[F07-PP] I was not ready... <<A Case of Wurms>>

[Snow 0]

Spoiler

Outside the town of Rig lies a great monster who appears to share the mythology of the town it is near to. The two headed serpent can not only burrow under the sand for hiding, but also fly for short distance to strike players. The serpent is merciless and will come for opponents as soon as it can.

Requirements:

-At least two [2] Pages (21 or more posts)
-Maximum Party Size of 3
-The Amphis Serpens must be defeated
-Due to the sand and movement of the boss, all players receive -1 to evasion and accuracy. 
-Repeat completions will only yield <<Snake Venom>>

Amphis Serpens Information:

<<Amphis Serpens>> is a respawning Field Boss and has the following statistics:
HP: 175

MIT: 45

Damage per Attack: 70
On MD rolls of 9 or 10, the boss will attack the two players with the highest Hate and poison them, dealing attack damage AND 20 damage for 5 turns that cannot be mitigated.

Rewards:

1. <<Snake Venom>> A coating which grants a weapon a poison effect which activates on a critical hit, dealing 4 damage for 10 turns to an enemy. Lasts for one thread. Takes a post action to apply.
2. 3 Skill Points

Snow's Gear:
Level: 9
|| HP: 180 || EN: 18 ||
Stats: || DMG: 5 || ACC: 3 || EVA: 1 || MIT: 71 || THN: 9 || RGN: 10 || BLD: 12/8-10 || 
|| Sif's Needle [+1ACC] [+2BLD] || Freya's Spite [+18MIT] [+9THN] || Gwendolyn's Wings [+9MIT] [+10RGN] ||
Consumed: Mitigation Potion +36 MIT [HERE] : Ebi Nigiri +2 ACC +1 EVA [HERE] : Yui's Grace 4/5
Benefits from "Rested", "Relaxed", and "Clean"

Snow's Arts:

RANK 1 ARTS
[x1 AoE] Sonic Charge (1 Energy +2 per target hit) - A forward thrust which explodes energy at the end of the move.
[x2 Stun] Twin Thrust (5 Energy) - A pair of quick thrusts aimed at the user's knees to immobilize them.
[x2] Heft (2 Energy) - Lift the heavy end of the spear diagonally across your opponent from the ground, cutting their torso with the tip.

RANK 2 ARTS
[x3] Fatal Thrust (3 Energy) - A single powerful thrust.
[x4 AoE] Hellish Twice (4 Energy +2 per target hit) - A pair of alternating sweeping motions which damages multiple targets.
[x4] Mighty Charge (4 Energy) - Charge your opponent fiercely and impale them with your spearhead. Your opponent is then lifted up before being slammed into the ground from the momentum of your maneuver.

Snow knew she bit off more than she could chew. Her armor weighed heavily in the fine, loose sand. Every movement she tried to make in this desert felt as though she walked in mud. Her chest heaved and spear hung low to the sand. Flyaways of blonde clung to the sweat on her forehead just above the pair of crystalline  blue eyes that remained glued to her opponent. Opposite of her flew a massive serpent with two heads, <<Amphis Serpens>>. Its fangs stretched nearly the length of her forearm and dripped with what she could only assume was venom. Compared to the other monsters of this floor, this stood leagues above them. She knew this named monster had to be a field boss, and she knew she couldn't kill it alone.

Spoiler

ID# 148007: || BD 7 - 1 + 3 + 1 || CD 3 || LD 7 || MD 7 ||
In Effect: Mob Aura (-1 Player EVA, -1 Player ACC) 

Snow || HP: 180/180 || EN 18/18 ||
|| DMG: 5 || ACC: 3 || EVA: 1 || MIT: 71 || RGN: 10 || BLD: 12/8-10 ||
<<Concentration>> Activates
<<HIT>> [10 DMG, STUN] Hellish Twice
<<Rested>> 1/2 Activates
[-4 EN]

<<Amphis Serphens>> || HP: 175 || MIT: 45 || DMG 70 ||
Special: (MD 9-10)  Attacks 2 Players with highest HATE (70 + 20 PSN DMG/5 Turns)
ID# 148008: || BD 5 || CD 7 || LD 14 || MD 6 + 1 - 1 ||
+10 DMG - 45 MIT = 1 DMG
<<STUNNED>>

Results:
Snow: || HP: 180/180 || EN 14/18 || 1 HATE ||
<<Amphis Serphens>> || HP: 174/175 || <STN>

The girl hoped that if she could hit it and stun it maybe, just maybe she would have the chance to flee. Between labored breaths, she steeled her mind for a brief moment to concentrate. Her grip tightened on her spear until she could feel the tug of the system start to pull her into the Hellish Twice sword art. It caught and pulled Snow into her attack. Versus humans and legged beasts, the blow swept low for the legs to disable the target. Versus a serpent, the same trick wouldn't apply, and the system instead pulled the tip of her spear across the eyes of both the monster's heads. Large red gashes ruptured across its head, and Snow landed opposite of the creature with her legs firmly planted into the sand.

