Takao

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«TOPIC REWARDS»

1 SP

400col

«QUEST REWARDS»

3 SP

«Concentration» Skill

«TOTAL»

4 SP

400col

3 Materials

«Concentration» Skill

A long, drawn out yawn followed by a groan of soreness escaped his lips as he entered the town. He scratched his side with his left hand while his right stretched high up toward the canopy that hovered above. A quick check of the time through the use of his menu informed him of how much time he'd spent in the jungle, which brought a slight frown to his face. If it wasn't for the duel putting him off track, and the small power nap he'd taken in the middle of a dangerous, unknown jungle, he would've gotten back sooner. He was planning on checking out a shop he'd found in the town, a player run restaurant of sorts. His stomach wasn't growling and he wasn't in desperate need of a meal, but the idea of eating something other than bread was definitely appealing. Unfortunately, the shop was closed for the day, which filled him with disappointment.

“Aw, man. Guess I was too late.†Takao said, though he didn't seem to dwell on the fact for very long. He turned and proceeded down the steps, heading toward the tavern.

“I wonder if I should maybe take up cooking? Blacksmithing or tailoring would probably be more beneficial to combat... alchemy too, I could make my own healing items. But I already know people who can do those...†The thought would likely fester in his mind for a while. He hadn't been planning on taking up a profession, but this one seemed tempting.

Another interesting anomaly amidst the dense jungle had caught his eye. He was close enough to the town to have slowed his pace down to a leisurely walk, which presented him with the opportunity to spot the flower. It had broad blue petals with specks of yellow and orange, almost making it look poisonous. He picked the flower regardless and examined its name and purpose – alchemical, no doubt. Upon reading the description he found his assessment to be true, so he tucked it away into his inventory and continued on his way.

»ID: [23453]

»LD: [15]

+1 Material

[Combat Sequence]

Takao

Animated Vines

Takao shook his head and reaffirmed his grasp on his consciousness. Being slammed into the ground had a funny way of knocking most people out, but for whatever reason, Takao had managed to stay awake. He looked up – which was in fact down – at the leafy beast that held him above its open mouth and gulped upon seeing the very menacing rows of teeth.

“Sorry pal, but I taste horrible!†Takao flexed his abdominal muscles and pulled his torso up. He snapped his sword forward and cut clean through the vine that held him, thus beginning his descent toward the heart of the vines. His sword began to glow green and he spun his body, the blade slicing straight through the flora's bulbous body. The slice left a large gash in the side, and as its health dropped below zero, it dissipated into a magnificent display of glittery polygons.

A prompt appeared to inform him of his experience and item rewards, per the usual, and he headed off.

»ID: [23455]

»BD: [8]

»MD: [6 - 2 = 4]

«Takao»

» [[HP : 16/21]]

«Animated Vines»

» [[HP : 0/11]]

+1 Material

[Combat Sequence]

Takao

Animated Vines

The body of the beast he fought was large – not quite massive, but still a towering sight to behold. The vines, now fewer than it had before, still whipped around violently. They smashed into the ground beside Takao who evaded each just slightly, keeping himself within range to cut the leafy tendrils before they could retreat back to the body to strike again. It seemed to be a viable strategy to him, the enemy's health was steadily decreasing with each lost limb. It had entered the red zone, and Takao smiled.

His joy was short lived, however, when he felt something wrap around his foot. He tried to react immediately, but was still too late, and the vines lifted him up into the air.

“Whoa, okay big fella'! We can talk about this!†He reasoned, knowing full well the monster's negotiating skills were deplorable. One might even say nonexistent. Takao reached up with his blade, preparing to slice through the vine, but sooner found himself being slammed into the ground. A loud grunt and low, drawn out grown escaped his mouth as the vine lifted him back up.

“Okay... very uncool...†he groaned out.

»ID: [23450]

»BD: [7]

»MD: [10 - 2 = 8] (+2 critical damage)

«Takao»

» [[HP : 16/21]]

«Animated Vines»

» [[HP : 3/11]]

[Combat Sequence]

Takao

Animated Vines

A leafy tendril swiped low, aiming for his legs. Takao leapt backward and preformed a single flip, an unnecessary and flashy action, but it was all in the interest of raising skill. The vines had appeared from nowhere and almost gotten the advantage in the battle by capturing Takao, but given that he was already in the middle of a full speed sprint when they'd attacked, he had plenty of opportunity to evade. He landed on a nearby fallen log and made a mental note of how plentiful they were in the jungle before his attention settled on the vines, and a smile appeared on his face.

“This is getting easier and easier... Heh, I think I'm startin' to get cocky!†Takao raised his blade and set it across his shoulders. The metal began to hum and whir, then erupted into a green light. Takao jumped from the log as another torrent of vines whipped toward him, but his action was faster. His left leg swung around and his body twirled, his blade sliced clean through several of the vines and severed them completely before he landed.

