[SP - F17] Scouting the Seventeenth Floor

[Takao 0]

It was unavoidable now. A precedent had been set, and it was open season for players. The strongest among them were being killed, not slowly but in chunks. Whatever forces worked against them were taking large strides in whittling away the strength of the front lines. Some would call it fate, others disgusting... Takao wasn't sure what he would call it. Reality, maybe. It had happened before, and they hadn't taken the proper measurements to prevent it from happening again. Was it his fault? Could he logically blame himself, if there was fault to be thrown around? The more he considered it, the less it made sense. He wasn't in charge of their safety, nor was he any sort of leader to them. He scouted and he made battle plans, that was it. That was all he ever claimed responsibility for, and it was all the more he would do. Sword Art Online was a story. It told the tales of thousands, and in recent times had begun to sing a hymn of tragedy and betrayal. The weak would be culled with time, which gave him more motivation ever to progress, both personally as well as scouting.

As the last of the monsters fell, Takao cast a glance in each of Calrex and Teayre's direction. The frontlines would be hell for a while. For them, for him, and for everybody. The seed of distrust had been sown, and what would grow from it... Well, only time would tell. Takao sheathed his sword and walked off in the direction of the staircase, ready to get a head start on scouting.

- -

Vodka used.
Lamb Haunch used.
Golden Apple used.

Edited June 1, 2016 by Takao

[Takao 0]

In the darkness before the seventeenth floor lay the warp gate platform that Takao activated prior to moving on. He hadn't seen anybody following directly behind him after departing from the raid party, and simply assumed that they thought he'd be getting to the boss room first and that any additional effort would be wasted. Thusly, his attention had momentarily been diverted from scouting to ensuring that the floor would be open to the players. He moved forward after setting the platform to activate, which would be completed in the next forty eight hours or so. He wasn't sure what the delay was about, but it didn't matter much to him either.

Takao proceeded to be the first in Aincrad to lay his eyes upon the sight of Athenaia. The plaza he stepped out onto was elevated, giving him an expansive view of the Ancient Greece themed city. In the distance, white marble walls loomed overhead, their sheer size making them an imposing obstacle for potential invaders. The ambient noise of NPC activity below filled his ears, accompanied by some themed music. Takao quickly proceeded down the staircase and in the direction of a gate he located from atop the plaza.

Before long, he was delving into the wilderness of the seventeenth floor, walking alongside a rough road made of white stone with his sword in hand. His first stop would be a mountain in the distance, which would give him a much needed birds eye view of the floor, but not before he was intercepted by a small group of soldier-esque monsters. They were clad in cloth and bronze armour, wielding a large round shield in one arm and a spear in the other. Neither saw any use before they were obliterated by a wave of electricity, and Takao continued on his way.

ID: 60174
BD: 9 + 3(ACC)
LD: 24 (14 + 5(S&D) + 3(HoM) + 2(Vitamins))
( +8 Materials | +7280 Col )

Takao: 253/253 (48/62) (-14)
Sword Art: «Lightning Fall»
Damage: 13(Base) + 5(Charge) + 6(Alcoholic) + 1(Critical) = 25 * 7(SA) = 175 DMG

21/25 Remaining

Hoplite: 0/140 (175 - 35(MIT) = -140HP)
Hoplite: 0/140 (175 - 35(MIT) = -140HP)
Hoplite: 0/140 (175 - 35(MIT) = -140HP)
Hoplite: 0/140 (175 - 35(MIT) = -140HP)

Total Rewards
8 Materials
7280 Col

Edited June 1, 2016 by Takao

[Takao 0]

Takao continued uncontested down the road for quite a while, his destination looming in the distance. It wasn't the tallest mountain that he could see, but it was certainly still fit to be called a mountain, and would serve the purpose of a vantage point just fine. The road, despite being rough and not easily traveled, was very much so the best way forward for a ways. The rest of the terrain was considerably more rough and didn't lend itself well to travel. Unfortunately, it also seemed as though the road was in ample supply of obstacles, particularly in the form of monsters. Another group of four humanoid monsters blocked his path, and another group of four was slaughtered by a wave of crackling electricity.

