Seul

Seul arrived at the designated meeting place shortly after Morgenstern, offering up a simple wave as he approached the tank. In truth he wasn't originally convinced he'd show up, but was pleasantly surprised with the end result of sending a message.

“I know it's sudden calling you here like this, but there's something I've gotta do.” He said before flicking his menu HUD open. Fumbling through his inventory for a moment allowed him to spawn the golden greatsword on the ground to his side and in the next moment a trade window appeared before Morgenstern’s eyes.

“I'm sure you've seen me use this weapon before since I had it at the last couple of event battles. It has… Special properties. Doesn’t happen too often, but whenever the metal shines its power nearly quadruples in strength. It’s one of the strangest weapons I've used, so I think it'd be better in the hands of one of the CAs than a lone orange player. Think you can handle using it?”

[-Maiden's Kiss]

“For f*ck’s sake guys… I didn't know you all thought I was so useless.”

Somehow he managed to keep quiet for most of the discussion but as things winded down and the teams started being formulated both Hikoru and Baldur failed to place him on a team or even mention his lack of one. The only one who even considered his role was Morgenstern, so it seemed everyone else was now intent on excluding him from the raid. He didn't mean to be rude with his outburst, but he wasn’t about to hide his distaste with always going unnoticed by his peers so easily. They'd all see how useful he could be in this next raid, then there'd be no choice but to remember his presence. Probably.

“Anyways… I plan on going too, so it sounds like I'm either fighting with the Knights or the Celestials. Just put me wherever there's room and I'll be happy. Sitting out on too many boss fights will make me rusty.”

Seul couldn’t help himself from leaning on one arm and space out just as the meeting had begun. A couple other players had wandered in but he didn't make any extra effort to address them individually. So this was the frontline now… If only all those people who lost their lives could be here now to see how much everyone had grown.

In the midst of his daydream Beatbox had approached and brought up the elephant in the room to which he only shook his head. Now wasn't the best time or place to discuss such things, but if he really wanted to know the truth would be revealed eventually.

Hikoru put forth all the information they had and the players in turn started offering up their own ideas. He felt nothing really worthwhile was said in response though. Though he didn't say it, he would have liked for the meeting to move toward a conclusion. Their job was done and the info was out there, they all just needed to decide on a day to gather at the boss room.

“Guess it's time to go.”

Finally the remaining fragments had been found and along with it the whereabouts of the boss room. This marked the start of the next raid, or rather preparing for it. After so much down time it was probably a surprise to hear that a meeting was being held out of the blue to discuss their tactics for the battle. While it was true he had played played a part in getting to this point he wasn't about to let it all go to his head. Still, since the CA’s invited him to help conduct the meeting it would have been rude to decline. Now he just needed to find the guild hall…

---

Following the coordinates proved to be the easiest method and with heavy steps Seul made his way toward the entrance of the building. He had forgotten about his orange status and wondered if that would hinder any of the planning considering the incident was kept a secret to most of the frontliners. He'd just have to deal with any backlash if it came.

"Hello?” He called after stepping inside and by following the sound of people already chatting he managed to reach the meeting hall without much of a hassle.

“Good afternoon everyone. I have to say; this place is pretty nice.” It was larger than the KoB guild hall at least and as far as he knew it must have been pretty expensive given how high this floor was. The guild was far more capable than he initially assumed them to be. Those thoughts aside though, he noticed a seat with his name on it and decided it'd be best to sit too as they all waited for things to get started.

Next

“Don't f*ck with me!” He yelled, not trying to hide his anger in the slightest. To think that the monster would be mocking him so soon into their battle… Of course he was going to take it as an insult. He might have been too weak to help fight Rohk but now that he was able to train he was among the stronger end of the player base. Shi would come to release that once his sword was through its skull but for now acting to hastily was a good way to end up in an early grave. Just by looking at the bird one could tell it was stronger than most monsters. Acting without a strategy would be unwise but he also didn't want to fight it forever.

