[SP - F2] Rock and a Hard Place <<Breaking the Unbreakable>> [COMPLETE]

[Takao 0]

Cool air bled through the ajar window and was met with the contrasting warm temperatures that emanated from the crackling fireplace at the other side of the room. Takao swung his legs over the back of the faded green coloured couch he had previously been laying supine on. The massive tree of floating menus followed his movements and turned with him, which enabled his scrolling to continue. A bored expression sat on his face as his green eyes scanned over the various information that was available to him through the grey hued prompts. His inventory was open on one side, and had been organized for ease of access. He didn't want to be scrolling through lists and lists of useless crafting materials to find a healing item in the event that one would be necessary, after all. He pushed the window aside and moved to his skills next, and briefly glanced over them. The changes to combat had certainly made a frustrating wake in his combat effectiveness. He was stronger than ever, and yet at the same time, considerably weaker. It was quite an irritating situation, yet he had no choice to deal with it.

Edited September 15, 2015 by Takao

[Takao 0]

Takao huffed out a breath and closed the menu that displayed his skills. They weren't at the same level that they were before the changes, but he'd be able to get them back over time. It'd be considerably more difficult, but not impossible, just time consuming. He moved one of the windows to the center of his views and began to read through the list of quests he had completed. Most of them were done on his lonesome, with the exception of a select few, though he was sure that repeating his earlier successes in regards to the monsters he had fought in order to complete the quests would no longer be a viable option. "I chose a terrible time to go solo again." the brunet said as he glanced past the transparent menus to his sleeping familiar.

"Hrm... Well, I guess I could just do that one. I really don't have any intentions of raising the skill, though..." his quiet mumbling continued as he slowly flipped himself around to sit upright on the couch. "Ah well, the extra skill points are worth it."

[Takao 0]

Takao had a surprising amount of knowledge about the quest he was planning on completing, despite said quest not even being listed among the others in his menus. Because of the extensive amounts of information published by Information Brokers, he was able to acquire the guidebooks they created. Amidst the vast amounts of information regarding the various floors, their geography, monsters and their statistics, and a plethora of other kinds of information, there was information regarding quests. Takao usually skimmed over most of the information and only looked for keywords, just to make sure that he wasn't getting in over his head statistically, but quest information was always something he looked deeper into.

He moved out of the two-story shop on the third floor and quickly traversed the distance from his building to the warp gate. From there, he teleported to the second floor settlement of Urbas, and set out with the intention of completing the quest as quickly as he could.

[Takao 0]

"Ooookay!" Takao exhaled as he stepped out of Urbas' main gates. Beyond him laid the crater that the city sat atop, and further in the distance were the mountains that would act as his destination. The NPC lived in a hut that sat atop one of the taller mountains, which meant that he had quite the journey ahead of him. Being well accustomed to the unfortunate occurrences of being ambushed, Takao didn't walk far out of the town before his sword was drawn and held at the side. If he were to be jumped by a monster, or in the worst case scenario a homicidal player, the advantage of not having to draw his blade before combat was initiated could save his life.

"Just gotta... climb one of those big ol' mountains..." his enthusiasm had died down considerably as he walked, and saw the mountains in the distance just barely draw closer with each step.

[Takao 0]

The journey to the base of the mountain was largely uneventful. He had seen monsters along the way, yet he was more than capable of avoiding them without capturing their attention. A long, narrow, and winding path laid ahead of him, stretching up the side of the mountain until it disappeared into the distance. The brunet set out to traverse the path, yet he hadn't made much headway when a suspiciously placed outcropping of stone caught his attention. It was placed in the middle of the path and looked about as out of place as out of place gets, the colour of the stone didn't match the environment at all. When he moved closer, the rocks shifted, and he prepared a sword art without thinking twice. His place began to glow and pierced the stone before the golem could rise to its full height, which allowed Takao to chip off a fair chunk of health before the monster attacked.

