(F2-PP) On the warpath <Breaking the Unbreakable>

[Embers 0]

So this was the second floor huh? Well, if nothing else, it had a lot of hills. Embers had heard that, somewhere on the 2nd floor, she could earn matial arts. While she did enjoy the idea of large battle axes in battle, after the hours the girl had spent using her bare hands to fight, she knew she had to get it. However, after arriving on the 2nd floor and walking around for what felt like ages, she honestly had no idea where the hell she was going. When she heard about it, they hadn't said where you got it, nor how. Two things that, now she thought about it, she should have asked. 

"Crap, well done Rissa, you really done it this time" She berated herself, but instead of anger, she then started laughing hard and shaking her head at herself. She'd been so confident that this game would simply bend to her, but now, she was less certain. She grabbed the weapon on her back, a large Two-Handed Battle Axe. The girl grinned, this weapon, this style, felt so right. She spun the weapon in her hand, and even took a few practice swings, each time her grin grew. 

"Hell yes, now...where the hell is that stupid martial arts place?" She asked, well, no one in particular, as she began walking in the direction of a hill. Maybe she would see it from up there? 

 

@Stryder @Vargas

[Stryder 0]

Sky couldn't help but yawn as he sat up, having been layign on the hill, a little off the beaten path on floor two. It was a clearing, and from here, he could hear everything. The birds, the forest, the mountains..... Everything, it was amazing... Even the sound of a girl trying to find martia-

Sky bolted up, rubbing his eyes before hearing her talking more. He had zero idea, what was going on with it, though he leapt up, walking over to the main path. He stared through the tree's, seeing a young girl, she had red hair, wore a black shirt..... And from what he could see, she had iron armor on? But it was all the base gear, and she was heading up the mountain for martial arts? He knew he had nothing to worry about, since she was obviously fresh out of the town of beginnings... He split through the tree lines, smiling as he come out behind her.

"Your on the right mountain, its at the top, want some help?" He calls out, smiling as he starts to walk over. His arms are kept by his side, he has no weapon on him, and he was wearing a black jacket over what looked to be a suit, and he had a fox necklace, if you looked close enough. 

[Embers 0]

Despite asking a question of where she was meant to go, she HADN'T been expected a reply and she threw a deadly look over at whoever had spoken as one of her hands turned into a fist out of instinct. She slowly opened her hand, but the glare in her eyes didn't vanish. Was it anger, suspicion, who knows, in part, even the girl herself wasn't sure. Her fire in her veins had started to ignite, and she knew there was only a single direction things would go after that. 

"Its on this mountain, i've been looking ages and i ain't found nothing" She said "Been pissing me off trying to find it" In reality it had been closer to about 10 minutes, but who was counting. She walked towards Stryder and, as he moved close, he'd see it, everyone did. The look in her eyes, a burning hunger that grew more and more with every passing moment. A sly grin ate at the side of her face, like a predator about to begin a hunt. 

"Well, come-on fly boy, wouldn't say no to a little help" 

[Stryder 0]

He saw the fist, but he didn't even flinch. He had no reason to, he knew she wasn't able to do anything to him, and he simply smiled, watching as she walked up to him. He noticed the flame in her eyes. He couldn't tell if it was hunger or passion, but either way, it was a stare that showed she had spirit, and he knew she was going to be just fine in this game, those who believe in themselves always are. 

"Sure Fire, i'l happily help ya out" He said, smiling as he saw the grin, She definitely had passion for something, what it was he would find out soon, he hoped. He put a hand on her shoulder, trying to turn her around to head up a little path that started heading up the hill.

"Thats the path i took to get up there, just gotta walk up this whole mountain, but we are around halfway there, so it shouldn't be to hard" He said, taking his hands off her and watching her. He wondered what her story was, he would ask later.... But for now he wasn't going to.

[Embers 0]

Fire, eh? Well, she couldn't deny it. Everyone back home did say she burnt in a very unique way. Of course, that knowledge never stopped her before, and her grin grew at the memories. Of course, when he put his hand on her shoulder, part of her wanted to react, well, less than pleasantly, but she stayed her emotions, if only because Fly-Boy was useful, and why would she toss away someone willing to help her get kicked off in this game? 

