[SP-F2] Exterminatus <<Long Live the Queen>>

[Ashrah 0]

His first steps out of Urbus were greeted with the sounds of daily life in the field. Several players were engaged with the floor's weakest mobs, well on their way to increased strength. He had something similar in mind, though his work would take him a different route. It had long since become common knowledge that the fields closest to Urbus were filled with wasps, and in particular the hive's queen provided training in the form of a field boss.

Only after slaughtering her worker drones in droves, of course.

The mercenary eyed his stats for a bit before he concluded, "well, I can still put points into various skills, depending on what I want. I just can't properly train with the spear until I have one in hand." He fumbled absently at the sword on his back. "I'll just wait til I get one to do that. I'll have to go back and see Setanta once I do."

Arc pulled Levantine from his back and strode out into the field, looking around for his first victim. The telltale sounds of buzzing greeted him almost instantly. "Well, this'll be fun..."

[Ashrah 0]

The first of his foes came out of the woodwork almost immediately. It was not much, but the wasp buzzed loudly as it raced toward him at immense speed. If not for his system assistance, provisioned by the skills he had pumped his points into and several well crafted items, he might never have gotten his blade up in time.

It slashed across his chest with its stinger, taking out a sizable chunk of his health. Arc let out a soft curse as the red line was drawn on his torso and his health bar took a dip. "Quick little thing, ain't ya?"

His own blade had ripped deep into the abdomen of his foe, slicing it surgically open and dealing damage. In no small part, he thanked the maker that he was able to go blow for blow instead of simply taking abuse. "Next one'll be harder," he told the wasp. "I can promise you that."

The wasp continued to buzz indiscriminately.

Arc: 354/355 HP 33/34 E

Wasp: 3/10 HP

 

 

ID# 68992 results:

Battle: 3

Craft: 8

Loot: 4

MOB: 10

 

Edited October 4, 2016 by Arc

[Ashrah 0]

The wasp attacked once more, but with Arc no longer fighting flat footed, it found itself unable to find purchase on his person. It gave a deft swipe of its stinger in his general direction, but the rogue dodged deftly to one side. He slapped the natural weapon with his own sword and brought the blade around in a powerful swing. It gave out a mangled buzz as it fluttered to the dirt, and Arc tilted his head.

"These are a little easier than I expected," he muttered as the creature exploded into frames of data and scattered back to Aincrad. He glanced up and looked around for his next target. The information was fairly vague on how many of them had to die to summon their fearless leader, but it seemed worthwhile to kill as many as he could. After all, experience was good, no matter how many things you had to fight to get it.

And his skill sharpened ever time he managed to score a hit. Arc learned a greater, deeper affinity for weaponry with successes. That was probably true for most players, but he felt encouraged to grow and show off what he had.

Arc: 354/355 HP 32/34 HP

Wasp: Dead

 

 

ID# 68998 results:

Battle: 4 (+3) = 7

Craft: 10

Loot: 7

MOB: 1

 

Edited October 4, 2016 by Arc

[Ashrah 0]

The second of his adversaries proved much more cunning than the first. I swooped down from above and raked him with its poisonous blade, which caused Arc to stagger forward and twist his body around. His health dipped, but he could not manage to make his foe pay for the slight. His weapon whipped past in a frenzy as the creature flew overhead and caught nothing but air.

"Dammit," Arc cursed and he twisted into a proper, defensible position and tracked his enemy as it bobbed and weaved through the air. It would prove difficult to hit, but then, he would have it no other way. To get good at spearmanship, he would need to understand more complex attack patterns and the way his weapon moved with a finite number of vectors.

In a way, it was a different sort of difficult from swordplay.

Arc:353/355 HP 30/34 E

Wasp 10/10 HP

ID# 69021 results:

Battle: 1

Craft: 6

Loot: 11

MOB: 9

Edited October 5, 2016 by Arc

[Ashrah 0]

When the wasp dive bombed again, Arc threw himself out of the way. He rolled across the dirt and came to his feet in a crouch, mindful of where the creature came from. He dodged expertly away from another strike intended for his midsection, and he brought Levantine crashing down on the creature with a deft swing. "Gotcha," he muttered as his blade dug deep and data erupted from the reddened wound.

