Morningstar

Morningstar nodded, following with a punch of his own. Unlike his previous attempt, his fist hit it firmly. It was his best one yet. Satisfied, he stepped back.

"Yeah, from what I can remember, it was difficult putting together teams for the previous raid fight. The roles were awkward to fill and some people had to respec into tanks just to even it out. I haven't heard anything about the labyrinth on twenty-eight yet. I imagine someone's already taken it upon themselves to take a peek, but they aren't so easy that you can just wander in and clear them. They take time and preparation."

He crossed his arms and smiled. "In the mean time, all we can do is work hard and try to catch up. "

Morningstar looked around at the mountain scenery. Surrounding the dojo, there were trees, bushes, and plants covering much of the rocky terrain. They served their purpose well; the environment wasn't the slightest bit stressful. He felt relaxed, even whilst pummeling a boulder.

"You know what this place is missing? Magic. Isn't it weird that it wasn't included?" Morningstar asked, unintentionally changing the subject.

***

bunch of unique identifications, all paid for.

"Good plan," Morningstar replied, wishing he was weird and carried chalk instead. He placed his hand on the wall as well "Guess we go right, then."

And so they did, following the winding path until their path branched again. This time, they were left with two distinct choices. They could turn and continue to walk freely through the wooden passageway or they could go straight, towards two armed guards. While at first glance, the decision was obvious, Morningstar was not so sure. The guards stood face-to-face, with their backs to the walls. In a hushed whisper, he turned to Oji. "Usually, guards are meant to keep people out, right?"

The hallway widened along the path to the guards but there were no crevices or objects to hide behind. Sneaking past them and through the door would be difficult, assuming the door was even unlocked. That being said, it was made from wood and Morningstar was confident that the two of them together could break through. They would need to distract the guards, somehow.

An idea crept up on him. "This is experimental and probably dangerous, so bear with me," he told Oji, quietly ducking into the hall to their right. He took a seat and opened his inventory, cycling through for something specific. Monarch had dropped both his pencil and journal after being nabbed by the fae soldiers. Morningstar, like the good party member he was, had picked them up for him. Unfortunately, like the bad party member he was, he intended on destroying the boy's pencil.

He pulled off the eraser, as well as the metal bit at the end, quietly drew his sword. Awkwardly, he used the edge of it to sharpen the pencil. Then, he crept back to the other lane, peeking around the corner to make sure the guards had not taken notice.

A few feet away from the curving hallway, and on the same wall that one guard was leaning up against, he dug out a notch using the tip of his sword. He took out Monarch's journal, slowly tearing pages out from the back, hoping that they weren't important. He kept them ready and stuck the pencil in the notch, rapidly rubbing it against the smooth wooden wall. He held the journal pages up to it as orange began to poke out of the small hole. They ignited, the flames climbing up the stack of paper, reaching towards Morningstar's fingers. He blew on them gently and carefully placed them on the floor, giving the fire a chance to spread to the floor.

He snuck back to Oji's side and they both hid from view, watching as the fire grew and smoke began to rise. He heard a guard shout, "fire!" and boots clomping down the hall.

"Now or never," Morningstar whispered, following the wall slowly until he abruptly turned the corner, racing towards the far door.

***

(ooc note: i'm thinking LD 1-10 we're caught, LD 11-20 we make it?)

2.25.2024

cost: 30,400

now it is 2.24.2024

cost = identifications[30,400]+rerolls[31,000]-junk[12,700]=48,700 col

His next punch was a bit too gentle. This time, the boulder didn't budge. He didn't mention it, his mind already wandering elsewhere. "Oh, you know Freyd and Nari? They're good people, great additions to the friends list."

"I get what you mean, though. Even for me, it's hard to find people of equal level. I guess it stops mattering, eventually. There aren't enough frontline-level players for people to be picky about who they invite to things. Even if you're twenty or thirty levels down, you'll surely have the chance to throw yourself into some fights that probably aren't intended for you. I fought in the last raid and I think I held my own; but it's hard to tell sometimes whether you're being carried or actually contributing. I try not to worry about it."

Star looked up at a flock of birds that passed overhead. "Finding a party and sticking with them until the end is probably the goal for most of us. Of course, that's easier said than done but I'm hopeful for you."

