PP - F12 Twin Blades Cleave the Swamplands (Takao) (Self-Training Series Part 3)

[Calrex 0]

After spending a significant amount of time training alongside Opal on the seventh floor Calrex immediately made his way back to the newly unlocked twelfth floor, appearing in a flash of light. He gave a small sigh as he drew the Grand Blade, tossing the scabbard aside as it dissipated into crystals, returning to his inventory, "I guess the battles down on the seventh floor were challenging for my Martial Arts ability, but they're still not tough enough to train my sword skill. Guess I'm better of practicing here for a time."

Looking across the marshlands he gave his sword a quick twirl before he started making his way over towards the gates of Lazaro, looking overhead as his blue peregrine falcon familiar, Roc, materialized in the sky, "Let's get this done. We need to get stronger for the next raid. Hopefully by the time we're done we'll be strong enough to weigh in on the battles, heh."

[Takao 0]

Why was he on this floor again? No matter how thoroughly he racked his brain for the answer, he just couldn't come up with one. His stare grew blank as the light of the warp gate faded, and the interior of the twelfth floor's plantation house slowly came into focus. A low grunt escaped from his lungs, but it wasn't until an even more displeased noise came from his right that he finally remembered why he'd come here. His shoulder-mounted familiar rested exactly where one would imagine it to be, across his shoulders. It grimaced the second its red scales met the humid air, and exhaled a plume of grey smoke in protest. He'd come to this floor again just to annoy his familiar! What better way to do that than subject it not only to a foreign environment, but a foreign environment that he knew the monster to absolutely detest. With a cheeky grin on his face, Takao set out. He could subject himself to a bit of discomfort while grinding if it meant his impish familiar was in a similar state.

The brunet set out toward the gates of Lazaro, and it wasn't long before he spotted another player ahead of him. He was able to determine who the player was by a quick look at their equipment and sword, having recognized them from the boss fight only a short while ago. Takao hastened his pace until he managed to catch up with the player. "Heya!" he said in his usual chipper tone of voice, accompanying the words of greeting with a warm smile. "Gettin' ready to do some hunting?"

[Calrex 0]

As he heard someone call out to address him Calrex's focused state was broken as he turned around to see a familiar player. He had only seen the person a few times in the past, once during the floor raid meeting, and the next in the raid itself. "Let's see, his name was Takao, wasn't it?"

Putting on a friendly face and a casual wave he responded promptly to the greeting, "Hey! Yeah I'm getting ready to go do some more training. I was hoping to get my skills up to par with the Brigade commandants before the next raid."

Slowing his pace he took notice of the disgruntled dragon-like familiar on the boy's shoulders, giving a small smirk at seeing such a dangerous looking creature giving such a human-like expression, "In any case I don't believe we actually introduced each other yet, and we've already met a couple times already. I'm Calrex, it's good to meet you. If you'd like you're welcome to party up and we can get some good hunting done today."

Descending from the skies at mach speed came his familiar as Roc settled down on the Ultramarine Knight's shoulder. However, unlike the past, the falcon's feathers were soaked as it shook, sending droplets left and right. The eye closer to the bird of prey closed slightly as Calrex's body braced for the incoming water, although it gave him a small laugh, "Hey, Roc, can't you do that somewhere away from my face?"

The bird looked at him for a second before scooting further down to his forearm, continuing its drying process, "I...guess that'll work."

Edited October 11, 2015 by Calrex

[Takao 0]

The urge to chuckle as Calrex brought up the Brigade commandants was quickly shelved. Takao was a little too aware of his own mannerisms to let himself show blatant disrespect like that, even if he did find it a little amusing. "Heh, yeah, they really went all out for that boss fight. Zelrius especially, he cut straight through the dude's armour like it was nothing." he said, briefly recalling the amount of damage that had been inflicted. It was a bitter reminder that despite the progress he'd made over the past few months, there was still a noticable gap between himself and the players who were held in such high regard - and rightfully so, the raid being firsthand proof.

His green-hued eyes cast a glance to the equipment once again, and drew a few similarities. They both used one handed straight swords, though Takao's was much less impressive in appearance. They wore different kinds of armour, his own being so green in colour it that actually matched the bog they found themselves in. A fleeting gaze to the sky revealed a bird-like monster of an odd colour flying overhead, which he could only presume to be a familiar. It dived down to them and landed on Calrex's shoulder and shook the water from its fathers, eliciting a light chuckle from Takao.

