Seul

Many things weighed heavy on the swordsman’s mind as he made the trek up to the twenty-fifth. Through struggle and countless hardships they had somehow managed to clear a quarter of the game’s floors. Though, Seul used the term “they” loosely. It was true he had played a part in two major battles, but ultimately the contributions he offered were minimal in the grand scheme of things. With that being said, a lack of presence was something he sought to change in the months to come.

When his boots fell upon the final step, he offered a wave to the two men who already gathered by the floor’s entrance. It was still surprising he managed to secure a spot in a party tackling the event dungeon, but luck clearly hadn’t been a stranger to the man during his time trapped in Aincrad. Fortune supposedly favored the bold, and Seul possessed no shortage of either.

“Nothing like a good dungeon crawl to get the blood pumping, amirite?”

Knowing little of Shield and Baldur’s fighting styles, he was interested in seeing how things would play out. Keeping up could take some actual effort this time around. Luckily, the Spot-On Tea he purchased would aid with that, if only slightly. Downing it without coming up for air, he could feel the effects on his senses start to kick in as he smashed the empty cup against the floor in a miniature explosion of pixels.

Seul wandered into the shop with a pouch of Col in hand. Having recently trained Pro to fight instead of defend, his equipment had become increasingly useless. It was time for a change, and though he sought the help of blacksmiths, time was of the essence. Merchants often carried wares that were on par with, if not better, than what one might find among common smiths, and Shield in particular had been good to him in the past making the decision a fairly simple one.

“I’ll take these.” He said after rounding up whatever happened to catch his eye and leaving the needed col.

Buying:

-1625 Col

“All that sounds very noble.” 

He wasn’t sure what was going on today. Seul had never been one for gathering or crafting. These things required a level of finesse and patience he was never willing to invest. Not as long as he was able to make money from quests and looting monsters anyway. So it was strange that he would be the one to stumble across yet another material on the list. 

“I’m not sure if I wanna get rid of mine.” He stated, bringing the focus back to the crystal colors. 

“I might miss the dirty looks I get while out and about.” 

It was a half-joke. While changing back to green was something he had considered before, the swordsman wasn’t in a rush to go through with it. As far as he knew, orange players could only revert back once. Though they had been quiet, he knew it was only a matter of time before the organization responsible for the first assassin decided to strike again.

Looking for Mat ID# 151021 results: Loot -- 18 | (17+1) | Success! | 2/5 Found

@Oikawa 

THREAD COMPLETE 

(Good Riddance)

4 SP

Col Total: +10,040 Col [5600 (Ippon-Datara) / 3640 (Gob) / 800 (Thread)]

Mat Total: +T3 Mats (x5) [2 (Gob) / 3 (Gathering)]

T3 Rare Trinket (x1)

T3 Rare Heavy Armor (x1)

Familiar Mastery: Fighter Unlocked

"I'm fine then." With his fears of offending her alleviated and decision made, Mari produced a teapot to prepare a cup for herself.  

As they spoke, Seul couldn't help but grow more and more perplexed by the woman's question. Was this not their first time meeting? Had he seen her somewhere along the way? It was possible. Though, if that did happen, he had no memory of it being noteworthy. Was she famous? He didn't know. But the silence filling the cottage was starting to mound and become palpable. Faces and names blended in his mind as he recalled the ever-rising number of people who came and went in his life. Clearly, she was someone with a past. But then again, who wasn't?  

"...Should I know who you are?" He asked in return.

His eyes would drift away from her and to the husky beside the crackling fire. On its side, he could see the beast's stomach rise and fall in a hypnotic rhythm as it drifted between consciousness and sleep. Though they say it's a dog's life, Seul wouldn't have minded trading places with him at that moment.

"Regardless of who you might be, what matters most is who you want to become from this moment forward."

@Mari

At his words the sword greatsword’s light grew blinding. His words had reached the ghost and Seul knew that they would be together for a long time. It was all true. The reason he was able to survive so long was thanks to the spirit’s possession bolstering his defense. He was forever in his familiar’s debt, but that was even more so why he would need to make Providence strong. 

The light enveloping the blade seemed to extend its length, and as it did Seul took off toward the boulder. With this last smash, a sound that was rivaled only by the clapping of thunder rang out and his vision filled only with white.

***

When he eventually came too bits of rubble were still pelting him from above. Where the boulder had once been now remained only a pile of ash. His sword beside him and Pro hovering above, he felt at peace knowing that they were able to accomplish so much. 