As Shi dove toward him again it struck with more precision than before. It seemed to have taken his words to heart and was now giving him it's full force. Parrying not only greatly reduced the damage from its talons but also allowed Seul to perform a Justified Riposte, causing the boss to be grounded for a few moments due to the stun.

Party 

Seul: 1005 / 1035 (-30) HP | 102 / 104 (+3/-2) EN | [Parry Active]

Enemy 

Shi, Lord of the Skies: 1200 / 1200 HP | [Stunned on Next Turn]

• 350 Damage 
• 100 Mitigation 
• 3 Accuracy 
• 4 Evasion
• Arial Gust: On a CD of 10+ Shi will take to the skies and send gusts of winds at all players for 250 AoE damage (can be mitigated).

Rolls (Seul)

• ID: 81059
• BD: N/A
• CD: 6 (Recovery)

Rolls (Shi)

• ID: 81060
• BD: 9 | 352 x .50 - 146 = 30 Damage | Justified Riposte Triggered
• CD: 7

One last glance over his stats was enough to convince him he was ready for this fight. Seul took a deep breath as he pushed the doors to the room open, met with the sight of a large bird perched atop a nest that was just as impressive in size. The boss flapped its massive wings as it took to the air causing a resulting gust of wind to nearly knock him off his feet. Thankfully he managed to brace himself just as the air passed by to maintain his balance. So this was how it felt to be part of the raid on that fateful day. At least this is how he partially imagined it.

Drawing his sword now he dropped down into a parry stance with his blade ready to deflect the inevitable attack from the avian creature. Shi's red eyes narrowed in on the player’s form after this, causing it to stop hovering around the throne it had built for itself and fly toward the boy with great speed. It flew in close enough to just barely miss Seul with one of its talons, but that was more than likely done on purpose to try and psych him out and make him drop his guard.

BATTLE START | BATTLE THEME 

Party 

Seul: 1035 / 1035 HP | 102 / 104 (-2) EN | [Parry Active]

Enemy 

Shi, Lord of the Skies: 1200 / 1200 HP 

• 350 Damage 
• 100 Mitigation 
• 3 Accuracy 
• 4 Evasion
• Arial Gust: On a CD of 10+ Shi will take to the skies and send gusts of winds at all players for 250 AoE damage (can be mitigated).

Rolls (Seul)

• ID: N/A
• BD: N/A
• CD: N/A

Rolls (Shi)

• ID: 81056
• BD: 1
• CD: 5

It was hard to believe that he was actually here of all places. The history surrounding this room alone should have been enough of a deterrent to anyone who thought exploring the area was a good idea. The boss room was not much other than a graveyard at this point and a constant reminder of the dark days that followed after. Seul couldn't say he knew those who died in that particular battle, but he had heard the stories of course. The man known as Azide was originally a vice commander of the Knights of Blood, so in a way he helped shape the foundation of the group.

The other player was one he was even less familiar with. Very little information exists regarding who she was before her death, but given she was reported to be of a lower level the only conclusion that made sense was to assume she was suicidal. To think someone could be driven to such a point… It wasn't hard to imagine in this world.

“Guess I'd better get ready.” He mumbled under his breath while staring at the doors to the boss room. On the other side was the rumored child of Rohk, a sole surviving hatchling that the frontliners at the time failed to eliminate. He'd face it alone, after using using a few buffs of course.