- -

« Battle Sequence »
Takao » Stone Golem

» ID : [[ 31167 ]]
» BD : [[ HIT (5 + 2(ACC)) ]]
» MD : [[ MISS (4 - 3(EVA)) ]]

« Takao »
[[ 102/102 HP ]]
[[ 18/23 Energy ]] «Vorpal Strike» used.

« Stone Golem »
[[ 80/120 HP ]] [[ 8(DMG) * (1*5) = -40HP ]]

Edited September 12, 2015 by Takao

[Takao 0]

The golem finished rising to stand at its full height, which was several times Takao's own. The hulking beast made of stone dwarfed the brown-haired swordsman, though he didn't seem to be intimidated. He had faced far too many foes of such a scale, and his worries were quelled with the knowledge that he was on the second floor. The monster wouldn't be terribly strong, despite this particular beast's deceptive size. A fist made entirely of stone, not unlike the body it was attached to, cocked back and began to glow a bright yellow colour. Takao's own arm pulled back and was poised in such a way that the blade in his hand also began to glow, though this sword art was of a different hue. They unleashed their sword arts simultaneously, although Takao's landed first. His sword carved the faint pattern of a star into the stone golem's earthen chest, and the resulting effect stunned the beast to prevent its attack from following through.

- -

« Battle Sequence »
Takao » Stone Golem

» ID : [[ 31168 ]]
» BD : [[ HIT (3 + 2(ACC) + 1(Concentration)) ]]
» MD : [[ STUNNED (9 - 3(EVA)) ]]

« Takao »
[[ 102/102 HP ]]
[[ 10/23 Energy ]] «Star Quint Prominence» used.

« Stone Golem »
[[ 32/120 HP ]] [[ 8(DMG) * (3*2) = -48HP ]]

Edited September 12, 2015 by Takao

[Takao 0]

"Well, this is kind of awkward, isn't it?" Takao said as his eyes met the glowing red orbs of the stone Golem. Both of the fighters were frozen, Takao by his own devices following the usage of his sword art, which left his body in a state of post-system assisted rigidness, and the stone Golem also as a result of Takao's sword art. The animated collection of rocks made a deep guttural noise, which Takao presumed to be a growl of rage that would signify the monster's desire to see him dead. The brunet nodded his head and inhaled a sharp breath through his nostrils, before slowly exhaling it while waiting for the post-motion effect to wear off. "So... you... come here often, or..?"

- -

« Battle Sequence »
Takao » Stone Golem

» ID : [[ 31169 ]]
» BD : [[ MISS (3 + 2(ACC)) ]]
» MD : [[ MISS (6 - 3(EVA)) ]]

« Takao »
[[ 102/102 HP ]]
[[ 9/23 Energy ]]

« Stone Golem »
[[ 32/120 HP ]]

Edited September 12, 2015 by Takao

[Takao 0]

"Uh-" Takao watched the Golem's mobility return first. Its rocky jaw fell lax and its eyes, which had been set on him the entire time it was stunned, narrowed considerably. "-...C'mon now, we can be friends, can't we?" he said, trying his best to reason with the monster as it sauntered closer. He knew it was futile, yet he tried regardless. Before long, the monster was upon him, and its earthen hand began to glow with the tell-tale signs of a sword art's pre-motion. Takao winced as he saw the fist crash down on top of him.

- -

« Battle Sequence »
Takao » Stone Golem

» ID : [[ 31170 ]]
» BD : [[ MISS (3 + 2(ACC)) ]]
» MD : [[ C.HIT (9 - 3(EVA)) ]]

« Takao »
[[ 101/102 HP ]] [[6(DMG) + 1 critical - 14(MIT) = -1HP ]]
[[ 8/23 Energy ]]

« Stone Golem »
[[ 32/120 HP ]]

[Takao 0]

The Golem's fist connected with the top of Takao's head, and the ground shook from the force. When the beast noticed that his attack hadn't made any headway, it moved its hand aside, and glanced down at the brunet. A small smile worked its way onto the brunet's face. Despite the monster scoring a critical attack on him, the damage that it dealt was minuscule, and he was more than capable of resisting the force of the attack. In retaliation, Takao subjected the monster to a sword art of his own, and upon completion of the heavy two-hit system-assisted strike, the stone Golem was reduced to nothing more than a plethora of translucent data fragments.

