SP-F6 A Hollow Reflection <<Gemini>>

[Calrex 0]

Spoiler

Floor 6
<<The Gemini>>
Recommended Level: Any
Non-Repeatable | Solo

Rewards:

• 3 Additional SP
• 600 Col
• Extra Skill: <<Concentration>> if The Gemini is spared.
• Extra Skill: <<Disguise>> if The Gemini is killed.

►Concentration
Active: Free action
Cooldown: 5 Rounds
Effect: Gain +1 to the BD result for a single action. Can be applied after the roll. Can only be used against monsters.
Description: Steady yourself in the midst of combat to gain a brief increase in accuracy.

►Disguise
Active: Free action
Cooldown: 5 Rounds
Effect: Gain +1 to the BD result for a single action. Can be applied after the roll. Can only be used against players/NPCs.
Description: Take on the appearance of your opponent for a single turn and gain a brief increase in accuracy.

Objectives:

• Defeat <<The Gemini>>

Summary:

"You look pretty strong." A hooded figure approaches you and offers a simple challenge. "I'm looking to test my skills. If you beat me, I'll teach you a hidden skill. What do you say?" You travel to a suitable location outside of the city's safe zone in silence. When the hooded figure turns to face you, they reveal themselves. They have copied your appearance--everything from your facial features to equipment is completely identical. This challenge suddenly became a lot more sinister...

Outline:
Players must meet <<The Gemini>> and accept their challenge. <<The Gemini>>'s stats are determined at the start of combat.

<<The Gemini>>'s Stats:

• HP: (Player's Level) x 10
• DMG: (Player's Level) x 5
• MIT: (Player's Level) x 1.75 (Rounded down)
• ACC: (Player's ACC)
• EVA: (Player's EVA)
• Critical Hits: DMG + (Player's Level) on a natural MD 9, DMG + (Player's Level x 2) on a natural MD 10.
• <<Disguise>>: +1 ACC to <<The Gemini>>'s first attack.
• For each consumable/temporary buff a player has when facing <<The Gemini>>, it will gain additional effects. For example, if a player has 3 temporary buffs, <<The Gemini>> will have Paralyze, Bleed, and bonus DMG.
  • 1: Gain Paralyze: Removes player action for one turn on natural MD rolls of 9-10.
  • 2: Gain Bleed: Deals (12 * Player's Tier) unmitigatable damage every turn for two rounds on natural MD rolls of 9-10.
  • 3: Increases DMG by (Player's Level)
  • 4: Increases MIT by (Player's Level)
  • 5+: Increases HP by (Player's Level x 5) for each additional temporary buff on the player.

Once combat begins, there is no running away from the battle. <<The Gemini>> will attack first, before the player, meaning the Charge skill cannot be used against it. <<The Gemini>> does not have any items, skills, or equipment besides the appearance of the gear the player is wearing when combat begins.

Players can choose to end the fight in one of two ways, which alters the skill they receive from completing the quest:

• On the killing blow, <<The Gemini>> is destroyed. Player gains the <<Disguise>> skill.
• On the killing blow, <<The Gemini>> is instead reduced to one health and is spared. Player gains the <<Concentration>> skill.

If <<The Gemini>> would deal the killing blow to a player, they are instead reduced to one health. <<The Gemini>> will end the combat and the player will have failed the quest (no quest rewards are earned). If they wish to try <<The Gemini>>'s challenge again, they must attempt the quest again in a new thread.

Calrex Stats:

Spoiler

HP: 1765 | EN: 172 | DMG: 16 | MIT: 89 | ACC: 4 |  EVA: 0 | ACH: 0.6 (See Achilles in Skills/Mods for details)

Equipped Gear:

Grand Gauntlets III: +9 Unarmed Damage

Grand Chariot III: +54 Mitigation

Battle Ready:

x5 Safeguard Potion: 1 Attack negated

x1 Grand Legionbane: +9 Damage

Grand Guard III: +28 Thorns & +3 Heavy Momentum

x1 Basic Teleportation Crystal: Upon use, teleport to the nearest town next turn

Rebellion of Sapphire: +3 Evasion

Skills & Mods:

Two-Handed Battle Axe [Rank 5]

Heavy Armor [Rank 5]: Athletics Mod

Charge [Rank 5]

Battle Healing [Rank 5]

Block [Rank 5]: Rampart Mod

Howl: Focused Howl Mod

Parry: Vengeful Riposte Mod

Familiar Master: Accurate [Rank 3]

Martial Arts [Rank 5]: Quick Change Mod / Precision Mod

Survival

Disguise

Meditation

Achilles [Rank 5]: 40% Damage Reduction (All Incoming Damage after MIT and Rampart/Parry reduction multiplied by 0.6 (Ex. [150 DMG - 50 MIT] * 0.6 ACH = 60)

Gemini Stats:

Spoiler

HP: 850 | DMG: 425 | MIT: 148 | ACC: 4 |  EVA: 0

Critical: (9) +85 / (10) +170 

 

It wasn't long after Calrex got word from his info broker that the Gemini quest had been changed that he made his way in the direction of the nearest teleportation plaza. Since the quest apparently had allows players that had taken it sometime back in the past, and even give some form of control over what skill would be rewarded, the bluenette couldn't help but give it another try.