Seul wanted to nap, but knew doing so here would only end in disaster. After picking himself up he beckoned for the ghost to follow, and the two would begin the journey back to their inn room. For once in a long time, the swordsman was content in knowing he didn’t have to walk alone.

Familiar Training Attempt 8 ID# 147176 results: Craft -- 7 | Success! | 3/3 | Mission Complete

They were carving a path forward.  A new beginning. Their ascension to the frontlines and to acquiring the power to protect what they cared about. To find a purpose and to break out of the rut they had been left to die in for so long. This boulder represented all of these things and more. His weakness. His regrets. His fear. Seul would smash them all. Getting into the stance for Galaxy Destroyer, he raised his sword one final time. 

“Pro, we’ve been through a lot together. After Legna died I wasn’t sure what I’d do… But I met you on that same floor and we have been together ever since. Even if you aren’t always visible, your presence has been felt in every battle. Every floor bossI’ve faced and every hardship endured was all thanks to the protection you provided. But we can’t play on defense forever. Now we must go on the attack!”

Give it his all he would! As far as he could tell, it wasn’t an immortal object. With some more guts and effort, they could break it. Seul jumped to his feet and gave some practice swings, though PRo had already left the sword to explore the area. One, two, three, four. Swing after swing. He had to get into the right frame of mind to smash this thing. When he finally felt prepared he jumped down and ran far enough away from his target so he’d be able to get a good start. 

“LET’S DO THIS!”

At his call the familiar drifted over and entered the weapon once more. It was clear to see that Pro cared about this as much as he did. They had done much together in the last twenty-four hours and it was all culminating in this. It was more than just smashing a rock.

The road was lined with broken rocks now and Seul sat atop the boulder now. It stood as the last obstacle in his way, but very time he attempted to destroy it the sword would simply bounce off. He thought for a while about what to do. The training Caron had put him and Pro through didn’t seem particularly useful in this case. But then again, maybe smashing the boulder wasn’t much different from fighting Ippon-Datara in the arena. Both of them had sturdy defenses that required the swordsman to think of a work to get around. Having felled one, he would surely be able to defeat the other as well.

 He pounded a fist against the rock and scratched his blade against it. It was tough, for sure, but he didn’t see it as being something so strong as to withstand another attack from him. He just needed to give it his all.

What he needed now was to smash more rocks. Yes, through taking out his frustration on the stones around him it was possible he’d find an answer. Walking over to another smaller stone, he raised the sword above his head as he had done before and brought it down on top of the rock. It shattered with ease and sprayed into a storm of gravel, leaving behind yet another material for him to take. After scooping it up and placing it in his inventory he left in search of another one. And another. and one more after that.

Though no more materials came after that, the rate at which he was able to destroy the stones was increasing with every attempt. One after the other they would burst with each strike. Seul wondered what someone might think should they happen to pass by and see nothing but debris strewn about.

Gathering ID# 147459 results: Loot -- 19 (18+1) | T3 Mat (x1) Found

CLANG

The metal rang out as it connected with stone. No damage had been dealt to the boulder this time either. It was starting to frustrate him to no end. Why wasn’t it working? The only explanation was that this was no ordinary boulder. It must have been reinforced or made of a special substance found within these caverns. Even if neither of those happened to be true, it saved his ego from the embarrassment of knowing he couldn’t stand against an ordinary rock.

HE rubbed his temple, obviously annoyed at his own failure. He debated taking a break, but knew if he did it was likely that he wouldn’t feel like working any more for some time. He wanted to get Pro’s power under control before leaving the area as monsters would likely be lurking between here and the walk back to town. Being unprepared was something he wished to avoid.

Familiar Training Attempt 7 ID# 147174 results: Craft -- 2 | Fail

This time rather than stop, Straight cut through the rock like a knife through butter. It split in half then shattered completely, turning to dust and leaving behind another material for the man to collect. It actually worked. With a bit of effort, of course. They were appearing to get the hang of this newfound power.

Seul felt it was time for them to attempt the boulder again. After shattering two rocks, they were proved to be more than capable of doing the same thing again to a slightly bigger target. The swordsman would stop a few paces away from the boulder. His greatsword would then take on the glow of the Galaxy Destroyer sword art. The last time they hadn’t so much as damaged it. But he had a good feeling about this. Lunging forward, he raised the blade above his head and brought it down upon the boulder.