"I'm game to party up, but I don't know how long I'll be staying on this floor. I really don't like it that much." said Takao, admitting his dislike of the freshly opened floor. "Oh, and it's nice t'meetcha, Calrex. I'm Takao."

[Calrex 0]

"Yeah, I understand. This isn't exactly the most welcome of floors at all. Not exactly as inhabitable as the tenth, but fairly close."

Calrex gave a nod as his new teammate acknowledge that he too had noticed Zelrius' powerful opening attack. What was strange to the Ultramarine Knight, which he wasn't sure was noticed by the others, was that there seemed to be some special effect surrounding the blonde's blade when he struck. Compared to the attacks unleashed by Takao, Ssendom, and the others that managed to get a strike out, the Blood Buccaneer hit almost impossibly hard, "You're right about Zelrius, that attack of his was something else. I have a feeling there was something he was using that we have no information about just yet. In any case, as long as he doesn't all of a sudden go and try testing it on players I would think we have no reason to worry."

Looking over at Roc, who had dried himself off to a decent level, flapped his wings before the blue peregrine falcon took off back into the sky, albeit not as high as he had done earlier, most likely to avoid any excess moisture higher up.

Looking towards the gates leading out of the settlement he gave a nod to Takao, "In any case, I guess we should get a move on before it starts getting more treacherous in the marshlands."

[Takao 0]

[OOC: sorry for the short post. brain is riparoni pepperoni right now.]

"Mmm... Yeah, that'd be bad." Takao said as his gaze fell forward to the swamp lands that laid ahead. He really wasn't keen on venturing back into the bog, and the further into it they got, the more he regretted it. The charm of annoying his familiar quickly wore off, and he found himself feeling just as miserable as the monster he had been so eager to irk. "Maybe he got a special skill or new weapon or something. That wouldn't surprise me too much, considering how strong of a player he is." His recollection of the boss fight did wonders to strengthen his desire to grow stronger, in hopes of acquiring some unique equipment of his own some day. But he certainly wouldn't get there by talking about how well others did.

"Hey, have you tried using Lightning Fall in the swamp?" he asked curiously, referencing the electricity-using sword art given their similar equipment as a means of making small talk. "I was electrocuting Alligators left and right the other day with it, since the water conducts the lightning."

[Calrex 0]

"Lightning Fall? Actually yeah I did. I came up here right after the raid to try and get some scouting for the next floor done with a couple of others. I ended up using that technique more than a few times. I didn't notice the electrocution effect it had though. Maybe I was too focused or something to notice."

The swamplands definitely gave off an unwelcoming feeling as the two continued onward, "Zelrius has been a frontliner for longer than I can remember, so I guess I wouldn't put it past him. He's the only one to possess a full set of boss drop gear and he's known to be the strongest player in all of SAO. Hopefully we'll eventually catch up to him in strength."

"At the least I've surpassed most in level, but that only means I can absorb more hits and last longer in battle. Teayre's reassured me before than I'm still stronger, but I've only recently grandmastered my sword skill."

Looking back over he gave a friendly smile as he tried to continue the conversation, "In any case, it's nice to see another straight sword user in the frontlines. Back when I was first starting to adventure within Aincrad most of the players I met opted to wield curved swords or rapiers, almost like they were going out of style."

OOC: Sorry if it's kinda slow. I'll start spawning the mobs on my next post. XP

Edited October 12, 2015 by Calrex

[Takao 0]

[It's not that it's slow, I'd just been doing 6 straight ours of paperwork so my brain is kinda fried.]

"Catching up might be a bit difficult now." Takao said, idly rubbing his chin in thought. "If the boss drops are being given to players who perform exceptionally in certain areas, it's kinda guaranteed that only a select few people will get 'em. At this level, equipment is what starts to separate the players." His hand dropped down to his side, and he began to wonder if he'd put too much thought into it. "So... Unless y'get lucky and score the last hit, and that all depends on how the raids are planned, we're kinda just stuck hoping that the equipment they don't need any more trickles down eventually."