- -

« Battle Sequence »
Takao » Stone Golem

» ID : [[ 31171 ]]
» BD : [[ C.HIT (9 + 2(ACC)) ]]
» MD : [[ MISS (7 - 3(EVA)) ]]

» LD : [[ 20 ]]

« Takao »
[[ 101/102 HP ]]
[[ 4/23 Energy ]] «Vertical Arc» used.

« Stone Golem »
[[ DEAD ]] [[ 8(DMG) + 1 critical * (2*2) = -36HP ]]

Stone Golem dropped « Unclaimed Uncommon Item »

[Takao 0]

As he walked along the path that lead up into the mountains, Takao examined the item that had dropped from the Golem made from stone. Perhaps it was specifically placed there, or perhaps his dumb luck had paid off, but either way he managed to come into possession of a low quality item that would provide him with a spot of help when it came time to break the rock. His journey up the mountain took the better part of three hours, though he could've shortened it to two and a half if he hadn't taken a few breaks here and there.

Before him was a... structure of some sort. He could describe it as a shack; the walls were made from old, rotten wood that had lost its colour and structural integrity from years of enduring the weather. The roof was made from straw that seemed equally old, and have a few holes here and there. A small smoke stack made from what he assumed to be some sort of clay protruded from the back, and the grey smoke that bellowed from within suggested that the hut was occupied. Takao slowly approached the door and raised his hands to knock, but before his knuckles could connect with the door, it swung open. His green eyes stared forward and his eyebrows raised, clearly surprised to see the doorway entirely empty - until he looked down.

The elderly woman that stood before him was considerably shorter than he; about half his height, if one was to be generous. Her wrinkled face was contorted into an annoyed expression, seemingly irritated by his attempt at interrupting whatever it was she was doing inside. The most notable feature, however, were her cloudy white eyes, a clear indication of her blindness.

"-...uh. I'm... I'm here for-"

"Yeah yeah, you wanna test yer' might and learn martial arts! I know what you're here for, I could feel you comin' up the mountain from two miles away!"

"Uh.. Yup, yeah! That's why I'm here. So, should we get star-erk!" he was interrupted by a sharp tug on his collar, and found himself being pulled away from the hut. After being quite literally dragged around, he was tossed in front of the large boulder, and the elderly woman moved to sit on a flat rocky outcropping nearby. He slowly sat up and glanced over at her, yet she spoke before he could even think to open his mouth.

"You got three hours to break the boulder. If you can break it by then, I'll take those whiskers off your face. If not, you'll be stuck with 'em forever! Haha!" she said, eliciting a confused expression and tilt of Takao's head. "Whiskers?" he asked as he felt his face, noticing the faint texture of paint. "Wh-... wait, when did you-" "Times a'tickin', Twinkle Toes!"

[Takao 0]

Takao grumbled as he stood and quickly delved into his inventory. He unequipped his normal gloves and replaced them with the cloth wrappings, akin to that of some kind of martial art's hand wrappings. The old woman clapped her hands and chuckled lightly. "Ohh, clever!"

Takao turned to face the boulder and cracked his knuckles. "Well... this shouldn't be too hard." Takao shifted his stance slightly and moved his legs apart. He positioned his left foot forward, and his right foot angled off to the right. His preexisting knowledge of martial arts was very limited, only some basic grapples he'd learned from his instructor as well as how to throw some basic punches and kicks. Before he gave the boulder a legitimate punch, he tested the waters, and tapped his fist against the stone. He felt nothing, no pain or tingling as he'd been expecting. After taking a deep breath, he pulled his right arm back and shot it forward, twisting his torso and throwing his weight into the punch. His fist slammed into the rocky surface, and although there was no visible health gauge, the stone shuddered slightly regardless.

