Gotz

The Lizalfos makes its first move by scurrying towards me at a great speed. As it launches its sword with a stabbing motion, I quickly raise up my tower shield. Its sword slides on the top edge on the shield, barely hitting my forehead. I back myself up and swing my sword as hard as I could. The Lizalfos couldn't block my attack in time as I release my Sword Art into my weapon, slashing its scaly body and probably severing a little of its organs. 

The Lizalfos steps back as it looks at its own, squirting blood. It hisses angrily as it is about to rush forward, before being bashed by my shield. This lizard never seem to be as strong as I thought, and I am really disappointed at its vulnerability. The fact that it wears such ridiculous armor also kills a bit of my fighting spirit. Who the hell created that piece of s**t?

Gotz: HP 79/80

Lizalfos: HP 12/20

ID: 68726

BD: 2

MD: 5

This floor probably serves as a starting point of Aincrad's brutal difficulty. Aside from the minotaurs and some wild animals that would go berserk if threatened, players may encounter some uncommon enemies that are wandering around the fields randomly. The loot is pretty good if you manage to defeat the unique enemies, as they are not as strong as the dungeon mobs. 

As for my case, I happen to walk around the field in an effort to find the forest, when I notice a green figurine walking around with its sword drawn. I move closer towards it as I have never seen an enemy like this before. As soon as I draw out my sword and my tower shield, the thing quickly turns around, revealing its reptilian face. The Lizalfos resembles a humanoid iguana or a monitor lizard, and it strangely has the ability to let out a chirp and a hiss at the same time. It is donned in a green chestplate with spiked pauldrons, and in my perspective, the armor looks very awkward.

The Lizalfos is armed with a straight sword, nothing out of the ordinary. I notice that even though it has the potential to be agile, the armor slows its movements a little for some reason. Guess the pauldrons shouldn't be too big...or maybe he has gained some weight...

Gotz: HP 79/80

Lizalfos: HP 12/20

ID: 68715

BD: 7

MD: 7

Energy: 6/8

Used Snake Bite!

"But.." the guard continues. "I am fine with my current occupation so far. At least I can rest from the horrors of war and fighting monstrous beings. Really...why throwing your life away for such foolish adventurers... I used to be one regrettably. I even formed my own guild. Sadly, my guild is completely ruined by a poisonous dragon in the swamps. All of my members were either eaten or succumb to death by accidentally sniffing its toxic fumes. 

...Do you get the point, swordsman?"

I nod as I fully understand the point of his story. He stands guard as he speaks one more sentence for the day.

"Pick something your own size, and just run if s**t hits the fan unless you are a zealot that seeks the so-called martyrdom."

And with that, he remains silent, as if he is already turning into a guarding idol. Thanking him for his rather useful advice, I start off into the prairie. Your own size...hm? Well, in my perspective, picking your own size means fighting something that has a lower or same level as the player. I do not really care how big they are. If they bleed, kill them.

The light plate armor that I bought yesterday proves to be an effective healer for my energy. On top of that, it distributes weight evenly, so I never really feel heavy when walking in that tin can. After donning my armor in a tavern I rented last night, I head out to the gates of the village. One of the fully armored guards must have been fascinated with my heavy equipment, because as I pass the arch of the entrance, he walks up to me and speaks: "You have such a nice collection of heavy equipment. Are you a tank?"

Upon hearing this, I turn round and nod. "Yes, I am. Are you one as well?"

"I wish.." says the guard. "Nowadays the only action we normally see are bandit raids and commoners fighting each other, usually in a bar fight. Dungeon crawling is a little too risky for us, even though we are well equipped. The captain barely does the thing because he feels that he doesn't need to loot, thanks to his riches."

What a pity...imagine getting a job which turns out to be boring and keeping it for the rest of your lives...

"Where can I find them?" I ask the elf, for an aimless wandering around the prairie is a nothing but a total waste of time. The elf nods briefly as he answers his question.

"Their hut is located near one of the entrances of the Forest Of Wandering Mists. It is in the shape of a rock dome, covered in moss. You may not see the entrance at first, but if you can somehow kick down the wall, you may enter without worry, for they set no traps within their home. Oh..and..do me a favor..."

"And that is..?"

