[2F - PP] <<Let There Be Light>> [Completed]

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

 ID# 77904 results:

Shield: HP: 540, DMG: 3 - 24 bleed on BD 8+, MIT 96, REGEN: 54, Thorns: 28
Battle: 7 - 1 = 6 - Hit Bat 1 - 3 dmg

Giant Bat 1 - HP: 11/50 HP, DMG: 20
Giant Bat 2 - HP: 14/50 HP, DMG: 20

 MOB: 7 - Hit! 20 dmg - 96 mit - 54 regen = 0, Thorns - 28 dmg

With yet another solid hit from the fresh player, the already skittish bats flapped madly away, and with Shield positioning himself in their way, it was going to be difficult getting by him unscathed, even trying to fly overhead. In that moment, their fight or flight instincts kicked over into 'fight,' and the creatures made a desperate attempt to overcome the tank.

Shield swung his axe once again, catching the first of the two bats across the wing. Its health bar dropped minimally, and with the realization of how little damage he had dealt was factored into the bats' strategy, they redoubled their efforts, swarming down upon the armored warrior. As their claws raked at his flesh, they let out another volley of shrieks, falling away from him with red pixels streaming from their feet and wings and any part of them that had been unfortunate enough to come into contact with Shield's razored armor.

"Perfect!" he whooped, rolling the wrist that held his axe. "That put 'em in the red real quick! One more like that and we've got this in the bag!"

Edited February 22, 2017 by Shield

[Atzo 0]

Atzo watch the Bats change strategy. “Is this game thinking?” he asked himself “A computer generation should not be able to make sudden adjustments like that, and yet there it was.” He watched as Shield slammed his axe down, it was interesting that the man did so little damage, though it was by no means surprising. You had to make sacrifices to be any type of fighter. And with Shield being a tank it was no shock that the damage he dealt was sub-par. Though what did surprise him was when Atzo saw the bats attack. Shields unmoving health bar remained, yet the bats hit bar dropped significantly. He could not seem to figure out why. “It must be something special with his armour.” he thought “There is no way he did that by a skill.” Atzo positioned himself behind the bats and prepared to activate his Sword Art once more.

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

ID# 77911 results:

Shield: HP: 540, DMG: 3 - 24 bleed on BD 8+, MIT 96, REGEN: 54, Thorns: 28
Battle: 2 - 1 = 1 - Miss

Giant Bat 1 - HP: 11/50 HP, DMG: 20
Giant Bat 2 - HP: 14/50 HP, DMG: 20

 MOB: 2 - Miss

Much as Shield might have suspected, as soon as their health took a dive, the bats went right back to being skittish and stand-offish. They would swoop down and make halfhearted attempts to strike at the tank, but after taking away more than half of their health in one go, it made sense that they would not be eager to commit to a full-on attack.

"We're going to have to fall back to our previous strategy, Atzo," Shield called out, taking another unsuccessful swipe at the healthier of the two bats. "As soon as you've got enough energy, send them right back at me. They might be a little more cautious this time, so we'll just have to see what happens."

This right here is exactly why I prefer fighting enemies that can actually hit something. It's not like I'm in any danger, but... this does get a little old.

Edited February 22, 2017 by Shield

[Atzo 0]

Atzo felt the power from the game building as he jumped up to hit one of the bats. But it seemed like they saw it coming now, quickly they darted out of his way as he jumped. Landing he looked to Shield, “My apologies, Hopefully they will attack you now that I have gone for them.” He was analyzing the situation to the best of his ability but the computer kept throwing him off. He couldn’t figure out how these monsters were acting so much like a real creature, he had commended the developer before but this was even more than he originally believed. He looked around choosing not to hold his next turn. “Judging by the damage Shields armour does I feel it safe to assume that If i keep them in his corner that they will quickly die.” he thought as he observed everything. “I wonder how hard it will be to hit them without the game's assistance. Surely it won't be as challenging as it seems but one can never be too cautious.”

