Hidden 1 Posted March 12, 2020 #1 Share Posted March 12, 2020 Spoiler Requirements: -At least two [2] Pages (22 or more posts) -Maximum Party Size of 3 -The Sea Wyvern must be defeated -Due to the muddy waters of the swamp, movement has been hindered and all players receive -2 to evasion. -Repeat completions will only yield <<Lightning Rod>> Sea Wyvern Information: <<Sea Wyvern>> is a respawning Field Boss and has the following statistics: HP: 300 Damage per Attack: 300 On MD rolls of 9 or 10, its lightning strike will chain and strike the entire party for full damage. Rewards: 1. <<Lightning Rod>> Grants a weapon a one turn paralysis effect on a critical hit. Lasts for one thread. Takes a post action to apply. 2. 3 Skill Points Parties of players are advised. Recommended Level: 33 Rain.... From where she stood it was coming down in blankets. The cloaked figure looked to the sky as a bright flash of lightning shot through the air. The sound of roaring thunder met her ears. It was miserable. Her cloak was soaked weight the poor girl down. The wetness soaked into her shoes, squirching with every step she made. She was here for a quest. She had a job to do... a job to herself that she would become stronger. A job that would be to prove that she could free her name through her own hard work, determination, and self-sacrifice. The weather was terrible, which means it was time for what she had been waiting for. When the area became stormy, that meant that the quest boss, <<Sea Wyvern>> was ready to be slain. A grin came to her face as she darted through the area, circling around the main settlement as she moved forward. Her hope was that some other player hadn't already beaten her too the punch and slay it before she got the chance. Spoiler Hidden Level 43 [0] Hidden | 880/880 HP | 86/86 EN | 13 DMG | 61 MIT | 4 ACC | 1 EVA | (ADD WEAPON ENHANCE) 880 HP 86 Energy 4 Accuracy 1 Evasion 13 Base Damage 61 Mitigation 1 Bleed 1 Paralytic Venom 1 Phase +1 LD +1 Stealth Rating Gear <<Shadow's Infection>> // +1 Phase, +1 Paralytic Venom, +1 Bleed <<Shadow of Dusk>> // +36 Mit, +1 EVA <<Shadow's Light>> // +3 ACC <<Umbra>> // +6 DMG Buffs Battle Ready Inventory Skills Dagger | Rank 5: +5 DMG Search | Rank 1: +1 LD Hide | Rank 1: +1 Stealth Rating Light Armor | Rank 5: +18 Mitigation E Familiar - DMG | Rank 3 +6 DMG E Survival | No Ranks: Immunity to Environmental Effects E Disguise | +1 EVA til next turn - 5 Turn Cooldown Skill Mods Athletics ~ +20 HP, +1 DMG Precision ~ +1 ACC @Life Link to post Share on other sites
Life 0 Posted March 12, 2020 #2 Share Posted March 12, 2020 (edited) <<Lord Of The Seas>> This was Life's first time on a floor higher than ten. After his two year isolation on floor eight he was ready to begin paving his way back up to the front lines. It just so happened Life's first time on this floor would be met with torrential rain and unwavering winds. "This floor sucks." He uttered to himself. Life's usual attire did not suit wet weather well at all. He was draped in an armoured yukata which had leather bracing underneath the fabric protecting his vitals and extremities. However the ebon weave material itself was completely drenched within minutes of being on the floor. The clouds which blocked the skies cast a shadow over the landscape, causing both his gear and hair to appear pure black. He squelched his way towards a village nearby a river bank, hoping to get some relieve from the elements. It seemed the villagers had all taken shelter within their huts too, indicating that perhaps this type of weather wasn't common Just my luck huh. Life headed inside one of the taverns, his waterlogged figure dripping and soaking the timber below as he made his way towards a fireplace to warm up. As he knelt beside the fireplace he could hear the chatter of the various villagers and players that took refuge inside, though the amount of players were minute compared to the taverns on other floors. Probably taken off from the weather. He thought. "It's that time again..." One of the NPC's spoke. "It will be roaming the seas again. Always causing trouble!" Another responded. Life's ears perked, this sounded like a quest to him. That was when another NPC burst through the front door, just as drenched as he was. "Someone please! I can't find my husband! He went fishing and hasn't returned since it started to rain!" The two NPC's which spoke earlier shared a troubling look towards the hysterical woman. An older fellow was the first and last to respond, his voice hoarse and guttural. "You know as well as we do that it's gotten him. Best comes to terms with it now. The lord of the seas takes no prisoners." The woman collapsed in response, broken down into tears. Life stood from the comfort of the fireplace, making his way over to the gruff old fellow. "Has this Lord of the Seas been bothering you for long?" He asked with concern. The man responded "Aye. Whenever the weather gets like this it wreaks havoc everywhere. We can get no respite from its terror." Life nodded, he'd accept the quest. "Point me in the right direction and I'll take care of it." The quest information popped up on his screen as the man spoke, giving him the rough location of where It could be. Finding a giant wyvern shouldn't be too hard. He assured himself. Life walked past the sobbing woman and out of the tavern, almost as if he were being handed back to the thunder storm. This quest didn't seem like one he would complete alone, he needed help, that was for sure. Spoiler Stats Level: 27 | Health: 540 | Energy: 54 | Damage: 14 | Evasion: 3 | Accuracy: 3 | Mitigation: 12 | Equipped: Lunar Eclipse - Fate (+6 Damage) Unmei No Uragiri (Accuracy +3) Yami Tenno Yukata (+3 Evasion) All equips from: http://www.sao-rpg.com/topic/19029-equipment-for-life/?tab=comments#comment-599050 Inventory: 8 Healing Potions (+50HP) Skills: Rank 1 Curved Sword Rank 5 katana Rank 3 Light Armour Survival @Hidden Edited March 13, 2020 by Life typo Link to post Share on other sites
