[SP - F4] King of Crows

[Takao 0]

[ continuing from this thread ]

"Ghk..." Takao groaned as his eyes slowly opened and adjusted to the light, or rather the apparent lack of. Night had fallen upon the seventeenth floor during his slumber, and by some miracle his unconscious avatar hadn't been finished off by a passing monster. He grunted and struggled to lift his body from the pile of mud that he'd been beaten into, his eyes slowly drifting over to his health gauge. It was almost fully restored; a true testament to how long he'd been out, if the day cycle hadn't beaten it to the punch.

Takao let the oxygen from his lungs drain in a deliberately slow breath as he propped his back up against the trunk of the tree, taking a moment to muse over the happenings earlier in the day.

There was a new player on the field that threatened Aincrad's prisoners, and if the thrashing he just gave was any indication of his strength, it went without question that he was a threat. But with the addition of that skill... It elevated him to a new league of problems. With an exasperated sigh, Takao ran his hands down his face. There was never a dull moment in Sword Art Online.

[Takao 0]

Takao pushed himself to a stand and sauntered with a lax pace to his sword that laid in the mud. A curt smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"Still here, eh? Thought for sure it'd been long enough for you to decay." He said to the sword, lifting it up to examine the dirt and muck covered blade. He ran his hand along the steel and cleaned some of it off, though most only smeared across the mirror-finished metal. Takao sheathed Ragnarok in the scabbard on his back and swiped his menu open, moving to the inventory section at a lazy pace. The sheathed sword on his back disappeared in a flash of blue light, and in their place, a pair of rust-coloured Cestus appeared on his belt.

As he brushed some of the mud and dirt from his clothing, he turned and glanced over his shoulder, looking into the dark forest. A sharp exhale left his nostrils, almost in an amused fashion. "Spooky."

Without a second thought, he waded through the brush that lined the forest and began to trek back to the safe zone. It wouldn't be a long one, an hour's walk at most, but it did give him some time to think.

"Well... Let's look at the bright side: I'm not dead, that's good. 'n my sword didn't decay. That's good too. All things considered, s'been a decent day."

[Takao 0]

Stumbling through the woods had proven to be a more taxing task than previously thought. Takao caught himself just prior to falling and leaned his weight against the trunk of a tree, taking the moment to catch his breath. It must've been months since he'd been knocked down to such a dangerously low amount of health, and his legs shook slightly at the thought. He was alive by chance; not like before, where it was a matter of lucky timing that he could've planned better. This was a matter of being outclassed and outgunned to the point where his fate had relied on the negligence of his opponent. That was never a good feeling.

"Okay..." He said amidst an exhaled breath, slowly sliding his back down the tree. After giving his face a vigorous rub to clear his thoughts. "I'll... have to let Calrex know. Maybe Mack 'n the Knights too." Talking to himself wasn't necessarily a recent development, at least not in the terms of his time in the game, however it had certainly become more prominent. This was especially the case when he needed to calm down.

Takao exhaled a loud, guttural, frustrated groan and forced himself to a stand. It was a factual statement to say that he lingered toward the top of the scale in terms of power in the game, yet o have been dispatched so easily regardless of the conditions was a powerful blow to his pride. What felt like years of work amounted to nothing when it mattered. But he wasn't the sort to just lay down and take it. Unfortunately, when Takao was challenged, he pushed back... and this definitely came off as a challenge.

[Takao 0]

Takao made it back to Spartaia just short of the hour he'd predicted and practically stomped his way through the streets lined with red marble. His expression was twisted and his face contorted into a mixture of frustration, annoyance, and tunnel visioned focus. His ascent up the warp gate platform was smooth, and through a thoroughly practiced motion was he able to simultaneously equip his outfit's jacket before he reached the top.

His mouth opened to speak, but before any words left, he reconsidered. Letting Aria know he was okay would certainly be the responsible thing to do... But with the sheer amount of frustration that festered, he needed an outlet.