"My..soon-to-be lover, she was kidnapped by those mantismen last night. I received the news from my fellow scout, whom I often ask him for any advice in slaying certain monsters or whatnot. If you can find her, hopefully with them, please make sure she is safe, and bring her back to me in this campfire. Do you understand?"

Rescuing a damsel in distress...now that is something new for me. I don't see any reason in declining his help, so I stand up and tell him: "Your lover will be saved, I promise."

He flashes me a smile, gripping a locket that he has been holding in his hand the whole time. "Thank you, swordsman. i am very grateful for your kindness."

As I have nothing to do, I decide to find someone that could offer me a quest suitable for my standards. I walk around Delilah Village, looking at both the players and the NPCs, all whom are elves for the latter. I notice that a lot of players here are with a party, and they never seem to be adventuring alone unlike me. ..I wonder if I continue to be a lone wolf, for whatever adventure I had will always involve a life-and-death situation involving myself. I do not want anyone else in my party to have the same fate as mine. 

As I walk along the alleyway of the village, I smell something burning nearby. Curiously, I trace the scent until I am already at the village square, I look around to see an elf sitting near a campfire, looking at the embers like a curious child. I walk to him just to ask what he is doing, for I need someone to talk to.

"Ah, hello swordsman. Would you like to rest here?" asks the elf. "Forgive me if I look too strange for you. This campfire makes me feel safe and warm, and I thought lighting one here is safer. Don't worry, the fire won't spread."

Perhaps he is going to give me something, I think to myself. I sit down beside him as he starts to speak again.

"I'm sure you are looking for something to kill, which in this case, I have one for you. Somewhere in the prairie, there is a mantis that would often cause mischief around us elves, disrupting our peaceful strolls with his shenanigans with his two other mantis friends. I ask you to kill him and his goons so we won't be bothered anymore. Any questions?"

Even though I am not really ready to forge something yet, I decide to go to my own shop anyway, so I can check my crafts. Forging shields were a pain in the ass, but it was astonishing how I was able to forge two masterpieces after several failed attempts. What a miracle. 

As I enter the shop, I notice my second customer sitting on one of the chairs, and I smile at him as I welcome him to Swordaria. I listen to what he has to say. He wants me to forge a set of perfect, artisan tattoos. As he hand me his materials, I simply laugh a little nervously, because I feel guilty of not having the enough rank to forge such an item.

"I would love to forge that for you, artisan." I said to him, sitting on a chair beside the one he is sitting. "But unfortunately, my rank is still not enough for me to forge tools, regardless of profession. Forgive me for the inconvenience, artisan. Is there anything else you need?"

@Domarus

Leaving from the village's small festival, I wander around the area as I look for alchemist shops, intending on buying more healing potions. I have one in my bag, but even if I have a tower shield, I still believe that potions are very important, as they can be an emergency first aid liquid in dire situations. 

Soon, I notice a shop that displays several potions at the window, the categories range from healing to buffing. Additionally, there is a cube crystal that can be seen sitting on the counter if viewed through the window. Without hesitation, I step into the shop known as 'Beast Banes Brews'. I immediately take notice of the vendor, who not only sports wolf-like eyes, but he seems to be either bored or he is in need of ultraviolence just like me.

Regardless, I begin approaching the counter and notice a bottle of some elixir being included in the inventory. The fact that it heals plenty of health satisfies me, and without hesitation, I take the potion and place a total amount of 300 COL onto the counter.

"Thank you, Lycan." I muttered as I walk out the shop.

Paid 300 COL for Elixir Of Vigor

New items that are forged:

"Well if you need me, I will be downstairs. Just take your time, player. Don't worry, I will save the last forging of the night just for you, should you ever need a shield."

I pat his shoulder as I let out a smile and head down into the basement. Immediately, I light the furnace and start working on the steel ores. It feels good to back to forging again, I think I need a little break from adventuring...it is fun...but...somehow I find my job more fun to do than spilling random blood, even though violence is in my blood.

As soon as I heat the first steel ingot of the day, I start banging on the metal, this time planning on forging shields.

1. ID: 68653 CD: 6 LD: 13

Junk item forged. Best salvaged or discarded. Gained 1 EXP

2. ID: 68654 CD: 2

You are a failure! Gained 1 EXP

I step into the shop tonight, sniffing the familiar scent of the building. My iron chestplate is already broken due to the massive damages it receives throughout my fights. I need a new one, and I hope that the owner sells plate armor here.