Hidden 1 Posted March 12, 2020 Author #3 Share Posted March 12, 2020 With her speed, she stood at water's edge within no time. Her eyes scanned the waters until she watched a great beast arise from it. It appeared to be the mixture of a dragon and an alligator. Flicking her wrist, a dagger fell into her hands. Nato's Might, the weapon that she received for killing Nato. A light gleamed from the weapon, a bright white indicating her weapon's holy nature. 'Okay, lets make this quick. I hear the boss is more of a Glass Cannon then anything else.' Her eyes widened as she felt all of her hair began to stick up and a metallic smell to the air. 'Wait' she thought. CRACK Leaping to the side, she would just barely dodge the bolt of lightning that struck where she stood. Her heartbeat quickened before she got the chance to calm herself. 'Is that even allowed?' She thought to herself. Moving once more to a stand, she watched as the target was swimming down the river, farther away from her. "Damnit" she cursed. Her shoes began to flatten the grass as she darted forward after her opponent. The rain seemed to constantly be pushing her back as it hailed down on her from the sky. 'I have to find some way to get closer. With the rain and lightning, I am not even sure how to get over to it!' Link to post Share on other sites
Life 0 Posted March 13, 2020 #4 Share Posted March 13, 2020 Life cast his gaze along the riverbank, heavy rain falling on the flowing river, its raindrops danced in the river. Lightning struck off in the distance, and Life knew where he was supposed to be. He followed against the flow of the water, a thin fog now obscuring his long distance vision as torrential rain obscured his close proximity vision, perhaps in these kind of conditions it might be difficult to find a giant wyvern after all. Life gripped onto his modest Katana tightly as he ran, the wind against his back pushing him further ahead at greater speeds with each step. He was getting closer, though the sound of rain crashing against treetops muffled it, he could hear it. The sound of the wyvern screeching with raw unadulterated power. Life stopped, his body seeming to protest moving forward in fear. Life looked down at his body, his arms shook, and his chest felt heavy. "No way... you've got to be kidding me." It seemed the environment was having its way with him. This was not something he usually felt at all. That's when he caught a glimpse, the silhouette of the alligator like wyvern came gliding through the seas toward him. Life tried to move, but his muscles felt too stiff, it were as if he was trying to move a mountain. A flash of light snapped him out of his funk as adrenaline surged through his body. As if his entire body instinctively threw him back as lightning came down just meters in front of him. "Too close!" He gasped, a feeling of urgency now fueled his movement. Life looked around, he had meant to take this thing on with another player as soon as he found one but it seemed the boss had now found him. Life withdrew the blade from his saya, a blue shimmer of silver-blue cobalt steel shone through the darkness of the night. Life frantically looked around as the beast came closer with every passing second. His eye widened as a dark figure came following behind it just further away. Had the rain not created a white outline of crashing water he probably would not have noticed them. Life shouted from the distance, hoping they'd hear him. "Hey! Mind helping me with this thing? I don't know if I can take it on my own!" @Hidden Link to post Share on other sites
Hidden 1 Posted March 16, 2020 Author #5 Share Posted March 16, 2020 The crashing rain down on her was beginning to become almost more than she could handle. From her last encounter with the lightning, her body was constantly propelled forward by the urge to not get hit. She wasn't sure how much damage it could deal but the idea of getting charred away by a white-hot bolt of light didn't sit with her too well. She gasped for air as she climbed the distance in front of her, the weight of the water and the moisture of the air making it difficult to keep a steady pace. Her footfalls were far heavier than normal, exhaustion creeping forth. While there was no stamina mechanics in the game, there were limitations to how much one could actually accomplish. She looked across the water, her eyes meeting the beast face on. Terror was not something she felt or hardly ever felt for that matter. With her own prideful nature, there was nothing she could not accomplish on her own. This was just another test to her strength. Something stirred her from focus. It was faint but she recognized it as a voice lost to the wind. Her eyes scanned the bank opposite to her own. A bolt of lightning shed light on the figure for a moment, revealing a man adorning armored japanese garments. As the light faded she caught sight of a steely-blue light shone through the darkness of the storm. 