Name: Power Up Potion
ID: 80499
Roll: 19 (LD) | 8 (CD)
Item Type: Status Update Potion (Damage)

Tier: 2

Quality: Rare
Enhancements: +4 Damage

Description: A simple potion that increases a player’s damage output when consumed.
Post Link: Here

___________________________________

Name: Rage Candy
ID: 80432
Roll: 14 (LD) | 6 (CD)
Item Type: Snack (Alcholoic)

Tier: 2

Quality: Uncommon
Enhancements: +2 Damage (-1 Evasion)

Description: Candy made using alcohol. Eating it increases ones damage but also makes them easier to hit.
Post Link: Here

Name: Coldsteel Coat
ID: 80467
Roll: 21 (LD) | 5 (CD)
Item Type: Light Armor

Tier: 2

Quality: Perfect
Enhancements: 2 Thorns / 1 Light Momentum

Description: A simple black hoodie with a sinister design. Due to the pure increase in coolness it provides to the player who wears this armor, anyone who attacks them gets damaged. Just remember… It's nothin’ personal, kid.
Post Link: Here

Ultimately he just decided to bang on the top of it until it opened… And it worked. The lock eventually fell off and inside was a couple of col coins and materials to be taken. Not bad for his first chest. It certainly did increase the thrill of this excursion to find something as rare as treasure. Maybe he should do this scouting thing more often.

***

It took a while but he finally found his way out of the labyrinth by the time the sun was getting ready to set on the horizon. It was best to find somewhere safe to sleep for the night now that his mission was done. Giving one last glance at the towering dungeon he smiled while thinking about just how far he had come as a player to be able to do these things on his own. Few people could be completely independent in this game and he was lucky to say he was one of them.

ID: 80504 | LD: 16 (10+6) | 2000 Col and 4 T2 Mats Obtained!

Thread Complete | Rewards

• 2 SP
• 46,080 Col
• T2 Perfect Armor (x1)
• T2 Rare Armor (x1)
• T2 Rare Consumable (x1)
• T2 Uncommon Consumable (x1)
• T2 Mats (x10)
• Map Fragment  (x1)

ID: 80502 | LD: 20 (19+1) | Chest Found!

Seul pressed against one of the walls and as he did a piece of it pushed in like a button. The room started to shake as a result and the wall opened up to reveal and hidden passage inside. Had he really done it? He wasted no time going inside and no following the path to another room where in the center bathed in and don't ray of light sat and don't treasure chest.

“Aaaw yeah! First treasure chest! Found by me, Seul: Treasure Hunter Extraordinaire!” He yelled while running up to claim his prize. As he tried to open it though the lid remained closed. Locked. Of course. Good thing he had points in picking. Now he just needed to figure out how to use the skill. It wasn't like he had an actual lockpicking tool to use. He'd just have to wing it. That seemed to be working so far anyway.

As he entered the room he was met with more darkness than the previous one, though there was enough light still pouring in to see where he was going. It was a til so far more spacious than the other rooms, so it was probably going to take some time to inspect the whole area for any hidden goodies.

“If only someone with search grandmastered was here. Then this wouldn't even be a problem.” He groaned while strolling toward one corner of the room. He wasn't qualified for this portion of treasure hunting as much as he would have liked to deny that fact. Looking about the entire room he didn't see anything that resembled a box like object for loot. Just rocks mostly. Lots of boring rocks. Had this been a wasted side trip? Maybe he just wasn't looking hard enough. Giving the room one last sweep seemed like a good idea...

He just wanted more power to protect himself and the people he cared about. If the picking skill could help with that then he considered it to be a worthy investment. Half the battle of treasure hunting was just finding the damn chests though. Picking on its own was a tad worthless without a decent search rating to back it up since you can't open something that can't be found.

***

Ahead he could see another small cave in the wall that he had missed on his previous trip. If a chest was going to be anywhere it was inside that room. With a deep breath he slowly walked toward it, feeling his heart about to beat out of his chest. Hopefully the world was feeling generous enough to indulge him a little for his efforts. He had worked hard to help out with the scouting and really, when would another opportunity like this show up?

Persistence and optimism, persistence and optimism! Those were all he needed. And a sharp eye for treasure. Probably. The picking skill was something he purchased on a whim, an impulse buy at the time. He wasn't aware of how tedious actual treasure hunting was at the time though and for little payoffs at that. The main selling point of the skill was that on extremely rare occasions high ranking lockpickers could find unique equipment. It might have been greed dueling his motives, but he didn't care. Having unique equipment was what set apart average players from the elite and only served as a way to increase a player’s odds of surviving.