"Floor four; Snowfrost." He said, and was subsequently whisked away to the snow covered fourth floor of Aincrad. The frigid air caught him by surprise, as it always did, but did little to stop him as he trotted down the staircase. Snow crunched under his boots as he made his way toward the northernmost gate.

"Night's King first... Then Absolute Zero, then I'll go back. Yeah. That's good, I'll do that.

[Takao 0]

The walk to the Night King's palace was horrendous. The town of Snowfrost turned to the outlaying forests covered in ever-deepening blankets of snow that made travel a pain. It didn't help that his mind was fatigued with the recent battle either, which made his avatar's body just as exhausted. Then the neverending forests of snow turned into gradual inclines, until finally the evergreen trees faded into the background and only a field of mountains lay ahead. Thankfully, although it was mostly by custom design, the Onyx Huntsman's set that he had equipped provided ample warmth.

With the long-winded travel out of the way, Takao stood at the foot of an ice covered bridge. The extent of his detection skill revealed the figures of four humanoid beasts at the other end, whose flesh was as icy as the bridge and whose red eyes shown brightly through the dimly lit environment.

"Just four." He said aloud to himself as he reached for the blade over his shoulder, grasping hold of the handle and giving it a sharp tug to free it from its scabbard. In an unnecessarily cinematic manner, he allowed for the tip to drag across the stone as he walked forward. A shrill scraping sound echoed across the ravine that the bridge crossed, eventually alerting the four Wights to Takao's presence when he'd gotten close enough. "Easy."

[Takao 0]

Takao stopped his advance upon the four Wights and allowed them to close the distance, opting to spend that little bit of time evaluating the best course of action. Rather than grouping up, the Wights took the usual AI course of action and distanced themselves from one another. He was hoping for that sort of tactic, as it made divvying up the strikes of the two handed sword's area-of-effect skills that much easier. With their approach chosen, he selected the highest tier sword art available to him let it loose upon the four frost-covered undead.

Ragnarok, guided by the system, crashed into the first of the Wights with power. Starting from a low guard, a classic unterhau cut brought the sword from the lower left portion of the Wight's midsection and cleaved through to the chest, clearing it with ease. The creatures inhabiting Aincrad didn't tend to have organs or bone to slow the blade during cuts, which allowed for those animesque cinematics. He only wished that he could cut clean enough for the beast to continue walking, only to slowly fall to pieces a moment later. However, like all things upon the floating prison, it simply burst into thousands of polygons upon its health gauge reaching zero.

Rolling with the theme of german sword techniques, Takao transitioned into a high guard as the next Wight stepped into place, and swung the sword in an almost awkward way to perform a krumphau. Before the Wight's frozen blade could connect, it was parried to the side by the sword art. In the subsequent motion, Takao thrust Ragnarok through the Wight's stomach. The third approached with the fourth right behind it, so Takao dragged the Wight with him as he turned and kicked it into the third, pulling his sword free in the process.

In the same motion as his sword is pulled free, Takao swings the blade level with the fourth Wight's neck, lopping its head off before it could reach him. The second and third Wights stumbled and fell to the ground, and were subsequently dispatched with an easy plunging strike through their necks simultaneously.

---

COMBAT RESULTS

ID: 79012
BD: 6 (3 + 3(ACC))
MD: 5 (7 - 2(EVA))

Takao
HP: 1435/1435
Energy: 118/142 (+1/-24)
Sword Art: «Calamity Disaster»
Damage: 15(Base) + 5(Charge) = 20 * 12 = 240

Frost Wight 1-4: 0/100 (240 - 25(MIT) = -215HP)

[Takao 0]

A trifecta of polygonal explosions erupted behind Takao as he proceeded across the bridge, sheathing Ragnarok without looking back in a cinematic cool guy-trope kind of way. Laying before him, nestled comfortably between the crevasse where two massive snow-covered mountains met, was the icy domain of the Night's King. As he understood its design, it was nothing more than a single throne room beyond the large frost-covered doors. Simple and to the point; Takao appreciated that. Several of the newer quests were finding themselves linked to storylines and additional ventures, which Takao hardly had the time or interest in. Perhaps he might have found some value to them if the death game hadn't ruined his perception of the game, but that had long since passed.