'He better not be intending to steal my kill!' She thought with a slight amount of aggravation. Her eyes searched up the water for a place to get closer and stop the boss in its tracks. What her eyes found instead was a fishing boat hardly managing to stay afloat as an NPC paddled viciously to try get away from the monster that would soon be atop of him. In the corner of her vision, a message would display: 'Optional Mission. Rescue the Fisherman!' Sighing, Hidden looked over to the figure on the opposite side of the bank. If she was going to save the Fisherman and take down the boss all in one go, she might require his help. She hated asking for help but demanding it however was fine. Its not like she needed his help. It just made the job easier. Her words wouldn't reach him over the wind, so another form of communication was required. Raising her dagger above her head, she would use a small amount of her energy to cause her dagger to blink with an orange aura. After the weapon blinked three times, she would point the dagger straight at the fisdherman's boat and hope the figure across the water would understand. She would hasten her own pace, ignoring the burning in her lungs. She had an idea to save the Fisherman and set her up for an attack afterwards, though it would take a great amount of precision. Also, the figure across the bank would need to catch the fisherman. Eyeing a small mount ahead, she would increase her speed until she was at the mount before using it to leap upwards and towards the fisherman's boat. The NPC's face was full of shock as she leapt at him with full force. Her legs slammed into the far side of the boat, tipping it with tremendous force. This force would throw the NPC towards Life's side of the bank and tip Hidden into the water with the boat upside down. Due to ehr actions, the NPC was thrown towards Life's bank screaming in terror as he flew through the air and Hidden climbed atop the boat, having trouble keeping her balance. Her idea was crazy, but if the other player was worth anything they could finish what she started. With one simple leap she could attack her opponent. @Life Link to post Share on other sites
Life 0 Posted March 16, 2020 #6 Share Posted March 16, 2020 (edited) Though his vision was impeded heavily by the rain, Life could still make out the dark figure which had gotten closer towards him. Their nimble foot work carved through the muddied dirt which bordered the waters like the hem on a shirt. Life awaited a response to his plea for help, hoping that the person hidden in the rain and dark cloak would comply. A response returned to him in the form of flashing orange light and direction towards the sail boat holding a frightened piscatorial man, a look of sheer terror painted across his face. Now that Life recalled, this was most likely the same man whom the hysterical woman was fretting for. Life nodded in response, they would save this fellow and return him to security in his lovers arms. To be quite frank, Life did not foresee this situation occurring and had assumed the man dead just like the old gruff back at the tavern.Though it was a welcomed surprise none the less. As the shrouded player leaped to his side aboard the vessel, Life made his way parallel to the two just before the player had hurled the fully gown man across the riverside and into Life's arms with a risky maneuver. Thunder roared in the distance as the mans body collided onto Life's, he braced himself as best as possible on the muddied coast as the loose gripping of his feet caused him to slide backwards from the tosses inertia. The fisherman looked up at Life with a mixture of emotions ranging from dread and trepidation to delight and hope. "It will be alright now sir. You're safe now." Life reassured the man, the intensity of the situation seemed to have fully immersed him into the game. Life transported the man on his back farther up the coast line briskly, though floundering each tramp into the soil, he veered further away from the danger and closer to the security of the village. He would stop halfway to the destination as he worried that the player now submerged in the water would be forced to face the boss alone and completely vulnerable to attack. Life stopped and let the man slide back onto their own feet. "This should be far enough, right? Return home to your wife, she is looking for you. You're alive, now cling to it." Life smirked, this was indeed an odd feeling of heroism, considering he was saving the life of an artificial intelligence which was shared with the same creature that desired to kill him. No, the actual life that needed to be saved now was the player potentially drowning or even being electrocuted. Their focus could now be turned towards the wyvern. Life shot one last gaze at the man who stood equally drenched, dressed in nothing but a straw hat, linen shirt, and pants. What a terrible decision maker. "See you soon." Life assured the man, one last time before heading back over to lord of the seas. When everything was said and done he'd be able