Takao

[Combat Sequence]

Takao

Frenzied Bull

Takao landed on his left foot after evading the bull's kick. He spun his right leg around to right his position and slid along the grass covered ground, his boots kicking up a small amount of debris until he came to a stop. Now facing the bull, his legs tensed, and he closed the gap again. His slash was aimed at the bull's side again, but it moved quickly. Its attack pattern was different from the boars and wolves he'd been fighting up until this point, so there was definitely room for error on his part. Takao's attack was evaded entirely, but it was clear the bull wouldn't be waiting for him to right himself a second time. It took a few steps back and shot forward, smashing its head straight into his chest.

He hissed out a groan of pain as he tumbled along the grass. His health bar was freed of a few points, but it wasn't anything unmanageable. Takao caught himself in the middle of the roll and pushed up off the ground, stumbling back a few steps before he regained his balance.

» ID: [23042]

» BD: [3]

» MD: [9 – 1 = 8] (+1 critical damage)

«Takao»

» [[HP : 13/15]]

«Frenzied Bull»

» [[HP : 5/8]]

[Combat Sequence]

Takao

Frenzied Bull

His break was over, and it was time to get back to the grind. He headed further into the prairie with the idea of locating stronger monsters in mind. Takao narrowed his eyes and located a monster he'd never seen. It looked like a bull with brown fur, glowing red eyes, and menacing looking horns that he definitely did not want to get impaled on.

Takao drew his blade from his back – he'd switched the location of his scabbard earlier – and held it tightly in hand. A grin graced his face as he shifted into a stance. The blade began to glow green with a charged Sword Art and Takao moved forward. He sprinted and lunged forward, sinking his blade deep into the side of the animal. It reared up and kicked at him with his hint legs, but he was able to evade before any damage could be dealt.

» ID: [23041]

» BD: [6]

» MD: [5 – 1 = 4]

«Takao»

» [[HP : 15/15]]

«Frenzied Bull»

» [[HP : 5/8]]

The prairie was still empty despite an hour having passed since his arrival. A short break was in order, he had decided. He'd decided to have a quick meal of bread and water while watching over the plains. He'd thinned out the monster population immensely, and most passing players seemed to give him one look before moving on to greener pastures. It was clear they didn't want to compete for experience with somebody who was already there, so he'd managed to keep this part of the prairie all to himself. With his meal finished, he noticed another oddity floating in the distance. When he approached and touched it, the anomaly disappeared and a prompt appeared in front of him, notifying him of an acquired crafting material.

» ID: [22973]

» LD: [18]

+1 Material

I ship Takao with bad dice rolls, because they seem to always find each other. also i have terribru luck.

Takao rubbed the back of his head as he scoured the desert city of Armadillo, watchful eyes scanning each corner diligently in search of one quest giver in particular. His efforts had not bore fruit yet, but he was a long ways from just giving up. At any rate, he could go and grind away in the desert for a while if finding the quest didn't work out.

“Hey,â€

He heard a voice from behind him and turned to glance over his shoulder. When his eyes settled upon the two women, he noted that one was clothed in fabric that fit the vague description he'd been going off. Takao's gaze shifted to Lessa as she addressed him.

“would you be interested in taking this quest with me?â€

“Huh?†He pivoted on his heel and approached the two. As he neared, he noticed the iron floating above the NPC's head that designated it as such. He glanced back to Lessa and offered her a friendly smile.

“Sure! I think this is the quest I've been looking for, actually. Overheard some guys talkin' about it on a lower floor.â€

[Combat Sequence]
Takao
Wolf

The wolves had peculiar attack patterns. The boars were difficult to fight without receiving damage due to their hit and run style tactics. They would attempt to tackle him, or impale him with their tusks, but after that they'd move away to gain momentum again. Wolves, however, were also difficult to fight without receiving damage. They latched onto his limbs and whatever else they could bite down on, threatening to deplete a player's health through a continuous stream of damage. Unfortunately, this also made them easier to kill. They were just sitting there, waiting for the player to strike, which was exactly what Takao did.

He took advantage of the wolf's preoccupied state and flipped the sword in his grip. With the blade pointed down, he lined the tip up with the wolf's head and thrust downward before it could release his leg. He felt the jaws loosen their grasp in preparation to flee, but it was already too late. The blade was driven straight through the wolf's head, reducing it down to nothing more than floating polygons. Another menu in his face informed him of his freshly acquisitioned experience points and another crafting material. Following the rewards menu was another that displayed his new level of six, as well as how his attributes increased. That certainly brought a smile to his face.

