Kane

Kane watched her gaze rise until she saw the clock tower. "Are you telling me... that there are literally hundreds - or maybe thousands - of books on Aincrad over there?" She sounded like he had just told her that he could spin straw into gold. "Umm... yes?" He said, waiting for her reaction.

Askavi grabbed his arm and started power walking. Years of real-world experience allowed Kane to react, keeping up with her manic pace as she pushed on towards the library. Kane caught a glimpse of her eyes; they were alight in a way that said, "I'm on a mission!"

NPCs and players alike moved quickly out of the road in front of them, leaving a trail of confusion in their wake. The massive blade at Kane's back went thump, thump, thumping along as he upped his pace to a jog. For a girl who's a good bit shorter than me, and who hasn't trained her <> skill, she can certainly move! he thought to himself.

Arriving at the library, the pair burst through the double doors, causing many to look up. The library looked like it had been taken from a scene in Beauty and the Beast; there were books of all shapes and sizes lining the walls all the way up to a cathedral style ceiling, complete with enormous, rolling ladders to retrieve the necessary information. Mirrored panels lined the columns, making it look there was twelve of everyone. But something else stopped Kane in his tracks, hitting him like a freight train: The scents.

He took a deep breath... the air was still, and the musty smell of the library brought back memories of being a child, reading books like Redwall or Lord of the Rings. A tear almost came to his eye, and he wiped it away without thinking. Stopping to look at the single tear on his finger-less gloved hand, his mouth opened in awe. A digital tear, from a digital eye, all because of a digital scent. He almost laughed out loud, but stifled it to respect the silence in the library. (Although there was no rule against being loud, people naturally tended to be hushed in libraries; it was human nature.) He had read books with heroes swinging swords and going on adventures... now, looking at his reflection in a mirrored panel, he couldn't tell if he was the reader, or the story.

Kane's face broke into a wide smile as Askavi's laughter pierced the air. She had a really nice laugh, and it was uplifting to hear someone enjoying themselves, even though their circumstances weren't ideal. He chuckled a little at her story of having played beer pong before, remembering his first loss... and the headache that had followed him the next day like a sick puppy.

"So, besides robbing cocky, drunk players of their armor, what do you do for fun? Do you think there are any libraries around here?" Kane almost snorted, keeping in his laughter at the mental image of himself going from town to town, stripping under-privileged players of their armor. He pointed to one of the higher buildings in the city; it vaguely resembled a clock tower, antique architecture and all. "I think that there's an old-fashioned lending library up in the clock tower," he exposited. "One of the advertised features of the game was the huge amount of information available at the players' fingertips, so there must be plenty of books on the lore of Aincrad, as well as gameplay tips."

Kane grinned with good humor as Askavi explained her situation. "Haha, well... I'm not much of anything, really." He tilted his head, curious. "I'm not a crafter of any kind. I'd just started exploring this world when... when it happened." Kane knew exactly what she meant, and the feelings that she must have felt when their world had ended... and Kayaba's had begun. He nodded grimly, waiting for her to continue with her story.

"Since then I haven't done much of anything. I should probably train a bit, if only to defend myself if I need to and get some equipment and

The smile came back to Kane's face, and he adjusted one of the straps on his <>, the Medium class armor he was wearing under his pale green cloak. The metal looked semi-piecemeal, but sturdy, protecting Kane's vital areas in the front, and ending with a single, over-sized pauldron on his left shoulder to deflect strikes from a swordsman's right hand side. "Well, it is a funny story," he began, starting to walk casually down the street in the direction she had been going originally. "There was a really cocky player on the 4th floor, and he was essentially trying to be a gambler, making Col off of contests of skill, <> battles, etc. So, he's wearing this armor, and he's bought enough glasses of ale at the tavern to make what was essentially a beer pong table. He's winning a lot, so he gets cocky and bets his armor against my sword when I stepped up to play him..." Kane's smile widens, remembering the look on the man's face when he'd lost. "Nobody told him I was a champion beer pong player out in the real world. The result of a lousy first year at college."