"As useful as Disguise supposedly was in the past, now apparently it has become specialized as a PvP tool, which of course I'm not exactly about. Having Concentration would be a much more useful skill, since nearly one hundred percent of my battles these days are against monster not players. Plus, even if I was versing another player, a small boost in Accuracy for one time before it goes on such a long cooldown is really going to help much."

As his avatar warped from his current floor to the one that the quest was on he took a deep breath, releasing the exhale as his vision was filled with the lush jungle-like appearance of the sixth floor's main settlement. Moving an oversized leaf out of the way he wasted no time in making his way out of the safe zone, swiping on his menu while following the path to the start of the quest, almost as if he had an innate sense of direction for it.

Continuing to make his way, Calrex's pace began to slow as he contemplated his equipment for the battle. The preparation began to remind him of the first time he took on the quest, back when he was barely above starting level for any player on the first floor. It was still an event that brought some surprise to him, since it was one that was both a in-game and mental test of his resolve, especially right after he had just started a relationship with Teayre.

Looking down at his left arm for a moment, his pupils dilated to a calm size as he felt the emotions inside of him began to recede like a wave. Tilting his head upwards a flash of light could be seen above as Roc made his presence known, the blue peregrine falcon swooping down to fly overhead a few feet ahead of the Ultramarine Knight.

Clothed in his casual combat clothing, the bluenette gave a small laugh to himself, "It's almost as if nothing has really changed from before. Still wearing the same outfit after all this time. Maybe I can use this as an opportunity to prove to myself how far I've come from before."

[Calrex 0]

After spending some time on his equipment, Calrex finally came to the array that he wished to use. It was certainly not as strong as he needed to be, but going from his previous encounter he already knew that his opponent would be scaling to whatever stats he had when the fight was declared. After a series of light flashed across his frame, the only pieces of enhanced equipment on his person was the Grand Gauntlets III and Grand Chariot III, his previously casually clothed person now encapsulated by the dark blue full body armor. as he opened his eyes after the changes took effect, the light blue slits on the helm swiped upwards, being the only indication of a face on it. Looking down as he opened and closed his hands a few times the bluenette gave a small sigh to himself before stretching and warming up his shoulders.

Moments later a feeling of nostalgia came over him as the clearing that the Ultramarine Knight had first encountered the Gemini came into view. Since it was a game, no permanent impressions of their battle were left on the earth. The nearby forest was still there, likely still full of the oversized jungle creatures that he had fought in the past and was initially partially creeped out by. Walking over to the spot where the two had clashed, Calrex knelt down for a moment, giving a small sigh as he let his mind briefly reminisce of the times back then.

"Simpler times back then, before we were called to the frontlines, before our names were something that had any form of circulation. Back when Mari was still the biggest threat that players feared, and when the two biggest guilds were the Azure Brigade and Square One..."

The thought of the two former guilds and the fates of the players within brought a brief feeling of sadness over Calrex as his calm demeanor took on a more serious shade for a moment. He had been there for almost every players' end: When Azide was slain in the Rohk battle, Zelrius was struck down by Oikawa, Ssendom taken down by Opal, and Tristan's retirement. He still didn't know what had become of the redheaded tank that was the original bearer of the Achilles unique skill that he now carried.

Looking at his right fist, as if he were peering at some object that represented the skill, the bluenette's grip tightened as he continued to gaze at it, "I'm still not completely sure I'm doing as good a job as you did Tristan, but just like you did, I'm doing my best to make sure no one else falls while under my protection. The Brigade was a rather boisterous group, but from the adventures we had been on, I know that you were willing to lay your life on the line for those following behind. I just hope I can live up to the trust you put in me when you bestowed this upon me..."

Standing upright Calrex looked left and right for a moment before crossing his arms, "Wait...wasn't the Gemini supposed to spawn around here?"

[Calrex 0]

After spending another minute standing at the center of the clearing, Calrex placed a hand behind the back of his head, "This was where we fought before. I wonder why it hasn't spawned. Did I miss something else that changed about this quest?"

Pulling down the info he had taken from the broker he began to slowly scroll through. Unfortunately it didn't seem like there was any mention of a specific spawn spot in the notes. With a quick full hand wave to the side the blunette gave a small sigh beneath the expressionless helmet, "I guess I should probably just head back to the safe zone for now. There's no way I'm going to spend more time going around the floor without a general idea of where the heck this NPC is supposed to appear."