"This way, eh? Well, hurry up, i'll leave you behind otherwise" She said as she started the hike towards the top of the mountain, before throwing a hungry look back at Stryder "It's Embers, by the way. But Fire works too" She said back to him, a light amusement in her voice as she started walking backwards, eyeing up everything that Stryder was "Hell, you're barely out your teens, are ya kid?"

[Stryder 0]

She was quick to launch off, but Sky just kept up, smiling as he followed, hiking the trail with ease as they traversed it. He had done this before, and it was a alright path, was easy enough to follow. He heard her name, Ember, laughing at how close his nickname for her had been. He wondered what he should call her, deciding on sticking with Fire, though he might call her Flame.... Either way he would call her somethin like that.

"Embers, well i like the sound of Fire more, soooo i'l stick to that, my Name's Stryder, and to leave me behind your gonna need to try harder" He joked, grinning as he kept up with her easily. He had more experience, that was giving him the edge in this area. He had gotten used to it, and he lived on this floor. Hewas taken aback by the age question though... Recently he had turned seventeen..... It had been his birthday, only a week or so ago.... He sighed, obviously not wanting to answer it.

"You don't look that much older yourself" He choose to reply with, not wanting to actually make the statement about his age.

@Embers

[Embers 0]

So Fire was her nickname eh? She grinned, she'd had worse, ohh she'd had worse nicknames then that. This kid, she liked him. He wasn't a timid piece of [censored] like some others she ran into when she was struggling, but rather, he was alive. Not as alive as herself, he didn't burn after all. But then again, not many did. She'd only met a few who burnt like her, but, that didn't mean he was a total loss. 

Stryder....Stryder. She tried to come up with something, a nickname for the kid, but she didn't come up with nothing. Shame really, maybe if she ran into him she'd come up with some creative nicknames. But, that was a problem for another day. Despite the altitude, Embers' grin never faltered, in fact, it grew. The hunger within her eyes, a burning raging passion for life itself radiated from her. 

She laughed, loud, booming and full of life, at him when he called her out for not being that old. While she was tall, standing at 5'12, she still had a girlish charming face, with the body of a women to back her up. Back home, the boys went crazy for it. "I ain't no kid, but i can see it in ya. Your eyes lack it, you may walk like someone who carries the world on their shoulders, but you ain't seen real hardships" For a moment, it vanished. That fire, that passion, all of it from her face and eyes. Replacing it, the look a sister might give to a sibling when they tried their best at something, but it vanished after arriving, killed in the inferno of her burning blood. "But enough of that crap, so tell me, this martial arts crap, what i gotta do? Fight someone?"

[Stryder 0]

 

He was deadset shocked. He just watched someone full of passion, anger, emotion, all kinds of firey emotions just get drained out. SHe was saying he lacked having been through hell..... That he hadn't seen 'real' hardships, but he didn't deny it. He also noticed something.... he wouldn't have guessed. It felt like she was staring at him.... Like he would his brother, or a sister, it felt nice.... But strange. It wasn't long before he saw all her fire bounce right back into her eyes, smiling and glad.

"Your fighting a boulder. Not much else to it other then that. It takes a long time, and i get to sit back and laugh at cha" He says, remembering the people he had done it with who had just laughed at him when he consistently fell onto his ass and failed. He had his own spark, he was determined to save others, and if helping a girl get Martial arts was something that would help, he was going to do it without hesitation. He wanted to see how many people he could get to the end of the game with him, as many as he could, and the more he got out of this game, the more he would feel like he has done something good with his life.

[Embers 0]

Fighting...a boulder?! Surely she'd misheard him, right? A boulder can't fight back! She knew it wouldn't hurt her physically, the game didn't allow it. So what was the point of....OHHHH. She realized that when he said 'fighting' a boulder, he meant she'd punch it until it broke. She grinned, and cracked her knuckles as she continued her hike up. The battle axe that sat on her back was worthless in this scenario, this was back down to her and her fists. Like the good old-days. 