Kane accepted the half roll, adding it back into his inventory with a swipe of a hand. He shrugged, still getting used to the weight and mass of the great-sword slung across his back. He could see the look in her eye, the suspicion that he was up to something. Kane didn't blame her; there weren't many people out there who would do something for nothing. For him though, the act of aiding another was its own reward, and a privilege that he hadn't embraced out in the real world. Now, any day could be his last: This was his chance to atone for his callousness. He offered a small bow, keeping his tone upbeat and friendly.

"I'm Kane. Nice to meet you, Askavi. And honestly, it's only been the last couple days that I've been venturing up beyond the first couple of floors. I got lucky a few times, picked up some halfway decent equipment; won the armor in a gamble, the sword from a quest." He looked her over, not seeing very much armor or equipment of any kind. "So, are you a crafter of some sort? I'm gonna guess that you're not really a front-liner," he said cheerfully.

Starting City held a special place in Kane's heart; it was where his former self had been laid to rest, and out of the ashes of his despair, he had been reborn in determination. The streets were by now semi familiar to him, the noises of the players talking and the NPCs going about their business seemed to blend into a distantly harmonious walla that soothed his ears as his mind wandered.

Strolling through the city streets, his enormous blade <> strapped to his black, the dark-green clad vanguard noticed a young teenage girl eating what appeared to be a rather basic and tasteless piece of bread. Judging by the look on her face, she shared his assessment of the offending roll.

She stood, and then turning away from him, threw the bread over her shoulder and started to stroll away. Moving with a practiced grace, Kane caught the half-eaten roll out of the air and started to follow her. Strolling after her with purpose, Kane opened his inventory. I'd been saving this for later, but she looks like she could use it more. He caught up to her, and tapped her on the shoulder.

"Pardon me, miss?" He inquired in a voice that was low and strong. In his hand was a refreshed roll, now turned into a <> by the quick addition of <>, <>, and <>. "Here, I thought you might want to have this. Eating the plain old bread they have here gets old after a while," he said with a smile.

<> was a relatively quiet town, at least compared to the hustle and bustle of Starting City. The sun always seemed to be perpetually setting here, right up until it surprised you by actually turning into night. The settlement was around 300 meters wide, carved right into the large mountain that housed the labyrinth leading back down to the first floor.

Kane let the golden sunlight wash over him, turning his normal dark green ensemble into a brighter affair. The light seemed to dance and wash over his enormous Two-Handed Sword, <>, the Mithral and Adamantine blending to lend the blade a luminescent, otherworldly gleam. It was strapped to his back, the flared point almost touching the ground, while its ornate handle was visible over his right shoulder. The man who was once John Riley was ambidextrous, but he didn't know if the game would recognize that, so he kept it on the default side.

His tattered green cloak's bonus to <> would be useless in this battle, but he kept its hood up and over his eyes to block out the gilded sunlight. His armor was much better now than the kit he had started with; he had won the <> in a gambling contest with a reckless player. It was a simple breastplate, but it didn't cover the joints in his shoulders, which allowed him to move his arms freely. The half-plate also came with a single, over-sized pauldron that adorned Kane's left shoulder, lending a bit more defense to his kit. Next time, I'll have to get armor that comes with bracers and greaves...

*edited for continuity

Kane nodded, excited to finally see some action. "Sure. I'll probably try to get a bigger sword... I think I'm gonna need it."

He waved a casual goodbye as he strode off, with a decent amount of time to kill before the raid. (Complete)

Kane nodded, trying to remember how the boss was reported to have worked. "Well, the way I remember it, the Bulbous Bow is a giant bull that has a nasty temper. It's around twelve feet tall, with four horns. Apparently it's pretty speedy when it gets up to a charge, that's its primary method of attack. A good strategy would be for one of us to distract the bull and block its charges, while the other quickly flanks it and attacks from the side."

Kane looked Miaki over, trying to get an accurate assessment of their strength level. "We should both be fine if we arm ourselves appropriately... You're a little higher in level than I am, so give me the afternoon to scrounge some better armor and a weapon, and I'll meet you at the Open Field on the 2nd floor?" (Let's start a new thread so that Kane can use his new sword and armor.)

