[Completed] [PP-F14] Dad... <<The Lich's Calling>> (Takao, Calrex)

[Lawfer 0]

Taking a deep breath in, the scarlet dragoon had lost all interest in the settlement of StoneWall. The dreariness of the upper floors were all but laughable at this point. "You would think Kayaba would actually wait for the floors to be this dreary until the late 80's." He stated as he raised his right hand. Scrolling to the messenger tab,he selected both Takao and Calrex. The two had helped him before on his journey to get stronger and the spearman would need all the help he could get if he were to defeat the Lich King that he had heard about from the information broker. As he hit send, he began walking towards the center of town where the teleport gate had been. "Guess i'll just wait here until they show up." He commented as he pulled his hair back into a ponytail. 

Edited June 7, 2016 by Lawfer

[Calrex 0]

Calrex gave a small yawn as he arrived on the fourteenth floor in a flash of light. It seemed since he and Takao had assisted Lawfer in the past, that the lance-wielder had come to trust them to provide assistance. The bluenette gave a friendly smile as he saw the man. The last he had taken on the quest was with Hikoru and Ariel at his side, and they had overcome it with ease. This time, with the trio from the <<Sea Wyvern>> battle, he wouldn't expect any less.

However, things were different. Due to recent events, and for some reason that the Ultramarine knight had yet to understand, Tristan had given him the <<Achilles>> unique skill, something that the bluenette would never have expected. He was starting to get used to having the ability, and this quest would be a great way to test out the single rank he had managed to put into it.

"Hey Law, looks like another field boss quest right?"

[Takao 0]

Wet mud squelched beneath the soles of his boots as he took his first steps of the day in the fourth floor. An annoyed, guttural groan rumbled in his chest as he glanced down at the sodden earth. The floor designs hadn't relented in the slightest when it came to their depressing dreariness, but this floor was particularly unpleasant for a number of reasons. It was a step above the twelfth in terms of desirableness, yet still fell light years short of the more habitable floors. Even so, progress was to be made, and comfort was the enemy of progress. He didn't have any qualms about their quarry either; given his penchant for taking irresponsible risks, he had completed the quest on his lonesome some time ago. A bit of extra help would be fine.

His off hand raised upon noticing the familiar appearances of Lawfer and Calrex. "'ey guys." He said in greeting, arms lazily falling into his pockets as he glanced over the two. "We ready to get goin'?"

[Lawfer 0]

Raising his hand, the spearman waved to the aquamarine knight. "Yeap thats the one, I guess its called the Lich King." He stated as his attention was drawn to the brunette that had just wandered up. "Thanks for the help again Tak. Im ready to go if you both are." He stated as he motioned with his head towards the gate. Raising his right hand, he scrolled through his inventory and equipped his Lancer set of gear. As he was encased in his scarlet armor. He turned to his head to the two, "So which way are we headed to smack down the Lich king?" He asked, as he pointed with his finger, moving it back and forth tracing the landscape.

[Calrex 0]

Calrex gave a nod as he saw Takao also arrive. With their party assembled the bluenette pointed off into the distance to what appears to be a run-down coliseum, "Last time I took this quest on that coliseum was the designated spawning point for the quest. Depending on how things go we'd best go on all-out attack, focusing on area of effect Sword Arts from the start. The field boss has a couple of minions that heal him every round, as well as legions of undead soldiers which heal him as well upon their death. If we can eliminate them before their numbers become too large, this should be a quick mission to complete."

With that he put his hands into his jacket pockets, ready to go.

[Takao 0]

"Nah, no worries man." Takao said in response to the gratitude Lawfer exhibited for his agreement to help. He couldn't feel too virtuous about his participation, for his main interest were his own personal benefits for helping. At the same time, he was helping somebody else, so it wasn't all that selfish either. An odd grey zone in the middle, where his actions were neither solely benevolent nor were they solely in self interest. There was a word for it somewhere, yet all but the definition itself had slipped his mind. Calrex had given them both their heading and their plan of action: the distant colosseum, and the employment of area of effect skills to whittle down the number of enemies they'd be facing. If he recalled his own excursion, here had only been a total of five including the Lich King itself, yet he had no doubts that the difficulty of the quest increased as the numbers within a party did. With a slight nod of his head in agreement, Takao started off in the direction of the colosseum.

