Omen

Their attacks came one after the other, and without mercy. He could feel the heat emanating from their jagged maws as they lunged at him, a mess of fire and slobbering fangs. He blocked them, one after another. One hit. Another hit too hard. A third didn't hit at all. Omen cursed. This again? Urged on by Circe's call to push the offensive, Omen lashed out with his axe. One died, exploding into a cloud of azure fractals. Another he hit solid, dropping it to death's door. A third he missed. Omen cursed. This again. He was more shocked with how much his HP had dropped. But if Omen was worri

Omen knew areas like this well. Or at least, areas drenched in similar levels of poverty and desperation. He had grown up in a place not much unlike it. Omen had left it at the very first opportunity. Some people couldn't. And for the fictional residents of the 26th Floor, Omen doubted it would be as easy as packing up and leaving. Circe seemed to be just as on edge as he was. "Yes," he agreed. "Let's not waste time." Their search for quests and challenges had taken them here, but Omen couldn't help but think that anything this high up in floors would be hitting well beyond their pa

Omen nodded. Under logs or rocks. Someplace damp. He compartmentalized this new knowledge and set his sights on the woods surrounding the lake. Particularly, the dark and shaded part of the forest that led to the foot of the mountain. Without a word, Omen marched towards that area. That, he thought, is where the salamander will be found. It took them a few minutes to get there, and their walk around the lake was a rather scenic one. Omen could see himself purchasing a house nearby. It was definitely one of the nicer places to think about settling on. He couldn't imagine being stuck in a

"Then there's no need to delay." Omen's eyes turned to Inferno Cavern, and the challenges ahead of them. "Let's go." Inferno Cavern was somehow different, yet completely unchanged. The heat ticked away at their health bars, and everything in the cavern was dark and pulsing red. It would not be correct to say that they stumbled upon the Hellhounds -- no, the Hellhounds found them. They were bigger, and much meaner looking, much different than the wimpy little pups they had been in the last quest. He had no doubt that they would have a much easier time finding their marks, when it came to

accepting

accepting.

x3 T3 Immolation Potions -> 2,700 Col to Banker x1 Water Canister -> 400 Col to Banker

Omen came back the next day. After some more research, it was clear to him that just one Antidote wasn't going to cut it. If they were going to undertake the Gatekeeper of Fire, the burn inflicted by both the Hellhounds and Cerberus was a serious issue that he'd need to address, if he wanted to get through it alive. What's more is that if he couldn't get through it alive, that almost certainly meant Circe wouldn't make it out either. It wasn't just a selfish reason, either. He came back and was a bit quicker this time. Same simple nod by way of greeting, same silent payment, same quiet d

"I understand," Omen replied. He didn't understand. He didn't think that Oz's answers were the good excuses he thought they were. It sounded like Oz was content to take whatever life throwed at him lying down. A quitter's mentality. Wasn't there also some hypocrisy, there? Oz had (somehow) been buffing their party members with his smoke. Was that not being useful? But Omen didn't push it. He let the conversation rest, and let Oz get back to smoking. The women were making short work of the Forgotten Time King. Things were going well. And although he couldn't join them now, he was sure to help t

Omen pushed through the door and entered the bar. He'd heard rumors of an alchemist who seemed quite active when it came to replenishing his stock. It came as a great surprise to see that it was none other than Oz working the counter. He nodded a simple greeting. The "potions" seemed to all be different types of liquor. That, at least, wasn't surprising. It was both a blessing and a curse that you couldn't get drunk in SAO. Omen collected a good deal of stock to help him and Circe along on their journeys, transferred the money, and would exit as quietly as he came. Or at least as quietly

A fishing contest on the 22nd Floor was not how Omen had expected to spend his day. But apparently there was a terrible monster to be fought, and so he had signed both him and Circe up. They were here for the hunt, not the sport, and that was reflected in Omen's battle attire. As was the norm, he dished out the required consumables for the task at hand. "The King of Lakes," Omen rumbled, "is a giant, stupid fish. With legs. We're here to kill it." That was it. He didn't elaborate further. There was no plan. They didn't need one. The task was simple enough, the mechanics were easy e

"The plan is the same," Omen rumbled. They were back in front of Inferno Cavern, and their task was clear: they'd be clearing out Cerberus and its brood a second time. They'd carefully done the first part of Into the Fire a while back, when they were at a much lower level. It had taken them a while, but they had made it through. Now they were stronger... but so was the second part of the quest, Gatekeeper of Fire. "But it will be much more dangerous." He handed Circe her share of consumables and worked his way through his own. Unfortunately, it wasn't as easy as clicking a but

<<THREAD SUMMARY>> Omen Receives: Omen | [Word Count: 7601/10 = 760.1] * [True Tier: 1] * [Group Factor: 0.7] = 532 + 1000 (Quest Reward) = 1,532*2 (Recruitment Drive) = 3,064 EXP 400 Col (page rewards) + 3,400 Col = 3,800 Col Cerberus Soul And also this stuff: Circe Receives: [Word Count: 7601/10 = 760.1] * [True Tier: 1] * [Group Factor: 0.7] = 532 + 1000 (Quest Reward) = 1,532*2 (Recruitment Drive) = 3,064 EXP Cerberus Soul 16 Materials 400 Col (page rewards) + 3,400 Col = 3,800 Col

Circe's attack landed. She didn't have the Energy left for a Sword Art, so the attack didn't do much. But it did put it in range for Omen to kill it, whether it be by attack or Thorns. It didn't take long for Omen to decide what it would be. Push the offensive. Omen ditched the shield and charged. Cerberus snarled, startled by the sudden approach. In the end, it was no different than your average dog. Except this one had spit fire and had magma in its gut. Omen swung the simple axe and buried it in the chest of the beast, dug his feet in, and then pushed it even further. Cerberus's

