[F01 - PP|PT] Getting stuff done ≪SotW: KoF≫

[Ariel - The Crowned Lion 0]

A new dawn starts shinning over the tranquil valley of the lion. As per usual, the early sun rays find the master of the domain with her sword in hand, honing her skills against an imaginary foe materialized over a training dummy. Undisturbed, Ariel executes her enemy with one last horizontal slash that threatened to decapitate the dummy if it wasn't for it's extremely high and seemingly unending HP bar. A soft ping alerted her a while back that someone entered her territory. As she opened her eyes at the end of the mock battle, she motioned for that person to approach. 

When she first joined the Shirajishi-ryū, Mili was bewildered by her master. Now, being summoned despite the best of her abilities to get close undetected, as to not disturb Ariel during her training: she wasn't surprised anymore. She stepped forward and delivered the result of her 'investigation'.

"Good morning, master." came a formal greeting, accompanied by a bow. A overly formal opener, despite Ariel telling everyone they didn't need to follow strict etiquette. "And here I thought I was an early bird." muttered the blonde as she dismissed Mili with a wave of a hand, the rogue-like figure visibly relaxing. "A pleasant surprise, care to join me in my morning training?" she ask with a grin. Throwing a glance at the blonde's current opponent, Millicent swallows a dry knot, knowing full well how it feels to be in place of the training dummy versus her. "Perhaps another time" she replies with faux tone of indifference. " I come from the first floor where I've been gathering some information. I found something that might interest sensei since I know you barely descend that low nowadays. " She managed to finish with a slight smile, accentuated by the rising sun rays. "Do tell." came an interested reply, as Ariel seemed to completely stop her current actions and take a sit on the nearby wooden floor, motioning Mili to sit beside her.

Mili did exactly as she was told and sat beside her master, her two ponytails resting on her back. " I've been investigating the changes in SAO after the new update." she started explaining as she started spinning a small dagger between her fingers like one would do with a pen. In return the blonde nodded and watched her observed her dexterity exercise. "It seems that one of the quests had been altered, one called ≪Scents of the Wild≫, do you know about it?" she asked, suddenly stopping and grabbing her dagger in a reverse grip, before placing it beside her.
Ariel frowned a little and closed her eyes as she folded her hands in front of her, trying to remember the name. But without any other detail, after a few seconds, she shook her head then suddenly opened her eyes as if remembering something. After a quick few gestures on her HUD, she nodded with a grin and materialized a rock piece between them.

A little surprised, Millicent gingerly went for the greenish item and after Ariel's nod grabbed and examined it. Item name: ≪Kumatetsu Key≫ it's description pretty straightforward: 'One of six, resembles a massive bear claw. '. She then threw Ariel a complicated look, as if asking for more details. The blonde caught up and began explaining: "This wasn't a rock but a totem before, the first of a series of trials in which u had to defeat a number of enemies. First boss was a bear!" a bit surprised, Milli's imagination would picture her master locking grips, in a hand to hand combat with a massive bear and overpowering it. She let out a soft smile and a subdued laugh, earning herself a raised eyebrow. As she felt Ariel's judging eyes on her, she faked a cough trying to cast away the image in her mind and pose the next question: "So you already completed the quest?" 

She maintained the raise eyebrow and the intense gaze for a couple of seconds more before dismissing her question with a small wave in front her her. " Not by far, I went after the next boss but never found it. Near the Stygian river. I got distracted with other things and then joined th frontlines effort again. " Milli would notice the fondness and pride in her words, growing a little more impressed with her master. The blonde then makes her HUD visible and shows her pupil. "But I think the quest reset because now it sends me to the 1st floor not the 10th like before." To that, the brunette rogue copied her master's actions and replied: "I have the same quest, the intel I got sent me to a tree inside a small cavern. " the blonde nodded and stood up. "Then that's where we're headed next!"

