[F4:SP] Expecting Death and Restlessness <<The Night's King>>

[Seul 1]

Inside the cozy, snow-covered tavern Seul was wrapped up in his bloody coat in a chair by the fireplace. His efforts to keep warm seemed to be paying off, but he couldn't help but feel like something was off. This was his first time inside the Long Barrow but even he could see that the place was a lot more busy than most of the other taverns he had been to in the past despite there not being any sort of special event going on. The only reason he was here now was because of the rumors.

Lately the NPCs in town began talking about some fortress in the northern region of the floor, a place he had never personally been to but only heard described as being made of tall mountains and thick forests. Inside the fortress was a monster of a man they simply called the King of Ice. After hearing such a tale he could only figure it to be another quest to pop up in alongside the other recent ones that were appearing in Aincrad. The people also spoke of a man named Joramun who spent most of his time inside the Long Barrow and knows the legend surrounding the rumor.

So here he was, scanning the crowd for the man who would prompt the next step of the adventure.

Edited December 20, 2016 by Seul

[Seul 1]

In the corner he noticed a group of people huddled around a man who clearly fit the description he received from the other NPCs. Yep, that was definitely Joramun. He got up from his chair and casually went over to listen to the story of the regarding the legend.

The grizzly man seemed like a natural born speaker; standing tall and proud as each word reached the audience. Even with his leader-like air though, the knight could see his eyes carried a heavy sadness in his look. He spoke calmly but also loud enough for everyone in the vicinity to hear him clearly. "The Night's King is what they call "him". Truth be told, that thing in the frozen fortress isn't a human like you or me. It left this world long ago but for some reason has returned... As an undead monster. It's unholy I tell you. It doesn't have any shred of emotion left in its body. Why, it even killed my wife... I tried to fight it off, but the damn thing was so strong. I lost one of my eyes to it. If I could just find someone strong enough to strike down that animal then my beloved wife can be avenged!"

That seemed like his cue. After hearing the story he was only more determined to lend a helping hand.

"Don't worry, Mr. Joramun. My name's Seul. I'm a pretty capable fighter and I'd be happy to slay the king to avenge your wife."

[Seul 1]

Travel/Battle Theme

Thus his journey into the far north began. A light snowfall powdered the area as he passed  through the gates of Snowfrost Town and it didn’t give any signs of letting up for any time soon. His only company was the crunching of the snow beneath his boots and of course Providence who was floating around idly nearby. If he continued at the pace he was going the fortress would probably show up on the horizon before sunset. Actually getting there was half the battle though and as far as he knew the forest surrounding the structure was full of monsters much stronger than the snow hares and ice elementals he was used to seeing on this floor. As always he'd need to keep his wits about him if he wanted to make it through alive.

***

Snow still rained down on the land as he reached the mouth of the forest. Dark and foreboding with trees arching over the path leading inside, it looked like something straight out of a slasher horror flick. He wasn't about to turn tail and run just yet though. He had come to far and the promise he made to Joramun was still in the back of his mind.

In the distance he could see mountains reaching up and piercing the sky. He’d get there soon enough.

[Seul 1]

He couldn't tell how long he had been in the forest, but it must have been a while since everything just started to look the same in each direction. A soft sigh escaped his lips, as he felt the weight of his body start to hunch over toward the snow. There was no time to rest in such a place, so the best he could do to ward off fatigue was tug on his scarf and keep pressing forward. It was technically enemy territory after all; if there was even a hint of his presence he'd most likely be thrust into a fight.

...And that's exactly what happened.

Thankfully the crunchy snow worked to his advantage and gave them away as they approached. A pack of something he’d never seen before appeared seemingly from nowhere and surrounded him on all sides. Four sets of glowing, red eyes glared at him with a burning hatred as he calmly unsheathed his sword. Whatever they were, they didn’t look happy. Maybe it was because they were undead and most likely under the control of The Night’s King. If there were only four the fight would probably not last very long. Examining them further showed that they each wore very little armor and carried a battle axe in each hand. Thinning their numbers would be a simple task and with that in mind Seul activated Calamity Disaster, sweeping through the group with six agile sword strokes. Nothing but pixels was left once he was done.

