[PP - F8] The Climb, Pt.6 (Mack)

[Takao 0]

«Floor 8»
10:55 AST

Emerging from the dank cave that he and his red-haired dungeon hunting companion had just finished spelunking, Takao was greeted by the heat and vague semblances of humidity that the eighth floor boasted. Unpleasant surely, but nothing in comparison to the fifth or sixth floors during their peak hours. "Phew. That's... five down, right-- No, well, six in total if we're counting yesterday's." Takao said, his green eyes glancing upward to the small numbers hovering beneath his health gauge. Forty nine. What astonishing progress they'd made in just a day, surely leveling had never been this easy. "Only ten left now." A light laugh rumbled in his chest, followed by an exasperated exhale. He had never missed his digital bed so much.

Edited March 29, 2016 by Takao

[Mack 0]

"Yes, only ten," Mack rumbled from somewhere low in his throat, clapping Takao on the shoulder. "And with all the loot we have found today think of the rip roaring party we shall have tonight. Dark, stout beer... roasted meat... fruit pies... and of course the love of all the women of Aincrad when they see we've each leveled up at least ten times this day and, of course, after you've sung them an amazing ballad, Bard," Mack roared, swiping a finger in the air in front of him. A second later a canteen materialized in his hands and he look a long pull from the container before passing it over to his dark haired companion. "Drink? It's only water. It would be no good to get hammered drunk at this point, mid-epic struggle against the programmers of SAO."

[Takao 0]

ID: 53837
BD: 10 + 3(ACC)
LD: 20 + 2(Vitamins) + 3(Hands of Midas) + 3(Search & Detect)
CD: 6

Takao: 201/201 (37/49) [Sword Art: Sharp Nail 1*6*22=144 DMG] (13 Base + 5 Charge + 3 Damage Crystal + 1 Alcoholic + 2 Critical)

Ettin 1 0/106 (Mit. 26) [144-26=118 DMG]
Ettin 2 0/106 (Mit. 26) [144-26=118 DMG]
Ettin 3 0/106 (Mit. 26) [144-26=118 DMG]
Ettin 4 0/106 (Mit. 26) [144-26=118 DMG]

Takao's head rolled back onto his shoulders as Mack spoke of how they would celebrate their successful spree of dungeoneering. The thought of good food made his mouth water, almost as much as the thought of sleep made him tired. "Ah, man. I can't wait to get some real food in me. Screw the booze and women," Takao said, pausing for a moment to point accusingly at Mack. "Not what I meant." Takao eyed the canteen for a moment and raised his hand to take it, but was interrupted by the sound of heavy footsteps approaching. "Maybe later. We have company." He replied, opting to grab the sword from his back instead of the canteen. "Big ones too." Takao commented as he set his sights upon the two meter tall, two headed, club wielding monsters. The charge skill was activated and a familiar sword art chosen, which resulted in the four approaching monsters being minced in a matter of seconds. Three strokes of his sword later, and the four monsters exploded into confetti.

Total Rewards:
8 Materials - Takao
0 Col
4 Teleport Crystals

Edited March 29, 2016 by Takao

[Mack 0]

ID: 53933
LD: 11

"Well, if women aren't your thing maybe men? Gnoll Chieftainesses? Curiously shaped yams," Mack asked as Takao dashed off and then dashed out the brains of a quartet of Ettin's. Mack, for his part, kept his grip on the canteen and slammed Invictus into the nearest tree. The big burly blacksmith was hoping that a crafting material would fall out of the tree, but he wasn't hopeful that he would be that lucky. It turned out, he wasn't. "Hey, no judgement," he called, tossing the canteen to Takao. "But, finding a curiously shaped yam is going to be tough, I think they're rare quality cooking ingredients."