---

Ariel | HP: 940/940 | EN: 112/112 | DMG: 11 | MIT:0 | ACC:2 | AA  | PHASE | HB: 41 | REC: 8 | RISK: 8 | FLN: 16 | +16 LD                                                                                             

Spoiler

Name: Ariel True Tier: 10 Level: 34 Paragon Level: 65 HP: 940/940 EN: 112/112 Stats: Damage: 11 Mitigation: 0 Accuracy: 2 Loot Die: 3 AA PHASEHB: 41 REC: 8 RISK: 8 FLN: 16 Equipped Gear: Weapon/Armor/Trinket: - ≪Nihilim’s Wrath#187490≫ T4: AA / Phase / Fallen / Fallen Armor/Trinket: - ≪Leonidas' Strength#151568≫ T4: HB / HB / RSKY / RSKY Shield/Armor/Trinket: - ≪Kurokō no Tamashii (黒鋼の魂)#190961≫ T4: Acc. / Acc. / Rec. / Rec. Combat Mastery: - Combat Shift: - Familiar Skill: - Custom Skill: - Skills: - Cloth Armor R5 - Katana R5 Extra Skills: - - Concentration - Survival Forgotten King's Authority Inactive Extra Skills: Addons: Mods: Inactive Mods: Battle Ready Inventory: - "≪Chocolate Truffles# [Dessert]≫ VITALITY II (+12 EN) IDs# 144486 / 144486-1 / 144486-2 / 144486-3 / 144770 " x5 - "≪Crystal of the Blood Dragon Horde[Crystal]: Mass HP recovery 10% IDs# 223185-1 / 223185-2 / 223183 / 223183-1 / 223181" x5 - "≪Flash of Rejuvenation# [Crystal]≫ Mass HP recovery 10% IDs# 144486 / 144486-1 / 144486-2 / 144486-3 / 144770 " x5 - "≪popcorn. [Snack]≫ VITALITY II (+16 EN) IDs# 144486 / 144486-1 / 144486-2 / 144486-3 / 144770 " x5 - ≪Glowstone≫ x - ≪Teleport [Crystal]≫ x Housing Buffs: - Basic Kitchen: Increase the effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 T1 slot. This can exceed normal Cook enhancement caps. Ex: A perfect T2 MIT food gives 35 MIT instead of 30. - Storage Closet: +1 Battle Ready Inventory Slot - Living Room: Increases out of combatHP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts. - Attic (Storage): +5% bonus col from monster kills and treasure chests - Attic (Bedroom): +1 Expertise to declared utility skill. Cannot boost a skill without ranks, or increase a skill past its maximum rank. Cannot boost a skill the user has not learned yet. Ranks obtained using this buff will make the mods of that rank available for purchase. Mods obtained this way are unusable if this buff is removed until the skill is returned to the appropriate rank by way of SP purchase. - Basement: Gain +1 to LD, Stealth Rating, Stealth Detection, or Prosperity to one post in a thread. Can be applied after a roll - Guest Room: Players can have one «Amenity» in a «Guest Room» and the «Amenity» cannot be recovered. Players are allowed to change which «Amenity» is in the «Guest Room». Multiple instances of the same «Amenity» do not stack. This buff affects the player and their choice of up to two party members. - Master Bedroom: -1 energy cost for the first three expenditures of each combat - Master Bathroom: The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 25% (rounded down) - Extended Workshop: +2 Crafting EXP per crafting attempt and +1 crafting attempt per day - Ornate Fishing Pond: +2 Fishing EXP per Attempt and additional +1 LD & CD to fishing attempts. - Dining Hall: Turn 3 identical food items (same quality, tier, & enhancements) into a Feast. A Feast contains 6 portions of the food items sacrificed. Feasts created this way cannot be used outside of the thread they are created. Limit 1 item created per thread. - Mega Slime Farm: +10% EXP to a thread. Limit one use per month. Must be used on a player's first post in a thread. Cooldown begins counting down when used in a post. Guild Hall Buffs: Scents of the Wild Totem: Wedding Ring: Crafting Profession: - Tailoring[3696exp] R9 Gathering Profession: - Fishing[181exp] R3

PT Skills: (235 SP Available / 60 Used / 175 PT Skills)

• 8x ► Keen Sight (+2 LD to Searching, Gathering, Detection, and Loot Checks)

 

Edited Thursday at 09:31 PM by Ariel - The Crowned Lion

[Dracul 0]

