[PP-F6] Hotter than a Three Headed Dog

[Dameon 0]

As the two of them warped into the main town of floor nine Dameon stayed back behind Cal making sure that there were no other adoring fans like before. Sure word traveled fast but he hoped that on higher levels he could escape all the attention. He would peek out from behind him and see that the coast was all clear. “Good. Hopefully people wont be able to recognize me on the higher floors.” Dameon said as he passed by an info broker handing out some sort of paper. Dameon’s jaw dropped to the floor as he fell backwards onto the ground and sobbed softly. The paper had a picture of him with the article of “The Next Savior of SAO!” and had a full detail of his appearance and his past gaming awards and military experience.

“Kill me Cal. Please. I didn’t get these clothes so everyone would know who the hell I was,” He said sobbing softly as people started to point from the distance.

[Calrex 0]

"Well, that is the hope right?"

As the two appeared on the ninth floor Calrex followed behind Dameon, the player whom he met on the sixth floor and was suddenly making a name for himself from his previous reputation as a professional gamer. "Geezes, it seems like this would be the reason why I've never really thought about taking gaming to a professional level."

However, it seemed the one time the black-haired young man had shown his face it had the same recognition as a famous actor, as it seemed his name was spreading like wildfire. The entire occurrence left the bluenette with a sweatdrop on the side of his head, "I wonder if this is how Zel feels since he's the bearer of Dual Blades and the title Hero of Aincrad."

Looking down at Dameon as he made a maneuver almost akin to an anime character the Ultramarine Knight couldn't help but give a laugh, "Looks like you need to start investing in the Sneak and Hide skill or a new outfit. I think that all black color scheme is doing the exact opposite of what you were intending. Come on, let's get out of the settlement. They shouldn't cause a commotion out in the field zones." 

[Dameon 0]

"What does it matter? If I commission someone to craft me armor they just inform them of what I am wearing next and we are back to square one. I chose black because it is my favorite color. Although...I suppose if I charged for autographs I might possibly start making some money around here," Dameon said as he outstretched his pockets to reveal nothing but lint. He sighed as he followed Cal trying to use his armor as a way to hide himself from the general public. "Sneak and hide might not be a bad idea but it seems a little wasted on my build path. Id rather not get something for superficial reasons when it is clearly not optimal,"  He said with his index finger exteneded as he explained his logic. "Just where is this quest anyways?" Dameon asked.

[Calrex 0]

"It's about a days trip from the settlement at a location called the Inferno Cavern. We've going to need to traverse a good distance before we reach the lair where the field boss spawns, but at the least we don't usually have to worry about mobs engaging us until we get there. The only part we should be careful of is the intense heat inside. It's actually enough to do damage to your character unless you have the Survival skill."

As Vulcan Village became a small dot on the horizon Calrex kept his eyes peeled for any potential enemies that could be lurking in ambush points he had become accustomed to when he had the <<Reveal>> skill, but it seemed none had decided to appear this time around so far. He gave a small sigh as he surveyed the red volcanic landscape, "This is going to be the fourth time I've taken on this quest, and my third time assisting. Well, at least it's good practice."

[Dameon 0]

"Are you telling me we have to walk for an entire day? That's fine I guess," Dameon said as his stomach growled loud enough for mobs to almost hear. He tried to ingore it like it never happened however. He looked back at Cal, "I still have the loot reward from Avalanche, I am sure that will come in handy," Dameon said trying to change the subject before something was mentioned about his stomach and how he hadn't eaten since the game started but it happened yet again. He felt mildly embarrassed by it as he continued to try and ignore it.

[Calrex 0]

"Yeah, it certainly beats having to punch a rock for sure, heh."

As the two continued along the landscape didn't seem to change very much, although occasionally they would catch sight of a few tropical trees popping up every now and then, but the foliage was few and far between as their path took them further and further away from the settlement. Occasionally jets of steam or magma would shoot up around them. Giving a small sigh Calrex put his hands into his pockets as he continued to scan around for any potential enemies in the area.

