[SP - F2] <<Let There Be Light>> [COMPLETE]

[Takao 0]

A small leather-bound book in his hands lead him down the various streets and alleys of the second floor's main settlement. His "excellent" situation awareness kept him from bumping into things and people as he read from the book's pages, and mumbled out brief keywords to himself to be committed to memory. "Approached by female NPC... yadayada, missing child... ...playing in the caverns? Well, that's just asking for trouble. I know it's all generated ahead of time, but that's still terrible parenting. Ah well, guess it doesn't matter. Might as well knock this one out since it's so easy. Just gotta find that NPC now." He muttered to himself before a shrug rocked his shoulders and he closed the book. Of all the quests the unlocked floors had to offer players, Takao had completed thirteen of them - twelve of said quests having been done on his lonesome. There were two he knew of that would be very risky to do on his lonesome, one more so than the other, and he would very likely assemble a party of sorts before tackling. After all, he wasn't explicitly a solo player, he just found that doing things at his own convenience helped his progression greatly.

Edited August 31, 2015 by Takao

[Takao 0]

Takao stumbled upon the NPC not long after closing and dismissing the small guidebook he'd been reading from. She was, as the book had informed him of beforehand, erratic and on the verge of tears. She told him the story in detail, whereas the guidebook had only offered him a small summary of what she said. The woman told him how her daughter had been playing with a friend inside a cavern about ten minutes outside of the floor's main settlement, Urbas. They were attacked by monsters, which he also already knew, and her friend was able to escape. Her daughter was still in the cave somewhere, and she begged Takao for his help with finding her. A prompt appeared in front of him, asking if he would accept the quest and presenting him with two options, "Accept" and "Deny." He raised his right hand and accepted the quest, then reassured the NPC woman with a smile and a few words promising to find her daughter. After departing from Urbas and checking the map, he'd begun to wonder why two small children would be playing in a cave that was supposedly pitch black. It certainly wasn't his idea of a fun place to play.

[Takao 0]

The gates of Urbas and the settlement itself rested comfortably at the base of a large crater. The locations for the cities of Aincrad never ceased to both amaze and confuse him, and while he was far from being so disconnected from reality that he thought the game was real, it was certainly difficult to wrap his head around. It shouldn't have been that unusual to him, especially since he had been an avid gamer before the incident that trapped him and thousands of others in the game. He'd seen plenty of amazing looking worlds and locations through games, though none seemed quite as real as Sword Art Online's. As his mind wandered, the bipedal insectoid that loomed ahead had almost gone unnoticed. When the brunet had finally noticed it shuffling about he stopped suddenly mid-stride. Its eyes shifted toward him and began to glow a menacing red, which was a very clear sign that the monster had both noticed and suddenly became aggressive toward him.

"Guess my expectations for a peaceful walk were set a tad high." He muttered to himself as his hand reached up for the sword on his back. He pulled it free of the scabbard and aimed the blade toward the ground as the chittering beast sauntered closer, trying and ultimately failing to intimidate Takao through the use of its superior stature.

[Takao 0]

Takao's lax wrist tensed as the monster drew close. The pace of its movement was almost painfully slow, though Takao held steadfast and maintained his desire to start the fight off by defending rather than attacking. He hadn't fought much on the second floor, with the exception the crabs made of stone that he had combated what felt like months ago, which meant that the insectoid monster before him had an unfamiliar attack pattern. He estimated both the health of the monster and the potential damage output to be low, given that it was only a product of the second floor. He also assumed that meant it would have a simple attack pattern, and judging by how far it brought back the scythe-like arm it intended to swipe at him with, the truth of his estimates were beginning to show.

The monster swung at his head and ultimately missed when its scythe of an arm collided with his blade. Takao's greater statistics allowed him to guide the vaguely weapon-like limb aside without any danger to himself. He took advantage of the opportunity he afforded himself and shifted his posture into a specific stance. His blade began to glow and in the following seconds, his body moved at incredible speeds with impeccable accuracy - courtesy of the system taking control of his avatar. The monster was thrown back by the force of his assisted strike, yet it was still quick on its recovery.

