[SP - F5] 1001 «Arabian Nights»

[Takao 0]

"Arabian Nights..." Takao repeated as he read, eyes glued to the block of text attached to his floating menu. He lay supine on the couch of second-story of his two-story Café, a stack of papers set on the nearby coffee table that he'd already read. Various information brokers made the bulk of their living off selling those printed nuggets of data, and included the details of new quests and occasionally even dungeon locations, although the latter were typically sold independently for larger sums. "Okay... so the quest NPC randomly spawns in a tavern in Armadillo. 'spose it shouldn't be too hard to find." He thought out loud as he dismissed the menu and stood up. After a quick and pointless stretch of his back, Takao turned to his familiar and patted it on the head as he passed. "I'll be back in a bit, Oto'."

[Takao 0]

Takao trotted down the staircase of his Café, which was dimly lit and empty. He rarely kept the establishment open into the evening for no reason other than his own laziness. He mused that the only reason it was ever open was because of his familiar's newfound interest in working as a server. For such a fiery ball of hatred stuffed into a minuscule package, he was becoming rather social. As Takao's trust in those around him diminished, his familiar's trust grew. It was as though they balanced one another in some odd form. The thought of distrust naturally brought his mind to mull over the events of the past few boss raids, which brought a slight frown to his face. He still needed to progress, lest he fall in the same manner that others had before him. He wouldn't go out with a sword through his back, not if he could help it.

[Takao 0]

Takao closed and locked the door behind him as he left, his sword already equipped and ready for whatever trials awaited him. The streets of Delilah were nearly empty and devoid of NPC and player alike, and dimly illuminated by lit braziers and the deep warm hues of the setting sun. He opted not to linger on the floor he'd grown so fond of in the past year or so, and instead quickly set about approaching the warp gate. The soles of his boots thudded softly against the hard stone stairs as he ascended them, and scuffled when he turned to face the direction he'd come at the summit. "Floor five, Armadillo." He said aloud, triggering the system to whisk him off to the fifth floor.

The cool and gentle breeze was replaced with dry warm air. The light dissipated around him and his eyes adjusted to the new scenery: monotone beige. Sandstone buildings, sand in every direction he could see, and warm lights that did little to dissuade the feeling of heat. So many quests used the fifth floor as their venue that he'd begun to actually enjoy the fourth floor by proxy, simply because it was in such stark contrast to the heat in which he despised so passionately. The brunet wasted little time in the plaza and traveled to various inns one by one, checking through the walls using his «Reveal» skill. At the fourth tavern, Takao spotted the NPC he was searching for and entered to begin the quest.

[Takao 0]

The NPC was taken through the motions of scripted dialogue, and eventually revealed to Takao that his brother had been kidnapped by thieves for some reason or another. To call Takao machine-like wouldn't be too far off base, and this specific case reinforced that idea. In an almost systematic manner, Takao disregarded seemingly unimportant details that were clearly there for lore and fluff, and instead focused on the practical information given. Somebody was kidnapped, making the quest a rescue mission. It was outside of the safe zone and they were kidnapped by thieves, clearly alluding to combat being expected. The brother had been captured as they entered the cave, meaning he knew to look for a cave and that the threats would potentially be expecting him. Nothing he couldn't handle.

[Takao 0]

The first hints of darkness were just beginning to set over the fifth floor as Takao delved into the wilderness. Cold air replaced the dry and hot, and each passing moment had the environment growing slightly colder. He hadn't any adequate navigational skills for night travel, so putting his trust in the detect skill wasn't necessarily something he had confidence in doing, yet it was the only choice he had. The trek across the desert was grueling, but after a good deal of perseverance, the prospective cave in which held his target was supposedly held sprawled into view.

Opting for a stealthy approach to start off, Takao quietly approached the side of the cave. He knew that without the hiding skill he'd be found almost immediately, but with a wall of stone and sand between himself and the occupants inside, being found immediately seemed unlikely. His activated reveal skill revealed the locations of four enemies within the cave, thus giving him an edge for engagement. Takao reached over his shoulder and silently pulled his sword from its scabbard, then took off and darted around to the entrance of the cave where the four bandit NPCs lingered. His left foot came down onto the sand hard, and his charge skill was activated almost instantaneously afterward, allowing him to flawlessly launch into his attack. All four monsters were wiped out in a wave of electricity before they could react, and were reduced to colourful polygons.

