Morningstar

7.23.2023 | IDENTIFICATION JUNK SALE

Morningstar's return to Cintamani was swift. Only a few days after his battle with the Forgotten Time King, he found himself in need of more damage potions. He looked at his message from Freyd, considering if there was anything else worth picking up while he was in the area. Overhealth could come in handy, he thought, and since he was all out of his own stock he decided to buy a few potions from Bistro. "Hey there," he said, picking out the items. He paid with materials this time; saving col was at the forefront of his mind and he had an excess of materials that he had no intention on usi

Faux was quite the character. The way he spoke was almost cartoon-like. He seemed like a good guy. Morningstar graciously accepted one of the apples and took a bite out of it. It was not too soft but not too crunchy either. It was just the way he liked them. "Hmm," he muttered, swallowing, "Lucky find, huh?" His prodigious new comrade was learning quickly and Morningstar was excited to see him attempt the same move that Raidou had used. He had been watching them fight, clearly. He met the brunette's eyes for a moment and thought they had read each other's minds. "A couple of new items and

ITEM IDENTIFICATION 7/22/2023

7.22.2023 | IDENTIFICATION

Faux quickly got the hang of things. His strike was accurate and quick, dealing enough damage to cripple the poor beast. Intent on finishing it off for them, he stepped towards it, both hands gripping the hilt of his sword. Then, from out of nowhere, Raidou reappeared, brandishing his bag of apples. "That works," Morningstar said, putting his greatsword away. The warg was gone in a flash, remembered only by the loot that the tank received for slaying it. He nodded at Raidou's comment. Faux had done surprisingly well for being so new to fighting. There was always room for improvement,

Morningstar shifted in his seat. It was clear to him now that he was not in the same class as the rest of the front liners that surrounded him. They guessed and offered theories of the meaning behind the symbols and diagrams and he found himself at a loss for words. The things that they said made some sense, yet he had nothing of value to add. They spoke of items as well; he did not have many of those to offer either. He did not speak, instead opting to listen to the words of those with experience. What he gathered was that knowing for certain what would unfold within the boss room was im

"Nah, don't worry about it. I'm supposed to be helping you out," he laughed. Morningstar appreciated Faux's offer to help pay for their steeds. He deemed him a respectable guy. Chivalrous, even. However, the blonde could not accept his money; he doubted the man had much to offer and did not intend to rob him. Instead, he gave him a pat on the shoulder and turned to lead the crew to the stables. Raidou surprised him. He gave him a look of obvious confusion, then looked at Faux. It was probably best not to question the tank's words, although he found it unlikely that they would stray f

the end MORNINGSTAR + 6,837 xp | ((4593/10)*4*1)+5,000 + 25,400 col | 15,000+10,000+400 + <<Forgotten King's Authority>> + 2 materials + 1 Perfect Armor + 1 Perfect Weapon + 1 Envious Betrayal | MIT 2 | Thorns | T3 Perfect Heavy Armor ID: 213612 LD: 7+5 = 12

Morningstar opened the letter carefully, half expecting it to explode in his face and destroy the entire city of Tomoika. It did not, thankfully. It read quite formally and offered few details. He had never heard of the three guilds listed. Not that he knew many guilds, to be fair, aside from the old legends. He wondered about their strength and player count. Would this meeting be grandiose or rather small? How many other solo players had been invited? Would there be anyone he knew? Willow would be there.

“Why me?” “I dunno. I’m just the messenger,” Willow smirked, handing him a written letter. It was the second handwritten message he had received in his time in Aincrad, which was strange considering there was a built in messaging system. The two added each other to their friends lists and spoke briefly about a variety of meaningless things. Talking about them together made them feel a bit less meaningless. He held onto the letter for the entire duration of their chat, although he was tempted to open it right then and there. “You took on that quest? Alone? Seriously?” Willow trie

He took a seat on a bench overlooking a large portion of the city. It was oddly calm for a place so busy. He was unsure whether or not he liked it. It was unlike other settlements he frequented. Everything was so… dirty. Smoky, too. Just as he was about to whip open his journal and jot down an entry, he felt the presence of another sit down next to him. Her hair was an unforgettable crimson. He stared at her, confused. She looked over the edge, her hands folded in her lap. "Nice view, huh?” The woman’s voice was warm, like hot cocoa. “Best in the city,” Morningstar replied, with

The walk back through the caverns was too much for him at this point. Instead, Morningstar opted for a teleport crystal that he had been holding onto. He could always buy another, he decided, and he was technically near death. It seemed valid to activate. “Teleport, Tomoika,” he muttered, utterly exhausted. He rematerialized in a town he rarely visited. Immediately, he could feel his body start to regenerate. First, his scrapes and cuts disappeared. Then, his chest wound and eye followed suit. Seeing out of both eyes again felt like heaven. “Thank god that wasn’t permanent,” he

Over his head, a prompt appeared. It congratulated him for defeating his opponent, the Forgotten Time King, and announced that he had received a skill as a reward. Forgotten King’s Authority. All he could do was stare at the translucent system window. The duel had taken a lot out of him, more than ever before. His health bar read three hundred and thirty-eight. Forty-two percent of his max health points. He had come close to death for the first time in a very long while. He exhaled, realizing that he had been holding his breath, and swiped open his menu. He scrolled through his friends list in