[Takao 0]

ID: 53941
BD: 10 + 3(ACC)
LD: 9 + 2(Vitamins) + 3(Hands of Midas) + 3(Search & Detect)
(+4 Materials , +2120 Col)

Takao: 201/201 (26/49) [Sword Art: Sharp Nail 1*6*22=144 DMG] (13 Base + 5 Charge + 3 Damage Crystal + 1 Alcoholic + 2 Critical)

Ettin 5 0/106 (Mit. 26) [144-26=118 DMG]
Ettin 6 0/106 (Mit. 26) [144-26=118 DMG]
Ettin 7 0/106 (Mit. 26) [144-26=118 DMG]
Ettin 8 0/106 (Mit. 26) [144-26=118 DMG]

"I can reassure you that women are very much "my thing", but 'cha homeboy's got priorities, 'n stuffin' my face 'til I hate myself is at the top of that list." Takao said, nodding in agreement with his own statement. Food seemed much more important at the moment than companionship... although the alcohol might help him to forget the Gnoll Chieftainess. The thought of it made him shiver, and he did slightly regret not already being intoxicated prior to their engagement. He could've blacked out and never had the image stuck in his head to begin with. "Also, not to say that it interests me in the slightest, but why yams? Aren't cucumbers like... the go-to thing for that?" Takao said as he caught the canteen with his off-hand and took a drink. He hadn't even been through swallowing the water before another group of monsters approached, eliciting a low grumble from Takao's throat. He tossed the canteen back to Mack and shouldered his blade, preparing the same sword art of which he'd used to wipe out the last four. With a leap accompanied by three well placed cuts, the four monsters reverted into their more natural state of colourful, disappearing polygons.

Total Rewards:
12 Materials - Takao
2120 Col
4 Teleport Crystals

Edited March 29, 2016 by Takao

[Mack 0]

ID: 53966
BD: 9
LD: 25 (+4 Mats, +2000 Col)

Takao: 201/201 (49/49) 
Mack: 157/157 (20/38) Explode Catapult: 3x3x17=153

Ettin 9 -28/100 (Mit. 25) [153-25=128 DMG]
Ettin 10 -28/100 (Mit. 25) [153-25=128 DMG]
Ettin 11 -28/100 (Mit. 25) [153-25=128 DMG]
Ettin 12 -28/100 (Mit. 25) [153-25=128 DMG]

"I wouldn't have the slightest idea," Mack rumbled in response to Takao's question about the yams as he caught the canteen as it was tossed back and stored it safely away back in his inventory again. "Curiously shaped yams, cucumbers, large primordial eggplants, some people are just different," the axe man continued, shrugging his shoulders even as his dark eyed gaze swept across the area behind Takao to note the approach of another group of four Ettin's. "These one's are mine," the soldier growled, darting past Takao as he charged down on the beasts and quickly reduced them to free floating nothingness with a few well placed axe blows.

Total Rewards:
12 Materials - Takao
4 Materials - Mack
4120 Col
4 Teleport Crystals

[Takao 0]

ID: 54008
BD: 2 + 3(ACC) + 1(Concentration)
LD: 16 + 2(Vitamins) + 3(Hands of Midas) + 3(Search & Detect)
(+8 Materials , +4240 Col)

Takao: 201/201 (26/49) [Sword Art: Sharp Nail 1*6*22=144 DMG] (13 Base + 5 Charge + 3 Damage Crystal + 1 Alcoholic + 2 Critical)
Mack: 157/157 (20/38)

Ettin 13 -28/100 (Mit. 25) [153-25=128 DMG]
Ettin 14 -28/100 (Mit. 25) [153-25=128 DMG]
Ettin 15 -28/100 (Mit. 25) [153-25=128 DMG]
Ettin 16 -28/100 (Mit. 25) [153-25=128 DMG]

"Sounds like you have quite the idea, actually, considering how long your list was in comparison." Takao commented, a raised eyebrow being shot in Mack's direction. He observed from behind as his red-haired ax wielding traveling companion engaged the next grouping of four monsters that wandered in their direction. Whilst he initiated combat with the four ettins, another quartet appeared through the bushes. "I got those ones," Takao said as he prepared the necessary skill and sword art, swiftly dealing with the monsters and reducing them to their natural state as pixels.