The beast flailed wildly, unable to see and thusly, unable to attack. Snow saw the opportunity to flee, but the sand proved to be a second combatant she couldn't fight. Her legs pumped and tread until she finally managed to get her greaves above the surface. The butt of her spear afforded leverage to keep her upright and even once finally free, her eyes came to rest on the sandy horizon. If she managed to start running now, a flying, sand-swimming snake would close the gap in no time.

This is it. Snow thought. This is how I die.

The Valkyrie swallowed the lump which formed in her throat. Her teeth clenched, and the grit between them crunched. She turned to the field boss with brows lowered over innocent eyes and snapped her spear to the ready.

"For Daire..." Words slipped past chapped lips low enough for her to hear.

@Lessa, @Alkor

Edited May 14, 2020 by Snow

[Lessa 1]

In the ten minutes since they'd left Rig, neither player had spoken. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence, but she wouldn't go so far as to label it companionable, either. Instead, Lessa simply deemed the quiet a necessary evil. A trench ran between herself and Alkor, and bridging it entirely proved difficult. Of course, progress had been made, as they no longer stared at each other across the Grand Canyon. But years apart, preceded by months of misunderstandings, left the once-best-friends on rocky ground. 

We can figure this out, she decided, cutting the dark-haired boy a sideways glance. If he wants to. But nothing is going to be the way it used to be. And honestly, that was likely a good thing. Neither she nor Alkor would benefit from resorting back to their old ways, even if it would make shoe-horning a friendship easier. Instead, the pair was forced to rebuild from the ground up. Likely, they would be stronger because of it.

"This is a really low-level quest," she mused aloud, finally shattering the silence, "so it's easy experience. We'll knock it out real quick, and-" Lessa's voice trailed as movement up ahead caught and held her attention. Blue eyes squinting, she stated, "Oh, looks like someone beat us to it."

Typically, Lessa would allow the party to finish their fight, then jump in herself when the mob respawned. She was content to do so this time, but tendrils of unease licked at the back of her mind. "Something doesn't seem right," she heard herself mutter, unconsciously putting voice to her thoughts. Concern etched across her flushed face, the woman eased Scarecrow's Sickle off her back even as she jogged nearer.

"Hey," she called out tentatively. Armed, and decked-out in full heavy armor, was not Lessa's preferred type of arrival. But the fist of unease clenched around her heart prompted her to ask, "Can I give you a hand?"

The nod came like a green light on a dragstrip. Lessa exploded into action, positioning herself between the other player and the mythical monstrosity. Throwing her arms wide, Lessa activated <<Howl>>. Her eyes glowed eerily, green light blasting back from the soles of her brown boots. "Eyes on me," she barked, squaring off against the Amphis Serphens.

Spoiler

Lessa activates <<Howl>> [-7 EN]

Results:
Snow: || HP: 180/180 || EN 14/18 || 1 HATE ||
Lessa: || HP: 1045/1045 || EN 93/100 || 2 HATE ||

<<Amphis Serphens>> || HP: 174/175 || <STN>

Spoiler

Basics Level: 50 Health: 1045 Energy: 100 DMG: 16 MIT: 116 ACC: 4 THNS: 36 BLD: 24   Skills/Mods    R5 2HSS R5 Heavy Armor Howl R3 MIT Familiar Survival Precision Ferocity Athletics Fishing

Equipment Scarecrow's Sickle (DMG/DMG/DMG/BLD) Rosebud Charm (ACC/ACC/ACC) Rose Gauntlets (THRN/THRN/HM) Inventory Transportation Crystal

Housing Buffs Rested: -1 energy cost for the first two expenditures of each combat. Relaxed: Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts. Clean: The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 20% (rounded down). Col Stash: +5% bonus col from monster kills and treasure chests. Multipurpose: Gain +1 to LD, Stealth Rating,   Stealth Detection, or Prosperity to one post in a thread. Can be applied after a roll.

