[SP - F14] In the Hall of the Lich King | «The Lich's Calling»

[Takao 0]

"Floor Fourteen."

A flash of light illuminated the dreary, clouded darkness the fourteenth floor. It fit the broker's description of being just another depressing floor almost perfectly, yet something about it was still interesting. The settlement wasn't a traditional settlement at all, at least not in comparison to what had become the template for Aincrad. It wasn't a town, but instead a camp. His boots immediately sank into the earthen sludge upon leaving the stone teleportation platform, and the brunette immediately set about trudging through the camp. A plethora of stimuli flooded his senses, from the sounds of chatter and shrill banging of hammers against steel ringing in his ears to the faint smells of ash wood and cooking meats.

He swiped the air and listened for the familiar chimes of his menu opening, yet the pleasant knelling was drowned out by the ambient noise of the floor. The map was then opened and examined. A large portion was unexplored and rightfully so, given the sheer size. But there was a single straight line from the settlement to the castle revealed, with varying levels of elevation and markings of known monster spawns dotted along the way.

"Alrighty... Straight there, then."

[Takao 0]

The ambient noise of the settlement he'd come to learn was called Stonewall disappeared into obscurity, they were replaced with the wet squelching of his boots trudging through mud. He referenced his map every hundred meters or so, if only to sate the thoughts in the back of his head that suggested he was going the wrong way. Jade eyes remained vigilant, watching for any potential threats to show their face whilst he made the journey toward his destination. "They make claims that it never rains on this floor, yet the ground is so wet and muddy." He muttered quietly to himself, eyes idly glancing from one side to the other. "Seems like the designers should think these sorts of things through more thoroughly."

[Takao 0]

"There it is," said Takao, jade eyes settled upon the magnificence that was the cathedral before him. "Castle Blackwatch. 'n if it's right there, theeeen..." His eyes slowly traced over the distant architecture, rendering in pieces of details as they moved downward. Sitting before the castle in front of the entrance were two structures, which he assumed were the barracks. Detailed information on the quest was nonexistent or, at the very least, incredibly difficult to find and likely expensive. Monster numbers in the surrounding area were unknown to him, he only knew of the main target - the Lich King. "Bingo."

[Takao 0]

The cliff he stood at the edge of upon arriving had given him an excellent aerial view of the castle -- picturesque even. He deeply regretted that there was no feature that allowed him to capture the moment in a photograph or something of the like. But sightseeing wasn't why he'd come to the fourteenth floor. He moved with haste, for there was a quest that needed completion and a lump sum of skill points to be added to his pool. He savoured the last few steps of solid ground before the sludgy mud took over again, plastering his boots and pant legs. Knuckles were cracked, shoulders were rolled, and sword was drawn. "Iiiiit's showtime."

[Takao 0]

The tip of his sword dragged along the mud, only just barely accumulating some of the earthen sludge along the edge as he trudged into the makeshift arena. His eyes had been set on the heavily armoured skeleton, sporting a crown to denote royalty and a blade of menacing design. "Good evenin', your Highness!" Takao said as he crosses his legs and spread his arms, bowing deeply to the monster whose eyes lit ablaze with glowing life. "I'm... terribly sorry to intrude in your humble abode-" His mindless chatter was momentarily halted as the sounds of footsteps alerted him to the approaching two skeletons. Only a bit caught off guard by their unseen advance, the longsword of the first grazed his freckled cheek, whilst the identical blade of the second was knocked away with Takao's own. "-but a certain someone back in Stonewall wants ya' dead. No hard feelings, right?"

His mouth curled upward into a smile as his legs tensed. It was just about time to test out a new way to initiate enemies that he'd devised through countless hours of trial and error. His «Charge» skill was prepared first, the anticipation of an incoming burst of speed and power sent shivers down his spine. He leapt forward, nearly disappearing from normal sight for just a second as he traversed the short distance from whence he stood to the Lich King. As he appeared, the hulking mass of bone and armour swung down at him, only for the flat of his blade to be used to redirect the blow. In doing so, he positioned himself just right to activate the sword skill he'd become increasingly familiar with. «Meteor Break». With the Lich King's sword out of the way, Takao unleashed the full unadulterated wrath of his eleven hit sword art unto the skeletal monarch.

