[PP-F1] The Twin Wolves (Lycan)

[Ashrah 0]

In the daytime, the first floor was hardly terrifying.

Radiant light painted the potential battlefield with a bittersweet luminescence that almost felt real when it caressed the skin. Pungent floral notes assailed his senses as the mercenary pushed forward, further from the first city. It was on this floor where the players got strong enough to move forward, or they failed to progress. Several of the weakest links already weeded themselves out, thrown over the edges by their own insecurities and immense depression. Arc had seen it happen. He had also seen men stronger than himself come back down from on high to watch others as they aspired toward equal greatness. It felt almost like gods looking down on men when he reflected on it. The high level players liked to come down to their level sometimes, but that almost felt like pity. He almost wished they would stay on the frontlines, far away from where they could cast their false hope on the players who were slow to strengthen.

At the same time, it was that hope that kept people alive in spite of their struggle.

Arc watched idly as a novice player swung her weapon clumsily at a boar, though his expression did not change. There was so much to hate about this world. People who had seen it beforehand had a grotesque advantage over people who just rushed out to buy it on the first day, such that the latter folk grew to despise them. Everything created rifts between people on Aincrad, if given the chance. Arc had to wonder if any of the players wandering this lowly plain knew any kind of solace. If they did, he longed for the secret.

He never strayed too close to anyone. The way was narrow, but most of the mobs kept away from the beaten path. He would fight if the need arose, but for now he was taking the time to clear his head. Thom was dead. There was no changing it. How many others found the same fate? How many more of his friends might already have gone to eternal rest because of Kayaba Akihiko and his sick delusions of godhood? Tobias clamped a hand over his mouth and stifled the urge to vomit.

Stop thinking about it.

He took a breath, then expelled it.

It won't change anything.

[Lycan 0]

In the beginning, these fields exuded uncertainty, fear, and death. Staring up at the sky, Lycan grinned. He knew the listing clouds, bright light, and soft blues were nothing but some bizarre pseudo weather. Beyond all the smoke and mirrors laid a ceiling or another floor. Above that, just antother. On and on it continued until the freedom waiting on the hundreth floor. The brokers stated a castle waited for them. In the central chamber, upon a massive throne, the final boss sat. Once his/hers/its life bars faded from red to nothing, they'd be free.

So, in a sense, this false sky and masked ceiling was still a world of freedom; just like the other side. The teen smirked.

"The other side..." he mumbled. "Seems more like fantasy now than this place."

A soothing breeze swept the swaying fields of grass, batting softly at his arms folded behind his head. Lycan inhaled the crisp air and deeply sighed. Smirk and smile turned flat, his head lifted and comforted posture broke as he rose to his feet. The blades of grass and dirt he dusted from his attire shattered like glowing glass upon the ground before he fetched his long-sword, Harbinger, from its resting spot.

As he wrestled with fixing it to his back, a figure along the narrow path caught his eyes. Alone, stern looking, and armed with a rather intimidating bastard sword on his back, the player continued on. It almost seemed as if he wasn't just alone, but isolated from the world in his own. A true solo.

Lycan rubbed at his chin, the dozen or so little hairs of adolescence scruffed against his fingers. With a shrug and armed with a potentially dangerous curiosity, Lycan hustled toward the stranger. 

[Ashrah 0]

For a moment, his thoughts lingered on his fallen friend. The death had been unkind, and the tale recounted to him seemed undignified and almost angered Arc. Had they just let Alkor die? Or was there more to it than that? No. You don't have time to spend on hate and arbitrary disdain for people you don't even know. There's no point in fighting against shadows. Focus on the real enemy. Focus on Aincrad.

He took another lengthy, cleansing breath and pushed away the rage that boiled beneath the surface. He needed to get stronger, and he wanted to become someone others could rely on. He wanted to do what his best friend had failed to do in honor of his sacrifice. Arc just had no idea where to begin. He slowly pulled his fingers away from his face, then took in another breath, this time through his mouth.

As his hand fell from his lips, Arc became aware of footfalls in his direction. The mercenary glanced back over his shoulder toward the other player rushing in his direction and stared intently. It was not unreasonable to think that a PKer might be out for his life, but this was the first floor. People hardly pulled anything like that out in the open in this place, where people would come looking for their heads.

Arc closed his mouth and his jade colored eyes focused on the newcomer intently.