- -

« Battle Sequence »
Takao » Killer Mantis

» ID : [[ 29128 ]]
» BD : [[ C.HIT (9 + 2(ACC)) ]]
» MD : [[ MISS (8 - 3(EVA)) ]]

» CD : [[ 1 ]]

« Takao »
[[ 65/65 HP ]]

« Killer Mantis »
[[ 35/45 HP ]] (9(DMG) + 1 critical = -10HP)

Edited August 29, 2015 by Takao

[Takao 0]

The monster's humanoid shape undoubtedly provided it with some benefits, yet its insect nature prevented it from performing advanced maneuvers that would've proved difficult for Takao to handle on his own, or at the very least he'd find it difficult to maintain his defend and attack patterns. The mantis-like creature wobbled back up onto its feet, or whatever the closest thing to feet it possessed, and in the following instant took off sprinting toward Takao. He grimaced and winced a bit at the very unsettling sight of the insect monster charging at him, and had nearly forgotten to react as a result. His blade swung upward just in time to catch the mantis' bladed arm and swipe it aside before he stepped forward and drew the edge of his sword across the monster's body. The sharp digital edge of his blade cut into the monster, leaving a glowing red gash along what he could only imagine would be its torso.

- -

« Battle Sequence »
Takao » Killer Mantis

» ID : [[ 29143 ]]
» BD : [[ HIT (6 + 2(ACC)) ]]
» MD : [[ MISS (2 - 3(EVA)) ]]

» CD : [[ 11 ]]

« Takao »
[[ 65/65 HP ]]

« Killer Mantis »
[[ 26/45 HP ]] (9(DMG) = -9HP)

Edited August 29, 2015 by Takao

[Takao 0]

The insectoid monster took another swing at Takao, who promptly and successfully ducked beneath its arm to avoid taking damage. He had a preference for keeping his health as high as it could be, particularly during combat and especially when he was about to delve into a dark cave potentially filled with monsters, and perhaps even other hazards as well. The monster that towered above him was a rather annoying obstacle to scale, especially with how probable it was for the quest he'd just accepted to be time-sensitive. He hadn't read anything about it being such, but if there was anything that he'd learned about Sword Art Online that stuck with him, it's that the game was terribly unpredictable. His resolve to best the monster strengthened, and another sword skill planted his blade deep into the monster's abdomen before tearing upward through its thorax, and exiting shortly after.

- -

« Battle Sequence »
Takao » Killer Mantis

» ID : [[ 29235 ]]
» BD : [[ HIT (8 + 2(ACC)) ]]
» MD : [[ MISS (5 - 3(EVA)) ]]

» CD : [[ 12 ]]

« Takao »
[[ 65/65 HP ]]

« Killer Mantis »
[[ 17/45 HP ]] (9(DMG) = -9HP)

[Takao 0]

"Kinda on a schedule here, dude!" Takao yelled out to the large Mantis as it swung its blade-like arm at him again, only for Takao to meet it with the flat of his blade. It pushed him against the ground slightly before his strength dampened the force of the blow down to nothing. He promptly broke their stalemate by shifting the position of his sword and guiding the Mantis' arm aside, his motions tearing an opening into the monster's defenses. Takao's sword arm was pulled back and poised in a certain specific stance. His sword began to glow with the pre-motion of a sword skill, and after relinquishing control to the system, the blade found its way into and through the Mantis' body for a clean strike, further diminishing the beast's health.

- -

« Battle Sequence »
Takao » Killer Mantis

» ID : [[ 29347 ]]
» BD : [[ HIT (5 + 2(ACC)) ]]
» MD : [[ MISS (5 - 3(EVA)) ]]

» CD : [[ 10 ]]

« Takao »
[[ 65/65 HP ]]

« Killer Mantis »
[[ 8/45 HP ]] (9(DMG) = -9HP)

[Takao 0]

After sustaining a hefty chunk of damage, the Mantis' swung down at Takao with the last of its strength. The brunet had little trouble glancing the blow aside, and riposting with one of his own. His sword sliced through the insectoid's midsection and separated it from the rest of its body, effectively cleaving the monster in half with the simple motion that went unassisted by the system. When everything was clear and the monster had disappeared into luminescent particles, Takao sheathed his sword and continued onward in the direction of the cave that his map was directing him to.