***

"No worries," Morningstar shrugged, following Wulfrin's act with a punch of his own. A rock flicked off the boulder, nearly hitting him in the eye.

"Always need more crafters, I think. Raids can be costly and there's only so many players who can afford to support the frontlines' needs. And then there's people like you, fresh out of the Town of Beginnings and in need of gear. I can toss a unique in the direction of a frontliner, but I'm not much help when it comes to low tier items. Smiths are valuable."

Stretching out his wrists, he moved out of Wulfrin's way.

"I like twenty-two. It's a nice reminder that not everything in the world is out to kill you," he laughed. "My shops set up on floor eight but, to be honest, I spend more time at home than I do there. I live on twenty-four. On the edge of Raitoborou Bay, if you've heard of it.

***

"G'morning," Morningstar called, peeking his head inside the door to Freyd Edges. It was a homely little shop in a generally gloomy city. He eyed the various trinkets, odds and ends, admiring Freyd's collection. He realized he had never actually been to Freyd's shop before. The senior appraiser had always come directly to Star or left things with his blacksmith friend.

Without looking up from a curiously designed sword, he spoke. "I was wondering if I could snag some unidentified weapons of your hands. Got a bit of a difficult customer. They're looking for Frost and my luck's just not there. I can bring back some mystic essences when I'm finished?"

"This place'll do that—bring out old skills. New ones too, really. I wasn't a fighter in real life but now I kill dragons and bandits and such, "Morningstar chuckled, "I'm learning all sorts of things that won't be applicable after the game's done. Although, I have gotten quite good at appraising items, so maybe I can open a pawn shop back home."

He stepped up quickly, gaining momentum, and launched his fist at the rock. Punch after punch, they slowly depleted its hit points. The crack grew more, rocks crumbling off from the spot they'd been hitting.

"If you're okay with some more unsolicited advice: don't rush to the frontlines too fast. How does the saying go? It's good to have an end to your journey; but it's the journey that matters, in the end? Anyway, remember to look around from time to time and appreciate this place for what it is. I know we're collectively against our will, but still. There's 100 floors and each of them has something beautiful to offer. Do things you never could in the real world. Go see the warm sun solstice; go climb Olympus; go hunt ghosts without getting weird looks from people."

He slid his hands into the damp pockets of his pants. "If I've learned anything from coming here, it's that things can change really quickly. One day, you'll be hanging out in Urbus or doing some quest you've done a trillion times and the next, the final boss will be cleared and you'll go back home. I imagine that for some of us, it'll be like day one all over again. Out of one world and into another. So basically, try to enjoy this while it lasts. There's a good chance that it'll never happen again."

***

Morningstar nodded, impressed with the crack that Wulfrin had left in the boulder. He took a deep breath in preparation and then struck the boulder. The crack grew larger, albeit only slightly. It would take a while for them to break through the whole thing, but it would break eventually.

He shook out his hand. It wasn't exactly pain that he felt as much as it was discomfort. "We'll be done by nightfall," Morningstar said, hopeful, and then moved out of the way for Wulfrin to take his turn.

"You're don't happen to be aiming for the Martial Arts skill, do you? You'd be good at it, I think. You're pretty strong as is," he stretched out his back, sore from the waterfall. "We'll need to get  you leveled up. Maybe you can make it in time for the next boss fight."

With the time that had elapsed since the previous boss fight, it was likely possible. He had heard nothing of the labyrinth or the rate at which it was being cleared. It suited him fine; he had much to do as well.

***

Morningstar paused before taking another bite of his sandwich. He stared at Vigilon, surprised by his sudden outburst. He cleared his throat. "I mean, probably. To be honest, I'm a little bit uneducated; but, I've been meaning to look into it. If Krysta doesn't already know, then maybe let her know. She's strong, though, so I doubt she'd be picked on."

The sound of urgency in Vigilon's voice made Star want to investigate even more. He'd save it for another day. He snacked again, this time managing to bite, chew and swallow before he felt the need to speak again. "Non-gamers are always interesting to me, mostly because I fall under the category. Sword Art Online is what, the seventh video game I've played in my life? Board games and tabletops were more my thing. I had a Game Boy growing up, so my mechanics were pretty limited to pressing A and B. It's hard to differentiate between players these days. Everyone seems so much more comfortable maneuvering the world now. Obviously, I was a mess on day one," he admitted.