ID: 60201
BD: 9 + 3(ACC)
LD: 25 (15 + 5(S&D) + 3(HoM) + 2(Vitamins))
( +8 Materials | +7280 Col )

Takao: 253/253 (35/62) (+1/-14)
Sword Art: «Lightning Fall»
Damage: 13(Base) + 5(Charge) + 6(Alcoholic) + 1(Critical) = 25 * 7(SA) = 175 DMG

17/25 Remaining

Hoplite: 0/140 (175 - 35(MIT) = -140HP)
Hoplite: 0/140 (175 - 35(MIT) = -140HP)
Hoplite: 0/140 (175 - 35(MIT) = -140HP)
Hoplite: 0/140 (175 - 35(MIT) = -140HP)

Total Rewards
16 Materials
14560 Col

Edited June 1, 2016 by Takao

[Takao 0]

The white stone set within the soil of the seventeenth floor began to thin out and become sparse. Soon, the stones no longer traveled in the direction of the mountain he sought out, and instead turned in another direction. It was only with his high search skill that he was able to see the second settlement in the distance, noting the gold tinged marble in the distance before moving on. It would be worth examining them further on his way back, but until then the boss room took precedence. In typical exploration fashion, Takao didn't get very far from the last scuffle before another four monsters appeared, thus forcing him to repeat the process. A wave of crackling electricity later had reduced them to polygons, and he continued on his way.

"Eh," He muttered to himself, green eyes glancing across the rolling hills and large mountains in the distance. "Should've brought Oto' with me. At least then I could've justified talking to myself." He exhaled a yawn and shook his head. There wouldn't be any players around him anyway, and even then he truly didn't care much about how people saw him, so his muttering was more so to compete with the deafening silence of the floor.

ID: 60203
BD: 7 + 3(ACC)
LD: 22 (12 + 5(S&D) + 3(HoM) + 2(Vitamins))
( +8 Materials | +6968 Col )

Takao: 253/253 (22/62) (+1/-14)
Sword Art: «Lightning Fall»
Damage: 13(Base) + 5(Charge) + 6(Alcoholic) = 24 * 7(SA) = 168 DMG

13/25 Remaining

Hoplite: 0/134 (168 - 34(MIT) = -134HP)
Hoplite: 0/134 (168 - 34(MIT) = -134HP)
Hoplite: 0/134 (168 - 34(MIT) = -134HP)
Hoplite: 0/134 (168 - 34(MIT) = -134HP)

Total Rewards
24 Materials
21528 Col

Edited June 1, 2016 by Takao

[Takao 0]

"Well... Guess I can't really complain too much 'bout this one." Takao huffed out between breaths. The continued usage of sword arts had only just started to take their toll on him, but he had no doubts that the fatigue would be creeping up on him soon. The incremental stamina drain was an absolutely alien sensation that he had yet to grow accustomed to despite his near constant usage of sword arts, yet he endured nonetheless. It wasn't as though he had much of a choice in the matter, after all. "At least it's not another floor that's just depressin' as all hell." He said, green eyes set upon the looming figure of the mountain. Despite the path being long behind him, the monsters ahead hadn't lessened in the slightest. He plowed through another four monsters with relative ease and continued forward.