- -

» ID : [[ 49275 || 49315, 49316 ]]
» BD : [[ HIT  (3 + 3(ACC)) ]]

» Lich King MD : [[ MISS (6 - 2(EVA)) ]]
» Shambling Soldier 1 : [[ HIT (8 - 2(EVA)) ]]
» Shambling Soldier 2 : [[ MISS (4 - 2(EVA)) ]]

« Takao »
[[ 153/165 HP ]] [[ 42(DMG) - 30(MIT) = -12HP ]]
[[ 29/40 Energy ]] «Meteor Break» used. (-11 Energy | +1 Energy)

« Lich King »
[[ 192/350 HP ]]  [[ 13(DMG) + 4(Charge) + 1(Ferocity) * (9*1) - 20(Lich 1 Regen) - 20(Lich 2 Regen) = -158HP ]]

[Takao 0]

Unbeknownst to Takao, the post-motion rigidity of his sword art hadn't afforded him with enough opportunity to avoid the Lich King's incoming blow. He grimaced as the blade cleaved into his shoulder and stopped a few inches below where he predicted his collarbone to have been, had such a portion of his anatomy been programmed into the game, but instead was left with a glowing red wound. With grit teeth bared and another smile growing on his face, he repeated his earlier success with a bit less power behind it. In the background, the two skeletal warriors that had attempted to strike him first had instead turned on each other, yet the brunette's focus was centered solely on the Lich King, and their quarrel had gone entirely unnoticed.

- -

» ID : [[ 49321 || 49322, 49323 ]]
» BD : [[ C.HIT  (9 + 3(ACC)) ]]

» Lich King MD : [[ C.HIT (9 - 2(EVA)) ]]
» Shambling Soldier 1 : [[ HIT (6 - 2(EVA)) ]]
» Shambling Soldier 2 : [[ MISS (3 - 2(EVA)) ]]

« Takao »
[[ 82/165 HP ]] [[ 112(DMG) - 30(MIT) = -71HP ]]
[[ 19/40 Energy ]] «Meteor Break» used. (-11 Energy | +1 Energy)

« Lich King »
[[ 87/350 HP ]]  [[ 13(DMG) + 1(Critical) + 1(Ferocity) * (11*1) - 20(Lich 1 Regen) - 20(Lich 2 Regen) - 20(Shambling Soldier HP) = -105HP ]]
« Shambling Soldier 1 »
[[ 20/20 HP ]]
« Shambling Soldier 2 »
[[  0/20 HP ]] [[ 45(DMG) = -45HP ]]

[Takao 0]

"Just one more..!" Takao grit his teeth and slapped the incoming blade of the Lich King away once more. He turned his attention to the remaining Shambling Soldier and did the same, negating the attack which would've cut him in the back otherwise. The brunette turned his attention to the larger skeleton and prepared the same sword art yet again. His close proximity to the monster guaranteed a hit, and thus the system carried out the elaborate and heaviest hitting sword art available to the meager one handed straight sword skill. His boots landed with a wet squelch as he reconnected with the mud, jade eyes watching as the Lich King wobbled and fell backward. Just as his disintegrating body hit the ground, it erupted into an explosion of colourful pixels. "That's that then. Now all I need to do is clean up."

- -

» ID : [[ 49325 ]]
» BD : [[ HIT  (4 + 3(ACC)) ]]

» Lich King MD : [[ MISS (6 - 2(EVA)) ]]
» Shambling Soldier 1 : [[ MISS (6 - 2(EVA)) ]]

« Takao »
[[ 82/165 HP ]] [[ 112(DMG) - 30(MIT) = -71HP ]]
[[ 9/40 Energy ]] «Meteor Break» used. (-11 Energy | +1 Energy)