ID# 77914

Spoiler

Battle 6-1=5 (Fail)

Sword Art Used: Straight (2 Energy)

Stats

Spoiler

 

Shield 540/540 HP | 95 Mit | 54 Regain | 28 Thrns

Atzo 20/20 HP | 0 Mit | 2 DMG Base | 0 Energy | 

__________________________________________

Giant Bat 1 11/50 HP | 20 DMG Base | 7 Hate [Shield] | 2 Hate [Atzo]

Giant Bat 2 14/50 HP | 20 DMG Base | 6 Hate [Shield] | 2 Hate [Atzo]

 

 

Edited February 22, 2017 by Atzo

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

ID# 77915 results:

Shield: HP: 540, DMG: 3 - 24 bleed on BD 8+, MIT 96, REGEN: 54, Thorns: 28
Battle: 8 - 1 = 7 - Hit bat 2, 3 dmg, Bleed - Bat 2: 2 rounds remaining

Giant Bat 1 - HP: 11/50 HP, DMG: 20
Giant Bat 2 - HP: 11/50 HP, DMG: 20

 MOB: 1 - Miss

"You're doing just fine," Shield assured Atzo, keeping his eyes upward on the flitting masses, barely distinguishable in the dark. "They're pretty far gone. We just need a couple of lucky hits an..."

He watched as the bats fled from Atzo's attack, not even getting near enough to allow him a proper hit.

You can run from him, or you can run from me. You're going to have a hard time doing both at once.

Sure enough, as the bats beat their retreat from the red haired player, one of them strayed just a little too close to the tank. With an upward swipe, he felt the resistance of a body as his axe cut cleanly through the second bat, ripping an actual gash open that made the monster stand out in the dark. It traced a trail of glowing, red pixels through the air as it screeched in dismay.

"Leave him be!" Shield called out. "That bleed damage is going to finish him off on its own. We just have one more to worry about!"

Edited February 22, 2017 by Shield

[Atzo 0]

Atzo nodded at shield, I will do so. Now focused on the other bat Atzo attempted to strike once again. He felt his sword fly through the empty air as Atzo attempted to attack from behind. The darkness was deepening it seemed, perhaps the sun was setting. “On the accounts of me missing I am going to be holding my next action to attempt to gain an upper hand” Atzo said to Shield. These beasts were close to bursting, and Atzo knew that even if he did nothing else but stay in their way of retreat then they could surely take them out. Looking around he attempted to gain a better understanding of his environment, it was hard to do because of the vast darkness that engulfed them though he was able to notice some inconsistencies in the floors, something he took note of and intended to avoid if he could.

 ID# 77917 

Spoiler

Combat 4-1=3 (fail)

Stats

Spoiler

Shield 540/540 HP | 95 Mit | 54 Regain | 28 Thrns

Atzo 20/20 HP | 0 Mit | 2 DMG Base | 0 Energy | 

__________________________________________

Giant Bat 1 11/50 HP | 20 DMG Base | 7 Hate [Shield] | 2 Hate [Atzo]

Giant Bat 2 11/50 HP | 20 DMG Base | 6 Hate [Shield] | 2 Hate [Atzo] | Bleeding 2 Rounds

 

Edited February 22, 2017 by Atzo

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

ID# 77918 results:

Shield: HP: 540, DMG: 3 - 24 bleed on BD 8+, MIT 96, REGEN: 54, Thorns: 28
Battle: 7 - 1 = 6 - Hit bat 1, 3 dmg, Bleed - Bat 2: 1 round remaining

Giant Bat 1 - HP: 8/50 HP, DMG: 20
Giant Bat 2 - HP: 11/50 HP, DMG: 20 -24 bleed damage [DEAD]

 MOB: 3 - Miss

Like clockwork, as Shield swiped at the bat who was not currently bleeding, his roost mate burst into a mass of swirling red pixels and was gone. The remaining bat felt the sting of the axe and saw the eruption of particles and made one pitiful attempt to drag its claw across Shield's eyes, not even reaching out far enough to connect before degrading into a panicked mass of flitting wings.

It screeched in terror, making desperate circles around the ceiling as it attempted to make sense of the new developments.

"That's fine," Shield called out, thankful that he did not need to call as loudly since there was now only one set of clicks and shrieks to contend with. "Just don't let him get too far away from me. Monsters don't run, but he's definitely nervous about both of us now!"

Almost there... just a couple more hits and you're done for!