Slowly, he lifted his blade. The Forgotten Time King raised his head to meet his killer’s gaze. Then, the Lightbringer brought down justice upon him, turning him to a flurry of cobalt. The old king was dead. He turned to Lexa, softening as he fixed his gaze on her smiling face. He hobbled towards her one injured step at a time. Before he could get close enough to touch her, he dropped to the ground. She was gone. He no longer wept for her, for his tears had run dry. He rolled onto his back, staring up at where she once was. Then, he apologized out loud. “I’m sorry, Lex. I wish

“Keep going, Stephen,” she called. He jumped at the sound. It had not occurred to him that he was forgetting her voice. The three words were all it took to bring it back. His sword arced low, illuminating the room with its golden glow, and took off the king's arm. He groaned in agony at the loss. Once more, Morningstar had caused him to kneel. This time, however, he would not stand again. The duel had reached its finale, both sides inflicted with serious injuries. He kept his remaining eye trained on the Forgotten Time King, taking in the moment that would be his opponent’s last. Wi

The blurry image of Lexa remained in the distance, watching him as he fought to stand, ignoring the damage he had taken and brandishing his sword once more. He struck the king once, his energy reaching rock bottom. Then, he did it a second time. The weaponless king was powerless now. Attempts at throwing punches were made but they all ended in failure. Morningstar would sidestep each jab, countering with a shallow stab. He hoped that Lexa did not hate him if that was something she was still capable of. He had failed her and it had cost her the rest of her life. She was deserving of s

He smiled. Perfection. It was unexplainable; how could she always be glowing? Even in a place as dark and decrepit as the Grand Necropolis, she was stunning. A hand reached out to him and he desperately wanted to take hold of it. But she was out of reach—he was pinned down by the golden spear of the king, he could not go to her. It was cruel. “I’m so sorry,” he told Lexa, a stream of tears running along his cheek. The guilt had never gone away—not really. He doubted it ever would, no matter how many times he bathed in the oceans of the Twenty-Fourth Floor. He could not save Lexa

Confused by the sudden darkness, he stumbled about. His remaining eye watched up at the giant king, who approached slowly, a villainous grin upon his twisted face. He felt the spot where his left eye once was. Would it heal? Was this blindness permanent? He had never encountered an injury like this before. His heart was on the verge of exploding from the consternation. He swung his sword belligerently, grazing the Forgotten Time King. Not even a flinch. Then, in a single swooping motion, the king impaled Morningstar with his spear. His screams bounced from wall to wall but were limit

Morningstar twisted his blade and the Forgotten Time King screamed a concoction of agony and animosity. He ripped his sword from the belly of his opponent and dodged a flurry of quick jabs from the king’s spear. He was fatigued but stayed firm on his feet. The king’s movements slowed by a significant amount. The blow to his stomach had an effect on him, despite his ancient, undying body. The king cried out. His roar was draught by fury, inextinguishable but for the death of his enemy. The swordsman was shocked by his power despite the damage he had taken. He had found himself a fearsome o

His muscle memory kicked in and a sword art bloomed green from the hilt to the tip of his blade. He lunged, stabbing the giant through the gut. Red pixels formed around the entry wound. They both stood still, breathing heavily. The longer the fight dragged out, the more disadvantageous it became for Morningstar, who was already much smaller and weaker than the Forgotten Time King. His arms ached. His mind screamed. The wounds he had received wept pixelated streams of red. His health bar began to dwindle; five hundred and twenty-four hit points remained. He thought of Joaquin and of how he

Don’t die out there, big man. Need ya. He almost let out a laugh, recalling Joaquin’s message. How many times had he heard him say that exact string of words before? A whisper escaped him, directed not at the Forgotten Time King but at Joaquin, who would hear none of it. “I’ll try my best, brother.” The king jolted at Morningstar, his spear missing its mark and sticking into the stone floor. The blonde used this as an opportunity to move closer. He flanked from the left, dragging his hefty sword behind him, and swung with a grunt. Three of the king’s fingers fell to the floor, c

Shimmering gold enveloped his blade as he activated a sword art. He dashed, gritting his teeth as they traded blows once more. The Forgotten Time King slammed into the same shoulder as before, interrupting his attack, but the Lightbringer countered with a fearsome blow to his leg. His slash forced the king to kneel, although it took mere seconds for him to regain his strength and return to the duel. He twirled the great spear, sweeping an incredible distance in front of himself. Morningstar’s eyes grew wide. He was out of position. There was no possible way for him to dodge the incoming

Those were the final words they shared before clashing. Morningstar initiated, despite his immediate disadvantages. Quickly, he closed the gap between them, conserving as much energy as possible and striking the king with a heavy blow from his greatsword. He toppled back from the force; however, the attack was no real threat to the Betrayer. He found his ground, sturdy once more, and retaliated with a dozen quick stabs. Morningstar weaved through them, weary from his journey but still speedy enough to duck and dodge the tip of the king’s spear. The last strike moved at a greater quickness

the lightbringer vs the forgotten time king “Who… approaches?” The Forgotten Time King paused between words, a subtle rasp to his voice. “What is thy business… with this place?” Morningstar lacked a response. Without a thought, the Royal Greatsword on his back was drawn. The king lifted himself from his place of rest and, upon seeing who faced him, a sound of admiration rose from his withered tongue. “Ah, an adversary? A challenger?” He was tall, the Forgotten Time King. He stood at a whopping eight feet or perhaps more and held a great spear of incredible length. It was a