[PP-F1] King's Arrival [COMPLETE]

[Kranzer 0]

His plan worked out well. Kranzer figured if this man was so full of his own hype as he appeared to be he wouldn’t miss a beat when offered a chance to speak about himself and it worked. The indecisive man leaned forward and rested his chin on his hands though his eyes drifted to the other faces here in the cafe. Once he actually heard Dynaon’s explanation though he had no choice to cast an incredulous look at the fool. Was that… really the reason? That was his motivation? It all fit together with everything else he had said so far but in his heart of hearts Kranzer truly hoped that Dynaon was just talking up a storm rather than actually pouring his heart out.

“I see,” he said finally. “So what you are saying here is, and correct me if I am wrong, you want to place a target on your face and while you take the punishment you will allow everyone else to do the work of actually killing the bosses and clearing the floors? Because that’s what a tank does and if I am being honest that’s what it sounds like you’re going for here.” His words were harsher than he intended really. Kranzer only sought to knock the man down a peg or two on that ladder he so desperately clung to and tried to climb. It was a genuine attempt to keep the man’s head level and focused so he wouldn’t die in vain for his mad grasp for immortality.

Then he was asked about his activities since he first logged into SAO. Kranzer hesitated for a moment as he tried to figure out a way to word this without looking like too much of a coward. “I... have studied the situation and I am currently working on the best strategy to survive this mess.” That sounded about right. No need to say he was just lurking in Starter City too uncertain of himself to step forth outside of its protection and see the world at large. No need for that at all.

[Dynaon 0]

Dynaon honestly didn't enjoy how he was classified so quickly by Kranzer, but he chose to let it go for the time being. He knew better. He knew what he wanted to pursue in this game, and it wasn't simply a tank. As much as he would have liked to hit that point home, he didn't much of a point in pursuing the topic. Instead, he wanted to move on toward Kranzer's reasoning. "So you've been working on a strategy, have you? How do you intend on exercising that strategy if you have no sway in this world?" Dynaon didn't mean to offend, but he stared right at Kranzer, his expression shifting to a darker one.

"People respond to potential. Even if you come up with the perfect plan to get out of this game, who will listen? Maybe a few friends would, but aside from them, what can you do? The point of plans is to carry them out. If you can spend all this time thinking, can't you spend a small amount of time acting too?" He found himself getting a little passionate about the subject, but honestly, it bothered him that Kranzer was just content with staying on the first floor and letting others do the hard work. It almost made him upset.

[Kranzer 0]

Dynaon didn’t comment on his statement and instead shifted the conversation back towards Kranzer and asked about how he intended to accomplish this strategy of beating the game without taking any action. For a brief second Kranzer blinked in confusion. Clear the game? He tried to think back and pondered on if he said anything that might have eluded to that then he held up one of his hands in apology when nothing came to mind. “I think there has been a misunderstanding. I said a strategy to survive. I never said anything about clearing this game.” He did not in agreement with most of what Dynaon said which came as a surprise for Kranzer actually. Who would have thought he’d agree with anything the man said.

“You are right though. For a plan to succeed a certain amount of action is required. However,” he said as he held up a finger to express his point further. “Not all action is required to be overt. Sometimes it is the things people don’t see that make the most difference. Even if they don’t know it themselves.” Dynaon also made the assumption that Kranzer had yet to take any action during all of this time. Which for the most part could be considered the truth, but it wasn’t something he was about to admit openly. “So what makes you think I haven’t done anything yet to put my plans in motion?”

[Dynaon 0]

Dynaon nodded slightly at the views Kranzer had on taking action involving plans, and while he did agree, the King was more about making a scene and getting the job done rather than taking care of the subtle details. However, the final comment Kranzer made Dynaon smile softly. "To be quite honest, Kranzer, it's your level. From my new party menu, I can view your stats. It's like you haven't stepped foot out of the city since getting locked up in this game." He laughed a bit as he looked over to the indecisive player, trying to keep his upbeat mood going to try and not sound extremely offensive.

"Just.. Don't you think if you had higher stats, things would be easier in the end game for you? That if you put a little effort in the early stages of the situation, things may just be easier to digest when it comes down to the parts that were supposed to be hard? It's like studying in school. If you put that extra mile in early on, the tests, which are supposed to be the hardest parts of the class, are so damn easy. You need drive, Kranzy." He ended it with his nickname again, feeling that calling him Kranzer was a foreign stimulation to his tongue. He really didn't want to get under the man's skin, but at the same time, he wanted to get his point across.

[Kranzer 0]

“My level,” Kranzer asked as if to echo Dynaon’s statement. Then he went on about the higher stats again which incited a drawn out sigh from the indecisive player. No matter what it was it always seemed to come back to the level and stats with this one. Kranzer interlocked his fingers together as he lifted his hands to shield his face from the prying eyes about the establishment. This wasn’t going to be an easy conversation to have. The sigh died out half way as Kranzer suddenly puzzled over the fact that the man had mentioned he’d looked at his stats. Through the party menu? His hands shifted slightly as they were pulled away from his eyes and he opened the menu. Well maybe this guy’s level was pretty high. It must have been for Dynaon to have the gall to poke at the fact that he was still only level one.