(I PM'd Kirito, he said to finish this RP without him.)

Kane munched away at his virtual food, thinking up strategies and remembering what he'd read in an information broker's field guide. "There's supposed to be a decently strong field boss on the 2nd floor called the Bulbous Bow, a giant bull monster. Most people who have gone above the 2nd floor have just snuck by him to reach the Labyrinth, so this could be a chance to earn a lot of XP."

The server came back around with the food. Although it was digital, the burger was satisfying, and the programmers of SAO had somehow managed to vaguely emulate the refreshing coolness of a chocolate milkshake. Dipping his french fries in his shake, Kane started making conversation.

"So, I was thinking of going up to the second floor today to challenge some of those big ox-type monsters. The canyons up there are full of them, and I hear they drop some halfway decent loot."

<>

Pepper grunted, striking away at the metal with mechanical precision. Sparks flew as the ore shaped and re-shaped itself. As she worked, Kane watched from the sidelines in silence, his heart in his throat. What would his blade look like? Clank! Clank! Clank! The tiny blacksmith plinked away at the luminescent material. "Time for the secret ingredient!" Pepper grabbed the Adamantine ingot, and with surgical precision, began working it into the blade. The forge itself seemed to hiss in approval as the metal glowed brighter and brighter. Finally, the last hammer blow was struck:

Shiiing!

A note that seemed like the call of an angel rang out as the blade was finished. Looking at the blade, it was almost as long as the forge itself! It shone with an otherworldly gleam, but this was no museum piece. The blade was a rare work indeed; no players could craft something like this, at least not for many levels. The gleaming tip of the sword was large and accentuated the blade's obvious knack for slicing through things. As Kane stared in awe, Pepper bowed slightly. "I took the liberty of adding some custom elements." The handle was made of the same metal as the blade, but was wrapped in black suede leather, and that leather was bound with bronze wire. A lovely laurel design was etched into the pommel, and the cross guard... was simply magnificent.

The area where the blade met the handle was ornamented by an elaborate cross guard; on one side, an angel wing swept inward across the blade. On the other side, a bat wing mirrored it. Together, the cross guard's wings looked like the were enveloping the base of the blade. The angel wing had a light blue hue, and the bat wing had a slightly darker blue hue. But that could have just been his eyes playing tricks on him.

Pepper watched as Kane took in the blade, running a finger over the ornate craftsmanship. "Teehee, go ahead!" Kane lifted the sword in both hands. Even with the Mithral, the blade needed two hands to be carried properly. Examining it closer, Kane could see a small chain link bolted to either side of the cross guard. "That's so that if you have a back harness, you can carry your sword on your back! I don't think you'll be able to wear that at your side, haha!" Kane smiled as he looked at the blade. "Hard to think of it, but this baby must have been coded in ahead of time..." He scratched his head in wonder.

Pepper waved a hand in front of the blade, displaying its stats, along with the blade's name:

ITEM: <>

"Dusk Shine... What a name... what a sword. Thanks, Pepper. Really, I mean it." If an NPC could have blushed, the miniature blacksmith would have. "Well, haha, thanks!"

Kane bought a thick leather swordsman's harness with his emergency funds. Looks like it's tasteless food and water for a while, Johnny... But it was worth it. He hooked the <> on the back of the hook, and practiced walking around. The mass of the blade was going to take some getting used to, but the weight was manageable. As Kane left the shop, Pepper waved goodbye. "Come back any time!" Maybe I will, haha. Maybe I will.

<>

Rank 10:(Master Rank): 5120 total EXP and 10 Crafts a day

1=Epic fail

2-5=Good Item

6-7=Uncommon Item

8-10=Rare Item

11-12= Perfect Item

Kane made his way back through the city streets, his cloak no longer needed now that the sun was shining. He realized that he had leveled up because of the ordeal, and he arranged his skill ranks accordingly. Hmm, I have access to Two-Handed Swords now, as well as Rapier skills... But I know just the sword for me...

