[PP-F2] Stay Alive (PM to join) (Calrex)

[Ashrah 0]

Marome lacked the considerable size and populace of Urbus, but there were players who preferred the solitude of a smaller village. Arc had never been as isolated or socially inept as some of his friends on the other side, but he still liked to keep to himself. There were aspects of the game that required people to get along with others, and he stifled his loner tendencies to those ends, but that didn't mean he liked it. It came easier when he added the concept of charging people for his help- the prospect of being a mercenary, dealing with people in exchange for coin, and fighting to make himself stronger all worked in cohesion to make life that much more tolerable in this world.

It stung that he might have less friends to go back to, having lost them to Aincrad already. He still recalled their faces. He heard the last words they spoke together, however brief, echo through his memories. His jaw clenched as he strode through the small town toward his destination. "You're the buyer, right? Five bees in exchange for Col?" he looked the timid young man over with a grunt. The sounds of uncertainty and the ineptitude of a greenhorn permeated the youth as the (admittedly not much stronger, in terms of level) Arc sized him up.

He was clearly not used to MMO type games. This was most likely his first. Tobias had played more than his fair share, and the only real difference between SAO and those was how it made you feel like the character instead of just sitting behind a screen. The NerveGear made the experience more real. "Will I still get all the Experience if you do all the fighting?" the boy asked.

Arc swiped his finger to open the menu deftly. "All you have to do is stay in the party until they're dead. Once you have the EXP, you're free to leave as soon as I get paid." He glanced at the young man, who seemed incredibly relieved.

"My guild wants me to get strong," he explained. "They want me to work toward joining the fight on the frontline, but I'm a coward. See, I never thought this game would end up-"

"Yeah," Arc muttered. "None of us did. I don't need your life story, though. I'm just here to do the job."

"O-oh," the boy stared at his feet. "Right."

Arc slowly glanced away. I don't need friends. I don't want friends. The people here could all die any time. I don't need that on my conscience. As soon as he's done, I'm leaving.

"Are you going to fight all by yourself?" the boy asked quietly. "I feel bad about letting you do all the fighting..."

"You're paying me to do the legwork," the merc shrugged. "Feel bad with your Col."

He strode out ahead of the younger man and pulled Levantine slowly from his back. "I can handle a few insects, no sweat."

Right?

 

 

[Calrex 0]

"This whole time we've been venturing the second floor, and not once did I bother to check out the other settlements. I really should get outside of the borders of Urbus more often."

Entering into the castle city of Marome Calrex gave a small sigh as he scanned the architecture with his eyes, taking in the similarities and differences to the main settlement of the second floor. Circling above was his blue peregrine falcon familiar, the creature casually soaring over the rooftops. Putting his hands into his pockets the bluenette moved past both player and NPC alike. It was certainly smaller town, with less than half of the square area of Urbus, but within that small space it was packed with shops and residential areas alike.

"Really is a different feel from both Urbus and the Starting City. Nonetheless, there's certainly a lot of character."

As he moved over to a section closer to the gates he overheard a conversation nearby, likely a lower level player requesting the assistance of one more suitable to the floor, "Guess that makes sense. If a lower level asked for my help it wouldn't do them as much good as if they asked someone closer to their level. The larger the gap between, the harder it is for both parties to benefit."

Seeing a bunch of outside seating he walked over, taking a seat with a small sigh, "Well since I'm here I might as well take a breather before heading back out."

[Ashrah 0]

"Err, Arc, Sir?" The mercenary glanced back over his shoulder as the fledgling player glanced through his menu. "What should I spend my points on?" He almost gaped as the question was asked, but stopped short. It made sense that a player who had done little outside of the Town of Beginnings didn't know what to do, let alone how to allocate skill points. "I want to help you fight, even if it's only a little bit."

"Don't worry about that," Arc waved a hand dismissively. "I'll handle fighting these things, since you're still new at it. And with only a single skill or even two, you might get in over your head. That wouldn't do at all." He faced forward as they walked and opened his own menu. "See the menu option for "status"? You want to go in there and look at your stats and the skill tables. Once you do that, the option to spend points will be made available if you have any to spend. Since you're starting level, you should have five."