"Now that I think of it, I guess I did get lucky with ending up in the right spot for the Gemini to appear last time. Maybe this time I'm not going to be so lucky, or the spawn point has changed from before. This certainly isn't like the Wasp Queen quest, where the specific cavern that she appeared in was consistent."

Roc made a small sound from above, which Calrex already understood as a bit of a mocking tone. A small smirk came across his face as he glance upwards, "Yeah I know. I probably could use you to scope it out too, but if quest is triggered by my avatar's presence, I don't think the Gemini is going to just be wandering about waiting for players to engage it in combat...although normally I guess that would be the assumption."

"There are games I've played in the past where multiple players are fighting an exact copy of a quest creatures in the exact same area at the same time because the developers decided to not implement some form of isolation."

Time passed by as the Ultramarine Knight made his arrival back at the main settlement of Krycim, making his way upwards while looking left and right, "Still no sign of..."

As he swiped down on his menu once again Calrex paused for a moment, his finger hovering over the screen that floating in space right in front of him. Feeling a bead of sweat form on the side of his head he pushed a button before the menu disappeared, immediately being followed by him putting a hand to his face. "I'm really out of it. Guess that comes with not really doing any quests on my own for a while...I can't believe I forgot to actually accept the quest before heading out."

[Calrex 0]

Upon accepting the quest Calrex made his way back to the teleportation plaza, taking a deep breath upon arrival, "Alright, this time around the trigger for the quest is active, which means any interactions that should happen will. If anything I should also get an indicator of the location of the NPC to start the quest this time around. I've already got my equipment preparations ready, so the only thing left to do is find this guy and start the battle. Gemini will scale up to my level though, so I should be prepared for this to be a more drawn out battle than expected."

Turning around and setting his eyes on the direction of the safe zone exit the bluenette began to make his way over occasionally pulling up his map to see if any markers appeared. This time around, it did seem that he was in luck. Nearby there was a blip, indicating the location of a quest NPC. Since it was starting to be the high point of the day, there was a crowd of players and NPCs alike filling the streets of the settlement. Making his way through the crowd, Calrex was finally able to arrive in the vicinity of where he needed to be. Shortly afterwards he could see someone in a cloak making their way towards him, glancing down to see the blip seemingly match their movements, "Here we go..."

"You look pretty strong. I'm looking to test my skills. If you beat me, I'll teach you a hidden skill. What do you say?"

"I already know what they are, so it's not really hidden. Nonetheless this seems to be about the same as before."

"Sure, I've got some time if you're looking to spar. Can't really say I'm a strong opponent though."

"Great, then follow me."

With that the small bit of conversation shared between the Ultramarine Knight and the hooded figure came to a swift end, the figure beginning to make their way through the crowd towards the settlement boundary. Calrex paused for a moment before following suit, his metal armor occasionally clinking as the joints moved against each other, "So it starts in the settlement now rather than being a random encounter outside? I guess that makes the transition a little bit smoother..."

Briefly checking his menu once again the bluenette reviewed his equipment and quick slots, finalizing his gear for a second time, "Pretty sure I'm all set, but I also really need to stop second guessing. It's not like I haven't taken this quest before, and at a lower level. The only thing to worry about is how much the opponent scales up in relation to my level. This certainly shouldn't be a cakewalk due to level disparity, but at the same time this is supposed to be a beginner quest, so I could be wrong..."

[Calrex 0]

ID: 103384
Battle Dice: 2 (Accuracy +4) = 6
Mob Dice: 8 (Accuracy +4 / Disguise +1) = 13
Sword Art <<All Might>> Activated (15 Energy Used / 157 Remaining)
(16 * 15) - 148 = 92 Damage to Gemini
(425 - 89) * 0.6 = 201 Damage to Calrex

After what felt like an eternity of silence while following the cloaked NPC Calrex gave a small sigh. Upon seeing the supposedly destination of their duel, the bluenette immediately recognized it as the same clearing he was just in a few moments ago.

"I just walked back and forth twice for this...great...."

With that the figure turned to face him, slowly pulling off the hood of their cloak to reveal their form. Rapid flashes of light lit up the NPC's avatar, almost exactly like a regular player swapping out equipment. By the time that the outer piece of cloth had been removed, flying off with a gust of wind, an exact copy of the Grand Chariot III armor stood before the Ultramarine Knight, poised and ready for combat.

That stance didn't last very long as the Gemini shot forward, quickly closing the distance to Calrex with its right arm already drawn back. The bluenette lowered his stance to try and trigger <<Charge>>, but since the distance had been crossed so quickly combat had already been detected, denying him the opening strike, "Great, no extra damage this time around then."