Splashing with each step, he abandoned the warm water, returning to the food basket after devouring the last of his sandwich. He picked through his fruit collection, looking for the prettiest apple. "Oh, yeah. That's the one," he took out a shining red fruit and bit into it. Sweet and crunchy, he thought. A perfect specimen. He took a seat on the opposite side of Vigilon and his fishy friend.

"Man, farming skills sound genius. I'd absolutely start a gardening guild. We could just sit around planting things all day. Maybe we could grow our own guild hall. It'd be the life," Morningstar said, laying half on the grass and half on the towel. "You three don't have any current guild responsibilities, no? I'll go ahead an throw you all on a list of future Gardeners of Aincrad?" It was a half joke.

His eyes were drawn to the sky and his thoughts on Freyd's words. A single cloud floated slowly above. He couldn't put a finger on what it was shaped like. It was sort of like a heart with a UFO on top. Or maybe a Ring Pop. It was hard to decide, although he agreed with Freyd. Despite its faults, they lived in a beautiful world. "Assuming we do eventually get out," Morningstar began, breaking the silence, "what'll you all do first? I'm hoping my legs still work."

It was difficult, like Wulfrin had said; however, Morningstar had some experience with meditation. For him, the issue was not prolonged stillness of the mind, but withstanding the crashing wake of the waterfall. It pounded against his body nonstop and unrelenting. With closed eyes, he tried his best to breathe through the discomfort. The severity of it increased until, towards the end, it plateaued and he had become accustomed to it. In an odd way, it even felt relaxing. He'd surely need to stretch afterwards, though.

Thirty minutes had flown by. He followed his acquaintance out of the waterfall, dripping wet and mildly sore. He gave Wulfrin a gentle bump on the shoulder. "Thankfully, I think the last task is right up your alley. Time for the boulder, right Master?" Morningstar asked Yunxiang, who nodded in response. He lead the pair to their final test.

A single boulder, about the width of a small car and a bit taller than Morningstar, lay in an open space outside of the dojo. Master Yunxiang disappeared without another word. They were to begin the examination.

***

Mental Training | ID: 219596 | LD: 20 | Success | +2 final damage against boulder
Mental Training | ID: 219597 | LD: 12 | Fail
Mental Training | ID: 219598 | LD: 14 | Success | +2 final damage against boulder

Morningstar quickly realized that he was not, in fact, an American Ninja Warrior.

He followed Wulfrin through the obstacle course, their roles suddenly reversing as he struggled his way around the course. He was much less graceful then his colleague, and struggled to leap over many of the long jumps. His balance was also considerably worse. It must be the altitude, he thought, banging his knee against the platform he had intended to land on. Sore and out of breath, they completed the obstacle course, and Morningstar was thankful they were not being graded.

Next, they were guided to the waterfall. It poured off of the cliffside with extreme force, slamming against the pool of water below. Master Yunxiang instructed them to sit beneath it for thirty minutes, maintaining a state of meditation for the entire time.

"Piece of cake?" Morningstar said unconfidently. He removed his shoes and stepped ankle deep in the water, wading towards the waterfall.

***

Physical Training | ID: 219591 | CD: 3 | Fail
Physical Training | ID: 219592 | CD: 2 | Fail

"Mmm," Morningstar thought carefully, picking out a piece of advice that might actually come in handy. "Don't be too nervous picking out your skills. You can always spend some col and get your points back if you make a mistake with them. I think I've done it about three times now," he laughed. "That being said, Battle Healing is a lifesaver."

They arrived at the peak, and the dojo came into sight. A short, wooden bridge completed their journey. On the other side was a structure inspired by old Japanese architecture. It was a small space, hidden from plain sight between the tall mountain walls. They crossed the bridge and were met with an elderly man. His beard was long and white, as was his gi. He questioned them about their arrival, and after listening to Morningstar's explanation, told them, "I will only train those who can prove to me that they are ready.”