Takao could bring himself to be upset over how things had turned out, it was simply the nature of the game. It seemed trivial and downright nonsensical to squabble over who got what equipment, or even who the strongest players were. Everybody was stuck in the same situation, after all, regardless of how highly they held themselves in comparison to others. The conversation then shifted to their similar choice of weaponry, and he nodded along. "It seems like they're making a come back now, 'specially with the changes. Daggers are getting really popular too."

[Calrex 0]

OOC: Geezes! O_O

"Yeah, I've heard that even for their small size, daggers have the highest potential damage output before any outside enhancements of skills, so I can understand why many would likely opt to use them. However, I still like the variety of techniques the straight sword offers. It's almost like the Swiss Army knife of the one-handed weapons."

Calrex gave a small sigh as he understood where Takao was coming from with the idea of unique weapons. With the way the last battle went, it meant that the Azure Brigade, which was already considered to have some of the strongest players in SAO, was getting even stronger. Zelrius and Tristan already possessed unique gear from the boss battles leading up to the last one, and with the equipment they had obtained it only fortified that notion, "I guess with the next floor hopefully everyone gets a shot at something. I have a feeling I won't even come close to getting the highest damage dealt or absorbed at my current strength, but maybe I can get a shot for the last strike bonus."

Deciding not to dwell on such depressing thought he shook his head as he looked onwards. Activating his <<Reveal>> skill he spotted that there were some alligators lurking close to their walking path, "Well, looks like we've found our first batch of fried gator. Best get started."

ID: 34853
Battle Dice: 7 (Accuracy +3) = 10
Mob Dice: 2 (Evasion +4) = -2
Sword Art <<Lightning Fall>> Activated (14 Energy Used / 28 Remaining)

Drawing the Grand Blade from its sheath Calrex quickly leapt upwards as he did a front flip to shift his landing location forward, dead center in the group of four larger alligators. As he descended his blade lit up with a crackling, lightning blue aura as his <<Lightning Fall>> Sword Art activated. Planting his sword into the ground the electricity seemed to conduct with the water, speedily sending the shock charge arcing across the water to the four creatures. Each one shuddered in the water as the lightning coursed through them before they turned to face the Ultramarine Knight.

Simultaneously the four monsters rushed forward in the water, jaws open as they attempted to snap up Calrex. However, as they got close he quickly leapt upwards, each one crashing into each other with open jaws as the blue-haired swordsman landed back on the pathway, "Alright, all yours."

HP List
Calrex: 173/173
   Energy: 28/42
Takao: 133/133
   Energy: 32/32

Enemies:
Greater Alligator 1: 38/86 (10 DMG * 7 Art - 22 MIT = 48 DMG)
Greater Alligator 2: 38/86 (10 DMG * 7 Art - 22 MIT = 48 DMG)
Greater Alligator 3: 38/86 (10 DMG * 7 Art - 22 MIT = 48 DMG)
Greater Alligator 4: 38/86 (10 DMG * 7 Art - 22 MIT = 48 DMG)

Edited October 12, 2015 by Calrex

[Takao 0]

 

"That's all we can hope for. Maybe." said Takao, who kept his steadfast gaze forward. A small smile worked its way onto his face upon being alerted to the presence of a few monsters, though Calrex was the first to engage. He opted to bide his time and await an opening instead, and was sure to stay out of the range that he knew their weapon's strongest sword art to be. Electricity arced and bounced across the water's surface, electrocuting the monsters that lurked below. Despite sustaining damage, they still leapt from the water in an attempt to strike their assailant, but ultimately failed. "You don't have to tell me twice!" Takao said as he slid his feet apart and adopted a stance of his own. It was different from the Sword Art pre-motion that Calrex had used, given that their health had already been lowered. He didn't feel the need to strike at them full force and sacrifice more energy, so he opted for a less powerful yet still equally capable Sword Art. Under the guidance of the system, his sword was thrust into the monsters, and one by one their health gauges dropped to zero. They burst into the typical colourful and shimmering fragments of data before disappearing into oblivion.

