Baldur

"This is exactly what I wanted." Baldur said with a smile as he wandered through some of the only slightly hilly terrain. There were several small islands here, each one large enough for a structure, and water would flow between them almost making a series of island houses, but there appeared to be a larger one in the distance. Maybe for the main hou--

"Ow!" Baldur called out as he was hit by a thrown coconut.

It hadn't done him any damage, but now he was surrounded by four mangey baboons.

"Alright, I have to clear this of mobs. But couldn't you at least let me look around first to be sure I want this island?"

Thunder clapped as Baldur shot forward again, striking each of them and paralyzing the one who hit him with the coconut. White and gold arcs of light cutting the afternoon air as well as the baboons.

<<Baldur>> HP: 1298/1350 EN: 65/132 MIT: 94 ACC: 6 DMG: 22 EVA: 3 BH: 54 LD: +3 PSP: x3 | Paralyze BD8-10 | Abslt ACC -13 EN, +1 EN, +54 BH
<<Corrupted Baboon 1>> HP: 484/700 DMG: 200 ID#138522 BD 8 MD Paralyzed Amatsu + Charge = 22+5=27x8= 216 DMG Dealt
<<Corrupted Baboon 2>> HP: 484/700 DMG: 200 ID#138523 BD 1 MD 1 (miss) Amatsu + Charge = 22+5=27x8= 216 DMG Dealt
<<Corrupted Baboon 3>> HP: 484/700 DMG: 200 ID#138524 BD 6 MD 4 (miss) Amatsu + Charge = 22+5=27x8= 216 DMG Dealt
<<Corrupted Baboon 4>> HP: 484/700 DMG: 200 ID#138525 BD 3 MD 7-3 EVA (miss) Amatsu + Charge = 22+5=27x8= 216 DMG Dealt

Taking his bait, the wolves took a moment to spread out. They harried his steps, true, but they didn't all come at him at once, they tried to circle him again. This gave him just enough time for the sword art to recharge and he used it the moment it was ready. He had practiced this for how long? Had it been five or six years now? It was beyond the point that it beggard belief. Perhaps time passed differently here than in the real world.

It was the only thing that made sense for why they weren't dead yet.

His eyes focused on the wolves, targeting them in the order he wanted to attack and suddenly shot forward. The brilliant white light of Warden's Fury cut through each of their forms and dispersed their pixels into the  afternoon air. The gaijin samurai once more whipped his sword around in a noto, and then sheathed the blade before turning his attention to the landscape before him.

ID#138511 BD:3  176 DMG Dealt MD Dead
ID#138512 BD:8  176 DMG dealt MD Dead
ID#138513 BD:5  176 DMG Dealt MD Dead
ID#138514 BD:5  176 DMG Dealt MD Dead
*note: Baldur cannot miss. On a BD1+6 absolute accuracy =7 so even with -1 from charge = 6 (hit)

<<Baldur>> HP: 1244/1350 EN: 76/132 MIT: 94 ACC: 6 DMG: 22 EVA: 3 BH: 54 LD: +3 PSP: x3 | Paralyze BD8-10 | Abslt ACC -13 EN, +1 EN, +54 BH, 
<<Corrupted Wolf 1>> HP: 84/660 DMG: 200 138518: 4,620 Col+ LD19+3 CD8: 1 Perfect Armor/Shield, 2 Perfect Consumables, +2 bonus mats, +1,320 Col
<<Corrupted Wolf 2>> HP: 92/660 DMG: 200 138519: 4,620 Col+ LD8+3 CD4: 1 Rare Trinket, +1,320 Col, +1,320 Col
<<Corrupted Wolf 3>> HP: 92/660 DMG: 200 138520: 4,620 Col+ LD19+3 CD:11: 1 Perfect Trinket +3,300 Col (HP*5) +2 material, +2 material
<<Corrupted Wolf 4>> HP: 60/660 DMG: 200  138521: 4,620 Col+ LD2+3=5 CD: 3 (nothing) +1,320 Col, +1,320 Col

Std Col = HPx3(+4x prosperity) =7x 

Loot Thus Far:
28,380 Col
6 Mats
1 Perfect Armor/Shield ID: 138518a
2 Perfect Consumables ID: 138518b, 138518c
1 Rare Trinket ID: 138519
1 Prefect Trinket ID: 138520

As the wolf clung to Baldur's arm, another wolf came up to attack him as well. The pack rushing in on him. Taking his sword, Baldur drew it across the wolve's throat, lighting jumping from <<Warden's Fury>> and into the wolf, paralyzing it and letting the gaijin free. He began to move, but was too slow as the other wolf connected as Baldur tried to spin away, giving him a slight gash. Nothing to write home about, but annoying none-the-less. He quickly activated his sword art once more and danced through the pack of wolves with superhuman grace and cut them all down.

So close to finishing them off, but not quite.

Tsk.

He held the sword out threateningly while he began to back up away from the water to where he could maneuver better. They might spread out to try and surround him, but since he had an AoE sword art and they did not, it actually worked in his favor.

ID#138507 BD:5              176 DMG Dealt MD 2
ID#138508 BD:5              176 DMG dealt MD 9 201-94=107 dmg dealt
ID#138509 BD:6              176 DMG Dealt MD 1
ID#138510 BD:10 (crit)  192 DMG Dealt MD Paralyzed 
*note: Baldur cannot miss. On a BD1+6 absolute accuracy =7 so even with -1 from charge = 6 (hit)

<<Baldur>> HP: 1190/1350 EN: 87/132 MIT: 94 ACC: 6 DMG: 22 EVA: 3 BH: 54 LD: +3 PSP: x3 | Paralyze BD8-10 | Abslt ACC -13 EN, +1 EN, +54 BH, -107 HP
<<Corrupted Wolf 1>> HP: 84/660 DMG: 200 
<<Corrupted Wolf 2>> HP: 92/660 DMG: 200
<<Corrupted Wolf 3>> HP: 92/660 DMG: 200 
<<Corrupted Wolf 4>> HP: 60/660 DMG: 200 Paralyzed 

Gravel was thrown into the air as Baldur skid to a stop, turning to face the wolves. Two were paralyzed by Mac's Special Sword, a gift to him from his good old friend. He turned to face the wolves and do it again, smoothly flowing into the stance of Amatsu no Homura. The system quickly took over, and once again he launched himself into the pack of wolves, his movements carried far faster than he ever could have in the real world. It was a pitty that his own skills weren't tested here as they would have been were this real, but the rush of moving faster than human capability had its own rush.