to return to see him and his wife, and secure himself the quests completion. Life shot a glance up at his HUD as he darted back through the shrubbery, checking to the elapsed time. Only a couple minutes, alright. "Let's do this then, lord of the seas." Life jumped off from a mud spattered mound of grass and slid down the bank of the river. His armored yukata becoming completely soiled and begrimed as his body partly sunk into the ground he glissade across. Quickly pushing himself back onto his feet he was now once again at the edge of the river, the player balancing themselves steadily on the boat. The boss now right in striking distance of the player. Life would have to follow their assault, piggy backing off the boat in order to strike just as they would, jumping onto the boat with the weight of two would be too risky and he wasn't interested in rocking it over and getting them both killed. He'd have to wait for an opening. "You lead I'll follow." Life sent the them a party request, hopefully they'd comply so that they could both share in the spoils of the kill. Life brandished his blade once again, signalling to them that he was ready. @Hidden Edited March 17, 2020 by Life Link to post Share on other sites
Hidden 1 Posted March 17, 2020 Author #7 Share Posted March 17, 2020 <<BOSS ROOM EFFECT>>: -2 to all player's Evasion. In the corner of her vision, she seen the player manage to catch the NPC and return him to safety. 'I better get some additional reward for that' She thought with agitation. She had been wet from the rain, but since she had fallen into the water she was now a sopping wet mess and was not too happy about it. The additional mission did provide her with a closer area to attack from so that was nice. 'I need to take this thing out quickly before this lighting paralyzes me or something of that sort' A message appeared in front of her, distracting her for a moment. '<<Life>> would like to form a party' Mashing the accept button, an additional healthbar would appear underneath her own. 'I suppose sharing the boss isn't too bad.' Sparing no additional time, the cloaked character would leap upwards towards her opponent, towards its maw filled with serrated teeth. The monster was leaned down so this feat was not too impressive. Once again, a bright orange light would shine through the area as her sword art would activate. She quickly rotated her body, becoming a Cyclone of destruction, a whirlwind of blades that would sever the body of any opponent that stood before it. She would cut through the target, her blade effortlessly cutting through her opponents health. In her last attack she would push away from the monster and bound back towards land. During the flight, the boss would summon a bolt of lightning that barely missed her. However, the bright light from the flash would blind the player. Upon landing, she would roll into the ground, sprawling out on the ground. She was incapable of sight, reducing her will to get up. 'What kind of attack is that? This is basically paralysis unless someone can actually manage to land an attack while blind. Hopefully this won't last too long' ID: 138005 BD:5+4=9 Hit DMG: 13*13=169 DMG to Sea Wyvern MD: 4+2-1=5 Miss [1] Hidden | 880/880 HP | 76/86 EN | 13 DMG | 61 MIT | 4 ACC | 1 EVA | 8 Holy [0] @Life | XXX/XXX HP <<Sea Wyvern>> | 131/300 HP | 300 DMG On MD rolls of 9 or 10, its lightning strike will chain and strike the entire party for full damage. Link to post Share on other sites
Life 0 Posted March 18, 2020 #8 Share Posted March 18, 2020 (edited) The player in front of him accepted his party request almost as quickly as he had sent it. Alright lets get this done then. He reassured himself. He looked over at the top left of his HUD to see the players name <<Hidden>> It seemed like a rather fitting name for someone who walked around completely shrouded by their gear. Though upon closer inspection it appeared that they had a rather slender almost feminine frame, though he couldn't be sure. He watched as they jumped forward with their dagger, using an all too familiar sword art, something that he had seen Mari use multiple times though maybe with a little more grace. The beast retaliated with a flash of lightning which narrowly missed both of them and blinded their vision. A soft thud on the ground beside him was his que to begin his attack. Life could hear through the waters that the lord of the sea was quick to come back and chase after the player, which was perfect timing for Life to utilize the boat beside it. Life threw his arm out to the side closing his eyes to give his eyes reprieved from the light, his blade an extension of this as he ran a few steps into the water before leaping out onto the boat. He bent his knees to brace the recoil and balance himself on top of the vessel before bringing his other hand over to grip his katana's handle, allowing the blade to glow a bright royal blue. A low rumbling from the beasts throat and the warm breath from its mouth spoke to him in words which screamed 'strike me'. The heat drew closer to his right and Life let his sword art explode from his side. Like a crescent the blade struck clean under the beasts jaw, causing it to recoil back. Life launched himself forward from his crouched stance, going straight for the sound of the throat, cutting deep into its thick