[SP-F1] Phase One of the Ascension! <<Grandmastering Dagger>>

[Seul 1]

The next morning hit like a ton of bricks, but the time had finally come for him to unlock the last pieces of power his dagger was keeping stored away. Such a task was one he would need to take on alone as only he (and a few other players) was capable of using a dagger in such a way. Others wouldn't understand the bond he shared with is weapon. It was the first skill to grace his arsenal and the only type of weapon he ever knew. There was a personal connection with the tool to a level where he hadn't needed to use any other for months now. This also wasn't the end for him and Naitaka; it marked the beginning!

[Seul 1]

He got dressed up and left the inn with haste to walk the streets of the Starting City. So many memories happened in this place and all of them with a trusty dagger by his side. The first time he left the city was to complete the Earning a Living quest... Something that he stumbled upon by accident as a band of travelling performers were passing through the town. If only he knew back then how pointless being a performer actually was. With a sigh he casted the memory aside to make room for another: His first battle in this world.

[Seul 1]

It seems somewhat crazy now but at the time he needed a way to level up quickly. The talks of there being field boss on the second floor was enough to push him to venture outside and up to the next settlement. That was where he met Takao who basically carried him through the battle. It was a good learning experience and one day he wished to repay the debt, but for now he was content with simply paying it forward to the other players who want his help for such tasks. Times really had changed though. It was hard to believe, but he was growing stronger slowly but surely.

Edited July 26, 2016 by Seul

[Seul 1]

Then there was the time he fought the crazy ostrich on this very floor... For whatever reason that thing was insanely strong. Not tough enough to kill him, but it was sturdy as any of the tanks that were around at the time. His lack of accuracy wasn't something he enjoyed either. The thing had a mean kicking attack and the worst part about it was that he just wanted to get a damn egg to sell as crafting material. The thought was bringing back some seriously bad memories. Although they were still memories nonetheless. Without that experience he wouldn't have been where he was today so in a way he was somewhat thankful to that ostrich for kicking him around all those months ago. 

[Seul 1]

The Kobold Cave was another fond memory of his. Back when he was still tryin get some stable footing in the world. Fighting kobold after kobold up on the second floor. Part of him wanted to venture inside but after being attacked by two of the creatures simultaneously and almost losing his life to them as they took turns biting and clawing into his flesh he just wanted to return to town as soon as possible. It was one of the few times in his life when he actually felt concerned for his own safety. Since then he took precautions to be a lot less vulnerable and it seemed to be working out.

[Seul 1]

Then there was that other time with the porcupine... The wildlife in Aincrad really didn't like him back then. Everyday was faced with being attacked by a different type of critter that was bent on chewing his face. Now such animals posed no real threat, but to think he was getting beaten so badly by many of them was something he couldn't help but laugh at. He wasn't exactly the strongest guy around, but he could get by on his own in most fights. If he continued down his path with a dagger in hand just how far would he be able to go? He wanted to see that with his own eyes.

[Seul 1]

After that was a solo quest where he had to face off against the Gemini. For someone so good-looking that particular NPC turned out to able a real jerk. They were locked in a battle of life and death for quite some time with seemingly no end in sight. Or at least that's how he remembers it anyway. There was no telling what reward the quest would give but when all was said and done it would have been a lie to say that he wasn't disappointed with the outcome. Although he didn't end up getting the rarer of the two skills that could be unlocked he did receive <<Concentration>> which would go on to save his hide countless times while out on his adventures.

[Seul 1]

"Well, that's enough of memory lane for now." He was starting to get restless just sitting around in town. Outside was a huge world with still much left to be seen by his own two eyes. With that being said he made a hasty walk toward the town's gate where he would go into the fields; the place where most stories began. He was never  really one to hang around outside, but this time was different. He wanted to mark the rebirth of his weapon by christening it in the pixels of fallen boars outside of town. Nothing would feel more symbolic than watching them all explode before his might!

