[F29-PP] The Light Within the Tempest <<To Shine a Light>>

[Jae 0]

The rumors wove themselves into the air like threads of smoke, drifting from table to table in the dimly lit tavern on Floor 02. They were fragmented, half-whispered tales that dissolved as quickly as they formed, leaving only the lingering taste of intrigue. Jae caught the murmur first as a stray thread—something about a quest unlike any other, a challenge that had broken even the strongest among Aincrad’s warriors. Even those who walked the frontlines, whose blades had tasted victory over countless foes, those under them spoke of the quest with hesitation in their voices and shadows in their eyes. "To Shine a Light," they called it—a name that seemed to mock the bleakness of its promise.  She didn't enjoy the tavern too much, but she couldn't deny how easy it was to obtain information.

Graycott Point, a lighthouse on the forsaken Floor 29, was its stage. A monolith battered by the fury of endless storms, perched above a sea that churned like a cauldron of black ink. The floor offered no reprieve: no safe zones to cradle weary players, no momentary shelters where fear could ebb. Just the relentless rain, the wrath of the winds, and the horrors whispered to stalk its waters and shadows. The quest’s name was almost cruel in its simplicity, a beacon for the desperate and the daring, yet no one had claimed its light. The jade-eyed sentinel of the night could feel the weight of their words, a pressure that settled on her shoulders like an unwelcome specter. But rather than crumbling beneath it, something within her burned brighter, igniting a flame she hadn’t realized was there. The challenge wasn’t just about the quest; it was a measure of her resolve, her right to even dream of the frontlines. How could she hope to stand among those legends if she couldn’t summon the strength to carve her path to the 29th floor alone? Her fists clenched at her sides, her breath steadying as determination coiled tight in her chest. The familiar weight of Veilpiercer at her back was a whisper of confidence, a reminder of her newfound strength and skill. This was more than a test; it was her reckoning.

For too long, she had let herself linger in the shadows of Aincrad’s lower floors, but now, as the whispers grew and the fire in her heart roared, Jae knew this was her time. The shadow of Graycott Point called to her, and she would answer.

The early stages of her journey were a symphony of the familiar, though the melody held a quiet tension. The lower floors thrummed with life—a patchwork of bustling markets, the laughter of small triumphs, and the clash of steel in the distance. Players wove through the chaos like threads in a tapestry, crafting their existence against the odds. The emerald-eye'd lass moved among them as a shadow, a lone figure carving her own line through the vivid tide. Step by step, floor by floor, she ascended with a silent intensity, her emerald eyes gleaming like distant stars fixed on the horizon of her goal. As the well-trodden paths of the lower levels dissolved into the surreal terrains of the higher floors, the air itself seemed to shift, heavier and more alien with every stride. The beauty of Floor 28 stretched around her, its skies crystalline and serene—a final reprieve before the storm. Then, as though crossing an unseen threshold, the world fractured into chaos. Floor 29 roared into existence with a fury that stole her breath. The storm was a living thing, its rain slashing sideways in relentless sheets, its winds howling like spectral cries. The air pulsed with an electric charge, thick and suffocating, as if the floor itself whispered of dangers unseen but always watching.

Jae’s boots scraped against the slick stone at the edge of the portal, her body braced against the ferocity of the elements. The storm enveloped her in its cold embrace, soaking through her cloak, chilling her resolve. For the first time, her steps faltered. Stories she had tried to ignore clawed their way to the forefront of her mind, each whisper painting vivid images of monstrosities lurking just beyond her vision. Her breath misted in the frigid air, a fragile testament to her presence in the storm’s domain.

Floor 29 welcomed her with a rage that felt alive. Rain hammered the cobbled streets as lightning ripped jagged scars across the sky. The taste of salt and metal, lingered on the tip of her tongue. The city at the portal's edge lay in shambles, its buildings sagging under the relentless weather. Pools of water shimmered with faint reflections of her silhouette, only for the images to ripple and distort, twisting into something alien before fading. Shadows stalked her path in unseen forms. The occasional sound of shuffling feet or guttural growls echoed from alleys, a reminder that not all things in this place were content to remain unseen. But Jaelynn pressed forward, her hand hovering on the hilt of Veilpiercer. Her journey took her through the drenched streets until she found a weathered NPC shrouded in a tattered raincoat, standing beside a small, storm-battered boat.

“I need to get to Graycott Point,” she said, her voice carrying over the howl of the wind.

The NPC’s hollow eyes regarded her in silence, and for a moment, the silver-haired vixen wondered if she would be refused. But then he nodded, a hand outstretched for payment. She handed over a meager handful of col, some of the earnings she had saved up. Without another word, the NPC gestured for her to board. The boat swayed violently as it cut through the black waters, the storm above a relentless tyrant. The emerald-starred nomad clung to the edge, her knuckles white, as waves crashed against the hull. The lighthouse loomed in the distance, its beam slicing through the darkness like a solitary promise. As they neared the shore, the boat seemed to groan in protest, as if the very ocean resented their intrusion. When her boots finally touched the slick, rocky shore of the island, Jae gazed up at the towering silhouette of Graycott Point. Its light continued to sweep the storm, indifferent to her presence. The only sound was the relentless drum of rain and the distant crash of waves against stone. This was it—the beginning of her trial.

The quest window appeared as soon as she stepped toward the lighthouse.
<<To Shine a Light.>>

She stared at the words, her heart pounding as she pressed 'Accept.'

Quote

***
[Jae] | Lv. 4 | HP: 80/80 | EN: 26/26 | DMG: 5 | ACC: III | EV: - |
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Skills: Straight Swords (Rank 3)
***
Sword Arts:

• [x8] ST-I (8 EN) | A single-target sword art.
• [x11] ST-II (11 EN) | A powerful single-target sword art. Only available for use when ST-I was used and successfully struck an enemy the previous turn or if ST-II had been used and had missed the previous turn.
• [x7] AOE-I (7 + [2 * targets] EN) | AOE | A sword art that strikes multiple targets at once.
• [x8] TECH-A (9 EN) | STUN | A single-target sword art that stuns an enemy.

***
Battle Equipment:
Veilpiercer (ACC III) (Equipped)
Rare Longsword (Paralyze/ACC)
(3) Starter Healing Potions (Heals 50 HP)
Black Cloak w/ Hood (Vanity Item | No Benefit)

***
OOC:
Activating Yui's Grace [T5 Donor] 3/4 Remaining

 

Edited Monday at 05:48 AM by Jae
Going to use a Yui's Grace