Morningstar

The dense foliage enveloped him, casting shadows that seemed to dance in the dim light. The path ahead became narrower and more obscured, giving an air of isolation. He could feel the weight of the forest pressing on him, its ancient secrets whispering in the rustling leaves. Every now and then, he caught glimpses of unusual flora, species that he had never encountered before. It was a strange part of the world and one that he had never had reason to visit. As he continued deeper into the heart of the forest, the silence grew more profound. It was as if the forest held its breath, awaitin

As he continued along the path, the landscape gradually changed, transitioning from peaceful plains to dense forests, filled with tall, ancient trees that seemed to whisper secrets to each other as the wind rustled through their branches. The atmosphere grew darker and more mysterious, fueling his curiosity about what lay ahead. His mind wandered back to the journal entry he had read in Dante's bar. The writer had mentioned a dragon's lair. The mere thought of encountering such a creature thrilled him. He wondered if he would be expected to fight the winged beast. As he ventured deep

He left Dante's bar in a hurry, curious to see what he would discover at the end of the path. Whoever had left the journal entry had spoken of dragons. He had never seen one, which was surprising considering they were an MMORPG staple. He crossed through the Town of Beginnings, exited through the gate, and stared off into the open fields. Boars roamed aimlessly and players maneuvered around them, careful not to take their aggro. It brought back memories. Some were good and some were less than pleasant; they were memories nonetheless. He took his first step into the plains and with his gea

Dante leaned over the counter to peek at the sheets of paper and Morningstar began to read aloud the writing on the right side. "It didn't take much time for me to locate my first target. After all, I've been studying dragons since I was a young child. I always knew it was the job I wanted. Now I'll be doing more than I ever imagined. The task I'd set for myself was a grand one indeed. Nevertheless, I've drawn a map of the area to ensure that I don't get lost, and will likely need to draw more in the future. The dragon's lair should be close. I only pray that the creature is sleeping..."

Dante stared inquisitively at the scroll in his hands. He turned it every which way until finally setting it down on the counter and returning it to Morningstar. "Sorry, kid. I'm at a loss with this one," the old barkeeper said, shaking his head. The blonde sighed, leaning back in his seat. "It's no big deal, really. For a second, I thought it was..." he trailed off and quickly caught himself. "Anyways, it's probably just a junk item." It had appeared to him out of the blue, not from any quest boss or treasure chest but from no where at all. In the grass of the Floor One fields,

He almost moved to catch her but stopped when he realized she had found her footing. "It's okay," he stifled a chuckle, agreeing to put what had happened out of his mind. Picking a book from the shelf, he confirmed that it was a wordless husk. "I was partially here for the reading but I guess that's out of the question," a disappointed frown formed on his face as he returned the book to its spot and tried another. "I'm also looking for a quest, though." Morningstar glanced about for a librarian. Still, nobody was around to act as his guide. He gently leaned against the sturdy bookshe

"I dunno," Morningstar shrugged, "mid forties?" A chuckle followed. He was surprised that Freyd was a newer addition to the front lines. His level was higher than many of the others he had met and he sure fought like a veteran. He was happy to hear the man's interest in accompanying him to the Fourteenth. "Sure, you can have my share. No need to pay me for it; consider it a donation to the raid party." The Darkness Salve was a great item but gave little advantage to the blonde, considering the damage reduction it cost to use. The tanks would receive more value from it than he. "

Torches burned in the corners of the wide room. Flags swayed above the heavy oak doors, pushed by the gentle breeze that snuck in through the open windows. The meeting place was kept secret, located in a remote area on the twenty-second floor. Those who visited were given crystals that teleported them within the grounds of the guildhall as well as crystals to bring them back to the nearest safezone. It was important that the discussion that would soon begin was entirely private. Morningstar’s eyes wandered between the other two players in the room. On his right was Mello, the Flame Legion

Heath disappeared, leaving the two alone again. "Thank you." With a chuckle, he returned the compliment. "You're pretty good yourself. Guess that's what years on the front lines does to a guy." Meteor returned to its scabbard on Morningstar's waist. Finishing off the captain ended their raid; there was no door leading to a fourth room and no more Ladonians to slay. He looked at Freyd. Up until the final fight, Morningstar had not noticed anything off about him. For a second, during his final strike against their opponent, he thought he had seen a spark of conflict in the man's eyes.

Morningstar nodded to Freyd, thanking him silently. The tension in his gut had subsided now and he felt a bit of comfort from the man's words. Overtop them, more voices tossed theories and thoughts into the pool. Jomei was clear and rational with his, offering the idea that they may be overthinking the raid entirely. He hoped that was the case, to be honest. Curious his gaze circled the room, matching faces to the names on the piece of paper that held the roster. A few had yet to sign up for a team. Actually, about half of the players had not. He did a quick headcount, the numbers neglect

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"Right," Morningstar chuckled, "it was just bad luck last time." Twirling his sword, he rushed at Heath. Their blades met but this time, Morningstar pushed harder and knocked him off balance. He stumbled for a moment and an opening appeared. The sword art he activated glowed green rather than his usual gold. In an arc, he slashed across Heath's chest and a multitude of enhancement effects took hold of him. "I-I-I'M BURNING!" Cerberus Soul had clearly done the trick, panic overtaking the old officer. It would not last long, he knew, but it would stick around for a little bit. At

Just like that, the fight was over. Nari had cut down Burlock, completing the quest. A prompt appeared before each of them, displaying their rewards. A new skill, Lady Luck, was added to his collection. Then, a fun little coin materialized from above. He closed his palm around it and then opened it to take a peek at his prize. "Hey, look," Morningstar held up the single golden coin between two fingers, "Treasure! That officially makes us pirates!" From where the trio had climbed onto the ship came the frantic-looking sailor. He looked different now—less frantic, actually. The not-so-