Before entering, Takao swiped his hand downward and called forth his menu. The sword on his back disappeared, taking its scabbard along with it in a flash of blue light. In the place of his sword, two caestus appeared on his belt. He cracked his knuckles and pushed his hands into the gloves, fitting them properly before pressing his hands up to the large doors. With a good bit of force, they creaked and opened.

[Takao 0]

A gust of bone-chilling wind tore through the ravine as the doors opened. Takao faltered slightly but retained his composure as the cold temperature normalized and he stepped into the frozen throne room. His eyes slowly trailed up the ice covered throne, lined with broken swords on either side, leading up to the throne carved from stone. Sitting upon it was a large figure, much larger than himself. It wore a worn golden crown without jewels, but covered in subtle engravings. As Takao entered, the doors behind him slowly swung shut, and the large figure rose.

His hands flexed and tensed by repeatedly making fists as he waited, staving off the growing urge to shiver. After an obnoxiously dramatic descent down the dais, the Night's King stepped upon the broken tiles of his throne room and lifted the axe from his back, his red eyes shining daggers into Takao's own green.

Sans his usual pre-battle banter, Takao opted to instead engage the Night's King in silence. A slow walking pace turned into a run, and then a sprint as his charge skill was activated. The Night's King lifted its axe and swung it horizontally, and Takao responded in turn by dropping down to his knees. The ice covering the tiles allowed him to slide beneath the large figure's legs, dodging the swing. His boots came down hard on the unfrozen portion of tile and he stood, turning and charging up «All Might» in the same motion. He slammed his fist into the figure's back, the force of his strike toppling it over and causing it to tumble.

---

COMBAT RESULTS

ID: 79263
BD: 10 (10 + 3(ACC))
MD: 1 (1 - 2(EVA))

Takao
HP: 1435/1435
Energy: 103/142 (+1/-17)
Sword Art: «All Might»
Damage: 15(Base) = 12 * 15 = 180

Night's King: 320/450 (180 - 50(MIT) = -130HP)

[Takao 0]

The Night's King swung again after recovering; another horizontal cut sailed effortlessly overhead, and was evaded with ease. From how slow the figure struck, he could tell that if it did manage to land a hit, the damage would be considerably. But he had plenty of opportunity to dodge, so failure to do so would be a fault of his own. The Night's King twisted its wrist and brought its axe down upon Takao, narrowly missing if it hadn't been for him pushing off with his right foot and backstepping.

Takao took the opportunity to strike and drew his fist back, activating the same sword art used previously. His fist slammed into the Night's King chest and staggered it, although not to the same extent as his previous strike had. Sans the typical noises of combat, their battle remained in a vaguely uncomfortable silence. Whilst the Night's King was surely uncaring to the silence, Takao forced himself to keep his head in the fight.

---

COMBAT RESULTS

ID: 79362
BD: 9 (9 + 3(ACC))
MD: 4 (6 - 2(EVA))

Takao
HP: 1435/1435
Energy: 87/142 (+1/-17)
Sword Art: «All Might»
Damage: 15(Base) = 12 * 15 = 180

Night's King: 190/450 (180 - 50(MIT) = -130HP)

[Takao 0]

The Night's King swung again and again, missing each time thanks to a combination of practiced footwork, system-assisted evasive skills, and a touch of luck. Takao was more than capable of biding his time during the search for an opportunity to strike, and finding one wasn't considerably difficult. The Night's King threw a wide horizontal cut that he backpedaled out of the range of, and cocked his arm back when it over-swung. As his caestus covered fist connected with fervor, he couldn't help but muse over how ironic it was for a game entitled "Sword Art Online" to have a damage meta designed in favour of something that didn't use swords.

