[PP-F21] Gathering Courage

[Birdie 0]

A breath caught in her throat as the teleportation glow faded, and the luminous cavern ripe with stalactites flooded her vision. It was quite unlike anything she had seen before, full to the brim with hanging stone structures and luminous mushrooms that each harboured different shades of varying colours. Like every 'top floor', crowds of NPCs and players alike flooded the streets with many looking to browse the market and purchase equipment - especially with Tier 3 being made available, the select few who reached the requirements were undoubtedly scoping out upgrades for their weaker Tier 2 gear. Of course, she still had a long way to go before reaching such heights, although part of her wondered if she still had the motivation to pursue levelling. There was so much that she needed to set straight first, and it would all hinge on her next message.

Hey Beat, she began, starting and stopping each time her brain paused. No easy way to say this so I'll just say it: Wanna meet up? I'm on the 21st floor, she paused once more, this time to look around and get a sense of location. A quick reference to the map revealed she was right on the edge of the floor's main settlement, near a path that would stretch deeper into the caverns. East side of town near a gate. Feel free to ignore this message.

That last part stung especially bad. He had full rights to brush her off and get on with his day - in his position, she might have been inclined to do the same. A small portion of her clung to the hope that he still wanted to be friends, even after she'd abandoned the guild and disappeared without a trace. At worst, he would deliver a verbal thrashing, but she would be protected from any physical harm due to being inside the town's anti-crime zone - just barely.

With little else to add, she finalised the message with a fitting subject and dismissed the window. Her eyes fell to the path and then to a nearby bench, and she carefully trekked towards it and planted herself in the centre seat. Thoughts would lead her mind astray as time seemed to flow endlessly, and she pressed her eyes together to drown out the sounds of footsteps and passing chatter.  I hope this wasn't a mistake...

Edited July 10, 2017 by Birdie

[Beatbox 0]

Stealthed, hidden away from the people in front of him... it was only a matter of time before he would get his next lead upon the laughing coffin... it was time to bring an end to their guild... however, in between this time he had received a message. It was from Birdie, a player he had never heard from for... what was it months? Beatbox had looked towards the people and looked down, he had appreciated her presence before... he remembers the fact that he could tell her anything and she would still be his friend. Beatbox shook his head, he knew that he needed to she her, at least this one time. Beatbox looked up to the members there, and walked away sparing their lives. "If you step too far, and I will come back." he thought to himself getting away from them before opening the message to read it. Beatbox had grinned seeing the last portion of her message, he thought if he should send a reply or just appear upon the scene. He shook his head and sent a message:

Quote

To: Birdie

Desc: Hey, saw your message and I would love to meet up. I catch ya in a sec.

He sent the message and headed out in the shadows of the floor, it was not like he didn't want to be seen... but its like he doesn't want to be seen with laughing coffin members here, there, and everywhere within this floor. It didn't take him long to find the main settlement, it was only a matter of time. He peeked over the wall to see Birdie, just standing there, Beatbox had smirked and went back to get out of stealth. To be honest, he needed to figure out how he was going to approach this. However he kept a cool head and appeared behind her stating "Hey Birdie-bird. It's been a minute hasn't it." he gave her a smile "Where you been? A while back I started to worry about you, then saw that you weren't dead in the Monument of Life it calmed me down a tad, but who knows who could have gotten to you."

@Birdie

[Birdie 0]

"Huh?" Birdie's eyes sprung open as a familiar tune played - a system jingle, alerting her to an incoming private message. So, he's around... that's a start. With zero hesitation, she pressed the accept button and carefully examined the message, inwardly bracing for a harshly-worded letter about 'never speaking to each other again.' Nothing of the sort came to fruition; in fact, @Beatbox's phrasing was almost pleasant. Although a sense of doubt still lingered in her mind, it seemed as if he was perfectly content with a chat. W-wow, okay, that went better than expected. Itzal was strangely okay with it too... Am I blowing this out of proportion? It wouldn't be the first time.

An amount of time passed. She began wondering where he could've been prior to receiving her message; More specifically, how far away he was in relation to Tomoika. Teleport crystals immediately retrieved players and placed them in the safety of their desired settlement, though they ran up a pretty penny and took up precious inventory slots. If he was already close by, it was entirely a waste of the item's true potential... Truth be told, it didn't matter. Either way, he would appear eventually, so she had little choice but to await his arrival. The bluenette had to wonder how he would greet her given all their time apart: probably the same old, "Hey Birdie-bird."