ID: 61612
BD: 7 + 3(ACC)

Takao: 265/265 (51/65) (-14)
Sword Art: «Lightning Fall»
Damage: 13(Base) + 5(Charge) + 6(Alcoholic) = 24 * 7(SA) = 168 DMG

Thief: 0/135 (168 - 25(MIT) = -143HP)
Thief: 0/135 (168 - 25(MIT) = -143HP)
Thief: 0/135 (168 - 25(MIT) = -143HP)
Thief: 0/135 (168 - 25(MIT) = -143HP)

[Takao 0]

"That was it?" Takao asked himself aloud, green eyes shifting from one end of the wide cave opening to the other. Nothing lingered behind any hidden walls, nor did anything hide within the small portions of darkness not illuminated by burning torches. He'd expected a few more to at least spawn, but no such thing occurred. Aside from the slight rattling of something sporadically knocking against metal, the cave was silent. Takao's attention shifted from the empty cave opening to the room beyond and slowly approached, still acting cautiously in case any unseen threats presented themselves. Instead, he was greeted by the sight of a man bound up and held within a large cell. The bars were dark grey and rusted in several places, a detail he found rather odd considering how arid the desert was, but ultimately an irrelevant observation in the grand scheme of the quest.

"You must be Cassin," Takao said to the man, who cowered slightly against the far wall, likely due to seeing his captors wiped out in one fell swoop and subsequently being approached so casually by their assailant. "Your brother, Ali, sent me to find you and bring you home. I'm a friend."

[Takao 0]

"A-ah, y-yes, my brother, Ali!" Cassin said excitedly upon realizing that Takao had not come to usurp the bandit's claim and kill him in their place. The man quickly stumbled to his feet and approached the bars, grasping the cold and rusted iron with calloused hands. "He really sent you? To find me? I will be sure to reward you most handsomely, Adventurer!" Cassin continued, running through the list of dialogue he had been equipped to say upon being rescued.

"Right, right. Let's wait 'til I actually get you back first, yeah?" Takao said, his grasp on the sword tightening. Green eyes glanced around the hideout and noticed that it was remarkably devoid of the riches Ali had made claims to. The brunet hadn't any particular interest in the treasure itself, as he had much more wealth than what was necessary for a single person, yet it was something to note regardless. The lack of treasure displayed in the bandit's hideout had hinted to the fact that it was likely Ali might have gathered it all already.

[Takao 0]

Takao glanced to the lock that held the cell doors shut and tilted his head. It seemed likely that either the bandit NPCs would've dropped a key, or the key would be located within their hideout somewhere, but Takao's patience was scarce. He didn't want to linger in the darkness too long, nor did he want to remain in the hideout much longer either. A hurried rescue was in order, which left little time to search.

"Stand away from the bars for a minute, Cassin." Takao said, and the NPC complied. Takao raised his sword, causing the NPC to shudder slightly, and brought it down upon the lock. The metal shattered and the door opened, allowing Cassin to escape. "Do you know offhand how many of 'em kidnapped you? Or maybe just how many in total were in the hideout?" He asked, only to receive a shake of the NPC's head.

"Ah, alright. Figured I'd give it a shot. C'mon, let's get movin' before it starts to get too dark." Takao said. Before leaving, Takao took one of the torches from the wall. It would illuminate their position to anybody that might seek them out in the desert, but it was better than walking blindly through the darkness. "Stick close, 'cause more of 'em might come still."