 

»ID: [22790]

»BD: [10] (+2 critical damage)

»MD: [9-1] (+1 critical damage) [[ No damage dealt due to combat sequence ]]

«Takao»

» [[HP : 8/13]]

«Wolf»

» [[HP : 0/7]]

+1 Material

[Combat Sequence]
Takao
Wolf

Before him laid his prey. Twas not a boar this time, no. He was not hunting just simple prey, beasts on the low end of the food chain. No, his prey was in fact a predator. Built to hunt and kill, to survive and outlast. Their clash would be epic. Man versus beast, predator versus predator. But at the end of this, Takao knew, he would be at the top. On this prairie, he was the apex predator. It was he who knocked.

His sword was already free of the scabbard and held in his right hand, poised and ready to strike at a moment's notice. Takao's eyes narrowed, watching the wolf's idle wander pattern with interest. There was a window of opportunity when it turned its back to him and sniffed the air. He wasn't exactly the epitome of stealthy approaches, but this would have to work for now.

When his opportunity came, he leapt out from behind the bush. With his sword raised he charged the wolf, his boots stomping into the grass and pushing off with each heavy step he took. When he was within range of the wolf he jumped and spun his body mid air. He used the momentum of his athleticism to slice into the wolf, who howled in pain as a result of his successful hit. He watched the health go down and down until it reached the red zone, and a smirk appeared on his face.

The smirk was short lived and was soon replaced with a grimace and yelp of pain. The wolf reacted just as fast as he, and had bitten down hard on his left calf. He glanced upward and watched his own health drop, cursing under his breath.

 

»ID: [22789]

»BD: [10] (+2 critical damage)

»MD: [10-1] (+2 critical damage)

«Takao»

» [[HP : 8/13]]

«Wolf»

» [[HP : 2/7]]

Takao aligned the tip of his sword with the opening of the scabbard on his belt and slid the blade inside, down to the hilt. A quick glance around revealed that no other boars would be sneaking up on him anytime soon, which gave him the opportunity to examine the item he'd gotten earlier. His right hand swiped open the menu and navigated to the inventory screen. He pressed on the item and read the text that appeared.

"«Hunter's Undershirt» huh? So it's armour then! Sweet!" Takao said aloud, much too excited to contain himself. He continued reading over the description. It provided a small description of the appearance as well as its defensive capabilities. It didn't do anything in the way of damage mitigation, but it allowed for him to preform evasive maneuvers more efficiently. In a way, that was better, wasn't it? He certainly thought so. Why take damage at all when you can negate the possibility entirely? He huffed out a breath and equipped the armour. Regardless of how it looked or what it did, it would be better than the starter equipment he was wearing now. The clothing appeared on his body like magic, and from what he could see, he was liking the look.

He turned around and, from his desire to pursue the killing of more boars, noticed a strange anomaly in the landscape. It was a rock that stuck out in an odd way, so he decided to approach it. Similar to the ore he'd collected the day prior, Takao reached out and touched the rock. When he did, a menu appeared on his screen, notifying him that he'd acquired a crafting material. He shrugged and took it anyways, figuring it might come in useful at some point.

Name: Hunter's Undershirt

How did you acquire?: Monster Drop

Link to Thread: The Daily Grind

Item Type: Light Armour > Leather Armour

Quality: Uncommon

Enhancements: Evasion

Description: «Hunter's Undershirt» is a padded, striped pale-orange short sleeved shirt with a high collar worn underneath a black zip-up vest. The lightweight material offers nothing in the way of damage mitigation, but compensates for its lack of protection by granting the wearer a small boost to evasiveness.

[Combat Sequence]

Boar

Takao

The boar did not heed Takao's warning. He clicked his tongue from disappointment as it charged. Takao had started memorizing its attack patterns already. In these situations where he had clear warning to dodge, it was becoming easier and easier. His brain had even started to incorporate counter attacks into his evasive tactics. This boar was playing the same cards its fallen brethren did, and unfortunately for the monster, Takao had the better hand.

He raised his sword and placed it behind his head, the blade just barely resting above his shoulder. His weapon began to glow a bright green colour, his stance activating a simple sword art. With the sword art active, he grinned and sprinted toward the boar. Just as his Suidae adversary came close enough to strike, Takao jumped up and over the beast. He spun in the air once and sliced, hacking into the tough back of the pig with vigor.

Takao landed with finesse and glanced over his shoulder to watch the monster dissolve into nothingness. A reward menu appeared in front of him shortly thereafter. He read over the information, noted how he had gotten experience and more crafting material, and closed the menu.