He stood his ground and watched as the other player diminished the distance between them. He turned slowly and his hand rested on the haft of his blade, though he did not bother to brandish it. The warning of a light touch was enough. He would defend himself.

A gentle breeze and several boars made the only noise. Blades of grass swayed beneath their feet as the other man came to a halt, and Arc waited for a moment to see if he would speak or deign to do so with his blade.

[Lycan 0]

Closing the gap, Lycan carefully witnessed the stranger reach for his weapon. He smirked at the reaction as if he approved. In response, Lycan quickened his footsteps into a near sprint. His body angled closer to the ground, eyes focused on the boy. Within nearly enough distance to strike, Lycan snapped his hand to Harbinger's grip, rooted his feet into a slide on the dusty gravel, and loosed his longsword with a harrowing song of steel. Weight hefted into arching momentum and dust faintly obscuring vision, the platinum swordsman swung his blade at the stranger.

"Head's up!" shouted the attacker with complete contradiction to his actions.

However, before the blade could contact, be parried, or dodged, Lycan halted it short and drove it into the ground point first. His momentum halted abruptly and staggered his attempt to catch his balance. Full near expecting a retaliatory action or some tradition shock and shout, the teen took a deep breath of the now dusty air.

"Howdy," he greeted. Lycan's eyes stayed sharp, his lips twisted in a grin. He readied himself to size up this stranger, all the groundwork laid bare for any array of response. The perfect way to gain insight on someone's personality.

Or so the youth thought.

[Ashrah 0]

It was a wasted motion to draw a heavy blade when someone was moving much faster than you. The real saving grace for Arc was his awareness of the situation and his ability to react decisively. He held fast to the grip of his weapon and leaned forward a fraction, angling his back- laden with the flat of Levantine and thus properly equipped to intercept a weapon- into the incoming strike.

It never came.

Arc watched in silence as Lycan halted his momentum as though it were some easy task, and he drove the weapon tip first into the dirt. The mercenary understood the skill necessary for such quick, precise movements. He knew the training it took for a person to be able to pull something like that off without the system assist, since the fighting system couldn't do some of the more showy tricks some people preferred. It meant that the other man had some modicum of real world experience, or he really loved what he was doing. It was the initial outcry that tipped Arc off that the attack was simply for show.

When he barely moved, Arc showed that he was not afraid of an attacker. His brazen defiance gave him a ward most people did not want to get through. "Interesting conversation starter," the merc eased back into a more lax position. "That a custom where you come from, or did you pick it up in Aincrad?"

[Lycan 0]

Lycan grinned.

"Personal trick," he stated, plucking Harbinger from the earth with a slight rock to loose its edge. "Weeds out the natural talent from the system granted talent."

Calm, collected, just as analytical and decisive as he, the youth had gathered what he wanted from the first impression. He maneuvered Harbinger's tip into its back-mounted scabbard and let gravity seat it in place.

"Aincrad is a world of makeshift heroes molded from gamers or dreamers. Only a handful of us actually have real world experience with the weight and balance of a blade. An even smaller fraction of those with the discipline to appreciate it," he rambled.

"Looks like you are the latter."

Lycan raised a brow.

"You're not a frontliner by any chance, are you? You seem more hardened than most of the players still wandering around this floor..."

Lycan rubbed his chin again.

"Or perhaps you've got a point to prove? Seen the darker sides of this place and decided enough was enough?"

The teen shook off his verbal and unorthodox analysis of the complete stranger.

"Manners. I'm Lycan. No real lengthy backstory, just someone proving a point to himself and working up the later. Nice to meet you."

[Ashrah 0]

"Arc," he responded with his own name when the other man gave him one. "Nothing to prove, nor am I a frontliner by any stretch. I'm just a guy trying to get by in a world that's trying to kill me." It was a fair statement. They pretty much all fell into that category. He eased further out of the combative stance and let his hand fall away from his weapon. Judging by the quickness Lycan displayed, the other man had a level or two on his at least. The game didn't necessarily allow someone to mimic their natural physical capabilities in a combat setting, which meant that the numbers iterated what a player could and could not do relative to another player. Despite his innate ability to read and react, the other man probably noticed a significant difference in the abilities of their characters in the game.