"... Huh?" The voice was so life-like, as if her thoughts had manifested in physical form and perfectly imitated Beat's pitch and intonation. And then it continued, and she turned in a half-confused daze.

Oh. Birdie laid her eyes on him, the one who she could always talk with and listen to, and was always willing to help her out in a pinch. In some ways, seeing him brought unease and regret, but her most prevalent feeling was the joy of reconvening with an old friend. "B-beatbox! " She stood up and spun on her feet, hoping to meet him face-to-face. Her smile became visibly strained from Beat's question but the look was quick to pass, and she dipped into a bow out of politeness. "P-please, don't worry about that. I was always safe... it's just so hard to explain. Could we leave it at that? For now?" Blatant unease rested in her eyes, hoping to add strength to her plea.

In a bid to change the subject, she carefully examined the armour pieces adorning his body. Most - if not all - of his equipment seemed to be new, though it's possible her memory was simply acting up. "I see you've been busy. How are you doing?"

[Beatbox 0]

Beatbox had smirked as Birdie had spoken out to him, it seems like something must of happened to her after her comment about the topic of being away. Beatbox let out a chuckle as placed his hands out like a shrug "Don't worry 'bout it Birdie, even if I am curious about what had happened with ya, I must respect that you don't wish to talk about it at the moment, so don't worry 'bout it. I'll let it drop here." then he placed one hand on the hilt of his sword and the other at the back of his head as his pitch had changed not knowing how to exactly answer her question "Well... I'm alive... so there's that I suppose. However I've been on the front lines fightin' bosses takin' names, gettin' equipment. Ya know the same ole same ole. Nothing too special I suppose." he looked back to her with a smile on his face "Do you like my armor, the last time you saw me I was a completely different person." he chuckled, he cant remember what level he was back then when she had last seen him but then he lost the smile knowing that he had changed for the worst, he shook his head and said "So. You're in need of some materials? While I am terrible at finding materials, i'll do my best for ya today."

@Birdie

[Birdie 0]

At Beatbox's reassurance, she felt a sigh of relief escape her body. It wasn't so much that she was unwilling to talk about her whereabouts - eventually, she'd spill the beans and thoroughly discuss everything which had occurred between now and then - she needed time to be sure this was the right move, however.

It came as no surprise when @Beatbox described his activities, and her smile increased upon learning he was doing everything in his power to advance the game. For some unknown reason, she couldn't suppress a benign giggle as words leapt from her throat in reply. "Completely different? I see." Perhaps it was due to the overwhelming possibility that if Beatbox had changed, everyone else had likely undergone drastic alterations as well. The idea excited her in some ways yet terrified her in most, and the nervous laugh came as compensation to calm her worries.

"Huh?" Her eyes lingered on his form. Materials... Of course. Tier 3 upgrades were impossible to craft with the lower Tier 2 materials. With the grand unveiling of the 21st floor, a whole new host of high-quality mats became available to the masses; She'd been so pre-occupied with meeting Beatbox, the thought completely slipped her mind. She moved her head up and down, "That's right. I haven't really been training my Artisan skill recently, honestly, I'd forgotten about it entirely... S-sorry. Of course, I'd be honoured to search with you."

A quick examination of her inventory revealed two helpful items, the Finding and Awareness Stones respectively. She cringed at how basic they were in design, everything from their names to physical form was humorously simplistic. She slid the stones into her pouch, electing to ignore the ill-feelings as she traced her vision back up to Beat. "Shall we get going, then? Sundown doesn't occur on this floor so we shouldn't have to worry about excessive mob spawns, but I'd rather not wait around." She awaited his reaction before spinning towards the gate.

"So, what's the story behind your new look?" She was more referring to his updated equipment, though any interpretation of the question was welcome. Her eyes landed on the hilt which Beat's hand had fallen to during their conversation. Something about its aesthetic, the way it reacted to his grip... It certainly didn't look ordinary. "That sword, especially," she added, a curious tone cemented in her voice.