The sound of a garbled buzz emanated from the creature's body as it fluttered fearfully away, mindful of the player that had dealt it undesired damage. Arc smirked as he watched the creature flee, sure that it would come back for more. They had no sense of self preservation, but rather, they thrived on aggression and sought better ways to undermine and destroy their opponent. The algorithms on this floor were not all that nightmarish, but in terms of danger, it offered more than the first floor.

Perhaps after this, the queen might see fit to grace him with her presence?

Arc: 353/355 HP 29/34 E

Wasp: 4/10 HP

ID#69024

BD: 3 (+3) =6

Mob: 2

Edited October 5, 2016 by Arc

[Ashrah 0]

On the next attack, neither of them managed to get any ground. The creature sputtered in disarray from the last strike, far and away from the mercenary's reach. Arc uttered several quiet curses and decided to wait it out, his mind blazing through tactics that would allow him to dismantle this opponent as quickly as possible. He wanted to get through the entire fight without taking much damage, because the less he accrued before the field boss, the better off he would be throughout the main encounter.

The best laid plans of mice and men, of course...

He ran along the floor beneath the wasp as it zoomed along crazily, almost as though it wanted to flee. Arc knew better. The further it got from him, the harder it would be to track and the more potential damage it could deal from creating momentum. Big hits like that were something to be wary of. He kept vigilant watch of his target as it went racing along the skyline and kept his breathing under control. It was only a matter of time.

Arc: 353/355 HP 27/30 E

Wasp: 4/10 HP

ID# 69029 results:

Battle: 1

Craft: 10

Loot: 15

MOB: 1

 

Edited October 5, 2016 by Arc

[Ashrah 0]

When the wasp spun at breakneck speed, Arc did not falter. He matched the pace as their speed increased to staggering. Both combatants managed to tag one another, evidenced by the red line that broke open on the player's arm. The difference in power was extreme, however. Tobias watched as his blow leveled the mob in a powerful stroke, more than enough to send the data back to Aincrad where it could tell Kayaba to suck it.

Arc stood upright and stretched his back out, shouldering his weapon as he looked around for the wasp queen. "Don't tell me I'm gonna need to kill another one," the merc muttered as he began to walk once more.

It was almost infuriating, the idea of fighting an enemy when it couldn't even be bothered to show itself. The wasp queen must really have been something to see, and part of him thought that if she wasn't duly difficult, he might even regret taking the quest. Field boss rewards being what they were however, it would prove to be lucrative in the long run.

In the end, he decided to bite the bullet and press on.

Arc: 352/355 HP 26/34 E

Wasp: Dead

 

 

ID# 69032 results:

Battle: 9

Craft: 8

Loot: 19

MOB: 10[/spoiler]

Edited October 5, 2016 by Arc

[Ashrah 0]

"This thing is infuriatingly hard to find," the merc muttered as he waded through the sea of tall grass. Thankfully, nothing had popped out of hiding since the last enemy, and he had some breathing room. His Extra Skill, <<Survival>> procced when he exited combat, and his health regenerated to full within seconds. His stamina had depleted to a small degree, but several seconds would dispel even that disadvantage. The numbers were a huge factor in Aincrad. If you got them high enough, there was virtually nothing outside a boss encounter that posed a threat to you.

That was the running theory, at least. Arc watched his point pools rise idly as he looked toward the sky. It was a calm day on floor 2, and the sun was shining brightly. A cool breeze washed over him as he let his blade rest at his back, and he trudged about seeking more wasps. Always more mobs. "At least they die quickly," he murmured. "If these things were actually difficult to kill, this quest would take forever."

Arc: 355/355 HP 27/34 E

[Ashrah 0]

He leaped from the path of another wasp as it dove from the skies unexpectedly. Arc rolled over his shoulder and turned his gaze back toward the insect, which buzzed with obvious irritation at the player's reflexes. He let out a snort as he found his feet again, and he ripped the weapon from his back to ready for the next volley of stinger strikes. The wasp flickered its wings rapidly as if to intimidate the mercenary, watching his movements as he drew steadily closer. Not close enough to hit it with a counterattack. His lips moved in a quiet curse, but he gave no other sound. Arc narrowed his gaze as he gripped his weapon tighter.

It came around for another round, and he hopped deftly to the side. The beast twisted in the air to keep eyes on him, but it could not manage a strike. Arc stayed on the balls of his feet as he kept up with its movements, carefully calculating where it would come from next. His feet carried him further from Urbus as he raced beneath the creature and kept his eyes on it, wary that it might dive at any time. He dodged quickly out of the way of a tree that came up quickly, and his eyes peeled down the path. Crap...! Is it trying to lead me further out? Are there more of them? Is this where the nest is?!