 

[Alkor 0]

There was much left unsaid, yet Alkor could find little to say. The energy and thought that went into a single sentence were more taxing than he could have known. He let Lessa lead most conversation for the moment because it was easier to form responses than initiate.

It wasn't that he didn't want to bridge that distance between them, it was that he didn't know how. It was plainly visible now though, to both of them. Where before the persona of Alkor appeared as a bridge- until it didn't, anymore- the lack of it granted clarity.

"Yeah," he responded when she mentioned the quest. "There's a bunch of things that I either missed, or that popped up later. Either way, I'm thankful for it."

He genuinely was. Every bit of experience he could scrounge without risking his life on a higher floor was a legitimate chance to be stronger. And things like this, small, almost non-threatening quests were a chance to learn how things had changed in Aincrad since he was away- or at least, brush up on things he was rusty at.

...and things got prickly sooner than expected.

Alkor heard the exchange and saw Lessa activate her howl. She was now the tanky swordsman he remembered talking to her about, somewhere along the way. And he- 

The sleek, curved edge of Blightsteel gleamed as it caught the light of late morning. The sinister black blade seemed to swallow light, rather than reflecting it- most likely a trick of the eye.

Alkor was one thing, if not a talker. He was a skilled gamer, and during the course of Sword Art Online, he'd started to come into his own as a Swordsman. He spun the wicked blade deftly in hand as he picked up his pace and rushed to join the fray.

With its attention on Lessa, it should prove an easy target.

He sprang forward, spinning in a vicious, tight circle and raked his blade through the beast multiple times. It wasn't the strongest Sword Art in his arsenal, but the damage would prove significant enough- at least, in a way that would let the nubile player get her own hits in.

He landed low to the outside, crouched and slowly circling the beast all the while knowing its attention remained on Lessa. If possible, he would accrue enough that he was next on the list, just in case.

 

 ID# 148030 results: 6 Death Creep hits! (10×6=60-45 MIT = 15 DMG)

<<Amphis Serphens>> || HP: 159/175 || STN

Snow: || HP: 180/180 || EN 14/18 || 1 HATE ||
Lessa: || HP: 1045/1045 || EN 93/100 || 2 HATE ||
Alkor: || HP: 590/590 || EN 52/58 || 1 HATE ||

 

Level 29 590/590 HP 58 Energy

10 Base Damage | 3 Evasion | 48 MIT

Rank 5 Curved Sword (50 total SP) Rank 3 Light Armor (23 total SP) Athletics Mod (9 SP)

Blightsteel: T2 Demonic Curved Sword [Cursed | DMG | DMG | Blight]

Nightmare Bomber: T2 Perfect Light Armor [MIT | MIT | EVA]

Vagabond's Mark: +3 Evasion T1 Perfect Trinket.

Edited May 12, 2020 by Alkor

[Snow 0]

Like a stiff wind on a hot day, relief washed over the young woman. The chord of fate relaxed away from the scissor's maw as not one, but two players swept in to her aide.

"Oh thank god," she audibly breathed. Her spear's tip slipped into the sand from the slack of her arms but only for a moment. Help arrived, but that didn't assure her safety, or theirs.

"I'm not equipped to handle something like this," Snow called to the woman that placed herself between them. She turned her attention to the second to rush into battle.

"I'm hitting it for ones at best, but I can try and keep it stunned!"

Snow turned her attention back to the beast. It writhed and squirmed, unable to attack. With enough of a window, Snow to attempted a second blow. She dug her heel into the hot powder beneath and forced herself back into the fray.

Spoiler

ID# 148061: || BD 10 + 3 - 1 || CD 5 || LD 9 || MD 9 ||
In Effect: Mob Aura (-1 Player EVA, -1 Player ACC) 

Snow || HP: 180/180 || EN 14/18 ||
|| DMG: 5 || ACC: 3 || EVA: 1 || THN: 9 || MIT: 71 || RGN: 10 || BLD: 12/8-10 ||
[+1 EN]
<<CRITICAL HIT>> [14 DMG, STUN] Hellish Twice
<<BLEED>> Applied
<<Rested>> 2/2 Activates
<<Concentration>> on 1/3 Cooldown
[-4 EN]