Total Rewards:
20 Materials - Takao
4 Materials - Mack
8360 Col
4 Teleport Crystals

Edited March 30, 2016 by Takao

[Mack 0]

+1 Energy, out of combat

ID: 54024
LD: 20 (+1 Mat)

"If you hang out in enough locker rooms and with enough enlisted soldiers you will hear all kinds of stories that you'd prefer not to," Mack rumbled, raising a warning finger in Takao's direction shortly after the brown haired swordsman had dispatched yet another batch of the twin-headed monsters. Really, they were making both good time and quick work of all the monsters and, in the end, it would increase the loot they were able to bring home. "Given your response to her royal puppy highness... I assumed you'd rather not hear the stories or learn the useages as they have been related to me, not as I have personally experienced. Now... if I was mistaken in that viewpoint we find that some curiously shaped yams..."

[Takao 0]

ID: 54040
BD: 10 + 3(ACC)
LD: 14 + 2(Vitamins) + 3(Hands of Midas) + 3(Search & Detect)
(+8 Materials , +4240 Col)

Takao: 201/201 (15/49) [Sword Art: Sharp Nail 1*6*24=144 DMG] (13 Base + 5 Charge + 3 Damage Crystal + 1 Alcoholic + 2 Critical)
Mack: 157/157 (20/38)

Ettin 17 0/106 (Mit. 26) [132-28=106 DMG]
Ettin 18 0/106 (Mit. 26) [132-28=106 DMG]
Ettin 19 0/106 (Mit. 26) [132-28=106 DMG]
Ettin 20  0/106 (Mit. 26) [132-28=106 DMG]

"I'll have to take your word on that one." Takao said, his attention already setting upon the next grouping of monsters that stomped closer. A slow breath left his nostrils as he pulled his sword arm down, the blade he'd shouldered sliding from the fabric of his clothing before being held off to the side. The beasts before him weren't much taller than he was, yet they were considerably wider. Their weapons were massive in comparison to their bodies, disproportionate really, and they had eight heads between them for every one of his. A terrifying sight that would've shaken him to the core in any other context, yet here and now, he was oddly calm. He kept asking himself why he wasn't scared, and he truly didn't have an answer. Perhaps he'd become jaded to it. Takao spun the blade and slammed the flat against his back, activating a sword art in the process. He leapt forward and released control of the system, ending the four monsters with three strikes. "Also, you can keep ya' yams and eggplants and whatever phallic business you find to ya'self."

Total Rewards:
32 Materials
12600 Col
4 Teleport Crystals

Edited March 30, 2016 by Takao

[Mack 0]

OOC: Out of Combat, +1 Energy

ID: 54058
LD: 6

"I didn't find it on purpose," Mack said in an almost sulky tone, crossing his arms over his chest as he continued to follow Takao along the path to wherever it was that the scout and swordsman was taking him. "Like I said, hang out in enough of the same places as me with enough of the same crowds, whether deliberately or by association and you're going to hear things you don't want to hear. Both phallic and otherwise," Mack grumbled. It wasn't his fault that people he'd had to associate with, for one reason, or another tended to think without using their biological brain. "I think we must be getting close by this point, right?"

[Takao 0]

ID: 54061
LD: 16 + 2(Vitamins) + 3(Hands of Midas) + 3(Search & Detect)
(+1 Material)

"Uh huh, sure you didn't. Don't worry though, I don't judge. Might be hard explainin' it to Piera though." Takao rolled his eyes and hooked his thumbs on the baldric strapped across his chest after sheathing the Inundator. He slid his hand down across the air and called forth the menu, chimes playing with each touch of the floating buttons on his way to the map. He glanced over it for barely a moment before dismissing the menu. "Yep, we're getting close. Only a few more minutes of walkin' and we should be there."

Total Rewards:
33 Materials
12600 Col

[Mack 0]

OOC: 3 Turns out of Combat, full energy.

"I don't think I'm going to be explaining much of anything to Piera for awhile," Mack said sourly, crossing his arms over his broad chest and glowering impressively. "I suppose you saw how everything went down at the Hot Springs party, yes," he asked in the same sour tone as Takao explained they were getting close to the entrance of the dungeon. Who knew what fresh horrors awaited them both in there, couldn't be worse than what the blacksmith strongly suspected Piera and Opal were cooking up though. "Seriously, who asks two women why they have similar Hoya Amulets in the presence of the guy that he knows gave one of those two women the amulet? I'm going to get Jomei back for that, you mark my words, Bard."