[Seul 1]

He threw himself into the nearest herd of monsters he could find, drawing his dagger and cutting the side of the closest piggy. It exploded a second later and as the other boars tried to charge him he bobbed and weaved through them with occasional blocks from his shield to intercept the blows. He expected more to show up once this batch was done, but it wasn't like they posed any real threat to him. "I don't even need sword arts for these guys..." He almost felt bad for them in a way. Almost.

ID: 64872 | BD: 8 | SUPER AWESOME BASIC ATTACK GO | -1 EN | MD: 1

Party

Seul: 145/145 HP | 34/35 EN

Enemy

1. Boar: 0/4 HP | 3 DMG (-13 HP) DEAD
2. Boar: 4/4 HP | 3 DMG
3. Boar: 4/4 HP | 3 DMG
4. Boar: 4/4 HP | 3 DMG

Edited July 27, 2016 by Seul

[Seul 1]

He felt unstoppable while latching onto another boar and jamming the dagger into its skull. It too died and left only the other two behind. They both charged again but were avoided and blocked once more by the knight's amazing shield work. He was like a machine, which was ironic considering the actual things programmed inside of a machine weren't performing as well as he was. Why if he kept it up the whole field would be hunted clean by him and Naitaka, the new boar overlords.

ID: 64874 | BD: 7 | SUPER AWESOME BASIC ATTACK GO | +1/-1 EN | MD: 3

Party

Seul: 145/145 HP | 34/35 EN

Enemy

1. Boar: 0/4 HP | 3 DMG (-13 HP) DEAD
2. Boar: 0/4 HP | 3 DMG (-13 HP) DEAD
3. Boar: 4/4 HP | 3 DMG
4. Boar: 4/4 HP | 3 DMG

Edited July 27, 2016 by Seul

[Seul 1]

Despite being more than a match for the boars it would seem that without the game's auto assist that came with the use of sword arts his accuracy was somewhat lacking. Having to rely on his own movements was both a  blessing and a curse because although he did pick up ono certain techniques from his time in Aincrad he was no professional knife fighter in the real world. The monsters would be able to land a few hits on him this time around but it was nothing but mere scratches that probably wouldn't even register as wounds on his health.

ID: 64875 | BD: 2 | SUPER AWESOME BASIC ATTACK GO | +1/-2 EN | MD: 6

Party

Seul: 143/145 HP | 33/35 EN (-2 HP)

Enemy

1. Boar: 0/4 HP | 3 DMG (-13 HP) DEAD
2. Boar: 0/4 HP | 3 DMG (-13 HP) DEAD
3. Boar: 4/4 HP | 3 DMG
4. Boar: 4/4 HP | 3 DMG

Edited July 27, 2016 by Seul

[Seul 1]

He attacked with a vengeance, slaying another boar with ease as it tried to charge him again. The remaining one hit him but his mitigation was too high for it to actually matter. It was on the battlefield where he felt most alive. Most fights served as reminders of his own mortality and the limits that were constantly being broken through his effort and with the help of others. It wasn't enough though. He needed to keep going until the day they were all able to walk free again.

[Holy Blessing: +18 HP] | CD: 11 | Recovery Activated]

ID: 64879 | BD: 10 | SUPER AWESOME BASIC ATTACK GO | +2/-1 EN | MD: 10

Party

Seul: 144/145 HP | 34/35 EN (-1 HP)

Enemy

1. Boar: 0/4 HP | 3 DMG (-13 HP) DEAD
2. Boar: 0/4 HP | 3 DMG (-13 HP) DEAD
3. Boar: 0/4 HP | 3 DMG (-15 HP) DEAD
4. Boar: 4/4 HP | 3 DMG

Edited July 27, 2016 by Seul

[Seul 1]

He began a low jog toward the dumb boar once again and rather than that hit it like any other normal player could have he missed by a mile. The boar simply stepped out of the way of his blade but thankfully it wasn't like it would be able to do any real damage to him if it could manage to land a hit. As it came back around he raised his shield and allowed it to intercept the monster's tusk tackle attack. He wasn't even pushed back by the impact and a quick glance showed that his health was still at the maximum.