Edited February 22, 2017 by Shield

[Atzo 0]

Atzo watched as one of the bats shattered into pixels. It was quite the spectacle. “They won't go anywhere” Atzo said to shield as he positioned himself in the way of the very battered bat. “That was amazing” Atzo thought “The ability to do delayed damage that is so powerful, I am amazed to see that it could knock it out so quick! Not to mention that the one in front of me will not last long either, I may not even get my hit it, not that i care. In fact i would much enjoy it if shield killed it, get out of this dark hole in the ground!” he watched as the bat coward in the middle of them, seeming as though it was actually scared. You could see as it sat, considering one last attack on Shield as if to say ‘I'll take you out with me’ though they all knew that would be pointless, Touch Shield even once and you could die as it seemed

Edited February 22, 2017 by Atzo

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

ID# 77926 results:

Battle: 5

Shield: HP: 540, DMG: 3 - 24 bleed on BD 8+, MIT 96, REGEN: 54, Thorns: 28
Battle: 5 - 1 = 4 - Miss

Giant Bat 1 - HP: 8/50 HP, DMG: 20

 MOB: 10 - Hit! (10 base dmg + 2 crit) x floor 2 =24 dmg - 96 mit - 54 regen = 0

Its exit now blocked, the remaining bat found its second wind. It flapped down into Shield's face in a flurry of wings. He attempted to beat it back with his axe, but in the chaos, the bat was easily able to slip past it unharmed. The creature's fangs sank into the side of Shield's neck, which was uncomfortable to say the least, but despite the precision hit, it still failed to register on Shield's health bar as anything other than a momentary blip.

With a great force of effort, he managed to prize the assailant off of him, practically throwing the thing across the room as he rubbed the spot where it had bitten.

"Good grief," he sighed, stretching out his neck. "That felt really gross. I'm just glad they don't have a stun effect or anything."

He paused, watching the last bat flit about in panic, now alone and without any other bats with which to face this seemingly invincible foe.

Edited February 22, 2017 by Shield

[Atzo 0]

Atzo Watched as the Final bat lined itself up for him perfectly. He felt his foot find a good position as he crouched and readied his strike, the blade found its way to the bat almost by itself. Atzo watched as the Beast collapsed to the ground and shattered. He then put his sword away and looked to Shield “Well that is finally over, I guess we have to find that child now eh?” Atzo didn't mind, it was fun being able to partake in combat without being forced to worry about death. It was actually why he tended to avoid it regularly, knowing he was weak he found it much better for him to stick to the streets and fight his battles with his mind instead of his sword. He looked around the cave, then back to Shield “Where should we go now, farther into the cave right?”

 ID# 77927

Spoiler

Battle 10 (Crit Success) [DMG= (2{base}+2{Crit})*(1*2{SA})

Sword Art Used: Strait (2 Energy)

Stats

Spoiler

 

Shield 540/540 HP | 95 Mit | 54 Regain | 28 Thrns

Atzo 20/20 HP | 0 Mit | 2 DMG Base | 0 Energy | 

__________________________________________

Giant Bat 1 0/50 HP | 20 DMG Base | 7 Hate [Shield] | 2 Hate [Atzo] DEAD

Giant Bat 2 0/50 HP | 20 DMG Base | 6 Hate [Shield] | 2 Hate [Atzo] | DEAD

 

 

Edited February 22, 2017 by Atzo

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

ID# 77929 results: Loot: 16 + 3 item + 1 skill + 1 skill item - 1 darkness = 20 - +1 Material (2 total)

With the battle over, Shield swapped out his combat gear once again for his loot gear. He turned to the other player and gave him a nod of approval before replying to his question.

"I suppose so. Nowhere else to go, and we definitely heard her before," he said, turning his eyes down the dark corridor.

He started down the cave, his hand on the wall to guide his progress in the dark.

"Little girl?" he called out, listening in the dark for a reply.

The further they walked, the more it seemed that he could hear a soft whimpering not far ahead. He took another step and suddenly a dim golden light radiated from his left earring.

An item nearby?

He knelt down, examining the ground to see if there was something there. As he felt along the ground, his hand came across a lump of something. He held it closer to see what looked like a geode in his palm. He was about to store it in his inventory, when he noticed something else in the faint light of his earring. To his left, just behind a bulge in the wall, there was a small, pale face. He almost jumped, but he managed to keep himself under control. She must be frightened.

"Hi," he said softly, keeping his face at eye level.

The little girl didn't speak, shrinking back a little as she saw that he had noticed her.

"It's okay," Shield said softly, holding out his hands to show that he wasn't armed. "I'm Shield. Your mom sent us to find you."

