[PP-F6] A Heated Quest <<Deforestation>> (Oikawa) .:COMPLETE:.

[Creius 0]

Nathan had recently just teleported onto the sixth floor, looking around at the village of Amazon. He had heard tell of a quest and had come to look into it a bit. He doubted he had the strength to tackle the quest by himself at the current moment but having knowledge of it would give him an idea of when he could actually take it up. He had not come up to this floor too often so he had little idea about where to accept the quest so he ambled through Amazon for quite a bit, searching for some quest-giving NPC who might hold the quest that he was looking for. Eventually he came upon an NPC who was giving some quest. Upon accessing the quest he looked over the information, seeing that it was another field boss quest. The large cat seemed like just a little too much for Nathan to deal with at the moment since the tiger was a higher level boss. With a sigh he turned away from the quest, wondering what he should do now that he had come up to this floor. As he turned around he noticed someone behind him and his heart stopped as he saw the orange crystal floating above their head, a criminal of some sort apparently. The initial fear melted away and the slight panic that showed on his face was quickly replaced by his usual blank look that betrayed little to no emotion. There was no specific reason that this player had to be a player killer. There were other ways to earn an orange marker. Upon looking over the played he could easily see this man could squash Nathan like a bug so it was probably wise to just move on and just avoid this criminal. Nathan began to step past the man who had been standing behind him, not pausing to say a word.

Edited June 5, 2016 by Creius

[Oikawa 1]

Dense foliage surrounded the man all around. His gaze wondered from here to there as he made way towards the clearing just outside the forest line. He had wanted to reach this floor sooner but being unable to teleport to must places as they are within safe zones means he has to walk everywhere for the most part. Shrugging off the aching feeling in his legs, the blonde finally made it to the area said to house the NPC that was giving the quest to eliminate Byakko. A fire elemental tiger that was hellbent on destroying the Amazon. Just as he approached, another player seemed to have the same idea. That is, until he turned around with a look disappointment lingering on his features. This quickly changed as well as his crystal blue gaze met Oikawa's crimson one. The bluenette's stare fleeted quickly as he began to hurry past Oikawa. Not planning to physically stop him, Oikawa offered a few words.

"If you want to take that quest, accompany me then. I have no intention to kill you as my crystal status would suggest, but whether you choose o believe me or not is a choice you have to make."

[Creius 0]

Nathan stopped once the man spoke up and looked over at the blonde who just stood there. Quite a bit of his mind screamed for him to just keep walking and leave the blond where he stood. There was that one part that sensed the truth in the words, figuring that the blonde was trust worthy. Nathan stood there for a few seconds, deliberating over which part of his mind he should listen to. The part that said to run was being sensible in that he wanted to guarantee his survival and by partying with a PKer he greatly risked his quickened demise. The other part, though, brought up the fact that without the experience from the quest he would be weaker, increasing the chance that he would die in combat. After a few seconds of pause, Nathan finally turned to the blonde, facing him. "The problem is, I am not terribly strong at the moment. Not only could you probably crush me but the quest boss could easily burn me to a pile of ashes. I do not know how comfortable I am going on the quest at my present level. Though, if you are certain enough in your own skill then I think..." A few last minute thoughts flashed through his head, all of which he shoved aside and solidified his resolve. "I think I will party with you on the quest." He seriously had to be getting desperate if he were truly trusting a past PKer with his life. The thought had crept in before he could quiet it but he shoved it aside quickly afterwards. No point in doubting his decision now, it had already been made.

[Oikawa 1]

"I've come to learn that once your at a certain level threshold, your stats only matter in terms of mitigation and damage. So despite our level discrepancy, once you hit level 25 you'll be able to kill nearly anyone of thing available to you. That said, I am confident that as long as I hit the tiger, it will die. Simple as that." Turning to now face the player behind him, Oikawa offered a slight bow and introduced himself by sending a party request. "The name is Oikawa, Pleasure to meet you." Straightening out, he accepted the quest from the NPC and turned to see if this player was indeed sure about joining him.