As he flicked through the menu and found what Arc indicated, his eyes lit up. "Oh, I see!" He sounded ecstatic. "No one ever bothered to explain it to me! Thank you!'

"Ehh? You bought the game and never read the manual to make sure you understood the basic HUD?" Arc spun round and placed both hands on his hips. "That was silly, even if this was just some game where it didn't matter if you died or not. You can't get good at something if you don't know how things work, you know." Why am I bothering with this?

"A-ah, I know! I'm sorry!" The younger man looked positively browbeaten as he cringed and glanced away from the mercenary. "I'll be more careful!"

"You're just lucky you didn't get killed making your way here," Arc let out a terse snort, shrugged, then sighed. "Calm down, it's important that someone corrects you so that you don't make the same mistake twice. Don't confuse someone's goodwill for anger." Seriously, this is pointless. He'll probably die anyway.

"Yes sir!" when Arc pointed out that he was just looking out for his ward, the youth transformed. He suddenly seemed full of vigor and raring to go. "I want to get good with my sword," he said, "what should I do?"

"Invest points into your one handed sword skill," Arc took a step forward and pointed toward the skill. "Once you do that, the points can't exactly be returned, so make sure that's really what you want before you do it. Beyond that, this is the basic template for leveling up any skill, so as you get stronger, keep it in mind for new skills."

"I can do that!" he smiled at Arc. The mercenary glanced away.

He spied a higher level player seated on a bench, though he couldn't be sure just how much higher of a level the man was. It was the confidence that surrounded him which made Arc suspect that his demeanor belied inner strength. He nodded toward the blue haired man, then glanced back at the buyer with a grimace. Man, five bees? What does he need them for, anyway? He could easily go out and grind boars.

"Why bees?" he asked suddenly, folding his arms.

"Err, I wanted some honey," the boy murmured quietly. "My girlfriend really likes honey, so..."

"You know the drop rate for stuff like that is stupid low, right?" Arc's face twisted with skepticism. "Even if we managed to kill five, it might take twenty times that many just to get one bit of honey."

"Whaaaaat?" the young man's jaw dropped. "You're kidding me!"

[Lycan 0]

Floor two felt so much like the forests of the midwest. By far, Lycan preferredthe atmosphere here compared to any of the other floors he had been to, albeit few. Luckily, it wasn't just nostalgia that anchored him here, but the food as well. Rich with the critters one would normally find in the woods, chefs flocked to the second floor for the surplus of meat and herb ingredients. Just the other day, Lycan caught word from a passerby of a humble cook in Marome that sold a particularly tasty kabob.

With a tug, the platinum swordsman scraped his teeth along the wood skewer and let the tender morsel of meat fall into his mouth. Savory flavors unlike anything he had tasted on the other side melted in his mouth. The rich oils of rendered fat and butter coated his taste-buds, providing an oily catalyst for the herbs and spices to travel.

"Oh man..." he murdered through chomp and chew, "So good..."

"My girlfriend really likes honey, so..." Lycan heard as his steps carried him through the dirt streets.

"You know the drop rate for stuff like that is stupid low, right?" Someone replied, dripping with skepticism. "Even if we managed to kill five, it might take twenty times that many just to get one bit of honey."

"Whaaaaat? You're kidding me!"

Lycan halted in his steps, the remainder of his kabob dangling from his mouth with skewer clenched between teeth. Without regard for privacy or tact, he spun about.

"Honey hunting, huh? Ever heard of <<Royal Jelly>>?" he asked the two strangers with partially chewed food still in his mouth. Lycan saw a fragment eject from his lips and scatter to digital ash on the floor. Like remembering an important date or critical step to a procedure, Lycan swallowed his meaty treat, pulled the kabob from his lips, and straightened out his posture.

"My bad," he corrected. "But Royal Jelly is supposed to be an even rarer drop. I could certainly use some for my shop. You two want to join up as a hunting party?"

The question was innocent enough and the younger of the two seemed far more interested with the idea than his colleague.

