Morningstar

"Morningstar," he introduced himself, "Star is fine, though." From the rear, another girl approached, interrupting before the blonde could answer Van's request. She was tall, only a few centimeters less than Morningstar. Considering the quest the two players were taking, it was only right to assume that their levels were low. Zackariah had one of the safest quests in the game, although it did take you outside of the city. Tagging a long would not hurt, he thought. Van was polite, making sure he was comfortable with joining them before beginning. It was early; he could find his items

Morningstar stepped into the Alchemist’s shop hesitantly, eyeing the wares as he passed. He regularly shopped at Cintamani and it almost felt like betrayal to visit another store. He recognized Zandra from the raid meeting, although her arrival was towards the end and they had not spoken. ”Hi, nice to meet you,” he smiled, then ordered a raid package. “I’ll grab a full set, please.” With potions and salves in hand, he headed home to make his final preparations for the boss raid. Not much time remained before they put their lives on the line to clear the twenty-seventh floor.

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"Oh—I didn't know you were a performer. Thanks, Nari, I'll stop by sometime." His thoughts were interrupted by the entrance of a late player. She introduced herself to the group as Zandra, requesting a rundown of what had been discussed during the span of the meeting. He thought about speaking up but decided to let the other players go at it. They knew better than he did, probably. "Dark Elf sounds good. I'll mention it to Freyd on the way out," he continued, "maybe he's got a fourth in mind. It would be nice to have a chance to meet some of my teammates. Before today, I'd never met

“Yeah, I agree. It’s probably not worth going around in circles,” he replied, folding one leg over the other. With crossed arms, he listened to Nari’s next few words. He pondered for a second, wondering what types of things he would actually need for the boss fight. His weapon was lacking—he knew that already. Aside from equipment, though, it was just consumables. ”Still a couple things, actually. I need to hit some shops and stock up on potions. My collection’s looking pretty bare, honestly. Also, I’ve been meaning to grab the Phoenix drop from Floor Nine. The extra bit of damage mi

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"And, of course, same to you," He told Freyd, in reference to his comment about calling on him. It was nice to work with others for once. Morningstar was always trekking through things alone. It felt easier; there was nobody else at risk if he fought by himself. However, the comfort and safety he felt amongst the group was unmatched. He prayed that the three of them made it through the raid. He prayed that he did as well. "Good to meet you, Katoka," Morningstar said. Turning to the group, he smiled, "I've got a few more things to deal with before the boss fight. I'll see you all

Things were coming to a close, with Ariel being the first to exit the meeting. The conversation continued, however, and so Morningstar kept listening. Nari leaned in to speak with him. He was glad they were on a similar page. "I can grasp the ideas they're talking about but I have no clue how they're able to come to them so quickly. I like to think I'm pretty well-read but I haven't heard of any of these concepts before today," he replied, referring to wuxing in particular. He wanted to at least try to help her understand. He paused for a moment, debating what was even important enou

Two days. They lingered over him like a curse. Nerves ate at him, spiraling like tornados in his stomach and disrupting his sleep. Stressed and weary, he wandered the streets of the Town of Beginnings, trying his best to put on a smile as he passed by people whom he did not know personally but had, for some reason or another, encountered over the years. Even after all of the grinding and hunting he had done, his items lacked variety. His time with Freyd had come in handy but the items he had collected remained in his shop, unidentified until he could find the time to go to work. Mor

Freyd moved first, thinking quickly and using his familiar, Persi, to disorient the flaming bird. Morningstar followed up, blade raised high. He praised the man for his battle awareness, although only in his head. In a quick bolt, he dashed toward the Phoenix, bashing its limp body with his heavy straight sword. Already crippled from Freyd's attack, its health bar dropped further. Morningstar watched as it fell into the red zone; a single attack should have been enough to finish the job. Allowing his team to swoop in and take the last hit, he backed up a few steps. He was curious to see K

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Morningstar shuffled alongside Katoka. "A phoenix, yeah." It seemed like she was around his level, which was uncommon. The players he encountered were usually leagues higher or way below him. His weapon materialized at his waist. It was a sword, glistening gold, called Meteor. "Two-handed straight sword," he smiled, "I'm a DPS—at least, I'm trying to be." "What about you?" Morningstar asked. Eyeing up her equipment, he assumed the same of her. He recalled her presence in the raid meeting but, like many others in the large crowd, nothing about her particularly stood out. They wer

The Dark Elf fell as abruptly as the fight had started, with Nari taking up Freyd's flank and landing a killing blow. It was a quick and easy field boss, as expected. The party leader hurried through his monologue as they rushed back to town. Their next goal was Floor Nine's field boss, the Phoenix. Morningstar had been meaning to spend some time grinding the Phoenix since the item it dropped was so useful to a DPS player like himself. It was always so far out of the way; he was never on the Ninth. Suddenly, he was in Yōgan Village, a place he was not fond of. It was too hot, even more so

