Creius

Nathan listened as Yuki let out her worries of the front line, wondering just how strong this boss had to be to threaten the fighters on the front. They were renown for their extreme strength and drive to finish the game. Even with all that strength and push to finish the game, only twenty-four floors had been cleared thus far and the twenty-fifth floor boss sounded like it would be a real challenge for them. "Those of you on the front line are certainly admirable for your strength and endurance. Everyone on the lower floors talks about your progress, wondering how the fight is going. Many aspire to aid you in some way, even if its just in supplies. The skill gap between you and them grows every day, though, which does result in fewer people making it to the front lines." Nathan gave a slight shrug. "I am not afraid of death or lack the bravery to be at the front, I just lack the strength right now. I will get to the front lines soon enough and add myself to your numbers. I just need to find the best way to train my skills. I hope I can match your pace and be at the front in a few months time so I can help out. Likely not with the current floor, but not too many from now."

Nathan followed step next to the paladin as they started to head back to the town. "There is no shame in being carried, I agree. However, I will not let that curb my desire to become stronger and not have to completely rely on others strength. I know I did all I could at my current state, and I am going to keep working to become stronger." Nathan looked up at the unforgiving desert sun above them, it having settled past the midday point in the sky. "There is a lot more work to do in this game and I am going to contribute to getting us out." Nathan looked over to the paladin. "One day we will meet on the front lines, I am sure. And when we meet there, I could act as your DPS if you ever need one. For now, I have a lot of training in front of me. I will remember to reach out to you if I ever need a tank again. Though, I hope we are on a bit more equal footing then."

Nathan watched as the paladin angrily forced the large beast out of its sandy home, causing the sand shark to attack the paladin. Just as the land hit, Nathan saw its health bar plummet as the thorns effect on the plate armor proced, the last sliver of health being depleted. Nathan let out a sigh of relief as the field boss shattered into the shimmering pixels that represented death in this game, they were finally done with that tiresome fight. Bloodletter slipped quietly back into its sheathe as Yuki checked her inventory, likely for the last hit reward from the quest. A few windows came up in Nathan's face, indicating he had gained another level, carrying him to level twenty-two. Nathan looked up to the paladin as she apologized for the length of the quest and shook his head. "I am sorry I could not do more to aid you and we had to just wait for you to be hit." Nathan gave a small bow, "I appreciate your aid in making me stronger. I am one step closer now." Nathan looked over to the horizon, back towards where Fortaleza lay. "Shall we head back to town together or part ways here?"

Nathan kept his eyes locked on the large beast as it swam around in the sand. It's movements were slower, more considerate, as though it were trying to evaluate a tactic within its system restrictions to come out victorious in this fight. But its now largely depleted health bar was telling, this fight would only end one way. How long this fight got dragged out was definitely up to the boss, however, since neither Nathan nor Yuki seemed to possessed the raw strength to inflict significant damage.

As the Terra Firma made its lazy way towards the two of them, Nathan once again activated his Crucifixion sword art, ready to unleash a flurry of blows on the beast. As the beast got close, Nathan leapt forward once more, Bloodletter singing for blood only to be disappointed once more as the sword art fizzled out in the air while the beast once again turned tail away from the party.

Nathan gave a slight shrug to the paladin as she mentioned keeping him late, "No, I have no other obligations. But swinging this sword with little results is a little aggravating." Nathan gritted his teeth and tightened his grip on his sword, whispering to Bloodletter, "I have to become much stronger and faster if I'm going to get back to the front lines." As Nathan said this, the Terra Firma made its turn towards the paladin and Nathan watched as Yuki readied her counterattack. Nathan began to dash forward, Bloodletter beginning to glow brightly as he tried to catch the beast in the side as it made its attack on the stationary paladin.

Nathan leapt into the air as he closed the distance between him and the beast, a mere few meters between them. However, the Terra Firma diverted its path at the last moment, turning away from Yuki’s ready blade and away from him. Nathan’s eyes widened as the space that was once boss became sand and he crashed into the earth, turning the fall into a roll that left him in a crouched stance. Nathan rubbed his head and stood back up, turning to the Paladin. “Damned thing will not just die!”