»ID: [22771]

»BD: [9] (+1 critical damage)

»MD: [4]

«Takao»

» [[HP : 11/13]]

«Boar»

» [[HP : 0/7]]

+1 Material

[Combat Sequence]

Boar

Takao

Takao's adversary had been more fortunate on the dismount of his failed attack than he himself was. He found little issue with righting his tumbled position and pushed himself back up onto his feet. The beast was ready to strike again by the time his green eyes had settled upon its furry figure rushing at him a second time. He was better prepared for this bout now, even if he did have the lower ground.

In a much more graceful motion than before, Takao dove to the side and rolled into a hand spring. He shifted and turned in the air before his boots hit the grassy ground and chuckled. In the same motion as jumping out of the way, his blade caught the boar, dealing a chunk of damage. Now he stood on the hill with the boar beneath him.

“It's over, Anakin! I have the high ground!â€

»ID: [22770]

»BD: [8]

»MD: [1]

«Takao»

» [[HP : 11/13]]

«Boar»

» [[HP : 4/7]]

[Combat Sequence]

Boar

Takao

Takao's celebration of obtaining an uncommon item drop was short lived. The thunderous sound of approaching hooves alerted him to the presence of a charging monster. He turned quickly, his sword ready to strike, and was greeted with the sight of another boar barreling toward him.

“Awh nau, lookit this'n!†Takao grinned as he stepped to the side of the boar. His footwork on the dodge was sloppy, but it managed to save him from losing a nice chunk of health regardless. In the same motion as his clumsy dodge, Takao swung his blade upward from the ground. It was a halfhearted attempt to try to knock some life off the beast on his way down, but ultimately he missed as well. Takao tumbled backward, grunting and cursing under his breath as he rolled down the slight incline.

»ID: [22769]

»BD: [2]

»MD: [3]

«Takao»

» [[HP : 11/13]]

«Boar»

» [[HP : 7/7]]

[Combat Sequence]

Takao

Boar

The boar slid along the blade and stumbled to the side. It was in an enraged frenzy, shaking its head wildly back and forth. It almost seemed like the monster had forgotten Takao was even there, entirely consumed by an anger spurred on by its lack of health. But whatever gears in the boar's head finally started turning again, and it quickly jolted toward the source of its health situation. Unfortunately for the boar, or perhaps it was fortunate if the programs did feel any sort of pain, Takao was already moving. The sword was held with both hands, though the handle didn't support such a grip, and it was swung down with much more force than necessary.

Takao cleaved through the boar's neck, his blade slicing straight through and severing the head from the body. It flew through the air before dispersing into colourful little glowing shapes. Takao moved to stand and glanced down at the sword as a menu appeared in his face.

“Boy oh boy. This sword is payin' for itself already!†He looked to the menu and examined the contents. The top said «REWARD», as it always did when he killed a monster. But this time there were two values. One was his experience gained from defeating the boar, that much was a given. But the other was unusual.

“Uncommon item..?†He stared at the words in disbelief. “No freakin' way! Haha! I got a drop!â€

»ID: [22768]

»BD: [9] (+1 critical damage)

»MD: [3]

»LD: [19]

«Takao»

» [[HP : 11/13]]

«Boar»

» [[HP : 0/7]]

«REWARDS»

+1 Uncommon Item

[Combat Sequence]

Takao

Boar

Takao prepared to leap forward and finish the battle when the boar turned suddenly. It lunged forward itself, threatening to impale him with the long tusks that graced its snout. In response, Takao quickly brought his sword up and blocked the boar with the blade. To his surprise, he had very little trouble holding it in place. He felt a slight strain on his legs, but it wasn't anything unmanageable. The boar seemed to be giving his all, its hoofed feet digging deep into the ground. Takao shifted his pressure on the blade toward the hilt and released his push on the opposite end. The boar continued pushing and slid down the blade while Takao pivoted on one foot, effectively directing its own force aside.

"Awh nau, mate! Gonna haffa put 'em down!"

»ID: [22767]

»BD: [3]

»MD: [1]

«Takao»

» [[HP : 11/13]]

«Boar»

» [[HP : 1/7]]

[Combat Sequence]

Takao

Boar

The boar roared – well, squealed in pain as the digitized wound scarred its black fur. Takao's smile persisted as he watched the boar thrash around in anger before turning its attention back to him. He almost felt bad about having fun while doing this, but it wasn't any different than killing mobs in other games. A bit more personal and realistic perhaps, but ultimately the same. His green eyes watched the boar carefully as it moved. The health bar that hovered above it sank down into the orange, a substantial portion of its health depleted with one strike.