"I've been around for a while, but never gotten too far. What time I have spent learning and training has gone toward my attempt to move upward, get better, and peddle my Mercenary work to players around my level. Lots of people find jobs and sell their wares, but I figure that there is no better way to become a great swordsman than to not only dedicate myself to the art, but to sell my skills to those who need it." Arc seemed almost pleased with his sales pitch as he gave it, though he hardly intended to bend Lycan's ear over it for more than a few seconds. The man was obviously not going to hire him.

It occurred to him that the idea of dying in the game terrified people, and that someone would actively sell the chance that they might die for Col might seem insane to some folks. He doubted Lycan counted among their number. "If you ever need help with a field boss, or you're up for a quest that has a little too much difficulty for you to tackle on your own, consider seeking me out. I'd be glad to lend your a sword arm. Beyond that, I'm headed toward Tolbana to stay the night, then bound for Urbus in the morning. I wanted to grind out a few levels before that, so I'm racing against daylight, if you catch my drift."

[Lycan 0]

"Merc huh?" Lycan responded with a hint of inquiry. He heard of the type referenced in history books, but that mentality had faded in recent times. Most mercenary forces banded together under one flag or another. Many considered themselves armies without borders, but a single man in a hostile world differed from the norm.

"You seem a little green for that line of work." Lycan added, then continued in more muted tones,  "Though not like I have room to speak..."

"Well, hey. Nice to meet you Arc. Listen, I'm working my way up the ladder as well. How about I hire you?" Lycan grinned.

"I'm short on the Col, but I can pay you with my own blade. A blade for a blade. What do you say?"

As he spoke, the white topped teen flicked open a menu, flipped, clicked and slid his way to the social screen and threw over both a friend and party invite to Arc. Two screens materialized in front of the new acquaintance.

[Ashrah 0]

At first, his lips thinned into a narrow line as Lycan spoke, but the flavor of his new acquaintance's speech changed drastically over the new few seconds. Arc watched the man's mouth move carefully before he allowed himself a slight grin. "I like your style, mate." The way he spoke about blade for blade resonated with the honor of a proper mercenary, whether Lycan was aware of it or not. Once upon a time, the Condottieri  fought for the Sforza family of Milan, a dynasty born of one of the greatest mercenaries of all time. The name Sforza had been an adopted one, and it meant "force," or "power." The clan held the seat of Italian power for hundreds of years before the inevitable decline and fall of their lifestyle, and that had prompted Tobias to fall in love with their history. The old ways inevitably always did die. Sometimes that was a sad thing.

Sometimes, it offered insight into what a man ought to be. Lycan seemed incredibly honest, the way he was so willing to speak with his blade. Tobias was more than willing to see what he had going for him. He eagerly accepted the invitation with a quick poke of his index finger, then inclined his head toward a nearby enemy. "Want to go all in on some mobs?" he asked. "It'd be good to try and reap a few Col. It sounds like we're both running a little low."

If they were lucky, they might even find more than Col. Materials, items, treasures, and even dungeons awaited adventurers who took imitative and faced their fears head on. This was a world where fortune favored the bold, and Arc was ready to be bold.

The mercenary readied his blade, which shimmered in the reddish daylight. "Whenever you're ready, of course."

[Lycan 0]

Spoiler

 

 ID# 67384: //BD: 8 // CD: 10 // LD: 2 // MD: 9 // 

>> Lycan: <-6> 134/140 HP // 10/14 EN // HATE: 1
Vertical Arc: (8+2) 10 -- HIT
(2x2)*5Base = 20DMG - 12MIT= 8 DMG

>> Arc: 120/120 HP // 12/12 EN

---

> Feral Boar: <-8> 62/70 HP // 10 DMG // 12 MIT *LOOTABLE*

> Omega Boar: 4/4 HP // 10 DMG // 0 MIT *MIN*

> Omega Boar: 4/4 HP // 10 DMG // 0 MIT *MIN*

Mob Damage: 9 Critical Hit!
(10+1-9MIT=2)*3= 6 DMG

 

The young swordsman snickered at Arc's compliment. The merc accepted his invitations without hesitation much to his counterpart's approval. 

"Mobs, huh? Sure, I could use some Col. A cold ale and warm steak aren't free afterall." Lycan followed Arc's gesture down the plains. There, in the orange haze of the setting sun, grazed a massive boar. Beside it, two slightly smaller kin shared in the plain's bounty. Lycan's amber eyes narrowed on the trio with a studious gaze.

"Reckon the big one has something good to offer." Lycan summarized.

