[PP - F9] The Climb, Pt. 9

[Takao 0]

«Floor 9»
12:59 AST

"Yeesh," Takao exhaled through his grimacing teeth as he glanced around at the sight before him. After departing from the eighth dungeon of the day and wandering only a few steps in the direction of the next, he was greeted with a rather unpleasant landscape. Small rivers of molten lava flowed from the mountains, and the few trees scattered seldom across the floor were perpetually lit aflame. It wasn't exactly an aesthetically pleasing view, though it was interesting in its own right. "I guess we'll need to watch out for that lava. The next dungeon is..." Takao said, raising his right hand to point at a pass between two large mountains. "Just through there."

[Mack 0]

"Unless your overly fond of the idea of being thrown across a few of those lava streams like a sack of potatoes I hope you know where a few bridges are," Mack muttered, his dark eyes taking in the burning landscape as one hand darted up to wipe sweat from his brow. The massive soldier had long ago, almost from the moment that they had set foot on the floor, abandoned wearing his white trimmed crimson guild cloak that signified him as the commanding officer of the Crimson Blades assault team and the third in command of the Knights of the Blood Oath. "Unless you want to summon Oto and use him as a bridge. Dragons are immune to heat, right?"

[Takao 0]

ID: 53837
BD: 7 + 3(ACC)
LD: 20 + 2(Vitamins) + 3(Hands of Midas) + 3(Search & Detect)
CD: 2

Takao: 201/201 (37/49) [Sword Art: Sharp Nail 1*6*22=132 DMG] (13 Base + 5 Charge + 3 Damage Crystal + 1 Alcoholic)

Flame Salamander 1 0/106 (Mit. 26) [132-28=106 DMG]
Flame Salamander 2 0/106 (Mit. 26) [132-28=106 DMG]
Flame Salamander 3 0/106 (Mit. 26) [132-28=106 DMG]
Flame Salamander 4 0/106 (Mit. 26) [132-28=106 DMG]

"Dragons would be impervious to fire in theory, yes." Takao admitted, nodding in agreement to the statement. "Oto, however, is more akin to a lizard. Like a... gecko, or a salamander. When I tamed him on the fifth floor, the name of his monster type was "Dune Rat"." The thought made him chuckle. Otoko definitely fit the description of a rat more than he did a dragon, even though he did often breathe smoke and fire in small quantities. Demon, maybe. That fit. "...and speaking of salamanders." Takao said as he set his eyes on four approaching monsters. "We're really not gonna catch a break." With the charge skill prepared, Takao leapt forward and minced the four reptiles in three easy strokes, reducing their digital bodies to little more than fluttering pixels.

Total Rewards:
8 Materials - Takao
0 Col
4 Teleport Crystals

Edited March 29, 2016 by Takao

[Mack 0]

ID: 53973
LD: 4

"Is he really? I've never run across anything like Oto before, well other than Oto. That's because the fifth floor is a cancerous plague upon all Aincradian Society, a skidmark on the underpants of all that is good about SAO... it's too hot," Mack rumbled in a very serious tone that made it quite clear that he was of the opinion that the fifth floor might very well be hell on earth. As Takao dealt with the approaching salamanders in his own way, Mack rooted around in the dirt with the steel butt cap of Invictus. Every so often this rather curious way of material farming would yield lucrative results. Perhaps because no one else ever thought to try it. "Who wins in an eating contest? Chewie or Oto? Also, since we're talking about food now... I need some generic good quality food items," Mack continued, his rumbling stomach punctuating the sentence.