hide and using the fixation onto the beast to push himself above, causing the blade to follow his trail and cutting 180 degrees from the bottom of its throat through to the top of its neck. Life hovered momentarily above the beast and in that moment let out a flurry of strikes almost too fast to see and twirling gracefully on his decent to bring his blade straight down for the final strike through the myriad of cuts along its neck, severing its head clean off its length. Life fell into the water, along with the head of the beast shortly after. The wyverns body and neck gyrating as it slowly dissipated into a stream of data particles. Life opened his eyes as he propelled himself back to the surface of the water, letting out a sigh of relief to see his vision was back, and that the beast had been defeated. The thunderclouds began to clear and the rain pattered out to a halt, gentle streams of sunlight breaking through what remained of the clouds and warmed his face. Life began a gentle swim back to the shores as the currents calmed. Upon reaching the shores he crawled out breathing heavily before picking himself up and sheeting his blade back into his saya. "Well that was slightly terrifying." He joked to himself. Life's eyes now met the player he was partied with, only now noticing the orange crystal above their head. Life's expression stiffened. Though he was no stranger to player killers and knew that some of them had their reasons and were misunderstood, he couldn't say the same about every one of them, especially strangers. It appeared that they were also significantly stronger than he based on the battle, he'd be on his guard. "Thanks for the help, its appreciated." ID: 138118 BD: 8+3=11 HIT DMG: 14*15= 210 [1] @Hidden| 880/880 HP | 76/86 EN | 13 DMG | 61 MIT | 4 ACC | 1 EVA | 8 Holy [0] Life | 540/540 HP | 54/54 EN | 14 DMG | 12 MIT | 3 ACC | 1(3-2) EVA | <<Sea Wyvern>> | 0/300 HP | 300 DMG On MD rolls of 9 or 10, its lightning strike will chain and strike the entire party for full damage. Edited March 18, 2020 by Life Link to post Share on other sites
Hidden 1 Posted March 21, 2020 Author #9 Share Posted March 21, 2020 (Sorry for the short post) A few more seconds passed before her vision began to return back to normal. As she looked up, she found the monster had been finished off by the other player. She pushed off the ground, moving back up to her own two feet. She wouldn't speak to the other player before brushing the mud off of her black combat pants. She looked up, finding the storm to begin clearing from the sky. The sunlight began to peak its way through the dark clouds, shedding like on the new situation. Flipping her dagger, she would insert it back into her sleeve before turning to the katana-wielder. "Thanks for the help, its appreciated." Hidden shook her head. "I feel like you could have managed it yourself. I was simply helping myself, no need to thank me." She stated without emotion. The player was now soaked just as much as her. Her eyes narrowed on the player she was partied with. "I haven't heard of you yet, 'Life'. These days that's almost rare. I have heard of a lot of individuals." Though, there were about 7,000 players left in this game which was quite a few it seemed. She assumed he would know who she was, being the most wanted player in Aincrad after all. 'With a name like that, I would assume he's got some edgy rival with the name of death.' Link to post Share on other sites
Life 0 Posted March 22, 2020 #10 Share Posted March 22, 2020 (edited) Life smirked as the feminine voice came, telling him that he'd have been fine on his own. Though he wasn't exactly sure if a strike of lightning would have boded well for him if he actually got hit. Raven locks of hair peered out from her hood. When her question came he couldn't help but laugh, though mostly at his own expense. "Sorry, It's just kind of funny. The reason you haven't heard of me is probably because I've been in isolation among some trees like a hermit for the past two years. I haven't seen anyone, nor has anyone seen me in quite awhile. Though take that into account as we slayed this boss together. This is how strong I was that many years ago." He shrugged, probably not that impressive considering she was almost twice his level, however to someone thinking hard enough about it could assume he was one of the strongest of his time. Life's didn't relax too much, she was either friendly or just trying to get information about him, couldn't be sure. "How about you Hidden, I don't know much about the current players of the front line. What's your deal?" He asked politely. Edited March 22, 2020 by Life Link to post Share on other sites