[Takao 0]

Takao and Cassin hadn't gotten far from the bandit lair when the sounds of approaching footsteps became apparent. Takao glanced over his shoulder first, followed by Cassin a moment after, and were greeted with the sight of two sources of light approaching quickly. "I figured there'd be more of 'em." Takao muttered under his breath, handing the torch in his off-hand to Cassin so that he could fight unhindered. The NPC obliged him and took the torch, allowing for a bit of extra light as Takao awaited for the bandit's to approach. They did as expected, which afforded Takao the opportunity to initiate combat and land the first blow. Launching into the same sword art that had destroyed their fellow bandit-kindred, Takao destroyed the two that approached with a wave of electricity.

ID: 61612
BD: 2 + 3(ACC) + 1(Concentration, 5/5)

Takao: 265/265 (51/65) (-14)
Sword Art: «Lightning Fall»
Damage: 13(Base) + 5(Charge) + 6(Alcoholic) = 24 * 7(SA) = 168 DMG

Thief: 0/135 (168 - 25(MIT) = -143HP)
Thief: 0/135 (168 - 25(MIT) = -143HP)

[Takao 0]

With no more bandits appearing and the remnants of their forces death, Takao turned back to Cassin and ushered him forward. The journey back was done mostly in darkness and nearly entirely in silence, save for the sound of sands shifting beneath their feet. Had it not been for the slight noises and idle comments of the NPC trailing behind him, it might very well have been entirely in silence. It certainly would've been his preference to return in silence, but he couldn't exactly fault the amalgamation of data for acting out its programming. Takao didn't respond to the NPC's idle quips and kept his eyes on the darkened road ahead, watching for unseen threats that he expected to leap out of the darkness.

ID: 62005
LD: 16

+1 Material

[Takao 0]

The flickering lights of Armadillo slowly grew closer with each step they took. Before long, the large sandstone gates loomed overhead, and Takao discarded the torch that had lit their way from the hideout. Takao lead Cassin to the tavern in which he had originally located Ali, and found the NPC to be sitting in the same spot. The brunet glanced to the NPC that followed him and gestured forward, lingering in the background as the two reunited.

"Brother!!!" Ali yelled out at the sight of Cassin, leaping from his seat on the wooden stool and pulling his brother into a tight embrace. Takao's arms folded at his chest as his green eyes faltered and glanced aside, offering the two NPCs a moment before he found himself being addressed. "I can't thank you enough for this. I won't forget what you did for me, please accept this as a small token of my gratitude." Ali said, ferrying a large pouch of col into Takao's hands. As the brunet glanced inside, his eyebrow raised. "That's quite a haul y'got there. 'spose you did end up finding that treasure after all, huh?" He said, head tilted to the side. Ali's face paled and avoided an answer through his preplanned dialogue, although Takao wasn't fooled. "Well, whatever. I'll see ya' around." He said, disregarding the avoided subject after having long since established he cared not for whatever treasures the NPC had or hadn't found.

ID: 62006
LD: 2

1 Material(s)

[Takao 0]

Takao stepped out into the cool air and closed the tavern door behind him. The lights of the settlement obstructed the stars of the night sky, and it was an interesting detail that he hadn't expected the game to have. The developers, Kayaba especially, had pulled out all the stops to make it as life-like as possible... and to some extent, Takao was thankful. They were trapped and held against their will in a digital prison, forced to play a game of death that so many had already lost, that much was true. But the world in which they were trapped was detailed and intricate. How fortunate the players of Sword Art Online were, trapped behind invisible bars in a cell decorated like freedom.

His green eyes fell earthward and his head turned, now looking to the gate in which he had just passed through. Venturing out into the night without the adequate ocular skill-set was dangerous, he knew that firsthand. Takao recalled the time he fought two bats in a nearly pitch-black cave, his only source of light being a torch that he'd dropped after being engaged. Those tense moments were what he found himself reminiscing about the most lately. Dangerous situations that could have been avoided with the simple addition of another body, yet he just couldn't be bothered to find somebody to accompany him. Something about the danger and the risk and the thrills were just exhilarating, and while that was worrisome enough on its own, the fact that it didn't bother him enough to want to change was truly terrifying. He knew it was wrong and it was dangerous, and it was very well what would likely end up with his death, and yet... nothing. He had no desire to stop, and no desire to change.