Knowing there was no way he would get out of the way in time he quickly changed his strategy. Sliding his right foot back Calrex bent his legs further, bracing for the impact of the Gemini's strike. The fist smashed into his left shoulder, pushing him back for a moment. At the same time the bluenette's right fist lit up with light blue energy, the signature of a Sword Art activating. Moments after the first punch made contact, <<All Might>> shot around and caught the Gemini straight in the side of the helm, sending the quest NPC reeling backwards while Calrex also took a moment to regain his stance.

Calrex
HP: 1564/1765 | EN: 157/172 | DMG: 16 | ACC: 4 | EVA: 0 | MIT: 89 | ACH: 0.6

Gemini
HP: 758/850 | DMG: 425 | ACC: 4 | EVA: 0 | MIT: 148

[Calrex 0]

ID: 103385
Battle Dice: 10 (Accuracy +4) = 14 (+2 Damage)
Mob Dice: 2 (Accuracy +4) = 12
Sword Art <<All Might>> Activated (15 Energy Used / 1 Recovered / 143 Remaining)
(16+2 * 15) - 148 = 122 Damage to Gemini
(425 - 89) * 0.6 = 201 Damage to Calrex

As the two recovered from receiving the opening strike from each other they quickly rushed forward, prepared to engage once again. Calrex gave a calm exhale as he clenched his right hand into a fist once again, remember what his stats were at the moment and seemingly how they compared to the Gemini's stats, "Well, wouldn't be surprising if that first strike was boosted as if to catch me by surprise. However, it does seem like our health bars have scaled more to our damage than anything. It's definitely hitting harder than I can though, so good thing I've got Achilles maxed out for damage mitigation in response to that. I can't imagine having to do this without it."

"Guess it's going to be a straight on brawl for now."

Sliding his left foot forward while planting his the ball of his right foot into the ground <<All Might>> charged up once again, this time the light blue shine gleaming even moreso than before. At the same time Gemini seemed to mimic his actions, assuming the same stance that Calrex did with their left foot placed where the bluenette's own right foot would be when standing square to the target.

Both of their punches shot forward at the same time, both trained on the same target as the other. With a powerful blow both fighters made contact with the other's side of the face, but they didn't reel back as much as before. Calrex gritted his teeth while tightening his core, forcing his body from being pushed back as he faced forward once again.

Calrex
HP: 1452/1765 | EN: 143/172 | DMG: 16 | ACC: 4 | EVA: 0 | MIT: 89 | ACH: 0.6 (+89 Battle Healing)

Gemini
HP: 636/850 | DMG: 425 | ACC: 4 | EVA: 0 | MIT: 148

[Calrex 0]

ID: 103386
Battle Dice: 7 (Accuracy +4) = 11
Mob Dice: 7 (Accuracy +4) = 11
Sword Art <<All Might>> Activated (15 Energy Used / 1 Recovered / 129 Remaining)
(16 * 15) - 148 = 92 Damage to Gemini
(425 - 89) * 0.6 = 201 Damage to Calrex

Right after the second blows were exchanged, the two fighters immediately began to follow with their next attack. As he endured the previous strike Calrex maintained the tightened fist position of his right hand to forcefully trigger <<All Might>> once again. The brilliant glow of the Sword Art that had begun to dissipate in light blue sparks immediately resurged back to life, encapsulating his striking limb with its power once again. The bluenette's right foot, still up and forward to keep his stance planted, twisted outwards before returning back forward in tandem with him unleashing the attack once again.

At the same time, the Gemini had braced from the impact of the previous critical strike, a small fact that the Ultramarine Knight had let slip past his mind due to being in the moment. The clone also brought its fist back, instead bringing it low and tight to the body, aiming for a gut strike towards the solar plexus. Tucking its elbow in it rotated its shoulders to initiate the driving force of the attack before engaging the arm extension forward.

Both Calrex's Sword Art and the Gemini's strike connected at the same time once again, with the bluenette's right hook smashing into the clone's helm while the gut strike lifted his left side up about half an inch before the momentum let him drop back to the ground. When the impact struck him in the stomach Calrex instinctively let out a small exhale, something from when he had self-trained back in the real world to do when such attacks are made to held minimize the damage in some fashion.

Calrex
HP: 1340/1765 | EN: 129/172 | DMG: 16 | ACC: 4 | EVA: 0 | MIT: 89 | ACH: 0.6 (+89 Battle Healing)

Gemini
HP: 544/850 | DMG: 425 | ACC: 4 | EVA: 0 | MIT: 148

[Calrex 0]

ID: 103401
Battle Dice: 8 (Accuracy +4) = 12
Mob Dice: 10 (Accuracy +4) = 14 (+170 Damage)
Sword Art <<All Might>> Activated (15 Energy Used / 1 Recovered / 115 Remaining)
(16 * 15) - 148 = 92 Damage to Gemini
(425+170 - 89) * 0.6 = 303 Damage to Calrex

As the two regained their stances and began to strike once again, it seemed that a slight power shift had occurred from their last few clashes. This time around Gemini had been able to ride the momentum of Calrex's right hook, letting its body bend in the direction of the strike in order to coil up and come around, its right arm already drawn back and high to prepare for a haymaker.