Gathering ID# 147458 results: Loot -- 15 (14+1) | T3 Mat (x1) Found

Again he would strike the stone, and again the rock was left with only a scratch. This wasn’t working. Seul had always hated gathering materials. It was a necessary evil of this world though. Materials were what made the economy function and played a huge part in how he had the equipment he did. He was at least able to acknowledge that much. But at the same time he rarely had a need for them outside of use as common currency. His shop had been long abandoned, and he had little intention of starting a new one any time soon. If anything, these mats were just mere bonuses in addition to training Pro.

“Let’s try one more time.” He said while backing up once more. Straight’s animation started up again and he shot forward again. All of his experience, all of his power was stored in this next attack. It had to count for something.

Gathering ID# 147457 results: Loot -- 8 (7+1) | Nothing

Seul stopped in front of another rock and swung with all his might. This one turned out to be far more solid than the last though as he barely even chipped the surface of it. He brought a hand to his chin in thought and considered what to do next. If they couldn’t even destroy this one, then what hope did they have in destroying the boulder. No, they would not quit so easily! 

Taking a few steps back, Seul would place his thoughts on the balde. He envisioned exactly what he wished to happen and played it out step by step in his mind. First he’d activate one of his sword arts and when he struck the rock would explode into pieces, offering up whatever materials were hidden within. 

Psyched up, he dropped into the stance that activated Straight and darted forward. In an instant the gap was closed.

Gathering ID# 147456 results: Loot -- 6 (5+1) | Nothing

What was he doing wrong? Maybe they needed to start off smaller. With Pro still inside the sword he’d walk over to a much smaller stone. Raising the greatsword high, he slammed the edge down on it causing fragments of rock to scatter across the ground. Seul walked over to examine the rocks, but only found one that appeared to be halfway useful out of the lot.

Not bad, gathering materials off of the  rocks around here would provide a decent amount of practice for them. The motions of swinging the possessed sword and adjusting the power output of his familiar would come in handy when it came time to break the boulder again. 

“Okay, Pro. We’re going to go around here and smash up as many rocks as we can until we get the hang of fighting like this. Then we’re going to smash that big rock over there.”

Gathering ID# 147455 results: Loot -- 16 (15+1) | T3 Mat (x1) Found

At the entrance to the garden a crowd of spirits had gathered alongside Caron to see the pair off. Napaea, Inugami, and a respawned Ippon-Datara had joined the group as well, each waving or calling out to the duo as they wandered into the darkness. Eventually they would emerge back by the waterfall. 

The dream was over and it was time to get back to business. First on the agenda was to apply what they had learned though. Seul unsheathed his sword and raised it, giving his familiar the chance to possess the weapon as it had during their fight the previous day. Power coursed through it and the swordsman felt like the very heavens themselves could be torn asunder should they wish to try. 

He’d approach a boulder. Normally he would be unable to split such an object with a single blow. Despite his newfound knowledge he wouldn’t this time either.

Familiar Training Attempt 6 ID# 147150 results: Craft -- 5 | Fail

When morning came Seul was awoken by the nudge of a stick. His eyes fluttered open, only to see Caron standing over him. He sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Pro hovering beside him as they waited for what the old man had to say.

“I hope you managed to acquire enough sleep. Unfortunately, I have nothing more to teach you. It is your hands now to make sure your familiar reaches his full potential.” The man said while stroking his beard, as he had done so often before while lost in thought.

“I understand.” Seul said. “I actually have learned a lot in my time here. We will leave in a bit, but I won’t forget about you, what you have done for us, or this place.”

Caron grinned at this. Seul and Pro would be welcomed back to the Garden of Spirits at any time. That was something the swordsman could be sure of.

The walk back was brief but peaceful. Various spirits followed the trio and when they arrived back at Caron’s home, a spread had already been placed out for everyone to enjoy in the front yard. How he managed to prepare all of this ahead of time, Seul didn’t know. But questioning the way that the old man operated was likely to just end with him having a headache.

Pro wandered off to play with the other spirits while Caron and Seul took to eating. The party went on long into the night until the elderly man eventually passed out from exhaustion. A few spirits carried him to bed and the ones that remained were nice enough to lead the swordsman to a hut in the back designed for guests. It wasn’t luxurious, sporting only a small mat, but it beat the many nights he spent sleeping exposed in the woods.