He spun to a halt near the skiff again, but the last wolf he had paralyzed was still there, facing him where he had originally been, and it launched itself at him, catching his arm and drawing out the red wire mesh of his true form.

ID#138503 BD: 7 176 DMG Dealt MD 4-3 (miss)
ID#138504 BD: 6 176 DMG dealt MD 3-3 (miss)
ID#138505 BD: 8 176 DMG Dealt MD Paralyzed
ID#138506 BD: 4 176 DMG Dealt MD 9 (crit) = 201-94 = 107 DMG Dealt to Baldur
*note: Baldur cannot miss. On a BD1+6 absolute accuracy =7 so even with -1 from charge = 6 (hit)

<<Baldur>> HP: 1243/1350 EN: 99/132 MIT: 94 ACC: 6 DMG: 22 EVA: 3 BH: 54 LD: +3 PSP: x3 | Paralyze BD8-10 | Abslt ACC -13 EN, +1 EN
<<Corrupted Wolf 1>> HP: 260/660 DMG: 200 
<<Corrupted Wolf 2>> HP: 268/660 DMG: 200
<<Corrupted Wolf 3>> HP: 268/660 DMG: 200 Paralyzed 
<<Corrupted Wolf 4>> HP: 252/660 DMG: 200 

The gaijin samurai's steps echoed on the wooden plank as he made his way to the dingy. There was a pole there for him to pole his way out to the torii gate that rose above the water. According to the info broker, this would teleport him up to the island he wanted to go to. As the wanna-be samurai poled his way out there, he saw something large and dark swimming under the water. He pulled the pole up and let the momentum carry him through the gate. When the bright light receded, the horizon stretched forever, and Baldur felt his breath taken away by the sight.

This would be perfect after all.

The momentum carried him to the land, and island on top of a floating island. The perpetual water falling off the edge but never running out.

Peace. It filled him with peace.

At least until the wolves arrived. Their grey furr seemed matted with some kind of sick looking mange. The title above their health bar said <<Corrupted Wolf>>.

Well, this would be quick word. Baldur set his hand on <<Warden's Fury>> and then braced to charge. There was a clap of thunder and the blue and orange blur struck each of the four wolves before ending up behind them.

ID#138499 BD: 9 (Crit +1 dmg) 224 DMg Dealt MD Paralyzed
ID#138500 BD: 4 216 DMG dealt MD4 (miss)
ID#138501 BD: 7 216 DMG Dealt MD8-3 EVA = 5 (miss)
ID#138502 BD: 10 (Crit +2 dmg) 232 DMG Dealt MD5 Paralyzed
*note: Baldur cannot miss. On a BD1+6 absolute accuracy =7 so even with -1 from charge = 6 (hit)

<<Baldur>> HP: 1350/1350 EN: 112/132 MIT: 94 ACC: 6 DMG: 22 EVA: 3 BH: 54 LD: +3 PSP: x3 | Paralyze BD8-10 | Abslt ACC -12 EN, +1 EN (rested 2/2)
<<Corrupted Wolf 1>> HP: 436/660 DMG: 200 Paralyzed
<<Corrupted Wolf 2>> HP: 444/660 DMG: 200
<<Corrupted Wolf 3>> HP: 444/660 DMG: 200
<<Corrupted Wolf 4>> HP: 428/660 DMG: 200 Paralyzed

"Paraneze"

The flash of light suddenly enveloped Baldur and whisked him off to the twenty-fourth floor. This was it. The floor which would become his home. He had decided on the moniker long before he though to invest, but the gaijin samurai took a long time to decide where he would rest his metaphorical hat. Rest his haori?

It was a long jaunt from the plaza to the to the portal out in the water. A crescent moon of light floated over the top of the turbid oceanic waters. In the floating tower it seemed more like a lake, but Baldur could tell that this archipelago had been taken from the ocean due to the brine scent in the water. A small dingy was moored up to a wooden dock, and Baldur would need to use it and the remo to guide his way out to the portal. Once there, he would be teleported up to the top of the island he now stood in the shade of.

+1 NRG
<<Baldur>> HP: 1350/1350 EN: 123/132 MIT: 94 ACC: 6 DMG: 22 EVA: 3 BH: 54 LD: +3 PSP: x3 | Paralyze BD8-10 | Abslt ACC

Baldur pushes his way into Oscar shop for the second time in as many days, since he had met them before they discussed going on the forgotten king quest.

"Ohayo, Oscar-san. I'm just heading out to do some farming. Can I grab an Ultra Lucky Dog, and a Golden Dog please? To go."

Baldur was glad to see the merchant had the items in stock, as it made it much easier for him to go out and farm when the uncommon urge struck him. But the gaijin samurai had a house to build and outfit, and that wasn't going to pay for itself.

The cold stung as Baldur stepped out of the warmth of Mari's home. It had been a surreal afternoon. He had originally come out here to think, and then move on to attempt getting another Essence of steel for his spare katana, but he had been waylaid by finding out that that was not, in fact, the BGM for the floor, but rather the self-esteemless Mari. She had been delightful company, when she hadn't suddenly gone into bouts of self-flagellation and depression. Hopefully the advice he had given her, and her home, and her new friends would help rebuild her self-esteem and worth and she could come back out of her shell. With how much of a recluse she seemed to be, he doubted they would ever cross paths again unless he came to her house.

Only time will tell.

Baldur took the all too familiar path down to the bones that would summon the <<Frost Beast>> and see if it was free to spawn, or if someone else had gotten it already.

Thankfully, the bones seemed to be tarettable, which meant he could summon the mob. Usually there were players camped out here to harvest the precious stone that would let you upgrade equipment. The cold did seem to damper those who hadn't taken the Survival skill yet.

Without fear, Baldur walked up to the bones and kicked them, it should be enough to summon the monster. Then, with a pre-animated cinematic flare, the monster seemed to tear its way free from the ice beneath the bones.