- -

» ID : [[ 35009 ]]
» BD : [[ HIT (2 + 4(ACC)) ]]

« Takao »
[[ 141/141 HP ]]
[[ 22/34 Energy ]] «Sharp Nail» used. (-12 Energy)

« Greater Alligator 1 »
[[ 0/86 HP ]] [[ 10(DMG) + 1(Charge) * (3*2) - 22(MIT) = -48HP ]]
« Greater Alligator 2 »
[[ 0/86 HP ]] [[ 10(DMG) + 1(Charge) * (3*2) - 22(MIT) = -48HP ]]
« Greater Alligator 3 »
[[ 0/86 HP ]] [[ 10(DMG) + 1(Charge) * (3*2) - 22(MIT) = -48HP ]]
« Greater Alligator 4 »
[[ 0/86 HP ]] [[ 10(DMG) + 1(Charge) * (3*2) - 22(MIT) = -48HP ]]

[Calrex 0]

(2 Posts Remaining Until Full Energy Recharge, 1 Energy Recovered)

Calrex gave a nod as he saw Takao assume a familiar stance, the position needed to execute <<Sharp Nail>>. It had been a technique he had become extremely familiar with before the last boss raid, as it was his go-to attack for dealing with multiple enemies at one. Now with <<Lightning Fall>> also in his repertoire it seemed to be the maximum he could do without needing to use consumable enhancements.

As the alligators were eliminated he gave a nod, "Nice work. Well, if we keep this pace up we might clear out the swamps before even working up a sweat."

Putting his free hand into his jacket pocket he let his sword arm relax to his side as he waited for his teammate to return back to the walkway before continuing onward, "So, what made you decide to get started adventuring? I know a lot of people go with escaping from the game, but I've heard other reasons as well. Heck, when Lowenthal first started in this game one of his top priorities was to open up a swimsuit shop."

Edited October 14, 2015 by Calrex

[Takao 0]

"A swimsuit shop? Really?" asked Takao, his voice laced with a mixture of amusement and disbelief. A brief fit of lighthearted laughter followed soon after, and as it died down he began to give the question a moment of pensive thought. Why had he decided to embark on what many would consider to be a suicidal journey? The odds had certainly been stacked against him, starting rather late in the game, but by some miracle and a lot of luck he managed to catch up. Boredom had certainly played a part, however large it may have been, as it conflicted greatly with his active personality. Sitting in an inn and spending all of his time simply talking to people when there was an entire world at his disposal to explore seemed like a positively criminal misuse of his time. As his mind wandered, he recalled his earliest experiences in the game, and weak smile grew on his face. Remembering what kept him from experiencing the game in its entirety reminded him of what had spurred him into action.

"A friend of mine from real life died protecting me really early on. Like... couple hours after the game started." he said, adopting a more uninflected tone as he spoke. "We were sparring partners in our martial arts club, so we thought we'd be pretty good at the game. But the sword art business kinda threw us off." The memories were bittersweet now, but still fond to recall from time to time. "But it kinda felt like a waste of his sacrifice to just wither away in an Inn somewhere, so after a couple months of mopin' around, I got my butt in gear."

A moment passed after he finished speaking, and he exhaled a low whistle. "Didn't mean to bring the mood down there. How 'bout you? What got you started?"

- -

(Full Energy Recovery : 2/3 turns remaining)

» ID : [[ 35243 ]]
» LD : [[ 9 ]]

[Calrex 0]

"Heh, yeah, I'm not kidding on that one. At the last he managed to realize his wish."

Calrex could say the second sentence with a straight face as he gave a small fit of laughter before calming himself. Listening attentively to Takao's story he gave a solemn nod as the young man finished his tale, "Seems like he's had a tougher start than I did when starting this game. Losing a close friend within a few days of being here is seriously rough. Nonetheless I'm glad that he's decided to utilize those emotions to push himself further, rather than to close up and hide himself away."

Giving a dismissing shake of his head the Ultramarine Knight gave a friendly smile, "Not at all. Even though you've been through a pretty hard time, it's good to see that you're channeling that drive into this. The best thing you can give him now is surviving this death game, right?"

From there he decided to response to Takao's inquiry, "To be honest I don't really have any kind of strong driving force behind why I decided to get started adventuring. When I first started this game I was actually contemplating what in the world I was going to do. Simply holing up in one of the many inns on the first floor was a possibility. But after spending some time with a few other people whom I've come to call close friends, it felt that if I didn't do something, it would only prolong our stay here, and every day in here is one that is lost in the real world. So I ended up deciding to become stronger in order to assist those who are working towards getting us out of here, because I want to see those people I care about on the other side, not just within SAO."