[Takao 0]

ID: 54053
BD: 4 + 3(ACC)
LD: 6 + 2(Vitamins) + 3(Hands of Midas) + 3(Search & Detect)
(+4 Materials , +2110 Col)

Takao: 201/201 (26/49) [Sword Art: Sharp Nail 1*6*22=132 DMG] (13 Base + 5 Charge + 3 Damage Crystal + 1 Alcoholic)

Flame Salamander 5 0/106 (Mit. 26) [132-28=106 DMG]
Flame Salamander 6 0/106 (Mit. 26) [132-28=106 DMG]
Flame Salamander 7 0/106 (Mit. 26) [132-28=106 DMG]
Flame Salamander 8 0/106 (Mit. 26) [132-28=106 DMG]

"Yep, that's what they're called. Pretty rare things, I spent a few days on the fifth floor looking for him. Had a few uh... road bumps, I guess." Takao said, remembering the vast amount of time he'd put into finding the little rodent. Four more quadrupedal reptiles scuttled closer, interrupting his response for only a moment. The same sword art he'd used since the first dungeon of the day was employed, and the four monsters were rapidly vanquished as a result. "Had a couple of them get eaten, actually. By other monsters... was a weird time." He shrugged off the thought. "Depends on what they're eating, I guess. Oto goes through sweets and meat like a vacuum, so if it's something like that, my money's on him. He won't touch anything green, though." He responded, then set his glance back onto Mack. "I have a lot of those. Whadaya need 'em for?"

Total Rewards:
12 Materials
2120 Col
4 Teleport Crystals

[Mack 0]

"Wait, a couple of Oto's got eaten by other things," Mack asked, arching an eyebrow in Takao's direction and rolling his head around on his neck. "Wouldn't that be like eating a little spiked ball of death," Mack asked, remembering that Oto didn't look even slightly edible. "Chewie, he just likes food. Doesn't really matter what it is. He's especially fond of anything meat or anything with honey. But, give him a loaf of bread and it's like watching Peter the Great devour Poland for mother Russia," Mack said with a chuckle. "Crumbs everywhere. As for the food items, Chewie's got to eat and I was toying with the idea of planning a picnic for myself and someone else... beyond that, just plain bread gets old after awhile, if you know what I mean. It fills you up in the digital sense, but it's not the most satisfying thing in the world."

[Takao 0]

Takao nodded slowly. "Something like that. The monsters that kept eatin' 'em were called Rock Eaters though, so if their name is any indication I doubt they really cared." He shrugged it off, despite the morbid undertones to the conversation. He had several pets fall that day due to a monster simply walking by and devouring them before his eyes. Of course, without guts and gore and blood it wasn't too traumatizing. Only a little bit. "You can stop by the Cafe anytime and pick stuff up, y'know. The things I make without enhancements are usually pretty cheap."

[Mack 0]

"I'll trade you perfect quality weapons, shields, and armor at each tier as it unlocks for all the free good quality food items I want," Mack answered promptly, holding out his hand to Takao to shake if the swordsman found the offer to be one that was acceptable. Of course, Mack was going to get his money's worth out of the good quality food items. His pet garbage disposal could eat and eat and eat without ever filling up. It was really almost miraculous to watch the bear cub plow through any kind of food that was offered to it. "You take food orders for good quality food items or is it more of a catch as catch can kind of thing," Mack asked, quirking a crimson eyebrow as they continued to troop through the volcanic landscape.

[Takao 0]

ID: 54321
BD: 7 + 3(ACC)
LD: 3 + 2(Vitamins) + 3(Hands of Midas) + 3(Search & Detect)
(+4 Materials , +2120 Col)

Takao: 201/201 (16/49) [Sword Art: Sharp Nail 1*6*22=132 DMG] (13 Base + 5 Charge + 3 Damage Crystal + 1 Alcoholic)

Flame Salamander 9 0/106 (Mit. 26) [132-28=106 DMG]
Flame Salamander 10 0/106 (Mit. 26) [132-28=106 DMG]
Flame Salamander 11 0/106 (Mit. 26) [132-28=106 DMG]
Flame Salamander 12 0/106 (Mit. 26) [132-28=106 DMG]

"Sounds good to me. I usually just feed 'em to Oto, but he can't eat 'em all." Takao said as his hand extended, meeting Mack's for a firm shake. "Even though he'll definitely try to... 'n yeah, I do custom order stuff. I've got plenty of materials laying around too, so I should be able to make loads of stuff." With his attention set on Mack, Takao had just barely noticed the four salamander monsters scuttling closer. "Bah, more of 'em." He commented, just before pulling his hand back and engaging the four monsters. One sword art and a few well placed steps lead to the four monsters' swift deaths.