If anything it was just annoying when things like this happened. All the time spent basically impervious to damage from weaker monsters made him complacent in battle at times. This fight wasn't any different. Boring to no end and if he was able to just slip his dagger into its flesh the thing would be dead by now.

[Holy Blessing: +18 HP] | CD: 10 | Recovery Activated]

ID: 65354 | BD: 4 | SUPER AWESOME BASIC ATTACK GO | +2/-2 EN | MD: 1

Party

Seul: 145/145 HP | 33/35 EN

Enemy

1. Boar: 0/4 HP | 3 DMG (-13 HP) DEAD
2. Boar: 0/4 HP | 3 DMG (-13 HP) DEAD
3. Boar: 0/4 HP | 3 DMG (-15 HP) DEAD
4. Boar: 4/4 HP | 3 DMG

Edited August 1, 2016 by Seul

[Seul 1]

Sadly, it was about time for their little play session to end. Using what little strength he actually needed, he managed to push the beast away with his shield. Before it had time to retaliate he charged forward and drove his dagger into its forehead, killing it instantly. In the end none of the monsters put up a real fight, but it wasn't like he was looking for one in the first place. After a cool twirl in the palm of his hand he placed his trusty weapon back in its scabbard then turned to walk back toward the town. He more than enough of his fill in fighting for the day and testing out his newfound power with the dagger was something that he actually enjoyed. A celebration was in order, but where exactly that celebration would take place was beyond him. Maybe if he just walked around long enough he'd find a tavern or something to get some food in.

CD: 10 | [Recovery Activated]

ID: 65355 | BD: 9 | SUPER AWESOME BASIC ATTACK GO | +2/-1 EN |

Party

Seul: 145/145 HP | 34/35 EN

Enemy

1. Boar: 0/4 HP | 3 DMG (-13 HP) DEAD
2. Boar: 0/4 HP | 3 DMG (-13 HP) DEAD
3. Boar: 0/4 HP | 3 DMG (-15 HP) DEAD
4. Boar: 0/4 HP | 3 DMG (-14 HP) DEAD

Edited August 1, 2016 by Seul

[Seul 1]

Was the world truly as bad as they all thought it was? At times it was cruel and unforgiving but the same could have been said about the real world. At least in Aincrad the pressures of ordinary life were basically absent. Even so they were only replaced with other issues though. Like needing to be cautious whenever one left town.

It wasn't all bad though. He wouldn't say that his time in Aincrad was complete waste of time though. The things he saw and the people he helped were all part of the experience. He must have grown as a person at least a little from those memories. But even if he didn't he was going to believe so anyway. The journey was far from over though. With another 80 or so floors to blow through and danger along the way they were probably going to be there for some time.

[Seul 1]

As he continued to walk he couldn't help but let his thoughts wander to that of his guild. The Knights of the Blood Oath. Why exactly had he joined them again...? He didn't really have a purpose back then either. All he knew was that he wanted to become stronger and having the help of a guild was something that seemed appealing. Now that he attained the power he sought would he really need to still stay with them? He wondered. Given all that happened alongside them would it really be right to consider walking out on them now? A decision like that would be foolish if made too hastily. He'd give it some time and if he felt the group no longer needed him then he would depart and seek his own path once more. Surely they'd understand. Hopefully. If he even decided to leave that is. Perhaps his power would be better spent somewhere else.