ID: 60204
BD: 8 + 3(ACC)
LD: 16 (6 + 5(S&D) + 3(HoM) + 2(Vitamins))
( +4 Materials | +4288 Col )

Takao: 253/253 (9/62) (+1/-14)
Sword Art: «Lightning Fall»
Damage: 13(Base) + 5(Charge) + 6(Alcoholic) = 24 * 7(SA) = 168 DMG

9/25 Remaining

Hoplite: 0/134 (168 - 34(MIT) = -134HP)
Hoplite: 0/134 (168 - 34(MIT) = -134HP)
Hoplite: 0/134 (168 - 34(MIT) = -134HP)
Hoplite: 0/134 (168 - 34(MIT) = -134HP)

Total Rewards
28 Materials
25816 Col

Edited June 1, 2016 by Takao

[Takao 0]

Any semblances of a road had long since disappeared from the mountainous terrain of the seventh floor, and was replaced with grass and stone. It was a bit more comfortable to traverse than the lopsided stone abomination that the floor attempted to pass off as a road, yet the differing terrain slowed him down regardless. The mountain he sought out drew closer with each step forward, its shadow beginning to consume the land he walked upon. There were telltale signs of where the floor labyrinths resided that he had noticed in previous scouting excursions, and the peak would offer the vantage point he needed.

- -

Energy Recovery
9 > 10

2/3 turns remaining for full recovery.

Edited June 1, 2016 by Takao

[Takao 0]

Nearly an hour of wandering had lead him to the base of the mountain he sought to ascend. The lack of combat had given his energy a chance to recover, and the light hiking had done next to nothing to deplete whatever remnants of stamina he had. Still, the daunting task of climbing a mountain laid ahead, and it was certainly not going to be without its challenges. He turned his torso and glanced to the direction he'd come, watching as faint lights of spawning monsters flashed in the distance. His subconscious concurred that going back that way would be ill advised with his current energy situation, which made the path forward look considerably more appealing.

- -

Energy Recovery
10 > 11

1/3 turns remaining for full recovery.

[Takao 0]

The literal road to the top of the mountain was little more than a worn dirt path, offering some direction and ease of travel to the summit. For him to call it a literal mountain might've been a bit of an overestimation of its size now that he stood directly in its presence, but it would still serve its purpose just fine when he reached the summit. As his gaze rose skyward, he took notice of the large clouds rolling in from the west. They looked dark and foretold the approach of a storm, if the distant thunder and scarce flash of light within were of any indication. Takao shifted his eyes back to the path and continued forward, eager to finish scouting before night fell across Aincrad.

- -

Energy Recovery
11 > 62

0/3 turns remaining for full recovery.

Edited June 1, 2016 by Takao

[Takao 0]

"Should've guessed I wouldn't get far." Takao grumbled under his breath as four independent sources of distorted light appeared before him; the tell-tale sign of a monster spawning. Running past was an option, yet it was risky to dive head first into unknown territory. Not that he hadn't done so before, simply for the sake of doing it. But he wasn't in the market for taking unnecessary risks on this particular excursion, given that he had a clear goal to prevent him from being bored.

The incessant onslaught of well-armoured soldiers of an Ancient Greece theme was, however, beginning to tire him. Both in the literal sense of fatigue as well as the mental sense of being bored of their attack patterns and general appearance. He had little interest with engaging their spears directly, which easily out-ranged his sword, thus he continued to rely on the only attack he possessed that boasted any semblance of attacking from a distance. His sword shone a bright mixture of blue and purple, and then slammed it into the ground. A wave of electricity rippled outward from the steel, destroying all four freshly spawned monsters before they could even get a bearing on their surroundings.

ID: 60280
BD: 3 + 3(ACC)
LD: 22 (12 + 5(S&D) + 3(HoM) + 2(Vitamins))
( +8 Materials | +6968 Col )

Takao: 253/253 (48/62) (/-14)
Sword Art: «Lightning Fall»
Damage: 13(Base) + 5(Charge) + 6(Alcoholic) = 24 * 7(SA) = 168 DMG

5/25 Remaining

Hoplite: 0/134 (168 - 34(MIT) = -134HP)
Hoplite: 0/134 (168 - 34(MIT) = -134HP)
Hoplite: 0/134 (168 - 34(MIT) = -134HP)
Hoplite: 0/134 (168 - 34(MIT) = -134HP)

Total Rewards
36 Materials
32784 Col

Edited June 1, 2016 by Takao

[Takao 0]

