[F3-SP] A Time To Hunt - Bagging up those Wintery Flakes, Beginning Again pt. 11 - COMPLETE!

[Brax 0]

ID 46654

Spoiler

BD 10 +3 ACC LD 9 MoBD 5 -1 EVA

Brax 56/56 EN 3/14

Elven Rogue 1 -14/32 [7 + 2crit x 6 Trample Act - 8 MIT] = 46 DMG

Elven Rogue 2 -14/32 [7 + 2crit x 6 Trample Act - 8 MIT] = 46 DMG

Elven Rogue 3 -14/32 [7 + 2crit x 6 Trample Act - 8 MIT] = 46 DMG

Elven Rogue 4 -14/32 [7 + 2crit x 6 Trample Act - 8 MIT] = 46 DMG

     Though Brax had experienced no problems on his journeys to the upper floors, there was something to be said about taking a step back to go forwards.  And so it was, that Brax found himself again in the quaint village of Delilah on the Third Floor.  The gentle summer-like breeze was easier to bear than the penetrating cold or the sweltering heat that pervaded floors four and five, respectively.  Not only that, but he had a mission here: to explore the Forest of Wavering Mist, home to illusions aplenty and challenges galore.  The Forest itself was home to many strange creatures, but Brax would not be deterred.  He had also heard of dual Minotaur guardians that stood watch over the entrance to the forest, but those rumors did little to quell his intrigue.  Brax asked for directions from a local NPC, and getting his map marked he ventured out of town in the direction posted.

     Along the road to the Forest, Brax encountered a roving band of Elven Rogues waylaying travelers of their goods and col.  Not one to pass up an opportunity to hunt, he engaged the band with ruthlessness.  They attempted to break the walls of his defense, but to no avail:  charging into their midst with his shoulder leading the way, Brax finished them handily with the power of his Trample Act, two swings of his axe cutting the rogues down to size.

+4 materials

+4 snowflakes

Edited January 25, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     After the battle, Brax smacked his gauntleted hand against his armored head: he had forgotten to drink a potion!  Opening his inventory window, he drew forth a Potion of Protection, downing the flask of liquid in a single gulp.  The liquid burned like before, followed by the tingling across his skin.  He would need the protection, as for the moment he needed the agility and dexterity of his Epitaph and Bangle combined, leaving him unable to utilize his Veteran's Breastplate to the fullest.

Consumed one Potion of Protection I (tier 1) (+9 MIT for a thread)

Edited January 25, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     Brax continued walking down the path towards to Forest, his mind set on his purpose.  He wondered what sort of place the Forest was?  What kind of...visions...would he see while standing beneath the canopy of it's trees?  Would they even show him visions, or was it simply a tall tale told by players as they reminisced on their barstools?  Regardless of the validity of the stories, Brax was still in need of more places to train his skills, and a forest, no matter what legends may be said about it, sounded good enough to his ears.

Edited January 25, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     Soon, Delilah Village was gone into the distance, and Brax was again traversing the countryside, though this time he had a destination in mind.  The country path was fairly easy to follow, and well-worn to boot.  It seemed many adventurers had traveled this way, most likely in search of the very place Brax was heading to.  Did the forest possess something special, he wondered?  Perhaps, it was the source of a decent quest; if so, he would have to one day take part in it.  But, for now, he only wanted to explore, to spend his time searching the locale, not engage in a quest that he had not thoroughly researched first.

Edited January 25, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

ID 46655

Spoiler

BD 9 +3 ACC LD 3 MoBD 2 -1 EVA

Brax 56/56 EN 3/14

Elven Warrior 1 -8/32 [7 + 1crit x 6 Trample Act - 8 MIT] = 40 DMG

Elven Warrior 2 -8/32 [7 + 1crit x 6 Trample Act - 8 MIT] = 40 DMG

Elven Warrior 3 -8/32 [7 + 1crit x 6 Trample Act - 8 MIT] = 40 DMG

Elven Warrior 4 -8/32 [7 + 1crit x 6 Trample Act - 8 MIT] = 40 DMG

     Another band of elves lay in the road before him.  Well, not 'laying', per say; rather, they were 'waylaying' passersby, much like the rogues he had taken down previously.  This lot, thought, possessed much more impressive armaments.  While not nearly as impressive as others Brax had seen, namely Ishida's black armor and Teayre's wonderfully done crimson cloak, they were much more than simple bandit gear; the mob had a warrior's look, silvery swords and decent enough plate, good enough he imagined to damage the lower leveled players traveling the path.

     Brax did not give them time to react to his presence as he began to run as soon as he saw them.  A grim smile stretched across his face; their protection would be no match against his assault.  Barreling into their midst, he felt his shoulderguards connect with one of the warriors, leading his body automatically through the Trample Act Sword Art.  His axe cut down the mob with ease, leaving behind naught but a crystalline shower as evidence.