Much to my happiness, I actually found one when I browse his overall items. Even though it doesn't grant any additional protection from damages, it has a magical ability to regenerate a fraction of my energy. I should less tired whenever I unleash my Sword Art, what a good thought.

Without any second thoughts, I select and pick up the armor as I place 300 COL onto the counter. It is sad to not leave a tip for him this time, for I need to save my COL for other necessities Nevertheless, the 300 amount should be enough for whatever basic needs he can afford for himself.

Paid 300 COL for Light Plate Armor

It has been quite a while since I last left Floor 1. I really miss my shop, and I cannot wait to start forging again. As I enter my shop, I notice my first customer, a dark blue haired male is standing at my counter, browsing at my available items. Smiling faintly, I walk up to him and tap his shoulder to get his attention.

"Welcome to Swordaria." I speak in a rough, but soft voice. "What are you looking for, sir? If you are looking for weapons, feel free to look over them. If you are looking for armor, then I regret to tell you I am still training myself in forging any pieces of armor, so they are yet to be in the list.

Ah, but now I can start forging shields. If you wish for one of your own shape and size, I can forge that shield. It is better to have one than nothing at all. Forgive me for the inconvenience."

I do hope that my training in forging armors will be complete quickly, for my cravings for wearing a full suit of plate armor is driving me a little mad.

Tonight, I venture across Floor 4 and enter the shop once more, expecting four uncommon healing potions. My face is still full of bloodstains from my previous, brutal fights, and the blood forms around my face in such as way that it looks like a bizarre, messy facial mask. Only my vacant eyes remain visible. This time, I do not see neither Esther nor her master, but I care not for them, for I am in a silent, blank mood, especially after my near-death experience with the thief. My chest still hurts from the wound I receive from his glass dagger, but gradually the pain dies down.

Staring at the counter like a dead person, I notice a lone, red healing potion standing on the counter. It is labeled as Rare...weird...oh wait...

I'm guessing that she doesn't have the required materials to make four potions, but at least a rare one will do for me. Walking towards the potion, I grab the bottle as I place 200 COL onto the counter, staring at the liquid closely...

....I love the way it dances in the glass vial..

Paid 200 COL for Rare Healing Potion

Before the blade could sink into the flesh of my neck, I swing the stone towards his face, knocking him off me. I grab my sword quickly and crawl up to him as he is also lying down, blinded by the strike of the stone. I get up a little and hold onto his head as I slam the oxidized blade against his neck, sawing it back and forth in the process. The sickly sounds of flesh being cut and bones fracturing are prevalent as the thief finally let out his last scream. His movements soon cease as he fell silent, before feeling his head being roughly separated from the base of his neck.

And just like that, the corpse disappears along with the head seconds later, dropping more than 100 COL and a steel ore. I look at my bloodstained weapon and hands, and I smear all the blood onto my face, probably as a sign of satisfaction of the battle's outcome.

The moon is rising, and wolves can be heard howling in the distance...my day of ultraviolence is done today...I'm going back to work...

Rrgh...the dagger wound still hurts...I need a doctor...or a potion if I wish to see no one tonight...

What a lovely day, am I right?

SUMMARY

Obtained 4 Materials

Obtained 1 SP 

Obtained 590 COL (400 + 75 + 190)

-- THREAD COMPLETE --

"You know.." mutters the thief. "We could have make peace on second thought. You are so worthy of being my crime partner, and we can build our own wealth together. You could have just run, and someday, we can fight more 'peacefully' next time. But now I see that you are really serious of disposing me, and not appreciating some of my friendly manners...

It is an honor to battle with you, swordsman...tch..but as you almost take my life away like a savage, you will pay dearly for that. It hurts for me to kill you..but.."

Why would he ever think that he would be my comrade? I have no interest in becoming a bandit at all, and I want to live a good, solitary life. This thief is probably as alone as mine, but to think that he would initiate an acquaintance by stalking and sneaking up on me? ...He is f**king pathetic, just like Esther's master...

...that reptilian..I still remember his smug, and how he berated me by pointing out my low level. Is a level even matter to people? Where is the importance of skill? Perfect equipment? Hell, he doesn't even acknowledge the fact that I have a f**king tower shield! 

Bandit, I will break your f**king skull!