His hand reached up to Harbinger's familiar touch and loosed his blade from its scabbard. 

"Reckon now is as good as ever." He added. "I get point."

Lycan offered a nod to the two-hander and before the response could be made, the teen took a direct approach on the pack. As the gap closed between his foes, Harbinger's edge hummed with the assistance of Cardinal. The bought his sword arm across his chest and waited for the proper timing. About two meters, per his previous experience.

Lycan relaxed the tension in his arm and Cardinal gave flight to his body.

Faster than any human speed could manage, Lycan snapped the remaining gap in a blink of an eye. Steel sang through the air with a scream, biting two visible arcs across the Feral Boar's broadside. The swine bellowed a shrill cry, stirring the small group to action. Free from Cardinal's puppetry, Lycan brought his blade across and blunted the tusked blow of his victim. The two smaller boars turned on him and charged. The first missed by a deft dodge on the boy's behalf. The second opened a red lattice on Lycan's ankle with a graze of its tusk.

The swordsman bounded back and rooted his stance. With eyes locked on the targets at hand, the teen tried to position his body to block the view of his new acquaintance. Lycan hoped the maneuver would permit Arc to take advantage of their foe's obstructed view and strike from a vantage.

[Ashrah 0]

Arc moved in time with Lycan as they rushed forth to battle, albeit a few paces behind. The man called point, which made him the ersatz tank for the moment. Arc didn't mind that so much- between the two of them, the other man had more health and his speed was most likely on the faster side. That gave him the advantage when it came to dealing with enemies who had more power behind their strikes. "I'll cover you and pick off the others," he called.

Whittling away their numbers seemed an effective strategy, given the situation. The larger boar most likely did the most damage, and without his adds he they might prove much more equal to the task. Arc raised his weapon with a powerful heave, then brought it down on the first of the two smaller creatures. It did not go down without a fight. Its tusks gouged into the mercenary and drank deep of his viscera. Or they would have, if it wasn't a bloodless game.

He watched his health drop by a negligible amount and in turn, the creature burst into a steady stream of data, annihilated entirely.

Arc turned to face the creature as Lycan kept it at bay, his gaze switching sidelong to the second small boar. Bathed in twilight, it circled Lycan with every intention of rising to the challenge the man presented. Arc intended to prevent that from happening. "One down," he called out, "one to go!"

Hopefully the beast would prove to be less of an issue for the other player as Arc took care of the trash. "Let me know if you need me to jump in," he told his newfound friend. "Otherwise, I'll join up with you as soon as I can get finished here.

Arc: 111/120 HP 11/12 Energy

Lycan: 134/140 HP 10/14 Energy

Feral Boar: 62/70 HP

Omega Boar: Dead

Omega Boar: 4/4

 

 

ID# 67393 results:

Battle: 7

Craft: 12

Loot: 19

MOB: 10

 

Edited September 9, 2016 by Arc

[Lycan 0]

 

Spoiler

 

 ID# 67712 results: // BD: 8 // MD: 2 //

>> Regen Phase: 0 HP, +1 EN

>> Lycan: <-6> 134/140 HP // 7/14 EN // HATE: 2
Vertical Arc: (8+2) 10 -- HIT
(2x2)*5Base = 20DMG - 12MIT= 8 DMG to <<Feral Boar>>

>> Arc: 111/120 HP // 11/12 EN

---

> Feral Boar: <-8> 54/70 HP // 10 DMG // 12 MIT *LOOTABLE*

> Omega Boar: 0/4 HP // 10 DMG // 0 MIT *MIN* DECEASED

> Omega Boar: 4/4 HP // 10 DMG // 0 MIT *MIN*

Mob Damage: 2-3 EVA MISS
 

 

Like an effective partner, Arc called out what Lycan could not see. While the platinum crested swordsman locked blade to tusk against the largest boar, the mercenary dealt killing blows to the lesser minions.

"Got it," Lycan replied with a grunt and a shove of the boar.

The beast did not reel from Lycan's comparative strength, instead propelling his own body backwards. With a thud and drag of its hoof, the boar marked its intent to charge. Lycan switched his longsword to his offhand, preparing for the inevitable. A roar filled the starlit sky and the half ton beast barreled forth.

"Its charging!" Lycan warned.