"Yeah, I have a feeling that the items you gain from the quests were more or less likely to be applied to the field boss quest immediately following it, especially between Avalanche and the Guardian of Fire quests. Outside of these missions, I can't really think of many occasions that would really require you to need an item which halves a certain type of damage."

[Dameon 0]

"Are we there yet?" Dameon asked starting to grow impatient as they kept walking. He had already adjusted the items in his inventory to be able to use the item he had gotten from Avalanche. "Well that and the floor boss on this floor was one that used burn as well. So I think it was planned ahead of time to assist," Dameon added on as he watched the other people in the field fighting all sorts of other mobs. He was a little tired from all the runnig aroudn but excited all the same.

Edited January 26, 2016 by Dameon

[Calrex 0]

Looking upwards at the sky to keep track of the passage of time Calrex overhead Dameon's question, giving a small laugh to himself, "Heh, what are we, a couple of roommates on a roadtrip?"

"Yeah, that is true. In any case, we should be about halfway there. It looks like things are starting to turn to nighttime. If you want we can either grab a shelter, or if you're not feeling tired yet we can push forward and probably make it to the Inferno Cavern by late morning tomorrow."

The bluenette continued to pan his view across the landscape as the volcanic landscape continued to grow hotter and hotter as they continue on. It was a clear sign they were not far off from their destination.

[Dameon 0]

"I am fine with moving on but if you feel the need to rest I would not argue either," The man said as he continued on with his hands folded behind the back of his head. He was used to doing long marches after all from his time int he military. Plus the game didn't really exhaust you after you got used to it, you didn't feel any measure of pain so it was easy to ignore such things. The only thing that ever seemed to get worn out and tired was the brain. Probably because like any other game you could get burned out from doing so much in a short time and lose interest in moving on. This was why the people who usually maxed their level in a game quickly would stop playing shortly after. In this game however here was no endgame content except returning back to life so in a way it was almost better to take things slower.

[Calrex 0]

"Fair enough. Well since both of us have enough energy for the push let's make haste to the cavern then. If we need to recover once we arrive there should still be a few rock formations that would provide suitable cover for resting."

It did indeed seem as they were making good time by foregoing sleep. The night settled into the floor, with the glowing red hue seemingly mingling with the blue of the moon's light, changing the feel of the floor from it's volcanic theme to something a little more alien in appearance. However, as they continued on the moon completed its own trip across the horizon before the sun began to peek over the horizon line in the distance. As this point all sign of vegetation was gone, and the road seemed to become a bit more treacherous, littered with gaps that the two needed to jump over. Both managed just fine, which proved vital, as the only thing that would meet them below was the river of magma that raged beneath.

[Dameon 0]

”This place seems….friendly. I wish I had my shop out here. I could avoid certain customers. To be honest I actually only made a shop to tailor my own gear but nooooo everyone and their mom wants to stop by and order something. It’s such a pain,” Dameon said as he continued walking not even looking at where he was walking toward instead just followed the man in front of him and did as he did. “This would be a good place to farm too. Ultimately you can just push mobs into the lava or off the cliffs to kill the tougher ones and with minimal effort. It’s what I did to Avalanche, ironic really,”

[Calrex 0]

"Yeah, fair enough. I had a feeling that probably a few of the shop owners probably only really create items for themselves, but most of the high-ranked ones to my knowledge opened their doors. I guess it is a decent source of income without needing to constantly farm creatures."

Calrex gave a nod as he continued to listen to Dameon speak, making note of the fact that the man used the environment to his advantage in some battles, something he himself had not had the thought of making use of, "Huh, I'll need to try that out at some point. Pretty much all of the battles I've taken on I haven't had the chance to make use of the surroundings, at least not in a way that would prove to turn the tables in my favor."