[Beatbox 0]

It had seemed that Birdie was finally calming down to whatever her feelings had gotten to her and had replaced it with a smile, and out came a small giggle. Then out of the blue she had forgotten why she had even summoned Beatbox in the first place, he had let out a chuckle as he stepped forward and placed a hand on her shoulder "Hey. It's alright. I understand whatever happened has gotten to ya, but life's too short to be stressed out all the time. Keep it easy." he had patted her shoulder a bit more before placing it back on the hilt of his handle. He had nodded in response to her question shortly after "I mean, we don't have to worry about excessive mobs yes. But Birdie, I want you to do me a favor." he had looked back to her with a more concerned look than anything "Becareful, these mobs are not to be messed with. I nearly died to monsters a floor lower than this one. If we're going to fight, make it one mob." but he shook off his concerned look and gave her a smile and a chuckle "But hey! With a guy at my level you should be fine. I'll make sure you're well protected. I promise it on my life." then without much other thought he had walked outwards from the gate with Birdie on the trail.

Then she had asked about his new look, while he didn't necessarily want to talk about it, there might just be a short version of the story... like a TLDR. Beatbox had almost looked uncomfortable then it grew to sadden look before he had exhaled "I honestly don't know how to explain it exactly. Other than... well, I have become a Vigilante. Eliminating those who take good from the world we stand upon." he shook his head "I can't bear the thought of all the sh** that happens in the world. It must come to an end, and if it means my life must go for the peace of others... then so be it." he took a moment to cool off for a brief second before looking back to Birdie which was interested in his sword. Beatbox had let out a smirk and pulled out his talon in a blink of an eye "Oh this ole thing? Why, you're looking at the best Accuracy weapon in the game miss Birdie-bird." he had offered it forward for Birdie to grasp on to inspect it further "Care to take a looksie?"

@Birdie

[Birdie 0]

ID# 86558 - LD: 16+(7) <<+4 Mixed Ore (T3 Mats)>>

Before she forgot, Birdie activated her Search skill from within the menu. As @Beatbox inferred his worries onto her, she couldn't help but issue a soft smile, swiping the open window away. If her track record of fleeing was anything to go by then she'd be fine in a tight spot. And given the powerful aura he was giving off, it wasn't a stretch to assume he was more than capable of protecting himself, a fact he even confirmed seconds later. She imparted a gracious nod so as to not let his warning go unheeded, and faced forwards toward the approaching fence, quickly passing through into the wilderness. "I half-expected mob encounters to be quite troublesome this high up. Of course, now that you're here, I am sure I'll have nothing to worry about today." Another soft giggle tickled her throat, though as soon as she recognised her giddy tone, her shoulders slumped, casting an uncertain gaze elsewhere. This is so strange... it's as if nothing has changed. He's a lot stronger than before, that much is obvious, but he's still the same old Beat I used to know. A faint smile curled her lips nicely, Maybe all of my worries really were unfounded...

For the briefest of moments, her body didn't know how to react to Beat's revelation. Her mind was going through a similar struggle, though his reasoning did resonate with the rational half of her brain. Aincrad contained some incredibly sick and twisted minds, as could be expected from a video game that allows its players to literally kill one another. She would never, ever be fond of that fact. However, back to the matter at hand- If Beatbox was going to be the one to purge them, and he'd found purpose in doing so, she saw little reason to react negatively. She could tell from his saddened tone that it weighed heavily on the man, so she chose to keep her words brief and to the point. "I see. So long as you're not targeting those who are redeemable... I'll leave it at that."

Before long, a flash of white caught her eye just a few steps from the path, nestled between a rock and a literal hard place- more rock. A quick inspection yielded her four materials she'd never seen before, <<Mixed Ore>>. She had to assume one of the Blacksmiths in town could melt these into ingot form. Swiftly, Birdie returned to Beat's side.

She lifted a sceptic's eye as he raised his sword. If it truly lived up to Beat's word then she had no intentions of inferring her terrible luck onto it, but she did lean in closer to inspect its wonderfully detailed winged crossguard. The blade's golden pommel gleamed in the multi-coloured light, a dazzling representation of its beauty and power. "W-wow... Where did you get it- how did you get it?" The possible answers were obvious- Last Attack bonus, an ultra rare drop from an enemy or even the most anticlimactic answer, bought at a high price from another player. Either way, her growing curiosity warranted the question.