- -
» ID : [[ 31441 ]]
» BD : [[ C.HIT (9 + 2(ACC)) ]]

« Takao »
[[ 102/102 HP ]]
[[ 22/23 Energy ]] Regular Attack used.

« Boulder »
[[ 46/50 ]] [[ 3(DMG) + 1 critical = -4HP ]]

Edited September 14, 2015 by Takao

[Takao 0]

Takao pulled his right arm back and held it close to his face in something vaguely reminiscent of typical boxer stance. As his right arm repositioned itself in front of him, his torso rotated clockwise, and his left arm snapped forward. After the first hit had connected, he no longer had any hangups about smashing his fists into the stone at full force. He had become well-acquainted with the prospect of experiencing no pain, a habit he would surely have to break if the game was ever cleared. His left fist connected with the stationary stone and knocked off a few unseen hit points, yet he had a feeling there was still plenty of work to be done.

- -
» ID : [[ 31454 ]]
» BD : [[ HIT (8 + 2(ACC)) ]]

« Takao »
[[ 102/102 HP ]]
[[ 22/23 Energy ]] Regular Attack used.

« Boulder »
[[ 43/50 ]] [[ 3(DMG) = -3HP ]]

[Takao 0]

Takao continued his unrelenting assault upon the poor, defenceless boulder by smashing his fists into it. If he cared about what people thought about him, he was sure he'd be worried about any glances he might get atop the incredibly remote and almost entirely uninhabited mountain, because he surely looked like some kind of madman as he beat his fists against the stone. "Hah-" he huffed out something akin to a laugh. "I just realized--" a swift punch to the rock momentarily interrupted him. "This is a bit like those movies, right? Where the main dude goes up to a mountain to train for seven years and comes back a professional boxer, or Super Saiyan." He glanced aside to the blind woman, who was picking at her bare feet and didn't seem to be listening, until she shouted back her response. "Quit yer' yappin' and get to punchin', or those whiskers'll be on your face forever!"

- -
» ID : [[ 31490 ]]
» BD : [[ HIT (8 + 2(ACC)) ]]

« Takao »
[[ 102/102 HP ]]
[[ 22/23 Energy ]] Regular Attack used.

« Boulder »
[[ 40/50 ]] [[ 3(DMG) = -3HP ]]

[Takao 0]

Despite his near total lack of experience with any kind of traditional martial art - or any hand to hand combat for that matter - Takao was able to chain together three simple jabs with relative ease. His right arm shot forward and collided with the stone, which rumbled and shifted ever so slightly from his force. As he pulled his right arm back, his torso rotated, and he used the momentum to slam his left fist into the rock again, then repeated the action with his right fist. To an onlooker who was an experienced fighter, it would likely appear sloppy or slow, yet it was doing the trick regardless.

- -
» ID : [[ 31492 ]]
» BD : [[ HIT (7 + 2(ACC)) ]]

« Takao »
[[ 102/102 HP ]]
[[ 22/23 Energy ]] Regular Attack used.

« Boulder »
[[ 37/50 ]] [[ 3(DMG) = -3HP ]]

[Takao 0]

If Takao could see the boulder's health gauge, he surely would've been proud. Barely ten minutes had passed and he had reduced its hidden health bar by sixteen points, and he wasn't even beginning to feel himself get tired. His wrapping-clad knuckles collided with the rock yet again, resulting in some smaller chips of stone coming loose and falling off. It was far from being split into two, but his progress was steady. If he were to be a little cocky, he'd estimate being able to destroy it in under forty five minutes.

- -
» ID : [[ 31492 ]]
» BD : [[ HIT (3 + 2(ACC) + 1(Concentration)) ]]

« Takao »
[[ 102/102 HP ]]
[[ 22/23 Energy ]] Regular Attack used.