Nathan once again readied his sword art, watching the churning sand as the sand shark swam about as it planned its next attack. His eyes followed the beast until it turned, setting a path towards the paladin who had slowly been building up hate throughout the fight. As the beast once again leapt from the sands, angling to attack the paladin, Nathan saw his companion ready her own attack with her gauntlet. Nathan dashed forward and watched as the Terra Firma sank its flaws into the heavy plate of Yuki’s armor, a red, pixelated gash left behind and knocking the paladin off balance.

Nathan leapt into the air, watching as the beast once again burrowed into the sand. Bloodletter, glowing its dark crimson light, plunged towards the sand shark’s exposed rear just as it disappeared beneath the loose sand. The rapid series of thursts from the sword art exploded against the earth, ineffective to the boss it had been intended for. “And this boss is very quick on its toes for being so large. I have not been able to land solid blows most of this time.” Nathan scanned the surrounding area, looking out for the plumes of sand that would indicate the next attack while he retreated to Yuki’s rear flank. “This has been all sorts of annoying.”

Nathan took on an offensive position as he saw the sand shark begin its charge towards the resolute paladin. As the beast leapt from the sand, Nathan activated his sword art once more and began to charge, dashing around Yuki’s right side as she managed to grab the sand shark’s foot, restraining it for a fraction of a second. However, having to navigate around the paladin resulted in precious fractions of a second being lost.

After watching Yuki plunge her blade into the beast’s rear, Nathan lunged forward, trying to quickly get his blade embedded in the beast, but to no avail. Nathan watched as his blade entered the sandy plume left behind by the beast as it rapidly burrowed back into the sandy depths before Nathan could close the distance. With a gritting of his teeth, the dark swordsman let the sword art release and jumped back behind his defensive companion, watching out for his next opportunity.

Creius's eyes widened a little as the sand shark turned its aim at him but relaxed, knowing that the paladin held aggro and would continue to do her job. Instead, he prepared his next attack, knowing that if he could just land an attack, Bloodletter's bleed would do more damage in a few seconds than the physical damage he could output the whole combat. As Nathan figured, Yuki seemed to appear out of nowhere, placing herself between him and the shark, and Bloodletter started to glow its menacing crimson as Nathan once again accessed the Crucifixion sword art. "I'll hit it right as she deflects it to the side. I should be able to slide a hit in at that opening." 

Nathan watched the shark launch itself at Yuki to which the paladin brought her blade up in a defensive stance. Nathan began to dart forward a fraction of a second later, closing the small distance between them quickly. His blade was aimed right above Yuki's sword-arm shoulder, where he predicted the monster would go after her defense; however, the beast never land its attack. Instead, Nathan almost stumbled into the paladin as he had to stop his momentum suddenly. The red thirst in his blade dying down to the mundane dark metallic color as he let the sword art go. "I know you will not fail me. We have our jobs to do. And as a DPS, no matter how low level, I will continue to do mine. If I can just hit him again, I will make him bleed. And he will bleed over and over until we defeat him.” Nathan backed off to the paladin's rear flank once more and scanned the surrounding area for signs of the sand shark's next attack.

Nathan watched as Yuki readied her defense and smashed the sand shark on the head with her armor-clad fist. The impact made even Nathan wince a little as the boss monster immediately went limp in front of the paladin, the stunned status taking effect. As the paladin turned to him, offering up an attack, Nathan brought Bloodletter to a ready position, triggering the activation of his Crucifixion sword art with a quick nod, “Do not mind if I do.”

Nathan darted forward to the stunned sand shark, Bloodletter glowing its crimson red, and unleashed another sword art upon the stunned beast. Bloodletter flew forward in a rapid series of thrusts, once again creating the cross of puncture wounds on the beast's rough skin. Gritting his teeth, Nathan retreated as he noticed his blade’s physical attack meant little to the large monster and Bloodletter’s bleed proc was too low for reliable damage output.

Kindness being a problem, that was a sentiment he had been raised with. The world he grew up in was unforgiving and cruel and kindness could get you killed. It was not something he so easily would have rejected as she did with her casual shrug.