+4 materials

+4 snowflakes

Edited January 25, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     The warriors slain, Brax began upon his trek again, intent on reaching the Forest of Wavering Mist soon.  His axe vibrated slightly in his grip, so Brax sheathed it on his back in response.   Every now and again, he had noticed the weapon performing as if it were alive, as though the fallen men who had wielded the blade before were crying out for blood and battle.  It was an...unnerving feeling, one that Brax failed to understand.

Edited January 25, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     A weapon did not possess a mind of it's own, at least as far as Brax's logical brain knew.  The real world possessed none of that; it was only in stories and legends that a weapon, or any object for that matter, could house a presence of a benevolent or malevolent nature.  However, this was not the real world; it was a computer generated one, built on different laws and physics, which could certainly hold such things as spirits and ghosts.  Brax had heard stories from adventurers to higher floors, detailing creatures of various levels of undeath and spectral natures.

Edited January 25, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     Brax could see the Forest in the distance, and as he drew closer he continued his thoughts whilst watching the unfolding tableau before him: a group of low levels were engaged in combat with two large Minotaurs, trading blow for blow with the axe-wielding beasts, while his mind rambled around with his considerations of specters and spirits.  As the guardians were occupied with the previously mentioned group, Brax slipped by rather unnoticed and proceeded into their dark depths.

Edited January 25, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

ID 46656

LD 13

     The tall and imposing trees blocked almost every ray of light from streaming into the area, the only illumination coming from a glow emanating from within various fungi scattered on the forest floor and the trunks of the trees.  Brax examined the light-filled mushrooms in case they were able to be utilized as materials, but finding that they could not be easily removed, he discarded the plan and continued into the depths of the mists, a fog laying like carpet over the lush vegetation beneath his metal boots.

Edited January 25, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

ID 46657

Spoiler

BD 10 +3 ACC LD 9 MoBD 9 -1 EVA N/A

Brax 52/56 [6 + 1crit - 12 MIT] x 4 = 4 DMG EN 3/14

Misty Specter 1 -14/32 [7 + 2crit x 6 Trample Act - 8 MIT] = 46 DMG

Misty Specter 2 -14/32 [7 + 2crit x 6 Trample Act - 8 MIT] = 46 DMG

Misty Specter 3 -14/32 [7 + 2crit x 6 Trample Act - 8 MIT] = 46 DMG

Misty Specter 4 -14/32 [7 + 2crit x 6 Trample Act - 8 MIT] = 46 DMG

     Brax could hear strange sounds echoing through the dank Forest, the mist seemingly carrying the tones farther than they should have gone.  Shrill cries rebounded off of the trees, and the haze prevented his vision from extending more than a few feet in front of him.  He had made a mistake; he should not have come here.  But, the only thing to do was to soldier on, believe in his strength, and hope that he found an exit to escape the confines of the maze.  Until then, he would contend with the horrors of the forest, slay all who stood before him.

     The mist curled around his boots, and Brax felt a presence in the dark.  Suddenly, tendrils of smoke shot out from the haze, their sharp edges drawing blood from his stony countenance.  The mist was alive, and he saw spectral forms of elves hovering just at the edge of his vision.  He swung his axe furiously, but the blows could not connect to thin air.  So, he did the next best thing: Brax charged the smoke, his shoulder managing to hit something solid that he couldn't see, and his body ran through the motions of his Trample Act.  Upon the last swipe of his axe, a piercing howl reverberated in his ears, and then, silence.  His status window blinked at him, indicating the death of a mob and the collection of a loot drop, but the enemy name was ???, unable to be identified.  His feelings might have been steady, but Brax's nerves were on edge.

+4 materials

+4 snowflakes

Edited January 25, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     The blanket of silence had descended again over the misty forest.  A pervading quiet only broken by the beating of Brax's heart.  He held his weapon in his hands again, ignoring the throbbing that it was giving off again.  He could not put his senses to the task, as he was keeping a watchful eye out into the darkness, the hazy smoke that obscured his way.  More of those mystery mobs could be prowling beyond his attention, and he would not be surprised again.

Edited January 25, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     His weapon was beating in time with his heart, in addition to the new breastplate he had received from Ishida.  The Veteran's Breastplate's enhancements might not have been active, but that did not stop the armor from pulsing with the power of the work that had gone into making it; no, it beat just as his weapon did, seemingly with a life of it's own.  The bloodstains that marred it's construction perhaps held the sum total of the experiences of those who had borne it before in battle.

Edited January 25, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     Both tools were connected to him somehow, fueling his hands and heart with a feeling that Brax knew did not originate within himself: bloodlust.  It had taken him a while to recognize it, as he had no reference for it in any of his previous experiences.  Brax, or rather, Brandon, had never engaged in combat at Berringer's, therefore he did not know of conquest and battle before SAO, even when he played games with the staff and patients.  He had never been cruel, though he recognized in the bloodlust a certain ruthlessness that he had been called before during playtime.  Natural, given that he lacked in his understanding of mercy, as well.