Hidden 1 Posted March 27, 2020 Author #11 Share Posted March 27, 2020 The sun was now in full view, shining down on the area, their efforts rewarded with a nice rainbow that hung across the area with a shimmering light. She peered up at this rainbow for a moment, the beauty was awe-striking but she couldn't feel more out of place now. She was now the darkest thing of the area, a shadow on the brilliant light. It seemed time for her to be making her leave. Even the dark-haired man seemed more appropriate with his Japanese-styled combat gear. Life's words were calm with a hint of cheer from the lasting laugh at her words. As he spoke his story, she was almost certain that she had heard it before. 'That's right' she thought to herself. 'Mari said almost the exact same thing to me' She offered the man a faint chuckle as she turned back towards him. "That same story was told to me not too long ago by someone else. Try being more original next time." She was attempting at being kind with the man, seeing as how most players didn't really like her. She deserved a good chunk of the hate though. Sometimes her emotions got the best of her. "My deal and the frontline huh?" she would voice as Life asked his question. "I havent been on the frontlines for a couple of floors. Got into some trouble myself and am not welcome back. Same as always I guess though, those at the top running Aincrad like they own the place, but they've been unstable since the 23rd floor. A lot of criminal guilds and individuals have been trying to scramble the already shambling trust amongst the frontliners. They lack coordination and everyone seems to be making choices for themselves." She told him of the current situation, but she did not take the time to tell him exactly who she was. That would turn the conversation for the worse. She'd soon be known as the player who helped defeat the Laughing Coffin. It seemed to be all she lived for at this point, her desperation to prove herself seemed to mask all other emotions. Link to post Share on other sites
Life 0 Posted March 29, 2020 #12 Share Posted March 29, 2020 'Try being original' Life couldn't help but smirk at the quippy remark, figuring it was an attempt at humor. He supposed there were plenty of people going around and claiming to be an ex front liner so he supposed he wasn't any different. Oh well. It was probably true that no one was special, and you'd have to be delusional to think you were any different. After all, his old guild was about was throwing their power around like a bunch of crooks anyway. He continued to listen, thinking over some of the implications of her words before letting out a heavy sigh. "Well, its good to see nothings changed in two years then. Tch, honestly..." Life spat with a visible tinge of sarcasm. He trailed off in thought, it seemed when one problem player was taken down, four more arose, just like a damn hydra. "Didn't think my old guild was the first when they took over aincrad, knew it wouldn't be the last. Hmm, oh well. Guess that just means I'll have to race to the front lines sooner and try to unite everyone. Wonder how long it'd take before I get back stabbed in a boss fight though." Life tittered, he was only half joking that time, though it wouldn't be the first occurrence. Players couldn't keep restoring to killing guild leaders in power to dismantle them, and they couldn't keep stepping over each other for power. Life's expression stiffened, solemnly looking over to the surface of the lake. "Why does it always have to be this way.." Life mumbled under his breath. They were all trapped in a death game together, all their goals should be the same. To beat the game and return back to their real life.Yet they just kept killing each other, murdering and taking for themselves. Perhaps this was the answer he had been searching for. Fate didn't exist. It couldn't with so much chaos. But if all there was is chaos, then what did that mean for the innocents? The mass player ones avoiding conflict, hoping for the higher level players to get their [censored] together and save them. What did it mean for this world in general? This isn't right... Link to post Share on other sites
Hidden 1 Posted March 29, 2020 Author #13 Share Posted March 29, 2020 She had uh... failed to mention that she was one of these "problem" players. She was one of these players who fought only for her own gain, for her personal improvement. Did she feel bad about that fact? No. This world was every man or woman for themselves. She averted her own eyes as she listened to him, he said something about an old guild. Who could he be talking about? The Azure Brigade? That was a guild from a while back that was still talked about. "Wonder how long it'd take before I get back stabbed in a boss fight though." She recoiled at the thought of stabbing Hirru, even though he did deserve it. Helping out the bosses was not cool in a boss fight. The man now seemed to be lost in his own thoughts or memories. Realizing the meaning behind his last sentence she frowned, deciding that she would pick some fun at this sentiment. "Race to the frontlines and unite everyone huh? Who are you? The Aincrad Ambassador? Unless you are, you are no different than those who have tried and endlessly failed. You're going to have to think different and bring something else to the table." She scoffed and turned. She wondered if her words would put an end to the self-righteousness of the player in front of her. She was tired to seeing people believing they were fighting for "justice" or "what's right". If that was the case, she was the darkness in almost every case, the villain, the enemy. The antagonist. The player who sought only things for themselves. In her mind though, her mindset was the only one with a hint of sanity. Self-preservation was the only way to keep going. Hidden smiled as she thought of something overly cringey, a line that could only be well-delivered in some movie or anime. She slowly turned back to Life, letting her own expression darken. "If you honestly believe yourself to be a bringer of light, than we must be enemies for I walk among the shadows." It was hard to stop herself from laughing. She whispered under her breath sounds that may have been heard by the other player. "dun dun dun" Link to post Share on other sites