"I am Master Yunxiang. To prove that you are worthy of learning the secrets of martial arts, you will undergo three trials. Your first task will be a trial of the body. You will perform various displays of physical strength in order to hone your body, transforming it into a weapon unlike any other. Your second task will be a trial of the mind. Beneath a waterfall, you will meditate for a prolonged period of time, strengthening your spirit and training yourself to battle discomfort. Your third task will be a final test. You will destroy a boulder with your bare hands. If you prove capable of succeeding at these three trials, I will agree to train you both."

"You may join me in the dojo when you are ready."

With that, he turned away, leaving them to prepare themselves for the trials to come.

The Greater Fire Elemental gave the party a far easier time than Morningstar had expected. Between his stun and their consecutive attacks, the winged creature had no opportunity to attack. Constantly left open, a giant hovering target, they struck its fiery shape again and again, gradually witling down its health bar. Morningstar moved in after Krysta, dodging the flames that spit into the air. His sword phased through flames, obviously hurting the elemental despite the lack of physical contact. A sliver of red remained. He stepped out of Freyd's path, granting him the glory of the last hit. From above, the phoenix cried vengefully. It roared and a volley of flames ripped through the sky, reaching far and crashing into the ground. Burning craters littered the battlefield, igniting plots of the field like bonfires. Morningstar sweltered beneath his armor, and beads of sweat dripped from his forehead. He watched, awaiting a flash of light, the shattering of glass, and the silence the followed.

***

today is 2.22.2024

Morningstar smiled. "The early levels are difficult since, like you said, its a range with few people to party up with. Most people who've committed to leveling are in their 30s, 40s, 50s. I imagine that it's difficult to find someone who falls in between them and the countless level one players in the Town of Beginnings. Going solo's even harder, so a handful of frontliners try to help where they can. I'm sure you'll meet a lot of them if you keep this up."

"I don't have much to offer that you would benefit from now, but come by my shop when you hit tier four and I'll introduce you to the fun equipment," he promised.

He thought about the answer to the proposed question while climbing up the steep rock wall that interrupted their path. He held out a hand to help Wulfrin up as well. "I guess, partially, I'm here for the quest reward. It gives you a pretty useful sword art that I haven't yet collected. I also just needed a break from everything else going on. Busy times, I s'pose."

The wind pushed his messy hair all over, picking up as they ascending the tall mountain. Morningstar ripped open the glossy wrapper of his chocolate bar, cracking a piece off and popping into his mouth. Almonds crunched under his teeth, combining saltiness with the rich sweetness of the chocolate. In between pieces, he glanced up the mountain. It began relaxed. An easy pace that he could hold a conversation at was all that it took. About a quarter of the way up, it steepened greatly, and he knew that the pair was in for a rough climb.

"Not sure why I started," Morningstar swallowed, "but I've been rock climbing for a while now. Did some smaller mountains on seven and twenty-four. I've even managed some of the big guys on this floor. Not sure which the tallest around here—there are quite a handful to choose from. I'm working my way up to some snow climbs on the fourth floor, but I think it'll be a while before I'm ready for them."

"How long have you been at it?" Morningstar cleared his throat, "Leveling, I mean. I only ask because you said you'd never been out here."

Morningstar rushed forwards, chasing down its buzzing opponent and putting it down for good. The last of the orchid nymphs was killed. Unfortunately, when he turned around, Joaquin had completed his squad of nymphs first.

"Seriously?"

Joaquin laughed. "I knew you would try to be faster than me!"

"Whatever," Morningstar rolled his eyes, walking on without his friend, who was still cycling through his loot menu.

When Joaquin finally caught up with Morningstar, he bragged about the three demonic shards he had been rewarded for all of his "hard work and effort." The blonde only encouraged him, which was likely a mistake considering his already inflated ego.

They came to a large opening with a fountain in the middle. Blades of long grass flowed with the wind. Tending to a group of plants was their former guide, Nemo. He seemed to notice them as soon as they set forth in the circular space.

***

The next time the orchid nymph tried to attack him, Morningstar really did take it's arm off. It buzzed around for a while before crashing into the ground and shattering into a million tiny pieces. He moved on to the next nymph, which came right to him, allowing him to take it down without moving much at all. The third swooped in from behind, probably thinking that it had caught him off guard.

It hadn't, of course. He sliced through its head, leaving all but one nymph dead and defeated. The final bug made its move, exactly as Morningstar had anticipated. It had waited for the right moment, while he was distracted by the rest of the orchid nymphs, and then struck.