Edited July 11, 2017 by Birdie

[Beatbox 0]

Beatbox had looked over to Birdie after he made his whole "Vigilante" comment, and as she had spoken he had replied shortly back with "No, I would never kill anyone who's redeemable- like Aere-" he stopped for just a second and shook his head "Sh**... she doesn't know about what happened with him." he thought for a minute and shook his head "Anyways..." he looked back to Birdie "I only go after those who truly are evil through and through, like those in the Laughing Coffin... you could say I'm in a infinite war with them... they make me sick." he said without hesitation, after minute Birdie had went off to find a material she had potentially found so he supposed that he should try to find one too... well, he failed.

Birdie came back with a bit of success as he had pulled out his sword when she had asked about it. She took the sword and inspected it and was purely in awe, Beatbox had chuckled a bit "Impressive is it not?" he had said before looking at her when she had asked where in the world he got this item. Beatbox smiled and gave her a wink "Event boss. Many people got a talon, however it only came with Absolute Accuracy and Essence of Steels weren't working on the bloody things. So we all took them to Merchants in hopes that we would get useful ones. However, I am the only one with a usable Talon. Even on poor usage I can still hit with the sword. Even if I trip and fall, I can still hit. This ensures that I can take down the things I need it to."

@Birdie

-----

ID: 86579 - LD: 10 [Nope.]

[Birdie 0]

ID#86580 - LD: 20+(7) <<+4 [T3] Mixed Ore>> (8 total)

"Ah, hold up." Another shimmer of white light appeared just beyond the path, short of a colony of fungi. She assumed her findings might be more plant-based, yet more <<Mixed Ore>> entered her inventory instead. With little basis to complain, she spun around on the spot to return to Beat's side, quickly dismissing the congratulations message. 

Her ears perked up as a familiar-sounding syllable left Beat's mouth. From the way he hushed and silenced himself, she was almost inclined to think that he was hiding something, but she didn't have the guts to press him on the matter. Instead, a heavy sigh left her throat as he brought up Laughing Coffin; The most infamous band of player killers roaming Aincrad. It made her sick to her stomach even considering them as a force that existed- a disgusting group whose sole purpose was to commit atrocities and murderous acts. She was more than grateful to have never had a run-in with them before. Beat seemed to share a similar sentiment, and she gave a low nod in agreement. "They are not welcome in Aincrad, that's for certain. Thanks to players like you, people like me don't have to watch our backs every two seconds fearing some... crazed group of lunatics." As her mind delved deeper into the idea, a pleasant hum chimed from her parted lips. "Huh, you know, it's kinda you're a Batman of sorts. Gotham has the Bat, Aincrad's got the Beat." She made a childish grin, drawing amusement from the comparison.

If he hadn't spoken up, she might have ogled the blade for the rest of the trip, yet she was quick to draw her eyes away once spoken to. She lifted her head in a nod of concurrence and moved her gaze sideways to Beat, keeping an insightful ear out as he explained the sword's origins and the inarguable extent of its usefulness. "I see, a weapon that allows the wielder to attack even with a poorly timed strike..." Her last words came out quieter and quieter, as if still in awe from the blade's very existence. In the wrong hands, such a thing would spell disaster for Aincrad- especially if they had villainous intent in mind. Yet with Beatbox at the helm, any such worries were swiftly evaporated, replaced by an overwhelming sense of safety. "It's hard to imagine anybody making better use of it than you. For the love of God, never let that thing go?" A sliver of her eye appeared through her parted bangs, complimenting the light-hearted smile adorning her face.

@Beatbox

Edited July 12, 2017 by Birdie

[Beatbox 0]

"The batman of Aincrad huh?" he couldn't help but think to himself with a chuckle, that was probably the silliest thing he had heard all year in this damned place. "I mean, I may be strong but there are some I cannot defeat, they're leaders was roughly level 60 when they were last seen... however, no one really saw Opal anymore after a boss raid... something tells me that this Volcano is up to something.. anyways, I only bring justice to those who have it coming to them. However, the day I take on the leaders I already know will either be the day Laughing Coffin will fall from the existance from the world temporarily... or the day I die." he looked down for a brief moment, but shaking his head trying to forget the thought, he knew one day it would come... but for now, he would remain alive. In the middle of this, Beat had looked over and spotted something, later found to be a material. Wow, he actually managed to find one. 