Baldur didn't even give the creature a chance to act. He was waiting, and with his simple <<charge>> <<Iai>> the monster was dead and dropped him the precious <<Essence of Steel>>.

That's the last one I need for now. I can finally get this other Katana ready to use.

<<Baldur>> HP: 1350/1350 EN: 122/132 MIT: 94 ACC: 6 DMG: 22 EVA: 3 BH: 54 LD: +3 PSP: x3 | Paralyze BD8-10 | Abslt ACC
<<Frost Beast>> HP 0/250 DMG 160 - Partial Phase: attacks always deal a minimum of 24 DMG

ID#138498 BD:4+6=10 (hit)
Iai: 22+5=27*15=297 DMG Dealt, -10 NRG (rested)
MD: 1(miss)

Baldur Stats for Thread

Quest for Thread

-1 Yui's Grace
Uses Slime Farm +2 SP: Next use 4/22/2020

"Horses?" Baldur chimed the words, though his excitement was forced. Not that he wasn't excited for her, just that he wasn't excited by horses. He was just excited that she had found something she loved. He knew she had an attachment to them outside of the game, but he also couldn't remember ever really seeing horses in SAO. Not that he remember their lack of presence either.

"No wonder you had a little extra hop in your trot." he gave her a warm smile that said from the bottom of his heart, it was good to see her happy and smiling. 

The warmth was short lived as they entered into valley of Avalanche, cold wind blew and swept up the ends of Baldur's haori, causing the white flames to dance and the coat to make a windswept cracking sound. The gaijin samurai held up an arm to cover his face, as if it would help hold back the sharp wind that cause his cheeks and nose to redden even more than they had been. He suddenly wished he still had his cup of hot chocolate to warm him up.

"There, that should be the lake."

Baldur pointed down the slope, though it was hard to see as the wind blew snow flurries up towards them. The path was narrow, and would along the edge of the valley as it descended down to the large frozen lake, where at the middle was what appeared to be a rock outcropping, or an iceberg, but would eventually reveal itself to be the monster.

"Do you have any preparation you want to take? I don't think we'll particularly need any, but you never know. The freeze effect can be pretty annoying, but neither of us should be in any danger. Unfortunately, I don't have a way to tank, but if you follow me in, it shouldn't be much of an issue. Not that you need me to tank it for you..." Baldur gave her a sheepish smile.

"I'm just used to taking the lead now. Sorry."

The fact that Aincrad had a hotdog restaurant and Baldur had never known about it may be the single greatest travesty of the whole stuck-in-a-death-game debacle. The fact that is was in the poor part of town, and looked like it should be condemned, and that no one in their right mind would eat inside of a place like that, just tickled that little hipster part of Baldur's brain. Supposedly it had the best dogs around, and the inside wasn't supposed to be as bad as the outside made it seem.

The gaijin samurai pushed open the door with a hand and a shoulder, and was stunned to see what looked like an old old timey diner he had only ever seen in 2d movies when he was a kid. The black and white floor tiles, the shiny chrome and almost plastic looking seat cushions. It seemed like Americana straight out of Hollywood. Giving a slight whistle of amazement as he walked completely inside, Baldur looked back out the door as if the difference between the inside and the outside were just too desperate for him to reconcile. 

He may never have come here, but he had needed to find a new cook, and this guy was supposedly cooking up a storm to help out the frontlines, so Baldur had put together a care package of materials to help the industrious hot dog connoisseur. He wasn't sure exactly who had told him about this place. Maybe Cordelia? Maybe Macradon? His info broker? Whoever had been the first, his name had kept coming up over and over.

"Ohayo! Are you @Oscar? I am Baldur. I've got some mats I wanted to donate to the frontline cause, and maybe pick up some additional supplies as well."

Baldur

Quest:

Baldur's Suite:

Breiðablik - The home of Baldur

To reach the home of Baldur, Breidablik, one must travel to the island floor of twenty four. There, towards the edge of the main island, a dock leads out to the water with a Tori standing off in a short distance with a small boat tied up to the dock. When you look at the Tori, your UI alerts you that it is a portal, and the kanji carved into the top reads:

“Breidabilk”

Once you use the long pole to travel through the Tori gate, you are teleported to one of the almost floating teardrop islands that dot Aincrads many floors.

Once through the portal, and docked at the island upon the island, you reach the gates of Breidablik.

The steep hike up the hill amidst the lanterns and trees fills your nose with the scents of nature. Clean, unpolluted nature. Indeed, the house that Baldur built seems to have been constructed with nature in mind, as it augments, rather than clear cuts away, the beauty of the forest surrounding and intertwining with his home.

As you enter the main courtyard, you see that the compound is actually wrapped around a series of ponds or lakes, with bridges hopping over them from one to the next, and a large, central dojo in the heart of one of the bodies of water.

The bridge takes you to the main house, Baldur’s primary residence, and the hub of the whole home estate.

House Name: Breiðablik

Location: Floor 24 - PK accessible
Description: Breiðablik is located on one of the 'floating' teardrop islands scattered about the floor, reachable through one of the portals that takes a player from the ground to the gates of his estate.
Plot Size: Estate
Room(s): 

Room Upgrade(s): Mega Slime Farm, Ornate Fishing Pond
Total Cost: Donor (estate)

"I'm not pretty like Kintsukuroi."

Baldur's eyebrow twitched when she said the word, in an almost distracted manner. Obviously there were some deeper seeded psychological issues going on there.

"Each person paints their own pictures. Or, in other words you could say we weave our own tapestries. We can never really see our own work from afar, so we're always so critical of ourselves. Ahh...like that famous painting...Sorry, I don't have a way with words like you do." She paused. "You know...I think you'd make a good Philosophy teacher too, or a guide of some kind. You have a way with words."

Baldur's smile was wry when she countered herself with her own words.

"You took the words right out of my mouth. You could say we can't see our own works, and we're always so critical of ourselves." The expression on his face was subtle twist of his lips and play of his eyes, but it was obvious he was holding  back some amusement. "We are the least authoritative voice in judging ourselves."