The Night's King resisted this strike however, which held less pushing power. However, the movement of his opponent following his strike was of little concern in the greater picture as long as he could evade and strike with a consistent rhythm.

---

COMBAT RESULTS

ID: 79415
BD: 7 (4 + 3(ACC))
MD: 4 (6 - 2(EVA))

Takao
HP: 1435/1435
Energy: 71/142 (+1/-17)
Sword Art: «All Might»
Damage: 15(Base) = 12 * 15 = 180

Night's King: 60/450 (180 - 50(MIT) = -130HP)

 

[Takao 0]

Another fit of strikes was evaded with finesse as the Night's King neared its end. His wide swings were becoming desperate as his health gauge dropped with long strides, each of Takao's strikes chewing away chunk after chunk of data. In one last attempt to end Takao in a single blow, the monster raised its axe up high and slammed it down with all the power it could muster. The ornate axehead crashed into the tiles and ripped them from the mortar, fracturing several others in the vicinity of the strike. Having had the mind to back off from the strike, Takao was spared of its vehemence.

He stepped forward in the seconds that followed and slammed his fist into the face of the Night's King, dropping the remainder of its health bar. It fragmented and shattered shortly after, and would have drowned the room in a deafening silence if not for the roaring winds that tore through the ravine just beyond the doors. Takao leaned down and picked up the only thing that remained behind as the colourful polygons disappeared. He examined the Night King's crown, turning it in his hands to look at the various inscriptions that were inlaid into the aged gold.

---

COMBAT RESULTS

ID: 79424
BD: 8 (5 + 3(ACC))
MD: 4 (6 - 2(EVA))

Takao
HP: 1435/1435
Energy: 55/142 (+1/-17)
Sword Art: «All Might»
Damage: 15(Base) = 12 * 15 = 180

Night's King: 0/450 (180 - 50(MIT) = -130HP)

 

[Takao 0]

Spinning the crown around his glove-clad index finger provided some semblance of entertainment on the otherwise miserable walk back to Snowfrost. While it may have been efficient to make the trek straight to the second quest on the fourth floor that he intended on clearing, he was met with the obstacle of having no clue where such quest was located. He had brushed it aside, much like he often did with the quests that happened to fall on the floors with more undesirable climates. But now, with all his excess energy and a side of frustration, it seemed like the best time and place to cool off.

The spinning stopped and he caught hold of the crown in one smooth motion, opting to secure it to his belt where it would be out of the way. His descent from the mountainous region that held the Night King's domain was quick, and his trek through the wintry forests was of similar haste. The snow-covered evergreen forests slowly began to thin and peel away, leaving small patches of icy fields left to traverse before he reached the town of Snowfrost.

[Takao 0]

The snow that had accumulated on the soles of his boots melted away as they hit the warm wooden floorboards of the Long Barrow. It was, as expected, empty of player activity. The tavern sat on the edge of town and hadn't the same comforts of many of the others that littered the town. It seemed as though its construction was entirely for the purpose of holding a quest NPC, which certainly didn't strike him as odd. Sword Art Online was such an impossibly intricate game, so the need to fill up white space was ever-present. This seemed as constructive a method as any.

He pulled the Night King's crown from his belt and set it in front of Joramun, the NPC that had originally given him the quest. The pre-programmed AI went through its scripts and codes and thanked Takao profusely for avenging his wife or somesuch flavour text that he hardly paid any mind to. Takao was already making his way for the door when the rewards menu appeared, and was promptly closed. Although the chill of the fourth floor had started to cool him off, the embers of his frustration were still warm.

[Takao 0]

His ascension up the warp gate platform was smooth, and words were already being spoke by the time he turned. He glanced over the wintry wonderland one last time and let his face contort into an expression of disdain just in time for a frigid gust of air to slam into him.