Arc: 355/355 HP 25/34 E

Wasp: 10/10

 

  Hide contents

ID# 69166 results:

Battle: 1

Craft: 2

Loot: 8

Mob: 3

Edited October 8, 2016 by Arc

[Ashrah 0]

Arc could hear buzzing, but he had lost sight of the wasp. He continued to run into the forested area, uncertain of whether the creature had some sort of plan, but unwilling to risk running back and into a trap. The second floor mobs were more dangerous by far than the first, and a miscalculation on his part could spell doom.

When he broke out into a grove, he looked straight up toward where the canopy parted. The wasp tore straight downward, and only his quickness allowed him to get out of the way. The stinger plowed into the dirt and kicked up debris, but the creature recovered quickly. Arc stayed back out, uncertain if the creature would have some advantage if he tried to get too cocky.

He was disappointed to realize that no sort of reciprocity would have come. Damn it. Wasted opportunity.

It fluttered up and toward him again, but this time it seemed more ferocious. Its speed had increased with the newborn rage, and Arc's eyes widened. We must be close to the hive. It clearly wants me dead.

Arc: 355/355 HP 23/34 E

Wasp: 10/10

 

ID# 69167 results:

Battle: 2

Craft: 2

Loot: 12

MOB: 4

 

Edited October 8, 2016 by Arc

[Ashrah 0]

Arc took a deep breath as the mob came once more. His thoughts were focused entirely on the battle, and on killing the creature before it could manage to kill him. That was the nature of Sword Art Online. There was no neutral ground between them, and the only chance a player had was for a mob to die. The opposite was also true. If the wasp fell, it knew that the player would go on to seek out the hive and kill its mistress. It did not want that.

The sounds of buzzing grew more frantic as the mercenary took another dive, and he thought he could hear more of it faintly in the distance. His face twisted in contempt as the wasp capitalized on his situation; and because we wasn't quite on his feet yet, the blow took him harder than he had anticipated. He let out a grunt. "Ooof," he sneered as his feet carried him a bit further from the mob, giving him room to turn about.

His eyes flashed a red color as the Extra Skill <<Concentration>> activated, and he gained heightened reflexes and prowess due to the system augmentation. When the wasp came again, it did not expect him to move quite so quickly as he had. The sword ripped through its target with wild abandon, and Arc let out a sigh of relief.

"One more go," he muttered to himself.

Arc: 354/355 HP 22/34 E

Wasp: 3/10 HP

ID# 69168

BD: 2 (+3)= 5 (Accuracy) (+1)= 6 (Concentration)

CD: 5

LD: 7

Mob: 10

Edited October 8, 2016 by Arc

[Ashrah 0]

When he dodged away once more, the wasp took to the air. Each rapid wingbeat grew more faint as other sounds took preeminence. Arc gaze sidelong toward the source of an orchestra of insect sounds, and he noted the presence of what appeared to be the hive. The primitive, hollowed out tree was broken halfway up, a formerly massive oak with rich brown bark. He could smell pollen thick in the air as his enemy disappeared behind the canopy, and he took the moment to assess his surroundings. If there were other wasps nearby, it was not obvious.

Arc clutched his weapon with a bit more urgency now, wary that anything might appear in his moment most dire. Sword Art Online lent to paranoia in a way that he did not admire.

The wasp's wings betrayed its location before he ever saw it coming. Arc threw himself into a dive roll to the left, and he was well out of the way before the stinger plunged deep into the dirt where he stood only moments before. The mercenary let out a heavy sigh. At least I get better at this with every fight.

Arc:354/355 HP 20/34 E

Wasp: 3/10 HP

 

ID# 69351 results:

Battle: 2

Craft: 2

Loot: 17

MOB: 5

 

Edited October 13, 2016 by Arc

[Ashrah 0]

There was something to the whole agility thing that appealed to him.

Each attempt the wasp made to get close, he made the effort seem harrowing and wasted. His body glided away from harm almost effortlessly, like water filtered through a funnel. The system assist had taught him through muscle memory how each motion was meant to be, and his body now acted on instinct alone. A subtle step to one side, or a full tilt backward. One dive, or a quick run. With further training, he could possibly even learn to turn a flip or narrowly escape an impact with acrobatic ease.