[Seul 1]

It wasn't like he actually knew what he was doing. Whatever it was it must have been right though since he hadn't died yet. He wondered how much further he'd be able to go in the world. His will was still strong despite being in such a dire situation to the point where it had even surprised him. First and foremost it was probably just pure survival that drove him forward. At times it felt like nothing else mattered besides his own well being, but then at other times it was nice to see how helpful he could be when he actually put his all into it. It was a tricky perspective that always had pros and cons to each side which forced him to constantly flop between the two. Though, if there was one thing he was certain of it was that he did not wish to see harm come to any of the other players.

[Seul 1]

Sometimes things would just be out of his hands though. He knew it was true and needed to accept that but somehow he couldn't. People had been dying a lot more recently and not only low levels but frontline players as well. With such losses being sustained on the frontline their ability to clear floors had struggled for a while but it looked like things were finally getting back up to speed. The last boss fight passed by without much of a hitch and with new floors to explore he couldn't just sit around and do nothing anymore.

He had the urge to go back and fight once more, so there was actually no time to rest now. He ran back into the fields and jumped into the first herd of boars he could find, cutting open one of them before getting impaled on the tusks of the other three.

[Concentration: 0/5]

ID: 65539 | BD: 6 (5 + 1 Conc) | SUPER AWESOME BASIC ATTACK GO | -1 EN | MD: 7

Party

Seul: 142/145 HP | 34/35 EN (-3 HP)

Enemy

1. Boar: 0/4 HP | 3 DMG (-13 HP) DEAD
2. Boar: 4/4 HP | 3 DMG
3. Boar: 4/4 HP | 3 DMG
4. Boar: 4/4 HP | 3 DMG

Edited August 4, 2016 by Seul

[Seul 1]

It only took a second for his health to restore before he lashed out again with his weapon, slaying the next closest boar with ease as the miniature blade passed through the flesh on its neck. It exploded after the system registered the hit and the only two monsters left were left unable to move. Probably out of fear of what might happen to them if they did.

Seul smirked as he twirled the dagger in his hand. The thrill of battle would never seem to get old. The monsters were obviously much weaker than he was but that would stop him from having a little fun with them. For once it started to feel like he was playing an actual game rather than competing in a battle of life and death so he was going to enjoy every minute of it. Even if it ended with the death of every boar in the field surrounding the town.

[Concentration: 1/5] [Holy Blessing: +18 HP]

ID: 65540 | BD: 7 | SUPER AWESOME BASIC ATTACK GO | +1/-1 EN | MD: 1

Party

Seul: 145/145 HP | 34/35 EN

Enemy

1. Boar: 0/4 HP | 3 DMG (-13 HP) DEAD
2. Boar: 0/4 HP | 3 DMG (-13 HP) DEAD
3. Boar: 4/4 HP | 3 DMG
4. Boar: 4/4 HP | 3 DMG

Edited August 4, 2016 by Seul

[Seul 1]

Play time was coming to a close though so to finish things up he shot off a Round Accel windstorm from the end of his dagger which tore apart the last two boars. They exploded just as easily as the other two had and with that Seul took a seat on the grassy ground before leaning back to watch the clouds. It truly was a wonderful world the at they lived in now and with his dagger by his side there was no telling how far he would actually be able to travel. A weapon was good for something after all, it meant more than a tool for murder it was what allowed him to live the life that he enjoyed so much. Sword Art Online was teaching him many things and Naitaka was a good weapon that he could rely on through thick and thin. The next rank of sword arts would definitely come in handy for the floor bosses and before he knows it he might even be able to catch up to the others.

[Concentration: 2/5]

ID: 65541 | BD: 10 | Round Accel: 15 x 2 = 30 | +1/-4 EN |

Party

Seul: 145/145 HP | 31/35 EN

Enemy

1. Boar: 0/4 HP | 3 DMG (-13 HP) DEAD
2. Boar: 0/4 HP | 3 DMG (-13 HP) DEAD
3. Boar: 0/4 HP | 3 DMG (-30 HP) DEAD
4. Boar: 0/4 HP | 3 DMG (-30 HP) DEAD

Edited August 4, 2016 by Seul