Morningstar evaded with ease, blasting it back with a sword art that had cut only a little bit too shallow. With a sliver of health remaining, the orchid nymph survived.

***

Eight orchid nymphs remained, leaving each of the swordsman with four to take on. These eight were the strongest of the bunch; it made sense that they were the only survivors and yet, they would die just the same. Morningstar moved first, hitting all but one of the orchid nymphs simultaneously with a sword art. Their health bar dropped low, but not quite low enough to end the fight. The mob that had not been hit floated behind the rest, as if waiting for the others to distract Morningstar. When they did, he would swoop in and deliver a paralyzing swipe to his body. Joaquin was almost finished with his fight and Morningstar was determined not to let him win the self-imposed race. One orchid nymph attempted to swat at him, which he knocked off immediately with the flat end of his blade. "Careful there, bud. Almost took your arm off."

***

Morningstar scooped up the loot and the lot of it funneled into his inventory. To be honest, the chest contained very little to add to his collection, but at least it was something. He withdrew his icy blade, a polar opposite to Joaquin's infernal weapon. Together, they stood against the orchid nymphs. Morningstar counted seventeen, which sounded like quite a few; however, many were severely underleveled. They rushed forwards, splitting the battlefield in half and challenging the nymphs on their own terms. It reminded Morningstar of their fight with the hellhounds on the ninth floor, or the day they had challenged the ice golems to a curling match. They were always outnumbered and they always came out on top in spite of that.

A wide arc of light cut through six orchid nymphs at once, destroying all of them in a single blow. Joaquin had done the same, although his attack had set them ablaze in the process, causing panic and hysteria in the minds of the rest.

***

"Hey, see that?"

"Nope. What?"

"In the bushes. No, over there, idiot."

"Oh, shit—is that a treasure chest?"

"No, it's an elephant," Morningstar said sarcastically.

They moved towards the locked crate, kneeling down to take a better look. It required a key, which they very much lacked; however, they always came prepared with swords. Unfortunately for them, they were swiftly interrupted by the oncoming horde of mobs that had been watching them from the bushes the entire time. Eight Orchid Nymphs approached from all around them. Morningstar stuck his blade into the chest, smashing through the wooden lid and getting a glimpse of what was inside.

Meanwhile, Joaquin was waving around his sword, flashing its max tier burn enhancement in hopes of scaring them away. Flames erupted from the end of the blade, but they did not falter. Instead, they approached even quicker, threatening the pair with their monstrous talons.

***

Morningstar knelt down. A feather had fallen from the sky and onto their path, landing right in front of Morningstar's feet. It was pastel green and longer than an eagles. What it could have come from, Morningstar had little idea. He had heard of feathered dragons and large birds, but was unaware of any within that area. That being said, the garden of Little Eden was home to many creatures that he had never encountered before. Snapdragons, moss wolves, hell, knights of Gaia. None of them were anticipated when he had set foot in the garden.

Joaquin seemed to think the same thing, even saying aloud that it might have been a giant bird of some sort. They had not seen any fly by, though, so it was questionable. Morningstar tucked it away in inventory, curious as to what it could do for him. Joaquin mocked him for this, telling him that it was pretty much the equivalent of bottling river water to make a potion.

"How'd he know we were friends?" Joaquin asked.

Morningstar shrugged. "Coincidence, maybe? I didn't even know you were on the eleventh floor. He probably just picked two people at random. Maybe he does this a lot."

"Still, freaky."

They shared their thoughts on the garden, discovering that both had similar opinions. Despite being lost and led astray by their host, the garden was actually quite pretty and aside from the mobs, their time there had been relaxing. Also, there was the fact that their loot seemed to be enhanced while they were within its borders. Each of them was gaining for more col, materials, and items than they normally would. Perhaps it was simply luck, but it seemed unlikely to the pair.

Joaquin showed off some of the flowers he had picked, as well as (for some reason) a bottle full of river water.

"What'll you use that for?" Morningstar looked at him skeptically.

"I don't know. A potion?"

"You're not an alchemist."

"Yeah, but I know a guy."

"You're going to give your alchemist a bottle of water? And ask him to make a potion?"

"Alright, alright. I get it," he said, taking a sip and then spitting it out in horror.

***