« Lich King »
[[ 0/350 HP ]]  [[ 13(DMG) + 1(Ferocity) * (11*1) - 20(Lich 1 Regen) - 20(Lich 2 Regen) = -114HP ]]
« Shambling Soldier 1 »
[[ 20/20 HP ]]

[Takao 0]

One by one, the Lich King's minions fell. Their hierarchy crashed as though Takao was a poorly placed addition at the tip of their house of cards, his presence causing the entirety of their advance to crumble. He used a single sword art to clean up what was left - a total of four monsters, which was perfect for one of his lowest ranking sword arts. The gruff looking blade in his hand began to glow a magnificent mixture of blue and purple, reflecting off the moisture in the mud below and illuminating a positively minute section of the massive floor. He unleashed the system's automated wrath unto the skeletons, dropping their gauges to below zero one at a time until only he stood. "Phew..! That was uh... somethin', I guess."

- -

» ID : [[ 49357 || 49358, 49359, 49360 ]]
» BD : [[ C.HIT  (10 + 3(ACC)) ]]

» Shambling Soldier 1 : [[ MISS (5 - 2(EVA)) ]]
» Shambling Soldier 2 : [[ MISS (5 - 2(EVA)) ]]
» Skeletal Lich 1 : [[ MISS (1 - 2(EVA)) ]]
» Skeletal Lich : [[ MISS (7 - 2(EVA)) ]]

« Takao »
[[ 82/165 HP ]]
[[ 0/40 Energy ]] «Vertical Square» used. (-8 Energy | +1 Energy)

« Shambling Soldier 1 »
[[ 20/20 HP ]]  [[ 13(DMG) + 2(Critical) * (4*1) = -60HP ]]
« Shambling Soldier 1 »
[[ 20/20 HP ]] [[ 13(DMG) + 2(Critical) * (4*1) = -60HP ]]
« Shambling Soldier 1 »
[[ 45/45 HP ]] [[ 13(DMG) + 2(Critical) * (4*1) = -60HP ]]
« Shambling Soldier 1 »
[[ 45/45 HP ]] [[ 13(DMG) + 2(Critical) * (4*1) = -60HP ]]

[Takao 0]

The entrance to Blackwatch would've been deathly quiet, had it not been for Takao's heavy panting. His energy stores had been depleted from the fight that had ended barely moments ago, yet his jade eyes were set on the beautiful castle in ruins. "Huh... It might not hurt to poke around inside for a little bit. Could get some map data for the labyrinth... I don't think anybody's explored it in its entirety yet." He shrugged once and contemplated whether or not he should take the first step forward. "...Couldn't hurt, right?"

[Takao 0]

Before diving into the unknown, Takao consulted the clock on his menu. It was difficult, nigh impossible to tell where the sun was in the sky on the fourteenth floor. The thick cloud cover prevented a large majority of the sun from showing through. Midday hadn't even come yet, despite his earlier greeting to the Lich King. He closed the menu and looked back at the castle before finally shrugging his shoulders. "Ah well. I can rest when I'm dead, I guess." A pair of knuckles were cracked and his shoulders were rolled yet again, and he proceeded on toward the castle's entrance.

[Takao 0]

Takao passed through the broken doors of the castle's entrance and was met with darkness. Only faint beams of light shone through parts of the wall that had decayed for some reason or another. The mud on his boots left footprints with each step he took inside. A few stray torches were the only reliable source of illumination, yet the vast majority of the halls and rooms he passed by were still shrouded by darkness. He walked as quietly as he could, which wasn't very, and checked each corner before continuing on. He felt his energy stores slowly returning in force, yet he didn't want to engage in anything just yet.

[Takao 0]

A wooden door quietly creaked as Takao pushed it open, the motion slow and gentle in an attempt to avoid alerting any slumbering enemies that might have been lurking in the shadows. At some point in his journey through the dank corridors of Castle Blackwatch, Takao had pulled - or rather, broken free - a torch from its metal stand on the wall and had since been using it to illuminate his path. In doing so, some of the more undesirable details of the castle were uncovered. Insects scurrying between his feet, spiders crawling down the damp stone walls, countless cobwebs at every corner... it was truly an unpleasant place.