»ID: [23445]

»BD: [7]

»MD: [1 - 2 = 0]

«Takao»

» [[HP : 21/21]]

«Animated Vines»

» [[HP : 7/11]]

Takao wiped a line of sweat from his forehead as he leapt over a log. He hands pressed onto the mossy surface and allowed him the space to vault over. His boots hit the wet jungle floor and resumed his momentum with barely even the slightest pause. Takao wasn't running from anything in specific, he was just taking advantage of the unique setting. From his time grinding and fighting, he'd acquired a skill relating to acrobatics and sprinting. He didn't know very much about the process of learning and training skills, but the only idea that had settled in his head was to use the skill repeatedly. So there we was, running in the jungle, taking every opportunity to preform an acrobatic feat amidst his sprinting.

»ID: [23277]

»LD: [5]

“Okay, no, wait...†Takao shuffled his feet and slowly turned, his eyes glued to the map floating before him. “So this is north...†He muttered to himself as the map reacted in accordance to his slight movements, feeding him information on the direction that he was facing. He raised his hand to point directly in front of him, then slowly moved it to the right until it reached a ninety degree angle from its starting position. “Which means this is east...†His left hand was raised to point north, and his body shuffled again, though his hands tried their best to remain stationary. “Which means the town should be this way! I think. Probably. Yeah, the town's totally this way.†Without a second doubt in his decision, Takao closed the map and set off.

»ID: [23276]

»LD: [9]

Takao shivered and rubbed his arms. The winter town of Snowfrost, located on the fourth floor of Aincrad, was the most drastic change in temperature Takao had experienced yet. He pulled the fur collar of his coat close to his neck and exhaled a slightly shaken breath, watching the plume of white smoke dissipate before his eyes. A gentle, pleasant snowfall had started since he'd entered the town, and now he was in search for the tavern. It would provide some much needed warmth and respite from the frigid environment he was unfamiliar with. He'd overheard, as is usually the case when he shows up in strange places he wasn't necessarily expecting to, that the fourth floor had a secluded section away from any monsters. People revered the spot for its beauty and tranquility, so with his routine grinding for the day over and done with, he figured it'd be an interesting spot to check out. Unfortunately, he hadn't taken into account how cold the fourth floor was.

It took quite a bit of map checking to find the town's Inn, but no complaint could find its way out of his throat as he pressed open the doors and felt the warmth immediately. He approached the first table in sight and sat himself down in an empty chair, too enveloped in the sudden warmth to even check to see if anybody had been occupying the table before he sat down.

"Ahh, man... another minute out there and I would'a been frozen solid."

She had his undivided attention as she spoke, his interest clearly piqued by the subject and his face was showing it. “I've had those ones, the ones that just kinda fade away after a while. When I was a bit younger I wanted to learn to play the guitar, even managed to convince my parents to get one me one. I think I've played it maybe... three, four times in my entire life?†A soft laugh escaped as he remembered the feeling. “I was really just interested in the end result, I think. It's kind of funny to think about now. Sitting down and playing it for hours on end seemed like the worst thing in the world, I'd always get frustrated when I couldn't get the notes right.â€

A fleeting pause allowed him to take a breath. “But when I was in the club, I'd sit there and spar for hours on end. It didn't matter how many times I got knocked around.†He cast a sidelong glance to her that lasted a moment, then went back to watching where they were going. The dunes that seemed so far away earlier had suddenly gotten much closer. “Y'know, I haven't read anything you've written so I'm a tad biased, but I definitely think you'd make for a better teacher.†A sincere smile followed his words.

The topic shifted to hobbies again and he laughed. “You'd think it would, but it's so much different here. The practice with footwork definitely helped a bit, but like...†He struggled to put his thoughts into words as his excitement grew. “You can do so much more acrobatically and athletically even without any experience. Stuff like flips and jumps that would never work offline. I mean, I've got this one move where I jump and flip with my sword, right? I've never even done a flip in real life! It's really out of this world.â€

The mention of a boss caught Takao's attention. He looked up from the potion without moving his head to glance over the two, his smile still lingering on the news that he'd be getting the potion for free. He didn't have much of a use for it at the moment, but he'd always been that type of gamer. Hoarding any item he thought might come in handy later was his peculiar play style, and this particular oddity had definitely caught his interest.

He shrugged in response to her question and rubbed the back of his head with his free hand. His warm expression didn't seem too phased by her dangerous smile. “Well, I don't have anything in mind if that's what you mean. I just figured it might come in useful for somebody.†His mind wandered for a moment, wondering what the potion would make him see. His mind was always so busy that the thought of his “deepest desire†was probably filled with a hundred different answers.