[Ashrah 0]

Gods below, the bastard's done it. The glint in the boy's eye is telling. He's caught- hook, line, and sinker. Arc eyed the youth for a few moments before he glanced toward Lycan and considered the proposal. He could pretend to give an answer from his own perspective, but the reality was that the kid was paying. If he decided Royal Jelly was more important than honey, well, Arc could not convince him otherwise. It just meant a longer hunt, more kills, and potentially more Col. "Wow!" the boy did exactly what Arc predicted. He played right into the guy's suckering. "You mean there's something better than honey? Oh golly, I gotta get some of that. That'd impress her for sure!"

Arc sighed, hard. "You've got to be kidding." He palmed his forehead and his eyes knit shut in frustration, but he did not contend the point. He listened to the long winded argument in favor of the idea and threw up his hands, shaking his head. "Alright, alright, Royal Jelly it is. You know what that means. Collection quests have a different rate from kill quests." The boy tilted his head. "I mean, I'm staking a claim to part of whatever we get. Nevermind the Col, this go around."

"But that's like working for free," the youth protested, "I can't just-"

"You agree or not?" Arc folded his arms. "I haven't got all day, and there are other people out there who need a mercenary. You've already got a willing participant other than me who can take you."

"Fine, fine," the young man agreed, "that's more than fair. You can take part of whatever I haul in. Just... make sure I get some Jelly, okay?"

"Done," the merc nodded, then turned to Lycan. Supposing you know where we can get this Royal Jelly," he said, "what's the risk?"

[Calrex 0]

"Well, it certainly seems like things are getting a bit more lively over there..."

As Calrex was casually panning across the crowd with his eyes a couple of people stood out. One was a young man that was wielding a two-handed straight sword, one that appeared to be much more realistic in proportion to the massive slabs of metal that he saw many other players touting, one that would more likely break their arms off at the elbow if physics were more accurately applied, "Guess I can't really say much. The Shin Masamune is basically the curved interpretation of that reality-breaking idea."

The man gave a nod towards him, which Calrex returned as he got back to his feet, "Maybe I should get movi..."

Before he could depart another familiar face came into visual area in the crowd, the platinum haired player named Lycan. He had assisted the fellow straight sword user some times in the past, and it appeared he was lending his own assistance to the duo. With a small sigh the bluenette gave a smirk, deciding to pop in on the conversation. Drawing closer to the group he began to pick up on small bits and pieces of their exchange, the mains being honey and royal jelly. To his knowledge, both dropped from bee-type monsters of the floor, which the second floor certainly had present. However, they were certainly lower on the drop rate compared to other items, and if he was honest, not really of much use in terms of combat statistic. Honey was at best a vanity consummable item that some cafes made use of for their pastries and the like, while Royal Jelly varied depending on the rarity level of the drop. If they were after one, the other, of both, it was certainly going to be a question of monsters killed over luck.

At the last question asked Calrex gave a small sigh and weighed in, "If you guys are looking for Honey or Royal Jelly, you'd have a better bet taking on the monsters that spawn around the Wasp Queen's lair. All of the wasp sentries and the roaming bees of the area both have a chance to drop either item, so the most dense part of the floor is going to be there."

Giving a friendly nod to Lye he put his hands into his jacket pockets, "The Queen's lair is closer to Urbus, since the main field boss quest of the floor takes place there, so if things ever go south for one reason or another it's easy to break engagement and get back into the gates of the safe zone before the field creatures get the better of you."

[Lycan 0]

Lycan turned to the new voice to see the trademark blue hair of Calrex. Instead of greeting his acquaintance turned role model, Lycan shot his gaze to the sky. Amber eyes looked for the blue wings of Calrex's peregrine falcon, Roc. With a smirk and a scoff, the young swordsman gave up the search. No telling where that familiar could be.

"You sure do hang out in the lower floors quite a bit," Lycan commented.

He turned back to the two other players and popped his kabob into his mouth to pull off another piece of meat. With a few chews, he attempted to speak.

"Might even be able to knock a quest out. You two heard of <<Long Live The Queen>>?"

He swallowed his snack and turned back to Calrex.

"What do you think? Hunt some bees and if we're feeling up for the challenge, we knock out that quest?"

Lycan popped the last of the kabob in his mouth and tossed the skewer to the streets. With a single bounce it shattered into a burst of blue data.