Embers threw a firey look over at Stryder, one that seemed to burn and glow from the idea, from the mere prospect, of violence. "Laugh at me too hard and i'll shove you down this cliff" She said, her voice was light, amused. Was that her making a joke, or was she serious and disguising it as a joke? Her voice said joke, but that fire within her eyes, that seemed to radiate outwards...

Upon reaching the top, she let out a low whistle. "Well damn, take a look at this view. Creator-people really went all in for this eh?" 

[Stryder 0]

He was quite silent for most of the walk, only lightly chuckling with her threat. He found it amusing, and he loved the spirit she was showing. He felt like this was someone that once he helped train up, could become someone he could rely on to have his back. He really looked forwards to it, thinking she could become a good friend. He didn't care about her threat, whether it was a joke or not. He knew he was at no risk at all.

Once at the top, he cracked his back, smiling as she commented on the view.

"Theres a reason i choose this floor to live on, its peaceful enough to get some naps in, and its quite beautiful. Also, i'm gonna wait out here while you go talk to the crazy old man" He says to her, pointing towards the hermits little house. He had no interest in talking to him again, and besides he had the skill, he couldn't really accept the quest again, he could help again though. He went over to where the rock was, it being an immortal object for now, staring at it. This thing had caused him a lot of grief, he now just had to decide if it was worth making it easier for someone with this fire.... WOuld she even accept the help?

 

[Embers 0]

He lived on this floor? Well, she could see why some people might enjoy it. By all that was holy this was one hella sight. Of course, it wasn't at her speed, but when she went to find a 'home', who knew where it would be. Even she had no idea, but she'd find it eventually. She always did after all. He said she'd needed to speak to some old man inside, so shrugging, she did just that. Another old man, or NPC. Did they have some obsession with them or something? She busted through the door, and it wasn't hard to spot the NPC who would give her the quest. She accepted it and walked out, and true to his word, there sat a boulder. She clentched her hand into a fist, Finally. 

"So this is the boulder then eh? Doesn't look so tough, i bet i can crack it open" She said confidently as she charged forwards and laid a punch. But, nothing. The girl frowned. What the hell?!

Spoiler

Roll: 87291

BD: 1

Damage: 0

Rock HP: 50/50

 

Edited July 27, 2017 by Embers

[Stryder 0]

Once she went to go talk to the old man, Sky sent a message to a guild member, he didn't want to do all the work for her, he was going to take out half for her, but Fire and Vargas could do the rest, if he did it all it wouldn't be a real challenge for her. This quest tested your mental patience, your concentration and your talent in staying focused. He didn't know how well she was going to be able to handle it.

Hey @Vargas, i haven't seen you since me you and Atzo went on that quest, i'm at the top of a mountain for the Breaking the Unbreakable quest, you should come meet up with me

Once it was sent, he saw her coming back out, asking about the rock being tough. He knew what was about to happen, she had been a little cocky with her own abilities. She walked up and punched it, doing absolutely nothing, a feeling he had known very well.

Spoiler

 

ID# 87349 results:

 Battle: 5+3=8

Rock HP: 40/50

 

He went up to it, and delivered a single power kick to it, then delivering a single punch, the impact being very loud and a large crack forming in the rock, grinning. 

"To weak fire"

[Embers 0]

Weak?! She watched as Stryder, in a single swift movement, hit the rock hard and it shuddered from the blow. How had he pulled that off, yet she'd...Ohh, he HAD the martial arts skill, meaning he'd be able to hit it AND deal damage. She growled out of anger. 

"Weak eh?" She said, a fire within her voice, passion  began to erupt through her body as if it were a volcano itself "Shove it and watch" She growled as she pushed her way past him, clentched a tight fist and slammed it into the rock. She spotted its HP taking damage, not a lot, but it was something. She let out a frustrated growl-like noise "1, all i can do is 1 damage a punch?! That's stupid, i'd be here all week if i hadn't found ya Fly" She had convienctly 'forgotten' to mention how she'd also never have FOUND it without Stryder to take her there, but that was neither here nor there. She was here, with someone who could crush this thing with her. Then, once she had that ability, it would be like the good ol' days, where it was just the firsts doing the talking. 