The compliments she lavished him with made him a bit uncomfortable, but some of them also hit home in his vanity. He appreciated that she could listen to what he was trying to say, and take those words to heart. He often times had trouble conveying the deeper meaning of his words, but they seemed to find fertile soil in Mari. He picked the cup up, and finished off his tea before stirring under the kotatsu.

"And with that, I must depart. I am afraid this particular shugyosha has his own house to build and dojo to setup." He gave Mari a deep bow once he was standing.

"Thank you very much for the warm hospitality, and the even better conversation. I look forward to being able to show you my home soon as well."

Baldur smiled as Mari stumbled over trying to offer him further hospitality, instead he silently watched her refill his up, and then picked it up to sip on it slowly and contentedly.

"I'm sure you're already familiar with Kintsukuroi, where the Japanese repair broken things, notably pottery, with gold. They believe everything has a kami, even a rice bowl, or a tea cup. The journey it goes on creates the beauty, and so when they repair it with gold, it becomes even more beautiful, and even more valuable. In the west, we very much dispose of things that are broken, or worn down. But beauty isn't in the perfection, it's in the imperfection. Martial art belts, supposedly, came from the old monk monasteries. When you arrived, you were given new clothes, and a white belt. Over time, sweat, dirt, and blood would stain the belt, slowly darkening it in color until all that came together and made the belt black. You were never to wash the belt itself, because that represented your progress though life. Where as a western belief would be to wash it, or replace it, the aesthetic is to appreciate, not that something is broken, but that it has had a journey, it has a story to tell."

Baldur, seemingly lost in thought, was staring deeply into his tea cup, swirling it slightly so as to not spill any.

"When I was young, I once thought I had to be this pure, stainless white knight in shining armor. Being untempted by sin, and without blemish was the path to be truly noble and godly. I didn't just reject temptation, I staunchly avoided it. As such, I had a very rigid sense of right and wrong, and people ether fell into the camp like me who made good choices, or were tainted by their bad choices. I didn't realize at that age what kind of privilege I had, that I was never exposed to those hardships. When I finally went to college, I was exposed to to many new peoples, not even necessarily different ethnicity, but people who might have been like me, but were born to different parents. I thought my experience was normal, but I came to find out having two loving parents could be something of an exception. I knew a brilliant girl, who was fantastic in every way, be told by her family that a girl going to college was a waste of money, and she should hurry up and get married and start having kids."

Baldur shook his head with lingering disgust, but still seemed to be lost in memories of the past.

"Then I took a philosophy class, and I learned this parable of the shopkeeper. It solidified all the things that had been churning in the back of my mind, trying to make sense of the world. Kant, he suggested, believed that the internal struggle, the motivation, defined a part of morality. But he suggested two scenarios that weighted on my heart and stuck with me. The short version is something like this. There are two shopkeepers. One does the right thing, because he believes in doing the right thing, and it makes him feel good, and he is able to. The other does the right thing, even when he doesn't want to, even though he hates it, and even though it'll cause him hardships. Only one of them is doing something morally praiseworthy. It is easy to be good, and do good, when times are good. But when the chips are down, when the situation is bad, when there's no reward, no praise for virtue signaling. The people who do right when no one is watching. That's what's good. That's whats worthwhile.

You have that opportunity before you. Do good with no thought of reward. Even though its hard. Even though its painful. You may still get some good out of it, and it may lighten the burden to have friends... and I hope that's the case. But when you are tested. That's when you discover your true character. Your true motivation. That is when we can use gold on the cracks in our life and show them off with pride."

He suddenly flashed a lopsided smile at some memory.

"And I had realized then I had gone through my life, thinking I was good, but having never been put to the test."

He took a sip of his tea.

"If I could choose any instrument, hmm...? Well, in the other world, I had always wanted to learn how to play the guitar, or the piano. I tried taking lessons with the flute, but I was told to give up by my music teacher." He gave a chuckle at the ancient memory. Some might consider it cruel to tell a child to give up, but to him it had been more a mercy. Baldur did not have the patience or talent for the flute.

"However, since in here my musical aptitude would be based on stats, and not on my ability, I guess I would say...' He considered a long moment, playing with the rim of his cup.

"The shakuhachi."He glanced up at Mari, a bit of embarrassment on his face, "There's just something about the sound of it that speaks to my soul. Something about the sounds it makes that resonate with me." He flicked something non-existent off of a fingernail after he examined it, as if he couldn't maintain eye contact. He picked up his cup of tea and took another sip to fill the awkwardness he felt in the moment.

"I still may do that some day. My shop is closed for the time being. I mostly just buy items for myself to use, or to give to friends when we have need for a raid or a quest.

"I once heard someone play 'Smooth Criminal' on a Shakuhachi, I know it's hard to imagine," He said with a light hearted laugh, "But it might actually be my favorite version. It is a shame that traditional Japanese music is a dying art."

Then Mari seemed to sink back within herself. It was like watching the ebb and flow of a fire. Sometimes she burned brightly and twinkled, and sometimes she fell back down to smoldering embers, awaiting fresh kindling and a breath of life.

"Death is light as a feather, duty heavy as a mountain." Baldur quoted once more.

"If you give up, you are not doing honor to the lives you have taken. Repentance, true repentance is not an easy journey. I think that's why so many people give up, or never try in the first place. You shouldn't run either. You need to move forward. Always forward. When someone challenges you because of your past, then you tell them what you're trying to do now. No one will be able to argue with you if you are trying to atone, and are doing so by risking your life for others. Self Sacrifice is the path to redemption, but you still need to look after yourself first, because if you die, or give away everything to the point you have nothing to work with... the number of people you can help is 0."

Baldur let out a slight Oof as Macradon pushed the two of them together and Mari ended up headbutting Baldur's solar plexus. Or would have if he had one. Mari apologized to Baldur for making him dirty, as if that were something he were concerned with. Something about her seemed off though. She seemed embarrassed. Thoughts raced through Baldur's mind. What could it be that's embarrassing her? Well, she's used to being a recluse, so maybe being around so many people? Or perhaps she feels embarrassed about her performance? The last one didn't seem to make sense, as her performance wasn't that different from Macradon nor Cordelia.

He placed both of his hands on Mari's shoulders, and gave her a reassuring smile.