[Lawfer 0]

As the lancer followed the brunettes directions, a smirk danced across his face. He could see the outline of the Colosseum in the distance, and that would make things much more interesting in the short term. "Looks like things are gonna get more interesting." He commented as he removed his Highwind from over his shoulder. Spinning it in his hand his smirk grew to a smile. Ever since he began developing his skills, combat had began to grow much more exciting now that he didnt need to rely on others as much. The gates to the Colosseum grew closer and closer, as the party made their way through the depressing landscape.

As the group made it through the gates of the arena, the doors closed behind them as the Lich King stepped forward and let out a shriek. As it slammed its large broadsword to the ground, the two doorways behind it opened and the undead began to pour in. As two Shambling soldiers and two Skeletal Lich's poured in and backed up the King, the Dragoon spun his spear once more. "I'll wipe out the small ones, I'll leave the big guy to you guys." He commented as he pulled his spear back and began the pre-motion for <Hellish Twice>. Sprinting two the left, he pulled the aggro from the mobs off of the party, before the flanking was completed. The Spearman activated <Charge> And appeared next the the small mobs. "Fall..." He stated as his spear glowed silver, and with two slashes he dispatched the 4 minor undead. 

As he turned his head to the King it roared as it glowed green, indicating he tied to absorb the health of the mobs that were just slain. In an instant, the King wretched back his arms then swung the enormous great-sword horizontally at him. Trying to back-step quickly, the spearman could fell the sword rend his midsection, then flung him to the opposite side of the arena near his comrades. Crashing into the wall behind his comrades the dragoon watched his HP dipped into the yellow zone, and let out a chuckle. "Guess that didn't work out the way I planned...."

ID: 57945
BD: 9
MD: 10
LD: 3 -_-

[H:2] Lawfer: 57/124 l 24/32 EN l SA Used: <Hellish Twice -8EN> 12+1+2= 60DMG AOE
Calrex:
Takao:

Lich King: 350/350  112+2= 114-27= 57 DMG
Shambling Soldier: 0/20HP
Shambling Soldier: 0/20HP
Skeletal Lich: 0/45
Skeletal Lich: 0/45

Edited April 29, 2016 by Lawfer

[Calrex 0]

ID: 58017
Battle Dice: 7 (Accuracy +3) = 10 (Disregarded Due to Howl)
<<Howl>> Activated

Calrex gave a nod as he saw Lawfer rush in to attack. Things seemed to be ready to finish much faster than the time he took the quest on with Ariel and Hikoru, but right as the thought left his conscious mind the bluenette saw the <<Lich King>> rush in, striking their lance-wielding teammate aside for most of his hearth.

Glancing over as Takao the Ultramarine Knight gave a quick nod, "I'll get the boss' attention. Stun it and hopefully we'll be able to take it out before more creatures spawn."

Quickly coming into range the bluenette drew his sword, already glowing with the energy of his <<Howl>> skill before piercing into the ground, unleashing the power in a concussive blast. With the boss noticing the change in aggro its eyes locked onto Calrex as he gave a smirk, "All yours!"

[H:2] Lawfer: 57/124 l 24/32 EN
[H:3] Calrex: 287/287 | 63/63 EN | <<Howl>> Used
Takao:

Lich King: 350/350  112+2= 114-27= 57 DMG
Shambling Soldier: 0/20HP
Shambling Soldier: 0/20HP
Skeletal Lich: 0/45
Skeletal Lich: 0/45

[Takao 0]

ID: 58139
BD: 4 + 3(ACC)

[H:1]Takao: 229/229 (44/56)
Sword Art: «Lightning Fall» (13(Base) + 5(Charge) + 1(Ferocity)  = 19 * 9(SA) = 171 DMG)

[H:2] Lawfer: 57/124 l 24/32 EN
[H:3] Calrex: 287/287 | 63/63 EN | <<Howl>> Used

Lich King: 179/350 [ -171 HP ]

Having arrived at the Colosseum with his two questing companions, Takao watched in silence as Lawfer struck first. It hadn't been the smartest move in hindsight, but he was sure that the depleted health bar spoke loud enough for his own comments to go unspoken. A sidelong glance at Calrex was stolen and Takao nodded in agreement. Preventing the monster from attacking would be the wisest course of action, even if he was fairly confident that Calrex could withstand any damage it might dish out.