As the boar charged, Lycan sprinted perpendicular to its path. Momentum forced it from following suit and missed the boy by a clear margin. Lycan quickly firmed his footing and skid as he tried to double back. He slammed Harbinger into the soil by his feet, jarring his momentum and giving the youth a platform to launch from. His legs tensed and he flung himself back toward the boar. As he ripped Harbinger from the ground, the blade hummed with Cardinal's assist. Lycan snapped the hilt from his left to his right and unleashed his sword art (4 EN).

Two red crescents carved deep into the boar's hide, eliciting another feral cry.

[Ashrah 0]

The second of two Omega boars took immediate notice when Arc murdered its friend. It let out an obnoxious squeal and turned toward him, rushing at top speed. He did not manage to get his blade in the way, and it gored him with both tusks. "Tch." He slid backward as the impact transferred entirely, then brought his blade to bear. At least it's attention was on him and not Lycan. The other man wouldn't have to deal with two of them ganging up on him. "I've got this one under control," he updated his ally on the situation. "What's your status?"

He backpedaled away from the secondary boar and well out of the way of the main beast, assisted in no small part by Lye's warning. "They're more coordinated than the bastards you usually encounter on the first floor," Tobias observed. "We need to take care with them."

Arc danced out of the way of another strike intended for his legs. He frowned. Its quick, he observed. And they're doing more damage than the generic first floor mobs. What have we run across?

Arc: 102/120 HP 9/12 Energy

Lycan: 134/140 HP 7/14 Energy

Feral Boar: 54/70 HP

Omega Boar: Dead

Omega Boar: 4/4 HP

ID# 67767 results:

Battle: 2

Craft: 4

Loot: 9

MOB: 7

[Lycan 0]

Spoiler

 ID# 67790: // BD: 1// MD: 2 //

>> Regen Phase: 0 HP, +1 EN

>> Lycan: 134/140 HP // 8/14 EN // HATE: 2
CRITICAL MISS

>> Arc: 102/120 HP // 9/12 EN

---

> Feral Boar: 54/70 HP // 10 DMG // 12 MIT *LOOTABLE*

> Omega Boar: 0/4 HP // 10 DMG // 0 MIT *MIN* DECEASED

> Omega Boar: 4/4 HP // 10 DMG // 0 MIT *MIN*

Mob Damage: 2-3 EVA MISS

The boar whipped wild from the blow, throwing hardened tusks at Lycan. The teen blunted the attack against the flat of his blade and kept his footing firm. The beast's sheer strength nearly lifted the boy from the ground and landed him square on his back. With an outstretched hand, the swordsman caught himself before he toppled.

"Big one's putting up a fight," Lycan cried out. He took a moment to check on Arc.

Thankfully, he occupied the last remaining boar as they circled one another with eyes locked. Lycan snapped his attention back to his target while he pushed himself off the ground. Arc quipped about their attack patterns and Lycan nodded at the info.

"Pack mentality," Lycan added. "They likely spawned as a trio."

With a huff and a grunt, the Feral Boar commanded Lycan's gaze. It was ready to charge again.

"Big one's gonna charge!" the platinum swordsman warned.

[Ashrah 0]

"Pack tactics," Arc added, finishing Lycan's thought. "They're in synch. We should take a page out of their book, I think."

As he spoke, the black clad youth hopped carefully out of the creature's path. It gave a high pitched squeal in displeasure, twisted, then came at him again. "Good warning!" he called out as the large boar surged into the path of its lesser minion. They collided, sputtered for a moment, then collected themselves. Arc wasted no time when the opening presented itself.

"Got this," he called out offhand. His boots pushed off the larger beast as he fell atop the final Omega boar. His zweihander came down in a powerful stroke, ripped through the creature and it exploded in a mist of data. When he landed, Arc rolled over his shoulder and came quickly back to his feet. He assumed a low guard, watching the last of their enemies carefully.

"Two down," he announced. "Let's focus on this last one!"

Arc waited for Lycan to seize command of aggro before he launched himself into the mix. The bigger boar would probably throw him off like nothing and weather his hits as though he were a useless combatant. That wouldn't keep him from trying to lend a hand.