_{Seul's Stats:}

Spoiler

Stats

915 HP

90 Energy

15 Base Damage

84 Mitigation

16 Flame Aura

10 Battle Healing

3 Evasion 

6 Picking

1 Search & Detect

Taunt Active

 

Equipment

Crusader MK II......... // +6 Damage

Generic Armor MK.9......// +3 Evasion

Manticore Mask.........  // +Taunt | +18 Flame Aura (Def) | +16 Flame Aura (Off) | +18 Mit

 

Skills (6/7 Slots)

Two-Handed Straight Sword.| Rank 5

Picking...................| Rank 4

Light Armor...............| Rank 3

Search & Detect...........| Rank 1

Battle Healing............| Rank 1

Howl......................| No Ranks

 

Extra Skills

Providence(Protector).....| Rank 2

Meditation................| Rank 0

Concentration.............| No Ranks

Survival..................| No Ranks

 

Skill Mods

Athletics

Dismantling

THSS Ferocity (Rank 5)

 

Inventory

1. Woodland Armor - 3 Charges Left
2. Basic Teleport Crystal - x1
3. Banner of Support - 3 Charges Left
4. Regret (+24 Holy Blessing | +1 Recovery
5. Lucky Coin (+3 LD)

BATTLE START

Party

• Seul | 915/915 HP | 66/90 EN (-24 EN)
  • Sword Art: Calamity Disaster | 15 + 1 Ferocity x 12 - 25 Mit = 167 AoE DMG 

Enemy

• Frost Wight | 000/100 HP (-167 HP) | 120 DMG | 25 MIT
• Frost Wight | 000/100 HP (-167 HP) | 120 DMG | 25 MIT
• Frost Wight | 000/100 HP (-167 HP) | 120 DMG | 25 MIT
• Frost Wight | 000/100 HP (-167 HP) | 120 DMG | 25 MIT

Roll

• ID: 72550 | BD: 7 

Edited December 20, 2016 by Seul

[Seul 1]

The battle was over and not a minute too soon either. His energy was still fairly high and unless anymore creatures came out to play he expected it to all recover before he needed to face the king. Seul placed his weapon back in its scabbard as he began a slow stroll once again down the forest path. There would surely be a place to rest closer to the fortress and the longer he stayed out in the open the higher his chances of being attacked again were. The sun was now touching the horizon and in a matter of a few for minutes the world would be engulfed by darkness. Finding the castle in the pitch blackness of the night was going to be impossible so his search hastened by a little. With a name like The Night’s King he could not help but wonder if the monster got stronger at night, but then again it would probably be better for him if it didn’t.

Edited December 21, 2016 by Seul

[Seul 1]

He just had to keep moving. If he stopped there was no telling what other crazy things the forest might have in store for him. Eventually he would reach the exit and see the large staircase leading up to the fortress on the other side. Going through the front door was obviously out of the question. Although he would probably be able to fight off the guards that were there it would have been foolish to enter a fight and waste energy that couldbe put to better use later. The best option here was to avoid battle at all costs until he was able to reach the throne room where the king resided. Rather than walk up the stairs he circled around to one of the sides to look for an entry point. He doubted there would be any doors but perhaps a window or two might be open and ready for him to use to get in.

Edited December 21, 2016 by Seul

[Seul 1]

Leave it to an undead king in a frozen wasteland to keep his castle frigid at all times. It took a good portion of his willpower, but he did manage to find a way in through a first story window. He noted that security seemed lax within the place as no sentries were patrolling the halls. His luck hadn't fully run out just yet in this world.

***

Seul crept through the nearly silent corridors of the castle on the search for the throne room for what felt like hours. It really had not been that long since he entered though. Still, he didn't want to be here longer than he needed to be. The less of a commotion he could cause with this whole quest the better off he would be. One of his hands instinctively came up to grip his scarf and tug it closer to his neck. What was this feeling…? It went beyond just mere coldness. There was an omnious feeling in the pit of his stomach as he approached a large set of double doors. This was probably the throne room and that meant the final battle was here. The Lodestar took out the Woodland Armor he recieved from the treants and equipped it. He would probably need it.