Takao swung his sword up onto his shoulder and tilted the tip backward. The steel began to glow blue, and in the moment that followed, Takao launched forward an engaged the Lich King. Nine strikes tore through its skeletal frame, chipping away at its health until the final blow came to pass and rendered the monster momentarily dazed. "Alright, it's out for a minute!" Takao called out as he put a small bit of distance between himself and the Lich King.

Edited May 2, 2016 by Takao

[Lawfer 0]

As he watched the two engage the mighty Lich, Lawfer took a deep breath. It had been his first time that a single mob had been able to dish out that much damage to him in one go. Pulling himself out his self made crater in the wall of the arena, he grasped his Highwind tightly. Calrex had managed to pull most of the aggro and Takao had stepped in to make a devastating strike, but still the Lich King stood. "Guess i get one more crack at him." He commented as he pushed of his back foot and began to sprint toward the hulking mass of bones and steel. Pulling back his spear, he began the premotion for <Vent Forth>. Activating <Charge>, he jetted forward in a blur of scarlet. 

As he stopped center mass in front of the Lich King, his sword art activated and in a stream of scarlet and gold he unleashed three slashing strikes followed by a powerful lunge that knocked back the Lich KIng. The Lich stepped forward and swung its massive blade once more, ducking under and then around, the dragoon pivoted back and circled out of range from another attack. Watching as the Lich's HP bar dipped into red the spearman looked over to the ultramarine knight. "Cal, mind finishing this thing off?" he asked as motioned forward with his head.

ID: 58175
BD: 10
MD:1

[H:4] Lawfer: 57/124 l 17/32 EN (+1/-8) l SA Used: <Vent Forth -8EN> 12+2+2=16*8=128 DMG
[H:3] Calrex: 287/287 | 63/63 EN |
[H:1]Takao: 229/229 (44/56)

Lich King: 51/350 [ -128 HP ]

Edited May 3, 2016 by Lawfer

[Calrex 0]

ID: 58206
Battle Dice: 9 (Accuracy +3) = 12 (+1 Damage)
Loot Dice: 5 (Search and Detect +2 / Item +1) = 8
Sword Art <<Sonic Leap>> Activated / <<Charge>> Activated (3 Energy Used / 60 Remaining)

"Sure thing"

Locking onto the field boss Calrex quickly rushed forward as the Grand Blade II blazed alight with a light blue glow. Placing it over his shoulder he could feel his body already growing lighter as his <<Sonic Leap>> Sword Art charge. At the same time he triggered <<Charge>> and rocketed forward, quickly closing the distance before leaping upwards. As he executed a front flip his sword came down and spit the helm of the creature as he landed behind it.

Turning back to check on his attack the bluenette confirmed his kill as the <<Lich King>> burst into crystals as he gave a sigh of relief. Flicking his sword into a reverse grip Calrex resheathed it before putting his hands back into his pockets, "Alright, that's done, heh."

[H:4] Lawfer: 57/124 l 17/32 EN (+1/-8)
[H:4] Calrex: 287/287 | 60/63 EN (-3)
[H:1]Takao: 229/229 (44/56)

Lich King: -3/350 [ -54 HP ]

[Takao 0]

"That was a lot easier with a group." Takao admitted as he rolled his shoulders. His sword was swung up and he shouldered the flat, glancing over at both Calrex and Lawfer in turn. If their previous quest-prefaced excursions were of any indication of the future, he imagined at least one of the two would find themselves interested in a dungeon run. "So, are we doin' another dungeon run while we're up here? I know of one that's 'spose to be rather close by." He said, lifting his arm up to slide the sword down into its scabbard as he awaited their response.