The diminutive NPC was out front in front of her shop, using a broom to sweep away digital cobwebs as Kane approached. When she saw him cross the street towards her shop, Pepper cheerfully waved to Kane and beckoned him inside.

"Hey! Come on in, the materials just arrived! I'll make your blade for you now!"

As he headed inside the shop, Kane's expression soured. "Those materials almost cost me my life, you know! I hope they make something special." The NPC ignored him, instead going to a chest in the back. There, Kane could see the metal he had won: The Mithral gleamed with an arcane light, pale green and silver hued. The properties of Mithral were well known; the metal was stronger than steel, but twice as light. It was sought after for use in armor especially, since it weighed practically nothing, but could stop a spear thrust in its tracks. However, Kane had a different use for the rare material. There was also a single ingot of a strange, dark blue metal. Kane had a plan for it as well.

Pepper took the Mithral back to the forge, where she started drawing up a schematic based on what Kane had told her earlier. "So, tell me one more time all the details of the weapon. This is going to be an odd one for sure!" Kane cleared his throat, trying his best to describe the weapon perfectly. "Well, the model I'm going for is a Two-Handed Sword. But not just any Two-Handed Sword... This one is going to be twice as long and twice as wide as any you've ever made."

Kane took some parchment and began sketching out a rough design, pontificating as he drew. "Now, for a sword this big and wide, not even players with maxed strengths could ordinarily wield something like this. But, I'm no ordinary swordsman, and this is no ordinary metal! Typically a Mithral blade would be useless, since the Sword Skills we use make normal weapons practical for use, even made from hefty metals. But if we do the calculations right, this blade will weigh as much as a normal Two-Handed Sword, like a claymore or a nodachi, but it'll be far more impressive!"

"The sword will be 5'3" for blade length, 15" wide and 13" hilt length making the sword 6'6" in total. The blade's color will turn out much like the metal itself, I suppose, silver with a minty glow. Included in the materials was one ingot made of Adamantine. Pepper, this is the fun part: You're going to forge the Adamantine throughout the blade in very, very small amounts. One ingot, worked into the Mithral properly, will let the blade keep its lightness, but it will let the sword hit like a freight train! Normally Mithral would be more suitable for armor, but mixing it with Adamantine will produce a light blade that's extremely tough to break. This isn't really a stabbing weapon, so the tip of the blade doesn't need to be thin... but it does need an edge to it, more like a flared point for deflecting incoming attacks, and for enhancing the slashing capabilities of the blade. Speaking of slashing, that's what this sword will be doing most, so the edge needs to be nice and thick to hack away at armor. The Adamantine will also let me use the blade's width as a shield; if I can parry in time, it will soak the damage from almost any attack, I'm sure of it!"

Turning to Pepper, who was preparing the last of the materials, Kane smiled. "You ready to make something amazing?" He asked with a grin. "You bet!"

<< http://soulcalibur.wikia.com/wiki/Requiem?file=Requiem.jpg Use this sword as inspiration, but feel free to make it look cool how you want it to. =) >>

"So you two... You got any hobbies in the real world?"

It was considered rude to talk about the real world in Aincrad. But honestly? Kane would rather talk about home than just ignore the fact that they all once had separate lives outside this madman's Eden.

"Well before this I was a college student in the States studying languages and society, dream of becoming a professor one day. As far as hobbies go, I was into filming and gaming. But the rest of my hobbies fortunately can be done in here like martial arts, once I earn that skill, rock climbing, swimming, and exploring."

Kane brightened up considerably listening to Miaki talk. It seemed like the two of them had a lot in common. "Oh, so you're from the States too, huh? I was an MK, a Missionaries' Kid. I've lived half my life in Tokyo, and the other half in the American South. I was a film student, doing my internship for my senior year with a Japanese film crew when we all got... well, stuck. Hobbies? Well, I used to say that playing video games was a hobby of mine, but I guess it's more like a career now, haha!" Kane laughed out loud at the thought. He'd always wanted to play video games for a living; it proved the adage "be careful what you wish for."