"You did well today, Mari. I am sorry we didn't follow anything resembling a plan. Macradon and I can be a bit... impetuous when it comes to some of these fights. We don't treat them as danger-less, but we have a higher threshold for what makes us put on our game faces, if that makes sense?" Baldur normally tried to take every fight as if it were dangerous, but even he at least had a threshold of safety. Trash mobs rarely qualified to even require him buffing himself, though that had caused himself, Calrex, and Hestia no end of headache in the <<Hidden Village>> quest.

He gave her shoulders a slight, encouraging pat, "Your strategy was fine, we just... went a little ham. And for that, I apologize." Baldur stepped back, and gave her a more formal bow of apology as befitted a samurai of his station.

"I think it's best we call it there though. We can clean up and rest and pursue dungeons another day. For now, let's get the hell out of the place and go somewhere cooler."

Baldur smirked, when he heard an all to familiar name come up on one of their shopping list items. Ali'i pua. It had been a very long time since those words had graced the screen. Finally, he withdrew his thousand yard stare and returned it to Rei, though the strange grin of bemusement still lingered on his face.

"Yes, I've seen the king pig before. He's been known to spawn when players get a little... ham.. fighting the boars on the first floor. He shows up to defend his pack. He gored my brother in the beta test, which is even funnier since my brother's user name was Ali'i Pua. Which means King Pig, in Hawaiian." Thankfully, his brother hadn't been able to take time off on the launch day like Baldur and Tyger had been able to, and therefore wasn't stuck in the game. It was a major saving grace for someone who had been in the beta. Baldur had always been jealous of his brother getting in, but not getting in himself.

"It would make sense to me. There are quite a few new players who... lose to boars on the first floor. Maybe this is why?"

Baldur had not through of the event since he had triggered a similar one with wolves. It had been the first, and only time, he had ever almost died. From that point onward, Baldur never went anywhere without safeguards and teleport crystals, to ensure he could get out of any situation. And thankfully, he had never needed them. The only time he had ever been forced to use a teleport crystal in battle was against the floor 24 labyrinth guardian as he ran out of energy and needed to regroup.

Baldur watched as another new comer came up to the group, and gave Life a slight bow of his head in greeting. The man was taller than even Baldur, and came up to about height with Lilik, though he could not tell who was in fact taller, it seemed the woman gave herself a bit of a lift with her footwear. The tall woman then revealed that she was a friend of Lessa, or at least somehow seemed to know that Lessa and he were friends.

"If it comes from Lessa, that it is probably far kinder praise than I deserve." He said with a bit of a shy smile. He couldn't imagine Lessa saying anything judgmental about him, let alone critical of him. She may say it to him, but not about him to others.

Baldur watched as Lilik went over and read the apparent grocery list over the kids shoulders, and glanced over at the other new comer, Life, as well.

"It seems we are all meeting new people again. Let me see if I can do justice to the introductions." Baldur went around and gestured to each person, giving the names that he had been given, since unlike other MMOs there were not names floating above their heads, and without being in a party, he had no way to divine what their names, in fact, were. He had the names of the newcomers down, as they were the most recent, but he paused and struggled for the names of the group of kids, other than Rei, who had been their spokesman.

Turning back to the kid, Baldur gave him a sympathetic smiles, "So your NPC host has sent you on a fetch quest for your dinner, eh? That does sound much more like it."

This was it. It was the final moment of this bad doggos life. Baldur's steel eyes watched as Mari seemed to reappear out of nowhere and launched a valiant attack against the last remaining Cerberus head. Deep within, he felt a surge of pride and relief that she finally got a good hit in. Mac followed up, with another one of his patented and devastating blows. He swelled with pride when he saw Cordelia rising up to finish off the head...

And then fell flat on her face...

He winced slightly, and in that brief moment of neglect, Macradon was savaged by <<Cerberus, Inferno's Rage>>.

Or that's what Baldur thought he saw. Instead, Macradon appeared to have just barely dodged through the creature's maw and into safety.

Here we go. This is it.

Baldur walked up to <<Cerberus, Inferno's Rage>>. Fire drizzled from the massive beast's jaw, and each tooth was the size of Baldur's blade. It's fur would probably have appeared jet black in anything but the angry red light and fire that surrounded them. Steam slowly rose off the floor of the deep cave they were in, and the chasm itself gave them room to fight in its cathedral of fire.

For the briefest moment, once the monster had realized it hadn't caught Macradon in its jaws, Baldur wondered if it felt anything akin to fear.

Of course it doesn't, it's an AI.

Baldur smirked, as if he were getting too sentimental.

The creature looked down at Baldur, as the gaijin samurai calmly walked beneath its head, and it reared back, unleashing a howl that shook the chamber, and was abruptly silenced.

Baldur drew Warden's Fury once more, the sword coming free of the saya in a vertical arc, and the brilliant while light it unleashed surged up, the light almost taking a physical quality to it as it extended past his blade and cut the howl short, before finally severing the head. This time, it was the entire creature that broke into glowing polygons, which hung in the air for a moment, before they too, faded like so many monsters before it.

With a practiced, and familiar to some, almost ritualized process, Baldur cleaned non-existent blood from the sword before he sheathed it. As the sword clicked home, Baldur made as gesture as if throwing something away, before he took a deep breath, and turned back to face the rest of his party. His oceanic blue eyes seeking them out one after the other, and a wide smile on his face, even as the fire only just now burned and then was quenched as if by his joy.

"Well done everyone. I had underestimated how challenging this quest mob was. It was much faster than I anticipated."

Baldur walked over to Mari where she had been flung into a wall, though her HP was relatively unscathed, and offered her a hand up.

"We seem to have been a bit disjointed..." Baldur at least had the self awareness to blush, "but please, allow me to make it up to you. I have a scroll that will allow us to locate a dungeon on any floor we choose. What say we go up near the top and tackle a dungeon, and do it right this time?"