Edited May 5, 2016 by Takao

[Lawfer 0]

Watching as Calrex dispatched the Lich King he smiled, spinning his spear casually he then slung it over his shoulder. "Way to make that look too easy Cal..." He commented with a smirk then the dragoon looked at his HP bar and shook his head. "That thing sure hit pretty hard." He stated as he sighed slightly. Turning his attention to Takao's question he nodded. "Yeah that works for me. My energy is pretty depleted so I may need to hang back for a bit and recover but I wont turn down another dungeon." He continued as he smiled. Pushing up his half-visor, he then pulled his right arm across his chest to stretch out a bit.

<Out of combat recovery- +6HP, +1EN>

[Calrex 0]

"Heh, easy is only because you guys softened it up. There's no way I could one-shot that field boss, even if I wanted to."

Giving a nod to Takao Calrex gave approval of another dungeon, "Sure thing. If there's one nearby we might as well take advantage. Although I think we should be careful for now, at least until Law's health is back up to decent levels. I'd rather avoid any unwanted surprises if we can get away with it."

The bluenette himself still had a workable amount of energy, but certainly not enough to deal with a large slew of opponents. However, he would be back to full strength in just a few moments, due to the out of combat recovery mechanic implemented into SAO. It was certainly an exploitable tactic, but at the least he knew how to use it to his advantage to keep his teammates safe. An ever cautious and steady pace was one he favored over speed and high risk/return.

[Takao 0]

"Resting up before we head into the boss room is a good idea. We're on the fourteenth floor, so the dungeon boss is gonna have nearly a thousand HP, and it's damage'll be up there too. We can handle it though." Takao said, his glance drifting over Calrex before he turned and refocused. The fourteenth floor wasn't particularly pleasant to traverse, the landscape was either rough and difficult to progress through or it was muddy and slow. Neither option was optimal, although he certainly preferred the former.

Takao set about searching for the dungeon with his traveling companions close by. It didn't take long for him to locate it with the use of his reveal skill and accompanying search buffs. The dungeon entrance was hidden amidst some rubble, with a large sheet of stone blocking the way inside. Takao hopped down and pressed his back against the rock, then used his strength-parameter augmented legs to push the stone and drop it out of the way. "Aaand here we are. I'll head in first." Takao said. True to his word, Takao delved into the dungeon first, his sword held tightly in hand.

Advanced Dungeon found.

ID
58991

LD
23
12(LD) + 5(S&D) + 3(HoM) + 2(Reveal) + 1(Detect)

Edited May 14, 2016 by Takao

[Lawfer 0]

Chuckling slightly, the spearman watched as Takao worked his magic once more and was able to easily find another advanced dungeon. "You make that look way too easy... You do realize that, dont you?" He commented as he looked at Takao, hanging back momentarily. Turning his head to the Ultramarine Knight, "Cal, I'll follow after you. I still need a little time to restore my Energy before I can be of any help." He stated as the trailed behind the party. He disliked the fact that he lacked the deep energy pool that was needed to be effective in instances like this, but there wasn't much else that could be done at the moment. 

<Out of combat recovery- +6HP, +1EN>

[Calrex 0]

ID: 59579
Battle Dice: 3 (Accuracy +3) = 6
Loot Dice: 6 (Search and Detect +2 / Item +1) = 9 (No Materials Found)
Mob Dice: 9 (Evasion +2) = 7 (+1 Damage)
Sword Art <<Lightning Fall>> Activated (14 Energy Used / 1 Recovered / 48 Remaining)

"Sure thing. Let's get this thing going then."

Readying the Grand Blade II once again Calrex rushed forward as he quickly entered into the dungeon, scanning left and right. Upon seeing a collection of skeletal soldiers he quickly leapt skywards and readied his <<Lightning Fall>> Sword Art. Crashing back to the earth dead center between the four creatures the lightning energy shot out, quickly dispatching all four just before their blades met Calrex's armor. However as they dispersed the sword fell and lightly grazed his avatar, leaving a small amount of damage.