Morningstar eyed up a variety of potions and consumables, deciding what of the bunch would be worth taking. It did not appear to be a dangerous outing; the basics would do fine. Gathering up his belongings, he jogged to the door, the bell ringing as it opened. "Honey, I'm heading out!" he called into his empty shop, and with a chuckle, he left. With the click of a button, his simple, green sweater transformed into a radiant suit of armor. Meteor glowed at his hip, dazzling in the summer sun that poked through the treetops. He crushed a teleport crystal, beaming down to the Third Floo

the end MORNINGSTAR + 2,551 xp | ((4,824/10)*4*0.7)+960+240 + 94,840 col | 6,000+10,640+28,000+50,000+200 + 56 materials | 4(mobs)+52(dungeon) + 6 T4 Perfect Weapons + 2 T4 Perfect Armors + 1 T4 Perfect Trinket FREYD + 13,855 xp | ((4,824/10)*15*0.7)+8,550+240 + 114,800 col | 2,000+2,800+2,800+4,900+2,100+22,000+28,000+50,000+200 + 64 materials | 12(mobs)+52(dungeon) + 4 T4 Perfect Weapons + 2 T4 Perfect Armors + 1 T4 Perfect Consumable + 1 T4 Perfect Trinket + 1 T4 Rare Trinket + 1 T4 Rare Consumable + 1 T4 Rare Armor/Shield +1 T4 Rare Weapon + 1

The shadow emerged from Freyd's jacket and Morningstar flinched as it rushed at him. At first, he thought that it was another monster or some after effect of the Lich King's death. When it twirled around the elixir instead of killing him, he realized that he was probably fine. Freyd called out to the strange creature by name and confirmed Morningstar's suspicion by introducing her as his familiar. He laughed as Persi returned to her hiding place. "Scared me for a second there," he said, standing from the throne and moving for the exit. "It's no problem," he added, "you'd've done the same

The Lich King was an intimidating foe, dressed in villainous armor and wielding a giant of a weapon. Freyd was a funny fellow, confusing the king by skipping his dialogue and cutting straight to the combat. Freyd's body froze like a statue, seizing up from whatever elixir he had consumed. It took Morningstar a moment to realize what had happened but when he did, he charged forwards. The Lich King climbed back on to his feet and swung furiously at the paralyzed swordsman. Coming to his aid, Morningstar cut through the Lich King, stopping him before his blade could reach his partner. M

the end MORNINGSTAR + 1700 xp | (2001/5)*4 + 100 [Field Boss] + 1 Nepent's Ovule

Morningstar swiped up, cutting through its remaining tentacles with four fluid motions. He side stepped a shot of acidic goo and moved in for the last hit. He hacked at the plant monster, chopping it to bits until the game decided that it was finally dead. Morningstar stopped to catch his breath as soon as the pixels began to fade. If any of the spectating animals were curious about Morningstar before, they had since abandoned their interest. Defeating the Nepent Variant was enough to make them stay far away. Even a predator knew when it was outmatched. He left the woods when the moo

Morningstar was a believer in quick combat. He took little time to reengage with the mob. The stun faded quickly--Morningstar's lack of experience as a duelist was showing. His status effects were effective, but still green. He did not yet have the ability to reapply them efficiently. Dodging was difficult as well. Star's heavy armor made him more of a bruiser than anything, and that meant he was made to take damage rather than avoid it. The Nepent whipped at him with a tentacle, wrapping around his left leg and injecting him with its venom. Morningstar felt his body lock up, but the poison wa

Something called Morningstar away from the cave. He wouldn't return until years later, with no memory of the events of this day. Later that evening, however, he did fight a Nepent Variant in a nearby forest. The woods were darker than the rest of the floor. Moonlight found it difficult to pierce the leafy canopy, and so traversing it without night vision was exceptionally difficult. Morningstar, of course, always had night vision. His sharp eyes caught sight of the Nepent from afar, and he moved to engage with it. The air cracked behind him, like a bolt of lightning, as he activated <&

To be fair, he wondered if the final floor would ever be cleared. By the time they made it to the end, who would still be left standing? How far could the frontliners go before giving in and choosing to remain within the game? Had things gone differently, had Lexa lived, even he would have considered staying. He thought about the house they had intended on purchasing together. He had made far different choices in the end, purchasing a beach home that he never expected to be able to afford. She would have like it, he thought, even if it was not their original plan. Lost in thought, he

He had left the chaos of his real-world responsibilities in the past. It was not that he hated it; there were times that he missed it, to be honest. However, the serene surroundings provided a much-needed respite from the constant hustle and bustle of his celebrity life. Here, he didn't need to wear a mask or put on a performance for anyone. It was a place where he could simply be himself, a player immersed in the beauty of the virtual realm. Conflicted, he reflected on his time in Aincrad. It had changed him for the better, he thought, and he had met the love of his life in the game. He

Shadows seemed to dance where light could not reach. 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 voice whispering in the rustling leaves. As the day wore on, he came across a short creek that wound its way through the woods. The sound of the water was soothing, and he took a moment to rest beside its shimmering surface. He dipped his hand into the cool water, feeling a surge of refreshment wash over him. In this digital world, he was able to experience the joys of nature and connect with