Spoiler

Roll: 87376

BD: 6 (Hit)

DMG: 1 

ROCK HP: 39/50

 

Edited July 30, 2017 by Embers

[Stryder 0]

Spoiler

ID# 87495 results:

 Battle: 2+3+1(Concentration)

ROCK HP: 29/50

Sky grinned as he got pushed out of the way, and watched her hit for minimal damage. He remembered doing that, hitting it and dealing nothing. He looked at himself now compared to back then, and he had become a lot stronger and more confident. He looked over, slimply running up, and managing to trip!!!

But thankfully due to his experience, he turned the trip into a flip, delivering a brutal kick from above, cracking the rock even more!!! A shard flew off, flying right past both Sky and Ember's head.

"This is a quest about patience, it takes awhile without help" He laughed, remembering the day it had taken him. He walked over, getting behind her and pushing her towards the rock. He wanted to watch her smash it, he wanted to watch it smash into a billion pieces. One beautiful thing about this rock, unlike other destructables.... It didn't just desolve into particles, it was very satisfying.

[Embers 0]

Spoiler

ID: 87603

BD: 7 (DMG 1)

ROCK HP: 28/50

The girl watched as the kid, once AGAIN, dealt stupid damage to the rock. She let out a growl, one that sounded as if it came from an animal itself. It frustrated her that, despite her raw strength, she was weak. This game limited her with a level and having to 'Relearn' it from scratch. But, it would be worth it. For she'd get those damn levels, and wipe out EVERYTHING in her path in a blaze of fire from her soul itself! 

Despite the friendly nature of his action, the girl reacted rather violently, huffing and rolling his arm of her shoulder. A lint of rage burning within her eyes, as plain as day. Making a fist, she slammed it into the rock, getting some damage, but nothing compared to what Stryder had done before. 

"Its stupid" She snapped, glaring at the rock with clentched fists "Back home, i could punch my way through anything, anyone. I didn't have to gain levels, stupid damn system! Why can't i just punch my way through this crap like before..." 

Edited August 7, 2017 by Embers

[Stryder 0]

Spoiler

ID# 87746 results:

 Battle: 9+1dmg

ROCK HP: 17/50

Sky watched her react insanely violently to his arm, and used the anger to hit the rock as hard as she could, though thanks to the system she didn't do as much damage as she probably would have in the real world. He listened to her raging about the system, needing levels, and skills to be able to do what she couldn't do in the real world. He sighed, realizing she wasn't taking this world like she should.

"Stop looking at this like it isn't real life, this IS our reality now. If YOU want to be able to punch your way out of here, YOUR GOING TO NEED TO TRAIN, and put in effort, JUST LIKE REAL LIFE. This is our world now, and once you get stronger!" He says, half shouting at her as he simply kicks the rock, his foot barely touching it, the rock being lifted in the air before his fist punched it, sending literally a quarter of it off the mountain, flying into the distance.

"YOU can be stronger then you ever were anywhere else. But, like everything, you have to EARN IT, nothing is ever given to you" He says to her, his slight anger slowly dying down after her snapping. He took a deep breath, smiling towards her.

"You need to try to relax, and take your time to relearn how life works. Your no longer in the real world, your in SAO, this IS the real world now...." 

[Embers 0]

Spoiler

Roll: 87782

BD: 3 (Miss)

Rock: 17/50

Stryder may have been just trying to help, but he was doing it in all the wrong ways. If he had wanted to quell her fire, he should have said that she would simply have to take what was due to her for all the effort she'd slaved in the real world. This wasn't the real world, not her real world. She would live in it, but it was...a prison...possibly. Maybe she could blossom here, but there was only one way. The boring grind of levels. 

"You're saying i Haven't earned it?" The girl growls, taking a kick at the rock but failing to land any damage "You've saying the years of my life where i learnt my control, my fighting, all of that means i don't deserve nothing!. Screw that! I worked hard, i suffered cuts and broken bones and bruises and concussions! And what, YOU, some kid, thinks that because we're stuck in some game, that all of what i was just vanished!?" 

It was clear that the fire was burning now, bright and explosive. Embers had worked hard for her skills, and to hear some kid speak as if she hadn't earned them, pissed her off beyond comprehension. 