Arc: 102/120 HP 9/12 Energy

Lycan: 134/140 HP 8/14 Energy

Feral Boar: 54/70 HP

Omega Boar: Dead

Omega Boar: Dead

ID# 67846 results:

Battle: 7

Craft: 10

Loot: 2

MOB: 6 (-1) =5

[Lycan 0]

 

Spoiler

 

ID# 68137 results: // DB: 7 (5+2 ACC) // MD: 1 (4-3 EVA) //

>> Regen Phase: 0 HP, +1 EN

>> Lycan: 134/140 HP // 3/14 EN // HATE: 3
HIT (BD:7) (7-4EN) Vertical Arc (2x2)(5DMG) = 20 DMG

>> Arc: 102/120 HP // 9/12 EN

---

> Feral Boar: 46/70 HP // 10 DMG // 12 MIT *LOOTABLE* <<-8 HP>>

> Omega Boar: 0/4 HP // 10 DMG // 0 MIT *MIN* DECEASED

> Omega Boar: 0/4 HP // 10 DMG // 0 MIT *MIN* DECEASED

Mob Damage: 4-3 EVA MISS

 

Lycan heard the familiar static of a mob falling to deresolution. He cocked his head to the source as Arc finished his follow through. Meanwhile, the rumble of hooves approached. The teen tensed, two tusks aiming to disembowel him. Lycan took a deep breath and readied his offhand. The boar lowered its head for the strike and the swordsman quickly strafed and reached out his empty palm. The slap of ivory against flesh gripped his arm and the boar jerked its head upward. Lycan's body wrenched as his arm came taught and lifted him up.

He weathered the force with a grunt before letting go at the apex. The teen took airborne and tensed his body with another hum of Harbinger's length. Eyes locked, he loosened his swordarm and Cardinal's work pulled him toward his target. Another two vertical arcs_{(4 EN)} marred the Boar's body. As Lycan landed, he locked gaze with Arc.

"Switch!" he called out, readying himself for another assault.

By now, the Feral Boar's body looked as though a game of tic tac toe was being carved into its body. 

[Ashrah 0]

It reminded him of the old days.

Two vicious, brutal damage dealers commanding the theater with their prowess. One handled the flashy flootwork, the other did cleanup. Arc heard the call for a Switch, and he immediately angled his approach so that Lycan would glide past him effortlessly. This was the part where Tobias put in work, and Thom... no, not that. Never that again. This was where Lycan picked up the sword and started playing hardball. These boars never stood a chance.

They raced past each other in opposite directions without ever matching gazes. These two swordsmen were in perfect sync, the way few players got without extensive hours of practice together. Lycan had the training from before the game. He knew and understood the intricate patterns that Tobias was employing without even being told, and that was more than the Breakneck Brawler could have hoped for.

He had practiced these moves with his best friend for many long hours. If they had been able to use them in Sword Art Online, the game would have trembled. It felt like somewhere beyond the hell they were trapped in, Alkor was smiling back down at him. Lycan was a suitable partner, one he did not anticipate. "Straight!"

Arc bent his knees into the motion and brought up his blade, which ripped forward in a line parallel to the ground. The boar gave a cry of surprise, though Arc instantly knew the damage had been negligible. If anything, he had mildly inconvenienced it. "Just gotta get stronger," he murmured as he hopped backward and out of the range of an effective counterattack.

The boar swung its tusks in a wide arc, seeking to cleave down through the closest players to it. While it was strong, its attack patters were easily predicted. "All yours," Arc called back over his shoulder as the beast shook off the sudden confusion of missing entirely. "You've got a big opening!"

Arc: 102/120 HP 8/12 Energy

Lycan: 134/140 HP 3/14 Energy

Feral Boar: 45/70 HP

Omega Boar: Dead

Omega Boar: Dead

 

ID# 68142 results:

Battle: 8

Craft: 3

Loot: 18

MOB: 4

 

Edited September 19, 2016 by Arc

[Lycan 0]

"Right!" Lycan called out from the Boar's blindside.

He hunched low and charged the boar, Harbinger at his side. His blade again begun to hum with the charge of his sword arts. This time, the boar was too keen on the sound. The red eyes of aggro snapped onto Lycan as he approached from behind. The teen quickly firmed his stance and began staggering to a stop. A wide, muscular swipe of the boar sought to assist him and the teen doubled over as the girth of an ivory tusk burried deep and through his avatar.

Pain didn't exist in SAO, not in the most literal sense. Instead of sharp agony, a light numbness or tingle would indicate damage. The brain, however, was a curious creature. While Cardinal was incapable of harming its occupants, death excluded, the phantom trigger of the mind mimicked true pain. With a boar's tusk in his gut, Lycan exhaled in a grunt. The beast flicked its head skyward and loosed the boy to the air. Lycan crashed to the ground in a roll and came to rest with his hand on his gut.