After a small pause Calrex put a hand behind his head as he rubbed the back of his neck, "Not exactly the most driving force behind someone huh?"

Edited October 17, 2015 by Calrex

[Takao 0]

Takao nodded his head in agreement as he fell silent and listened to Calrex speak. If he were to be honest with himself, he knew that he wouldn't have stayed holed up even if his friend hadn't died. Or, rather, more specifically if his friend hadn't joined with him. The brunet was just a little too hyper-aware of his own limitations and spending more than a week doing nothing was sure to drive him absolutely crazy. Yet even so, his late friend's passing wasn't just a driving force that kept him from looking back, it was also a chilling reminder of one of the possibilities that laid ahead.

"I don't think so." he said simply in response, only now turning for his gaze to settle on Calrex. "I think anything can be a good driving force, even if it seems minor or insignificant to others. If it keeps you moving forward, it's not a bad reason at all, 'cause it wouldn't keep you moving if it was." His words were laced with sincerity, and accompanied with a shrug that rolled across his shoulders. "As long as it's like... y'know, not doing bad stuff. Like getting stronger to hurt people or something."

- -

(Full Energy Recovery : 1/3 turns remaining)

» ID : [[ 35597 ]]
» LD : [[ 5 ]]

[Calrex 0]

Energy fully recovered

Calrex gave a friendly smirk and nod as Takao responded to his reply,  putting his hands on his jacket pockets, "Heh, well of course. Hurting someone else is the last thing I want to think about. My main goal is to successfully get as many people out of here as possible."

"Seems like Takao has got a pretty good head on his shoulders. Good to know we've got him as an ally on the frontlines. "

Looking up at his energy bar Calrex saw that his had just fully replenished as he gave a nod, "Alright, feel up for shocking some more crocs?"

[Takao 0]

Takao glanced up to his health gauge and felt his energy return in force, not unlike a gauge suddenly refilling, and rose back to stand. He rolled his shoulders and exhaled a breath, nodding along with the suggestion to get back to fighting. "Somethin' tells me that with how things are going, we'll be out of here in no time." he said, drawing his arm upward and over his shoulder to grip the blade on his back. He hefted it back out of the scabbard and shifted his gaze back onto Calrex, nodding his head in agreement. "Yeah, I'm up for that."

- -

( Energy fully recovered. )

» ID : [[ 37369 ]]
» LD : [[ 14 ]]

[Calrex 0]

ID: 37400
Battle Dice: 7 (Accuracy +3) = 10 (Disregarded Due to Howl)
Mob Dice: 10 (Evasion +4) = 6 (+2 Damage)
<<Howl>> Activated (+3 Hate to All Enemies)

Calrex gave a nod as Takao agreed he was ready to go. Unfortunately, right as he turned around four swamp lizards emerged from the waters and chomped down on his armor. Gritting his teeth he quickly shrugged off their attacks to see that they had inflicted an insignificant amount of damage on him, "Geezes, goes to show what happens when I don't persist the Reveal skill. Takao go for it!"

Raising his sword high he unleashed <<Howl>> as his armor began to glow a deep light blue. Stabbing the Grand Blade into the ground he released the energy in a monstrous roar that emanated from his gear. Extracting his sword he gave a small sigh and waited for his turn to attack.

HP List
Calrex: 165/173 (42 DMG (4) - 40 MIT (4) = 8 DMG)
   Energy: 42/42
Takao: 133/133
   Energy: 32/32

Enemies:
(Hate: C: 3 / T: 0) Greater Swamp Lizard 1: 86/86
(Hate: C: 3 / T: 0) Greater Swamp Lizard 2: 86/86
(Hate: C: 3 / T: 0) Greater Swamp Lizard 3: 86/86
(Hate: C: 3 / T: 0) Greater Swamp Lizard 4: 86/86

Edited November 5, 2015 by Calrex

[Takao 0]