<<Amphis Serphens>> || HP: 159/175 || MIT: 45 || DMG 70 ||
Special: (MD 9-10)  Attacks 2 Players with highest HATE (70 + 20 PSN DMG/5 Turns)
ID# 148078: || BD 9 || CD 11 || LD 7 || MD 7 + 1 - 1 ||
+14 DMG - 45 MIT = 1 DMG
<<BLEEDING 1/2>> + 12 DMG 
<<STUN NEGATED>> 1/3 Immunity to Stun
<<HIT vs Snow>> 70 DMG - 71 MIT = 1 DMG
+ 9 THN DMG

Results:
Snow: || HP: 179/180 || EN 11/18 || 3 HATE ||
Lessa: || HP: 1045/1045 || EN 93/100 || 2 HATE ||
Alkor: || HP: 590/590 || EN 52/58 || 1 HATE ||
<<Amphis Serphens>> || HP: 137/175 || <BLD> (1/2)

Snow charged past the swordswoman. Confidence returned to her stride as the tug of Cardinal joined hands with hers. The weight of her steps became featherlight, and she danced upon the desert sands. The weapon deftly parted the air until it struck again. This time, the two blows took the form of twin vaults. Sif's Needle pierced and impaled through the meaty trunk of the snake, scales and all. Her momentum carried her over its body whilst the weapon twisted inside and arched out in a flurry of red polygons. The young player landed and twisted her body to send her spear screaming through a higher, vertical part of the massive snake. It's shaft firmly leveraged in its body, Snow hoisted her weight atop its length, dropped, and kicked herself out with weapon in tow.

She landed beside the blonde stranger with a slight stagger and a glowing blue mist signaled the end of her sword art.

The girl caught her balance, barely. The look of shock and surprise akin to just stepping off a roller coaster painted her features. She exhaled and firmed her stance behind swordswoman.

"Whew," she sharply exhaled. 

<<Amphis Serphens>> writhed and hissed. Pixels of red ruptured from the two wounds Snow had left behind, and the bar above its head slowly drained. She felt a fleeting moment of confidence, followed by another wave of dread.

The body of the serpent blazed past the woman between them. Its wings kicked sand into a maelstrom and forced the blonde's eyes shut. Snow first felt a pressure and numbness in the mid of her chest. Second, she felt the lack of ground beneath her feet and rush of wind around her. The snake's head smashed into her in its blind charge and launched her several feet into a nearby dune.

@Lessa, @Alkor

Edited May 21, 2020 by Snow

[Lessa 1]

Lessa sucked in a breath as the serpent slammed into Snow. Despite years spent in Aincrad, terror still plagued her as she watched the fellow player smash lifelessly into the dune. A quick glance at the spearwoman's health bar revealed very little damage taken, which was something of a relief. Of course, it didn't work to entirely settle Lessa's galloping heart. 

Jaw working, Lessa's gaze shifted from Snow to their enemy. Both of the serpent's heads bobbed and weaved in the air, their piercing blue eyes glued to Snow's prone form. Cursing under her breath, the heavily armored woman began a slow jog closer to the creature. Each step threw her slightly off-balance, the fine grains of sand shifting beneath her boots. I hate the sand, she thought to herself for the umpteenth time. How many strikes had she missed due to the blasted desert terrain? She couldn't always count on her partner to pick up the slack. 

"Alkor," she called over her shoulder. "I wonder what happens if we take out one of it's heads."

With that musing lingering in the hot air, Lessa once more activated <<Howl>>. The force of it blew her long hair back, and her robes flapped like the the canvas sails of a ship in a storm. "Over here!" she taunted, lifting Scarecrow's Sickle defiantly. "Come get me."

Spoiler

Lessa activates <<Howl>> [-7 EN]

Results:
Snow: || HP: 179/180 || EN 11/18 || 3 HATE ||
Lessa: || HP: 1045/1045 || EN 86/100 || 4 HATE ||
Alkor: || HP: 590/590 || EN 52/58 || 1 HATE ||
<<Amphis Serphens>> || HP: 137/175 || <BLD>

 

[Alkor 0]

The heads? Alkor registered Lessa's thought in an instant. His gaze snapped to the creature's elongated necks and immediately evoked imagery of one of Heracles' labors. The hydra-like appearance made a nauseous feeling bubble up in his stomach, and he suppressed it by lending all of his thought to a hasty reaction.