[Woodland Armor Used (2 Charges Left)  → Mitigation is increased to 114 for the rest of the thread]

Edited December 21, 2016 by Seul

[Seul 1]

The moment of truth was finally here. Seul pushed the doors open and stepped inside. The icy room glistened as dimly lit torches were fastened to the walls high above the floor. On the other end of the room the Night's King stared down the intruder with menacing red eyes. The king moved differently than its minions; he was calmer and more deliberate in his actions than the wights. Drawing his sword he slammed the end into the floor, causing it to glow.

This was bad. In the corner of his vision the knight could see a new debuff. One that reduced his damage. For a two handed fighter he prided himself on having a high attack power and a little reduction wasn't going to be enough to stop him. Seul unheated his own sword and ran toward the king, activating Galaxy Destroyer and cutting open the undead man’s chest in one angular slash. The king recoiled from the force of the blow and tried to retaliate with a slash of his own but missed by a mile as the boy had already managed to slip away using his superior speed.

BATTLE START

Field Effect: Area Weaken | Players fighting in the throne room have base damage reduced to 12.

Party

• Seul | 915/915 HP | 77/90 EN (-13 EN)
  • Sword Art: Galaxy Destroyer | 12 + 1 Ferocity + 1 Crit x 13 - 50 Mit = 132 DMG

Enemy

• The Night’s King | 318/450 HP | 300 DMG | 50 MIT
• Effect: 9 crits increase DMG by 85, 10 crits increase DMG by 100.

Roll

• ID: 72552 | BD: 9 | MD: 4 (7 - 3 EVA)

Edited December 21, 2016 by Seul

[Seul 1]

Spinning around on his heel, Seul swung his sword in a wide horizontal arc. Somehow his moves must have even poorly choreographed though as the boss was able to block the attack with its own sword. The Night's King knocked the boys blade away before swinging its own down.

Rather than try to copy the monsters moves he sidestepped, letting the weapon crush the floor instead. The ice began to crack, but just barely. The knight could feel his heartbeat increase as if it was about to jump out of his chest while he glanced at the spot. The undead monarch wasn't playing around. One false step and a good chunk of his health would probably be ripped off.

Seul backed away quickly, repositioning his weapon toward the monster. This would be a tricky fight if he was not going to be able to land anymore clean hits. Just great.

Party

• Seul | 915/915 HP | 76/90 EN (+1/-2 EN)
  • Sword Art: N/A

Enemy

• The Night’s King | 318/450 HP | 300 DMG | 50 MIT
• Effect: 9 crits increase DMG by 85, 10 crits increase DMG by 100.

Roll

• ID: 72553 | BD: 3 | MD: -1 (2 - 3 EVA)

Edited December 21, 2016 by Seul

[Seul 1]

The knight’s eyes scanned his opponent in search of an opening, but the monster’s defense seemed to be incredibly high. He would just need to take a chance and attack. Letting his sword take on the glow of a sword art, Seul ran forward again, this time aiming from below and slashing upward in a rising arc. The strike broke through the Night King’s guard and cut open its chest, dipping its health just below the halfway mark now.

It didn’t take much detective work to tell that the king was not happy about this. To think that some lowly player was capable of laying hands on him was absurd. It would prove it with the next move. Or at least that was the plan anyway. Another swing of its oversized sword proved pointless as Seul was able to just avoid it again. The high evasive properties of the armor he wore was coming in handy after all.

Party

• Seul | 915/915 HP | 64/90 EN (+1/-13 EN) [Concentration: 0/5]
  • Sword Art: Galaxy Destroyer | 12 + 1 Ferocity x 13 - 50 Mit = 119 DMG

Enemy

• The Night’s King | 199/450 HP (-119 HP) | 300 DMG | 50 MIT
• Effect: 9 crits increase DMG by 85, 10 crits increase DMG by 100.

Roll

• ID: 72580 | BD: 6 (5 + 1 Concentration) | MD: 0 (3 - 3 EVA)

Edited December 21, 2016 by Seul

[Seul 1]

He wasn’t particularly fond of the hit and run tactics he was employing for this match, but it was working to his benefit so there wasn’t much he could complain about. The alternative would have been much worse. The monster wouldn’t know the difference between an honorable fight and an all out battle to the death anyway. It did employ the use of some sort of debuff after all, so this was just his way of evening the playing field.

It was becoming very rinse and repeat in the strategy he was using. Run in, attack, run away, then run in again. Even he would agree it was not the most impressive fight plan in the world. Impressing people wasn’t his goal though.