Cerberus ID#: 137961 MD: 6+3-4=5 (miss)

Baldur ID#:137962 BD: 6+7=13-2=11 (hit)
Iai 23x11=253 DMG - 75 MIT = 178 DMG Dealt

[-] Baldur: HP: 1053/1330 | EN: 79/130 | 23WF/26MM DMG | 7WF/6MM ACC | EVA 2 | MIT 79 | BH 53 | BURN -36, -30 Thorns, +53 HP, -10 EN, +1 EN
[2] Mari:   HP: 1054/1090  | EN: 91/106  | 11 DAM  | EVA 3 | MIT 43 | ACC 4 | FLAME AURA 2 
[-] Cordelia: HP: 735/920 | EN: 69/90 | 14 DMG | 12 MIT | 3 ACC | 3 EVA | 1 PARA VNM [DF] | 2 REC | 4 HLY BURN -36
[4] Macradon: HP: 1677/1765 | EN: 177/187 | 19 DMG | 152 MIT | 3 ACC | 4 EVA | PHASE | 12 HLY | 6 REC | 88 BH | 36 FRTHRN | FIREPROOF

<<Cerberus, Inferno's Rage>>
Head 3: HP: 0/500 | DMG 175 | Flame Aura: 75 MIT/30 Thorns | Acc: 3 | Eva: 2

Baldur watched as Hestia basically asked the questions on everyone's mind, and then the ruggedly handsome, ashen haired Knight of the Blood had a great idea and began meditating. Hestia came over and used energize on him, flushing new life into his depleted pool of resources.

"Thanks, and good idea."

Baldur gestured for his quick inventory items, and pulled out an energy drink he had gotten from Takao and one his remaining group heal items. He crushed the crystal in his hand, and a green light suddenly surrounded everyone in the group, healing them while Baldur then effectively began to shotgun the energy drink. The taste of the drink made him think of staying up all night working on finals in college in the computer lab. He and the other network security students trying to code and cram through the night. It was not a taste he treasured the memory of. All the same, he said a silent thanks to Takao. He had given these to Baldur just before the fight against the Spartans and Leonidas.

What floor was that even?

It felt like a lifetime ago to the gaijin samurai.

"Well, at least we got a breather."

+90 HP to everyone
+12 Energy to Baldur

-1 Max Mass HP Recovery Crystal | Perfect T2 Item | +30*Target Tier (30/60/90)

-1  Max Vitality Snack | Rare Tier 2 | Grants +12 Energy

[4] Baldur HP 1329/1540  | EN 107/130 | MIT 94 | EVA 5 | ACC 6WF/5MM5 | DMG 24WF/27MM | BH 62 | ANTIDOTE 0/2 | Conc 0/3 | Parry 0/2 | QChange 0/3 | TOX (9-10) 23
[12] Hestia: HP: 1596/1970  EN: 100/176 DMG:17   MIT:214  THRN: 99 ACC:1 Eva: -1  BH: 98 Rec:+3 Stonewall: 25% DoT redux 2-1=1 Snowfrost: 1/2 fire dmg   Antidote: 3
[5] @Ariel - The Crowned Lion: HP: 1335/1630  | EN 84/140 | 24 DMG | 103 MIT | AA +4(6) BD | +1 EVA | 16 BH | 24 HB | 50 THRNS | +4 Fallen (8-10) & 24 DoT3 (8-10)  | 2 Antidote | Conc 0/3 | Parry 0/2
[5] @Morgenstern: HP 1429/1680 | EN 81/138 | 22 DMG | 171 MIT | 4 ACC | -1 EVA | 84 BH | 91 THRNS | Para. Venom (8-10) | 25% DoT Reduce | 3 Antidote | 24(3) Poison (9-10)
[8] Macradon: HP 1738/1885  | EN 184/187 | 23 DMG | 127 MIT | 4 ACC | 1 EVA |  94 BH | 50 Immolation THRNS | 36 Frost THRNS (21 on crit) | 6 Freeze 0/2 | Antidote 1 | Justified Riposte | +12 Holy | Phase | Disguise | +1 Hate | -1 Energy Cost 0/2 | -3 Energy Cost | 6 Recovery
[4] @Zandra: HP 1685/2,020 [-425] | EN 173/187 | 22 DMG | 144 MIT | 7 ACC | 2 EVA | 101 BH | 70 THRNS | Toxic venom (9-10) 24(3) | 25% 1st DoT Reduce | 2 Antidote | 12 Fallen | 36(2) BRN(8-10) | Probiotics -27 | Antioxidants | Well rested 3/3

Baldur looked up at Mari as she ran over to him, asking if he was okay and fussing over his taking damage and being on fire. The gesture honestly touched Baldur. He had been a solo fighter on the frontline for so long, he had forgotten what it was like for someone to worry over him. It was his job after all, to worry over the others. He gave her a brave, but tired and disoriented smile. After all the tumbling, and then suddenly entering a sword art stance mid fall and then tumbling, the gaijin samurai could barely tell which direction was up.

"Thanks Mari, I just need a moment to catch my bearings."

Thankfully, his allies had his back.

Mari charged forward against the Cerberus, leaping towards it's head as she distracted the creature while Macradon came up, and using his giant sword to partially phase through the ground, he threw up a giant cover of stone and debris to blind the final two heads of the devil dog allowing Cordelia to take advantage of the opening they had created and land a devastating blow on the second head of the monster. He was truely in awe of how well they worked together in order to create an opening and give the Samurai a moment of respite when the monster wasn't coming after him. Instead, the second head lashed out against his white haired kohai, and the third head bit down on Macradon. While Cordelia caught fire from the attack, Macradon did not, in spite of the fact that it breathed fire on him. Baldur was impressed, though worried when he saw how much Cordelia's health dropped.

Deep within the zone of concentration Baldur held in his mind while in battle, he felt the fires of fudoshin rage as his emotion of concern, and his protectiveness over Cordelia surged within him. He would make sure that Cordelia's health would not get any lower.

The white flame of her sword lingered slightly on the infernal hound, and Baldur took that opportunity to <<charge>> in.

"Here I go!"

Rushing forward, he leapt high into the air, his brilliant white sword making a now golden arc that cut through the heat and red ambiance of the flaming cave and struck the second head of the doggo like thunder. The white arc of light cut the head in twain, and the golden lightning shot all along the infernal, the paralytic effect did not take hold, but it caused the second head of the legendary beast to shatter into luminescent rain.

"Two down, one to go! We got this!"