[Creius 0]

Nathan nodded slightly, realizing that what the man spoke seemed to be truth in his experience. It was what had carried him through the game so far, the fact that he had been able to optimize his damage output and take down enemies quickly. He just hoped that this man was absolutely confident in his ability to land that blow. At the short introduction Nathan nodded slightly, "My name is Creius, nice to meet you." Such pleasant manners for a murderer, just a strange juxtaposition. While Oikawa turned to accept the quest Nathan accessed his menus and went over to the social tab, selecting this man's name and sending a party invite. The message was sent right when Oikawa turned back around, having accepted the quest, and his menus closed up. "So, off into the jungles we go?" Nathan was as ready as he would ever be, his inventory rather empty of extra items. All he had was his armour and his trust rapier but that was all he felt he truly needed.

[Oikawa 1]

Stats:

Spoiler

Stats:
189 HP
46 Energy
4 Accuracy
0 Evasion
13 Base Damage
30 Mitigation

Items
Orochi // +6 Damage
Ring of Mammon// +3 Prosperity
Ring of Satan// +3 Accuracy
 

Battle Ready Inventory
N/A
N/A
N/A

Buffs
+1 Accuracy (Precision)
+1 Damage (Athletics)
+5 HP (Athletics)

Skills
One Handed Straight Sword | Rank 5
Search & Detect | Rank 3
Light Armour | Rank 5
Charge | Rank 3
Battle Healing | Rank 1

Meditation
Concentration
Survival

Skill Mods
Athletics
Reveal
Precision

"Creius, interesting name." Nodding to answer the lad's question, Oikawa pushed back towards the jungle's treeline. "Stick close by, I'm sure we'll need to handle ourselves accordingly as there is more than just Byakko lurking in this forest. Keep your eyes peeled." Swiping his menu, the blonde quickly equipped his sword, Orochi, and two of his seven Rings. Once fitted for battle, he broke into the foliage and began searching for Byakko. Looking for trails of scorched earth and burnt greenery would be a sure sign the beast was within the vicinity.

ID: 60312 LD: 7 (4+3)

OOC: If you roll a 15+ on the LD, we find a Byakko trail. Whoever posts next rolls again, on a 10+ LD we find Byakko.

Edited June 1, 2016 by Oikawa

[Creius 0]

Nathan accepted the quiet musing about his chosen username, he enjoyed the name but that was probably because he knew where it came from. When Oikawa mentioned staying close Nathan nodded slightly and followed along, barely two metres behind the blonde and keeping pace with him. "As you say." As they started running Nathan drew his rapier, Bloodletter. He enjoyed the practice of being able to strike before one encountered his enemy so he followed behind the blonde, his rapier's thin blade singing softly in the air as they ran through the jungle foliage. Nathan kept his eyes peeled, searching for any clues of the large cat's whereabouts. He made sure to look for any particularly small details that might give information on where to proceed, constantly scanning his head from left to right and back.

ID: 60314  LD: 1

(OOC: Mmk, easy enough. Now to just cry because the Dice Gods hate me)

Edited June 1, 2016 by Creius

[Oikawa 1]

The familiar sound of metal exiting its scabbard, drew Oikawa's attention to the rapier being held by Creius. His eyebrow raised at the sight of the weapon, causing him to chuckle a bit as he reminisced on his own weapon of choice. "Another user of the gentleman's sword. Interesting." Unsheathing his own blade, he swiftly tore through leaves and vines that obstructed their path. The greenery slowly shattered to pixels with each strike and swipe. Leaving his blade at the ready, he scanned the area for the telltale signs, but the beast seemed especially elusive as of late. 

ID: 60316 LD: 12 (9+3)

Edited June 1, 2016 by Oikawa

[Creius 0]

Nathan smiled as Oikawa turned back and admired the rapier that he was holding in his hand. "I enjoy the blade style, allows for a lot of speed while not giving up a whole lot of reach." He quickly cut down some more foliage as they ran about and looked for clues of Byakko's presence, clearing it away so he could check the ground for any signs of heat damage. "Plus, most other swords seem to just be so clumsy and ugly in comparison. There is a certain style with the blade... Calling it a gentleman's sword seems rather accurate." Nathan nodded slightly and cut away more foliage in his search for clues.

ID: 60319 LD: 2

Edited June 1, 2016 by Creius

[Oikawa 1]

Oikawa cracked a smile as Creius commented on his view of the rapier. "I wish I could have you meet my friend London. He was a true gentleman in the way of the rapier. He literally taught me how to use the blade as I only picked it because it seemed obscure back then. I don't regret the choice and I don't think I ever will." Just as the words left his mouth, he felt like he spotted something but it seemed he was mistaken. Swiping the air, he drafted his inventory and swapped an item for one of his rings as well as activating <Reveal>.