Instead of focusing on the strange beast, he flung himself forward with his blade and concentrated on attacking it. He shot forward and raked the curved sword along the throat of the beast, leaving a massive and gaping red wound in his wake. He did not activate a sword art intentionally, as this quest was intended to help Snow get stronger and simply slaying the mob without her getting her licks in did nothing to help her improve.

"Got it!" the dark swordsman howled out victoriously as he skidded to a halt behind the field boss. The sand weighed him down and dragged him deep to his ankles, but he managed to keep his balance. "Keep the rhythm going!" he encouraged. Every little bit counted, and when it came to stronger creatures that endured harder hits, that became especially true.

Now was the time for the newer player to become acquainted with hardships and the feeling of reward.

 ID# 182917 Battle: 10

Snow: || HP: 179/180 || EN 11/18 || 3 HATE ||
Lessa: || HP: 1045/1045 || EN 86/100 || 4 HATE ||
Alkor: || HP: 590/590 || EN 52/58 || 1 HATE ||
<<Amphis Serphens>> || HP: 125/175 (-12)|| <BLD>

Edited February 13, 2021 by Alkor

[Snow 0]

Spoiler

ID# 183047: || BD: 3+3-1 || CD: 10 || LD: 16 || MOB: 2 ||
In Effect: Mob Aura (-1 Player EVA, -1 Player ACC) 

Snow || HP: 179/180 || EN 11/18 ||
|| DMG: 5 || ACC: 3 || EVA: 1 || THN: 9 || MIT: 71 || RGN: 10 || BLD: 12/8-10 ||
[+1 EN]
<<REGEN ACTIVATES>> +5 HP (1/3)
<<MISS>> Basic Attack
<<Concentration>> on 2/3 Cooldown
[-2 EN]

<<Amphis Serphens>> || HP: 159/175 || MIT: 45 || DMG 70 ||
Special: (MD 9-10)  Attacks 2 Players with highest HATE (70 + 20 PSN DMG/5 Turns)
ID# 183048: || BD: 1 || CD: 2 || LD: 2 || MOB: 5+1 ||
<<BLEEDING 2/2>> - 12 BLD DMG HP
<<CD>> 2/3 Immunity to Stun
<<HIT vs Lessa>> 70 DMG - 116 MIT = 1 DMG
<<THORNS ACTIVATED>> - 36 THN DMG HP

Results:
Snow: || HP: 180/180 || EN 10/18 || 3 HATE ||
Lessa: || HP: 1044/1045 || EN 86/100 || 4 HATE ||
Alkor: || HP: 590/590 || EN 52/58 || 1 HATE ||
<<Amphis Serphens>> || HP: 89/175 || <BLD> (2/2)

Snow struggled to get upright in the loose ground beneath her. Bits of warm sand seemed to snake its way into places it should not have been. Her chest tingled as the red glow of impact faded away and a faint sparkle of her armor's regeneration kicked in. The little pixel of missing green snapped back into place. The short moment of panic melted into a sense of newfound confidence. Perhaps she was better equipped for the fight than she thought. After some futile scrambling to support her weight underneath her, Snow wizened up and used the length of her polearm to heft herself upright. Several small waterfalls of dust poured from the gaps in her armor and fell from her hair.

The other woman shouted again to catch both Snow's and the serpent's attention. Alkor, as she learned his name to be, sprung into action at the bequest of his companion and drew a blade along the snake's neck. Despite the wound, both heads bobbed and weaved toward the source of the shouting. Both mouths lashed out.

"Look out!" Snow screamed, panic in her tone.

To her surprise, the beast immediately reeled back and hissed wildly. Snow's brows scrunched together and the bar above the monster's head drained steadily. On its fangs, small cracks of red ran up and down as though ivory had fractured.

'Thorns...' she thought to herself. 'Way stronger than mine...'

Snow shook her head. She buried the many questions that arose and brought up her spear, ready to keep the rhythm of combat Alkor suggested.

@Alkor, @Lessa

Edited February 15, 2021 by Snow

[Lessa 1]

Well, two heads were better than three, she supposed.

It was sort of a bastardization of the old saying, but it held a lot of truth. Lessa decided she would rather have two heads attacking her than three, like the Cerberus that camped out on a higher floor. Honestly, it felt a little odd to be attacking a two-headed creature. Something about having three heads was just more aesthetically pleasing, even though it threw off the symmetry that Lessa so enjoyed.