ID# 137644 MD8+2-3 = 7 (hit) 175 DMG - 12 MIT = 163 DMG Dealt to Cordelia +36 Burn
ID# 137645 MD10 (crit) 250 DMG - (152/2 = 76) = 176 DMG Dealt to Macradon +36 Burn
ID# 137646 BD 9 (crit) 23+5=28x15=420 (blaze it) - 75 MIT = 345 DMG Dealt to Head 2

[-] Baldur: HP: 1083/1330 | EN: 88/130 | 23WF/26MM DMG | 7WF/6MM ACC | EVA 2 | MIT 79 | BH 53 | -12 EN, +1 EN, +53 HP, -36 Burn
[-] Mari:   HP: 1090/1090  | EN: 102/106  | 11 DAM  | EVA 3 | MIT 43 | ACC 4 | FLAME AURA 2
[-] Cordelia: HP: 744/920 | EN: 66/90 | 14 DMG | 12 MIT | 3 ACC | 3 EVA | 1 PARA VNM [DF] | 2 REC | 4 HLY -163 DMG 
[1] Macradon: HP: 1589/1765 | EN: 187/187 | 19 DMG | 152 MIT | 3 ACC | 4 EVA | PHASE | 12 HLY | 6 REC | 88 BH | 36 FRTHRN | FIREPROOF -176 DMG

<<Cerberus, Inferno's Rage>>
Head 2: HP: 0/500 | DMG 175 | Flame Aura: 75 MIT/30 Thorns | Acc: 3 | Eva: 2
Head 3: HP: 500/500 | DMG 175 | Flame Aura: 75 MIT/30 Thorns | Acc: 3 | Eva: 2

<< Bringing Hell >> : "Cerberus, Inferno's Rage" gains 1 attack for each head alive.
<< One at a Time >> : Players can only target one Head at a time before hitting another. AoE's do not work on this boss.
<< Burning Bite >> : On successful attacks, the player is inflicted with "Burn" dealing 36 unmitigatable damage for 2 turns.
<< Infernal Punishment >> : On a critical attacks, this boss gains additional damage and will phase through 50% of the target's mitigation on all attacks this turn. [9 = 25 | 10 = 75]
<< Bloodless >> : This boss is immune to all status effects.

The others came in behind Baldur, but they all seemed preoccupied by something. Perhaps the amazing display of friendship and camaraderie between Baldur had thrown everyone for a loop. It was easy to see why someone could be jealous of such a deep bond, forged between kindred spirits in the fires of hell that was the Aincrad boss room, over the many floors they had fought together on. There were few people left who had been through so much as Baldur and Mac had. The Argentette was the far more experienced and consistent frontliner than Baldur was, perhaps second only to Calrex himself, but the events they had witnessed together, and the thoughts and emotions they had shared together over their long battles forged an understanding and trust that could not be easily rivaled.

But those thoughts and feelings were for a time not here. Baldur took the emotions and the distractions and threw them into the fire that raged within him. He one with his sword, his mind steeled by Mushin, and all the thoughts and emotions were merely flitting distractions that did not pull attention away from the fight they held. The fire, the fudoshin, within Baldur burned all the brighter. The Yin and Yang of Baldur's mind were razor focused on the task at hand.

Mari came forth, but was unable to get the height she needed to hit the head she was aiming for as it seemed to rear its head from Baldur's attack, letting out a howl of pain. Macradon was not far behind her, but the massive blow of the Knight of the Blood Oath seemed to fall between the heads of Cerberus, instead turning his blade's ire on the ground at its feet, an eruption of stone and fire as the weight of the blow took out a large chunk of the ground beneath the dog. Then came Cordelia, who seemed to loose her footing from the new, uneven terrain, and then began to curse her sword out again for its unpredictable nature.

It was then that Baldur saw all three heads turn towards him.

Kuso.

Baldur sheathed the blade and then ran for the cover of stalagmites that littered the cave, including a fallen stalactite that Macradon's blow had shaken loose. The dog pounced forward, and before he could get to cover, the first head bit down, catching Baldur's left arm and almost tearing it free before the Samurai was able to get behind a giant stone. The cerberus' second head bite down, but it's snout hit head against the stone and it gave a yelp. The momentum of the azure samurai was too much, however, and he slipped, allowing him to fall prey to the third head of cerberus, this one catching him in its mouth and throwing him high into the air.

Huh... when did I catch fire?

The pain wasn't there, but the extreme discomfort that passed for it in this game struggled to break through Baldur's concentration. The gaijin had been here before, in positions far worse than this. This small degree of damage, of pain, of... flying through the air... would not dissuade the gaijin wanna-be samurai from what he needed to do.

As he flew towards one of the stalactites still attached to the roof of the cave Baldur reached out, grabbing on and using the momentum to spin him around back towards the three heads of the monster that now followed his trajectory like a dog watching it's ball. Instead, Baldur tucked and extended his arms to cause his angular momentum to adjust so that he was now flying towards the Cerberus just... upside down. His eyes were still locked on the read diamond that floated above the injured head.

I've only got one chance at this.

Baldur tucked his knees in to assume the pre-motion stance that would activate <<Iai>> but doing so caused his spin to begin again. He had to maintain eye contact on the boss at the exact moment that he would be in range for his skill to activate, and he could not <<Charge>> this target again. It was almost painful, trying to crane his neck to keep his eyes locked onto the lupine face of his attacker, but then Baldur felt it. The hum of power, the pulling motion of the system, and he unleashed his attack.

Iai was a drawing strike. It wasn't just a sword art in Aincrad, it was something he had practiced for years in the real world, albeit not upside down while flying through the air. When the moment came, Baldur's thumb pushed the blade forward an inch, bearing just the tiniest bit of steel, but in that moment, the white light of his sword art erupted like the flash of the sun at the first hint of dawn, and then a single, razor thin trace of light shot forward as the arc of the sword art was perpendicular to the viewing plane of his allies. Instead, they saw the blurr of color that was his chestnut hair and the blue of his signature haori. Because of the angle, and the post motion delay, Baldur had no chance to try and land from the blow, instead hitting the ground and tumbling end over end until he could drive his blade into the ground and slow himself to a stop as it dragged through the stone.