Another fail... this 'experiment' was going nowhere fast and I could sense myself getting a little more infuriated after each attempt. " Milord, maybe we should take a break. " came the pertinent suggestion from my assistant, Darius, who was cleaning up the workbench after our last 'mishap'. Turning towards him, my index in the air as I opened my mouth to reply when a soft ping distracted me. I changed the direction of my finger as I gesticulated a pause then opened the new alert. It was a party invitation from Millicent. With a frown I dismiss it and once more focus on Darius. As I prepare to speak another ping interrupts me for the second time. "O for the love of..." I stop my cursing and frown as I see that I received another party invitation. This time from the master of the domain, a fair blonde warrior maiden. With a sigh I accept it and see that two blue marks are approaching my lab's premises. Finally I turn towards Darius and with half a smile I nod and reply: "it seems we'll be taking a break whether we like it or not." the next second I see him grinning like an idiot as he was added to the party by Ariel.

---

Dracul | HP: 400/400 | EN: 58/58 | DMG: 4 | MIT: 0 | LD:+19 | REC (2) | Taunt

Spoiler

✠ Level: 20  ❤ Health: 400  ✽ Energy: 58  ◈ Taunt  ❋ Recovery: +2 / CD 6+
⚔ Damage: 4  ♜ Mitigation: 0  ☣ Thorns: 0  ❋ Loot: +3

✿ Equipped Items:

Spoiler

≪Blue Rose#58993≫
T2: Damage | Damage | Damage
An elegant two handed straight sword with a bluish blade and a rose placed on top to the side of the hilt.

≪Feline Helper#13453≫
T1: Loot Die | Loot Die | Loot Die
Custom made plushie in the form of a white lioness. A small crown logo marking its origin at 'The Lion's Den'.

≪Memory Fragment#134713-1≫
T1: Recovery | Recovery | Taunt
A thin bracelet with a blue crystal as its centerpiece. It lightly glows when any of its enchantments proc.

No skills learned

 

PT Skills: (100 SP Available / 0 Used / 100 PT Skills)

8x ► Keen Sight (+2 LD to Searching, Gathering, Detection, and Loot Checks)

 

Edited Thursday at 09:01 PM by Dracul

[Ariel - The Crowned Lion 0]

Without hesitation (or knocking) the blonde enters the premises of the « Lion's Share », one of the annexes in the form of a alchemy shop on the Shirajishi-ryū Valley grounds. Seeing two new member addition to the party, entered with a smile, taking a second to look around. " Definitely an improvement from your last place. " she claimed, resting her eyes on the shop owner in formal black themed attire below his lab coat. Almost in complete contrast with the white theme interior of the shop. A low growl came as a reply from Dracul who frowned at her. " Good morning miss Ariel, miss Millicent! " a more formal and appropriate greeting coming from his assistant, which also started blushing. Both the girls replied to Darius with a small nod, the blonde pointing her thumb at him while addressing Dracul: " You could learn a thing or two from him. " while the brunette drew a bit closer to her male counterpart and muttered: " I told you before... call me Milli. ". 

[Dracul 0]

I ignored the girl's plea and focused instead on my reply to the blonde: " I'll keep that in mind. " an ingenious answer followed by a question of my own: " What would you have us do now? " I had a few answers in my mind but was expecting confirmation from her. With the corner of my eye I see Darius walk next to Millicent and gently rub her back, my indifference clearly having an effect on her. With a raised eyebrow Ariel finally replies after a few seconds that I for one, found unnecessarily long: " You're going to put that big brain of yours to use and help me on a quest on the 1st floor. "

What a surprise, I'd like to say but in reality.. it wasn't. Nonetheless, I've been through this many times before and accepted with a shrug. Then turning to face Darius, Ariel added: " Of course, you're coming too, right? "

[Ariel - The Crowned Lion 0]

The teleport plaza ON F1 thrummed with the chaotic energy Ariel had long learned to filter out. New players scrambled, vendors hawked dubious gear, and seasoned adventurers cut purposeful paths through the throng. Beside her, Millicent vibrated with contained excitement, eyes darting towards the eastern cliffs marking the floor's edge. Dracul stood slightly apart, his expression a mask of aristocratic boredom thinly veiling impatience. Darius, ever the earnest shadow, hovered near Milli, his gaze respectful but curious.