Takao lunged forward again, not giving the boar the opportunity to strike. His blade sank into the side of the animal and another wound formed where his blade sliced. The boar thrashed again as its health was depleted even further, barely a sliver of red remaining. It lashed out at him, trying to kick with its hind legs, but missed him completely in its blind fury.

“Thasa fiesty one, Cobba!†Takao exclaimed as he avoided the attempted counterattack. It's a good thing no Australians were present.

»ID: [22766]

»BD: [8]

»MD: [5]

«Takao»

» [[HP : 11/13]]

«Boar»

» [[HP : 1/7]]

[Combat Sequence]

Takao

Boar

Takao climbed back up onto his feet and reaffirmed his grip on the blade. That was a bad start to the day, but he wouldn't be letting that kill his mood! The boar exhaled a heavy breath through its nostrils and stomped on the ground. The red eyes didn't show much in the way of emotion, aside from an unwavering desire to kill. Takao smiled and lifted the tip of his blade.

“Alroyt mate, don' worreh!†Takao said in his best (read: absolutely rubbish) stereotypical Australian accent as he sprinted forward. The boar did the same and threatened to crash into him. Takao dropped down to one knee and slid along the ground, evading the boar entirely. He quickly tensed his legs and sprung forward, his sword cutting deep into the boar's side and coming out through the other side. “Not gonna hurtcha!â€

It didn't count as a lie if it was to a monster, right?

»ID: [22765]

»BD: [7]

»MD: [5]

«Takao»

» [[HP : 11/13]]

«Boar»

» [[HP : 4/7]]

[Combat Sequence]

Takao

Boar

The prairie was as calm and quiet as it was vast. Beasts of different shapes and sizes roamed aimlessly in the distance, just waiting for a player to come along and claim their lives for the betterment of themselves. It was a good thing Takao got there first!

Well, it was a good thing for Takao, at least.

Ahead of him laid his first quarry. A boar, its fur black and eyes glowing red. The monster spawns were rather unimaginative for these low level floors, weren't they? Beautiful landscapes, populated with the same mindless beasts... Oh well!

A quick examination of the boar through his heads-up display put his mind at ease. It was well within his ability to defeat it, so he drew his sword and held it firmly in his right hand. The boar's back was turned to him, so he had the perfect opportunity to “get the drop†on it. He moved forward at a leisurely pace as the boar roamed mindlessly. Takao's sword arm raised, ready to cleave the animal in two, when it suddenly turned.

“Whoa whoa whoa, hold on!†He swung as the boar got close and missed completely, barely shaving off a few of the animal's hairs. It crashed into his chest and sent him rolling across the ground, a hiss of pain escaping through clenched teeth.

“O..okay... I think we got off to a bad start!

- - - - -

»ID: [22764]

»BD: [3]

»MD: [9] (+1 critical damage)

«Takao»

» [[HP : 11/13]]

«Boar»

» [[HP : 7/7]]

(if any australians are reading this, i'm sorry ahead of time. i really am.)

Ah, Aincrad. What a beautiful and deceptively cruel world it was. Death hid around every corner, behind every tree, beneath every rock, and yet he still couldn't find himself hating the world he was forced to live in. It was certainly more scenic than his home city, if he were to sing the least of Sword Art Online's praises. Even from a young age, he had always wished his life was like a video game. Where he could go back in time and right mistakes, where his only limits were the sky itself. Sword Art Online was definitely that and more. So much more.

Every time he got carried away with thinking about how interesting the world was, a thought pinged in the back of his head, reminding him of the brain-melting computer he was wearing in the real world. Boy, if that wasn't an incentive to spend all day grinding, he didn't know what was! Of course, that was exactly what he intended to do, at least for today.

With no quests overheard and no strange or interesting players to be met, he'd decided his time was best served getting stronger. Levels were sorely needed, skills were in desperate need for raising, and he had this itch in the shape of a freshly acquired one handed straight sword on his side that was just dying to be scratched.

Takao departed from his rented tavern room, located on the first floor, and headed straight for the teleportation dock. He pivoted on his heel and turned about face.

“Floor three!†His words rang out clear and concise. A bright flash consumed him, and in an instant he was gone. He reappeared a mere second later at the third floor's teleport station and immediately made his way toward the prairie. It was mostly deserted in the morning, leaving plenty of the delicious monster-shaped experience up for grabs.