"Floor 5, Fortaleza." said Takao, forcing his words out as quickly as he could. The relief that came with being whisked from one platform to the other was short-lived, as the chilling air of one was replaced with the chilling air of another. The fifth floor, normally a scorching desert that rivaled the fourth floor on his list of least favourite locations, was cold enough at night for players to see their own breath. He tugged the collar of his coat closer and trotted down the staircase, the soles of his boots grinding granules of sand against stone tiles as he started off in the direction of the gates.

Both floors were quiet, especially at night. But they were different flavours of silence. The fourth floor's silence was muffled, the heavy snowfall proving to be something of an insulator against sound. The desert was the opposite. It was open, sound traveled as far as it could unhindered, yet nighttime brought silence. The scenery of the desert nightscape was considerably more prepossessing, once one managed to break away from the settlements and civilization and could witness the sky in its full unadulterated splendor.

[Takao 0]

Fortaleza disappeared into the background as Takao walked further into the desert, until only the vast rolling dunes of sand and silhouettes of massive mountains were all he could see. As the light of civilization all but disappeared, the true beauty of the desert showed itself. Stars began to appear en masse, forming expansive and colourful galaxies. It was almost like a surrealist painting; a sight he could never quite get used to seeing, and not for a lack of trying. For how much he claimed to hate the fifth floor, nighttime strolls through the sandy expanses had become something of a comfort to him.

His solace was interrupted by a shrill blip, which diverted his attention away from the heavens and back down into reality. Green orbs were immediately drawn to a flashing exclamation point, and then to the number beside it. Thirty two messages, all from the same person, no doubt. As he opened the list and scrolled through its contents, his suspicions proved true. Aria's name dominated the list, having sent message after message once she'd returned the safety of a guarded zone. 

"Ah, ѕhit ... Should'a just messaged her right 'way. Prolly worried her half t'death." He muttered to himself in his typical fashion, turning with his head buried in menus. Whilst working on his reply, his boots hit a peculiarly loose spot of sand. Something gave way beneath his footing and his boot sank a few inches into the sand. Had he not felt so absent-minded he might've reacted right away, but instead he slowly shifted his eyes' focus from the menus to the ground, just in time for it to collapse. He hit a few menu buttons on the way down and managed to send a half garbled message to Aria just before his back hit solid, sand-covered tiles.

---

Roll Results

ID: 81477
LD: 24 (14 + 5(S&D) + 3(Detect) + 2(Reveal))

Advanced Dungeon found.

[Takao 0]

A long, drawn out groan escaped Takao's lungs as his eyes opened and refocused on the night sky. It looked just a tad further now, although only a small portion was visible compared to before. He sat up and set his eyes upon the vast, expansive darkness that shrouded the hallway ahead of him. He made a muffled, frustrated noise as he sat up and pushed himself back up to his feet. He could feel the uncomfortable granules of sand that now called the inside of his boots home with each step into the darkness. He passed a torch and, as was typical of sub-dungeons hidden within Aincrad, it erupted into flame and illuminated his path forward. Several more lit ahead of him, but stopped abruptly when four large insect-like creatures with countless legs appeared.

Takao reached up for the sword upon his back, but was interrupted by another message from Aria. He fired off a quick explanation followed by a halfhearted promise to be home soon before closing the menu tree once more. He drew Ragnarok from his shoulder and gripped it tightly in both hands, taking careful steps forward until the four beasts caught his scent and began scuttling forward.

---

COMBAT RESULTS

ID: 81477
BD: 6 (2 + 3(ACC) + 1(Concentration, 5/5))
MD: 3 (6 - 3(EVA))

Takao
HP: 1435/1435
Energy: 118/142 (+1/-13)
Sword Art: «Calamity Disaster»
Damage: 15(base) + 6(Damage Crystal) + 5(Charge) = 26 * 12 = 312

Dune Crawler 1-4: 398/710 (-312HP)

[Takao 0]

roll