Ariel moved. Her path through the crowd wasn't aggressive, but it was undeniable. People simply parted, a silent current preceding her calm passage. Dracul’s muttered comment about "common rabble" was lost in the din, met only by the slight tightening of Ariel’s fingers on her saya. The journey to the cavern entrance was swift, the landscape shifting from vibrant starter fields to the increasingly rugged, less-trodden fringes. The promised cavern yawned before them, a dark maw in the cliff face partially obscured by hanging vines – the vanished rock wall Millicent had described.

Stepping inside was like entering another world. The cacophony of the plaza vanished, replaced by the profound silence of deep earth and the distant, echoing drip of water. Faint, ethereal light filtered down from cracks high above, dust motes dancing in the slender beams. The air hung cool and still. Ariel’s senses expanded, absorbing the damp stone scent, the faint vibration underfoot, the sheer scale of the space. Millicent instinctively drew closer, her rogue’s instincts likely screaming about ambushes in the gloom. Dracul surveyed the cavern with a critical, almost disdainful eye, though Darius’s soft gasp of awe was audible.

And then they saw it.

Dominating the cavern's heart was the tree. It defied logic, a colossal sentinel of gnarled wood and thick, moss-draped roots bursting from the stone floor, reaching impossibly towards the slivers of sky far above. Its bark was deeply furrowed, ancient and powerful. But Ariel’s gaze swept past its majesty, drawn unerringly to the structure at its base: a simple stone podium. Upon it lay a rectangular object, catching the faint light – the tablet.

Ariel approached. Her footsteps, light as falling leaves on the dojo floor, were the only sound. The podium was unadorned, the tablet resting upon it like an offering. One side, as Millicent had reported, bore six distinct, peculiar indentations – shapes hinting at claws, wings, scales. The other side was covered in dense, angular script, utterly alien. Her eyes flickered upwards, tracing the rough bark of the giant tree beside the podium. There, etched with deliberate, weathered lines, was a complex grid of symbols – the cipher.

She didn’t touch the tablet yet. Instead, she turned, her silver eyes finding her companions in the gloom. Millicent looked eager, Dracul skeptical, Darius fascinated. The quest had truly begun. The door loomed somewhere deeper, unseen but felt, a silent challenge. The key lay before them, locked in an unknown tongue.

"Millicent." Ariel’s voice, low and clear, cut the silence like her blade. "Scout the perimeter. Ensure we are alone." Her gaze shifted to Dracul and Darius. "The cipher is on the bark. The tablet... awaits deciphering." First, they needed to claim the stone.

---

ID# 247525  LD: 18 +16

Edited Thursday at 08:11 PM by Ariel - The Crowned Lion

[Dracul 0]

Floor One. Honestly. The sheer commonness of it grated. Teleporting down felt like stepping back into a nursery after residing in the upper salons. The bustle of the plaza was vulgar, a cacophony best ignored as Ariel carved her unnervingly quiet path through the throng. Millicent’s barely contained fidgeting beside me was almost as irritating. Only Darius’s quiet presence offered a semblance of civilized company.

The trek to the cavern was mercifully short, the landscape shifting from annoyingly pastoral to acceptably rugged. The cavern entrance itself was… underwhelming. Just a hole in a cliff, draped with digital weeds. Stepping inside, however, was a marked improvement. The blessed quiet was immediate, the dim, filtered light actually rather atmospheric. Cool, damp air – far preferable to the sweaty press outside. I could almost appreciate the solitude, if not for the company and the distinctly pedestrian nature of the quest location. Darius’s gasp at the giant tree was endearing, I suppose, in its naivety. Impressive, yes, for low-polygon vegetation. But hardly worthy of awe.

Ariel moved like a ghost towards the podium. Efficient, as always. Annoyingly so. The tablet looked like a chunk of greenish rock someone had scribbled on. One side had those ridiculous shaped holes Millicent babbled about. The other was covered in gibberish. The cipher on the tree bark looked like a child’s attempt at cryptography. Utterly primitive.

Still… the silence here was profound. The scale of the tree was imposing, even to my refined sensibilities. And Ariel’s focused stillness radiated a tension that was… intriguing. When she spoke, ordering Millicent to scout, her voice was like cold water in the gloom. Precise. Unquestionable. Irritatingly competent.