"That's fine," Omen barked back. There was something about fighting a mob bigger than yourself that got your adrenaline pumping. It couldn't harm him, technically -- but no, that wasn't true. He could inflict Burn and kill him slowly. It could grow more aggressive or behave erratically, and throw their plan out the window. And all the while, the heat slowly whittled them down. Omen had known that getting put on the defensive would be the worst case scenario for the both of them. That was why it was all the more important to push the offensive. "Almost there!" Omen agreed. One of Cerberus

Circe's attacks each landed with a deadly precision. Omen grinned. This was it! "How's that, Circe?" He roared, suddenly filled with jubilation. "This is our perfect victory!" All of the stress, the heat, the uncertainty... it all faded away, replaced by pride and joy. There was nothing to worry about. They'd finally done it. Omen's voice filled Inferno Cavern one last time, though there was only one beast remaining to hear it. He held his shield high and drew a crystal with his other hand. He crushed it in his palm. The taste of rum filled their mouths but Omen barely tasted it. H

"Alright," he said. "Then it is decided." They were settled. Now all that was left was to execute it. Their health was basically full, and Omen was itching to get it over with. Was that not a little rash? Maybe. But maybe it was also better to act now, when the plan was still fresh in their mind, and they didn't have time to consider how it could possibly go wrong. "Let's go," Omen said firmly. He began to walk towards the cavern's entrance. "Our health will not be full, but that will not matter. I'll use a crystal to mitigate the first instance of damage and keep us on track."

Oz spoke, and Omen listened. Despite his surly appearance and deep voice, Omen was quite polite. But as Oz spoke, Omen felt as though his suspicions were being confirmed. Had he no desire to escape Aincrad? Did he not feel responsible for helping his fellow man fight at the front, regardless of how futile an effort it might seem? Omen certainly did. And it wasn't only because he had a family on the other side, but because of the families of every other man and woman trapped in Sword Art Online. Fighting for their happiness was a heavy burden, and it was one that Omen was intended to bear whate

Omen shook his head. "No, I will be fine. I should be able to heal myself. You can't take the hits like I can -- putting you in that position could very easily lead to the worst outcome." He thought about it some more, but replied more quickly this time. "The plan is the same. Begin with an AoE. If you can do it twice, even if it means hitting one less target, then do it again. After that, it should just be a matter of picking off the remaining heads." Omen idly swiped through his menus. His health was recovering, and so was his energy. It wouldn't be much longer before they headed

They escaped Inferno Cavern once more, and stood outside once more, allowing their HP and EN to recover. Their hit and run tactic had gone well, and even better when they had decided to push the offensive. Circe seemed to agree. "It could have gone smoother, all things considered." Omen adjusted the weapon and shield on his back. They were not cumbersome, but they were definitely unwieldy. He did not want to always have his hands filled, though. It made interacting with his menus a pain. Omen rolled his neck and thought about what was to come. "But yes. It was better." "Cerberus is

Just one left. Circe landed another attack -- perfect. It did just enough damage to put it on death's door. Just enough damage to where Omen could finish the job, whether it be through thorns or damage. He launched himself forward. He swung his axe in a wide, crazy arc, but it didn't matter. The Hellhound grew anxious and through itself at him. Omen, like every other time, raised his shield. It collided with the banded iron and was mortally wounded by his Thorns. He brought his axe's blade across its throat as it collapsed to the floor. That finished the job. The cloud of light was carried awa

The Hellhound lunged at him again. Despite Circe's attacks, its attention was fixated solely on Omen, and Omen alone. And that was a good thing. He swatted the beast away with his shield, and he watched with a sense of satisfaction as its health dropped due to his Thorns enhancement. Not wanting to let the opportunity slip, he dashed forward, brandishing his axe. But in a sudden burst of speed, the Hellhound darted away, leaving Omen to catch nothing but the rocky earth below them with his axe. He exhaled loudly. Whatever. The job was almost done. He crushed another healing crystal in hi

"It is no matter," Omen said. He held his shield high and strong and he kept his axe level. "Just try your best. I will take care of our healing." The Hellhound, with its impatience and apparently regenerating jaws, lunged at him, but fell just short. Typical. Omen did not think the Hellhounds were programmed to deliver powerful blows. Or blows at all, for that matter. He took advantage of the Hellhound's failure and delivered a crushing blow to its body. It was sent sprawling across the cavern floor, yelping, but sprang back to its paws with the same fire in its eyes. Also typical, Omen

And then only one remained. As Omen had predicted, the only thing they were lacking was a bold strategy. The one that remained was singled out, alone, its companions felled, and soon to follow the rest of its pack into the grave. Circe's energy was tapped out -- she managed a basic attack to finish off the Hellhound prior. Now it was Omen's turn to do the same. He marched forward. The Hellhound did not appear to have much fight left in it. It gave a warning snap at the air between them, but whether warning or meager attack in actuality, it mattered not. Omen raised his axe and buried it in the

Omen watched with his arms crossed. He was not happy about it. But what else was he supposed to do? The man was well aware that his attacks would deal no damage. It would be inconsiderate of him to even try -- he'd just be getting in the way. The man who Omen had thought was in the same boat as him, however, did seem to have tricks up his sleeve. He wasn't aware of the Leadership skill, or any of its effects... but he saw the buffs, and he was curious. Still, he said nothing. The man just gave off a certain energy that Omen knew he wouldn't mesh well with. As he was thinking that, Oz off