Seul nodded, after finally composing himself. Earlier he judged Caron as just another NPC, but it was clear that the man was much more than that. He was a mentor and the Garden of Spirits was one of the more interesting locations he had visited during his time spent in the game. He had half a mind to write down how to get here, should he ever wish to return.

“I’ll have you know that very few actually pass this final exam! This calls for a celebration. Come you may rest here tonight and depart in the morning.”

For a place located underground, Seul didn’t see how it mattered what time it actually was. The people on this floor constantly lived in darkness. In a way it was sort of depressing, but he would not deny that the day’s tests had taken a lot out of him. Plus, there would be free food.

And so after being struck, he endured, and the vision played out in real time. The clearing erupted into applause as the spirits had thoroughly enjoyed the show. Still huffing and puffing, Seul rested a hand on his knee. It had ultimately been a pretty easy encounter, but  he attributed most of that to luck. What mattered was that he finally realized how to use Pro in battle. Just as the familiar had been possessing his armor to bolster his defense, he needed the ghost to reside in his weapons if he wanted to increase his damage output. Rather than fight as separate entities they needed to act as one. 

Caron strolled  over after all was said and done with an elated expression. His teachings, as strange as they may have been, had seemingly gotten through to Seul. It must have done much to see that someone else was capable of handling a spirit in such a way.

“You have passed all of my trials and learned what it truly means to work with our little friend here.”

Combat Summary
Seul [998/1130 HP] (+80) | [66/104 EN] (+1/-13) | Concentration: 0/3 
 
Ippon-Datara [-35/800 HP] | (273 Damage)

Rolls
Galaxy Destroyer ID# 147633 results: Battle -- 9 | (7+1+1 Con) | Hit  | 21 x 13 = 273 Damage 
Vamp Defense ID# 147449 results: Craft -- Who Cares It's Dead?

Ippon-Datara Loot ID# 147636 results: Loot -- 11 (10+1) | Craft -- 2 |  2400 Base Col / 3200 Bonus Col / Rare Trinket (x1)

Seul closed his eyes, making his breathing and heart rate slow. He needed to be calm, to focus. When he opened them Ippon-Datara was already upon them. But the monster seemed to move as if in slow motion. [Concentration] was in effect and with it Seul would end this fight. 

Getting to his feet, he called over Pro who speedily floated over to the man’s blade. Aside from the usual glow of a sword art the metal shined with the power of the spirit who now possessed it. In his mind he envisioned, a single upward slash. This dream Seul let loose Galaxy Destroyer. His greatsword landed long before Ippon-Datara’s hammer could land, leaving an enormous cut on the creature’s torso. As concentration wore off the game had finally registered that the damage had been done. Ippon-Datara exploded into pixels and the match was over. They had lived. Together they had slew the beast and passed all the trials. 

Familiar Training Attempt 5 ID# 147149 results: Craft -- 10 | Success | 2/3

Combat Summary
Seul [918/1130 HP] (+80/-124) | [78/104 EN] (+1) | Concentration: 0/3 (Voided) | Heavy Momentum (x1): +6 Damage
 
Ippon-Datara [211/800 HP] | (299 Damage) (Voided) (27 Thorns)

Rolls
Galaxy Destroyer ID# 147448 results: Battle -- 10 | Get Rekt | 23 x 13 = 299 Damage (Voided)
Vamp Defense ID# 147449 results: Craft -- 5 | Fail

Ippon-Datara Attack ID# 147635 results: Mob -- 6 (5+1) | Hit | 124 Damage

Ippon-Datara Loot ID# 147450 results: Loot -- 20 (19+1) | Craft -- 7 | 2400 Col / T3 Materials (x4) / T3 Perfect Heavy Armor (x1) / T3 Perfect Trinket (x1) (Voided)

Seul managed to maintain his balance this time, but still took a decent amount of damage from the monster's strike. If only there was a way to get past its hammer. The massive weapon was how it dealt such devastating blows. He’d have to come up with a way. But, Ippon-Datara wasn’t about to give him much time to think about it. The spirit charged Seul, hopping furiously with bludgeon raised and poised to crash. Proactively, the swordsman tried to hit it with a Galaxy Destroyer, but the monster blocked using the hammer before smashing him in the chest. 

Seul rolled to the edge of the arena and when he opened his eyes Pro was floating beside him. He got to one knee and used the greatsword to maintain balance. The battle had droned on long enough. 

“Let’s finish this, Providence. We will go together and strike as one. Got it?”