[Ashrah 0]

Arc placed his arms across his chest and glanced back at the younger man, who seemed almost ecstatic to be getting invited to deal with a floor boss type creature at his diminutive level. The mercenary frowned. Not good. Can they handle hate for someone that weak, or are they gonna foul it up and let him die? I took this contract to keep him safe, but I'll be darned if I see that happening on this little-

"I'd love to try something like that!" the boy cried out without hesitating in the middle of Arc's internal monologue, and the two handed sword user felt his jaw gape of its own volition. Of course you would. I'll bet the risk-reward seems great when it seems like your friends are invincible. You should really start thinking pragmatically. What can you do on your own? What should you limit yourself to?

"Are you guys sure you want to do something like that with a couple of low level players?" Arc asked after his employer finished. "It seems a little bit too nice, if you don't mind me saying. Do you plan on making sure he's safe? Or is this one of those fast and loose ideas where people make mistakes and get taught the worst kind of lesson?" He didn't trust them- that much was obvious. It didn't matter if he trusted the weaker player- the guy couldn't handle himself, let alone the much stronger Arc. The other two gave him pause.

"You should be more respectful," the weaker player admonished him. "We won't get this kind of offer from too many other people."

Sure you would. From PKers.

"Anyway, don't be so paranoid! This could be a good experience for both of us." He smiled brightly as he skipped past Arc toward where Calrex and Lycan stood. Arc let out a blast of hot air through his nostrils that broadcast his irritation, but he elected to say nothing. It was, in the end, not his choice how they got the items. It only fell to him to make sure the deed was done. "Come on, Mister Arc! Let's go get that Queen!"

Famous last words, eh?

[Calrex 0]

"Taking on the Wasp Queen as well as searching for the items? Heh you've certainly gotten a lot more confident since the last time I saw you Lye."

Calrex gave a friendly smile before listening to what the other player, the two-handed straight sword user, had to say. The man was certainly on the cautious side, something which the bluenette commended. Not many players took things as carefully as this young man seemed to be, but he certainly preferred it over someone that trusted in their newfound skills too much, and in the end becoming fodder for the boars of the first floor. However, at the least he was also able to gleam the man's name, Arc, from the mention of the other player's mention.

"Arc, is it? First of all if we're going to be working together we may as well exchange names. I'm sure you can tell just from the party list, but my name is Calrex. As for your concerns, I commend you for being so cautious. I serve mainly as a tank on the frontlines, as such my duty is to protect those under my charge. That being said, I will not lie to you and that say people have not fallen during my time there. However, creatures that populate this floor still follow the Hate system, and a single skill used on my part gains the attention. Add to that I make it a personal habit to refrain from engaging more enemies than can the skill can be used on. Finally, most of the creatures on this floor can be felled with a single area of effect attack, which I am also capable of dishing out when necessary."

Giving a small breath he gave a nod and finished, "With that, please rest assured that I will keep the possibility of either of you two falling into danger to an absolute minimum."

[Lycan 0]

"The confidence stems from good role models and personal determination," Lycan added with eyes on Calrex. His head nodded toward the player as if to denote some accent of his statement related to him. A wry smile crept across his lips.

"Plus, I've had some help on this quest before..." Lycan chuckled. 

He turned to Arc and his charge with a smile.

"I can vouch for Calrex's abilities. I don't think he has a malicious bone in his body. I might even venture to say that might be his biggest flaw." Lycan's tone dropped into a more ominous octave, but he remained smiling and positive. While the novice looked up to the man, he also worried his kindness might one day get him into a situation his system-driven numbers couldn't pull him out.

"As for me, my name's Lycan. Lye for those who know me. I'm still a little green under the ears, but some real world practice with blades gives me the slight upper edge. Plus I'm a quick study. I might not be as willing to throw myself on a blade for a stranger, but I want to see people survive just as much as the next guy. Point being, so long as you two don't pull aggro, I can mop up what this guy misses."

The teen pointed his thumb at Calrex with a playful nod. Then, crossing his arms again, Lycan address the group as a whole.

"Shall we? Early birds and all that."