Not that he was really expecting to find one. It was just a rumor after all. Living in Aincrad meant you often heard crazy things from time to time so each bit of gossip had to be taken with a grain of salt.

“Guess I should get out of here now.”

With a nod he decided to turn around and start the descent back out of the tower. But then another idea crossed his mind: The treasure chest! He hadn't seen one in person yet… Which was a little disheartening considering how many points he spent to raise his picking skill. To make this trip absolutely perfect he would need to find one and hope there was actually something good inside. But where would he even start looking? A labyrinth seemed like the perfect place to find hidden treasures. He'd just have to search everywhere and hope for the best.

That's just what he did. Keeping an eye out as he walked back down the path he looked for the glimmer of anything that remotely resembled a treasure coffer. Maybe luck would smile down on him again soon if he just stayed persistent.

He felt about ready to collapse. Like a ton of bricks he felt an immense wait on his shoulders as fatigue was starting to catch up with him. Just as Seul was about to close out his reward screen something else caught his eye. An item named “Map Fragment”. Further inspection revealed just what it was all about. Apparently he managed to kill enough monsters to receive piece of a map that'll lead everyone to the boss room once enough are collected. At least that's how he interpreted it anyway. Strange.

It made him happy to actually be part of the process for once though, regardless of how grueling it might have been. This meant they were just one step closer to getting out of this game.

“I guess I'll go find a party and come back to get more.” A sound plan. This kind of task was a bit much for one person to handle alone.

It was now or never! Seul dipped into the stance for his sword art and as he did the greatsword finally started to glow again! It was time to end this, but Calamity Disaster still couldn't be used without a little more energy. Instead he used Tempest and rushed past the group of bugs while slamming the pommel of his sword into each of them. The attack brought them down to the red zone, but wasn't enough to finish the job. Thankfully it did goad them into countering and they each bit him as he tried to retreat, activating false aura to kill them off.

It was over. The rewards screen appeared a moment after they exploded and with that the battle was done. Not a second too soon either since he only had three energy left. He sheathed the sword at his back while stretching. It had been a pretty eventful day.

ID: 80485 | BD: 9 | MD: 8 | CD: 9

____________________________________

Sword Art: Tempest | 11 + 8 + 1 × 8 = 160 AoE DMG

Party

• Seul | 939/ 995 HP (+106) | 3 / 98 EN (+3/-19) 

Enemy (20/20) 

[All enemies suffer 16 damage due to flame aura]

[Stuns ignored due to shells]

• Giant Beetle | 0 / 490 HP | 160 DMG
• Giant Beetle | 0 / 490 HP | 160 DMG
• Giant Beetle | 0 / 490 HP | 160 DMG
• Giant Beetle | 0 / 490 HP | 160 DMG
• Attack: 160 - 146 = 14 DMG (4x)

Loot Rolls | Loot Gained: 5880 Col & 1 T2 Rare Consumable 

Total Loot: 43,280 Col, T2 Perfect Armor (x1), T2 Rare Armor (x1), T2 Rare Consumable (x1), Uncommon Consumable (x1), & T2 Mats (x6)

• ID: 80486, ID: 80487, ID: 80494: Nothing
• ID: 80499| LD: 19 (18+1) | CD: 8 | +T2 Rare Consumable 

He just needed to be patient. Adopting his defensive stance again Seul waited for the attacks that would never come… Or so he thought. The beetles actually attacked him biting at his legs and getting hit with flame aura. Now they were getting somewhere! He just needed to push them a little further.

“That's it, come on!”

In truth he wanted them to attack him. As long as they were taking damage he was happy. Every little bit counted and the more he was able to hurt them the sooner he could continue on his way and go on to completing his scouting.