Rushing forward he attempted to stab the king through the chest but was met with another skillful block from the enemy’s sword. Perhaps it was learning his pattern too. Probably not though as it just wildly lashed out afterward to cut nothing but air.

Party

• Seul | 915/915 HP | 63/90 EN (+1/-2 EN) [Concentration: 1/5]
  • Sword Art: N/A

Enemy

• The Night’s King | 199/450 HP | 300 DMG | 50 MIT
• Effect: 9 crits increase DMG by 85, 10 crits increase DMG by 100.

Roll

• ID: 72583 | BD: 3  | MD: -1 (2 - 3 EVA)

Edited December 21, 2016 by Seul

[Seul 1]

Using the opening created from the king’s failed attack was the best course of action through his eyes. Before the monster could raise its sword again Seul was already upon it with blade in hand. The Galaxy Destroyer came this time in the form of a downward slash along the king’s torso and down to its hips. A large virtual scar was now visible in the spot where the attack connected and from it red pixels drifted idly into the air surrounding the wound.

The Night’s King was on its last legs. It knew that and in a desperate fit of anger it swung the sword it wielded around in all directions with none of the attacks actually landing in the end. This fight was as good as over, but the knight wasn’t going to let his guard down for a second. Not while the undead creature still drew breath.

Party

• Seul | 915/915 HP | 51/90 EN (+1/-13 EN) [Concentration: 2/5]
  • Sword Art: Galaxy Destroyer | 12 + 1 Ferocity + 1 Crit x 13 - 50 = 132 DMG

Enemy

• The Night’s King | 67/450 HP (-132 HP) | 300 DMG | 50 MIT
• Effect: 9 crits increase DMG by 85, 10 crits increase DMG by 100.

Roll

• ID: 72585 | BD: 9  | MD: 2 (5 - 3 EVA)

Edited December 21, 2016 by Seul

[Seul 1]

It was time to end this. Using as much strength as he could muster Seul jumped into the air, swinging his sword downward and hopefully killing the boss with this final blow.

Things never go as planned.

Before the sword could even come close to cleaving the monster, the Night’s King raised its weapon to absorb the hit. The two had locked blades. This was new, but the Lodestar wasn’t worried. He should have been though. Using its immense weight the undead managed to throw him across the room with a cut to his stomach. There was no pain (there never was) but if this was the real world he was sure that attack would have did him in. The knight gasped for air, dropping his blade as his back slammed against the far wall of the room. A third of his health had been depleted in a single move and through blurred vision he could see the ominous figure of the king on the hunt for more blood to shed.

Party

• Seul | 629/915 HP (-286 HP) | 50/90 EN (+1/-2 EN) [Concentration: 3/5]
  • Sword Art: N/A

Enemy

• The Night’s King | 67/450 HP | 300 DMG | 50 MIT
• Effect: 9 crits increase DMG by 85, 10 crits increase DMG by 100.
  • Attack Hit | 400 DMG - 114 MIT = 286 DMG

Roll

• ID: 72585 | BD: 5  | MD: 10 

Edited December 21, 2016 by Seul

[Seul 1]

Was this it? Doomed to die here in the middle of nowhere. Cold, alone, and with no hope of ever seeing the real world again…

Hell no.

[Cue epic battle music]

He wasn’t about to get beaten down by some worthless monster. Nothing was going to kill him as long as there were people out there who still needed help. Even though his legs were shaky he managed to get back to his feet and retrieve his weapon. The king, noticing this quickened its pace into a light jog as it approached. “Come on you freakin’ wimp…!” The grip on his sword’s hilt was tight. The sinking feeling in his gut was back, but he never felt more sure of something in his life. He was going to survive no matter what.

Seul raised his weapon while awaiting the king’s attack. One that would never come. Or maybe it would have been more accurate to say that he intervened before it could strike. The knight had his feet planted firmly to the floor and reared his blade back. With the king only a few feet away, he swung once it was in range. The sword was engulfed in a bright glow as he moved, hitting the monster in the side of its skull and severing it from the rest of his body in one clean slice. Pixels covered the area before the body could even hit the floor.