Birdie had remained to look at the weapon at awe, her first words slowly became more and more quiet before it eventually turned into nothing before she was standing there for a few moments, Beatbox had remained standing there with a smile with a hand on his hip. Eventually Birdie had let out more words that were contained within her, and after her statement Beatbox had let out a chuckle, then shook his head and looked back at Birdie "I don't plan to. Those Leaders of Laughing Coffin wont kill me by the time I am done preparing." he had placed a hand outward in front of him "But for me to make that promise for you... I'm gonna need it back." he had shown a wide smile with a chuckle coming out from him.

@Birdie

-----

ID: 86583 - LD: 19

Materials Gathered: 1

[Birdie 0]

ID# 86608 - LD: 11+(7) <<+4 [T3] Mixed Ore>> (12 total)

As Birdie noticed yet another source of materials sitting idly, she had an idea to pass it up and let @Beatbox discover them instead; After all, she could always find more with <<Gatherer>> and she wasn't hurting for any at that point. However, without knowing how invested in <<Search>> he was - if he'd even taken the skill at all - she had to consider that it was above his level. Her mind made up, she deviated from the track as casually as possible and leant down to retrieve them, harvesting 4 additional <<Mixed Ore>>.

Her eyes fell as he brought up his 'inevitable demise'. She grimaced beneath the safety of her bangs. The thought that death was inescapable was unpleasant, and even though Beat was essentially taunting the devil himself, she couldn't find it in herself to follow that mindset. "I see. For now, all I can say is that no matter what, I'll always believe in you. I'm sure you'll have an army of like-minded people at your back - it's in the Frontline's interest to see Laughing Coffin perish, after all."

In truth, any sane person would love to see them gone, yet it wasn't a matter that low levels should get involved with. Even with her progress, she was still miles away from the top, so it wasn't correct to include herself in the ranks of SAO's strongest- given she made it that high, however, and she'd walk alongside him in a heartbeat.

"O-of course, sorry," She stuttered nervously as if remembering a terrible wrongdoing. The blade left her grip as she handed it back over to Beat, a soft sigh of relief escaping her throat. She racked her brain for something to add yet nothing jumped out immediately, so instead, the girl took a moment to backtrack. "S-so, um... Opal, was it? What is her deal?" She held a sideways glance on the blonde knight, trepidation flooding her system as she hesitated asking her next question. "And... if you don't mind me asking, how do you know your victims are... well, murderers?"

Edited July 14, 2017 by Birdie

[Beatbox 0]

Beatbox had noticed after his comment about his own eventual death that it had upsetted her, while Beatbox would like to ask why she had gotten upset over that comment, he only assumed that anyone would get rather depressed talking about any form of death while in this game... well, any sane person he supposed. Then she had spoken out, and it made Beatbox a little more upset, while he did agree with her a part of him wants to believe that inside... she doesn't want to see him eventually perish. He placed a hand upon her shoulder "I understand the idea of dying in this game is permanent... but, I can't promise that I won't die. I am taking too many risks, and there's no going back now. There are helpless people counting on me." he looked down almost upset with himself for getting into this depression / eventual death he has gotten himself in. It seems that there was just nothing he could really do about it, he looked the other way knowing theres nothing he can do.

Eventually Beatbox had gained his grip back onto his Talon, he had offered Birdie a comforting smile as he placed it back into his sheath "No need to apologize Birdie-bird. You were just in some thoughts was all." then out of the blue she had gotten back on the topic of Opal, it had seemed after her comment... she had not known about the infamous Opal. Beatbox chuckled and said "TLDR, Opal would just attack those who removed from the world. She had a strong belief that if you have killed, regardless of the situation... you were to die. Including herself. Of course she took the title of Vigilante a little too far I suppose." then he had let out another chuckle, she had seemed worried about how Beatbox approaches things "I take things three ways, 1. I get to know them, I spend some time trying to befriend them... while backstabbing them seems heartless, if its a member of Laughing Coffin or just a stone cold killer I don't suppose anyone would complain. 2. Information Brokers, I am a man of knowledge they have never lied to me yet and they have gave me leads on Laughing Coffin locations. And 3. sometimes I come in to save the day, or they just reveal themselves to be." he had stated after taking a deep-breath there was a lot to say with that statement.