She turned those unsettlingly calm eyes on Darius and me. "The cipher is on the bark. The tablet... awaits deciphering."

Deciphering. Right. Turning primitive scratches into meaning. A test of observation and intellect, no doubt. Well, my eyes were sharp, and my mind sharper. Darius had a decent head on his shoulders too, for all his wide-eyed wonder. And Ariel… well, she missed little. Between the three of us, this crude puzzle shouldn’t pose much difficulty. But standing here, in this dank cavern, staring at scratchings on stone and wood, the whole endeavor felt faintly ridiculous. Power, wisdom, resilience? Hidden behind this? The Keepers of Nature sounded like something out of a badly written bestiary.

Still, a quest is a quest. And Ariel clearly expects results. With a sigh that echoed slightly too loud in the quiet, I stepped towards the tree, tracing a gloved finger over the weathered symbols on the bark. "Very well. Let's make sense of this rustic graffiti, Darius. Try not to be distracted by the… ambiance." The sooner we unlocked this secret, the sooner we could leave Floor One behind. The real challenge, I suspected, lay beyond that sealed door. That might actually be worthy of my attention.

---

ID# 247526  LD: 12 +19 
Total LD = 65 (34 + 31)

Edited Thursday at 09:01 PM by Dracul

[Ariel - The Crowned Lion 0]

The cavern’s silence deepened as Dracul and Darius bent over the tree bark, tracing weathered symbols with gloved fingers. Millicent ghosted along the perimeter, dagger drawn, her footsteps swallowed by moss. Ariel remained motionless before the podium, her gaze shifting between the tablet’s alien script and her companions. Dracul’s muttered comparisons to "rustic graffiti" faded as his fingers stilled—a rare moment of focus cutting through his disdain.

Darius leaned closer, pointing at a cluster of angular runes. "This sequence repeats here, master—like a root pattern." Dracul’s scoff echoed, but his hand hovered, hesitant. "Then cross-reference it with the tablet’s third line. Quickly."

Ariel’s eyes narrowed. There. A symbol on the bark mirrored a glyph near the tablet’s edge—a jagged mark resembling a lightning strike. She didn’t speak, only extended two fingers toward the correspondence. Dracul followed her gesture, eyebrows lifting. "…Hmph. Adequate observation."

The air hummed. Symbols blazed like struck flint across the bark cipher, searing afterimages into the gloom. Dracul jerked back as the tablet shuddered on its pedestal, green stone shedding dust like old skin. Runes dissolved, swirling into new shapes—familiar letters coalescing into sharp, commanding words:

“If seeking power, wisdom and resilience, find ye those which embody nature’s graces..."

Millicent materialized beside Ariel, breath catching. "It’s… changing language?" The final phrase burned brightest: "These are the Keepers of Nature."

Dracul’s laugh sliced the awe. "Flowery theatrics. ‘Stygian river sentinels’ and ‘sky-prowlers’—what bestiary drivel." But his fingers tightened around his sword hilt. Ariel touched the transformed tablet. Cold. Heavy. Alive. Six claw-shaped indents glowed faintly on its reverse side—a promise and a key.

"The door..." Ariel said. The words hung, simple and inevitable. Beyond lay not just power, but a hunt. Six trials. Six keys. Six graves for guardians.

Millicent grinned, dagger spinning. "Where first, sensei? The bear?"

Ariel’s thumb brushed the tablet’s edge. Kumatetsu. The name resonated in her bones—an old echo from another quest. She nodded. "The fiercest beast first."

---

---

Final rewards:

1. Ariel:
   • EXP: 6165 [Total]| 2686/5 *10 +500 (Quest) +5% (Firm Anima R5)
   • Col: 970 [Total]| 924 (para lv. 5) +5% (Firm Anima R5)
   • 2x Guild Token [Total] | 1 transferred from Dracul
   • 1 Mon
   • Nature’s Tablet
2. Dracul:
   • EXP: 1653 [Total]| 2686/5 *2 +500 (Quest) +5% (Firm Anima R5)
   • Col: 0
   • 1 Mon
   • Nature’s Tablet

 

Edited Thursday at 08:58 PM by Ariel - The Crowned Lion