[Takao 0]

ID: 54223
LD: 1 + 2(Vitamins) + 3(Hands of Midas) + 3(Search & Detect)

"I caught bits and pieces, was mostly focused on somethin' else." Takao admitted, though he didn't delve any more into the explanation. He shrugged and continued walking, eyes kept forward as they scanned the environment. He blinked his reveal skill active and examined every small detail that went unnoticed, primarily small monsters well beneath their level that opted out of a fight. "Seems like a bit of an overreaction to me, though. Maybe I'm just new-age or somethin', but I think explaining it to 'em would've been the best way to go about it. Can't say it would've made for an interesting drama though."

Total Rewards:
33 Materials
12600 Col

[Mack 0]

ID: 54243
LD: 9

"Focused on something else, eh," Mack asked, catching up to Takao and trying to elbow the other player in the ribs. Given their vast height disparity, it was more like elbowing the brunette in the shoulder. "I can't believe you're referring to our territorial familiars fighting over the food, so what's her name," Mack asked, deciding to focus the topic off in the direction of Takao's love life rather than his hilairously backfired Hoya amulet thing with Piera and Opal. With a little bit of luck, Takao wouldn't ask and then Mack wouldn't have to explain any of it to his dungeon clearing companion.

[Takao 0]

OOC// if i die, spread my legend as the guy who found like 10 advanced dungeons in a row.

Takao stumbled to the side as the elbow made contact with his shoulder, eliciting a slight "urk" from his throat at the unexpected contact. He glanced back at Mack with quirked one of his eyebrows upward, both in response to the bump and the question. "The name of the girl I was talking to was Hunie," He admitted and faced back forward, refocusing himself on looking for the dungeon. "But she's not what I was focusing on. At least, not entirely." His attention began to blur as his mind wandered, an array of thoughts he'd been ignoring for the majority of their dungeon hunting spree suddenly being brought forth. In fact, he'd been so distracted with the thoughts that he failed to notice the covered hole in the ground as he walked over it. One minute he'd been walking alongside Mack, and in the next he was descending the slide-like entrance to the dungeon, his yelp of surprise quickly fading. 

- -

Advanced Dungeon found.

» ID : [[ 54254 ]]
» LD : [[ 27 (17 + 3(Vitamins) + 3(Hands of Midas) + 3(Search&Detect) + 2(Reveal)) ]

Edited March 30, 2016 by Takao

[Mack 0]

OOC: Tales will be sung, tales of tails...

"Hunie, I remember her," Mack rumbled, thinking for a moment to work on remembering which of the low-level players she was again. "Blonde woman, heavy armor and two handed sword," he said at last, putting everything together. "I gave her a couple of rare items out of the shop last week when I was equipping low-level players for free. Quiet little thing, as I remember, not quite as pretty as Samriel either. Still, at least Hunie put her starting SP into a combat skill," Mack said, rambling on about the various low-level players he had recently helped. It wasn't until Takao yelped and was suddenly gone that the enormous axe man figured out that something was wrong. "Bard? Bard?" Mack retraced his steps and found the sink hole. So, that was where Takao had gone. Prudently, the ginger headed man produced a length of rope and knotted one end around a tree and the other around his wrist before diving into the hole after the scout. "Ready or not, here I come!"

[Takao 0]

ID: 54325
BD: 4 + 3(ACC)
LD: 12 + 2(Vitamins) + 3(Hands of Midas) + 3(Search & Detect)
(+8 Materials , +2120 Col)

Takao: 201/201 (15/49) [Sword Art: Sharp Nail 1*6*24=144 DMG] (13 Base + 5 Charge + 3 Damage Crystal + 1 Alcoholic)
Mack: 157/157 (20/38)

Cave Troll 1 0/106 (Mit. 26) [132-28=106 DMG]
Cave Troll 2 0/106 (Mit. 26) [132-28=106 DMG]
Cave Troll 3 0/106 (Mit. 26) [132-28=106 DMG]
Cave Troll 4  0/106 (Mit. 26) [132-28=106 DMG]

