or L1 doesn't matter to them.

Coeurl fumes in front of Galkator

Coeurl >> I'm trying to make a living here!!!
Coeurl >> Can't you respect that at least?!?
Galkator >> ...You're weird...
Galkator >> You can always go to Eastern Sarutabaruta.
Galkator >> If I'm here, that means I'm not over there.

Coeurl fumes some more in front of Galkator
Coeurl motions angrily at Galkator

Coeurl >> STAY OFF MY TURF!!!
Galkator >> Listen lady, you can either argue or do something about it.
Galkator >> And judging from your gear,
Galkator >> you're in no position to push me around.
Galkator >> So why don't you try... I don't know...
Galkator >> ...go farm elsewhere? Ain't that a nifty concept?

Coeurl fumes so much steam's coming out of her Leather Vest

Ok... ok... let's play his game then. Time to farm like I never farmed before. I spot a bee, draw my knife, run towards it...

Galkator uses Chi Blast
Galkator defeats the Giant Bee

Coeurl >> Hey!!!
Galkator >> You have to be faster than that.

...Great... At least he used up that ability, hopefully it's cooling down, like my Steal ability. So I see another crawler. I run again towards it...

Galkator uses Provoke
Galkator whoops the Crawler's squishy innards
Galkator defeats the Crawler

Coeurl >> WHAT THE?!?
Galkator >> You may want to reconsider your options.

It was a struggle defending my ground, I kept running around, and he would follow me wherever I went, striking down as often as possible the monsters I tried to claim before he did. I only got to two bees and a mandragora in 10 minutes. I tried getting to a Carrion Crow, thinking he wouldn't take it down as all it offered was measely bird feathers, his signet being useless in this region... Nah, he wanted me out for sure. In all that while, we could have farmed each our separate ways in the same region, only if he did have a bit of respect for my inability to attack targets from a distance...

And that's when I realized something... Something Kuppipi told me as I pondered my choice of starting jobs...

...I can use bows and arrows.

So I made it back to town, unloaded my goods, loaded on a bow and three stacks of arrows, and made it back to compete against Galkator. First thing I did was wait until he started running towards a Yagudo, I unloaded a shot. The power of my crystal shard kicked it, and he was unable to lay a finger on it. I proceeded to kick the yag's ass (as much as a L10 Thief can), and laughed out loud after my achievement.

Galkator >> Hehehe, nice job outclaiming me...
Galkator >> but what will you do about them?

Galkator points at the Yagudo Acolyte
Galkator points at the Yagudo Scribe

Coeurl >> Oh shi...

I was about to get my ass handed to me, but as I tried to duck the initial blows from the Yagudo Initiate's buddies, I felt a wave of energy zoom past me.

Galkator uses Chi Blast
Galkator Defeats the Yagudo Scribe

Galkator >> That should even the odds
Coeurl >> ...Thank you... ...but why?
Galkator >> I did say I was farming here, remember?

Galkator smiles warmly at Coeurl

I kinda froze at this unexpected turn of events, as I thought I had figured him out as an arrogant prick at first. But instead, in retrospect, I realized I was the one with a less-than-stellar attitude. It's not like I own any piece of land outside of Windurst. Heck, the only place I can really call 'mine' is my Mog House.

Galkator >> ...you might want to take on the Yagudo you claimed...

Indeed, from my spacing out, I didn't realize outright I was still under assault from the Acolyte, and Galkator was unable to do anything since it was bound to me through my crystal shard. I came close to falling under those blows and spells, but thankfully a Yagudo's Poison doesn't last forever. So I completed my day of farming using my bow and arrows, much to my delight (and plight, I kept missing the wide side of a crawler!) Sure, Galkator was still stiff competition, but I didn't mind it as much anymore.