His grumbling turned to throaty growls of frustration as more monsters spawned ahead of him, impeding his path forward and further delaying his scouting of the floor. The leather of his sword's handle as his grip tightened and twisted, venting his irritation partway by flexing his hand. In a perfect world, he would've strolled carefree through the floor and reached the mountain's peak in record time, then found exactly what he was looking for atop the summit and found the boss room in the next hour. But with each stop he was forced to make with the spawning of new monsters, he lost more and more time. Of course, the results of the delays weren't detrimental. Nobody else was scouting, and they wouldn't be engaging the boss immediately after finding it, so it was merely by his own personal vices that he found himself becoming annoyed. The four monsters that had only just spawned were prime real estate for venting his frustrations, and found their demise at the receiving end of a wave of lightning.

ID: 60283
BD: 8 + 3(ACC)
LD: 16 (6 + 5(S&D) + 3(HoM) + 2(Vitamins))
( +4 Materials | +4288 Col )

Takao: 253/253 (35/62) (+1/-14)
Sword Art: «Lightning Fall»
Damage: 13(Base) + 5(Charge) + 6(Alcoholic) = 24 * 7(SA) = 168 DMG

1/25 Remaining

Hoplite: 0/134 (168 - 34(MIT) = -134HP)
Hoplite: 0/134 (168 - 34(MIT) = -134HP)
Hoplite: 0/134 (168 - 34(MIT) = -134HP)
Hoplite: 0/134 (168 - 34(MIT) = -134HP)

Total Rewards
40 Materials
37072 Col

Edited June 1, 2016 by Takao

[Takao 0]

Takao pulled the tip of his sword from the soft hillside soil and continued on his way, the soles of his boots lightly treading across loose dirt and gravel as he ascended the side of the grassy mountain. He still had quite a ways to go before the boss room could be located, yet the summit was well within his reach. The foliage on the right side of the path began to grow thicker and the grass taller with each step he took, obscuring large portions of his vision as he progressed along the side of the hillock, whilst the left was mostly clear and offered a nice view of the direction he'd come from.

The grass on his right side rustled and his ear twitched in attention as a result. He turned just in time to see a spear thrust from beyond the foliage, and despite his best attempts to react in time, the spear buried itself in his exposed stomach. Takao grunted loudly and staggered backward from the force of the blow. With his loss of footing, he stumbled down the hill for barely a second before miraculously catching his balance mid-tumble and righting his footing. With the requisition of his balance, Takao looked up the hill to the source of the spear and noted the appearance of its wielder. A complete lack of armour to contrast the hoplites before it, a large plumed galea, and a bronze shield and spear wielded in either hand. Not quite to the scale of a field boss set to guard the labyrinth, yet a formidable opponent all the same. Takao dropped his attention to his menu as he opened it and quickly navigated to his inventory, swapping out a piece of equipment with something that offered more protection.

"Alright Leonidas, let's see whatchu' got."

ID: 60285
BD: 1 + 3(ACC)
MD: 7 + 2(Alcoholic)

1/25 Remaining

Takao: 190/253 (36/62) (+1)
Sword Art: «Changing Equipment»
Damage: N/A

Spartan General: 500/500
Damage: 75 - 12(MIT) = 63 DMG

- -

Hands of Midas unequipped.
Hunstman's Set equipped.

Total Rewards
40 Materials
37072 Col

Edited June 1, 2016 by Takao

[Takao 0]

As his usual hunting gear took precedence and the Hands of Midas were sidelined, the Spartan General leapt down the hill in preparation to engage Takao further. Its spear arm was pulled back and quickly thrust forward at Takao, who responded by raising his sword and angling the flat to receive the blow while he also stepped to the side and avoided the body hurdling toward him. The Spartan General twisted its body as the spear was knocked aside and had originally planned to try and smash its shield into Takao's face while still in flight, but instead found Takao's foot slamming into his side and knocking him down onto the hill. Of course, the kick itself did no damage, Takao's martial arts skill was too low for small hits that didn't utilize a sword art to deal noticeable damage, but it was fantastic for creating openings.