ID: 60411 LD: 11 (4+3+2+2)

Edited June 2, 2016 by Oikawa

[Creius 0]

Nathan kept looking over the foliage and swore that he noticed a slight singe in one of the plants. He approached it and replied to Oikawa's comment. "I've never been to the U.K. but I have heard of the magnificent tales of England, London especially. I would not doubt there would be a man of great caliber within that city." After cutting away some foliage he noticed more singe marks and followed them at a quick jog. "I've found something, on me!" Nathan scanned the trail of burn marks he had found, some of them enormous. He could not tell how close they were to Byakko, but he could not be terribly far from where they were.

ID#60412    LD:18

Edited June 2, 2016 by Creius

[Oikawa 1]

Oikawa chuckled more as it seemed Creius had misunderstood him. "My friends name is London. He's a player here in SAO, but his whereabouts are now unknown. That aside, show me what you found." Trailing the bluenette, Oikawa noticed the singed trail he had been following and activated his skills once more to see if Byakko was near by. His eyes glowed a golden hue as they scanned the surrounding forest. His gaze flickered before finally taking note of a massive heated body just east of them. Turning to Creius, he spoke and began running towards it. "This way! Nice find."

Cutting through more/ greenery, he burst into a clearing where a flaming tiger rampaged about. Clearing trees with claw swipes and flaming breath. Turning to Creius once more, he shouted. "I'll make quick work of this." Dashing forward, he activated <Charge> and <Over Radiation>. A blur of white and teal surged forth and tore into Byakko just as the beast became aware of the player's presence. The beast sadly had no chance. Oikawa decimated the being in one strike and once he landed, he turned to Creius and offered a smile. "Handled it. Told you, you'd be fine."

ID: 60418 LD: 11 (4+3+2+2)

ID: 60420 BD: 9 LD: 10 (3+3+2+2) [Over Radiation: 13+3+1= 17x14= 238-40= 198]

[2] Oikawa: 189/189 E: 32/46 [+1 Material.]

[0] Creius: ???/??? E: ??/??

Byakko: 0/150 M: 40 D: 48

Edited June 2, 2016 by Oikawa

[Creius 0]

Nathan realized his mistake as soon as Oikawa began to point it out and flushed slightly at the bumble. After offering some condolences at the not knowing where this player was, since that could not be a good thing at all, Nathan continued onwards down the singed trail of greenery.

Nathan followed Oikawa through the dense foliage, hacking and slashing away at the greenery as the blonde led them deeper into the forest. Finally the two burst out into a clearing where a large, flaming tiger was wreaking havoc. Nathan stared at the beast for a fraction of a second when he realized that the blond was charging forward already. Nathan took a step forward but saw that he was not needed. The blonde's blade glowed a brilliant colour and flew through the air in many complicated maneuvers that Nathan could barely keep track of and within seconds the beast's health bar had already hit zero. Nathan stared up at the massive beast which was already dissolving into pixels, perplexed by the sudden devastation of its health. Looking down at the blonde he was grateful that he was not on the receiving end of that attack, at least as of yet. Nathan shook his head slightly in amazement, "Yes, you did say so. That was one impressive move you did there. I could barely keep track of you as you attacked."

[Oikawa 1]

Locking Orochi into place, Oikawa shifted his gaze back to Creius and spoke. "I appreciate the praise. You'll be doing the same soon enough." Dusting his pea coat, Oikawa looked around. With Byakko having been eliminated, the two players were left in a scorched clearing of ruined greenery and a lack of resources. His hand tugged at his bags before pushing them aside as he stood in thought on what to do next. Had this been before the sword art patch, the two of them could spend their time searching for a treasure chest of sorts. This would've been a fine idea now but it seems chests had been replaced with sub-dungeons and the blonde was fully aware that Creius wasn't quite ready for that yet. Letting his eyes rest back on the bluenette, Oikawa continued. "We should probably head back unless you have more business to attend to out here?"