“Alright then, it's decided! One Starry Eyed Illusion fooorrr...†He let the last word linger for a moment as he opened his menu and navigated to his inventory. “Nine mats!†A few button presses later and a menu appeared in front of Mari with the details of the trade. True to his word, he offered nine materials in return for the item.

He looked toward Lowenthal as he began to speak of unfamiliar names and guilds. He blinked and looked on with a confused expression, but didn't press the matter verbally, instead opting to listen in silence.

Takao fell into a comfortable silence as she started speaking. He nodded along and smiled to make it clear that he was listening. He didn't seem to mind her talking at length in the slightest. His hand wiped his face of the sweat that had accumulated, and his gaze lingered on the glove. The depth of Sword Art Online truly knew no bounds. Personally, Takao was more accustomed to humidity than he was dry heat, but he wasn't finding it unbearable.

"Maybe that's what my problem with it was? But then again, I rather liked my math courses, and that's just memorizing formulas and such." He glanced over her expression, noticing the joy that came from her passion on the subject. "I guess I must not have had a very good teacher." He turned his gaze to the sky. The day was droning on, and they still had quite a way to go. Oh well, he thought, that just left more time for the two to get to know each other. He chuckled lightly and waved his hand when she apologized. "No worries. I like hearing about a person's passions. Makes me a bit envious, y'know? I haven't found that thing that I'm passionate yet." Not the full truth, but again, not quite a lie either. He had his passions, but they weren't exactly things he could capitalize on. They were better left as hobbies, which was a nicely relevant segue to her question.

"I was in a HEMA club for a while, I liked it too. Western martial arts really aren't that big in Japan though." A small frown appeared on his face at the thought. He was born on the wrong side of the world to fuel his interests easily, but that didn't stop him. "My friend had a dojo that we practiced in after, so it wasn't all bad when the club was dissolved. But hey, I've got the best place to practice now!" His smile returned as he held his arms out, gesturing to the expansive desert before them, though his gesture was aimed more toward the entirety of Aincrad.

"Say, what made you want to start teaching?"

Takao mustered up a doleful smile as his eyes settled back on the item. It was a bit tricky then, but he imagined that it wouldn't be too much of an issue if he knew what he was getting into beforehand. “Yeah, I'd considered that.†Silence fell over him as he watched the two, eventually failing to suppress a light fit of chuckling. His attention settled back on the item that interested him. Even if it was a bit tricky, it was still an interesting oddity to possess. Their conversation went on, his ears only picking up bits and pieces until she addressed him again.

His eyes widened slightly as she offered the item for free, a beatific smile setting on his face. “Whoa, really?!†Takao looked from the potion to her, and then back again when she provided him with a fair warning. “So, you just mean use it responsibly, right? I can do that. Besides, even if I end up using it, I think my deepest desire is a bit more interesting than a lake. Even so, I'd feel bad if I just took it for free...†Takao's hand rubbed his chin in thought. An idea formed in his head, prompting him to snap his chin rubbing hand and look back to her.

“I know! How about I give you the crafting materials I've found so far instead? I don't have any use for them after all.â€

Name: Hunter's Coat

How did you acquire?: Monster Drop

Link to Thread: The Daily Grind

Item Type: Light Armour > Leather Armour

Quality: Uncommon

Enhancements: Evasion

Description: Â«Hunter's Coat» is a padded long coat with two tails. The collar is thick and lined with soft, fluffy white fur. The front is mostly blue with white lining and the occasional gold coloured decoration. A set of buckles, two on each side, secure the coat snuggly to the wearer's torso. Like it's related clothing set, the coat itself offers nothing in the form of traditional protection, but instead grants the user mobility; thus allowing them to evade more effectively.

Even with the serious tone Mari left floating in the air as she described the potion, Takao's amazement persisted. He pulled the item a bit closer once her hands had left his and examined the starry contents a little closer. “With the way you say that, I'd almost think you meant it as a bad thing.†He cast her a fleeting sidelong glance, a smile still present even as he looked back at the item. “Even if it's only temporary, it could act as a reminder to somebody of what they're fighting for.†His tone, as usual, teeming at the brim with fervorous emotions. Or maybe it could open up old wounds.

At that point he was mostly speaking to himself, wondering if the item could be of any use to him at some point. By no means was he an unwavering statue of positivity, but he had a funny way of bringing light to his own problems. With other people, it was a bit more difficult. Speaking of which...

His ears twitched again as the conversation continued on behind him, having taken a very sudden shift. Talk of player killing and threats of sorts prompted him to turn around, item still in hand.

“So!†Takao suddenly chimed in. “How much for this then?†He said, glancing from the Starry Eyed Illusion to Mari.