He didn't know what to do. Attack and try to get a critical or keep waiting for enough energy to use Calamity Disaster. It was a tough choice and one was obviously more lucrative than the other. Still, he needed to try if he wanted to succeed.

ID: 80484 | BD: N/A | MD: 8 | CD: 6

____________________________________

Sword Art: 

Party

• Seul | 939 / 995 HP | 19 / 98 EN (+3) 

Enemy (16/20) [All enemies suffer 16 damage due to flame aura]

• Giant Beetle | 170 / 490 HP | 160 DMG
• Giant Beetle | 170 / 490 HP | 160 DMG
• Giant Beetle | 170 / 490 HP | 160 DMG
• Giant Beetle | 170 / 490 HP | 160 DMG
• Attack: 160 - 146 = 14 DMG (4x)

A bug boss… Since Malethis was basically a DPS he figured the bug my be on the more tanky side of things. Many of them have shells and exoskeletons so high mit was something he came to expect. Plus it stood between them and the next set of floors, making it one of the most important fights they'll have. They were moving further into uncharted territory and the battles were becoming more dangerous with each cleared floor. It was only a matter of time before they met another floor boss that was able to take out one of them.

Speaking of which it was time to take a chance and end these beetles. He swung his sword but only struck air as the beetles backed away from the blade. Still no attacks though on their part. We're they just making fun of him now? He was starting to believe that might be the case.

ID: 80483 | BD: 5 | MD: 4 | CD: 4

____________________________________

Sword Art: 

Party

• Seul | 995 / 995 HP | 16 / 98 EN (+1/-2) 

Enemy (16/20) 

• Giant Beetle | 186 / 490 HP | 160 DMG
• Giant Beetle | 186 / 490 HP | 160 DMG
• Giant Beetle | 186 / 490 HP | 160 DMG
• Giant Beetle | 186 / 490 HP | 160 DMG
• Attack: 

Leonidas and the 300 strong army… A full scale war against about a dozen or so players. Though the odds were always in the favor of the frontliners since the soldiers turned out to be just mere fodder. Malethis had its poisonous liquid and the torches that dissolved it. He couldn't imagine it to be another spider, but he was leaning towards it being an Insect if some kind.

“Maybe it's a centipede.” He thought as the monsters just kept staring at him. Was the game bugging out (pun fully intended)? They hadn't moved for a while now. Not that he was really complaining, it just seemed strange that monsters would refrain from attacking especially when a player was without energy and left most vulnerable. He'd have to figure it out later.

It seemed like each question only further brought up more questions. The only way to find answers was to enter the boss room.

ID: 80481 | BD: N/A | MD: 5 | CD: 12

____________________________________

Sword Art: 

Party

• Seul | 995 / 995 HP | 17 / 98 EN (+3) 

Enemy (16/20) 

• Giant Beetle | 186 / 490 HP | 160 DMG
• Giant Beetle | 186 / 490 HP | 160 DMG
• Giant Beetle | 186 / 490 HP | 160 DMG
• Giant Beetle | 186 / 490 HP | 160 DMG
• Attack: 

He kept waiting but the beetles remained in place, not bothering to attack him at all. We're they giving up? Neither side budged and his energy slowly replenished at a snails pace. What was he supposed to do? He couldn't attack them and they wouldn't activate flame aura unless they struck him.

“I honestly hate bugs.” He mumbled while eyeing the monsters from his spot on the field. But it did bring up an interesting thought. Just what would the next floor boss be like? Another gigantic bug monster like that Limbo thing he once heard about about a few floors back? Given the terrain of the floor it seemed like a logical conclusion, though he wasn't sure what kind of abilities it would have. The only two floors he fought for thus far both had some sort of gimmick to them so this one probably wouldn't be too different in that regard.