"Alright, four down."

Shambling Soldier 1: -49/56 (13+4 DMG * 7 Art - 14 MIT = 105 DMG)
Shambling Soldier 2: -49/56 (13+4 DMG * 7 Art - 14 MIT = 105 DMG)
Shambling Soldier 3: -49/56 (13+4 DMG * 7 Art - 14 MIT = 105 DMG)
Shambling Soldier 4: -49/56 (13+4 DMG * 7 Art - 14 MIT = 105 DMG)

Calrex: 261/287 (42+1*4 DMG - 30*4 MIT / 2 Achilles = 26 DMG)
   Energy: 48/63
Takao: 229/229
   Energy: 46/56
Lawfer: 69/124
   Energy: 19/32

[Takao 0]

ID: 59635
BD: 4 + 3(ACC)

Takao: 249/249 (53/61) (-8)
Sword Art: «Vertical Square» (13(Base) + 5(Charge) = 18 * 4(SA) = 72 DMG)

Shambling Soldier 5: -2/56 (72 - 14(MIT) = -58HP)
Shambling Soldier 6: -2/56 (72 - 14(MIT) = -58HP)
Shambling Soldier 7: -2/56 (72 - 14(MIT) = -58HP)
Shambling Soldier 8: -2/56 (72 - 14(MIT) = -58HP)

"Just luck." Takao said, knowing at some point his explanation for his good fortune would begin to sound like a broken record player. "And a bit of knowing what to look for, I guess." He added, followed by a shrug. He didn't want to attribute too much of his success to his own ability, when the majority of the process relied entirely on the system itself. As they delved through the dungeon, Calrex opted to engage the first group of monsters whilst a second group quickly gathered just beyond them. Takao launched into his own sword art, one with a lesser energy cost than Calrex's choice, and offed the next four.

Edited May 25, 2016 by Takao

[Lawfer 0]

As the spearman watched the two front-liners delve deeper in the dungeon, he trailed back slightly to steer clear of the aggro of any possible mob that was laying in wait for the party. Lawfer hated this part... The sitting and waiting for his energy to return. He realized that if it wasn't for the energy he wasted on the Lich, he would have been able to take part in the current fights. "Well that's neither here nor there I assume." He muttered under his breath as he looked up to the left and noticed that his energy had finally returned. "Time to hop in there." He stated as he removed the strap that was attached to his spear from his shoulder. Now he would just need to find the right opening to hop in.

<Out of combat recovery- +6HP, +1EN(3/3 EN Full)>

[Calrex 0]

ID: 59651
Battle Dice: 4 (Accuracy +3) = 7
Loot Dice: 12 (Search and Detect +2 / Item +1) = 15 (Materials Found)
Mob Dice: 1 (Evasion +2) = -1
Sword Art <<Lightning Fall>> Activated / <<Charge>> Activated (14 Energy Used / 1 Recovered / 35 Remaining)

"Take your time. I'd prefer you closer to max health than max energy, heh."

Seeing another group of skeletal soldiers making their way over Calrex gave a quick exhale as he rushed forward and leapt skyward, activating <<Lightning Fall>> and crashing into the ground once again with the lightning charged Grand Blade II. With his <<Charge>> skill adding more impact to the attack. The electricity shot out, immediately piercing through the monsters as the bluenette got to his feet.

"Another four down!"

Loot List:
4 Materials

Shambling Soldier 1: -49/56 (13+4 DMG * 7 Art - 14 MIT = 105 DMG)
Shambling Soldier 2: -49/56 (13+4 DMG * 7 Art - 14 MIT = 105 DMG)
Shambling Soldier 3: -49/56 (13+4 DMG * 7 Art - 14 MIT = 105 DMG)
Shambling Soldier 4: -49/56 (13+4 DMG * 7 Art - 14 MIT = 105 DMG)

Calrex: 261/287
   Energy: 35/63
Takao: 229/229
   Energy: 46/56
Lawfer: 75/124
   Energy: 32/32