Kane flagged down an NPC server, who brought up a digital menu for the three of them to order from. "I don't know how they justify this in lore, but I'm okay with this!" he laughed, as he ordered a burger, fries, and a chocolate milkshake.

As he watched his newfound acquaintances order, Kane was filled with a rush of nostalgia. A meal shared with friendly folk was a gift indeed.

Confidently, Kane typed the following into the answer box: "Who said anything about the ship sinking? They all live since the boat is perfectly fine."

As he pressed the enter button, Kane had a second of panic; had he just signed his death warrant? But, looking at Mr. Riddle's face, for the first time since he had started the game, the NPC stopped laughing. Instead, a genuine smile came to his face. "...Well played."

With a wave of his hand, Mr. Riddle released Kane from his restraints. "The challenge is over, ma'boy, and you are the winner. Congratulations!" He bowed deeply at the waist as Kane caught his breath back. That had been a close one. "As I promised, here are the materials that you requested." Riddle pointed to a chest in the corner of the house that Kane hadn't noticed before. Opening the chest, Kane saw the distinct glint that he was looking for. "I'll have it delivered to Miss Pepper's shop at once, and it will be waiting there upon your arrival. Miss Pepper works fast; she might even be done with the weapon by the time you get across town, hahaha!"

Kane nodded and exited the house, thankful to have escaped with his life. He definitely felt wiser for the ordeal, though.

Man, what a day... Thanks, dad. I'll make it home, I promise.

This was it: Kane's life flashed before his eyes as Mr. Riddle's final question floated out into the air: "A King, a High Priest, and a Wizard are all on the same ship. There are only two flotation devices. The King says, 'I rule nations and peoples, I deserve to live!' The High Priest says, 'I give spiritual guidance to many, I deserve to live!' The Wizard says, 'I know the mysteries of the infinite cosmos, and can teach many my wise ways! I deserve to live!' Which of the three will drown?"

Kane could feel his heart beating in his chest. If he lost... it was goodbye, Aincrad, and goodbye world. Think... c'mon Johnny, think! After a minute, with Mr. Riddle's leering face looming over him, Johnny's brains were racked. I... I can't think of the answer... I'm going to die...

Just as the timer above the question was about to run out, Kane's mind flashed back to his father, teaching him fencing back in grade school. The sting of getting hit so many times was making him frustrated. "Dad! How do you keep hitting me!?" he had asked, frustrated at his father's seemingly effortless ripostes. His father had leaned down, and tapped him on the helmet. "Son, sometimes the attack is in not attacking; the best opponents wait for you to commit to a strike, in a situation where it's wisest not to engage first at all. Remember: Don't go for the bait."

Kane knew the answer.

Cringing, Kane was forced to admit that Mr. Riddle was right. Not only right, but now the two were tied at 1 and 1, and Riddle had the advantage of being the asker going into the tiebreaker. Mr. Riddle leaned forward, chuckling merrily. "Well, it looks like you've got one chance to save your skin, ma'boy!"

Kane was confused. "Save my skin? But I didn't bet my HP, I only wagered my levels-"

"Yes yes, but you didn't just wager your levels: You wagered all of your levels! And, ma'boy, what happens when you get down to level zero, hmm?"

It couldn't be possible... Losing his level one status would result in his... deletion!?!?

The game had suddenly become quite... deadly. But really, what would he expect in Ayaba's world?

Kane thought that Riddle would have been upset that he had guessed the riddle correctly. To the contrary, it seemed that the answer had sent him into a fit of the giggles. "Ahahahaheeheeheehoohoohoo! Yes, correct! You're pretty good! Your turn, ma'boy!"

Kane put a finger to his lips, thinking of the riddle that he had thought up on the way over. "Okay: A poor man is in a tavern, and sees a rich man with a lot of gold in his purse demanding songs of the bards at the bar. He challenges the man, 'I bet you all the gold in your purse that I can sing a song that you know the words to, that include your very name!' The rich man says, 'You don't even know my name, and you think my name is in a song that I know? Fine, I'll take your bet! And my name is Isador, a very uncommon name! Well, go ahead!' The poor man goes home rich, and the rich man goes home broke. What song did he sing the rich man?"