- -

« Battle Sequence »
Takao » Killer Mantis

» ID : [[ 29357 ]]
» BD : [[ HIT (5 + 2(ACC)) ]]
» MD : [[ C.HIT (9 - 3(EVA)) ]]

» CD : [[ 10 ]]

« Takao »
[[ 65/65 HP ]] (Damage negated by turn order.)

« Killer Mantis »
[[ DEAD ]] (9(DMG) = -9HP)

[Takao 0]

A few minutes spent walking at a brisk, monster-avoiding pace resulted in Takao standing at the entrance to the cave. He glanced down to the map that hovered before him and confirmed that the location was correct, then exhaled a slow breath. The guidebook had recommended the quest for fairly low level players, yet the impending debuff and intimidating pitch-black darkness that laid ahead were certainly good deterrents. Even if the monsters in the cave weren't expected to be particularly difficult, he couldn't put his faith in the idea that the cave would be without its own dangers. After all, he hadn't known the creator of the game to be a particularly kind and forgiving individual. Takao reached into the list of his inventory and retrieved an unlit wooden torch from within, then struck it against the cold stone surface beneath the soles of his feet to light it. The end erupted into flames and illuminated the dank cave interior with warm red light, yet his visibility was still rather unsatisfactory. "Well... This'll have to do for now, I guess."

[Takao 0]

Lead by the light of the torch in his left hand and defended by the sword in his right, Takao pressed on into the cave. The crackling sounds of the fire overlapped the cave's ambient noise of dripping water and the occasional unsettling chittering of a beast that lurked behind the darkness. His green eyes scanned his surroundings carefully, watching for anything that might decide to leap out at him like the guidebook had warned him. Although the torch provided light as a utility, it did nothing to negate the buff to his accuracy; the fact that he was still as a slight disadvantage was worrisome, but not debilitating. He'd be able to actually see what he was fighting at the least, which made the torch useful enough. As if on cue, the thunderous sound of heavy wings batting against the air echoed throughout the cave. His ears twitched and his eyes darted toward the source, just in time to whip his sword arm around upon seeing one of the two gigantic bats closing in. His blade cut through the monster's torso and knocked it aside and into the other bat that was diving toward him, effectively saving himself from sustaining damage from their surprise attack.

- -

« Battle Sequence »
Takao » Giant Bat 1 » Giant Bat 2

» ID : [[ 29403(BD+CD+MD1) | 29404(MD2) ]]
» BD : [[ C.HIT (9 + 2(ACC) - 1(Environment)) ]]
» MD 1 : [[ MISS (3 - 3(EVA)) ]]
» MD 2 : [[ MISS (4 - 3(EVA)) ]]

» CD : [[ 4 ]]

« Takao »
[[ 65/65 HP ]]

« Giant Bat 1 »
[[ 35/45 HP ]] (9(DMG) + 1 critical = -10HP)
« Giant Bat 2 »
[[ 45/45 HP ]]

[Takao 0]

Both of the bats were sent tumbling across the ground after Takao's lucky hit. The torch he held in his hand didn't illuminate an especially large area of the cave, so with the opportunity having presented itself so clearly to him, he dared not let the monsters return to flight and escape back into the darkness. He'd been lucky enough to stop their ambush the first time, but if they returned to those tactics, the likelihood that the two monsters would become troublesome was much higher. The brunet stepped forward with a sword skill prepared and unleashed it upon the massive bat he hit the first time, unloading another chunk of health from its gauge upon successfully hitting. The second bat lashed out at him on the ground while he was preoccupied, but Takao had little problem evading the monster regardless.