«TOPIC REWARDS»

1 SP

400col

«TOTAL»

1 SP

400col

8 Materials

2 Uncommon Items [1] || [2]

More time had passed than Takao had realized. The log, although not particularly the epitome of comfort, still provided the young brunet with a much needed respite. His eyes opened slowly and took in his surroundings, focusing on the forest canopy. After listening to the faint calls of birds echoing through the forest for another minute or so, he finally hopped off the log and stretched his arms. Takao swiped his hand in front of him and pressed a few buttons on the floating menu to pull up his map. With his heading reaffirmed, he set out for the town of Amazon.

»ID: [23275]

»LD: [7]

Bright rays of sunlight shone through the high forest canopy, bringing light to the otherwise dark jungle floor. Takao stopped for a moment's rest and laid his back across a mossy log. Growing up in the city of Osaka meant that his experiences with interesting environments was very limited. He'd likely never have seen a jungle like this in the real world, which made moments like these all the more enjoyable – and worth it. Bird calls of foreign variety were beginning to lull him to sleep, which was a very dangerous and incredibly reckless decision. But Takao wasn't exactly the most normal of people to begin with, so this was alright with him. Even if he was attacked, he still had plenty of health left to react with.

»ID: [23274]

»LD: [13]

“Aha, finally!†Takao reached out and plucked the flower from its stalk. The sparkling yellow petals had caught his eye in the dense jungle, immediately spurring his response. The plant beneath it disappeared, leaving only the material in his hands. He pressed his index finger to it and read the name. He had a hard time pronouncing whatever it was called, but upon further inspection, learned it could be used for crafting with alchemy. A valuable resource, no doubt. He'd keep it for later.

»ID: [23273]

»LD: [16]

+1 Material

Takao had opted to eat as he walked. The thought of food made his stomach rumble, which was nothing a quick spot of digital bread couldn't sate. “I bet my parents are totally freaked out over this whole NerveGear business. Hope they aren't worrying too much.†He said to himself after swallowing the bite of bread in his mouth. His eyes glanced over the jungle, which was a magnificent sight to behold. “Too bad this turned out like it did. Kyo would've loved the scenery.†Fond memories of his sister flooded his head. Takao wondered if, eventually, the NerveGear would circumvent the massive amounts of negativity that was likely surrounding it, and if he could ever convince his sister to try it out.

»ID: [23272]

»LD: [11]

Nothing but an endless sea of trees laid out before him, but as he walked, he felt a small smile crawl onto his face. It was barely noticeable, nothing more than a slight tug of muscles in his face. In fact, it was more of the positive air that surrounded him that made it seem like a smile than it was an actual smile. His mind started to wander over various topics. How long it would take to clear the game, what better foods there were to try than the bread and water he'd been sating himself with for the entirety of his time in Sword Art Online. Finally his thoughts stopped at the town of Amazon – a town populated entirely by female NPCs. Not a particularly comfortable situation for Takao, being a young teenager, but the constant reminders that they were just animated collections of ones and zeroes helped him get through it.

»ID: [23271]

»LD: [8]

Takao's eyes wandered up to his health bar and noted its depleted state. He was still well within the green zone, so even if he did encounter something in the jungle that he'd rather not, the chance that he would die was small. Even so, it didn't hurt to be careful. He watched where he walked and kept a keen eye on the jungle surrounding him. The walk back to town would take a while now that he'd wandered down a detour in search of crafting materials. His efforts had been fruitless so far, but he still held out hope. He had quite a ways to go before he'd be back in Amazon.

»ID: [23270]

»LD: [10]

The jungle's atmosphere was entirely different from any of the other environments he'd been in. It was much denser, the humidity felt like it was draining him of his energy at all times, and the sounds seemed to echo from much further distances. The ambiance was entirely different too – very unsettling. The flora was just as different too, everything was so strange and foreign to him. But a long walk in a new environment gave him plenty of opportunities to clear his head of thoughts he'd rather not have. After all, he had just killed himself, more or less. Even if it was a quest character, nothing more than an NPC that was just wearing his face. Nothing particularly grabbed his interest in the way of crafting materials, so he continued on.

»ID: [23269]

»LD: [6]

An uncharacteristic silence had fallen over Takao. He pulled his gaze away from where Gemini had fallen when a prompt appeared in his face, notifying him of his completed quest. After sheathing his blade on his back, he ran a hand through his hair and read the menu. The quest had given him enough experience to level up, which brought a small smile to his face.

“Well, at least I know I'm good for some experience.†A light laugh cleared the tense air that surrounded him. He continued reading, and an eyebrow raised at the text that followed. He'd earned a skill - «Concentration». He read more about it and learned exactly what the skill did. Unlike his others, which were passives, this one was activated on use, and had a lengthy cool down period. It'd increase his attack when activated, but only that attack.

“Huh... I'll have to remember to use that.†Takao glanced around and exhaled a breath. Now I'm out of the mood to grind for experience. I guess I'll look around for some crafting materials for now.

»ID: [23268]

»LD: [9]