Life 0 Posted March 31, 2020 #14 Share Posted March 31, 2020 (edited) Life couldn't help but laugh at her retaliation. So she was just like all the others then. It was funny she would compare him others that tried and failed before him, as if they were a common sight to see in Aincrad. No. Like she said before nothing had changed, being the selfish antagonist was the norm here. No one was trying to be a hero anymore. People only wanted to survive. Life continued to laugh as yet another misconception arose, he tried a lot harder this time to contain himself, since honestly it wasn't completely that funny. He just simply couldn't help but find the irony in the conversation he was having with this player killer right now. But it seemed he wasn't the only one struggling to contain laughter, it didn't look as though she was exactly taking herself seriously when she called him a bringer of light. "You know what, you're pretty funny. But it seems you have the wrong idea about me." Life relaxed his shoulders and exhaled, taking his hand off the hilt of his katana and instead folding his arms over his abdomen, while holding his palm open and looking into it. "No... I'm no saint or hero. But I think every player could be considered an ambassador of this world. My past here is dark. I've done horrible things Hidden, so horrible I might as well have an orange crystal too. There'd be no way I could call myself a good person at this point or someone worthy of admiration. But we're all the same in the end... we're all human. That's why I think It's possible to make a change and start helping each other instead of continuing to step over each other." He looked back up, trying to peer into her hood to make eye contact. "At the end of the day the goal is to survive. Everyone has their own opinion on how to do that. This is a VRMMORPG. Cooperation between players is the cornerstone of this game. Without a group of players large enough willing to work together to take down floor bosses we'd be trapped in here forever. Without crafters we'd have no gear or consumables to be strong enough to level in order to come close to being able to challenge them. People just need to get over themselves and stop thinking they're special or that their lives are worth more than anyone else. One day this game will be over, and all the virtual points we've accumulated over the years will be lost forever, and be meaningless going forward with our lives. We'll all probably wake up malnourished cripples in need of years of rehabilitation. Believe it or not, there will be an end to this, as there is an end to all things. As we near closer to floor 100 people will begin to understand these facts, I'd just like to speed up the process." @Hidden Edited March 31, 2020 by Life Link to post Share on other sites
Hidden 1 Posted April 1, 2020 Author #15 Share Posted April 1, 2020 Despite her words it still seemed as if Life was still hoping for the betterment of Aincrad. He seemed to be somewhat amused and even admitted to her being funny. That was not something she was told very often. He went in to how he has done horrible things and deserved an orange crystal. Though he believed people could change. "You know. Its pretty bold of you to ask for an Orange Crystal because its the symbol of someone who does bad things. I first look at the orange crystal as someone who made a choice and chose wrong. A mistake. Now, I'm not talking about me but not all of us are bad. and some green players are the worst people out there." She pretended to stretch, leaning to one side. "I swear you and her are the same with this "we are human" thing. It's almost scary how much you two sound like eachother. I don't think you are wrong though." She took a couple steps away from life. "But you are forgetting one thing. We are human. Flawed creatures. Greed... lust.. pride. It all runs in our blood. Somethings you can't change. Also, there are those who don't want you to succeed. Take the late Celestial Ascendants for example. They focused on bringing lower leveled players up to par and have more frontliners. They were tricked and hunted down, only the strongest of them surviving." She sighed. 'Someday we will be gone from this world. And I'll be back there with nothing to my name. Back to being the real me. Where I am powerless, helpless to the real me.' Hidden didn't wish to go back, but she didn't try to hold the others back. She noticed him trying to peer through her hood and she quickly turned her head. She hid her appearance not only so that her deeds came without a face to set upon, but also to hide her. The real her. "We should probably get to turning in that quest..." her voice trailed off. She was curious of his darkness but she was not willing to show him her own. She stepped in the direction of the town. Link to post Share on other sites