• Seul | 639/915 HP (+10 HP) | 38/90 EN (+1/-13 EN) [Concentration: 4/5]
  • Sword Art: Galaxy Destoyer | 12 + 1 Ferocity + 2 Crit x 13 - 50 = 145 DMG

Enemy

• The Night’s King | 000/450 HP (-145 HP) | 300 DMG | 50 MIT
• Effect: 9 crits increase DMG by 85, 10 crits increase DMG by 100.

Roll

• ID: 72590 | BD: 10

Edited December 21, 2016 by Seul

[Seul 1]

“Y-Yeah, take that..!  Woo!” He had won. Somehow.

The Night’s King was no more.

His promise to Joramun had been kept.

And he was a little stronger for doing it. All things considered it wasn’t that bad of a quest. He was even surprised to be able to handle it on his own. Seul was aware that his choice of skills was… unorthodox. It went against the norms of how people saw the the different roles. DPS characters were meant to focus on attack skills, supports had to invest in healing abilities, and tanks needed high mitigation and hate accrual powers. Scouts needed to be able to search for things and mixing the skills was somewhat taboo. It seemed to be paying off though. Being able to take on any role in the field would make him more useful in the long run. That’s ultimately what he wanted to do since adaptability was a valuable trait to have these days.

[Seul 1]

In the spot where the king had fallen sat a crown far too large for any human to wear. It belonged to the king and would serve as proof his death if brought back to town by the slayer. Seul lazily walked over to scoop it up and place the item in his inventory. He was just happy to be over such an ordeal. Despite how easy it had been for most of the battle, the king’s attacks really weren’t anything to mess with. When he hit, he hit hard and if anyone who was lower levelled decided to take it on, he could see them dying much easier.

It felt good to be independent of others, but at the same time it left the boy with something to be desired. Working alone meant he never had to share any of the rewards he got, but it turned simple tasks into double-edged swords at times.

[Seul 1]

The biggest drawback came with fighting. If a situation got too dangerous for one person to go on others would be good as support and mutual protection, something loners couldn’t have. It was all a matter of perspective though. An experienced player was going to have a better time going alone than a newb was. Time was one of the greatest teachers life had to offer.

With the king dead (again) the frost wights must have been freed from whatever curse they were being held under as Seul didn't run into any on his way out of the castle. In fact without all of the violence and monsters running around the area was pretty peaceful. He could see why people enjoyed living on this floor, but had no desire to do so himself. If he had the money he would probably buy a place up on one of the higher teen floors. They suited him better.

[Seul 1]

This was all just him dreaming though. Without actively tending to his profession the idea of getting a home of his own anywhere in Aincrad was just a pipe dream. He was not extremely poor anymore, but the cost of living in this world was too high for someone like him to afford. The little money he had to his name needed to go toward securing equipment for the frontlines… And making his peers richer in the process.

He sighed. Everything happened for a reason he supposed. There was no point in dwelling on things he had no power to change either. He would just keep staying the course on his own path and do what he felt was right. Helping people was his top priority, but he wasn’t strong enough yet. Until he reached level fifty at least, he was just going to stay a mid-tier nobody. What a life that was.

[Seul 1]

This quest was just another stepping stone. There were a few others he would be able to take on to get to his goal. The Lich King and Tagas were just two that came to mind… Other than those he would need to spend time in the dungeons to get the extra experience he needed to level up. It was a solid plan, but it also got him thinking about his future with the knights.

What was he going to do? Recently things hadn’t been going so well and a few members talked about leaving, himself included. The benefits of being in a guild of such high a high caliber were great in his opinion, but was that really where he belonged at this point in time? If he left there probably wouldn’t be any going back if things started to pick up again. He would just be another person that walked out when things got tough.

[Seul 1]

It was all a gamble. Maybe things just wouldn’t get better from here on out and would only go downhill now that they were spiralling out. He’d need to make a decision sooner or later. Part of him just wanted to push it off until later though.

* * *

By the time he arrived back in town it was already well into the night, but the tavern was still aglow with a warm fireplace and ambient lighting inside to make the patrons forget about the cold world that existed outside its walls. Seul pushed the door open with ease, shaking off his snow sprinkled clothes at the entrance before going in to take a seat at the bar. His presence caught the attention of a few people who had been there hours earlier when volunteered to go slay the Night’s King. If anything his return alone should have been enough proof to show that the monster was no more.