Those are thoughts for another time, the blonde finally decided, literally shaking her head to rid it of them. Instead of letting her mind wander, she needed to focus, and tune back in in case she-

Oh, nope, two heads were still plenty once they were screaming toward you like runaway freight trains. Cursing, and caught completely flat-footed, Lessa threw up her arms. Crossing them above her head, she managed to catch both snakes before they could get a gold hold. As a jaw clamped down on each elbow, the sturdy blonde winced. Bending her knees to help soak up some of the impact, she immediately sprang upward again, shoving the creatures off of her. Even as they went to withdraw, Lessa threw her arms apart, cleaving through both heads in a single arc. As they thumped dully to the ground, then burst into pixels along with the rest of the body, the tank gave a sheepish smile. "I-uh, I'm sorry." The hand not holding Scarecrow's Sickle reached back to rub at the base of her neck. "I normally don't just swoop in and steal kills like that. I just don't like getting bitten, I guess."

Spoiler

Lessa uses Galaxy Destroyer.
ID# 183166 results: Battle: 4 + 3 (acc) = 7. HIT. 16*13 = 208-45=163

Results:
Snow: || HP: 180/180 || EN 10/18 || 3 HATE ||
Lessa: || HP: 1044/1045 || EN 74/100 || 4 HATE ||
Alkor: || HP: 590/590 || EN 52/58 || 1 HATE ||
<<Amphis Serphens>> || HP: DEAD/175 || <BLD> (2/2)

 

[Alkor 0]

Alkor readied himself for another pass. Lessa was more than capable of holding the beast's attention, and they would easily leave room for the newer Player to get some experience. In theory, at least. In practice, that was not how things transpired at all. As the token male of the group turned to prepare for the next round of traded blows, Lessa struck out with her newly found might. It proved to be more than equal to the task of holding aggro. Indeed, the Steel Rose of Aincrad not only beat the creature backward, she ran through it like it was nothing at all. The field boss erupted in a stream of data, and Alkor slowly turned his gaze on the woman.

"Well, that was unexpected," he quipped, more amused than anything. In truth, the Amphis Serpens was a bit stronger than the mobs he would have chosen to introduce Snow to anyway. If she was dealing damage, it was negligible, and that too had its own subtle effects on the psyche. It would have boded ill to teach her to think that doing very little to no damage was completely average in Aincrad. "Ah, don't worry about it," he assured both of them as he spared a glance toward the lower leveled girl. "The only way to go from here is up, so honestly, think of this as a good way of setting a benchmark. This creature was a bit stronger than what you should probably be fighting anyway."

While he knew that his words weren't very likely to have a strong effect, it was better than just letting her get the impression that he thought she was useless. There were many people he'd said that to before. Many people that he could not just go back and apologize to. Some of them were probably even stronger than he was now. That was a difficult pill to swallow. 

"So, what do we do from here?" he asked to no one in particular. They'd finished much more quickly than he anticipated, and now they had free time to kill. Would they just separate? 

[Snow 0]

Snow watched for an opening as the snake and the stronger blonde continued to tussle. The monster Snow struggled with reared back for another taste of the woman's armor and found death instead. To Snow's immediate surprise, one sweeping arc turned a formidable foe into glitter dashed across the hot sands. The tip of Sif's Needle slid into the ground at her feet as her grip fell slack.

"O-oh..." the young adventurer stammered. "You, uh... well then."

Alkor tried to offer words of encouragement but something about his words fell flat from their intention. Snow knew she bit off a bit more than she should have tried to chew, but after witnessing the both of them make short work of the field boss, Snow felt even less adequate. She knew the journey would be long, but now she found herself standing on one edge of the Grand Canyon. Alkor and his companion stood on the other side. And she just now gauged the distance and depth of that goal.

Her sandy shoulders sagged, and she slowly set Sif's Needle on her back. On the bright side, she didn't die. Snow cracked a soft smile in her defeat.

Heh, looks like I won't meet you just yet, Daire...

With a deep breath, she sighed out, "Thank you. I think I'm just trying too hard. I just wanted to be more useful; If you two hadn't of lent a hand I..."

The pause implied the outcome they all imagined.

"Thanks..." Snow's eyes cast to her feet in a slight bow. She raised her gaze through messy bangs toward the female stranger which may or may not have just become an inspiration for the young tank. "I'm Snow. Could I-- Could I ask your names?"