- -

« Battle Sequence »
Takao » Giant Bat 1 » Giant Bat 2

» ID : [[ 29409(BD+CD+MD1) | 29410(MD2) ]]
» BD : [[ C.HIT (9 + 2(ACC) - 1(Environment)) ]]
» MD 1 : [[ MISS (3 - 3(EVA)) ]]
» MD 2 : [[ MISS (4 - 3(EVA)) ]]

» CD : [[ 4 ]]

« Takao »
[[ 65/65 HP ]]

« Giant Bat 1 »
[[ 25/45 HP ]] (9(DMG) + 1 critical = -10HP)
« Giant Bat 2 »
[[ 45/45 HP ]]

[Takao 0]

In his haste to eliminate both of his opponents as quickly as possible, Takao had made an error. The use of a sword skill allowed him to move faster and with more power than he could ever do on his lonesome, but left him in a state of partial paralysis and unable to move immediately after the system returned control of his avatar. This oversight allowed both of the gigantic bats to recollect themselves and take flight, and promptly returned to the darkness. They were out of the reach of the torch's light, and well out of reach for him to actively combat, yet he knew they hadn't fled. In the following instance, the dove from the darkness behind him, and each managed to land a small scratch on his left arm and across his back. The damage was minimal, and he barely moved from their force, yet it was still a troublesome situation nonetheless.

- -

« Battle Sequence »
Takao » Giant Bat 1 » Giant Bat 2

» ID : [[ 29416(BD+CD+MD1) | 29417(MD2) ]]
» BD : [[ MISS (2 + 2(ACC) - 1(Environment)) ]]
» MD 1 : [[ C.HIT (9 - 3(EVA)) ]]
» MD 2 : [[ C.HIT (9 - 3(EVA)) ]]

» CD : [[ 3 ]]

« Takao »
[[ 63/65 HP ]] (2(DMG) + 1 critical - 5(MIT) = -1HP) + (2(DMG) + 1 critical - 5(MIT) = -1HP) = ( -2 HP )

« Giant Bat 1 »
[[ 25/45 HP ]]
« Giant Bat 2 »
[[ 45/45 HP ]]

Edited August 30, 2015 by Takao

[Takao 0]

Despite the duo of bat's having an aerial advantage over him, Takao wasn't deterred in the slightest. He listened closely and kept a sharp eye out for moving figures beyond the darkness, which was exceptionally difficult with the bright torch being held so close. He managed to spot one of the incoming bats just in time to turn and snap his arm around like the crack of a whip. His sword crashed into the monster and knocked it aside, chipping off a bit of health as well. The second bat swooped in not long after, though Takao had little issue with evading it after spotting the monster diving toward him. The brunet was so caught up in the fighting that he didn't notice the quiet, muffled wails of a child coming from further within the cave.

- -

« Battle Sequence »
Takao » Giant Bat 1 » Giant Bat 2

» ID : [[ 29429(BD+CD+MD1) | 29430(MD2) ]]
» BD : [[ HIT (5 + 2(ACC) - 1(Environment)) ]]
» MD 1 : [[ MISS (8 - 3(EVA)) ]]
» MD 2 : [[ MISS (4 - 3(EVA)) ]]

» CD : [[ 6 ]]

« Takao »
[[ 63/65 HP ]]

« Giant Bat 1 »
[[ 16/45 HP ]] (9(DMG) = -9HP)
« Giant Bat 2 »
[[ 45/45 HP ]]

[Takao 0]

The bats continued their assault on Takao who was maintaining a firm grip on both the torch in his left hand as well as the sword in his right. They flew up into the darkness, out of the torch's reach, and circled around until they found a good enough angle to swoop back down at him from. Despite having a clear advantage in the way of mobility as well as their ability to see through the darkness, Takao's spacial awareness kept him from falling prey to any unexpected attacks from behind. When the first and most damaged bat came within range, he swung his blade and slammed the beast down onto the ground. His blade plunged deeper into the monster's chest and held it firmly in place while the other bat tried and failed to strike him with another dive.