"Ugh... f*ck..." he groaned, the HP in the top corner ticking down from the blow.

With Harbinger's help, Lycan forced himself back to his feet. The boar, in turn, had already begun its follow up charge.

Spoiler

 

ID# 68234 results: // BD: 1 // CD: 10 // LD: 4 // MD: 10 //

>> Regen Phase: 0 HP, +1 EN

>> Lycan: 131/140 HP // 2/14 EN // HATE: 3
<<-2 EN Critical Miss>>
<<-3 HP (12 DMG - 9 MIT)>>

>> Arc: 102/120 HP // 9/12 EN

---

> Feral Boar: 45/70 HP // 10 DMG // 12 MIT *LOOTABLE* 

> Omega Boar: 0/4 HP // 10 DMG // 0 MIT *MIN* DECEASED

> Omega Boar: 0/4 HP // 10 DMG // 0 MIT *MIN* DECEASED

Mob Damage: 10 CRITICAL HIT +2 DMG! <<12 DMG to Lycan>>

 

 

[Ashrah 0]

"Hold out!" Arc knew his own ability to damage the creature was limited, but he could look for weaknesses in the attack patterns, skim the battleground for ways to exploit the mob and get it down to a more manageable HP, and even find a way to retreat if things got that dicey. There were so many things a party member could do other than fight in this game, it was almost unimaginable. Five, ten years before SAO, they only thought of games like this as a dream. For a gamer, this would be a fantasy come true, if it weren't already a nightmare instead. "You've got some distance to your left," he called out. "Plenty of room to avoid attacks, and to get leverage on the bugger. Regroup before it charges-"

Arc huffed. It was already adjusting to Lycan's movement. "You've got to change up your approach again," he told the assassin. "It's starting to see through the frontal assault pattern. Don't let it catch you on another charge!"

These sorts of strategies had been common in the Black Brotherhood, the way they knew how mobs worked and bosses too- Alkor had been a genius when it came to group cohesion, and they had been among the top guilds for clearing in one of their previous MMOs. They were a long way from that in SAO, however.

"I'll cover you for another Switch," Arc said after a moment.

Arc: 102/120 HP 8/12 Energy

Lycan: 131/140 HP 2/14 Energy

Feral Boar: 45/70 HP

ID# 68343 results:

Battle: 4

Craft: 10

Loot: 6

MOB: 4

[Lycan 0]

 

Spoiler

 

ID# 68495 results: // BD: 6 (4+2) // CD: 4 // LD: 13 // MD: 3 (6-3) //

>> Regen Phase: 0 HP, +1 EN

>> Lycan: 131/140 HP // 2/14 EN // HATE: 4
<<-1 EN Critical Miss>>

>> Arc: 102/120 HP // 9/12 EN

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> Feral Boar: 44/70 HP // 10 DMG // 12 MIT *LOOTABLE* <<-1 HP>>

> Omega Boar: 0/4 HP // 10 DMG // 0 MIT *MIN* DECEASED

> Omega Boar: 0/4 HP // 10 DMG // 0 MIT *MIN* DECEASED

Mob Damage: MISS

 

 

Lycan rose to his feet, the red mark on his chest hissing with damage. Lycan gripped it as though he were bleeding. With a snarl, he turned his attention back on the boar who caught his gaze with his own. The best began to charge.

"Damn," he cursed under his breath. "I'm going wide." He called out to Arc.

The swine charged, snorting and tusked lowered to run him through. Lycan braced, his form tight. The distance closed and the teen shot out into a roll. He snapped to his feet and held Harbinger ready for another Vertical Arc. This time, Cardinal's assist failed to activate. With a bite of his lip, Lycan manually lashed out with his blade, catching the boar by his rump.

The pig squealed as it tried to halt his momentum.

"Arc!" Lycan roared. "I'm out of energy! We need a tactical retreat or we'll never down this thing!"

Lycan looked as his last attack barely lowered his enemy's HP bar. With the abysmal regen rate of energy mid battle, the boars had won by attrition. Should Arc, for some reason, see fit to remain in combat, they would be at it til the hours of twilight. Lycan knew, however, his new companion to have a far keener tactical mind.

Looking to Arc for confirmation, Lycan readied himself for a sprint.