This was the sort of fighting he got the most thrill from. Back home, a fistfight ended quickly with a bloodied nose or broken bones. SAO boasted a fighting style that accented the sort of thing you saw in action movies. Chinese wire jumping, swords and spears, and even daunting creatures that had no business actually existing.

At least if he made it out alive, it would be an experience he could look back on and genuinely say, "I did those things."

The wasp practically ran itself through on his blade. He extended it in the creature's path, and it flew directly into the shallow cut. It exploded into data before it even made it past him.

Arc: 354/355 HP 20/34 E

Wasp: Dead

 

ID# 69352 results:

Battle: 8

Craft: 11

Loot: 2

MOB: 5

 

Edited October 13, 2016 by Arc

[Ashrah 0]

The Queen rose from her wicked rest and took to the skies.

It was much less glorious than that, of course. From where he had seen the hive, Arc witnessed her slow crawl into the firmament, albeit far enough away that he couldn't cut her off. Not immediately. He broke into a quick run as she spiraled toward the sunlight, and the Mercenary threw himself toward a point where he could not be taken unawares, his eyes trained on the skyline.

She shot downward at a vengeful speed, clearly vicious over what he had done to her drones. The warrior met her head on, his blade ready and willing to do its worst to the field boss. Her natural weapon met with his metal, and the resulting concussive force threw the beast backward. Arc wasted no time hurrying forward and taking a deep slash at the wasp's abdomen.

She reeled from the strike.

Arc: 354/355 HP 20/34 E

Wind Wasp Queen: 43/50 HP

 

ID# 69352

BD: 8
CD: 11
LD: 2
Mob: 5

 

Edited November 14, 2016 by Arc

[Ashrah 0]

The strike failed him this time, as his blade clanged off the exoskeleton of his foe. She took to the skies once more as he adjusted himself and his gaze followed her into the clouds. There was a moment when she disappeared from view behind wispy white, and he let out a shrill whistle. That was something they wouldn't ever get to do in SAO. He felt a bit sad about that.

"Getting a little higher than most wasps go," he muttered to himself. "Guess that's why they're called Wind Wasps."

He didn't have time to consider it too deeply. As he rushed toward the central grove, she plummeted toward him with all the vicious intent her kind had to offer him. 

Arc disappointed her.

He danced away, albeit enough that she had time to recover before he could get a hit in. "Dang," he hissed. That wasn't the first wasted opportunity. The mercenary shifted and brought his blade up to prevent the creature from scoring any hits on him. He was strong enough now that her damage would be negligible, but as a personal challenge, he wanted to see just how far he could get without losing a chunk of health. If he never dipped beneath a certain percentage, he could use that as a bar and try to elevate it higher with every encounter.

Goals. If he set reasonable goals for himself, he would eventually soar higher than all the rest.

Arc: 354/355 HP 20/34 E

Wind Wasp Queen: 43/50 HP

 

ID# 70061

BD: 2

CD: 2 

LD: 15

Mob: 7 (-2) = 5

 

Edited November 14, 2016 by Arc

[Ashrah 0]

"Tch!" Tobias let out a sound of absolute frustration as he deftly swatted aside another blow. This foe was more difficult than the others to deal with, but ultimately still weaker than him given the progress he had made. His mind briefly twisted as he considered the dangers inherent to facing down a boss meant to be tackled by a party by himself, and he wondered if Ava would have chided him for this. Probably not, as he'd done a great deal toward improving his attributes and taken precautions against death.

He wasn't the sort of guy who just ran in. Usually.

No, that was a lie.

He grit his teeth as he locked weapons with the creature- stinger against sword- and let out another grunt. The field boss let out a pathetic whine as the merc ground his weapon toward it and managed to dig into its synthetic hide. The Wind Wasp Queen let out a fierce buzz of indignation as it took off quickly, spiraling skyward. It would be a dangerous encounter if this beast had no inclination to stay in close.

He'd made a dent in its health. This wouldn't last too much longer, if he kept this pace up.

"Come on," he hissed, "stay still so I can kill you. I need to get stronger!"

Arc: 354/355 HP 20/34 E

Wind Wasp Queen: 36/50 HP

 

ID# 70104 results:

Battle: 5 (+2) = 7

Craft: 10

Loot: 3

MOB: 5

 

Edited November 15, 2016 by Arc

[Ashrah 0]

She did not appear to have heard him, but he made his point with no less gusto.