ID: 62007
LD: 20

2 Material(s)

[Takao 0]

All the thinking and the mulling and the brooding had actually brought a smile to Takao's face. He was quick to criticize a few players for their maniacal and downright masochistic approach to quest completion and similar ventures, yet so often did he do so himself without a second thought. Cerberus, the three newest quest bosses, Avalanche, the Snow Beast, even Tagas. They had each been fallen by his hand alone, and he couldn't reason why it had been so. Every time the thought appeared in his head and the question of "Why?" arose, his answer was always the same. Why not?

Why not solo quests? Why not fight this and that boss alone? Guilds hadn't worked out for him and he had seen firsthand how parties on the front lines were beginning to fall apart. Putting his life into the hands of players he couldn't trust seemed so much more dangerous. If they weren't generally incapable, maybe they wanted to stab him in the back. There was no way for him to know, and no logical reason for him to take the risk. As he mulled over those thoughts, his gaze had lingered toward the darkened wilderness of the fifth floor.

ID: 62008
LD: 12 + 5(S&D) + 3(HoM) + 2(Vitamins)

3 Material(s)

[Takao 0]

"Well... Whatever. I'm already here." Takao thought aloud, taking his first steps back in the direction of the gates. Night had fallen on the floor and despite the bright moon illuminating the desert quite nicely, it was still a dangerous task to venture into so haphazardly. Yet at the same time, Takao couldn't exactly remember a time when his default mode wasn't haphazard and he wasn't diving head first into danger. The thought brought a smile to his face, he remembered a time that he used to tell himself that he wasn't crazy, and that he wasn't a maniac, and when he actually believed himself.

Intermediate Dungeon located.

ID: 62009
LD: 18 + 5(S&D) + 3(HoM) + 2(Vitamins)

3 Material(s)

[Takao 0]

With his Inundator in hand, Takao ventured out into the wilderness of the fifth floor: the desert. The shifting sands made travel difficult, as they always did, and the cool air softened the blow of travel fatigue. He idly dragged the tip of his sword through the sand as he walked, watching the steel push the grains aside to create a thin line that eventually disappeared when the game engine decided it was no longer optimal to render the change of environment. On the surface, Kayaba's world was vast and seemingly endless with intricacies and details that were nearly impossible to comprehend. It wasn't a game, it was a world. But when the subtle details were given attention, the way the NerveGear rendered in environments and stopped rendering them to save processing power, the way it reverted changes to the environment, the way particles didn't actually occur in the natural way that one would expect them to... When those intricacies and subtleties were examined, the world seemed much less like a world and much more like it really was.

It was Takao's knack for noticing these small details that allowed him to spot the halfway submerged remains of a dungeon, peeking up out of the sands, barely visible between its camouflaged colours and the darkness of night. He slipped down into the main room and was immediately met with opposition as the torches were lit aflame, yet this entire system had become such a process to him that before the monsters could even react, he had already obliterated all four with a wave of electricity.

ID: 62010
BD: 5 + 3(ACC)
LD: 22 (14(LD) + 5(S&D) + 3(HoM)

Takao: 265/265 (51/65) (-14)
Sword Art: «Meteor Break»
Damage: 13(Base) + 5(Charge) + 6(Alcoholic) = 24 * 7(SA) = 168 DMG

Mummified Wight: 0/132 (168 - 33(MIT) = -135HP)
Mummified Wight: 0/132 (168 - 33(MIT) = -135HP)
Mummified Wight: 0/132 (168 - 33(MIT) = -135HP)
Mummified Wight: 0/132 (168 - 33(MIT) = -135HP)

11 Material(s)
5280 Col

[Takao 0]

Four more amalgamations of cloth wrappings and decayed flesh stood between him and the path forward. Their glowing red eyes bore into him and snarling, agape maw filled with broken teeth made a poor attempt at intimidation. Takao was resolute and unwavering in the face of adversity, as always, and simply began to walk toward them in a calm manner. When the monsters shambled close enough for him to engage, Takao swung his blade up and slammed it into the ground. Electricity danced across the ground and caught onto their cloth wrappings, shocking each of them into submission until they shattered one by one.