Gotz: HP 15/80

Thief: HP 0/23

ID: 68651 

BD: 6

LD: 12

Obtained 1 Material!

Obtained 115 COL!

The bleeding progresses effectively as my health bar is draining rapidly, combined with the strangulation from the thief. Even though my hands are shaking a little, I manage to grab the dagger that is still sticking into my chest and pull it out. Seeing my action, the thief gives me a powerful kick as I fall to the ground. It is amazing how I am still holding onto my sword throughout the mortal ordeal. The thief walks slowly towards me in a limping motion, only increasing his pace as I struggle to get onto my feet.

He pins down my breastplate with his foot and gets on top of me, placing the glass blade towards my neck.

"Any last words...swords..rrgh..man?" says the thief weakly, as he slowly puts a little more pressure of his weapon into my neck, almost entering the skin.

I couldn't move, obviously. The dagger is my major obstacle at this moment, but there is, perhaps another way out...rrgh..

There is a rock that is conveniently sitting beside me, and I pray to whatever deity exists in Aincrad as I stealthily grab the rock into my hand.

Gotz: HP 15/80

Thief: HP 2/23

ID: 68650

BD: 1

MD: 1

I pick up my sword and walk up to him as I give him a harsh kick in the face. Immediately after I do so, I feel his hands grabbing my leg tightly. Despite his low health, the thief still have the strength to get onto his feet quickly and stab my chest with a spare dagger he hides at his back the whole time. I try not to emit a scream as I grit my teeth, the pain jolts through my whole body as my chest starts to bleed.

The thief grasps my neck, strangling me as hard as he could.

"You are lucky...huff..that my dagger do not manage to pierce your heart..you are one hell of a monster..I must end you." The thief's voice tone is rather ominous this time, and he is dead serious at killing me. I grab his arms and pull them as hard as I could so the hands can be separated from my neck. This only prompts him to give it a little, painful squeeze.

Grrgh...can't...breathe...rrgh..gh!

Gotz: HP 27/80

Thief: HP 2/23

ID: 68649

BD: 3

MD: 2

Surprised by my sudden movement, the thief attempts to parry my sword with his dagger, but the black blade shoves the small weapon until it hits the neck. Sensing that my victory is close, I slash his neck violently and stab him in the chest as he gurgles blood. He attempts to drive his dagger into my neck, by I grab his arm and fracture his elbow's cartilage, beating the [censored] out of him with my fist in the process.

"Yeah, you like it huh?!" I shouted as I revel in imminent victor by laughing occasionally. As his unseen face is presumably bloodied, I stop pummeling him and draw out my sword from his chest.

I sit onto the ground as I stare at his stiff body, I can't quite tell if he is dead or not...I see his dagger and pick it up to examine it. It resembles a kris of some sort, but the most astonishing part of the dagger is the material used to forge this weapon. The metal used here is glass, and it explains a lot regarding the bleeding effect it can inflict on a person..

...is this assh**e still alive..? ...f**king hell..

Gotz: HP 39/80

Thief: HP 2/23

ID: 68647

BD: 2

MD: 10

The fighting briefly stops as both of us pant heavily, exhausted from the many swings we took throughout the brawl. I set my tower shield onto the ground and put my sword down as I look at the sky, which is already getting dark as the sunset is almost over. I look at the entrance of the village, the torches hanging on both sides are lit by the gatekeepers. I look at the thief to see him glaring at me while standing still in the same way he did as we exchanged looks for the first time earlier. 

"This has been a fun fight..but at the same time..." says the thief. "I think we will end up in stalemate if we keep using our sh--"

I know what you are going to say, thief. I drop my tower shield and hold my sword in two hands. The thief seemingly nods in approval as he lets out a small chuckle.

"That is exactly what I need," he speaks as he drops his target shield, swinging his dagger around to warm up his arm. "Ready for the final round, traveller?" I guarantee you that agility is now the key to slay me--"

Before he could finish speaking, I am already jumping towards him as I bring my sword down towards his neck.

(As shields are dropped by the characters, damage mitigation is entirely ignored for the rest of this battle)

Gotz: HP 51/80

Thief: HP 2/23

ID: 68644

BD: 8

MD: 2

I feel an agony at my body as I snap myself back to reality. I look down to see the thief's dagger piercing my iron breastplate, creating a hole deep enough for the tip to touch my chest.