- -

« Battle Sequence »
Takao » Giant Bat 1 » Giant Bat 2

» ID : [[ 29429(BD+CD+MD1) | 29430(MD2) ]]
» BD : [[ HIT (6 + 2(ACC) - 1(Environment)) ]]
» MD 1 : [[ MISS (3 - 3(EVA)) ]]
» MD 2 : [[ MISS (1 - 3(EVA)) ]]

» CD : [[ 8 ]]

« Takao »
[[ 63/65 HP ]]

« Giant Bat 1 »
[[ 7/45 HP ]] (9(DMG) = -9HP)
« Giant Bat 2 »
[[ 45/45 HP ]]

[Takao 0]

The two bats continued with their hit and run tactics, despite the fact that it had been a rather failed plan due to Takao's evasiveness. They immediately returned to the safety of darkness, beyond the reaches of the light of his torch, and repositioned themselves to strike again. Unlike the other times however, they managed to get closer. Or, at least, the first bat did. It swooped down at him with impressive speeds, forcing Takao to opt for dodging instead of attacking. He jumped backward and spun his body, releasing the torch in his left hand and instead using the extremity to perform a hand spring. The flame continued to turn as the torch hit the wet cave floor, though it rolled close to an edge and left Takao with less light than he originally had. The second bat followed behind the first, though Takao was more prepared for retaliation, and managed to slam his sword into the side of its face to knock it aside.

- -

« Battle Sequence »
Takao » Giant Bat 1 » Giant Bat 2

» ID : [[ 29463(BD+CD+MD1) | 29464(MD2) ]]
» BD : [[ HIT (8 + 2(ACC) - 1(Environment)) ]]
» MD 1 : [[ MISS (2 - 3(EVA)) ]]
» MD 2 : [[ MISS (2 - 3(EVA)) ]]

» CD : [[ 7 ]]
» LD : [[ 17 ]]

« Takao »
[[ 63/65 HP ]]

« Giant Bat 1 »
[[ DEAD ]] (9(DMG) = -9HP)
« Giant Bat 2 »
[[ 45/45 HP ]]

Edited August 30, 2015 by Takao

[Takao 0]

The cave was just barely illuminated by the ever-dimming light of the discarded torch. Takao estimated he had less than a minute to finish the battle before the torch went out, which was the second-to-worst case scenario, and was very likely to actually lead to the worst case scenario. In the pitch black darkness, he couldn't see. If he couldn't see, he couldn't get out. If he couldn't get out, the brunet was as good as dead. There was no way he could navigate his menu in the darkness, and the chances of him wandering out of the cave by pure chance were incredibly unlikely as well. He refocused on the last bat as it closed in on him, though he lacked the time to react. It tackled into him and send him tumbling into the ground, scratching his body in various places while his blade plunged deep into its torso, effectively exchanging damage.

- -

« Battle Sequence »
Takao » Giant Bat 1 » Giant Bat 2

» ID : [[ 29492 ]]
» BD : [[ HIT (7 + 2(ACC) - 1(Environment)) ]]
» MD 1 : [[ MISS (2 - 3(EVA)) ]]
» MD 2 : [[ C.HIT (9 - 3(EVA)) ]]

» CD : [[ 7 ]]

« Takao »
[[ 62/65 HP ]] (2(DMG) + 1 critical - 5(MIT) = -1HP)

« Giant Bat 1 »
[[ DEAD ]]
« Giant Bat 2 »
[[ 36/45 HP ]] (9(DMG) = -9HP)

[Takao 0]

Takao managed to hold the bat at a distance with the end of his blade, preventing himself from sustaining any further injuries from the creature as it thrashed and writhed about on the ground in a desperate attempt to escape. He huffed out a breath and twisted the sword slightly, inflicting a steady flow of damage unto the beast. His green eyes watched the health bar drop, not quite far enough to change colour from green to orange, but it was a substantial amount nonetheless. The bat tried its best to wriggle free of the sword that kept it pinned to the ground, but to no avail, as Takao's strength and leverage were far superior to the monster's own.