He seemed mostly oblivious to the turbulent atmosphere that emanated from him, so accustomed to the more negative outlook on life. His food mechanically went from bowl to mouth, the spoon scrapping softly against the bowl, making no move to leave nor continue conversation after the warrior said he was welcome to stay.

Noticing the sudden movement, Nathan turned his head and was met by her glance followed with the sudden greeting. His eyes would betray the constant struggle and multitude of thoughts as Nathan struggled in the social domain. “My tag is Creius. It is a pleasure to fully make your acquaintance, Lessa. I apologize for interrupting your meal. To be honest, the person I was referring to in my story was you. We met quite a while ago, a year now I think, when I was embarking on my first adventure with Morgenstern. I doubt you would remember; you were considerably higher level than us. I was rather rude then, due to my lack of ability to trust. I meant no disrespect then, and I wanted to make amends.”

Spinning where he stood, Nathan started running over to his companion, watching her battle healing replenish her lost health. He watched as the monster took a wide swipe at Yuki, somehow missing, and leapt forward as it tried to escape back into the sands. Bloodletter began to glow its Crimson glow as Nathan primed his Sword Art Neutron, realizing he did not have enough time for a high combo attack; however, the land shark proved to nimble, disappearing into the sands as Bloodletter passed harmlessly over it. Hearing the horn bellow behind him as the paladin kept drawing the sand shark's aggro while Nathan tried to continue his relentless offensive.

Nathan leapt away from the shark as it became a large plume of sand, burrowing back into its sandy home. He assumed a position off Yuki's shield arm, slightly behind her. "Yes, I realize you are from the front line. This is our mission, though, and it pays to make sure your companions are alright. Especially when they are the line of defense against you getting hit hard. I do not think I would recover as fast if I wound up targeted." He took a ready position, able to strike at every opportunity she opened up for him.

Nathan pushed open the door to The Gilded Hide, the warm sun spilling into the shop. A crawling sensation crept to his shoulder and he looked over to Hector. With a sigh, Nathan stepped down into the shop and crossed over to the counter. It had been a while since his shop had seen activity. But if he were going to get to the front lines, he better also become a forefront tailor. There was no reason to hold back. Pausing at the counter, he let Hector down his arm and to the counter where the scorpion manned his defensive position at the bell. Cracking a small smile, a feature not common to him, Nathan headed into the back room and evaluated the material available to him from his hunts so long ago.

Nathan's needle work was rather horrendous after having been gone so long. His first attempt at crafting left a botched mess of leather scraps on his worktable. Bunching his eyebrows together, Nathan took a few fibers and some scaly material from a monster defeated long ago and started to weave them into wrapping for the hands, satisfied with the work he set the project aside. It wasn't much, but it was a successful product. Leather proved to be beyond his grasp at the moment so he stuck to cloth, trying to weave a cloak. It took him three attempts to produce the cloak, requiring one full do over and some botched material, but he produced a cloak that would be useful in evasion.

Familiar: Hector

Type: Scorpion

Taming Link: 

Description:

A small creature, about the size of an adult hand, Hector resembles an Arabian fat-tailed scorpion with a jet black carapace. His pincers and tail bear a crimson tint, reminiscent of Bloodletter's glow during a sword art, and a white Star of Bethlehem emblazons the top of his cephalothorax.

Nathan turned on his heels after hitting the ground in time to see the thumbs up from Yuki. Giving a short nod of appreciation, he brought his attention back to the plume of sand barreling towards the paladin. He started running parallel to the plume and watched wide-eyed as the paladin took a really hard hit from the sand shark, being sent flying in the air and her weapon being knocked from her hand. Nathan, without a second's hesitation, doubled his step and engaged his sword arts, Bloodletter's crimson glow enveloping the weapon. A small grin crept across Nathan's face as the adrenaline of battle took him in.

Nathan leapt in front of the sand shark after its initial attack, moving faster thanks to the sword art, placing himself between the creature and his airborne party member. In rapid succession, Nathan thrust Bloodletter four times into the shark's snout in a vertical line. With a loud yell, he finished the sword art with two more thrust, one on the shark's right side followed by a more weighted thrust on the shark's left side. Briefly a cross could be seen made on the sand shark's snout as Nathan finished the Crucifixion sword art, a brief pause before the impact registered on the momentum laden shark and it's course was diverted, the shark being knocked out of the sand and sent flying back a little. As the shark landed back in the sand and burrowed once more, not bothering to check the pitiful damage he likely inflicted, Nathan turned to the paladin, seeing she had already risen, "Are you alright? That looked like a hard hit." Nathan noted that it looked like almost a tenth of her health bar was gone. "That sort of hit on someone twice my level would have devastating affects on me..." he thought, gritting his teeth. "All I can do is not get hit and let the tank do her job."

Nathan followed Yuki, quickly making their way through the dunes as the settlement of Fortaleza turn small behind them. They came upon a large hole and deep-down Nathan caught site of the sand shark, a monstrosity compared to the one that he had hunted previously. He felt the constriction of his throat as that subtle fear of death started to set in, a feeling that had been foreign for so long.

As the warrior leapt into the sand pit, her great horn filled the hole with a loud sound, energy cascading from her and the large creature began to show aggression as it targeted her. Watching the creature barrel towards the relatively small paladin, Nathan could not help but feel the slight electric feeling of combat come, calming his nerves.

As the sand shark made its way through the sands rapidly to the paladin, he crept into the pit, slinking off to the right flank, Bloodletter starting to glow with anticipation at the coming battle. Focusing on his speed, Nathan darted towards Yuki and the sand shark, watching the sand shark fly as the paladin tossed it aside casually, it’s health bar dropping rapidly from contact wit Yuki. Nathan dashed forward, his rapier light in his hands, Bloodletter seemingly humming in his hand at the thirst for blood.

With a yell, Nathan jumped forward and thrust Bloodletter to the beast, straight into the exposed underbelly of the shark before it could impact the sand and disappear. Bloodletter easily slid through the rough scales, leaving the red gash of a mark that started to emit red pixels as Bloodletter's bleed effect took hold. Nathan couldn't help but grin as he landed back on the sand. As the shark began to burrow back into the sand, readying it's next attack, Nathan could not help but notice the negligible effect his blade had on the beast. Tightening his hold on the blade, Nathan gritted his teeth and prepared for the long combat to come.

Nathan followed the warrior, following her stride as he listed to her detail the boss. He had heard of the evolutions popping up across the floors, particularly of Avalanche who had surprised information brokers so long ago. He was not looking forward to engaging a stronger version of the sand shark he fought so long ago. “I feel safe enough, you seem more than capable for this fight. Otherwise I would not have embarked on it. I have no questions, just a desire to see this through and continue on our quest to finishing this game. I just hope I can be of some help as well; I do not want to be entirely dead weight.”

Noting Yuki’s readying of her blade, Nathan drew Bloodletter from its sheathe, giving it a few practice swings as the two of them, the comfortable weight of the blade nudging a familiar memory from his last combats. “It has been a long time since I have wielded my blade, I am sure I will stumble a quite a bit. I apologize for any inconvenience.”

As he saw the pink haired woman waving at him, Nathan approached her and saw her hand extend towards him. There was a slight hesitation before Nathan returned the gesture, taking her hand into his and giving it a slight but firm shake. “Good day, my name is Creius.” Nathan’s cold eyes took a moment to evaluate the player before him from head to toe, noting the heavy armor she donned. She certainly carried a sense of energy about her, if abated. “You must be the tank that offered to take me through a quest on this floor.” He gave the woman a half bow, “I greatly appreciate your assistance, Yuki. I am looking forward to working with you. I am looking to get back to the frontlines quickly...” Looking to the main gate of the settlement where the desert began, Nathan continued, “You mentioned you were familiar with the quest we are conducting today?”

Creius's Stats

As the bright blue light of the floor teleportation gave way, a harsh white light took its place as the unforgiving sun of the fifth floor beamed down upon Nathan’s skin. He grimaced as he looked across the sprawling dunes on the horizon, an unsettling feeling in his stomach as he stepped away from the teleportation point. It had been a long time since he done any real combat, much less a quest. Nathan knew he had a lot of work before him in order to reach the forefront of the fight out of Aincrad, the front line having extended into the 23^rd floor now.

Nathan opened the menus of the game and navigated to his sparse friend’s list. Looking at the names he found Zajcica, a young woman who had been offering aid to lower level players. The interface indicated she was on the floor already, so Nathan started looking around for the warrior. Partying up was not Nathan’s first instinct with getting back into the grind, but he was far from strong enough to get to the front line quickly on his own. Absentmindedly, he repeatedly relaxed Bloodletter from its sheathe as he unsurely scanned the crowd in Fortaleza.

Nathan nodded at the wise statement from Jonathan and nodded in agreement to it. He had been very careful in trying not to burn himself out, which was mainly why he was here right now, to relax. It was interesting to note that his friend chose the frozen wasteland as his favourite location, though. A bit of contrast between them and it only made Nathan wonder at what that could betray about the man to Nathan. "I agree with you on not burning out, that is probably the only reason I am still alive. Your choice of floor is very interesting. As I told you earlier, I am more comfortable in the barren wasteland of the fifth floor than this one. Reminds me too much of my homeland, though. If I choose to relax I generally do so on the third floor. It also serves as a nice training area from time to time with the Forest of Wavering Mist. Both are still warmer than here. Do you live in a cold region in the other world?" Nathan looked at Jonathan inquisitively, now curious about the man that he was sitting with. Nathan really knew little about this man, they had just started out together and ended up not killing each other so Nathan had trusted him. His mind was now not accepting that, maybe the long secluded hours and some of the things he had seen and heard of in this world making his mind change.

Nathan nodded slightly as the guild's name made a slight connections with other conversations he had over heard recently. He was not much for conversation so his source of information was other's, usually the loud patrons of the inns he rested at. It was shocking to learn that Jonathan had founded the guild, though, that he had not heard prior. Nathan looked upon his friend, wondering just how far the young man had come since they had last met on the second floor for the <<Long Live the Queen>> quest a while back. He must be rather strong if he were a dedicated tank for a guild and confronting bosses at this point and here Nathan was, struggling to get his damage to the point he needed it. Nathan nodded slightly when Jonathan turned the conversation towards him. "Oh, I have been quite well. Alive for starters, that I am grateful for. I have been training myself, trying to get to where I feel I should be to take part in the frontlines. A lot of questing by myself and farming late at night but it is pleasant. The monotony of farming easier mobs gives me plenty of time to think, though the harder ones I focus on. My progress slowed down for a while but I plan on revamping my efforts and really grinding out some levels and beefing up my damage output." Nathan attempted a small smile, the expression feeling foreign on his face. It had been quite a while since he had truly spoken to anyone but it felt nice to become reacquainted with his old friend again. "Hopefully it will not be too much longer until I am up there but who knows. I am going to be cautious and make sure I make it rather than rush and get myself killed."  Nathan nodded slowly once again, pondering over the near future and all that he would have to accomplish in order to achieve his goal. It was a lot of work but the way would be found, that much he knew. "Thanks for meeting me today, I really need more company. I think I may be spending too much time out on my own, about the most I talk is with Hector. Is there any reason you were on the third floor? For someone that has come so far, I would have guessed you to be on a higher level, fighting towards the front or getting ready for that boss you mentioned." Nathan's eyes fell upon Jonathan, his cold blue eyes studying his old friend and contemplating how successful it had been. It did not really shock Nathan, he would have guessed Jonathan to have been the most successful of the three of them, but it was still interesting to actually see the results after all this time.

Nathan looked over at Baldur as a sudden sigh escaped the man's mouth, a sigh that seemed tired. The sigh made Nathan wonder who this samurai, who stood in armour and armed with a katana, really was. Surely not the exact same man, but something different. Not many people would remain unchanged by coming into this world, and many of those that did would have perished long ago. It was amazing how different the two worlds were, this one and that other one that seemed so foreign, yet how similar they were. Nathan felt that it were all too true to the world that he knew, the one of corruption and death and betrayal. Nathan felt he was probably one of the few to have not have changed by coming here. He walked in silent companionship with the eastern knight, his mind jumping from thought to thought. There was a lot of work to do but, with eighty-one floors to work with, it was doable. He would be careful and plan it slowly until he could make use of his strength. But now his mind could not help but return to the real world, a topic he had yet to explore in pretty much since he had learned he was stuck here. "What do you fight for? Do you fight for the people here or something outside? Or maybe even yourself, do you just fight to survive?" There was a small laugh and Nathan turned his eyes to the samurai, looking over at the man who had shown him naught but kindness so far. "I know, that is a pretty deep question and probably too prying, but I am curious. Motives have always interested me and I can tell that the same things drive men here as out there. Greed is a big one, I see it everywhere. It has probably caused a majority of deaths in one way or another."

Nathan turned to the voice and saw the familiar face of Jonathan walk in front of him. "Why yes, I am freezing. I am more comfortable in the floor above than here. The cold is too unforgiving." Nathan gave a small smile, feeling a little better in having come down to meet his old friend. He followed after Jonathan towards one of the larger cottages and entered the establishment, enjoying the sudden warmth of the fire washing over his covered body. "Oh, that is so much better. It has been well, thanks for asking. I have been keeping myself busy, mostly just wandering around and exploring than anything else. I have levelled up a little but nothing terribly high, it slowed for a while. I am glad to find you in a guild. I am sure it's nice to have allies to have your back in this world." Nathan sat down across from Jonathan and had a look around Frosty's. It was quaint, a warm little pub for adventurers to enjoy some relaxation. When a boisterous waiter came to their table, Nathan ordered a glass of water and some fresh bread. He turned to his old friend and rubbed his hands together. "What about you? What has kept you so busy over this time? You speak of a guild, this is new to me. And helping others, too. Sounds like you have reached a pretty high point in this game." Nathan smiled softly, warming his hands and thinking about how little he himself had done in the way of getting stronger. He would make up for it eventually.

Nathan nodded slightly, sensing that he had probably said to much and scared her off. It had been the truth, though, and that was all that Nathan would ever give. He looked to his own bowl swirled the spoon around in the thick soup. Of course he realized his current state was much better than many others but that did not quite justify the bullheadedness he had exhibited. Be that as it may, she was most likely right in the fact that he was overanalyzing himself. That was what he did, though, and it was probably too late to change such an inbred characteristic. "Thanks for being blunt but, I must say, if that is what you believe to be a cold and blunt statement, then you must be a kind lady. I would consider that a simple nicety to state a thought such as that. I do thank you for your input, though, it is much appreciated." He took up a spoon of the chowder and blew on it gently before taking a mouthful of the warm chowder. It fell bland on his tongue, but more so out of mood than taste.  "I would understand if you would rather keep to yourself so I will leave you be if that's what you so wish." Nathan's untrained social skills were quickly reaching their max potential and his inability to conduct small talk pushed him to close the conversation. He had obtained what he had desired, a resolution of sorts, so he kept to himself and turned his attention to his soup.

Nathan was bathing in the sun when he heard a notification go off from the system. His eyes snapped open and he noticed that it was a message, probably a reply. Nathan opened the message and stood up from where he sat and headed towards Armadillo so he could teleport to the floor below.

Quote

To: Morgenstern

I am glad to here it. It is good that you have kept yourself busy. I will be in Snowfrost in but a few minutes. If you know of a comfortable and warm place to rest I would appreciate it. I do not really enjoy the cold but I believe it is high time that I actually talk to someone. Would you mind meeting me by the teleport gate?

From: Creius

Nathan entered the old town of Armadillo and stroll through it quickly, coming upon the teleport gate in the plaza of the rustic town. Nathan tugged his dark leather coat tighter around his chest, not really ready for the bone-chilling cold that he remembered from his previous visit to the floor. At the very least, having company for a few brief moments would make it all worthwhile. Nathan closed his eyes, trying his best to absorb what heat he could from the unrelenting sun of the desert floor, then said, "Teleport, Fourth Floor" and saw the brilliant white light that came with the fast travel. A fraction of a second later, Nathan's teeth were chattering inside of his mouth as the cold of the fourth floor bit his skin. Nathan tugged his coat even tighter around him, trying to get some comfort but none was to be had, and looked around for a familiar face of a friend long missed.