"What are you doing?" asks the thief. "Are you daydreaming?"

I grit my teeth as I snarl in rage, swinging my sword to chop off his arm. But he manages to withdraw his dagger quickly before my sword could reach for his flesh. 

The fighting continues as we trade blows against our own weapons and shields. No matter where I swing or kick towards the thief, he would skillfully block or dodge my attacks, thus keeping up this goddamn ping pong session. 

"What's the matter?! Tired of fighting already?!" The thief yells out in mockery. "We can always go back to our homes if you want to! Hahah!"

Rrgh...not good, at this point my sword will become blunt if his dagger keeps hitting it harshly. 

Gotz: HP 51/80

Thief: HP 7/23

ID: 68643

BD: 3

MD: 5

I swing my sword towards his neck, and he blocks it with his dagger. This clash seems to excite him, because now he is swinging wildly at me, and since I am not behind my tower shield this time, I have to use my weapon to parry his attacks.

"Yes!" He shouts. "Sword-to-sword fight is my favorite! How long can you last, traveller?!" 

His strikes becomes more forceful, and his movements are increasing in speed. At one point I bash him away as he does a 360 spin while almost having his dagger reaching towards my neck. The thief gives out a creepy laugh as he raises up his target shield.

"I never had a good sparring since I was young. How about we stick to the sword and shield technique?"

I say nothing as I raise up my shield too, and both of us approach each other like gladiators in the Coliseum of Rome. I can already hear people cheering madly as they bet their money on their favorite fighters, while anticipating a live show of blood and gore.

Gotz: HP 51/80

Thief: HP 7/25

ID: 68631

BD: 2

MD: 8

"What's the matter, traveller?" asks the thief. "Having second thoughts of fighting me?"

...I take a deep breath, and I get onto my feet as I run towards the creature who is already walking towards me. I slash his legs with great force since I am concerned of two things: his legs helps with his speed, and even if he is standing idly, he would use his shield to block his upper body from my sword.

He kneels down as he notices his legs bleeding from the slash, and then laughs out of nowhere.

"So you want to reduce my speed? You want a fair fight, traveller?" He turns around as he glares at me while standing up. "Very well, then. We will fight like tanks. Come here!"

He bangs his shield with his dagger as he lets out a war cry before charging towards me. My fighting spirit resurfaces as he cannot leap around like he used to be, a tank vs tank battle sounds very exciting to me.

"That's it...come forward," I mutter. 

Gotz: HP 52/80

Thief: HP 7/23

ID: 68629

BD: 2

MD: 4

Have you ever seen how a Viking fights with his foe? There is a video that demonstrate the subject, and if you remember it, then good for you. The next few minutes is similar to that video. We are hitting each other's shields with our weapons, and we even try to step to either the left or right so one of us can hit the other's shoulders. The sounds of clanging metal gets gradually noisier, and by the time both of us are knocked back by bashing each other's shields, we are already exhausted, catching our own breaths.

I kneel towards the ground with my shield still facing forward as I rest my forehead onto the sword's pommel, panting heavily. I don't understand why I get tired from this fight. Maybe it's the fact the enemies I faced so far are either slow or simply stupid. 

The thief is probably the most difficult foe I ever face, and if he gets to exploit my weaknesses and take advantage of them, I will be bleeding like the fountains in Floor 1.

Rrgh...not now...why do I feel like wanting to run back to the village? I still want to fight!

Gotz: HP 52/80

Thief: HP 7/23

ID: 68628

BD: 9

MD: 4

"Reargh!" I quickly thrust my sword forward, sliding along the rim of his shield as it pierces his forehead. I move the blade back and forth in an effort to severe his brain, but he is still fast enough to graze his dagger unto my cheek. I kick him away as I withdraw my sword from the flesh of his head. He shakes his head he wipes the blood with his shirt, gripping his dagger more firmly.

"Gah..you just gave me a painful headache...it hurts don't you think, I might won't be able to pain attention to you."

"Do you ever keep your f**king mouth shut when killing people?" I ask with a loud tone.

"No, it would be too gloomy to kill without some noise, save for the destruction of flesh and screams of victims." 

At this point, my craving for ultraviolence returns from its break as I go berserk and run towards him while shoving my tower shield forward.

Gotz: HP 52/80

Thief: HP 10/23

ID: 68627

BD: 1

MD: 2