[Ashrah 0]

Arc sighed, then shook his head. "Not much as can be done with that overwhelming majority against me, is there?" he glanced toward Calrex and decided in silence to trust the man. If nothing else, it would prove interesting to face down a field boss. That kind of excitement would be good for growth, for all of them. "I'll bite this time, but I swear to god if you let the kid die, I'm going to come after you."

The young man frowned. "Have a little faith, man. They don't look like bad guys, do they?"

As he spoke, the Mercenary fixed him with a long gaze. It was harsh to think there were people this naive still stuck in this world. Most of them were dead by now. Yeah, yeah, we'll see how this goes, then. Don't blame me if something goes wrong, kid.

His gaze shifted to Lycan, who seemed a bit familiar. Of course, since he didn't add most folks to his friends list, he could never be sure. Only if they made a lasting impression. Arc rolled his neck and was disappointed when the sound of cracks never came. "Alright," he murmured, "I'll throw my sword in for this one, then. The pay's right and the help is good. I've never tried my luck against a stronger type of mob, so it'll be good practice for me, too."

Time to put Levantine to work.

He plucked the two handed sword from its resting place and let the blade hang over his shoulder as he distributed party invites.

[Calrex 0]

Calrex gave a small laugh at Lycan's vote of confidence, albeit with a small comment at the end, "Heh, don't think I'm not aware of that Lye. It's just another thing I need to keep tabs on."

Looking at the group that had gathered he gave a nod, making sure they all appeared in his party list, "Alright then, I'll go ahead and take point for now. Lye, go ahead and watch our back in the meantime. Most mobs are going to avoid initiating combat with our group because of my current level, so that means that for the most part we can walk over to the spawning area. However, if you guys see any creatures approaching let me know so that I can draw Hate and keep it off you guys."

Using his head to direct the group in the direction of the gates the bluenette gave a calming breath before heading forward, his right hand sliding back to grasp the handle of the Grand Blade II. As he gave it a small tug the blade lock released, making the rest of the sword draw easy when the time came. Exiting the safe zone Calrex began to glance back and forth while maintaining his bearings on the path back towards Urbus, "Certainly been a while since I saw the Wasp Queen's area again. I wonder if there's a difference in the area at all now."

Looking up he called over to his familiar as the blue peregrine falcon flew closer, "Go ahead and scout further up Roc. We'll be along. Let me know if there's anything you see that stands out from before."

Acknowledging his partner's command the bird of prey flew ahead, disappearing from their line of sight.

[Lycan 0]

'Let the boy die?' Lycan repeated in his mind. 

The comment forced him to give the pair another look over. Eyes slightly narrowed, he failed to note anything suspicious, but a twang of instinct rolled over in his gut. Before Lycan could press further, Calrex formulated a formation strategy to keep the group safest. With hesitation, the pale youth peeled his gaze from the pair and directed attentions toward the bluenette. 

"Got it," affirmed Lycan.

Without further delay, the group began to move. With Calrex at point, their charge centered in the middle with the mercenary, and Lycan bringing up rear, the pressed on toward the treeline. Memories of his previous excursion with Ariel and The White Lion welled up with each familiar sight. However, the further they dove into the forest's edge, the risk for encounter drew.

Lycan's hand reached up to his back and loosed Harbinger from its sheath.

'Better safe than sorry,' he mentally chided.

"We should be getting close to where Ariel and I last saw the nest a few weeks ago. Look for a clearing with a pond and an out of place willow looming over top of it," Lycan warned.

Meanwhile, his sense of hearing picked up the faint buzz of insect wings.

[Ashrah 0]

The moment Lycan readied his blade, Arc swung the weapon over his shoulder and held it at ready. "Can you hear them?" he asked over his shoulder to the boy, who looked both excited and terrified. The youth nodded to the affirmative. "Yeah. They're coming." The mercenary felt his blood pumping. It was exhilarating, this thrill. It was almost intoxicating to think that you stood upon the precipice between life and death.

Arc pointed toward the first of the wasps that came into view. "Looks like they didn't want to wait around for us to get ready," he stated. "Oh well. This way is better for everyone." The insect buzzed straight toward the group without any pretense of aggression. It was different from the baser mobs on the first floor, but its programming may as well have been the same. Straightforward, intense, and ready to pick a fight. Arc smirked.