Edited February 22, 2017 by Shield

[Atzo 0]

Shield progressed as Atzo assumed his neutral, nonchalant manner. He watched as Shield grabbed a strangely glowing rock before stumbling upon the lost girl. He watched as Shield lovingly and calmly approached the girl, it was nice to see his kindness. Atzo stood back observing the spectacle. It seemed that Shields attempts had started working, The little girl calmed down. How much did this guy know about tending for the young? Maybe he had kids in the real world, maybe he was just good with kids. Atzo however was not very good with them. He kept his mouth shut and let Shield take it. The last thing they needed was for Atzo to say something unsavory and have the child run off. Looking around Atzo did what he could to watch his surroundings, the vast amount of darkness becoming slightly more bearable. He was scared of another encounter though he doubted it would happen.

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

ID# 77987 results: Loot: 7 + 3 item + 1 skill + 1 skill item = 12 - No materials (2 total)

Shield brought up his inventory and dismissed his razor lined armor. It made him look a little less intimidating, and either because of this or the mention of her mother, the girl poked her head out from behind the stone.

"Did.... did the bats go away?" asked the girl

Shield nodded, pointing to himself with his thumb.

"Those bats didn't stand a chance," he said with a big smile. "They couldn't even hurt me. And you see that guy over there?"

This time, he pointed over at Atzo, hoping to take away any reason for the girl to be afraid.

"That guy is so strong, that the bats explode when he hits them!"

The little girl's jaw dropped open, and she gasped out loud with wonder.

"Really?" she said in disbelief.

"Really!" Shield answered, holding out his hand. "If you come with us, you won't have to worry about scary bats."

There was a moment of hesitation before she stepped closer. Shield wrapped an arm around her middle and hoisted her up so that she was propped up on his hip. The motion was so natural that it was impossible to deny the obvious: Shield was either a father, or just spent an awful lot of time around children. He turned back to Atzo.

"Alright. Let's go."

Edited February 23, 2017 by Shield

[Atzo 0]

Atzo let out a sigh when he heard Shield compliment him, it was quiet and to himself. He was not one to enjoy compliments, at least not towards himself. He never agreed with them, though he understood that Shield was just saying it to help the little girl be more comfortable. He smirked before saying “That's nothing compared to what he did” he gestured to Shield “He was able to kill one in one hit!” The child seemed almost overwhelmed in awe as the two men walked her out of the cave. Interestingly enough, Atzo’s hunch was correct. Night had indeed fallen in the timespan that the were in the cave. “I do not know for certain, but are monsters more likely to spawn at night?” he whispered to Shield trying not to let the child hear him. He was hoping the answer was no but feared that he was right in his assumption

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

ID# 78067 results: Loot: 14 + 3 item + 1 skill + 1 skill item = 19 - +1 Material (3 total)

Shield shrugged with his free shoulder, the other of which was still wrapped around the backside of the little NPC girl. Now that starlight had brightened up the scenery compared to the near pitch blackness of the cave, the little girl seemed to be more at ease.

"Every floor has its quirks," Shield said, but even in his uncertainty, there was no fear behind his voice. "I'm not in any danger though, and as long as I'm here neither are either of you."

As they walked, he felt a little hand tug on the top of his sleeve. Glancing down, he saw a very dark pair of eyes staring up at him in the scattered moonlight. They lanced into him like cold daggers, so very like the dark eyes he had passed along to his daughters. There was a moment where this showed on his countenance before he mastered himself and returned to his typical impassive state.

"What is it, kiddo?" he asked, giving the girl a smile.

"Mister, why is your ear thing glowing?" she asked, pointing to his earring.

Sure enough, the item was indicating something of value nearby. Glancing around, he spotted an oddly shaped fruit with a citrus-like rind danging from a nearby tree.

"It's because it detected that," he said, pointing to the fruit with his free hand. "Want to help me get it?"

The little girl nodded vigorously, and with both hands, he hoisted her up to pick the fruit before returning her to his hip. She handed the fruit to his open hand, her face full of pride at her contributions.

"Well, thank you very much," Shield said, his smile only broadening at her reaction.