ID: 80479 | BD: N/A | MD: 3 | CD: 2

____________________________________

Sword Art: 

Party

• Seul | 995 / 995 HP | 14 / 98 EN (+1) 

Enemy (16/20) 

• Giant Beetle | 186 / 490 HP | 160 DMG
• Giant Beetle | 186 / 490 HP | 160 DMG
• Giant Beetle | 186 / 490 HP | 160 DMG
• Giant Beetle | 186 / 490 HP | 160 DMG
• Attack: 

Seul held his sword at a defensive angle as he waited for the beetles to make their next moves. His energy was too low to actually do anything useful and he would just have to wait them out while his recovery enhancement took effect. With his coat equipped he would regain energy at three times the normal rate an average player would, making it useful for fights like these where endurance was a key factor in winning.

Though the attacks never came. The beetles stood frozen in place and didn't try to attack him. We're they able to see through what he was doing? Not that he was trying to hide his actions or anything, it was just surprising to see monsters act with a little more foresight than usual. He would need to keep this in mind while confronting them; tricking this particular AI would be tougher than a boar on the first floor.

ID: 80477 | BD: N/A | MD: 3 | CD: 7

____________________________________

Sword Art: 

Party

• Seul | 995 / 995 HP | 13 / 98 EN (+3) 

Enemy (16/20) 

• Giant Beetle | 186 / 490 HP | 160 DMG
• Giant Beetle | 186 / 490 HP | 160 DMG
• Giant Beetle | 186 / 490 HP | 160 DMG
• Giant Beetle | 186 / 490 HP | 160 DMG
• Attack: 

“Blast!”

The ultimate sword art. It was his first time using the move ever. Two horizontal sweeping slashes tore into the beetles… For only a small fraction of their health. Why did this move even exist? He wasn't quite sure what the game designers were thinking when they added these sword arts to the final version. Having pointless moves seemed like a waste of energy and resources but at least he was getting some use out of them on the higher floors.

The beetle monsters missed their attacks again to his dismay. What was the point of having flame aura and mitigation if the monsters were never going to hit him? Sometimes he didn't understand the cardinal system. Or maybe he was just too good at the game to notice how low level the monsters were in comparison. He was on the verge of being level fifty now so floor twenty monsters shouldn't have been much of a problem.

ID: 80474 | BD: 9 | MD: 1 | CD: 1

____________________________________

Sword Art: Blast | 11 + 8 +  1 x 2 = 40 AoE Damage

Party

• Seul | 995 / 995 HP | 10 / 98 EN (+1/-4) | 

Enemy (16/20) 

• Giant Beetle | 186 / 490 HP | 160 DMG
• Giant Beetle | 186 / 490 HP | 160 DMG
• Giant Beetle | 186 / 490 HP | 160 DMG
• Giant Beetle | 186 / 490 HP | 160 DMG
• Attack: 

As the last group fell the new enemies arrived in the form of giant beetles. Seul’s energy was low but he wasn't about to stop in order to regain his energy. He needed to take out the monsters quickly with what he had.

With six powerful slashes he took out a huge chunk of the bugs health bars. They tried to retaliate but we're unable to land any clean shots on the player as he weaved through their jaws.

His energy was gone now. Even if he wanted to he wouldn't be able to use Calamity Disaster against the beetles. For some reason two handed swords had very little AoE capabilities. The only other sword arts at his disposal were either for single targets or too weak to make a real difference in a fight like this.

"I guess I'll just have to blast you guys away with my ultimate sword art!”

ID: 80472 | BD: 10 | CD: 9

____________________________________

Sword Art: Calamity Disaster | 11 + 8 + 1+ 2 x 12 = 264 AoE Damage

Party

• Seul | 995 / 995 HP | 13 / 98 EN (+3/-24) | 

Enemy (16/20) 

• Giant Beetle | 226 / 490 HP | 160 DMG
• Giant Beetle | 226 / 490 HP | 160 DMG
• Giant Beetle | 226 / 490 HP | 160 DMG
• Giant Beetle | 226 / 490 HP | 160 DMG
• Attack: