Morgenstern

The blonde continued on his work on getting the tower. It seemed like his team could handle another attack or so. Focusing on the light, he would slam his blade into the tower once more, sparks flying up into the air. He certainly hoped he wouldn't break his weapon pulling a stunt like this. He felt the light begin to hum as if it was nearing the limit before it bursted with light. "They just gotta hold on for a little bit longer. That is all. We can have them all on in no time" he said almost in a whisper. His eyes drifted up to the life bars. Mac had already begin to drop again. He was taking a lot of punishment. There were three healers on the team to help with his massive health bar so he should be fine. It would end if he could get these last two pillars up and running. Taking a breath, he waited to see how much Ariel would bring up the light before he would attempt to turn it on more. 

149681 LD:19 to Light C

It seemed to him that Ariel had little rejection with his joking offer. However... it was doing the job? The team used their first round of healing, but would it be enough to hold them off until they finished turning on the lights? He hoped they didnt have to beat the boss too after this. "Keep up the good work guys! Im gonna keep doing what I do best!" 'Being and idiot...' he thought negatively. Pulling back, Morgenstern struck the lighthouse as hard as he could. Sparks flew off the stone tower and he took a step back from the tower. If his current teammates ran out of energy he might have to switch so they can keep being useful. 'Hopefully they can keep up the heavy work. We are getting really close here.' He turned to Baldur who was also helping with the towers. With three people, it could go a lot faster. 

148815 LD:9 

LIGHT#1 - [ACTIVE]
LIGHT#2 - 52/66+
LIGHT#3 -  15/66+
LIGHT#4 -  0/66+

Baldur: HP 1540/1540 [+62]  | EN 99/130 [+1] | MIT 94 | EVA 5 | ACC 6WF/5MM5 | DMG 24WF/27MM | BH 62 | ANTIDOTE 0/2 | Conc 2/3 | Parry 0/2 | QChange 0/3 | TOX (9-10) 23 
[Marked for Death-4] Hestia HP: 1861/1970  EN: 83/176 DMG:17   MIT:214  THRN: 99 ACC:1 Eva: -1  BH: 98 Rec:+3 Stonewall: 25% DoT redux 2-1=1 Snowfrost: 1/2 fire dmg   Antidote: 3
Ariel HP: 1630/1630  | EN 84/140 | 24 DMG | 103 MIT | AA +4(6) BD | +1 EVA | 16 BH | 24 HB | 50 THRNS | +4 Fallen (8-10) & 24 DoT3 (8-10)  | 2 Antidote | Conc 0/3 | Parry 0/2
Morgenstern HP 1680/1680 | EN 85/138 | 22 DMG | 171 MIT | 4 ACC | -1 EVA | 84 BH | 91 THRNS | Para. Venom (8-10) | 25% DoT Reduce | 3 Antidote | 24(3) Poison (9-10)
[Marked for Death-7] Macradon HP 1885/1885 | EN 146/187 | 23 DMG | 127 MIT | 4 ACC | 1 EVA |  94 BH | 50 Immolation THRNS | 36 Frost THRNS (21 on crit) | 6 Freeze 0/2 | Antidote 1 | Justified Riposte | +12 Holy | Phase | Disguise | +1 Hate | -1 Energy Cost 0/2 | -3 Energy Cost | 6 Recovery 
[Marked for Death -4] Zandra: HP 2,020/2,020  | EN 89/187 | 22 DMG | 144 MIT | 7 ACC | 2 EVA | 101 BH | 70 THRNS | Toxic venom (9-10) 24(3) | 25% 1st DoT Reduce | 2 Antidote | 12 Fallen | 36(2) BRN(8-10) | Probiotics -27 | Antioxidants | Well rested 1/3

The moment was almost too gorgeous to live in. It was a dream and he almost pinched himself to wake up. Had he forgotten? He was in a world of death where those around him perished left and right. Bloodshed, depression, betrayal, and darkness were all right around the corner. With her though... with Mina he almost could ignore it. Forget it. It was a break to the constant pain he had been through. Losing his friends, trying to take all of the weight of 'The Fall' onto his own shoulders. It was a weight unbearable. For now... now he felt weightless....

A tap on his shoulder woke him from his dream as Violet pointed just below his own health bar. He frowned. What was wrong? It had hardly dipped. He still had ov-. It took a second, but he realized she had far less health than he. She couldn't last as long underneath the water as him. His hands grabbed her waist as if they were slow-dancing and he pushed up sending them floating back up to the top of the water. Their heads resurfaced and he began to take in the air. His hair was soaked and his tuxedo was ruined. 

Through unneeded gasps for air, he moved the hair from in front of her face. "Shall we head back home? It's been fun, but the air is really cold. Its a good thing we live right next to here huh?"

Much to his own distaste, the light didn't weaken the shadows. Just pissed them off. Like wasps that were swatted but not killed. They buzzed angrier at the light he managed to get on. Pausing for a moment, his mind frantically searched for an answer to the new problem. His allies wouldn't be able to take more damage. He could pull the hate form them if it became to concerning, but he'd rather focus on the lighting. As he raced towards to the next light, and idea lit in his own head. "Hey! Instead of turning them all on, we should prepare the lights and then turn them on all at once to remove his defenses!" He was surprised in himself to come up with a  plan. Typically, he was the meathead of the group following orders. Although he had lead a raid himself before, he just readied up the teams. Players died in that event raid. He hadn't trusted himself the same since. There were people who were born leaders, and he was not one of them. 

He reached the next light after Ariel who asked him how he managed to turn on the light. "Ah yes, that. That's a tricky thing but with just the right amount of finesse one can manage to do it." He brought his katana back with one hand. "HIT IT REALLY HARD" he shouted crudely as he slammed the blade into the foreign technology. A spark and a clang was created as his weapon collided into the light tower. "I think hitting it is this worlds way of blowing on the cartridge!" he said dead seriously. 

146259 LD:19

- Stats -
Baldur HP 1241/1540 [+62BH][+180 Crystal] | EN 98/130 [+1] | MIT 94 | EVA 5 | ACC 6WF/5MM5 | DMG 24WF/27MM | BH 62 | ANTIDOTE 0/2 | Conc 2/3 | Parry 0/2 | QChange 0/3 | TOX (9-10) 23 
[Marked for Death-4] @Hestia HP: 1820/1970 EN: 101/176 DMG:17   MIT:214  THRN: 99 ACC:1 Eva: -1  BH: 98 Rec:+3 Stonewall: 25% DoT redux 2-1=1 Snowfrost: 1/2 fire dmg   Antidote: 3
@Ariel - The Crowned Lion HP: 1630/1630  | EN 84/140 | 24 DMG | 103 MIT | AA +4(6) BD | +1 EVA | 16 BH | 24 HB | 50 THRNS | +4 Fallen (8-10) & 24 DoT3 (8-10)  | 2 Antidote | Conc 0/3 | Parry 0/2
Morgenstern HP 1680/1680 | EN 85/138 | 22 DMG | 171 MIT | 4 ACC | -1 EVA | 84 BH | 91 THRNS | Para. Venom (8-10) | 25% DoT Reduce | 3 Antidote | 24(3) Poison (9-10)
[Marked for Death-3] Macradon HP 1503/1885 | EN 156/187 | 23 DMG | 127 MIT | 4 ACC | 1 EVA |  94 BH | 50 Immolation THRNS | 36 Frost THRNS (21 on crit) | 6 Freeze 0/2 | Antidote 1 | Justified Riposte | +12 Holy | Phase | Disguise | +1 Hate | -1 Energy Cost 0/2 | -3 Energy Cost | 6 Recovery 
[Marked for Death -4] Zandra HP 2,020/2,020  | EN 106/187 | 22 DMG | 144 MIT | 7 ACC | 2 EVA | 101 BH | 70 THRNS | Toxic venom (9-10) 24(3) | 25% 1st DoT Reduce | 2 Antidote | 12 Fallen | 36(2) BRN(8-10) | Probiotics -27 | Antioxidants | Well rested 2/3

Hell was continuing to spread ensuing Chaos to wherever it reached. The amount of monsters that surrounded them was increasing to a devastating number. There was no way they could control all of them. Maybe... just maybe if he could get this light to work it would weaken them all. He brought his katana back up, above his head, holding it with one hand. It was a hold that would probably get him scolded by Baldur. "LIGHT DAMNIT!" He struck the light tower as hard as he could, and to his surprise it exploded with the light. Blinded, he fell back. The light spread through the area, making it far easier to see around the area. Hopefully, the light would weaken the shadows and the boss. He dropped back shouting to his teammates witha  Captain Obvious Attitude. "I got it on! Moving to the next one!"

144084 LD:9

72/70 Light Activated!

Thread rewards

Both Players Receive 2 Skill Points

and 200 Col

The two plummeted through the air, wind licking through his hair as he dropped towards the water below. As they fell into the water, a cold surrounded his body as they fell several meters under the surface. He opened his eyes, the moonlight reflecting off of various bubbles that floated about them. His eyes casted down to Mina who had continued to drop further down to the bottom. He swam downward slowly, watching as her hair floated around her in a serene sense that threatened to take the rest of the breath that he had taken before dropping into the water. He pushed out the rest of the air in his lungs, preventing himself from floating back up. He outstretched his arm to reach for Mina's hand as his feet touched the bottom of the water, stepping weightlessly on the rocks that gleamed like gems underneath the moonlight. They were about ten feet underneath the surface of the water, the silence of the water leaving only the music that payed from within their hearts. 

The blonde struggled to turn the light mechanic, Hestia coming over to join them. Gritting his teeth against its weight. There had to be an easier way that this. However, he kept his mouth shut and tried to turn the massive light. "This better have some effect" he told his comarades. As Hestia made her thoughts known, he shook his head. "I really hope they just die and they don't just get angry or something." With one final effort, the light pilla was turned in the correct position, all that was left was to light the pillar so that it blazed brightly. Pulling his weapon out of his sheathe, he would wedge it into the pillar, the crackling of electricity coming from within the weapon. "Strike my sword as hard as you can!" he would shout to the other players. His weapon's electricity should help get some kind of light going, but as hard as this one was, would they be able to get them all lit before they were overrun?

140291 LD:5

60/66

(its odd because we are roleplaying two separate times it seems lol. I'm just gonna cut the first part from my roleplaying XD)

He crouched staring at his own reflection as silence seemed to ensue for an ungodly long amount of time. Then, it was interrupted by a laughter made my Mina, pure joy radiating from the trill sound that she made. 

 "Oh my god I take the maturity bit back, this is F**ing PRICELESS!"

Jonathan frowned and his blush deepened even more from sheer embarrassment. He didn't particularly like being laughed at. "That look on your face right now is absolutely precious~! I didn't know that you'd be flustered like that, especially since ya grabbed my butt like that earlier. I'm most definitely never letting you live this down, love~!"

The joy coming off her was definitely obvious which just seemed to make him even more embarrassed. "Hey! I was just trying to pick you up and be romantic! Its what they do in some of the movies I have watched back in the real world!" His voice cracked here and there with some of his sentences. All of this was rather difficult for him. His entire life was mostly spent doing studying underneath his father, there wasn't any time or really reason for him to engage in any of the other thoughts that had crept up when he came of age. While he may have been knowledgeable, his experience with even dating was an absolute zero. 

"It isn't my fault that i'm not 27 and know all there is to life and emotions and crap!" the words came with difficulty, and he frantically searched for some way to get a grasp on the conversation at hand. She was in complete control, leaving him at the mercy of her whim. If there wasn't a way to end her slaughter of embarrassment, then he would have to bring the game to a clean slate.  He stood up and turned to her. A grin stamped itself onto his face as an idea flashed over his mind. 'She is going to hate me for this... it was a nice dress' He used his <<Charge>> skill to burst forward towards her, moving over to her within almost a fraction of a second. He swooped her up, cradle style and then quickly ran towards the edge of the waterfall. "You know... People that are hot really just need to cool off." A laugh emitted from his throat as he stepped off the edge, falling several meters before plunging into the cool depths of water that surrounded the player event. 

Further confusion ensued. The crackling of his weapon was interrupted by the echoing laughter that came from seemingly every direction. Shadows collided and collapsed together, forming a pale-skinned man dressed far too well for the occasion. Seeing him immediately filled Jonathan with dread, the man's face was filled with boredom as he gazed upon them. Behind his eyes laid a darkness eternal, a void that threatened to swallow the light. 

As quick as a flash, Orgoth sprinted past him, hacking away at the man. A hatred rested within Orgoth, but also fear. His fighting displayed desperation, this enemy far extending his own power. Each attack was met with an invisible forcefield, bouncing off before striking the man. As the onslaught finally came to an end, a purple marker appeared above the new threat's head. <<Immortal Object>> a tag that was only commonly seen on structures such as buildings. 

The blond gulped, his sword lowering as his mind quickly began to think of how they could overcome this new threat. 'Is this Shadow Man the boss? Is that why we can't hit him right now? Something is off' He watched as the shadow man simply flicked in the direction of Orgoth. The wind pressure was enough to slam the Minotaur king into the wall with enough force to make an indention. This new boss was displaying power unrivaled by any previous boss. 'Maybe this is just a display of power and its going to be easier?'  This thought quickly passed as Hestia was the next to get thrown. Her health bar in the corner of his view quickly dipped. 

Everything after that happened far too fast, Orgoth becoming trapped and telling them to turn the lights onto the opponent. 'Is that even enough to stop it?' he thought. He found himself picking up his feet, following Baldur to help set the first light pillar. He watched as the man flipped a lever, his work rewarded by several clicking sounds. Jonathan's eyes widened. "I think you unlocked its pedestal! We can rotate it now!" Slamming his shoulder into the side, he would begin to push the statue to get it to rotate the light towards the battlefield. 'Who made these things light up the other areas?' 

138728 LD:7 Total Added towards Pillar 1

Light #1 Total: 22
Light #2 Total: 0
Light #3 Total: 0
Light #4 Total: 0

Approving even though Cord already posted smdh

"A parent should never, ever, decide what their child will do in life. That doesn't sound like a family that shows love, more like a parent that desired an Heir, someone that wouldn't care if their child wanted something else in their life." 

Mina's words cut deep into him. She just unraveled his entire childhood. He wasn't exactly sure what to say. "I was my father's only child and he didn't want to see what he built go to waste, dusting out as his ambitions rusted from time. You're right though, my family isn't one that shows much love. Love didn't mean much to him, just another flaw in one's heart. My mother was supposedly special to him though." Mina closed her eyes, shutting down the conversation to further debate. His childhood was already finished, nothing could be done. His intention was to take his father's business and make it his own. Perhaps then he would crush it in front of his father's eyes and then bring the man at his mercy. That was a considerable option. 

He listened to Violet's words and shook his head softly.  "I think even I would have noticed something as ignorant as I am. As for my username... heh heh.... Funny story. This was the first online game that I played and didn't know what to put on the screen. I thought that was just what everybody else did too". He gave off a childish grin as he bathed in his own idiocy. Sometimes he questioned about a younger Jonathan's actions. Had Akkasu known about that.... He shook his head. Akkasu was stupidly intelligent with computers. 

Mina began on about his maturity, no doubt an attempt to cover up their age difference and the fact that she was with someone seven years younger than her. "Hmmm, mature? I guess so. What I didn't already have there, was forced on me here. Nothing is going to make you grow up faster than watching everything you had vanish, everything you aquired destroyed, and everything you loved stolen." His words were getting dark as he recalled his time within Aincrad so his voice would drift off. He really didn't want to get into any of it. 

As their noses touched, he noticed how flustered she was, the shallowness of her breath. She had gasped, a sound that turned him bright as a beet. He had slept in the same bed as her but he didn't believe he had come this close other than for a quick kiss. Violet leaned forward, their lips brushing for a moment before a kiss was born, lasting several seconds. As she pulled back, her eyes were glistening with tears of joy. 

pitter...patter  sang his heart as it began to increase in speed. Her hand brushed his cheek, holding it there for a short moment before her voice whispered back, "Love you too, Jonathan..!" 

pitter patter! pitter patter! his heartbeat began to become very rapid, a bead of sweat running down the side of his face.  His eyes locked onto hers. They were gorgeous in the light of the moo, especially when it reflected off the water. The glistening of her eyes, the smile on her face.... Something about it... was far too overwhelming for him. The kiss... the area.... His face flushed, and his breathing began to come heavy. Quickly, he set Violet down and turned to kneel by the water. 

"Something.... Something seriously doesn't feel right." he said in a hushed voice. He wasn't sure. It almost felt like he was sick. Had something he'd eaten affected him in game? That was actually impossible. He couldn't get Mina off the top of his mind, her smile looking down on him. Whatever it was that he was feeling, he hadn't felt it before. He seemed to be overheating somehow. Had the heat of the floor drastically increased? Everything was off. His face turned to Mina, an apologetic smile resting on his face. "Ummm... im sorry. I don't think i'm feeling well.... I don't think you can throw up in this world can you? Everything's just... really hot"

'I don't like this feeling' he thought glumly amongst it all. 

It seems that he had embarrassed Mina. Perhaps he had taken what he said a bit far. She just had wanted to play for him and he had gone and made her feel bad. He rubbed the back of her head as she stated that she was better at speaking through actions instead of words. The simple idea baffled him. She just stated something he had been trying to learn from Baldur. Speaking through actions, speaking through his weapon. Now, here Mina was simply living the concept. "I'm not too good at doing that. I'm not sure if my actions speak, but I doubt they are as loud as any word I can say." He stated plainly. He would sit down on the ground, his left hand sitting to drift in the waterfall that he sat beside. 

As he mentioned his life growing up, Mina seemed rather discontent with it. "... That sounds rather... lonely, does it not..? I never quite understood why parents would basically isolate their children from everyone else... it hurts them in a way that society never could in a million years."

He sat back casually, his eyes casting over the event taking place below. He couldn't manage to see any players, but the view was absolutely lovely. "Hmm? Lonely? Maybe a few times but my studies kept me pretty occupied and the free time I did have I spent with my friend. My father has a vision for the business and wanted to shape my friend and I into the men that would contribute to the dream the most. I specialized in the business field while my friend took on the other end of the learning. The side that would develop the product further." 

He thought back to the time where he learned. His father dedicated his life to the business and even was willing to dedicate his child's life to it. It was important to him. So important, that Jonathan had always bet on the idea that his mother had left his father over something involving the business. Something he wasn't willing to give up for a family. He didn't remember his mother... he was far too young when she left. 

"It took a bit of time here, but even I adapted to the outside world. When you look at me, is all you see someone who is damaged beyond repair?" He stood up, directing his attention towards her. He was not going to stand for her to look at him like some incomplete, damaged product. 

As she began to speak of her past, he paid attention to every detail, especially the part about her age. Hearing her age was a bit discomforting. She was a total of seven years older than he. To her, he was a mere child. "So thats what you meant about calling me a minor. You're just... quite a few years older than me." His eyes widened. 'Wait. Does she have someone waiting back in the real world for her? She might already have a family or something like that!' He tried to shake away the nagging feeling but it remained in the back of his head. He listened to the things that she could do and the things she enjoyed. He had to admit that he didn't know how to cook. Perhaps his father expected him to have servants as well so it was a skill wasted on him. 

As she finished, Mina would approach wrapping her arms around him and holding him to close. He smiled down on her, her eyes that set upon him brought him joy. "I suppose that answers my question. I am sorry... I kept having this nagging feeling that our relationship was only practical in the virtual world. I wanted a real-world tie to you." His hands reached down, both of them reaching underneath her rear end. As he actually touched her bottom his face would redden but he would continue what he was doing. He lifted the girl up, forcing her legs to part to either side of them and their faces would meet. As their noses touched, Jonathan would grant her a warm smile and a whisper. 

"I love you, Violet"

"Maa... they say music is the quickest way to speak to one's heart, right? Then.. how about I play you a song?"

With a confused glance, he would watch as she retrieved a violin from her inventory. "Thats not-" The sound of music drowned out the sound of his own words. After a few seconds, his face of confusion dissipated as he let the sound of music soothe him. He had no idea she was practiced in violin. He himself knew how to play the piano, but he tried to only do it for special occasions. He had played it only once in his time in Aincrad and that was at Itzal's wedding. His mind dwelled on the words that she spoke, their meaning was a strange one. He had not heard such a saying before and he had the opposite take on playing music. When he played the Piano it simply was because he could do it. Playing the piano was something he did because his father wanted him to learn the skill. Music was not something he used to convey his feelings. 

He noticed a tear streaming down Violet's face and his eyes became tinted with worry. 'Is she okay? Is this bringing up unwanted memories? She is smiling but....' Her song finished and Mina reentered the realm of Virtual Reality. "That was nice. You're a talented violinist" was all he had to say to her display of music. Music had a different meaning to him that it was to her. Her music only would prove to him that playing was something she could enjoy. 

"... Maybe I should actually speak, too, now that I think about it... heh.." 

Jonathan chuckled and shook his head. "Your playing is nice, but it isn't exactly what I was thinking." He would step forward until he stood directly face to face with Mina. He took his index finger tracing his finger from her cheek to her shoulder which he would clasp. "While it may come to no surprise. My name is Jonathan Morgenstern. I think I am twenty-years old as of now and I am from the countryside of Connecticut. In the real world, I was homeschooled so that one day I could take over my father's business which i've come to terms with. In the real world, I only had one friend and the only women I had contact with worked for my father." He pointed out this detail simply to assure her that there was no other women in his life. 

He took a step back, his hand sliding off of Violet's shoulder. "I mean things like that you know?" A smile would play on his lips as he looked at her. 'I am going to find out more about who she is. I can't keep living in the dark' 

As the boy's blade struck the scales of his opponent, its health would drop even further down to the point that it was almost non-existent. 'It still has health remaining?' He pushed off the dragon, propelling his avatar back towards the ground and the safety of his friends. He bent his knees upon landing, distrubuting his own weight safely. In one motion, his weapon was once again sheathed on his side. With one last mighty roar, the dragon snapped at Hestia, her thorns finishing off the beast once and for all. 

A smile came across Jonathan's face. One step closer to getting the hell out of Aincrad. The floor only had the boss left before they would be onto the 26th floor. He gave a stretch before looking back to his teammates. "You know, I feel that was a bit too easy. We really came overprepar- what are you guys looking at?" His eyes shifted over to the boss and it took a moment for him to understand what was happening. The dragon hadn't shattered into data pixels, but instead a black fume rose maliciously from it until all that remained was bone. "Something is off" 

The smell of the air smelt of pure decay to Jonathan and his nose wrinkled in distaste. The silence was then broken with a booming voice that swept over the battlefield. His heart skipped a beat at the sudden burst of noise and his eyes frantically searched for its source. They met a large minotaur, one that while he had never seen before he felt that he had laid eyes on it before. 

"Do you have any idea what you've done?"

The words shook through Jonathan as his eyes widened in thought. 'Were we not supposed to slay this creature? That doesn't make any sense? The minotaurs tried to slay it, it was obviously an opponent? But then why is he so angry?' 

Another voice spoke, raspy, dark, and mysterious. Its voice seemed pleased, but it was backed with a coldness that sent a shiver down his spine.  

"Come now Orgoth, the heroes have slain the dragon. Let them celebrate. It will be the last thing they do."

In an instant, his blade returned to his hand as he clamped onto a health potion on his belt. 'A second phase? I thought that was reserved for Floor Bosses and Event Bosses. This can't be good' He brought his potion up to his mouth, consuming the liquid within. His health slightly rose, satisfying the hunger of his own health bar. Upon finishing, he threw the vial up into the air, and as it fell it shattered into nothingness. He would then take the time to focus himself before pointing his weapon forward. "Here comes round two" He would say confidently, crackling sounds emitting from his blade. 

-Consumed Superior Health Potion: +180 HP
- Received 84 HP from Battle Healing

[4] Baldur HP 1329/1540  | EN 107/130 | MIT 94 | EVA 5 | ACC 6WF/5MM5 | DMG 24WF/27MM | BH 62 | ANTIDOTE 0/2 | Conc 0/3 | Parry 0/2 | QChange 0/3 | TOX (9-10) 23
[12] Hestia: HP: 1596/1970  EN: 100/176 DMG:17   MIT:214  THRN: 99 ACC:1 Eva: -1  BH: 98 Rec:+3 Stonewall: 25% DoT redux 2-1=1 Snowfrost: 1/2 fire dmg   Antidote: 3
[5] @Ariel - The Crowned Lion: HP: 1335/1630  | EN 84/140 | 24 DMG | 103 MIT | AA +4(6) BD | +1 EVA | 16 BH | 24 HB | 50 THRNS | +4 Fallen (8-10) & 24 DoT3 (8-10)  | 2 Antidote | Conc 0/3 | Parry 0/2
[5] Morgenstern: HP 1680/1680 | EN 81/138 | 22 DMG | 171 MIT | 4 ACC | -1 EVA | 84 BH | 91 THRNS | Para. Venom (8-10) | 25% DoT Reduce | 3 Antidote | 24(3) Poison (9-10)
[8] Macradon: HP 1689/1885  | EN 184/187 | 23 DMG | 127 MIT | 4 ACC | 1 EVA |  94 BH | 50 Immolation THRNS | 36 Frost THRNS (21 on crit) | 6 Freeze 0/2 | Antidote 1 | Justified Riposte | +12 Holy | Phase | Disguise | +1 Hate | -1 Energy Cost 0/2 | -3 Energy Cost | 6 Recovery
[4] @Zandra: HP 1685/2,020 [-425] | EN 173/187 | 22 DMG | 144 MIT | 7 ACC | 2 EVA | 101 BH | 70 THRNS | Toxic venom (9-10) 24(3) | 25% 1st DoT Reduce | 2 Antidote | 12 Fallen | 36(2) BRN(8-10) | Probiotics -27 | Antioxidants | Well rested 3/3

As he moved forward, his image became nothing more than a blur. A burnt smell was caught in the boys nostrils as the air around him burnt with the crackle of energy around him. This was something he had never before experienced. Emotions played a role in this game, changing one's battle effect. With the way he used his emotions before, they leaked out from his body constantly and were wasted in the air. Now, the ki was kept mostly within his body, the emotions humming within his body. 

As he moved forward, the world seemed to be moving in slow motion. He was aware of each and every motion his opponent was making. Each step Baldur made was crystal clear to him. He felt the energy rolling off of his opponent. 'I'll move faster' Jonathan thought. 'I'll beat his weapon!' Within range, he came down with a heavy blow, and Baldur's blade met his own. The force of the two men's wills met eachother with a fearsome explosion of energy. Jonathan's crackling energy and Baldur's steel collided with an force that would send a torrent that drifted along the entire area. A crackle noise filled the air, the burning smell now far more prominent. Gritting his teeth, he pushed harder on his opponents weapon. "HA!" he shouted as he put the rest of his power into his strike. 

'CRACK!' The sound resonated through the air. Jonathan's face formed one of confusion as he watched the end of his weapon fly off to the side. With the downward force of his weapon, he stumbled to his knees. After a brief moment, his eyes moved up to Baldur, his face apologetic. "I'm so-" 

 "That was wonderful, Jonathan-kun!"

'Whew' he exhaled. He was afraid for a moment that Baldur would berate him. His father most surely would have. A smile sprouted on Jonathan's face as his bokken dissolved into the air within his hand. Even though he was almost lost when Baldur began to speak of things such as 'Zanshin' he listened. If there was more to build on the skill he would follow through with it. He listened to Baldur's instruction when it involved the four techniques that he was supposed to master. He was impressed that Baldur had learned something like this before the game. He followed Baldur into repeating each of the four steps that the man demonstrated. He attempted to keep up, but it was surprisingly difficult if he tried to match Baldur's speed. After several minutes, he at least had the movements memorized. 

"This is a lot, and I have more for you in the future, but this is what everything else will build on. If you wish to learn my way of the sword, master these four moves. And when you have, we can meet again."

Jonathan nodded, sheathing his weapon. He watched as Baldur bowed to him, and understanding some of Japanese customs, he would bow in return to his senpai. He looked up to Baldur who was now asking about food. Chuckling, Jonathan would grin with his reply. "Who is gonna guard my rock while i'm gone?" 

"But yeah, let's get something to eat!" 

He watched as Stryder successfully took out the remaining pirates. Pumping his fist into the air, Jonathan would give a short hooray to the small accomplishment. This quest seemed to just be dragging along. "I've got about half energy left.... We could probably kill one more boatswain before we rest" Jonathan nodded and almost simutaneously a door would burst open from the captain's deck. The blonde's eyes averted from his friend to meet the newcomer. An older, well-decorated pirate now stood in front of the two. An eyepatch covered his left eye, wrinkles covering the man's face. A scar was placed on the man's cheek. The pirate unsheathed a curved blade and pointed it at the two players. Smiling with the anticipation for a battle, Jonathan would burst into battle. A blue light would gleam from his weapon as he began to move through the motions of his sword art. "Take this!" His blade lashed out at his opponent, the metal blade slashing through the air at a speed unmatched by his opponent. Red shards danced in the air as each strike brought down his opponents health further and further down. In a ditch attempt to get away, Burlock slashed his weapon, slashing Jonathan's cheek, barely managing to hit it. The damage was instantly healed, but it was a bit annoying to be damaged. 

To Jonathan's surprise, dark purple shards began to expel from his wounds.  "Poison huh? That's definitely interesting..." 

ID: 137509 (Morgenstern)
BD:8+3-2=9
DMG: 16*11=176-80=96 DMG

ID:137510 (Burlock)
BD: 3+2+1=6
CD: 10 Black Spot Activated!
DMG: 165-151=14

Battle Healing: +68 HP

"The fact that you're getting so flustered is really adorable, ne~" The blonde turned away out of embarrassment, trying to conceal his face. "Hush" he would tell her. He wasn't the smoothest of individuals and had never been very good with girls in general. He liked to blame his upbringing that had been secluded from most people, and he had only his childhood friend, Akasu to hang around with. Akasu himself was actually gynophobic, and was definitely not cool with women their age. The transition into Aincrad had been difficult, but with the help of people like Itzal it had gone much better than it would have without them. She agreed to go with him, to escape the dangers of the event. "I really don't want to ask whats going on over there. Wasn't this a formal event?" As she held out her hand to him, he would take it and steer the girl up the hill out into the more secluded regions of the event. It was hard to not feel like a kidnapper at this stage. 

Upon bringing her up into a clearing, his eyes would scan the area. They were right next to the waterfall, the water glistening from the light produced by various fireflies that moved from space to space. It was... too perfect. He turned back to the woman at his side with a smile. "So, I have been wondering for some time. We haven't actually talked about us in general. I don't know much about you other than your name. And I don't think you know much about me." The feeling had been nagging at him for some time. He was with someone... he didn't even know the story to. Who was she, how old is she, where did she come from? And the important one... Did she plan on having him in the real world? Or was there someone on the other side already waiting on her?

As he approached, a light pink would touch his cheeks. Everything to him seemed out of place. He hadn't attended something like this since the year they arrived in Aincrad, where he went to the dance with Rin. When he seen Violet, normally she was wearing casual attire in which she was comfortable. Seeing her like this just... hard to comprehend. Every second that his eyes donned on her was just another that his mind couldn't even begin to compute. It almost made him feel bad because there was was, average as hell and couldn't even manage to equip the tie correctly.

He approached the girl, noticing the wineglass within her hand. It worried him that maybe she was an alcoholic back in the real world. Wasn't she a little young for drinking though? Even back in the real world, he still wouldn't be of age to drink. His attention was recaptured when she spoke and his eyes met her. The smile on her face and the twinkle in her eyes made his face blush even deeper. "umm the dress? T-the dress is nice!" he stammered out, his embarrassment apparent through his face. Internally, he screamed at himself, 'What are you literally doing? I am already dating her, why am I embarrassed?' He didn't know what to say, he didn't know what to do! He scratched the back of his head, while he thought of something. His eyes came to the group of players that were being rather mischievous. He really hoped the NPC host wouldn't see that, she would be more than pissed.  "Hey, I know its an event and all, but do you perhaps want to get a bit farther from the crowd? I am not sure we wanna be near what is ever going on over there. I think if we go farther up that path there, we could find some sort of nice scenery" His hand shifted to point up at the trail that moved up towards the top of Sapphire Falls. With the moon being full, he expected to be quite pretty at this time. He held out his other hand of Mina to hold as he awaited her answer. He really hoped she hand't planned on meeting a bunch of people and wished to stay down in the tent. 

In a whir, the great dragon took off, leaving the players like ants on the battlefield. The dragon no noise for a second, the beating of its wings casting down winds strong enough to dust the ground. Jonathan looked up at it for a second, watching as the dragon's eyes bore down on them. He heard shouting, his focus returning to the task at hand. He raced over to arm the ballistae, but it was far too late now. A light as bright as the sun shone down on the battlefield. Instinctively, his eyes opened wide and for a short moment he was instilled with fear. A cloud of flame billowed towards him, and in a last ditch effort he attempted to duck underneath a nearby broken ballistae. The heat singed the hear, a warmth spreading through his body as the attack persisted. Had this been real life, the pain from the flames would have had him unable to move. When he looked up from his cover, a rumble shook the floor, a cloud of dust and smoke rose from the ground as the dragon landed once again. Making a brief look at the health bars of his teammates, he decided they were all fine. He retrieved his weapon from where it lay on the ground, the handle hot to the touch. The blade now glew with a red-hot light and he hoped that wouldn't break its durability faster. 

Racing forward, he would approach his foe. As he neared, he lifted his weapon high above his head and gathered as much strength as he could muster before bringing the weapon down on the enemies leg. The attack was successful. creating a gash in the creatures thick scales. 'Not too much more now'

137047 BD:6
DMG: 22*15=330-150=180 DMG
(+84 Battle Healing) 

[3] @Baldur: HP 1115/1540 [-425] | EN 97/130 | MIT 94 | EVA 5 | ACC 6WF/5MM5 | DMG 24WF/27MM | BH 62 | ANTIDOTE 0/2 | Conc 0/3 | Parry 0/2 | QChange 1/3 | TOX (9-10) 23
[12] Hestia: HP: 1545/1970 ]| EN: 109/176 DMG:17   MIT:214  THRN: 99 ACC:1 Eva: -1  BH: 98 Rec:+3 Stonewall: 25% DoT redux 2-1=1 Snowfrost: 1/2 fire dmg   Antidote: 3
[4] @Ariel - The Crowned Lion: HP: 1205/1630 [-425]  | EN 100/140 | 24 DMG | 103 MIT | AA +4(6) BD | +1 EVA | 16 BH | 24 HB | 50 THRNS | +4 Fallen (8-10) & 24 DoT3 (8-10)  | 2 Antidote | Conc 0/3 | Parry 0/2
[5] Morgenstern: HP 1339/1680 | EN 81/138 | 22 DMG | 171 MIT | 4 ACC | -1 EVA | 84 BH | 91 THRNS | Para. Venom (8-10) | 25% DoT Reduce | 3 Antidote | 24(3) Poison (9-10)
[8] Macradon: HP 1554/1885 [-425] | EN 177/187 | 23 DMG | 127 MIT | 4 ACC | 1 EVA |  94 BH | 50 Immolation THRNS | 36 Frost THRNS (21 on crit) | 6 Freeze 0/2 | Antidote 1 | Justified Riposte | +12 Holy | Phase | Disguise | +1 Hate | -1 Energy Cost 0/2 | -3 Energy Cost | 6 Recovery
[4] @Zandra: HP 1595/2,020 [-425] | EN 173/187 | 22 D

Floor 19 was having a gorgeous day, even in the boss room. After the boss had been defeated, the once rocky area had slowly grown into a nice grassland where the sun radiated its brilliance. Near the center was a large rock in the shape of a head. The skull of Tanos The Unshakable. Time had hardly any wear on the fallen boss's head and it sat as a reminder for all who fought that day. Perched on the top of this monument sat a boy, sweat glistening in his hair, his bright blue eyes cast upon the horizon, looking forward to the blank canvas of a future that he was destined to write. Recently, he had stopped hiding in the shadow of his own guilt and now faced it head on. He sought to atone for what he did by living every day as if it was another mission to protect others from what he had experienced. He had those who helped him out of his shadow, Hikoru... Baldur... Bahr... Violet. Now it was his job to help a person out of their shadow, but who? How?  

A ping awoke the boy from his subconsciousness, and he blinked to ensure that he was awake. Raising his hand, he would swipe down, the familiar menu revealing itself to him. Clicking on his messages menu, he found that he had received one from Violet.  He opened up and read the message, his eyes widening as he moved further alone. 'Is it seriously Valentines day? I haven't even got anything!' He scrolled back on his menu to find it was only the twelfth. 'I don't get it. It's... early' While he wasn't the most observant when it came to event comings, he hadn't heard of a Valentines day event, especially two days early. 'This isn't some ploy to get me to go somewhere is it?'  

He stood, gracefully hopping off the skull, the ground crunching underneath his feet where he landed. The event would be held twenty-second floor and oddly close to his own house. "Better not show up like this to an event." Within a matter of thirty minutes he had raced home, showered, and changed into some nicer clothes. White pants and a black collared shirt. Grabbing an orange tie, he would move up to the mirror as he attempted to put it on. After several minutes of failure, he had only managed to get the tie stuck in a knot, unable to be tightened. Exhaling to blow of steam, he exited his house and made his way to the base of the Sapphire Falls. 

Walking up to the event, his eyes scanned the surroundings in detail. The scenery was beautiful he had to admit with several players gathered around already enjoying the festivities... or patiently waiting to see if there would be a boss or raffle. He walked up silently, ignoring the faces of Macradon and Bahr who seemed caught up in their own endeavors and kept up his search for the one who had invited him here. He slowly walked forward, his eyes now having set upon the most beautiful girl in the surrounding area, a rose of blackest night. She stood outside a group of people, seeming to be attempting to strike some conversation with at least one of them. On his face, a smile grew and each of his cheeks were touched red. His hand touched her shoulder tentatively as he made himself known. "Mina" he said, almost in a whisper. He didn't understand why, but a nervous feeling had randomly arisen in his own chest. He doubted it was because of Mina, he had spent a lot of time with her and wasn't nervous around her. However, suddenly he felt almost embarrassed. His own confidence shattered. Maybe it was being back in public after so long of being away. 'Maybe it was guilt for being the one standing next to the Black Rose. Who was he to grace the gentle flower? Was it his intention to have it wither?' He would attempt to push away these feelings, he didn't want them. He wanted to have fun... and for her to be happy. 

He couldn't disagree more with Mina's first statement. Sure, securing Rosa's safety was important, but calling Hidden's capture something minor.... He didn't know all the details, but Hestia had stressed before that it was of the utmost importance. It had been a while since he worked with Hestia though.... She said that'd she be late tonight as she had some stocking up to do and offered for him to come with her. "I'm good, thanks for the offer. I really don't feel up to a bunch of shopping. I'll attempt to make dinner though." Suddenly, the woman began swiftly clicking through her inventory until she now held out a Star shaped locket of silver and gold. He grasped the locket withing his hand and examined it closely. After several seconds of silence with a face of extreme focus, he would open the locket. 

Inside of the locket, he would find a picture of two people. One of his sister, the picture taken of the girl smiling at what he assumed was the camera. On the other was a picture of Violet, pink hair glistening in the sunlight, a happy look on her face. He wasn't quite sure if it was a self-taken photo or somebody else had taken the shot. He smiled at the locket, closed it and wrapped its chain around his neck, tucking it underneath his shirt. He smiled to Mina, knowing she was waiting for his reaction. He pursed his reaction, only offering her up a smile literally just to be a tease. "Guess i'll be seeing you later?" He said, hardly able to contain his own laughter. Perhaps it was a tad harsh of him to not give her something for all the thought she put into it.... It was far too late now, maybe he'd tell her later how he felt. 'I'd hate to tell her that I can only wear it out of combat as my necklace slot is already taken while i'm in battle' He also wondered how she had managed to get Penelo to pose for a picture like that. 

Mujo's face hinted at her disaproval of Rosa's statement. "Excuse me, but my training? I don't remember needing training!" She wanted to begin making her Throwing Cards. She had to adopt the idea before Rosa let it circulate. She watched, almost terrified as Rosa began treating Glenn like she had Hidden earlier. 'I am starting to think she might be bi-polar. Well, I am stuck with this crazy group now, even if I make them all hate me.' She followed Rosa, a wild smile on her face. 

It seems that his words angered Violet and her retaliation upset him a little. Perhaps a bit too forcefully, his eyes dug into hers as he spoke the words, "You are forgetting about the rest of Aincrad. Whether one guild is safe isn't the same if the rest of them are." He didn't care who suffered casualties are not. Hidden's group was strong enough to take on someone if they really wanted. 'Rosa's guild was just prepared. I doubt whoever they are knows that she is coming.' His eyes dulled a bit as he lost focus with the world around him, receding into his thoughts. 

He refocused his attention, Mina's face now red as a beet. 'Was it the flowers? Really that all it took?' A smile settled on his own face. "Eh, really its fine. I like to help where I can. Also, remember that I had a second motive coming here. Even if I did end up failing in the end." He rubbed the back of his head, a feeling of guilt sweeping over him. 'I failed to do just about anything. I guess the Green-haired girl could provide some intel, but it might be hard to press that out of her'

He refocused on Mina, a smile lighting up his face. "So, what are you doing? I'm free all night not that you won't be at my house already buuuut" He chuckled. A hearty one that hadn't been heard from him in a while. She didn't know it, but he was putting a lot on her. On one girl, he had placed his hopes, his dreams, his happiness. In the hole that caved in his soul, he had filled her into it. The reason he had attached himself was so quickly because he began leaning on her, the weight of everything being lessened by her. He held out his hand for her to hold. She was a rose, simple in nature. However, he had become entranced by he flower and was willing to accept any of the thorns that she possessed. 

Mujo's eyes widened as Rosa asked her and Heart to say. The way she spoke to her, she called her Joker. It was almost odd to hear the name come out of the girl's name so casually. She shook her head.With this group, at this time she was Joker. 

'Joker' she mouthed, closing her eyes. A smile took place on her lips and when her eyes opened they were a little cheerful, a little sad, a little crazy, a little wild. She assumed her new identity, taking the name to the fullest. She was a master actress, able to assume any role to her way. She would use that ability to help her new friends, her new family as they called themselves. "Whatcha need, boss?"

Heat rolled through the area in waves as the Labyrinth Boss belched its molten breath on the players. It's attitude resembled his own familiars. Prideful. a grin caught the side of his mouth. He tried to leap to a new rock to evade the oncoming lava that was pooling on the ground. His foot slipped, his leg slipping into the heat. He quickly began to take additional damage, and brought out his steaming leg back up into safety. 'Hashashasshass' was the sound he would emit, as if he was eating food that was far too hot for consumption. A green light surrounded his body for a short moment as Hestia healed the damage he had taken. 'This dragon literally can't touch us, can he?' His eyes caught a shimmer of blue as a samurai leaped into action. Jonathan watched as Baldur charged forward. The man was calm, strong, and passionate. He felt the man's emotions resonating in the air around him . "Let's do this" He took place, leaping after Baldur. While Baldur took a straight on approach, he moved up higher, giving Baldur time to make the attack before he followed up. Coming down on his opponent, his strike would land on the same place that Baldur's attack had landed. Increasing Baldur's, his own static would help race around the dragon's body. Although it seemed to be immune to the effect, the shock might at least send a numbness to its body. Light faded as his <<San Ge>> sword art ended, leaving the blonde to leap back to escape the dragon. His boot crunched the rock he now stood on and he assumed a LongPoint stance. 'Is this really how easy the Lab Bosses are now?'

ID: 136127
BD:8 PARALYZE
DMG: 22*15=330-150=180 DMG to Nihilim

[3] Baldur: HP 1540/1540 | EN 97/130 | MIT 94 | EVA 5 | ACC 6WF/5MM | DMG 24WF/27MM | BH 62 | ANTIDOTE 0/2 | Conc 3/3 | Parry 0/2 | QChange 0/3 | TOX (9-10) 23 -12 EN, +1 EN
[8] Hestia: HP: 1970/1970 | EN: 135/176 DMG:17   MIT:214  THRN: 99 ACC:1 Eva: -1  BH: 98 Rec:+3 Stonewall: 25% DoT redux  Hate: +2 Snowfrost: 1/2 fire dmg   Antidote: 3
[4] Ariel: HP: 1630/1630  | EN 113/140 | 24 DMG | 103 MIT | Abs Acc +4(6) BD | +1 EVA | 16 BH | 24 HB | 50 THRNS | +4 FLN (8-10) & 24 DoT3 (8-10)  | 2 Antidote | Conc 0/3 | Parry 0/2
[3] Morgenstern: HP 1680/1680 | EN 110/138 | 22 DMG | 171 MIT | 4 ACC | -1 EVA | 84 BH | 91 THRNS | Para. Venom (8-10) | 25% DoT Reduce | 3 Antidote | 24(3) Poison (9-10)
[6] Macradon: HP 1885/1885 | EN 173/187 | 23 DMG | 127 MIT | 4 ACC | 1 EVA |  94 BH | 50 Immolation THRNS | 36 Frost THRNS (21 on crit) | 6 Freeze 0/2 | Antidote 1 | Justified Riposte | +12 Holy | Phase | Disguise | +1 Hate | -1 Energy Cost 0/2 | -3 Energy Cost | 6 Recovery
[4] Zandra: HP 2,020/2,020 | EN 173/187 | 22 DMG | 144 MIT | 7 ACC | 2 EVA | 101 BH | 70 THRNS | Toxic venom (9-10) 24(3) | 25% 1st DoT Reduce | 2 Antidote | 12 Fallen | 36(2) BRN(8-10) | Probiotics -27 | Antioxidants | Well rested 3/3

Floor 19 was having a gorgeous day, even in the boss room. After the boss had been defeated, the once rocky area had slowly grown into a nice grassland where the sun radiated its brilliance. Near the center was a large rock in the shape of a head. The skull of Tanos The Unshakable. Time had hardly any wear on the fallen boss's head and it sat as a reminder for all who fought that day. Perched on the top of this monument sat a boy, sweat glistening in his hair, his bright blue eyes cast upon the horizon, looking forward to the blank canvas of a future that he was destined to write. Recently, he had stopped hiding in the shadow of his own guilt and now faced it head on. He sought to atone for what he did by living every day as if it was another mission to protect others from what he had experienced. He had those who helped him out of his shadow, Hikoru... Baldur... Bahr... Violet. Now it was his job to help a person out of their shadow, but who? How?  

A ping awoke the boy from his subconsciousness, and he blinked to ensure that he was awake. Raising his hand, he would swipe down, the familiar menu revealing itself to him. Clicking on his messages menu, he found that he had received one from Violet.  He opened up and read the message, his eyes widening as he moved further alone. 'Is it seriously Valentines day? I haven't even got anything!' He scrolled back on his menu to find it was only the twelfth. 'I don't get it. It's... early' While he wasn't the most observant when it came to event comings, he hadn't heard of a Valentines day event, especially two days early. 'This isn't some ploy to get me to go somewhere is it?'  

He stood, gracefully hopping off the skull, the ground crunching underneath his feet where he landed. The event would be held twenty-second floor and oddly close to his own house. "Better not show up like this to an event." Within a matter of thirty minutes he had raced home, showered, and changed into some nicer clothes. White pants and a black collared shirt. Grabbing an orange tie, he would move up to the mirror as he attempted to put it on. After several minutes of failure, he had only managed to get the tie stuck in a knot, unable to be tightened. Exhaling to blow of steam, he exited his house and made his way to the base of the Sapphire Falls. 

Walking up to the event, his eyes scanned the surroundings in detail. The scenery was beautiful he had to admit with several players gathered around already enjoying the festivities... or patiently waiting to see if there would be a boss or raffle. He walked up silently, ignoring the faces of Macradon and Bahr who seemed caught up in their own endeavors and kept up his search for the one who had invited him here. He slowly walked forward, his eyes now having set upon the most beautiful girl in the surrounding area, a rose of blackest night. She stood outside a group of people, seeming to be attempting to strike some conversation with at least one of them. On his face, a smile grew and each of his cheeks were touched red. His hand touched her shoulder tentatively as he made himself known. "Mina" he said, almost in a whisper. He didn't understand why, but a nervous feeling had randomly arisen in his own chest. He doubted it was because of Mina, he had spent a lot of time with her and wasn't nervous around her. However, suddenly he felt almost embarrassed. His own confidence shattered. Maybe it was being back in public after so long of being away. 'Maybe it was guilt for being the one standing next to the Black Rose. Who was he to grace the gentle flower? Was it his intention to have it wither?' He would attempt to push away these feelings, he didn't want them. He wanted to have fun... and for her to be happy.