[Lessa 1]

The way the woman's voice trailed tugged at Lessa's heart. While death was a true reality in Aincrad, and one that couldn't be overlooked, openly discussing it was still a little uncomfortable. Even after so many years, coming out and saying 'I was almost killed' still wasn't any easier. "It's entirely possible you'd have been fine," she interjected gently. "You may surprise yourself, and fight a lot harder when you get cornered." With a quick nod toward Alkor, she continued, "He and I fought a pretty powerful enemy right when we started off. We probably weren't a whole lot higher level than you, I'm guessing. And it was pretty dumb, but we made it through." So it's not a sure-thing that we saved your life. Better to leave the last bit unsaid, she figured.

"Anyway," Lessa continued, a bit awkwardly; thoughts of potential loss of life always left her a bit shaken. So she drew in a quick breath through her nose, smiled warmly, and slide her right hand out of her gauntlet. She offered it to the other blonde. "It's nice to meet you, Snow. I'm Lessa."

[Lessa 1]

With a sideways nod of her head, Lessa motioned to the man standing beside her. "This guy here is Alkor. He's my oldest friend in Aincrad." When the woman smiled at Snow, it did not reach her eyes. "Like I said, he and I have done our fair share of fighting dangerous mobs. Having someone to depend on, and lean on, really helps." With a gentle shift of her body, Lessa nudged Alkor's shoulder. "Even if they're not the talkative sort."

Alkor gave a quick laugh, then let his gaze drop. "Yeah, well," he began, but said nothing else.

The response did bring some genuine humor into Lessa's expression.

"I'm going to go into town and sell some of the loot I just picked up." Snow hesitated, then added, "Do either of you have a suggestion for merchants to work with? I always seem to have pretty bad luck with this stuff."

[Lessa 1]

Lessa turned to Alkor at the same time the man nodded. "I've got someone," he answered, lifting a hand for emphasis. "I can show you, if you'd like."

Snow nodded, a gracious smile ghosting across her pretty face. "Sure, I would really appreciate that."

Next, Alkor turned his attention to Lessa. "Do you mind? You can come with, if you want."

The woman waved her hand dismissively. "Of course I don't mind. And nah, I'm good, but thank you. I figure I can do some material hunting while I'm out here." Lessa shifted to face Snow, and offered a hand to shake. "It was so nice meeting you, Snow, and I'm really glad we were able to find you when we did."

"Me too," Snow answered truthfully. "I owe you guys."

Lessa hooked her thumbs into her thick, criss-crossing belts, and stared after her old friend and her new acquaintance as they walked back toward the city walls.

[Lessa 1]

"And then there was one," Lessa commented to herself, pausing to gaze out across the sand and toward the distant mountains. She paused to draw in a deep breath, appreciating the view. There were very few things about Aincrad that she cherished, aside from the relationships she had made, and perhaps some of the growth she had experienced as a person. But she would forever be grateful for the surroundings Sword Art Online allowed her to experience. There was no way that her family of six would ever be able to afford expensive trips to Europe, or Asia, or anywhere especially exotic. There would never be a reality in which she could experience snow-capped mountains, steamy jungles, vast deserts, and rolling grasslands in a single day. In Aincrad, she could accomplish that feat in a matter of minutes. 

Breaking her gaze away to scan the ground for materials, Lessa considered the gravity of that while she pulled her hair back. After so many years trapped in the floating castle, the beauty of it had never really dulled.

Spoiler

 

Lessa removes "Rosebud Charm." She puts on "Violet Ribbon" (+3 LD).

ID: 196710 LD: 2 + 3 = 5 Fail

 

 

[Lessa 1]

Did she have a favorite floor? The thought came to her suddenly, and caused her to take pause. Well, for as long as she could remembered, the fourth had been a favorite of hers. She had lived there for the majority of her time in Aincrad, renting out a room in Alexander's White Rabbit tavern. A couple of her guild halls had also been located there, nestled among snowy mountains. Then, of course, her meetings with Alkor, Baldur, and Bahr. Was it a coincidence that so many of her most important memories were tied to that floor?

Or was it simply the fact it made her happy? The near constant curtain of fat, fluffy snowflakes. The endless holiday atmosphere, as if Christmas came every single day. The cheerful lights, the decorated storefronts, the way a cup of hot chocolate tasted in the middle of a snowstorm? She scooped to examine the grass for materials as she thought, what's not to like?