Edited January 25, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

ID 46658

Spoiler

BD 8 +3 ACC LD 10 MoBD 3 -1 EVA

Brax 55/56 EN 3/14

Elven Ghost 1 -2/32 DEAD [7 x 6 Trample Act - 8 MIT] = 34 DMG

Elven Ghost 2 -2/32 DEAD [7 x 6 Trample Act - 8 MIT] = 34 DMG

Elven Ghost 3 -2/32 DEAD [7 x 6 Trample Act - 8 MIT] = 34 DMG

Elven Ghost 4 -2/32 DEAD [7 x 6 Trample Act - 8 MIT] = 34 DMG

     A cold chill swept through the forest, it's freezing tendrils wrapping around Brax's lower body.  He felt more than saw the ghostly apparitions of elves long since gone as they flew at him from the inky blackness of the Forest, and reacting swiftly he drew power from his Epitaph,a bright flash of green against the darkness of the trees.  He was able to just avoid their insubstantial touch and he planted a shoulder in their misty bodies, connecting softly with them and activating his Trample Act, the final blows of the Sword Art disrupting their tenuous hold on reality.  Another ping from his window alerted him to the automatic collection of loot from the ghosts, so he turned and strode further in, or out possibly, of the Forest of Wavering Mists.

+4 materials

+4 snowflakes

Edited January 25, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     Brax had lost track of time while in the Forest, as he could not see the sun.  Also, interestingly enough, his status chronometer was unable to register a reading here, lending an ominous tone to his misguided wanderings.  Was it day?  Was it night?  How much time had passed since the man entered the tree line?  How long had it been since he had seen the Minotaur guardians fighting that party?  'I should have joined with them,' Brax mused to himself.  'If I had, it's possible I would not be lost, and I would be able to leave this...strange location.'

Edited January 25, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     Brax was not one to worry; indeed, he was practically incapable of such a feat.  His alexithymia prevented all emotional responses, whether good or bad, and worry was definitely considered a bad one.  Much like fear, though there were many doctors and psychiatrists out there that would say a little fear and worry was healthy.  It allowed the brain to accurately gauge danger, giving a person the ability to know what would be safe and what would kill them; those instincts were life saving when utilized properly.

Edited January 25, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     Because of that, Brax or rather Brandon, knew he was incomplete, and that incompleteness could get an individual killed.  Unfortunately for him, he would never be whole until he could reclaim his capacity for emotional depth.  Though how to go about that, Brandon had no clue.  He idly wondered if an alchemical potion might alleviate some of his issues, but logically that was unlikely: his problem was physical, not psychological, and as such presented a different set of variables to contend with.

Edited January 25, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

ID 46659

Spoiler

BD 3 +3 ACC LD 10 MoBD 10 -1 EVA N/A

Brax 52/56 [6 + 2crit - 12 MIT] x 4 = 4 DMG EN 3/14

Shadow 1 -2/32 DEAD [7 x 6 Trample Act - 8 MIT] = 34 DMG

Shadow 2 -2/32 DEAD [7 x 6 Trample Act - 8 MIT] = 34 DMG

Shadow 3 -2/32 DEAD [7 x 6 Trample Act - 8 MIT] = 34 DMG

Shadow 4 -2/32 DEAD [7 x 6 Trample Act - 8 MIT] = 34 DMG

     Putting aside his musings for a moment, Brax refocused his attention on the matter at hand: escape from the forest.  The mists did not seem to want him to go, and their icy fingers grasped at his armor in an attempt to restrain him.  Brax wondered at the imagery until he realized that the mist actually WAS trying to restrain him, successfully so.  Before he could react he saw an inky black mass shoot forward out of the fog and hit him hard in the chest; once, twice, three times it hit, and on the final one the restraints on his arms released, allowing him to be thrust backwards into a tree.  Dazed but still standing, Brax saw only a mass of shadows advancing upon him, formless in the pervading darkness of the Forest.  Shaking off his dizziness Brax charged forward, lowering his shoulder and connecting with the black mass, instigating his Trample Act.  A few sweeping strikes of his axe, and the shadows dispersed, leaving him once again alone in the smoky haze.

+4 materials

+4 snowflakes

Edited January 25, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     Brax wondered if he would ever get out of the Forest.  He had fought several mobs of varying degrees of difficulty, and still no end to the illusionary power of the Forest was in sight.  A few more mournful cries resounded through the air, chilling the mists surrounding the armored man to the bone physically if not emotionally.  He needed a lifeline, something to grab hold of in order to escape, but where that help would come from he knew not.

Edited January 25, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     Out of desperation, Brax began to slam his axe into the ground in order to work off some nervous energy.  Not that HE was in fact nervous, rather his body was tense and needed a release.  After he had done so a few times, an echo resounded from the near distance.  A response, perhaps?  Brax's ears perked up at the sound, contemplating what it could have been.  He again banged his axe, this time on his armor, releasing a loud 'PING' in the air, to which there was a responding tone from the same direction.  Heedless of the danger that might have been out there, Brax began to charge in the direction of the responsive sound.

Edited January 25, 2016 by Brax