Edited August 13, 2017 by Embers

[Stryder 0]

Spoiler

ID# 87786 results:

 Battle: 1-MISS - Target was Ember - -2 energy

Sky Energy - 34/36

Sky listened to her rage, helling about how she 'deserved' this. That she had already earnt this in the real world. She didn't see this as her new world, she saw this as a game.... Something she shouldn't be doing. Her raging at him about how he thought that she didn't deserve it.... He flipped. With his rage he threw fourth a straight fingered strike, but not at the rock, at Ember. He missed, his vision a little clouded by rage, but his strike took a few of her hairs off. 

"THIS ISN'T THE REAL WORLD, THERE ARE NO BROKEN BONES, THERE ARE NO CONCUSSIONS. THIS PLACE ISN'T FAIR, YOU DON'T DESERVE ANYTHING, NO ONE HERE DOES. It was taken from us. Anything worthwhile is WORTH fighting to protect, its why i fight for my own freedom, its why i get stronger. You better find your OWN reason for doing this, and earn back what you had, earn back your life" He yelled at her, pretty much right up in her face. After that he stood back, taking a deep breath before stepping back and spreading his arms out.

"Come hit me, see if it will make you feel better, see just how weak you are in this world" He said, hoping to show her that she couldn't just believe she could have everything handed to her on a platter.

[Embers 0]

Spoiler

ID: 87789

BD: 3 (Miss) -2 Energy

Anger. It flooded her veins, her system itself overwhelmed by raw, uncontrollable emotion and Stryder would see it. The glare in her eyes, it was barely human, more like a savage animal. How DARE HE! He had struck at her, and that was the final nail in the coffin for her. She threw herself forwards, disregarding logic, disregarding the reality around her. She cared about one thing, taking that stupid face and smashing it with her fist! Despite the rage, her movements were well-practised, a raising of her left arm as a feint as she dived forwards, and landing a punch right into Stryders Gut. A punch that did a grand total of 0 damage. 

"[censored]" The girl yelled loudly taking a step backwards, the firestorm of emotions getting worse and worse within her. Her vision was starting to go red, a snarl on her face and heavy breathing. It would take a lotta work to bring her down "That's crap! If this were the real world, you'd be knocked down and out!" She stomped her foot into the ground hard, her emotional wildfire getting more and more intense by the second. 

Edited August 13, 2017 by Embers

[Stryder 0]

Spoiler

ID# 87790 results:

 Battle: 8+3-11=Hit

Embracer - 10*1x1-10 - Stun

Stryder 360/360 HP, 32/36 ENG, 3 ACC, 1 EVA, 18MIT

Ember, 10/20 HP, 0/2 ENG - Stunned(No actions for 1 turn)

The punch flew in, Sky not even flinching as he caught it on his stomach, his HP not even barging. She wasn't strong enough to try that, he knew it, she knew it, but she wouldn't admit it.... And if she wouldn't admit it, he was going to force her to realize it, even if it meant going orange for a few days. He didn't need to go near the cities right now, all he needed was to rest and relax and level....

Sky simply grabbed her by the head, his gloves shinging brightly as he picked her up with ease, holding her by the hair. He then quickly used his Embracer sword art, dealing a meagre amount of damage, but her HP going down to half way. His hand was shoved right into her stomach, and when he pulled it out, he didn't know if she had learnt how to deal with phantom pain yet, but if she didn't she would feel sick. He then let go, only to punch her as hard as he could, straight down, sending her smashing into the ground with a brutal hit that would have broken bones in the real world. She was also stunned, meaning she was stuck in that position for a little.

"Do you know me in the real world.... For all you know i may be an expert fighter who outclasses you... For all you know i could be a drug user and be twice as strong as you, for all you know i could just be better then you. If i had done that in the real world, you wouldn't be getting back up.... While its true, i would have gone down, that was in your world. Welcome to mine Fire, welcome to the gaming world, where you play by someones elses rueles, and learn how to make them your own. Now you stay there and think, not like you have much choice" He said to her, stomping the ground right next to her, the smashing sound probably echoing in her ear. His voice had been insanely direct and angry, with no joking in it. Though he hadn't yelled, he had that stern, calm angry tone that wouldn't be heard often in situations like this... Also his cursor had gone orange.... For now.