He gripped the bastard sword in both hands tightly and his smirk stretched into a grim smile. Time to see what I can do when I've got a party backing me.

  "Calrex!" he called to the self-proclaimed Tank as the beast tore toward them. "You're up, mate!" The buzzing of wings grew to a crescendo, and the stinger of a beast came forth. Looks like we're in for a good brawl!

The wasps buzzed toward them in a group of three, breaking away from one another to terrorize all of the players present. Arc flashed his steel forward and stood firm.

Wasp 1: 50/50 (Arc's BD roll)

Wasp 2: 50/50 (Lycan's  BD roll)

Wasp 3: 50/50 (Calrex's BD roll)

 

Arc: 120/120

Lycan: 140/140

Calrex: 1440/1440

Kid: 20/20

[Calrex 0]

OOC: Consolidating monsters into one roll, so don't worry about rolling for them :P

ID: 67240
Battle Dice: 1 (Accuracy +3) = 4 (Disregarded Due to Howl)
Mob Dice: 2 (Evasion +2) = 0
<<Howl>> Activated (+3 Hate to All Monsters)

At the warning from Arc Calrex's eyes moved and locked onto the incoming wasps, "Roc, lock!"

The bluenette rushed forward as his familiar swooped in from above, hovering over the group of creatures. As the peregrine falcon got eyes on the trio of creatures the indicator of the Accuracy boost enhancement reflect on Calrex's avatar, the blue falcon tattoo appearing over his cheek while he drew the Grand Blade II from its sheath.

Raising his sword high a whirling blue aura surrounded the blade of his sword, the energy of his <<Howl>> skill forming. Reaching the maximum buildup the Ultramarine Knight slammed his sword into the ground, the energy shooting out in an explosive roar, almost akin to a gigantic beat's bellow.

The sound wave shot past the three monsters as he gained the highest Hate of the group. Stingers trained on his avatar, but even without his evasive qualities he was able to dodge the jabs, "Alright you three, take them down!"

Wasp 1: 50/50 (Arc's BD roll)

Wasp 2: 50/50 (Lycan's  BD roll)

Wasp 3: 50/50 (Calrex's BD roll)

 

Arc: 120/120

Lycan: 140/140

(Hate: 3) Calrex: 1470/1470 | EN: 144/144

Kid: 20/20

[Lycan 0]

 ID# 68139 results: // BD: NAT10 // CD: 5 // LD: 18 // MD: 3 (6-3EVA) //

Sure enough, his keen senses identified the threat before it made its appearance. The trio of bees emerged from the flora and darted toward the group. Lycan quickly hit the floor as his hair whipped about from the proximity of the bee's beating wings. The earthy aroma of fallen leaves and rich soil permeated Lycan's nostrils. He shook his head and pushed himself to his feet.

"Watch the kid!" Lycan shouted.

Arc's similar battle cries and Calrex's percussive howl turned the peaceful forest into a colosseum. Lycan quickly joined into the fray, his blade held at the ready. After the blast from Calrex, the three seemed most preoccupied with the bluenette. The novice swordsman sought to take advantage of their exposed backs.

Lycan placed his hand on Harbinger's length and the hum of Cardinal's assist pulsed through its steel. With a twitch of his wrist, Lycan shot forth and brought down his blade in twin, rapid cuts_{(4 EN)}. With the bee's attentions occupied, Harbinger bit deep. He felt resistance on his weapon through thick carapace.

When Lycan came to rest with his follow through, he placed himself between the boy and the bees.

"Stay behind us," he warned, eyes intently locked on the movements of combat.

Wasp 1: 22/50 (Arc's BD roll) <<- 28 HP>>

Wasp 2: 50/50 (Lycan's  BD roll)

Wasp 3: 50/50 (Calrex's BD roll)

 

Arc: 120/120

Lycan: 140/140HP -- 10/14EN <<Vertical Arc (2x2)>>

(Hate: 3) Calrex: 1470/1470 | EN: 144/144

Kid: 20/20