ID: 62011
BD: 10 + 3(ACC)
LD: 22 (14(LD) + 5(S&D) + 3(HoM)

Takao: 265/265 (38/65) (+1/-14)
Sword Art: «Lightning Fall»
Damage: 13(Base) + 5(Charge) + 6(Alcoholic) = 26 * 7(SA) = 182 DMG

Mummified Wight: 0/132 (182 - 33(MIT) = -149HP)
Mummified Wight: 0/132 (182 - 33(MIT) = -149HP)
Mummified Wight: 0/132 (182 - 33(MIT) = -149HP)
Mummified Wight: 0/132 (182 - 33(MIT) = -149HP)

19 Material(s)
10560 Col

[Takao 0]

"Just you four left then?" Takao thought aloud as he swung his sword up and shouldered the flat edge. His words, although spoken quietly and mostly to himself, still garnered the attention of the four carbon copies of the enemies he had faced moments ago. Their gurgling and groaning filled the silent dungeon halls while Takao looked on unimpressed. He swung his sword down, scraping the steel tip against the stone to create sparks, waiting idly by as the monsters drew closer. When they were within range, the Inundator was thrust down into the sandstone, causing lightning to ripple outward and destroy the monsters in seconds.

ID: 62013
BD: 8 + 3(ACC)
LD: 22 (14(LD) + 5(S&D) + 3(HoM)

Takao: 265/265 (25/65) (+1/-14)
Sword Art: «Lightning Fall»
Damage: 13(Base) + 5(Charge) + 6(Alcoholic) = 24 * 7(SA) = 168 DMG

Mummified Wight: 0/132 (168 - 33(MIT) = -135HP)
Mummified Wight: 0/132 (168 - 33(MIT) = -135HP)
Mummified Wight: 0/132 (168 - 33(MIT) = -135HP)
Mummified Wight: 0/132 (168 - 33(MIT) = -135HP)

27 Material(s)
15840 Col

[Takao 0]

With the small horde of monsters behind him defeated, all that remained ahead was the boss itself. He knew the limitations of the dungeon system well, and that the boss lurking within would be one of the weakest he would face, yet it was still worth taking a moment's reprieve to unequip his sword. The weapon disappeared in a flash of blue light, and was replaced an instant later by a weapon of smaller caliber but much higher potential. He knew that he wouldn't be having any trouble with the boss, and at the same time he didn't exactly want to have to chip away at its health either; he would cut it down as quickly as possible.

Inundator unequipped.
Serpent's Bite equipped.

[Takao 0]

The rasp of his dagger sliding from its sheath on his lower back rang out into the desert ruins, echoing through the empty halls and against the large pair of doors before him. Without wasting another moment, Takao lifted his foot and slammed it into the wooden surface, forcing them open. He proceeded inside as the torches began to light one by one, but didn't bother to let them finish. Stirring in the darkness was a pair of red eyes, glaring daggers at him and ready to strike, but no such action would come to pass. Instead, by the time the dragon-shaped amalgamation of bones had risen to stand, Takao had already launched into his attack. Four slashes tore through the bone, cleaving clean wounds one after the other until the monster fell.

ID: 62020
BD: 3 + 3(ACC)

Takao: 265/265 (11/65) (+1/-16)
Sword Art: «Eternal Cyclone»
Damage: 13(Base) + 5(Charge) + 6(Alcoholic) = 24 * 16(SA) = 384 DMG

Skeletal Dragon: 0/300 (-384HP)

[Takao 0]

Takao exhaled a curious hum as he watched the skeletal dragon shatter into fragments. "Don't usually see too many dragons like that... Weird." An interesting and curious anomaly, but ultimately unworthy of contemplation. It was just a monster, after all. Such differences were likely to be nothing more than rare encounters meant to spice up the otherwise repetitive process of progression. It was certainly a welcome difference, Takao despised repetition more than anything, yet the change was shallow enough that it was mostly glanced over. He turned and sheathed the dagger in a smooth motion, then proceeded for the exit, the settlement of Armadillo and the warp gate situated in the center of the plaza set as his destination.