[Creius 0]

Nathan nodded slightly at the mention that one day he would be doing things like that. It was true enough, his plan was to get stronger than he was at the moment. Nathan looked around, letting Bloodletter fall to the ground so the earth was pierced slightly. That large cat had really dealt some damage out here, and to think it would just respawn and cause more. When Oikawa said they should head back Nathan nodded and sheathed Bloodletter and turned back to the path they had cut through the foliage. He had no more business on the floor now that the quest was vanquished, though he knew himself and that he would later come by to do it by himself. "If you do not mind me asking," Nathan turned to Oikawa as they began to leave the jungle. The question had been eating away at him after he had accepted the thought of questing with the blonde and now they had a bit of a break. "Who and why?" Nathan sensed no obvious malice from the man but there had to be something. That or it had all just been a big series of circumstantial events. Nathan just so no reason for killing and to be right before a player killer, some of whom in this game loved the act, and he wanted answers. The answers might not pertain to all of the PKers but it would at least explain one.

[Oikawa 1]

As they turned to leave, Creius poked him for a question. Placing his hands in his jacket, the blonde continued his light place and spoke over his shoulder. Giving an audible "Hmmm", he listened to what the young man had to inquire. Hearing the question, Oikawa sighed and continued to look forward. After a bit of silence, he spoke. "Who you may ask? Zelrius Blackfyre. "Hero of Aincrad" and Commandant of the Azure Brigade. Why? Now that's a loaded question, but I am doing a public meet and greet in a few days time where I will explain to everyone how my actions came about." Looking over his shoulder, he continued. "If you really want to know, show up."

[Creius 0]

(OOC: Sorry for these long waits, generally I could have replied multiple times in a day but am currently down at the family farm working so I will be slow for a few days.)

The "Hero of Aincrad"... Whoever this Zelrius Blackfyre man was, he must have been both popular and a frontliner. As for the Azure Brigade, he had met a member of that guild, Lessa, at the beginning of his journeys. He idly wondered how much damage that Oikawa had done by killing the man. Taking out a man of such caliber who was most likely pushing players up the floors could of had major repercussions, such as slowing down the frontlines by months. Nathan looked over at the blonde and realized just how easy it was to die to another player's hands, all the blonde had to do was access a sword art and his armour would mean little to nothing, especially if he had been able to kill a frontliner. Nathan did not sense such malicious intent from the man though, which only confused him. Nathan had been expecting a bit more of a... menacing or sadistic atmosphere exuding from a player killer. So far Oikawa had been kind and polite, the exact opposite of what one would expect from an orange character. "Yeah, I think I very well might come to that. I am very curious.." There was bound to be something he could gleam from that, might as well go.

[Oikawa 1]

(OOC :No worries, we only have a few posts left so we might as well get them done while you're on :P)

Oikawa could see the wheels turning in the bluenette's mind. He wondered if the lad was even familiar with Zel or the Azure Brigade, or if both terms were foreign to him. He had almost decided to ask when Creius opted to speak up. A small grin showcased itself on the blonde's features before he offered his thanks. "I appreciate it honestly. I'd rather have people know the truth and hate me than only hear lies and hate me. Because then at least if I explain my side, I know you have both sides of the story." Pushing a few stray bangs aside, Oikawa saw the settlement borders creep into view. Turning to face Creius once more, he concluded. "Well this my friend is where we depart."

[Creius 0]

Nathan nodded as the blonde portrayed his desire for people to have both sides of the story out and about. "Well, I'll be there. Word of what happens at the frontlines does not reach me so.. I will only have your side of the story to judge you based off of." Nathan looked over at the blonde, "I hope whatever your reasoning is, I hope I find it convincing. You seem like a nice enough person, it would be a shame to think otherwise because of your past actions, which I can not help but take into account." Nathan followed behind Oikawa and, looking over the blonde's shoulders, noticed the small village coming into view. "So it would appear. Thanks for taking me out there with you, I guess I will see you soon for your public revelation." With that, Nathan stuck his arm out in offer of a handshake to mark the end of their temporary partnership.

[Oikawa 1]

Grasping the mans hand, Oikawa gave it a firm shake while commenting. "I wouldn't have it any other way. Opinions are integral in developing relationships with people. Hopefully my explanation and my actions here are enough to keep you from thinking too less of me." Releasing his hand, Oikawa turned on his heel and began to head off. Tossing a hand up as he began to head for the boss room of the floor, he offered a goodbye wave before continuing to the stairs he'd need to traverse to return home.

All in all a solid day, lets hope my explanation is good enough in his opinion. I'd hate to make another enemy because of this ordeal.

(ooc: posting thread summary after this! Woot woot!)