Mr. Riddle pondered for a moment. Kane could almost see the NPC's programs running his logic algorithms, searching for the answer. Finally, he answers confidently, making Kane cringe: "Bueeheehee! He sang him 'Happy Birthday'! The only song that can contain anyone's name!"

Mr. Riddle leaned back in his chair, and as he spoke, his words appeared in midair in front of Kane: "Alright! First Riddle:One evening, a king is preparing to go on a great journey to meet other rulers in a diplomatic meeting. His night watchman runs up to him and says, "Please don't go, my king! Last night I dreamt that there was an ambush, and that you were killed at the conference! I beg you, do not go!" The king heeds his advice, and refrains from taking the journey. Sure enough, the other rulers were going to ambush him, and the king's spies brought him word that his caution had saved his life. Now, why did the king banish the guard who saved his life?

Kane thought hard as the words floated in front of him. As he pondered, Mr. Riddle airily commented, "Just enter your reply in the text box when you've thought it through, ma'boy! Though don't wait too long, or you forfeit the round, uahahaha!"

Kane looked the words over again, and followed the story to the end. A night watchman... Suddenly it clicked! Kane entered his answer: Because he was asleep on the job.

As Kane spoke, he felt his legs grow heavy, as they were strapped to the floor as if by magic. "Wha!? Kane struggled against his restraints, but Mr. Riddle just guffawed. "Ohoohoo, that's just to make sure you don't run off and renege on our arrangement, keeheehee!"

Kane stopped struggling, and sat still. He'd need all his wits about him if he was going to match the intellect of this puzzling NPC. "Fine. I'm ready for the first riddle."

Kane's eyes widened. He must've misheard what Mr. Riddle was saying. "I'm sorry, what? My... my levels?" Mr. Riddle nodded, then threw his head back and laughed heartily. "Fufufufu, yes! I desire your skills and your levels, and I can suck them away with a flick of my wrist! However, I'm not a monster. With risk comes reward I say, hahaha! We shall have a contest of three riddles: As the challenged party, I will ask the first, you shall ask the second, and I shall ask the third. If you stump me, or answer one of my riddles correctly, you win that round! But, if I do the same, I win that round. At the end of the game, best two out of three wins the game! If you win, the materials are yours. But if I win, I get your levels. All of them. Savvy?"

Kane swallowed. All of his levels? Being knocked back to level 1 would be a pretty terrible blow... But, as of now he was level 3, so it wasn't like it was the end of the world. It was worth the risk.

Turning to Mr. Riddle, Kane declared, "I accept your terms, and wager my levels. Let's riddle, Riddle!"

Mr. Riddle stroked his pink mustache, considering Kane's challenge. "Alright, listen closely young man: This is quite a lot of material you're looking for. So if I'm going to wager that much, you're going to have to wager quite a lot in return, wahaha!"

Kane nodded. He knew that there had to be an element of risk. "Alright, what would you like me to wager? What do you get if I lose?"

Mr. Riddle's smile turned into a playful smirk. His voice lowered to a conspiratory murmur. "I'd like you to wager... Your levels."

"So, my boy. You wish to challenge me to a game of riddles! Well, I accept your challenge. What are the stakes?" Kane pulled up his inventory and removed the <>, placing it on the table. Mr. Riddle picked up the note, and scanned it for the materials Kane was looking for. "Ahahaha! Hoho, so little Miss Pepper sent you, eh?"

Kane nodded, smiling. "Yes, it was quite generous of her to refer me here. If you have what I need, I'm willing to test my wits for it!"

The interior of the house was gentlemanly, almost classical compared to the outside. There was a fire in the fireplace, and a pair of chairs in the living room with high backs. They looked incredibly comfortable, and Mr. Riddle gestured to the chair on the left. "Please, my dear boy, have a seat!"

Kane sat down in the soft, downy chair on the left in front of the fire. It faced towards the door, and in front of it was a coffee table, and the other chair was facing him. Riddle sat down in the other chair.