Hidden 1 Posted May 12, 2020 Author #16 Share Posted May 12, 2020 Leaving Life behind to his own thing, Hidden would continue on back towards the quest giver's location. If Life can't keep up, then that's his own problem. With the rain having ended, it was much easier to see through the swamp. Taking a moment, she would crouch down, taking off her cloak to wring it out. She didn't want to feel like a wet rag for the entirety. Wringing out the cloth. she watched as the water flowed from the cloak and onto the ground. She would have to actually wash it later, but the item would be fine for now. She needed to turn in the quest so she could be more powerful. Level at this point meant absolutely everything. A few more and she would be sitting at the third tier with much higher damage than she currently had. She needed that boost in strength. Everyone stood far higher that herself and it was annoying. she knew she would be lower due to her one handed weapon, but the dagger fit her style the best. she grew fond of shorter weapons. Link to post Share on other sites
Hidden 1 Posted May 12, 2020 Author #17 Share Posted May 12, 2020 Stepping into the town, she would receive many worried glances from NPC members but she wouldn't address them. They didn't confront her. They wouldn't stop her from entering forward and approaching the woman that gave the quest. She stopped a few feet away from the woman and said, "I have come for my reward. I defeated the monster that caused your troubles" The words she spoke washed over the woman with a cold harshness. It took a moment for the woman to choke out her reply. "Where is the other boy I had chase after it? Is he-" Shaking her head Hidden would cut her off. "Don't worry about him. He's fine. I want my reward" A screen would appear in front of her, granting the items and experience she had come for. Smiling, she would thank the woman before moving back out to the teleport pad. Life was a decent man, she would talk to him again soon enough if their paths crossed once more. For now, she had her own duties to attend to. Laughing Coffin wouldn't fall on its own. Link to post Share on other sites
Hidden 1 Posted May 13, 2020 Author #18 Share Posted May 13, 2020 As night had fallen, Hidden had returned to the base of the Faceless that nestled in the bosom of the mountainside on the seventh floor. They weren't the best of people to be around as they were once a group that wanted to commit suicide. She had managed to turn them into something more useful for her own purposes. A group designed to hunt down the Laughing Coffin. She had a grudge on them for months now and hadn't been sitting idle since she teamed up with Adrian. She wasn't sure exactly what preparations he had been making since she released him. He had put her through a lot of trouble and sacrifice, releasing him better turn out to be worth it. As she pushed open the door, she was greeted with many quiet stares from players standing around. Most of them had green cursors, a few she had sent on more dangerous missions and that was changed. Link to post Share on other sites
Hidden 1 Posted May 13, 2020 Author #19 Share Posted May 13, 2020 As she entered the quiet secluded room on the east side of the building, her eyes met that of Mujo and Ain who patiently waited on her. For now, they were her direct subordinates, those that were tailored to her whim. Mujo was excellent at reaving information from people and Ain was great at fighting because he enjoyed it so much. She did her best to not have any feelings for the players. They had a good chance of dying when it came down to the fight. She also had to assure their loyalty until it came. "Alright you two. I finished my quest" The players were currently unmasked so she could see their smiles. "You finally have something for us to do?" Mujo asked a smiley tone. "I don't recall saying that, but yes. I heard of an info broker on the nineteenth floor that might bring us some more information to the table at the whereabouts of Laughing Coffin" Mujo hopped off of the desk she sat on. "Sounds fun! Let me get changed!" Link to post Share on other sites
Hidden 1 Posted May 13, 2020 Author #20 Share Posted May 13, 2020 *note for anyone following along - This story I realized has broken the true timeline of these things. Imagine these last three posts having happened in the past before this thread right before the Mina, Morgenstern, Hidden thread* Ain and Mujo were now suited up in their uniforms. Ain wore a mask that left his mouth uncovered, only hiding his eyes from view. A red hood covered the back of his head, though it was still obvious he had read head. The small green haired player known was Mujo wore what she liked to call her rabbit mask. A mask that had to sharp ears and her features were entirely covered. It was that way so that she could still lure in unsuspecting players before robbing them blind. It was her take on crime, though she did it through exploit of Marriage so she still had her green cursor. "Alright, the player is known as Rosa and she owns a tavern on the nineteenth floor. She had her own group of players not sure what level they are or how many. I doubt they should be too strong. My hope is that we can get in and out without a fight however. Got that Mujo?" the green haired player snickered. 'shes going to cause problems' ____ THREAD COMPLETE: Hidden and Life receive: 5 SP (im not sending 200 col) Link to post Share on other sites
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