The party menu opened and his expression shifted to an incredulous one as his lower lip quivered. This man with all his bravado and insistence that he raise his level was in fact only level one. A LEVEL ONE player actually saw fit to lecture Kranzer about his lack levels gained since they were all trapped here? Now that was horribly ironic. It would have been funny if Kranzer could see the humor in the situation. Which he didn’t so he simply placed the palm of his hand against his face as he groaned. “You’re only level one." His tone betrayed the disbelief that raged through his mind at that moment. "With all that talking you were doing just now I thought you might have actually playing around earlier.” He didn't know what was scarier. The fact that Dynaon actually believed in his own hype or that he actually charged that boar alone with the sole belief that he was untouchable.

“Let me guess. You’re one of those who never prepared for the test and attempted to talk big to hide that fact aren’t you?” Kranzer kept up with the analogy the man had used. As he spoke Kranzer leaned in and lowered his voice to just above a whisper. “And my name is Kranzer. I’d ask if you were capable of reading but I’ve told you that quite a few times already.” Slowly he leaned away and rested his back against the chair. “Look we are in a party so I guess I can help you out from time to time. At the very least I can keep you from running off and getting killed like some glory-seeking noob.”

Those brown eyes narrowed by a small margin as he took a moment to truly study Dynaon for the first time. He looked young though not so young that he should have possessed any measure of immaturity. Then again looks could be deceiving.

[Dynaon 0]

For the first time in a long time, Dynaon let out a sigh, bringing a hand up to rub at the bridge of his nose. He looked to Kranzer as he spoke about never preparing for a test, implying that he was set up for failure. That was a very bad button for him to press on the King, and for that, he would receive a bit of a speech in return. "I have never failed in something I set my mind to. Fate and skill have brought me here. I've never failed a test. I've never failed to reach a goal. I've never failed at beating a video game, and this one will be no different. Those boars are studying material for the test that awaits me in raid bosses, the midterm in the Frontlines, and the final exam on the hundredth floor." Dynaon got up from his seat before the waiter could make it to their table, tossing a bit of Col onto the table for Kranzer to freely use as he wished.

"Feel free to eat. If you need me, I'll be studying for my next test. You know where to find me, Kranzer." He moved to walk out of the restaurant, slightly heated that someone would even slightly insinuate that he was setting himself up for failure. He'd die before he admitted that, but to be fair.. failure meant death in this particular scenario.

He would just have to try harder.

[Kranzer 0]

Dynaon grew visibly frustrated though on the same note so did Kranzer. Then he went on about fate and skill. He also claimed he never failed a test though that only made Kranzer shake his head. “Fate has brought you to me it would seem to talk some sense into that unbelievably thick skull of yours. You’ve never failed a test? Well of course I can see that,” he conceded that minor defeat. “However, where else have you seen study guides and pop quizzes that could literally kill you if you failed? Hmm?” Then the man stood up and tossed a bit of Col on the table and started to walk for the door leaving a statement that Kranzer would know where to find him when the time came. For a long moment those brown eyes rested upon the Col on the table before he snatched it up.

His nostrils flared as he swept out of the booth and hurled the stuff right at the back of that thick skull. Not that it would hurt of course. Especially not here in Starter City. “I don’t need your charity and if you think I can just sit here and eat off of your good graces while you go out to ‘study’ and get yourself killed, well you got another thing coming Dynaon.” Kranzer walked forward. His brow and shoulders set as he visibly fumed. While he was aimless in life there was nothing that got him more focused, more determined than when he got angry. This man had accomplished that much and as he walked by he would try to grab the man by the arm and physically drag him out of the cafe if he let him.

“Let's go and find this glorious end that’s destined to befall one such as you, oh Immortal King.” Ugh how did it come to this. For the man who didn’t want to leave the city to suddenly be on his way back out just to prove his point… man to the wind with his luck.

[Dynaon 0]

He felt the bag of Col hit the back of his head soon after, moving his hand back to catch it before he was forcibly dragged out of the restaurant. Dynaon was about to protest, but Kranzer referred to him as the 'Immortal King'. For some reason, even though he felt the sting of a lying tone behind the ending of that sentence, it brought a smile to the King's face. As they both headed out of the restaurant and toward the entrance of the city once again, Dynaon gently broke free of Kranzer's grasp, walking by his side.

"The Immortal King.. It's got a nice ring to it, don't you think?"

--- END THREAD SUMMARY ---

Enemies Defeated:

• Boar x1

Items Obtained:

• Kranzer
  • +1 Material [Boar]
  • +1 SP & +200 Col [Thread Completion]
• Dynaon
  • <<Polished Breastplate>> | Good Tier Heavy Armor [Boar]
  • +1 SP & +200 Col [Thread Completion]