« Boulder »
[[ 34/50 ]] [[ 3(DMG) = -3HP ]]

[Takao 0]

Although the repetitive sequence of simple jabs wasn't tiring him physically, he could feel his desire to continue slowly draining. He wouldn't give up, that much he was sure about, and the simplistic combo was much too effective for him to have any desire to switch it up just yet. Therefore, he continued at the same pace, alternating between right and left handed jabs at the rock. "I hope the durability on these wraps will hold out... Would really suck to do this without 'em." he muttered to himself between breaths as he struck the rock.

- -
» ID : [[ 31505 ]]
» BD : [[ HIT (5 + 2(ACC)) ]]

« Takao »
[[ 102/102 HP ]]
[[ 22/23 Energy ]] Regular Attack used.

« Boulder »
[[ 34/50 ]] [[ 3(DMG) = -3HP ]]

[Takao 0]

By sheer luck, Takao manged to hit a sweet spot on the boulder with a regular right jab. His knuckled collided with the rough stone texture and transferred the mildly destructive force into a loose patch of sediment. A chunk of the rock fell from above and toppled onto the ground beside him, bringing him to pause for a moment. It wasn't shattered or split in two yet, so he knew he had more to go yet. "Ohh, nice hit there, Twinkle Toes! Couple more like that and you might be able to do this in time!" the elderly woman said without shooting even a single look his way.

- -
» ID : [[ 31528 ]]
» BD : [[ C.HIT (9 + 2(ACC)) ]]

« Takao »
[[ 102/102 HP ]]
[[ 22/23 Energy ]] Regular Attack used.

« Boulder »
[[ 30/50 ]] [[ 3(DMG) + 1 critical = -4HP ]]

[Takao 0]

Takao turned back to face the rock and resumed his assault on the boulder. Cloth wrapping clad hands here raised and his body fell back into a posture that was beginning to feel just a little bit more comfortable, though that was likely just from how long he'd been standing in such a way for this specific instance. If he were to judge based solely by the boulder's appearance, he wouldn't have been able to accurately gauge where its hidden health bar stood. Even though a sizable chunk had been knocked loose, it still seemed largely unfazed by his attacks, so he could only hope and assume that his strikes were making some kind of headway.

- -
» ID : [[ 31580 ]]
» BD : [[ HIT (4 + 2(ACC)) ]]

« Takao »
[[ 102/102 HP ]]
[[ 22/23 Energy ]] Regular Attack used.

« Boulder »
[[ 27/50 ]] [[ 3(DMG) = -3HP ]]

Edited September 15, 2015 by Takao

[Takao 0]

His left fist connected with and was held against the boulder surface as he gave his assault a brief pause. The sound of a singular source of applause had caught his attention, prompting him to slowly glance over to the old woman. Through his laboured breathing, he heard her laughing. "Good work! You're about half way there!" she said in a peculiar tone, one in which Takao had picked up some rather obvious hints of sarcasm. He grumbled out an inaudible response and went back to work with pummeling the stone down. He really couldn't wait to see it reduced to rubble.

- -
» ID : [[ 31590 ]]
» BD : [[ HIT (8 + 2(ACC)) ]]

« Takao »
[[ 102/102 HP ]]
[[ 22/23 Energy ]] Regular Attack used.

« Boulder »
[[ 24/50 ]] [[ 3(DMG) = -3HP ]]

Edited September 15, 2015 by Takao

[Takao 0]

"Ngh... c'mon, just ... break ... already!" Takao said as he alternated between exhausted yet still powerful jabs. If it weren't for his luck with finding the wraps, as well as his skills that increased his base damage without a weapon, he imagined that the task would've been impossible. "It's a rock, dummy. Breaking it by punching it takes hard work. It won't be easy!" the elderly woman said from atop her rocky outcropping of a seat, yet her words went mostly unheard. He was much too focused with beating on the rock to care about any outside distractions.

- -
» ID : [[ 31592 ]]
» BD : [[ HIT (4 + 2(ACC)) ]]

« Takao »
[[ 102/102 HP ]]
[[ 22/23 Energy ]] Regular Attack used.

« Boulder »
[[ 21/50 ]] [[ 3(DMG) = -3HP ]]