Takao was already upon the Spartan General as it hurried back to its feet. His sword shone bright orange with the tell-tale usage of the one handed straight sword's strongest sword art. Eleven hits tore through the Spartan General's exposed torso, carving massive red wounds into its digital flesh. It wasn't quite dead yet, but that would change soon enough.

ID: 60290
BD: 9 + 3(ACC)
MD: 1 + 2(Alcoholic)

1/25 Remaining

Takao: 190/253 (24/62) (+1/-11)
Sword Art: «Meteor Break»
Damage:  13(Base) + 5(Charge) + 6(Alcoholic) + 1(Ferocity) + 1(Critical) = 26 * 11(SA) = 286 DMG

Spartan General: 214/500 (-286HP)
Damage: «Missed Attack»

Total Rewards
40 Materials
37072 Col

Edited June 2, 2016 by Takao

[Takao 0]

As the last hit of Takao's sword art connected with the Spartan General, his right leg was raised again and the sole of his boot was slammed into the NPC's helm. The damage dealt wasn't enough to fell it in one go, but it was certainly staggering. The monster toppled onto its back and released the shield from its grasp, opting instead to cling to the spear. The wooden shaft was raised and the sharpened point was aimed at Takao, though the brunet simply slapped it aside with the flat of his sword. It tried to raise the spear again and Takao stomped down on the monster's wrist, pinning both it and the weapon to the ground. With his sword raised, Takao thrust it through the opening of the helm. The last of its health was drained with the motion, and the monster burst into pixels and polygons.

ID: 60318
BD: 5 + 3(ACC)
MD: 6 + 2(Alcoholic)

0/25 Remaining

Takao: 190/253 (14/62) (+1/-11)
Sword Art: «Meteor Break»
Damage:  13(Base) + 6(Alcoholic) + 1(Ferocity) = 20 * 11(SA) = 220 DMG

Spartan General: 0/500 (-220HP)
Damage: «Dead»

Total Rewards
40 Materials
37072 Col

Edited June 2, 2016 by Takao

[Takao 0]

Before long, Takao was set on his way again. The summit of the mountain would have easily been within his grasp, had it not been for the last four monsters impeding his path. He huffed out a breath and rolled his shoulders just before leaping one last time to engage them. There would undoubtedly be more along the way, but the peak itself seems relatively untouched by the presence of monsters. These last four monsters would be the last stepping stones on his way up to a mountain that might not even hold the information he sought, but it was the best place to start regardless. One wave of electricity knocked each of them down, reducing their health to zilch and resulting in their bursting into pixels and polygons.

ID: 60333
BD: 10 + 3(ACC)
LD: 15 (5 + 5(S&D) + 3(HoM) + 2(Vitamins))
( +4 Materials | +4640 Col )

Takao: 190/253 (0/62) (+1/-14)
Sword Art: «Lightning Fall»
Damage: 13(Base) + 5(Charge) + 6(Alcoholic) = 26 * 7(SA) = 182 DMG

Hoplite: 0/145 (182 - 36(MIT) = -146HP)
Hoplite: 0/145 (182 - 36(MIT) = -146HP)
Hoplite: 0/145 (182 - 36(MIT) = -146HP)
Hoplite: 0/145 (182 - 36(MIT) = -146HP)

Total Rewards
44 Materials
41712 Col

Edited June 2, 2016 by Takao

[Takao 0]

Finally at the summit of the mountain, Takao was afforded the best view of the floor that he'd be getting. To the southeast he could see Athenaia, the settlement he had opened the warp gate in and traveled this far from. Closer to the mountain itself, he could see the golden hued stones of Corinthia to the also to the south. As he turned, the vague silhouettes of Spartaia and Larissa lingered in the distance, both locations he would have to check out before leaving the floor, just so that the brokers he often found himself exchanging information with would have a nice chunk of the map revealed, and player's would be bumbling their way through the floor whenever they decided to explore on their own. He turned again, and this time he saw exactly what he was looking for. A valley in the distance, surrounded by two massive mountains that seemed unconquerable. He had little desire to press that claim, and was much more interested in the valley itself.