Old enemies, huh? Morningstar thought as he stared down at Captain Archibald Heath. He lacked the context as well as the emotions that Freyd had but a villain was a villain, in his eyes. He took a breath before bringing his blade upon the captain once more. The stun wore off and Heath was capable of defending himself again, however. He drew his own sword, smashing it against Morningstar's and knocking it from his hands. The blonde's eyes grew wide, shocked by the Ladonian's sudden increase in speed. Where had that been a moment ago? The golden straight sword flew through the air and he re

The next battle started immediately. Jomei entered the fray, landing a first strike and severely damaging Burlock, The Quartermaster. Nari appeared a bit agitated but followed quickly after, even going as far as burning the pirate. Morningstar kicked into gear, determined to give them a hand. He dove headfirst after them, Luck of the Sea pointed straight at Burlock. Then, unexpectedly, an attack struck Jomei. It took Nari's shout for the blonde to process what had happened. In a panic, he stopped his pursuit of the pirate and moved to the ginger's defense. Burlock tried his hand at anothe

Morningstar ripped the door open, allowing Freyd to take a shot at the two sergeants. He took them out with ease; it was a simple job for someone of his caliber. The blonde followed him inside, looking at the spots where the Ladonians had once stood. It was his turn to show off now, although he was not sure he could live up to the last performance. Once again, nothing stirred beyond the door to the next room. It made him wonder if the soldiers were a bit hard of hearing. He moved for the door, nodding at Freyd's comment. The room was mostly empty but for a large wooden desk and a matching chai

His white hair against the black armor he fancied made Caesar easily identifiable. Or perhaps, it was the presence that emanated from him, the way he commanded every room he stepped into. Voices hushed when he entered, both from intimidation and eagerness to listen to him speak. He was a prime example of a leader, the embodiment of authority. His face was stern and his gaze unreadable as he walked down the empty halls of his manor. Following closely behind were two men clad in a similar style of armor, albeit far heavier and metallic. Their identities were covered by dark helmets and large str

Blades met once more as the two pirates stumbled onto their feet. Morningstar dodged a slash that was too close for comfort, destroying a sink in the process. Water erupted from the pipes, spraying both of the men. The pirate that Morningstar had stolen the cutlass from rejoined the fight as well, brandishing a silver dagger in his off-hand. They took turns weaving in attacks, striking and slicing at the blonde. The curved sword felt off in his hands, a poor replacement for his preferred weapon, the two-handed straight sword. It was almost weightless and forced him into a style of combat he wa

Freyd wasted no time beginning his assault on the loyalists. The blonde watched as his partner bolted around the room, shocking the foot soldiers and crashing through their no-longer-friendly game of cards. Their attempts to dispel the attack were futile; their opponent was too fierce. He moved efficiently and precisely, striking down three of the four turncoats and leaving the remainder to Morningstar. The survivor was an easy target, pinned to the floor as a result of Freyd's devilishly clean maneuvers. Morningstar's Charge skill activated and he felt his body push into overdrive. From one e

the end MORNINGSTAR + 2,158 xp | (3396/10)*4*1+(200*4) + 29,094 col | 28,694(combat)+400(page) + 24 materials + 3 T4 Uncommon Consumable + 6 T4 Rare Trinkets + 1 T4 Rare Weapon + 2 T4 Perfect Armor + 2 T4 Perfect Weapon + 2 T4 Perfect Consumables + 2 T4 Perfect Trinket + 1 T1 Consumable | Snowfrost | Frostbite I (Field Boss)

He felt his body take control as he leaped into the air, his two-handed straight sword raised high. It glowed through the snowstorm and as he brought it down upon his opponent, Avalanche roared chillingly through the night air. It fell hard, Morningstar atop its frozen figure, before disappearing. His rewards appeared on a final little pop-up. A frostbite potion would come in handy, he was sure. He withdrew a blue crystal from his inventory and lifted it above his head. "Teleport, Snowfrost." Suddenly, he was back in the safe zone. Street lamps illuminated the silent city square

He tried to swing at Avalanche again, but the giant used its hands to toss snow in his direction. Like a wave in the ocean, it knocked him down. He cursed, wiping it from his body and quickly standing back up. Field bosses, even those on a floor as low as the Fourth, could be forces to reckon with. It charged at him; however, this time, he was ready. With a single swipe, he sliced the fist that moved towards him, removing it from the equation entirely. Then, the other came and he performed the same sly motion. Disarming his opponents, in the literal sense, seemed to be Morningstar's go-to

Death loomed over the victorious swordsman. His eyes watered but whether it was from fatigue or sadness, he did not know. For a moment, he truly thought he was done. Nature had different plans for him, it seemed. Their short duel had drawn the attention of the goliath known as Avalanche. The monster stomped through the tundra, intent on challenging Morningstar. "Damn, seriously?" Morningstar exclaimed, lifting his sword once more. Glitch had succeeded at one aspect of his plan. Morningstar had been lured out into the wilderness and now stood face to face with the one thing he had pre

"I see why you go for them and not people closer to your level," Morningstar taunted. "You're just not that good with your sword." His words worked as intended, angering Glitch and causing him to expend all of his energy with offensive jabs. One came close to Morningstar's head and the next to his abdomen. Meteor swooped down in a golden rush, crashing into the rapier and breaking it in two. "Any last words?" Morningstar asked, glancing up at the orange cursor above the man's head. "No, p-p-plea-" The plead for mercy was cut off by a final blow. Meteor sliced th