ID: 38131
Battle Dice: 3 (Accuracy +4) = 7

"Whoa!" Takao exclaimed as four swamp themed reptiles leapt from the murky water and latched onto Calrex, though his health barely seemed to budge. "Should definitely think about investing some time into training my armour skill up." he mused. Takao didn't spend much time mulling over the thought and was already shifting into a specific stance to activate the pre-motion of a sword art. "Roger that!" he said as his legs tensed and he jumped from the ground. A mechanically unnecessary but unfathomably required back flip was preformed before he returned to the ground sword first. Electricity poured from the glowing metal and danced across the water, arcing over the ripples and wake caused by the lizard's sudden appearance. The lightning sword art proved effective at electrocuting them and only them despite their close proximity to Calrex, although it didn't seem to drop them completely.

HP List
Calrex: 165/173
   Energy: 42/42
Takao: 133/133
   Energy: 18/32

Enemies:
(Hate: C: 3 / T: 1) Greater Swamp Lizard 1: 9/86 (10 + 1(Charge) * (1*7) = -77HP)
(Hate: C: 3 / T: 1) Greater Swamp Lizard 2: 9/86 (10 + 1(Charge) * (1*7) = -77HP)
(Hate: C: 3 / T: 1) Greater Swamp Lizard 3: 9/86 (10 + 1(Charge) * (1*7) = -77HP)
(Hate: C: 3 / T: 1) Greater Swamp Lizard 4: 9/86 (10 + 1(Charge) * (1*7) = -77HP)

[Calrex 0]

OOC: Don't remember if I gave these guys, but meh they're dead either way XD

ID: 38137
Battle Dice: 8 (Accuracy +3) = 11
Mob Dice: 4 (Evasion +4) = 0
Loot Dice: 19 (Search and Detect +2 / Item +1) = 22 (Bonus Loot Found)
Sword Art <<Lightning Fall>> Activated (14 Energy Used / 28 Remaining)

Immediately following behind Takao's attack Calrex ascended skywards as he activated his own <<Lightning Fall>> technique, descending from the skies as his sword became charged with the lightning blue crackling aura that was iconic of the technique. Thrusting his sword into the ground the sparks shot out, eliminating the four creatures before they had another chance to chomp down on him.

Giving a calming breath he resheathed his sword, giving a nod to his teammate, "Well that worked out well, save the surprise attack. Nonetheless looks like you're right, these things really don't like electricity heh. In any case, should we get started making our way back towards Lazaro? I have a feeling we're going to be called on soon for the next boss fight."

Loot List:
4 Materials
Bonus Loot: 4 Materials + 3440 col (Mob HP 86(4) * 10 col = 3440 col)

HP List
Calrex: 165/173
   Energy: 42/42
Takao: 133/133
   Energy: 18/32

Enemies:
(Hate: C: 4 / T: 1) Greater Swamp Lizard 1: -39/86 (10 DMG * 7 Art -22 MIT = 48 DMG)
(Hate: C: 4 / T: 1) Greater Swamp Lizard 2: -39/86 (10 DMG * 7 Art -22 MIT = 48 DMG)
(Hate: C: 4 / T: 1) Greater Swamp Lizard 3: -39/86 (10 DMG * 7 Art -22 MIT = 48 DMG)
(Hate: C: 4 / T: 1) Greater Swamp Lizard 4: -39/86 (10 DMG * 7 Art -22 MIT = 48 DMG)

Edited November 10, 2015 by Calrex

[Takao 0]

The murky water rippled as the mud below reaffirmed its grasp on his footwear, eliciting a low and guttural grumble from his throat. The floor's heat, although quite humid and unpleasant, wasn't quite a match for the fifth floor's, yet his ire was quickly growing to match the desert themed section of the floating castle. He kept a firm grasp on the handle of his sword even as Calrex sheathed his own, not feeling quite comfortable enough in the boggy environment to stow away his only means of defense, even if it was only a second's draw away. He nodded enthusiastically to the suggestion of returning to the floor's settlement, and turned to walk in the direction of said town.

"Sounds good to me. I've just about hit my limit here anyway, I'll probably go mad if I had to spend another minute wading through this swamp." he said, casting an irritated glance down at the waters as he moved through them. He shook his head to dismiss the thoughts and refocused on the task at hand, which was leaving as quickly as possible. "I've got some last minute preparations to take care of before we head to the boss room."