@Birdie

-----

ID: 86609 - LD: 10

Materials Gathered: 1

[Birdie 0]

ID#86616 - LD: 18+(7) <<+4 [T3] Mixed Ore>> (16 total)

Whether the Gods were feeling generous and granted bewildering Ore-identifying abilities or her luck was simply reaching its peak, Birdie once more squinted toward a faint white flash in the distance. She glanced over at Beat to alert him and swiftly made her way toward the pile, gathering each of the four without a peep. Upon return, she'd briefly gazed out into the distance to get an idea of the mobs on the 21st floor- spiders. She groaned. Of course it would be spiders...

Back to the matter at hand, she held a low sideways glance as Beat spoke up. He played such a vital role in the 'Cleansing Coffin' process and was looked up upon by so many and she'd just inferred, in a roundabout way, that he wasn't up to the task alone. She felt embarrassment for insisting such a thing, but then again, What should I have said instead? 'Go face them alone with reckless abandon and get yourself killed sooner?' She moved her eyes away as he did, silence filling the air for a handful of seconds.

"You're right. If what you're doing increases the chance of your death, maybe even to the factor of inevitability, then it's just a sacrifice required for the greater good." She paused, words hanging loosely from the edge of her tongue. "It's just... so unfair that it falls squarely on you to exact judgement- unfair for you, I mean. If only those horrid people didn't exist, you wouldn't have to dedicate yourself to fighting them off. Hell, maybe we would be closer to freedom..."

She tensed as Beat offered a blunt description of Opal. So, she would kill killers unconditionally... The motive is by all means morally acceptable, if not a little brutish. What does he mean by 'Including herself' though? Did she... commit suicide? There were a time and a place to pose that question, yet neither fit their current situation. Her rate of breathing did not falter as Beat explained his method of scoping out a murderer. Upon hearing how thorough and certain he would be before confronting one, the corners of her lips rose very slightly, a vague relief sweeping her system. "I see. Feel free to challenge this opinion, but... it strikes me that Opal was maybe satiating a thirst for blood. You're not like that, you're still Beatbox. I suppose what I'm trying to say is, never lose sight of who you are. And... Thank you for making this place safer. For all of us."

@Beatbox

Edited July 12, 2017 by Birdie

[Beatbox 0]

Birdie has just kept getting more and more materials as Beatbox had looked at the one that he managed to get, not gonna lie... he was starting to feel a little bit jealous, however if anything he could take from this... he was much much better at combat than she is. He had gave it one more attempt to find one of them, however... he didn't really find anything of use. He let out a sigh as Birdie had gotten back to him after finding more materials. Beatbox had noticed that she became a little more embarrassed by his own words and slowly started to become a little more upset about it. Beatbox knew he had screwed up in a way... but was he wrong? To him, he just feels like he's a dead man walking... however, it could be very different in many peoples eyes. "That is life here in Aincrad unfortunately." he said in reply to Birdie's comments "If its not for people like me, players without the necessary combat skills would have all perished by now. No matter what this feels like a prison, inside and out."

Birdie had continued to tense up as she heard his own words, it almost made him want to hesitate from talking for a bit, but he had continued to anyways, she had gotten a little curl on her face, he had seen it as she had begun to spoke. After her comment, Beatbox had looked down... "Never lose sight of who you are"... he knew he had already failed that, his own depression in his mind rejects this, he cannot simply return to himself anymore. "Birdie... I..." he looked away for a moment "I've already lost sight of who I am. I used to be the star of aincrad bringing smiles to people's faces to how silly it was to be that kind of person... that was when I felt more alive. Now I feel like I am a dead man walking, knowing im going to die before I can get the chance to reach floor 100. And theres no need to thank me..." he looked down "I'm pretty sure plenty of other people could do it better than me." he said as his words grew fainter and fainter, behind him not noticing a group of spiders heading in their direction... they look pretty nasty, they were big with eyes that could penetrate anyone with the slight fear of them... they were planning to strike Beatbox while he wasn't looking...

@Birdie

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ID: 86623 - LD: 3

Materials Gathered: 1

Beatbox - HP: 1235/1235 - EN: 122/122

Birdie - HP: ???/??? - EN: ??/??

Giant Spiders x4 - HP: 610/610 - DMG: 183

[Birdie 0]

#86626 - LD: 17(+7) <<+4 [T3] Mixed Ore>> (20 total)

"No matter what this feels like a prison, inside and out."

It came as a hollow realisation, but he was right. The life of every SAO player was in the hands of the system's creator, each an unwilling victim in his dragged-out game of genocide. What little liberty they had was a cowardly illusion orchestrated by the one in charge. Yet with those like Beatbox at the helm, every single passing day would only bring them closer to reality, and the hope that they might one day leave remained steadfast in every peaceful player's heart. There was nothing left to be said, and as a way to show respect to both his duty as a vigilante and his status as her friend, she left the topic at that, taking away every scrap of insight and information she could stow away.

Huh? Back up two seconds. Birdie threw her eyes south-west, toward a small rock formation a little ways off the path. Her eyes pinched together. As she took two careful steps back, a smile erupted as a white light illuminated that very spot, and she made haste to retrieve four additional <<Mixed Ore>>. After a small trek back to Beat's side, nothing could have prepared her for what happened next.

What he said next made her nose scrunch up, a silent tremble infecting the hand she'd hidden from view. She briefly recalled the very first time they'd met, figuring it to be when he wandered into Bluebird Workshop with an order in his hand and a smile on his face. The energy that flowed from each of his words, that youthful ambition... Another pang of guilt struck her stomach as she made another sorrowful realisation. "Better? Possibly. It sounds like you've been doing a bang up job so far though." She searched her vocabulary for the right words and continued, slowly lifting her gaze from the cavern floor. "Beat, as long as you know that the boy you once were still exists- even if you have to search really deep for him-  there's no reason you can't revert back to that once this is all over. Circumstances change people, b-but..."

"B-b... Beat..."

"Bad.. b-b-bad..!" Every nerve in her body fired off at once as she pointed frantically, shimmying her body away from the-

"Spiders!"

@Beatbox

Edited July 12, 2017 by Birdie

[Beatbox 0]

Birdie had gone off to find some more materials, in which Beatbox had decided that he was just going to stop trying to find some materials, he was horrible at it and he might as well stay at what he is good at... and thats fighting for materials, even if its harder than usual nowadays. Then she had returned to hear out his own speech about how he had lost himself. She had looked a little more upset about his own words, and how could he blame her? This is not news that you want to hear, especially from an old friend. She had began to talk, however it shortly turned to fear... did he say something wrong? Then she had finally yelled it... Spiders, Beatbox had turned around to see the four spiders jumping out to attack Beatbox, however Beatbox was better than this, he's better than to just stand around immediately he had moved out of the way and dodged all of the spider's attacks easily. Beatbox had shown a smile and took a couple steps back as he pulled out his talon without a second question, his sword had glowed a bright yellow as he intertwined it with Charge and with the use of Bullrush he had moved forward quickly slicing through the spiders as a Shadow Explosion had unleashes hitting all four of the spiders in a massive combo forcing them to fly backwards a bit stunned on their backs, twitching but not moving.

@Birdie

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ID: 86623 - BD: 4+5=9 - MD: 5-4=1

[H:1] Beatbox - HP: 1235/1235 - EN: 104/122

• Sword Art Used: Shadow Explosion [Damage = 17+5=22*9=198]

[H:0] Birdie - HP: ???/??? - EN: ??/??

Giant Spiders x4 - HP: 412/610 - DMG: 183 - Stunned

Loot: 1 T3 Material

[Birdie 0]

She stumbled backwards in fear of the eight-legged abominations, their skitters causing a nervous shiver to surge through her spine. These were far unlike the ones on the lower levels - unlike the ones they'd faced in that dungeon so long ago. Her eyes blew wide open as they all initiated jumping attacks against Beatbox, though he immediately moved from harm's way and flipped the tables. Seizing the opportunity to brandish her weapon, she breezed through the menu and landed on the Two Handed Straight Sword,  Frost Drake's Chagrin. Blade at hand, she watched in amazement as Beat initiated a devastating sword art bolstered by the power of charge, instantly stunning the arachnids and stealing 35% of their HP. 

As their legs twitched in the air, she gasped at an opportunity only a fool would pass up and held her sword left and horizontal, the position required to initiate the weak AoE Sword Art 'Blast'. Her legs kicked into action as she closed the gap between the monsters and the sword beamed a dazzling green colour, slashing left to right and right to left in succession.

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ID: 86650 - BD: 10 

[H:1] Beatbox - HP: 1235/1235 - EN: 104/122

[H:2] Birdie - HP: 640/640 - EN: 60/64

• Sword Art Used: Blast [Damage = (2+1+6+2)*2=22]

Giant Spiders x4 - HP: 390/610 - DMG: 183 - Stunned

@Beatbox

Edited July 13, 2017 by Birdie

[Beatbox 0]

After his attack, Beatbox took a moment to charge up his next Shadow Explosion... he needed to widdle this down on a down spiral eventually to their deaths, he was dumb to let them come this close to him and Birdie, but none of that matters now... he had the advantage. Then from what it had seemed, Birdie had gained some courage and charged forward with a Two Handed Straight Sword to hit them all critically. While she didn't do that much damage, it had impressed him, scared him, and reminded him that she had Two Handed Straight Sword to begin with. Beatbox had looked back to Birdie "Hey, Birdie. Do you know what would of happened there if they weren't paralyzed?" he then moved forward slashing the ground unleashing a cloud of darkness that had hit them all once they had stood back up from their paralysis "They would've attack ya. I don't suppose you want to get face to face with one of these critters." he had chuckled a bit, but he had looked forward to the spiders... they didn't look happy at all...

@Birdie

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ID: 86653 - BD: 6+5=11 - MD: ---

[H:2] Beatbox - HP: 1235/1235 - EN: 87/122

• Sword Art Used: Shadow Explosion [Damage = 17*9=153]

[H:2] Birdie - HP: 640/640 - EN: 60/64

Giant Spiders x4 - HP: 237/610 - DMG: 183

Loot: 1 T3 Material

[Birdie 0]

Her chest heaved after discharging Blast, incurring a downtime of one and a half seconds to recover. Her experience using Frost Drake's Chagrin was close to null, its larger size and weight completely foreign to her nimble hands. Combined with the fact that she'd fought monsters only a handful of times since disappearing and it allowed for some embarrassing and potentially fatal mistakes, ones which Beat had picked up on immediately. "A-absolutely not!" A tremble irked her tone as she darted away, back peddling twice to ensure a safe distance. Thanks to Beatbox's Bullrush, the mobs stayed immobilised long enough for the two to plan their next moves, and she called up her inventory to unequip Frost Drake and have Winterthorn take its place.

The <<Giant Spider>>'s HP had breached the yellow zone, a sign that two more Shadow Explosion's from Beat would slay all four mobs. As she considered her options on ways to contribute, she was uncomfortably reminded of the biggest annoyance of the rapier weapon class- the lack of AoE, or Area of Effect, sword arts. It left them completely in the dust during dungeon raids and monster slaying quests, yet was made up for with impressive single-target DPS and energy efficient sword arts. She huffed, bottling her unrest.

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Switching from Frost Drake's Chagrin (T.H.S.S) to Winterthorn (Rapier) 

[H:2] Beatbox - HP: 1235/1235 - EN: 87/122

[H:2] Birdie - HP: 640/640 - EN: 60/64

Giant Spiders x4 - HP: 237/610 - DMG: 183

@Beatbox

[Beatbox 0]

Beatbox had chuckled as she had shook her head and replied to his comment as he thought she would, he had looked back forward with his sword and charged up another Shadow Explosion as he moved forward to strike down the 4 giant spiders... he didn't quite kill all the spiders but he had brought down the spiders HP had gotten down so so quickly. Beatbox had looked back to Birdie and said out to her "Unless ya know you can kill it don't attack. The last thing I want ya to do is die on me." he chuckled as he took a few steps away from the spiders as they were trying to attack him, however... he easily dodged their attacks with ease. He gave her a pat on the back and exclaimed to her "But I believe in ya give it your all on em Birdie-bird."

@Birdie

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ID: 86720 - BD: 5+5=10 - MD: 6-4=2

[H:3] Beatbox - HP: 1235/1235 - EN: 70/122

• Sword Art Used: Shadow Explosion [Damage = 17*9=153]

[H:2] Birdie - HP: 640/640 - EN: 60/64

Giant Spiders x4 - HP: 84/610 - DMG: 183

Loot: 1 T3 Material