[Takao 0]

"«Darkness Salve», huh?" Takao muttered quietly to himself. He had found something reminiscent of a kitchen in his mindless wandering, though the commodities hadn't seen use for what seemed like decades. Life had begun reclaiming the stone-walled room, with moss and vines growing in and through every crack and crevasse they could find. He had taken up a spot on a table that seemed a bit too weak to hold his weight, and yet it mysteriously did, providing him with even the slightest semblance of comfort as he scrolled through his menu. He clicked his tongue as he read the details of the item.

[Takao 0]

"Duhduhduh... lesse... It increases mitigation at the cost of damage?" His eyebrow arched upward and he reflected on the fight that had occurred outside the castle. "Seems like that's more fitting for a quest more centered around tanking... But the liches were healing the main guy, so it was more focused toward DPS..." The brunette shrugged it off. All too often did he find himself questioning the integrity and competence of whomever had been stuck with the job of creating the magnificent world he was trapped in. "Ah well. Useless for me, but it'll look nice on my mantle I guess."

[Takao 0]

"Ahhh," Takao exhaled, a low growl in his voice as breath left his lungs. "I should've brought Otoko here. He would hate how wet everything is." He muttered to himself, his hand trailing across the rotten wood of the table he'd been sitting upon. The Castle was interesting - it had been almost perfectly designed to emulate a cathedral in ruin, where nature had started reclaiming what humanity took as their own. Yet it was only a simulation, the nature's reclamation of it was nothing more than a man-made algorithm intended to emulate the process of life.

[Takao 0]

Takao's momentary respite in the kitchen had come to an end, and he was already back to wandering through the halls. He hadn't realized exactly when, but at some point the torches along the walls were no longer lit. Darkness encased his momentum, creeping up toward him with each step forward he took. The sword in his hand was kept away from the floors and walls, yet still drawn and ready to engage any sudden combatants. "This place is, without a doubt, where the boss fight is gonna be." He muttered to himself. "Probably in the throne room if I had to guess. Maybe."

[Takao 0]

Illuminated by the torch in his hand, Takao's eyes lingered on the floating transparent menu hovering before him. His eyes were tracking the subtle movements of a cursor on the interactive map display, denoting what areas of the large labyrinth of a Castle had been explored and what portions remained unseen. Without any existing map data purchased from information brokers or general stores, he was essentially wandering through the floor blindly. The adventurous nature in him was hard to ignore, especially when such an opportunity as being one of the pioneers for floor exploration came along.

[Takao 0]

Jade coloured eyes fell from the blinking map cursors to the numbers at the bottom of his menu. A long yawn escaped his lips and he glanced further down the hallway, completely shrouded in darkness and seemingly going on forever. "Ah... oh well. I can explore this more extensively another day. I'll bring Otoko too, that way I'll seem less crazy when I talk out loud like this." Although spoke softly and relatively quiet, his words still echoed and reverberated off the walls. "Plus I'll get to annoy the little demon-spawn too."

[Takao 0]

Utilizing the map data he'd uncovered through his mindless and seemingly incessant wandering through the catacombs of the Castle Blackwatch, Takao made his way back through the halls he'd entered. Despite not having encountered any monsters of notable danger, he was still careful to avoid alerting any potential threats, for his energy was waning and his desire to return home for some much needed respite far outweighed any urge to utilize his time on the floor for grinding. "Yeah... Maybe I'll come back tomorrow or somethin'. I think there's a few other quests I can do in the mean time."

[Takao 0]

His eyes strained only slightly against the dull light of the fourteenth floor, quietly thankful that the skies seemed so consistently clouded. Another yawn escaped his throat, and after sheathing his sword into the scabbard on his back, Takao began the long trek back to Stonewall. Monsters were avoided whenever such threats came into view, retaining his waning desire to spend even a moment more on the drearily-themed level amidst a hundred others within the floating castle of Aincrad. Takao trudged back through Stonewall and made his way to the platform, uttering the desired floor and settlement name before being whisked off in a blinding flash of white.