Spoiler

196842 LD: 4+3=7 FAIL.

 

[Lessa 1]

Then, of course, there was the twenty second floor. She considered it as she continued her search for mats. There were a million reasons why she had chosen that particular location for her permanent home, but perhaps the most glaring was how it reminded her of Michigan. Shifting seasons were a rare thing in Aincrad, so the stark changes between Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter appealed to her in a way that she found difficult to explain. But it kept things fresh, kept them interesting, and reminded her of home.

In fact, when she sat on her porch and closed her eyes, she could almost imagine she was back there. She could smell the grass, the water, and the faint scent of approaching rain. She could hear the cries of birds, the buzz of insects, and the occasional crunch of brush as deer traversed her property. She could feel the sun on her face, and the cool breeze that rustled the leaves on the trees. And she could pretend she was out.

Spoiler

196843 LD: 17 - SUCCESS

Mats: 1

 

[Lessa 1]

And how badly she wished to be out. Of course, things were far better now than they had been even a year ago. She had Alkor back, which was something Lessa had never dreamed was possible. She had a beautiful house, and a familiar she adored. She had a fantastic friend in Baldur, who always welcomed her with open arms, even after months of inactivity. And she had Bahr, a partner she appreciated more than he would ever know. Things were pretty good.

But pretty good just wasn't enough for her, not when her life still waited outside of Aincrad. Her real life. She still found herself thinking of it that way, despite the years that had passed. Her mom was out there, and her dad, and her brothers. Her pets waited for her, as did her friends, and the students she had only just started working with. And though it was ridiculous, she just really missed the four-poster bed she had slept in since childhood. She laughed at the thought as she bent down to scan the grass around her.

Spoiler

196844 LD: 15 - SUCCESS

Mats: 2

 

[Lessa 1]

Scooping the mats into her inventory, Lessa found her thoughts venturing into a territory she did her best to avoid. So much time has passed. Assuming the real world worked the same way Aincrad did - and why wouldn't it? - over half a decade had come and gone. Those students she had just started getting to know? They had likely graduated from High School. The mere thought caused her stomach to drop, as if she crested a hill on a rollercoaster. They probably don't even remember me. I was just a blip in their lives. Then I disappeared. 

Who else might have forgotten her? Surely not her family, but what about her dog? Her cats? Her horse? This time, the pressure came in her chest, closing like a vise around her heart. Was anyone riding her big buckskin mare? Was anyone taking her to shows, or around the dressage ring? Did she still love trail rides?

Spoiler

196845 LD: 1 - FAIL

 

[Lessa 1]

"God, I hope so," Lessa muttered, though there was no one around to hear her. She hoped her favorite horse was getting all the love she deserved. All the love Lessa would be giving her, if she could.

The blonde sent another hunk of iron ore into her inventory, then straightened. She shoved her fists into the small of her back, leaning to stretch the muscles there. Then she heaved an explosive sigh, the movement of air sending her shaggy bangs flying. Why was it that solitude often chased her back to these thoughts? What was it about downtime that made her miss home so much? 

I just can't dwell on it, she decided, turning back toward the city. If I let myself fall back into that hole again, who knows if I'll be able to crawl out. She had spent far too many years crippled by grief, and lost in the loss that she wore like a heavy coat. While the emotion was familiar, it dragged her down, and kept her from moving forward.

Spoiler

196846 LD: 15 - SUCCESS

Mats: 3

 

[Lessa 1]

I have to move forward. The thought came like a beacon of light against the closing darkness, a lighthouse in the coming storm. I have to keep moving. I don't have time to let myself fall apart again. With every day that passed, her students moved on. Her precious pets got older. Her horse went without her favorite rider. I need to do this, for them.

Abandoning her material gathering, Lessa decided to throw herself into something a little more challenging. While materials and crafting were important, grinding for experience was even more so. How else would she get strong enough to clear the floors, beat the game, and see her loved ones again?

Summoning her HUD, Lessa selected the messenger icon, and selected Bahr as the recipient.

Quote

To: Bahr

Hi you. I know this is sort of out of the blue, but would you be up for hitting a couple of quests with me? Maybe a couple of the more difficult ones? I really feel like I need to get stronger, and I'd really like you to help me with that. There's no one I trust more.

Find me on the twenty fifth floor?

- Lessa

Spoiler

196847 LD: 3 FAIL