11/15 Remaining

"Augh... Christ, game. Y'can't go givin' me heart attacks like that," Takao grumbled, laying supine as he glanced up at the hole he'd slid down. Remnants of light from the floor above leaked through, yet it was mostly obscured by the winding nature of the natural slide he'd been forced to ride. The sounds of heavy footsteps approaching alerted him to the presence of four monsters. A massive club, quite a good deal larger and wider than Takao himself, was swung down at the brunet. He promptly rolled onto his shoulders and vaulted backward, landing swiftly on his feet. In a matter of seconds, Takao had prepared the necessary sword art and annihilated their numbers.

Takao winced as the end of a rope smacked him on the back of the head. "What the..?" He mumbled, green eyes directed skyward as Mack dove in after him. His eyes widened when the massive red-haired blob of motion soared through the hole and into the cave, and more importantly, straight toward Takao. "W-Wait! Not ready, not ready!" He shouted, although his pleading was in vain as the heavily armoured behemoth came crashing down on top of him.

Total Rewards:
40 Materials
14720 Col
4 Teleport Crystals

[Mack 0]

ID: 54333
LD: 12 (Damn, I had something funny for this mat, oh well)

Now this, this was more like it. Compared to some of the dungeons they'd had to deal with the entrance to this on was like a roller coaster and, therefore, a great deal of fun. Gravity did its thing as Mack slid down the long slide, gradually picking up speed as he zipped down the dungeon entrance at breakneck speed. Up ahead, the behemoth could hear the sounds of battle, obviously Takao had found something though it was unlikely that he was in any real trouble. "INCOMING!" Mack shot out the bottom of the slide and plowed straight into Takao. Well, he really could hardly be blamed. He had tried to warn him, after all. "Good catch," Mack rumbled, rolling off of the scout and popping to his feet.

[Takao 0]

ID: 54341
BD: 10 + 3(ACC)
LD: 11 + 2(Vitamins) + 3(Hands of Midas) + 3(Search & Detect)
(+8 Materials , +2120 Col)

Takao: 201/201 (26/49) [Sword Art: Sharp Nail 1*6*24=144 DMG] (13 Base + 5 Charge + 3 Damage Crystal + 1 Alcoholic)
Mack: 157/157

Cave Troll 5 0/106 (Mit. 26) [132-28=106 DMG]
Cave Troll 6 0/106 (Mit. 26) [132-28=106 DMG]
Cave Troll 7 0/106 (Mit. 26) [132-28=106 DMG]
Cave Troll 8  0/106 (Mit. 26) [132-28=106 DMG]

7/15 Remaining

"Mmf, mmm-mnff." Takao mumbled into the dirt his face was pushed into, the words he spoke into the ground completely incoherent and inaudible. When Mack rolled off, he lifted his face from the soil and inhaled a sharp breath. "I think you just crushed my imaginary lungs," He wheezed out while standing up and brushing his face off. He groaned and stretched his back, then knelt down and picked his sword back up. Yet another grouping of monsters sauntered into the opening of the cave, allowing Takao to promptly engage them. They were defeated swiftly, despite Takao's attempts at regaining some rhythm to his breathing.

Total Rewards:
48 Materials
16840 Col
4 Teleport Crystals

Edited March 31, 2016 by Takao

[Mack 0]

"It'll be alright," Mack grumbled, pushing himself to his feet even as Takao was scooping up his sword and dashing off to engage the next set of enemies. Mack squinted through the semi-gloom of the cave in which he found himself, picking up the forms of a quartet of cave trolls. "I don't want to think about how big the last one will be, or how bad it's going to smell," the axe man muttered to himself before turning his attention to his dungeon diving companion. "Just rub a little dirt on it and you'll be fine, but I bet you wouldn't complain nearly this much if it was... oh, I don't know, a cute little blonde number in a bikini that came rocketing out of the end of that chute to slam into you. I bet you wouldn't complain one bit. Is that sexist on your part? That feels sexist."