“Floor Five!â€

A bright flash of light engulfed him, and as the effects settled, he was gone. He left the first floor behind him and, as his eyes opened, examined the fifth floor. It was a bit out of the way for somebody of his level, but the quest he'd overheard some players talking about seemed like a good, easy way to earn some experience.

“So, all I've gotta do is just walk through a desert and find some loot, huh? Sounds like eaaaasy experience!†Takao said with a slight sing-song tone to his voice. He glanced down to his side and smiled at the sword that rested in the scabbard. The Impravidor, his sword in both name and design, and to a lesser extent in creation as well. He had a hand in it, after all!  Takao shifted his attention back to the fifth floor as he stepped down from the teleportation pad. There weren't very many players around, and already he could tell why. The heat coming off the virtual sun was dreadful. He definitely felt like he was in a desert already, and he couldn't wait to bail out and head to nicer pastures once this quest was done.

“Sooo... I'm looking for an NPC in a cloak, huh...†He clicked his tongue and repeated the word “cloak†a few times under his breath. With no such being in the area fitting the vague description, he huffed out a breath and headed into the town. “They'll have to be around here somewhere. Maybe in a tavern or something...â€

Gonna give this a shot with Lessa!

«REWARDS»

1 SP

400col

«QUEST REWARDS»

1H Straight Sword (+1 DMG)

1 SP

«TOTAL»

2SP

400col

1H Straight Sword (+1 DMG)

1 Material

The doors to the smithy flung open. Takao entered and hurried up to the counter as the door shut behind him. He saw the NPC smith where she was the last time he'd been here. She turned to greet him with a smile, to which he met with a wide one of his own.

» Hey there, Takao! Did'ya manage to get all the items I need for your sword?

“Ayup! Got 'em all right here!†He pointed at his chest with a thumb. The NPC nodded and a menu appeared in front of Takao. He read over the contents; information about the quest, its requirements, and the reward. Nothing he didn't already know about. He pressed «accept» and glanced back up to the NPC.

» Excellent! Hold on just a minute while I get to work!

The NPC moved back to her forge and gathered up the three items. She opened a menu in front of the burning forge and, in a flash, the three items disappeared. In their place was a single glowing bar of metal. She shuffled through more menus as she moved to red-hot bar to the anvil with a set of tongs. A smith's hammer materialized in her hand, which she then touched to the metal with a loud pang.

A few strokes later, and the sword was finished. She picked it up and walked back over to Takao and set it on the counter in front of him. He eyes widened and his smile grew. It was everything he wanted and more – so much more.

» There you go! One brand new sword, custom tailored to your description! Enjoy!

He reached out and grasped the handle, then raised the blade up to examine it. It wasn't too heavy for one handed use but still carried enough mass for his strikes to be useful. The edges were polished and reflective metal, dark grey detailing down the spine of the blade adding contrast. The oval-shaped handle, wrapped in leather, felt natural in his hands. He spun on his heel and gave the blade a few test swings, then turned back to smile at the NPC.

“Thanks a bunch! Seeya!†With that, he left the store, eager to put his new sword to the test.

“Yes! Finally!†Takao held up the last ingredient he needed, a lump of iron ore. It disappeared into his inventory to accompany its brother ore and the carbon ore he'd obtained earlier in his excursion. With one final check of the map, he broke into a sprint, jumping into the air and thrusting his clenched fist upward. “New sword, here I come!â€

The trip out of the forest was made in record time. If there was a stamina bar, he'd surely depleted it by now and even then some, but the excitement coursing through his bones carried him anywhere. From the forest, he'd entered some plains, and his pace had slowed to a hasty walk. Every so often he would wave to a passing player. The plains were a much better place to fight. Less obstructions, clear indication of where enemies are... He'd definitely have to grind here later. With the town in sight, he was eager to complete the quest.

»ID: [22728]

»LD: [18]

The path had proved to be fruitless so far, but given how much of the forest he'd covered, it wasn't enough to deter him from looking just yet. He was moving faster now though; covering more ground with each step he took. He could see better as well, both down the path and to his sides. It would be unlikely another monster would get the drop on him, he imagined. Takao kept a keen look out for any objects of interest.

A rock up ahead had caught his eye. He jogged up to it and placed his hand on the surface. A wide smile grew on his face as he read the prompt, but the smile soon turned to a pout.

“Aw... I had no idea there could be faulty crafting materials...†He grumbled to himself as he stood up and gave the stone a light kick as it disappeared. “Guess I'll just have to keep looking.â€

»ID: [22727]

»LD: [1]