With a deep breath, Baldur raised his eye, his steel blue eyes burning as he continued to watch his opponent.

With great satisfaction, the first head of three exploded into shards, luminous polygons filling the air as they seemed to defy gravity, floating into space in every direction. He withdrew his sword from the ground, whipped it to the side and prepared for what came next.

ID#137498 MD: 5+3-2= 6 (hit) 175 DMG - 79 MIT = 96 DMG Dealt + 36 Burn 0/2
ID#137499 MD: 3+3-2=4 (miss)
ID#137500 MD: 9 (crit) 200 DMG - 39 MIT = 161 DMG Dealt 
ID#137501 BD: 4+7=11-2=9 (hit)
Iai 23*11=253 DMG - 75 MIT = 178 DMG Dealt

[-/-] Baldur: HP: 1066/1330 | EN: 99/130 | 23WF/26MM DMG | 7WF/6MM ACC | EVA 2 | MIT 79 | BH 53 |  -11 EN, +1 EN, +53 BH, -30 Thorns, -96 Bite 1, -161 Bite 3, 36 Burn (0/2)
[-/-] Mari:   HP: 1090/1090  | EN: 102/106  | 11 DAM  | EVA 3 | MIT 43 | ACC 4 | FLAME AURA 2
[-/-] Cordelia: HP: 920/920 | EN: 76/90 | 14 DMG | 12 MIT | 3 ACC | 3 EVA | 1 PARA VNM [DF] | 2 REC | 4 HLY
[-/-] Macradon: HP: 1765/1765 | EN: 184/187 | 19 DMG | 152 MIT | 3 ACC | 4 EVA | PHASE | 12 HLY | 6 REC | 88 BH | 36 FRTHRN | FIREPROOF 

<<Cerberus, Inferno's Rage>>
Head 1: HP: 0/500 | DMG 175 | Flame Aura: 75 MIT/30 Thorns | Acc: 3 | Eva: 2
Head 2: HP: 500/500 | DMG 175 | Flame Aura: 75 MIT/30 Thorns | Acc: 3 | Eva: 2
Head 3: HP: 500/500 | DMG 175 | Flame Aura: 75 MIT/30 Thorns | Acc: 3 | Eva: 2

<< Bringing Hell >> : "Cerberus, Inferno's Rage" gains 1 attack for each head alive.
<< One at a Time >> : Players can only target one Head at a time before hitting another. AoE's do not work on this boss.
<< Burning Bite >> : On successful attacks, the player is inflicted with "Burn" dealing 36 unmitigatable damage for 2 turns.
<< Infernal Punishment >> : On a critical attacks, this boss gains additional damage and will phase through 50% of the target's mitigation on all attacks this turn. [9 = 25 | 10 = 75]
<< Bloodless >> : This boss is immune to all status effects.

Baldur watched Teion carefully as her eyes searched the mirror. He noticed her react to something that she saw, but he had no idea what. All he could do was guess based on her expressions, so he studied her face intently. She was pretty, though she still seemed to carry a perpetually reserved face, almost unreadable, until she reacted to something. Perhaps it was her eyebrows that were the most expressive. Her cobalt eyes had widened only slightly when she saw whatever it was she saw, but she beckoned him onwards, letting them spin about the room.

Then she began leading him somewhere, but for some reason she had to keep glancing back a the mirror like what she saw was changing over moving or something.

What could it be that she's seeing?I

When they came to a dead end she told him.

His first impulse was to disbelieve her. Was she loony I mean, he had just met here out here in the middle of nowhere. There was no telling what kind of a person she really was. He gut could just be mistaken.

But his guts did say to trust her. There was something about this vionette that told his guts to trust her. So he did.

Handing over the mirror, he went and stood where she stood. He had to crouch down a little to get fully into the mirror so he could look at himself, but that's all he saw. It was the real him, or at least how he remembered himself looking. And the room was all done up behind him. Instead of the faded stone, it was all clean and painted.

"I just.. I just see myself... You.. you said you saw yourself moving?"

ID#238747 LD: 2

@Teion

Baldur tossed Mari a playful, rueful grin.

"Lacking? Why, you mean you couldn't have prepared a tea ceremony in a home you just clicked into existence not even a minute ago?" His oceanic blue eyes twinkled with mischief in the firelight, before subsiding as he took the cup of tea and raised it to his lips, taking a loud sip, and then sigh of contentment as the hot liquid 'warmed' the inside of his digital body. Real or fake, the sensation was mimicked almost perfect, and Baldur discovered that while in his meat suit, he typically had to wait a long time for his tea to cool down to a temperature he wouldn't burn his tongue, here in Aincrad, no such problem existed. He had missed out on a whole world of hot beverage because he needed his luke warm in the real world.

"The tea is wonderful, thank you."

He took another sip as Mari spoke about her time teaching in Japan. Baldur thought back to his own history. Moving to Japan for work alongside Tyger. The struggle to improve his spoken language, and the even more difficult struggle to become literate in a field which demanded it. Thankfully, the company which had brought him here was western, so he could do his job in peace, but as soon as he left his desk, the world of Kanji and hiragana surrounded him.

"I had always wanted to go and teach English in Japan right after college, but my parents talked me out of it. They felt that putting my career on hold would be detrimental to my future. It was probably the worst advice I ever took." he gave a slight, amused smile before the cup masked it.

As the samurai lounged there, he seemed to meld into the place. He was a garden stone, foreign to its surroundings, but once left in its new place, and covered in moss, seemed to be indistinguishable from that natural world that now surrounded it. There was something about the gaijin that just seemed to say he was so solidly present that it seemed he always existed there.

"It's a shame your music isn't the background music of this floor. I can just imagine you here, lounging by the fire to the violin. It sounds very relaxing, but I suppose you create your own. I had thought, for a long time, about trying to pick up an instrument in Aincrad. I am completely incapable in the real world, but it is not as much of a barrier here. I had always thought about becoming an alchemist as well, but at the time, the frontlines needed a merchant, the only one who could supply them at the time. And so, that is what I became... now I've got a bit of a sunk cost in it."

He turned his gentle azure eyes over to Mari.

"If I may ask... why now? What finally gave you the push to come out here and put down your house?"