Total Rewards:
16 Materials
4240 Col
4 Teleport Crystals

[Mack 0]

ID: 54363
LD: 6

"Just because Oto can't eat them all, I bet it wouldn't stop him from trying. Especially if he knew that some of them were going to be going into the mouth of that little dragon's favorite bear," Mack replied with a slight grin, remembering the highly territorial scuffle that Oto and Chewie had engaged in on top of the familiar food table at the hot springs party. A scuffle that had ended with Chewie launching himself off the top of the table and scampering to hide behind the safety of Magda and Samriel. "Anything you got laying around will work just fine for me, for now anyway. Sushi, Korean barbecue, roast chicken, I've lived of MRE's so I'm not super picky and we both know if it can be eaten, and even if it can't, that the bear will eat it."

[Takao 0]

ID: 54514
LD: 16 + 2(Vitamins) + 3(Hands of Midas) + 3(Search & Detect)
(+1 Material)

"Aha, probably not... I mean, he's definitely tried to in the past, but I don't want to think of what he'd do with the proper motivation." Takao said, a light chuckle rolling out from his lungs as he dismissed the thought. It was truly too terrifying to let fester. "Anyway, I don't really carry any of that kinda stuff on me though, it's all in my place on the third floor. We can stop by there when we're done and I'll hand 'em over." He said, slipping the Inundator over his shoulder and into the scabbard on his back. "But uh... have you really just been eating bread all this time?" Takao asked curiousity, glancing over his shoulder to Mack.

Total Rewards:
17 Materials
4240 Col
4 Teleport Crystals

[Mack 0]

"The fact that it is food is all the motivation that Chewie has ever, or will ever, need," Mack rumbled with a slight chuckle, knowing full well that the bear would devour absolutely anything placed before him with the maximum possible amount of gusto and at the maximum possible amount of speed. "I didn't expect you to have it all on you right this moment, and yes I have been mostly living on bread for the past six or seven months," the axe man continued, shrugging his broad shoulders as he stated naught but the truth of the matter. "You have to remember, I was on deployment so I got my game copy late and I didn't catch the news to know I shouldn't login in the first place. Course, even if I'd known I probably would have logged in anyway. It has always fallen to the few to sacrifice so that the many might live. The clearing team is what, thirty players maybe out of a remaining player base north of 7,000 people? That's a stupidly small percentage of actual soldiers."

[Takao 0]

ID: 54960
LD: 5 + 2(Vitamins) + 3(Hands of Midas) + 3(Search & Detect)

"That's actually pretty funny, I think. I went for the cooking profession 'cause I figured... Blacksmiths and tailors, I'll only need them every so often, right? Same with artisans. Once I get my equipment and have it upgraded, that's really it. Repairs here and there too, maybe. But cooking? I'd use that every day, multiple times a day." Takao said, his eyes set on the path forward. "I can't actually cook well in the real world, but the game is like... easy street to delicious, y'know? Few menu buttons here and there, and boom! Gourmet food." A light, inward chuckle left his throat, followed by a yawn. The topic of the ratio of front liner to average player was brought up next, eliciting a shrug of Takao's shoulders. "Yeah... But we can't really expect everybody to do what we do. It takes a certain kinda psycho to do this kinda thing day in and out." 

Total Rewards:
17 Materials
4240 Col
4 Teleport Crystals

[Mack 0]

ID: 53810
BD: 10
LD: 15 (+4 Mats, +2400 Col)

Takao: 201/201 (49/49) 
Mack: 157/157 (20/38) Explode Catapult: 3x3x18=162

Salamander 1 -2/120 (Mit. 40) [162-40=122 DMG]
Salamander 2 -2/120 (Mit. 40) [162-40=122 DMG]
Salamander 3 -2/120 (Mit. 40) [162-40=122 DMG]
Salamander 4 -2/120 (Mit. 40) [162-40=122 DMG]

"It's inexpensive is what it is," Mack replied. "The cheapest food item in the game is a loaf of black bread, the NPC food vendors sell them for 1 col each. You need to eat three times a day, so that's three col per day on food. I don't have to feed Chewie, he's a terrible beggar and everyone else feeds him for me, quite convenient. Now, since you're going to give me free good quality food in exchange for free weapons and armor at each tier, I just got an even cheaper deal," the blacksmith continued in an agreeable tone. "After all, I'll still be able to sell all the less than perfect items I craft while I'm filling your orders." As he was speaking another group of salamanders appeared. "I'll take care of these, you find our dungeon," Mack rumbled, making short work of the beasts. "As for the front liners, if they want to go home faster they need to help with the work, it's dangerous but everything in life is."