Combat Summary
Seul [962/1130 HP] (+80/-124) | [77/104 EN] (+1/-2) | Heavy Momentum (x1): +6 Damage
 
Ippon-Datara [238/800 HP] | (27 Thorns)

Rolls
Galaxy Destroyer ID# 147445 results: Battle -- 5 (4 + 1) | Miss
Vamp Defense  ID# 147446 results: Craft -- 3 | Fail

Ippon-Datara Attack ID# 147447 results: Mob -- 8 (7+1) | Hit | 124 Damage

Seeul raised his blade to cushion the blow, but the massive hammer tore through his defense with ease. The world tumbled around him. If he could thank Hirru now he would, though. A soft glow had encased his body, and when he got up his health bar had been restored to full. The scratches that littered his form had closed and the damage reversed. A heavy sigh escaped his lips and he tightened the grip he had on the greatsword. It was a second chance. 

He glanced past the hulking monster to see if Pro was okay and the small ghost hovered just behind Ippon-Datara’s head. With a nod his familiar knew what to do. It shot forward, blocking their foe’s crimson eye. Ippon-Datara swatted at the spirit, but in his distracted state was an easy target. Seul hit him with Galaxy Destroyer again, but getting so close meant getting struck by the hammer was inevitable.

Combat Summary
Seul [1006/1130 HP] (+193/-124) | [78/104 EN] (+1/-13) | 
 
Ippon-Datara [265/800 HP] | (195 Damage) (27 Thorns)

Rolls
Galaxy Destroyer ID# 147441 results: Battle -- 8 (7+1) | Hit | 15 x 13 = 195 Damage
Vamp Defense  ID# 147442 results: Craft -- 10 | Active | +113 HP

Ippon-Datara Attack ID# 147443 results: Mob -- 8 (7+1) | Hit | 124 Damage

“Damn that thing hits hard.” He managed to say between coughs.

The creature had managed to knock off a good chunk of his health with a single attack. If he wasn’t careful there was a good chance he really would die here. That couldn’t happen. Seul had come too far and seen too much to let himself get killed now.

“With me Pro!”

Getting to his feet, the swordsman charged Ippon-Datara, who was standing idle now. Pro was by his side nut as they neared and the monster raised its hammer, they split in a V-formation around it. From the left Seul struck using Galaxy Destroyer and from the right his familiar did what damage it could. Together they managed to whittle the spirit down to about sixty percent of its max health. Ippon-Datara would not let this go lightly though. Spinning in a circle the one-legged monster lashed out with its hammer like a cyclone.

Combat Summary
Seul [960/1130 HP] (+80/-126) | [90/104 EN] (+1/-13) | 
 
Ippon-Datara [487/800 HP] | (-286 Damage)

Rolls
Galaxy Destroyer ID# 147438 results: Battle -- 9 | Crit | 22 x 13 = 286 Damage
Vamp Defense  ID# 147439 results: Craft -- 8 | Fail

Ippon-Datara Attack ID# 147440 results: Mob -- 10 | Crit  | 126 Damage

Battle Theme

With another clap the spirits constructed an even larger arena, one that Seul would easily be able to maneuver around in. Inugami faded and in its place, another spirit appeared. This one stood far taller than the swordsman and carried an imposing hammer. 

“This is Ippon-Datara. It will be your final opponent. The requirements for this final task are twofold. First, defeat my friend here…” Caron said before trailing off.

Seul had already stepped into the arena with Pro at his side. Their toughest foe yet stood before them, and the man insisted on withholding information? He would never understand why these sage-types had to be so cryptic all the time. 

“And, the second requirement...?”

“Don’t die.” With a grin Caron snapped his fingers and Ippon-Datara launched into the air. 

Seul barely had time to draw his blade. Though he tried to swing with Galaxy Destroyer, the monster had incredible speed and power on its side. As it landed with the hammer a small crater formed and the impact alone sent Seul rolling across the ground. This was going to be rough.

Enemy Stats

Combat Summary
Seul [1006/1130 HP] (-124) | [102/104 EN] (-2)| Heavy Momentum (x1): +6 Damage
 
Ippon-Datara [773/800 HP] | (-27 Thorns)

Rolls
Galaxy Destroyer ID# 147436 results: Battle -- 1 | Crit Fail

Ippon-Datara Attack ID# 147437 results: Mob -- 9 (8+1) | Hit | 250 - 126 = 124 Damage