At the same time the bluenette had prepared to throw <<All Might>> once, the energy formed around his right fist once again as he brought his body forward in preparation for the strike. However, as his eyes caught sight of the blow coming in, he already knew it was too late to readjust and respond to the blow, especially due to his lack of Evasion this time around. From what he understood of the battle before starting, it seemed Gemini had some stats scaled to his level, while others were exact matches to the stats of his current equipment. In order to create a fairly level playing field without dragging things out, he had decided to opt away from boosting his Evasion this time around, which had turned this into a regular brawl. While it allowed him to easily get consistent damage on the Gemini, it was also a double-edged sword in the fact the same could be done of his opponent.

While the two attacks connected at the same time once again, this time the critical blow from Gemini caused the Ultramarine Knight's stance to buckle as his legs forced him towards the ground from the downward force of the haymaker. That being said, Calrex didn't allow himself to fully break his stance, tightening his core in order to help disperse the energy of the attack.

"My attack still landed. That was a lot of damage, but I'm not out of this just yet..."

Calrex
HP: 1126/1765 | EN: 115/172 | DMG: 16 | ACC: 4 | EVA: 0 | MIT: 89 | ACH: 0.6 (+89 Battle Healing)

Gemini
HP: 452/850 | DMG: 425 | ACC: 4 | EVA: 0 | MIT: 148

[Calrex 0]

ID: 103402
Battle Dice: 2 (Accuracy +4) = 6
Mob Dice: 6 (Accuracy +4) = 10
Sword Art <<All Might>> Activated (15 Energy Used / 1 Recovered / 101 Remaining)
(16 * 15) - 148 = 92 Damage to Gemini
(425 - 89) * 0.6 = 201 Damage to Calrex

It took a brief moment for Calrex to bring himself back upright from the previous blow inflicted from Gemini, but as he was coming back to a ready stance once again his right hand was already clenched back into a fist, the light blue glow of <<All Might>> forming with a light blue glow around the striking limb. Throwing his shoulders back at the top of his movement brought him back to true form as the bluenette felt his avatar lock into the assisted system, prepared to unleash the strike. With a quick exhale he forced himself forward, his right hook shooting out.

While the Ultramarine Knight was readying himself Gemini also prepared its responding strike, turning its shoulders towards the side of the arm that it wanted to throw a strike from. This time instead of a haymaker it opted for a chambered straight punch, bringing its right arm back before bending at the elbow and tucking it close to the side before driving the fist forward towards Calrex's chest. While a bit off of the center line due to the players moving at the same time the strike was sent out, it still was able to catch him in the middle of the right side.

This didn't seem to dissipate or undo the bluenette's attack, as the two strikes still struck with full force to deal damage again to both participants. So far it had been a critical strike on each side, but nonetheless they continued with the intend of ending the stalemate. Compared to the past interaction with the NPC, this time around Calrex had decided to forego conversation. After all, he had already shared combat banter with the NPC the first time around. If there was going to be any time for chatting, he would do so after the duel was finished.

Calrex
HP: 1014/1765 | EN: 101/172 | DMG: 16 | ACC: 4 | EVA: 0 | MIT: 89 | ACH: 0.6 (+89 Battle Healing)

Gemini
HP: 360/850 | DMG: 425 | ACC: 4 | EVA: 0 | MIT: 148

[Calrex 0]

ID: 103405
Battle Dice: 9 (Accuracy +4) = 13 (+1 Damage)
Mob Dice: 5 (Accuracy +4) = 9
Sword Art <<All Might>> Activated (15 Energy Used / 1 Recovered / 87 Remaining)
(16+1 * 15) - 148 = 107 Damage to Gemini
(425 - 89) * 0.6 = 201 Damage to Calrex

"Just a few more strikes..."

As Calrex prepared to attack once again he grit his teeth for a moment, a sharp release of air escaping his lips while he closed his right hand into a fist for the fifth time this fight. <<All Might>>'s glow quickly returned, burning with a briefly brighter intensity than usual, just like the second time the Sword Art was used during the battle. The bluenette briefly took notice before his eyes locked forward onto Gemini, planting his stance in preparation to endure and strike simultaneously. Drawing his right shoulder and elbow back the blazing blue punch shot forward.

Gemini in the meantime had changed its attack pattern from repeated right punches to follow with a punch from its left side. Pulling its right arm low and back it used the pulling force to transfer into pushing momentum for its hammer blow, which came from a high diagonal from the left, trained to impact on Calrex's collarbone. This time around the targeted point was true, the bottom of the fist slamming into the high point of the Grand Chariot III's chest armor.

During this the Martial Arts empowered Sword Art the Ultramarine Knight had prepared slammed head into the center of Gemini's emotionless helmet, a result of the right side targeting attack's target shifting right as it moved in tandem with Gemini's blow, articulating in order to deal maximum damage. Both fighters took a split second to recover, forcing themselves back to a balanced stance before readying their next attack.

Calrex
HP: 902/1765 | EN: 87/172 | DMG: 16 | ACC: 4 | EVA: 0 | MIT: 89 | ACH: 0.6 (+89 Battle Healing)

Gemini
HP: 253/850 | DMG: 425 | ACC: 4 | EVA: 0 | MIT: 148

[Calrex 0]

ID: 103419
Battle Dice: 8 (Accuracy +4) = 12
Mob Dice: 4 (Accuracy +4) = 8
Sword Art <<All Might>> Activated (15 Energy Used / 1 Recovered / 73 Remaining)
(16 * 15) - 148 = 92 Damage to Gemini
(425 - 89) * 0.6 = 201 Damage to Calrex

At this point Calrex glanced briefly at his health bar to check where is was overall. Seeing the yellow color was enough to tell him that he was below half, but not yet at the point where he had gone into the critical zone. That meant that his calculations prior to the fight were seemingly on the mark: He had enough health to endure constant damage from the Gemini while outpacing it in terms of overall damage output in relation to their health bars. "If I hadn't decided to refactor my stats to maximize Battle Healing this might have been a different story, since it's also serving to mitigate a good amount of the incoming damage after that first strike. I don't think having popped a Safeguard before this battle would have been the wisest choice, since I did hear that the duplicate actually gains other abilities in response to temporary buffs."

Letting the thought slip to the back of his mind the bluenette quickly refocused, his lowered right arm now bent at the elbow to bring his fist parallel to the hip. The bright blue shine of <<All Might>> returned again to surround the striking limb as the Ultramarine Knight gave a calming exhale, letting the Sword Art charge up to its maximum power. Simultaneous to this, Gemini had opted for a full body wind up strike, bringing its left arm back far enough to force its entire body to twist to the left while sliding its lead foot over to add to the windup.

The two shot forward once again, Calrex throwing a powerful right hook while Gemini slid its lead foot back to the opposite side, bringing its whole body around with the rotation to swing a strong haymaker-like blow towards the bluenette's helm. Both strikes hit true, the two combatants being force back by the impact of the attacks slamming into the emotionless face of the Grand Chariot III helmet, causing them both to slide back a feet, dust being kicked up from their planted feet dragging along with the momentum.

Calrex
HP: 790/1765 | EN: 73/172 | DMG: 16 | ACC: 4 | EVA: 0 | MIT: 89 | ACH: 0.6 (+89 Battle Healing)

Gemini
HP: 161/850 | DMG: 425 | ACC: 4 | EVA: 0 | MIT: 148

[Calrex 0]

ID: 103420
Battle Dice: 10 (Accuracy +4) = 14 (+2 Damage)
Mob Dice: 1 (Accuracy +4) = 5
Sword Art <<All Might>> Activated (15 Energy Used / 1 Recovered / 59 Remaining)
(16+2 * 15) - 148 = 122 Damage to Gemini

With the two taking a bit longer to recover from their previous clash Calrex placed a hand on his knee for a moment, keeping his eyes forward and locked onto the form of Gemini as he gave a couple of deep breaths to steady his senses. Standing upright he clenched his right hand into a fist, "Almost there. Let's make the rest of these attacks count. I can't afford to miss more than a few, or else the tide will turn rather quickly. I've heard there is a safety net built this time into the quest, but it wouldn't be proper to make that assumption for everything. This game can be more than a little unforgiving when you don't give it your all and make the right preparations. I definitely learned that lesson on my own, and from the examples of others before me..."

"Work smarter and harder, not just one or the other..."

He muttered these words under his breath before letting his mind calm, "Stroke the fire in my heart, but let my body remain calm and in control. I won't forget these teachings. After all, it was part of what forged me into the person I am today, and moving me towards the person I need to become. It's not in person, but I'll always keep your training in the front of my mind Bal."

A smirk briefly crossed his face before Calrex took the initiative and rushed forward, this time with his left arm bent and vertical to his body, right arm fully ablaze with the light blue fiery light of <<All Might>>, seemingly burning stronger than the past few strikes. The Grand Gauntlet III recognized this, releasing glints of light from the upper forearm opening like an afterburner. Since Gemini was still in mid-recover it didn't have time to get up and prepare a fully planned counterattack, responding with a reactive jab, one that was highly telegraphed.

Angling his upper body the Ultramarine Knight let the striking limb slide past the outside of his guard before planting his right foot forward in a wide stance, bending his knee to a 90 degree angle to build up even more energy before throwing his entire body to the left side, the momentum of the fierce right hook being channeled into the left side of Gemini's helmet, the red critical numbers flying by before the duplicate was sent reeling backwards, losing its contact with the ground and stumbling backwards before steadying itself.