As the insect whipped past and made a bid for his chest, the mercenary reached deftly out and gripped her by the stinger. With alarm, the field boss pulled away and jerked skyward. Arc was pried off his feet and flung airborne, but he maintained control and composure. Her stinger caught him and he felt the heat rise through his veins where her venom raged at his health, but he felt no pain. That was good. It would only have been a distraction.

The wild warrior let his weight drag her downward as she fought against his best efforts. Arc swung to and fro in an effort to take her off balance. The Queen buzzed defiantly

When he let go, her body rocked midair. She watched him catapult from her wavering form and was helpless as he turned a somersault in the air. Arc brought his blade downward in a sinister slice, and he dragged it through her digital form with malicious intent. This fight had already proved difficult, though only because she didn't go down as easily as some of the foes he had previously faced.

When he landed, he watched as the wind wasp queen teetered toward the ground to re-orient itself.

Arc: 353/355 HP 20/34 E

Wind Wasp Queen: 29/50 HP

 

 

ID# 70793 results:

Battle: 6

Craft: 5

Loot: 14

MOB: 9

 

Edited November 18, 2016 by Arc

[Ashrah 0]

Arc picked himself up and rushed toward the field boss, still reeling from his impact. The adrenaline that pressed his avatar forward was not suppressed by the NerveGear, rather it was allowed freedom to flow as normal and the experience that went to his brain was one of genuine fight or flight. Aincrad, Sword Art Online- everyone he met, every battle he fought, all of them were just as though he were in his own body, doing it with his own two hands. These battles only confirmed for him that when he took his first steps back in the real world after escaping from this prison, he would be a stronger man for it.

His body lurched to one side and the other as he picked up speed, and the wasp managed to right itself just before he made contact. The stinger caught him again, but this time he had his blade ready. The weapon sank deep into the Wind Wasp Queen as she protested his efforts with all of her might. She filled him with all the venom she could muster as he held his bastard sword steady, bleeding her of the life that she struggled to maintain hold of.

Several more hits would come and go between them, but one of the two would fall. That was certain now. Arc was stronger, faster, and had more experience in combat than he had been when he started playing the game. He was developing into a capable combatant, and his ability to persist under even these circumstances gave him hope.

Soon, this battle would be over.

Arc: 352/355 HP 19/34 E

Wind Wasp Queen: 22/50 HP

ID# 70984 results:

Battle: 6

Craft: 9

Loot: 16

MOB: 9

Edited November 19, 2016 by Arc

[Ashrah 0]

This was it

Every attack up to this point had culminated in a joint effort to bring down the tyrant of the Wind Wasps. One strike after the next bled together to give rise to a greater opportunity. Now, as the opponent broke from their deadly embrace and rushed at him, Arc activated his Sword Skill. The two handed sword glowed a vibrant blue color as it radiated with his willpower, and he brought the blade along into a powerful sweep.

The Queen burst into a thousand fragments and washed away on the wind, leaving Tobias to fall to one knee as he caught his breath. The experience welled up in his chest and filtered into his parameters. He felt his digital body growing stronger, faster. He looked at the message that popped up on his HUD that said "congratulations" and named the item that had dropped. It appeared to be a temporary weapon enhancement, but more importantly, the significant amount of SP caught his eye.

"Well, well, well," he murmured. "Looks like I hit the level up."

 

ID# 70985 results:

Battle: 8

Craft: 11

Loot: 9

MOB: 8

 

Edited November 21, 2016 by Arc

[Ashrah 0]

He replaced the weapon at his back and turned toward Urbus. "Alright," he resolved. "Time to get back."

Midday had come and gone as the quest crawled by, one insect after the next keeping his attention until sunset was finally upon him. Arc glanced out at the horizon and pursed his lips. 

He struck off without another word, thoughts on just how much stronger he had grown. It was not much, but the difference would be noticeable in the coming conflicts. Arc cast a long shadow over the forested area, then strode through the plains of the second floor intently. As the sun dropped behind the edge of the landscape, he smiled to himself.

Eventually, he would get used to this. He hated that idea. He hated that he felt remotely like this world would become normal to him, and the other would be little more than a memory. Though he was sure many people already felt that way, or were starting to feel that way, this was the first time he had actually felt like he had been robbed of something.

Maybe it was better, trying to think about it less?

Nah. Deal with problems as they come up, Tobes.

Edited December 8, 2016 by Arc