Total Rewards:
21 Materials
6640 Col
4 Teleport Crystals

[Takao 0]

OOC// nine of these in a row, gosh darn.

"Well, I mean... It's not so much the action of just eating three times a day as much as it is the nutrition you get from eating three meals, isn't it..? I know the game doesn't have a very detailed nutrition system outside of the consumable enhancements, but I can't imagine that the stuff you can get off the first floor is very... good." Takao shrugged off the thought. Perhaps he'd not been checking his privilege, eating the food he made for himself was something he'd been doing for... well, it felt like it'd been years already. Forever even.

Takao shook the thoughts from his head and refocused. Reveal was activated and his eyes began to wander, glancing over every little detail he could find. "I mean, I agree with that, but at the same time," Takao said, gesturing toward the salamanders that Mack was engaging. "These aren't the kinds of things any normal person sees with their own eyes up close and personal, you know? Giant salamanders, Gnolls wit'er business all hangin' out, hoards of two headed ogres... We're jaded to it now, but I think it just takes a certain kinda personality to get like that. I don't wanna call us brave and them cowardly though, its just a... very unique set of circumstances. Dungeon's in this cave here, by the way."

- -

Advanced Dungeon found.

» ID : [[ 55046 ]]
» LD : [[ 30 (20 + 2(Vitamins) + 3(Hands of Midas) + 3(Search&Detect) + 2(Reveal)) 

Edited April 4, 2016 by Takao

[Mack 0]

OOC: Going into rest mode after this one, you'll still have to run three rounds anyhow :)

ID: 55059
BD: 7
LD: 11 (+4 Mats, +2000 Col)

Takao: 201/201 (49/49) 
Mack: 157/157 (20/38) Explode Catapult: 3x3x16=144

Salamander 1 -19/100 (Mit. 25) [144-25=119 DMG]
Salamander 2 -19/100 (Mit. 25) [144-25=119 DMG]
Salamander 3 -19/100 (Mit. 25) [144-25=119 DMG]
Salamander 4 -19/100 (Mit. 25) [144-25=119 DMG]

"Oh, I'm sure there's better things to eat. I've had a lot of better and tastier things than the basic bread while I've been in Aincrad," Mack rumbled, speaking earnestly. "But, by saving money I'm able to do a lot more to help the lower leveled players and support those who can't, or won't, fend for themselves." Mack shrugged his broad shoulders, someone had to look out for all those other players that were incapable or unwilling to do it themselves. It may as well be someone that wasn't going to take advantage of them. "And it has nothing to do with bravery or cowardice, at least not always. Not everyone is psychologically cut out for this kind of environment. I've seen some guys that thought they were pretty tough customers wet themselves under fire." Just then Takao pointed out the entrance to the dungeon and Mack went charging off blindly into it, lucking into finding a group of monsters that were quickly dispatched. "See? I help..."

Total Rewards:
25 Materials
8640 Col
4 Teleport Crystals

[Takao 0]

ID: 55079
BD: 7 + 3(ACC)
LD: 3 + 2(Vitamins) + 3(Hands of Midas) + 3(Search & Detect)
(+4 Materials , +2460 Col)

Takao: 213/213 (38/52) [Sword Art: «Lightning Fall» 1*7*22=154 DMG] (13 Base + 5 Charge + 3 Damage Crystal + 1 Alcoholic)

Satanic Skink 1 0/123 (Mit. 30) [154-30=124 DMG]
Satanic Skink 2 0/123 (Mit. 30) [154-30=124 DMG]
Satanic Skink 3 0/123 (Mit. 30) [154-30=124 DMG]
Satanic Skink 4 0/123 (Mit. 30) [154-30=124 DMG]