Calrex
HP: 879/1765 | EN: 59/172 | DMG: 16 | ACC: 4 | EVA: 0 | MIT: 89 | ACH: 0.6 (+89 Battle Healing)

Gemini
HP: 39/850 | DMG: 425 | ACC: 4 | EVA: 0 | MIT: 148

[Calrex 0]

ID: 103421
Battle Dice: 2 (Accuracy +4) = 6
Mob Dice: 9 (Accuracy +4) = 13 (+85 Damage)
Sword Art <<All Might>> Activated (15 Energy Used / 1 Recovered / 45 Remaining)
(16 * 15) - 148 = 92 Damage to Gemini (Non-Lethal)
(425+85 - 89) * 0.6 = 253 Damage to Calrex

After the critical strike from Calrex made contact with the Gemini and sent it reeling, the duplicate took a longer bit of time before it steadied its stance, releasing a few breaths as if to mimic a person now undergoing exhaustion. Nonetheless, it pressed the attack, clenching it right hand into a fist and rearing upwards before rushing forward with the arm drawn back, readying for a running punch.

At the same time the bluenette clenched his hand, reigniting <<All Might>> for a final strike, "Let's finish this off..."

Looking forward as the clone came into striking range Calrex quickly lowered himself into his fighting stance, gritting his teeth in preparation for the incoming blow, readying for an equal exchange again. Throwing his fist forward the bluenette gave a calm breath as he felt the empowered impact from Gemini smash into the left side of his helm, seeing red numbers flash by for a moment, a second critical hit for the duplicate while his attack also hit true.

Both combatants remained still for a moment as their health bars dropped by the respective amount of damage. Gemini's dwindled to almost empty before stopping at the slightest red sliver, indicating that the Ultramarine Knight had used his Sword Art with non-lethal intent.

There was an awkward moment in the air a few seconds before Calrex lowered his fist. Seemingly understanding the player's action the clone also did so, lowering their arms to the side, "So, I'm guessing that we're done here?"

Calrex
HP: 715/1765 | EN: 45/172 | DMG: 16 | ACC: 4 | EVA: 0 | MIT: 89 | ACH: 0.6 (+89 Battle Healing)

Gemini
HP: 1/850 | DMG: 425 | ACC: 4 | EVA: 0 | MIT: 148

[Calrex 0]

"Yes, we are finished here. Thank you for the duel and well done. It seems you had taken this quest in the past before it was updated, so congratulations for completing it a second time."

"Thank you for that, I appreciated the challenge you present. This is definitely something that players of any level would likely find a challenge in."

"Not like this game asks you to rate the battle and quest. I don't think Cardinal really runs on a review-based revamp system anyway, especially if most of the times that a person would give it one star due to difficulty would likely end up dead before they even got the chance."

Unequipping the Grand Chariot III Calrex swapped back to his casual combat clothing, the Grand Gauntlets III partially shrinking in size to scale down to the slimmer appearance rather than the bulky heavy metal armor it needed to wrap around previously. Putting his hands into his jacket pockets the bluenette faced forward to the clone, still clad in the armor from the battle. Since it was the end of the battle, there was no need for it continuously mirror the Ultramarine Knight's appearance, leaving off in the gear he had worn for the battle. Looking down at his menu window Calrex watched as the quest completion pop-up appeared, showing that he had completed the quest and gained the <<Concentration>> skill.

Swiping across the view his skills, it was clear that the exchange was successful. Disguise' skill slot has been replaced with Concentration, meaning that the bluenette no longer had access to the Accuracy boosting PvP skill, opting for the PvE ability instead.

"Hope that skill is useful for you. With that, take care."

Calrex gave a nod as the NPC turned, returning back its cloaked appearance before vanishing in a series of digital crystal, likely the AI allocated to his version of the quest being recalled and reset for the next time around. With that the bluenette let his body relax as he dropped into a sitting position in the clearing before leaning back and lying on the ground, looking up at the sky above, "Well that's done..." 

Calrex:

HP: 760/1765 (+45)
EN: 46/172 (+1 1/3 OOC posts)

[Calrex 0]

Time seemed to become a seamless flow as Calrex laid for some time in the clearing, letting hid mind and body briefly recuperate from the battle that had just taken place. It had been some time since he had done a quest on a his own, and even longer that such a thing had made his health drop lower than a bit below the halfway point. Thinking back on it, the main thing that could have gone wrong during that fight could have been he had a really bad draw of luck, missing every strike while the Gemini nailed their strikes every time with critical damage. The idea reminded him of his second duel with Ssendom, when it had gotten really close due to series of missed strikes on the former Berserker's part, while the Ultramarine Knight had gotten lucky with a series of critical blows at the same time.