- -

« Battle Sequence »
Takao » Giant Bat 1 » Giant Bat 2

» ID : [[ 29518 ]]
» BD : [[ C.HIT (9 + 2(ACC) - 1(Environment)) ]]
» MD 1 : [[ MISS (2 - 3(EVA)) ]]
» MD 2 : [[ MISS (1 - 3(EVA)) ]]

» CD : [[ 6 ]]

« Takao »
[[ 62/65 HP ]]

« Giant Bat 1 »
[[ DEAD ]]
« Giant Bat 2 »
[[ 26/45 HP ]] (9(DMG) + 1 critical = -10HP)

[Takao 0]

The bat continued its struggle against Takao's might and shifted the blade from one side to the other. His gaze was averted away from the monster for a brief moment to glance at the ever-dimming torch that laid on the dank cave floor, with less than half a minute's light left. He could save the flame if he picked it up, but that would mean freeing the monster and allowing it to resume its kamikaze-like dive bomb tactics. In his momentary lapse of attention, the bat managed to wriggle free of the blade, and swiped at his legs. The damage was minimal, and had he not felt the slight tingle he likely wouldn't have noticed it at all. He shifted his attention back onto the monster, who was preparing to take flight.

- -

« Battle Sequence »
Takao » Giant Bat 1 » Giant Bat 2

» ID : [[ 29519 ]]
» BD : [[ MISS (9 + 2(ACC) - 1(Environment)) ]]
» MD 1 : [[ MISS (2 - 3(EVA)) ]]
» MD 2 : [[ C.HIT (9 - 3(EVA)) ]]

» CD : [[ 7 ]]

« Takao »
[[ 61/65 HP ]] (2(DMG) + 1 critical - 5(MIT) = -1HP)

« Giant Bat 1 »
[[ DEAD ]]
« Giant Bat 2 »
[[ 26/45 HP ]]

[Takao 0]

Just as the bat was beginning to take off, Takao's blade began to glow a light blue colour. He was able to assume the posture for a sword skill's pre-motion quick enough to intercept its attempted flight, and upon releasing control of his avatar to the system, he found his blade slamming the monster back down onto the ground. The attack both delayed its flight as well as dealing a large chunk of damage, though Takao sustained another small chip of damage to his own health upon entering the rigid state of paralysis following the system relinquishing its control over his avatar. A slight frown had set in on his face as his desire to see the fight end grew stronger.

- -

« Battle Sequence »
Takao » Giant Bat 1 » Giant Bat 2

» ID : [[ 29520 ]]
» BD : [[ C.HIT (10 + 2(ACC) - 1(Environment)) ]]
» MD 1 : [[ MISS (2 - 3(EVA)) ]]
» MD 2 : [[ C.HIT (9 - 3(EVA)) ]]

» CD : [[ 7 ]]

« Takao »
[[ 60/65 HP ]] (2(DMG) + 1 critical - 5(MIT) = -1HP)

« Giant Bat 1 »
[[ DEAD ]]
« Giant Bat 2 »
[[ 15/45 HP ]] (9(DMG) + 2 critical = -11HP)

[Takao 0]

While still recovering from his rigid post sword-skill state, the bat monster managed to land a second hit on his left leg. Although the beast was large in comparison to its kin, it still only reached up to his knee, which limited its attacks to that particular height. Once more it began to prepare to take flight, although this time Takao was slower to react. His body was only just regaining control, and at the same time his << Battle Healing >> skill kicked in to recover a small sliver of health. "This is gettin' to be a real pain in the butt."

- -

« Battle Sequence »
Takao » Giant Bat 1 » Giant Bat 2

» ID : [[ 29522 ]]
» BD : [[ MISS (1 + 2(ACC) - 1(Environment)) ]]
» MD 1 : [[ MISS (2 - 3(EVA)) ]]
» MD 2 : [[ C.HIT (10 - 3(EVA)) ]]

» CD : [[ 12 ]]

« Takao »
[[ 61/65 HP ]] (2(DMG) + 2 critical - 5(MIT) = -1HP) (2 HP Recovered)

« Giant Bat 1 »
[[ DEAD ]]
« Giant Bat 2 »
[[ 15/45 HP ]]