Edited February 24, 2017 by Shield

[Atzo 0]

Atzo watched as Shield once again showed an affinity to tending to children. It was nice to see the kindness Shield shown. “I must ask Shield, how did you come to be so good with kids?” Atzo wore a non-condescending smirk. His voice was that of genuine intrigue. He had been watching the man tend to this child as if it were his or a close friends. “It is curious how we he does” Atzo Though “I wonder if he had a kid in the real world, or worse, lost a kid I could not tell for sure but I know that it is entirely possible that he hold that guilt with him and see this as a way to monitor and subdue the guilt for the time being.” Looking up a the stars he started to trace a few know constellations that the developer included in the night's sky. 

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

ID# 78070 results: Loot: 3 + 3 item + 1 skill + 1 skill item = 8 - No materials (3 total)

Questions regarding children had never come up before in Sword Art Online, or really in any MMO, for that matter. Then again, he had never been directly around children either since entering the game. While he knew the girl to only be an NPC, it was impossible for him to turn that part of himself off. He was a dad through and through.

His face lost the smile and returned to its natural, nigh-unreadable state as he searched for a way to answer the question posed to him. Finding none, he took a slight breath before speaking.

"I mean no offense," he said, and with clear sincerity. "Still, I don't know you particularly well. I think that is a question I would like to leave unanswered for the time being."

Even my travel companion barely knows about my outside life, and I practically live with him now. Maybe another day.

Edited February 24, 2017 by Shield

[Atzo 0]

Atzo noticed and understood Shields reluctance to answer. “You are correct, we do barely know each other. So, now that we have the chance, how about we fix that?” Atzo continued along in his relaxed strides “I will go first. I tend to manipulate people, I know that, most people know that, I am not ashamed of it. Though I also know that I won't manipulate people who I trust or see fit for my benefit. So far you haven't killed me, and you seem to have access to a vast amount of useful knowledge that I could only dream about accessing.” Atzo Sighed “I understand if knowing that makes you more skeptical to trust me, it has driven everyone else away that I ever knew. Well, all but Ren. Regardless, I will continue with who I am. I have a very challenging time feeling true emotion, as you may have noticed on the battlefield, I am very analytical, almost to the point of insanity. I love to help others after they show me they are worth my help.” Atzo paused as he thought for a moment “When I show my emotions, It is more like I am a lump of clay that is being molded to the situation at hand. I don’t feel like I have ever had any emotion that was my own, I always just go off of how others feel or I will attempt to be the opposite if I am trying to cheer someone up.” Atzo looked to the sky. “So there you go, that is who I am.”

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

ID# 78094 results: Loot: 12 + 3 item + 1 skill + 1 skill item = 17 - +1 Material (4 total)

As Atzo spoke, Shield listened very carefully, doing his best to dissect the words as they came. He spotted and retrieved a piece of scrap wood as crafting material, though the task hardly stole any of his focus away from the information he was trying to process.

He mentioned a tendency towards manipulative behavior and also a lack of emotion on his own part. I'm no shrink, but that's a bit of a red flag, potentially indicating psychopathy... although that tends to be more more a lack of sympathetic ability, not emotion in general. Hmm...

When Atzo had finished his thoughts, Shield gave a nod to acknowledge that he understood, though he did not speak right away. After piecing together information he was comfortable sharing, he finally spoke.

"As you know, I'm Shield," he began. "I have a history of success in online gaming, and a lot of that comes from having a career in my former life as a statistician. Suffice it to say that I have a great deal of reason to get out of SAO and take a second chance to make things right in the real world. Because of my motivation to do so, I have climbed to the second tier of levels in a matter of a month. I mention that not as a point of pride, but as a means of emphasizing the importance of my success.

"Because of that, I do not take risks lightly. For example, had you been of a similar or higher level than me, I would have thought twice about taking you. So, if I take some extra time deciding how much to trust, know that I would take time to do so with anyone, not just you."

Edited February 24, 2017 by Shield

[Atzo 0]

Listening, Atzo stared at the treetops. The stars shining bright around them. “So you were big with math in your history then? You seem to incorporate it into how you go about the game very well.” They were approaching the town. “I understand the skepticism, in this game it's life or death and there are a lot of people to fear. I appreciate your trusting of me, even if it was only warranted by my low level.” He looked to the young girl that was frolicking and skipping alongside Shield. She was so happy, so Pleasant. “I wonder what that feels like” he thought to himself “What does it feel like t be happy? I have a general understanding of what it is because of my emulations but what is it like to experience it for yourself? Maybe it is similar to how I feel when I spend a day at the pond.”