"There's always a chance that something big will happen that can turn the tide of battle in or against your favor. No matter how many preparations we can make, there's always some random variable that we can't ever account for. Even an experienced runner could trip on a tiny pebble and completely ruin their relay."

"That was where mushin came into play, to be able to ride the flow of combat and respond accordingly while not letting your emotions get the better of you and take over your instinctive judgement. Originally I had thought of taking up the katana from Baldur in order to help understand Teayre and maybe help quell the emotional stress that Achilles had been placing on me, but I guess with the recent updates by the Cardinal system, the latter issue is seemingly non-existent. That overabundant and boisterous pride that washed over me at times has come in a long time, mercifully likely because the system deemed such things to be unnecessary to the entire experience of SAO. I just hope they eventually got around to doing the same thing with potions. I can still remember the potions that Mari regularly crafted and sold that were designed to play with someone's emotions. In fact, if I remember correctly I think Oikawa told us all in his confession about the Zelrius ordeal that the potion he had consumed from Opal had agitated his rage moreso than usual. Such things really shouldn't have a place in this game, especially if they wish to prolong the future existence of FullDive technology for games."

Bringing his upper body off of the ground the bluenette propped himself up using his arms, positioning them behind his hips as he looked forward, observing the scenery around him.

Calrex:

HP: 805/1765 (+45)
EN: 47/172 (+1 2/3 OOC posts)

[Calrex 0]

After taking a few more moments to soak in the beauty around him, Calrex got to his feet, reaching his arms towards the sky before interlocking fingers and increasing the intensity of the stretch. Bringing his arms back to his sides, his hands made their way back into his jacket pockets before the bluenette turned towards the general direction of the safe zone, glancing upwards briefly to confirm that Roc was still soaring overhead. The small dot of blue against the darkening sky was more than enough of an indicator his peregrine falcon companion was still materialized and flying above. While the second floor was originally the place where the bird of prey had previous called home, the way that Roc streaked across the sky made it seem like he was at home.

Looking back at the spot where he had first fought Gemini once again the brief feeling of nostalgia came over him again as the Ultramarine Knight recalled his experiences up to this point, from meeting so many players in the Starting City after spending months in one of the inns wondering what he was going to do to now, one of the consistent frontliners and among the supposed strongest players in the entire game. He did understand that his growth had starting to come to a crawl from before, when he was spending day and night training and becoming stronger because of many motivations. "I can't lie, other than the supposed threat of player-killers at lower level, there was a form of bliss not having to worry about getting ready for the next floor raid. It might be why Tristan, Jomei, and so many others had decided to take respites from the fighting. Unfortunately, I guess those of us that bear the unique skills relinquished that luxury."

As he began to walk Calrex muttered under his breath, a short phrase that summed up his thoughts at the moment, and at the same time dismissing the reminiscent feeling, "I just hope everything up to this point was worth it, and that I'm still headed in the right direction as a person."

Calrex:

HP: 850/1765 (+45)
EN: 172/172 (+All 3/3 OOC posts)

[Calrex 0]

Calrex took a slower pace as he made his way back towards the main settlement of the sixth floor. Keeping his hands in his jacket pockets the bluenette seemed to let his mind wander, his eyes partially glazing over while his body went into auto-pilot, his legs carrying him in the direction he intended to go. There was any encounters that he experienced while moving, which he attributed to his level gap compared to the floor. Any monsters that were wandering around moved away from the engagement zone around the Ultramarine Knight as he made his way through.

What had gone through his mind was something that was always coming back to some level, albeit it was frequently put in the back of his mind when other things more pressing came to his attention. He had been off doing his own thing for a very long time, in some ways slinking away from other players in order to focus and train. However, the constant threat of some new person becoming a player-killer was still something that he thought of. It wouldn't be the first time that a notorious person rose through the levels quickly, and it certainly wouldn't be the last. "After all, Laughing Coffin is still likely around in some form or another. Opal may had been a member, and from what I've heard actually attacked and went for the leader, she didn't succeed. That means that there's still the chance the head will try and manipulate others and bring them to his side. Luckily enough I haven't heard anything about any new malicious PKers being active, but there is the chance that's because no one has witnessed it, or lived to tell someone else about it."

There were times after speaking with Opal that night that he wanted to go underground, to try and find/root out any secret PKer organizations that were potentially forming, but at the same time he held himself back, reasoning that doing so would only paint a target on his back and the people he cared about. "This isn't a superhero movie. I don't have any way of concealing my identity, and there's no way I'm going to let Teayre or anyone else come to harm because of my actions."

With a small sigh he released the thought again as he returned back to his conscious mind again, "If there's no word of it, then I shouldn't worry about it for now. If anything happens I should default with my normal tactics, to serve as a deterrent and a defender rather than a vigilante."

Calrex:

HP: 895/1765 (+45)

[Calrex 0]

Editing