11/15 Remaining

"I guess that's a pretty good reason to budget what ya' got." Takao responded, mulling over the thought for a moment longer while he continued talking. The concept of helping low leveled players wasn't foreign to Takao, he spent plenty of time on the lower floors. He lent his hand with quests and visited plenty of player run stores to support his fellow digital prisoners, but that had been the extent of his aid. Of course, he was also a front liner, willingly risking his life so that those who couldn't or wouldn't might be able to escape someday. Takao blinked as Mack charged past him and engaged another group of monsters, prompting Takao to do the same. "That's more or less what I was tryna' say. The nature of this game seems to breed a few colourful characters... or maybe they were just always like that, but didn't have the right medium to let it out in."

Total Rewards:
29 Materials
11100 Col
4 Teleport Crystals

[Mack 0]

OOC: 1 Turn out of Combat.

"Colorful characters is a polite way of putting it, the more accurate terms might be heroes and asshats," Mack rumbled in response to Takao as the green-eyed swordsman dashed past him to dispatch the first set of monsters that were, officially, part of the dungeon. The fact that they were skinks instead of salamanders was a pretty good indicator. "Everyone handles the stress of a life or death situation, which this entire digital world is, in a different way. For some, it brings out the best in them," the giant continued, gesturing to Takao. "For others, it brings out the worst. Some of those PK guilds come to mind. For a select few, law enforcement officials like Lindow was, or firefighters, paramedics, soldiers... it probably doesn't change them too much at all. After all, they already potentially risk their lives every day to protect or rescue others. As for the budgeting," Mack shrugged his broad shoulders, "If you spend less on food then you can spend more on lodging, I have a pretty great place to live down on the fourth floor, costs about twice what a room at the Inn would cost, but it's way better."

[Takao 0]

ID: 55228
BD: 3 + 3(ACC)
LD: 5 + 2(Vitamins) + 3(Hands of Midas) + 3(Search & Detect)
(+4 Materials , +2460 Col)

Takao: 213/213 (25/52) [Sword Art: «Lightning Fall» 1*7*22=154 DMG] (13 Base + 5 Charge + 3 Damage Crystal + 1 Alcoholic)

Satanic Skink 5 0/123 (Mit. 30) [154-30=124 DMG]
Satanic Skink 6 0/123 (Mit. 30) [154-30=124 DMG]
Satanic Skink 7 0/123 (Mit. 30) [154-30=124 DMG]
Satanic Skink 8 0/123 (Mit. 30) [154-30=124 DMG]

7/15 Remaining

"More or less," Takao said as he waded through the field of polygonal monster remains, in search of the next four quarries that would reveal themselves. As Mack spoke about the heroic types, those in a profession where their own well being was shelved in favour of others, Takao fell silent. He never had any desire to be an enforcer of the law, or a paramedic, or really any desire to actually help people in terms of a job. It had come naturally to him to do so in practice, sure, but it wasn't what motivated him. "I must just be a basket case then." A dry chuckle left his throat as he spoke. "I'll be real with you, man. I find this sort of thing to be... like... fun. Fighting monsters 'n bosses 'n stuff, I mean. I dunno, I just like the thrill of it I guess. I would've just quit a long time ago if I didn't." He admitted, taking the moments that followed his statement to engage the next four enemies that leapt from their hiding spots, and promptly obliterating them in a spectacular display of dancing electricity.

Total Rewards:
33 Materials
13560 Col
4 Teleport Crystals

[Mack 0]

"Nah, you don't twitch or talk to yourself enough to be crazy," Mack replied, shrugging his shoulders and continuing the conversation even as the swordsman he was traveling with effortlessly dispatched the next batch of monsters. "Also, I've never once heard you talk about you and Sylvestor Stallone fighting against Jean Claude Van Damme and General Lee during the American Civil War, so I'm reasonably certain you don't have Alzheimer's. Just an adrenaline junkie, nothing wrong with that. You want to talk about crazy, one of the low-levels I gave free armor to the other day... he put it on, ran outside, and must have jumped off a building or something to test it. We all heard this loud thud, then he came running back in. He was nuttier than squirrel poop."