Huntsman's Set unequipped.
Hands of Midas equipped.

Edited June 2, 2016 by Takao

[Takao 0]

Takao began his descent down the side of the mountain opposite to where he'd originally climbed up. The past was much more steep and offered little room to fight, but a simple glance down the grassy hill showed that monsters were already beginning to spawn. It'd be a pain, but not impossible. His strongest crowd control skill could be used while being mostly stationary after all, which gave him a huge advantage when it came to tricky locations such as the mountain. The dirt and gravel wasn't very easy to run down either, but he had little trouble keeping his balance.

Edited June 2, 2016 by Takao

[Takao 0]

Takao continued uncontested down the mountain, making large strides with his descent. Before long, the rubber soles of his leather boots hit solid, flat ground and a breath of relief left his lungs. It was simultaneously annoying and nerve wracking to run down a mountain, especially with monsters knowingly spawning in behind him and the off chance that he might have caught their aggression despite the distance. He was rather practiced in the art of monster kiting however, so the anxiety he'd felt was less so about the danger they posed and more about the time he would waste engaging them.

Edited June 2, 2016 by Takao

[Takao 0]

Having finally made it back down to the base of the mountain and in the direction of the valley he had seen at its summit, he was engaged by yet another group of four hoplites. Countless of their kindred had been fallen before them, and the ones standing in his path were no different. Utilizing the strongest sword art in his arsenal, Takao wiped out the four monsters with a wave of electricity before hurriedly continuing on his way, unwilling to let more monsters spawn in ahead of him than what was absolutely necessary. The fluttering polygons hadn't even finished disappearing before he brushed past them, sending them spinning sporadically in random directions.

ID: 60333
BD: 6 + 3(ACC)
LD: 22 (12 + 5(S&D) + 3(HoM) + 2(Vitamins))
( +8 Materials | +6968 Col )

Takao: 208/253 (48/62) (+1/-14)
Sword Art: «Lightning Fall»
Damage: 13(Base) + 5(Charge) + 6(Alcoholic) = 24 * 7(SA) = 168 DMG

Hoplite: 0/134 (168 - 34(MIT) = -134HP)
Hoplite: 0/134 (168 - 34(MIT) = -134HP)
Hoplite: 0/134 (168 - 34(MIT) = -134HP)
Hoplite: 0/134 (168 - 34(MIT) = -134HP)

Total Rewards
52 Materials
53320 Col

Edited June 2, 2016 by Takao

[Takao 0]

Takao delved into the sparse pine forest that stood between himself and the mountains, rubber boot soles treading heavily across soft soil, green grass, and an even coating of dead pine needles. The tall trees lacked foliage close to the ground, providing him with a straight view of the way forward. The canopy itself, however, was thick and blocked out a good deal of whatever remnants of light the floor had to offer. Dark clouds had rolled in overhead and threatened to capture Takao in the storm they were brewing, although he expected to be out of the forest and away from the boss room long before any rain happened to fall. He slowed his pace to a walk when the first hints of fatigue began to sit in, not wanting to be exhausted in the event that a hasty escape would become necessary.

[Takao 0]

The light pine forest slowly disappeared as Takao reached its end, and before long it was little more than a fading memory in the background. Before him was the two massive mountains, whose peaks were far too high to even attempt to climb and whose valley set betwixt them had drawn Takao closer to investigate. It seemed like the best place to hide the entrance to the labyrinth and boss room, and through simple analytical experience, he had deemed it to be the best place to start looking. At the very least, it was a section of the map that he could mark off.

ID: 60403
LD: 16 (6 + 5(S&D) + 3(HoM) + 2(Vitamins))

Edited June 2, 2016 by Takao