[SP-F1] <<Blade of Dreams>> (Completed)

[Azide 0]

The girl cleared her throat. "Umm, I don't want you to take this the wrong way sir, but the rapier is actually meant to be a thrusting weapon." She pointed to the wall behind her, from which an impressive assortment of long swords hung still. She grinned, and something in her eyes reflected a rather quick witted mind for someone her age. "If you want, I'd be more than happy to revise your request into something more conventional, like one of these here long swords I crafted!" 

 

Azide shook his head. "I really appreciate that you're doing this free of charge and all, but I'm dead set on the rapier." He unfolded his arms and scratched his head. "I'm completely aware of how stupid this is, but I spawned in this world with a rapier in hand and I'll die with one in hand." He blinked, and before she could open her mouth again, he clarified himself. "Actually, scratch that. But in any case, I really insist on the original design," he added with a shrug. 

 

She sighed, expressing what looked more like an amused confusion rather than actual annoyance, before returning to her usual cheery demeanor. She nodded, holding a hand against her chin, then crossed her arms and looked back at her prospective client. "Fair enough, I respect that! So as a blacksmith, I have most of basic materials and such here at my shop, but what I'm gonna need from you is a handful of items alright?" 

Azide nodded. "That's fine by me, sounds like it might even be fun." He pulled up the SAO interface and tapped his way to a section he could use to record the materials, and although he doubted he'd actually need to refer to it, it didn't take much effort either way.

 

Sai placed her hands flat against the table and looked straight at him. "Alright! Now the faster you bring me some Greater Steel Ore, one Ruby Red Ruby, and lastly, a Boar's Tusk, the faster I can get to work!" 

He finished typing in the required materials, then closed to the menu and turned back to face the young smith. He gave a slight grin and extended his hand, taking the girl's in his own and shaking it firmly. "Better start firing up those ovens now, Sai." He turned and made his way out of the shop, waving behind him as he walked out the door. "I'll be back before you know it!"

The door shut soon after, and once again it was just Sai and her swords. She smiled and headed to the back room, looking forward to the new project.

[Azide 0]

Azide peered out through the long grass, spying on the lone boar as it plodded lazily back and forth. It didn't seem to ever eat or do much of anything at all really, just paced around until it found a player to attack. "So much wasted potential, Akihiko." Assuming no outside intervention, he'd noticed that each monster seemed fairly predictable in its movements. He'd been watching for the better part of an hour by now, wanting to be absolutely sure there wouldn't be any unexpected deviations here. "Just a little bit further..." he thought as he reached for his rapier's handle. The boar took a few steps further and stood still, where he knew it would stay for an additional three seconds before turning around and following its scripted way-points, just as it had done before. "This had better be quick, I still have to look forward to getting those other components after all." Seizing the moment, he sprang out of the grass and dashed on over to the unsuspecting creature, stabbing it cleanly through with his blade before it could even turn to face him. "Sorry, all I want are tusks. Honest."
 

ID: 6924
BD: 8 (hit)
Damage = 1 (Rapier)

Azide HP: 7/7
Boar HP: 2/3 (-1)

[Azide 0]

The boar cried out upon being hit, although its cry was far too artificial to draw any true sympathy. Not that it sounded fake- in fact Sword Art Online's sound clips were rather convincing and well done. It simply lacked the sheer terror and agony that came only from real suffering, and perhaps even the defiant will to survive that often appeared with it. In any case, it turned around, uncompromising in its insistence fighting 'til death. The boar charged forward and angled its tusks low, managing to swipe at the player's legs and tripping him up in the process. Upon seeing the toppled player, it flared its nostrils and pawed madly at the ground before charging forward and trampling over him as he rose to his feet. After doling out its revenge, the boar turned to face the player once again, only to see that he had managed to get back up on his feet. He looked somewhat worse for wear, but was definitely still alive. It readied for the player's retaliation, keeping itself low to the ground.

 

ID: 6927
MD: 9 (Crit +1)
Battle damage = 1 (base damage) + 1 (crit) = 2

Azide HP: 5/7 (-2)
Boar HP: 2/3 (-0)

[Azide 0]

Azide pushed himself off the ground and took a deep breath, holding his trusty rapier out in front of him. Luckily, he'd managed to shield himself from the boar as it overran him, and yet the combination of hits had still costed him nearly a third of his health points (albeit he only had seven, but still). There was no time here for any tricks, he reasoned. He had better chances of surviving than the boar, and with the first mover advantage on his side, he could afford to trade a few blows with the beast. He tightened his grip, then bolted at the creature and leapt in the air before delivering a second clean hit on the beast. Landing closely behind it, he quickly turned to appraise the damage and the boar's health decrease by 1. "It's no critical hit, but I'll take two for two. Practically a new record for me anyway," he thought. "Just one more and I can finally get going." He steadied himself and his weapon, awaiting what he'd hoped to be the creature's dying move.

 

ID: 6929
BD: 8 (hit)

Damage = 1 (Rapier)

Azide HP: 5/7 (-0)
Boar HP: 1/3 (-1)

[Azide 0]

Vaguely aware of its impending mortality, the boar willed itself to go down fighting. Whipping itself into a frenzy, the beast charged forward without warning and thrashing about in a fit of rage. It came at the player head-on in a mad dash, culminating in a brief clash with the boy's blade before knocking it out of the way with its massive tusks and striking him directly. The player made an admirable attempt to keep it at bay by grabbing onto its tusks and pushing back, but to no avail as the creature pressed forward. The boar noticed as the player yelled out in pain as its tusk ran further and further through him, before he finally managed to escape its efforts. Exhausted, the boy took a few steps back, breathing heavily now. The boar gave a ferocious roar, intending to soon finish the job.

 

ID: 6930
MD: 10 (Crit +2)
Battle damage = 1 (base) + 2 (crit) = 3

Azide HP: 2/7 (-3)
Boar HP: 1/3 (-0)

[Azide 0]

Azide found himself gasping for air and breathing deeply as he realized the weight and severity of his situation. He eyed the boar closely, knowing he didn't have any room for error, and fully aware of his rapidly diminished HP. "Damn it, two critical hits in a row? I don't know where these numbers come from, but I could sure use that guy on my side for once," he thought. "This feels vaguely familiar, and yet I doubt anyone will come to my rescue." He was, after all, in a private party. Finding himself too exhausted to outmaneuver the beast (who seemed to have no limit to its stamina), he pooled all of his bets into an uncharacteristically risky option. He could always run away, but that only meant wasting more time, which would bore him to death anyways. He flipped his grip on the rapier, so that the blade now pointed downwards in his hand. He doubted the boar would notice or even comprehend he was doing, hedging his bets from his earlier observations that it would be expecting a close-ranged attack. "Well, it's now or never, he thought. As the boar awaited his reply, he drew his arm back as far as it would go, then sent the blade hurtling forward using a lightning-fast overhand arc. The boar fell over and exploded into an array of diamonds, giving one final shriek, as well as bestowing to the player one of its famously-hardened tusks. He walked over and picked up his rapier, which had fallen to the ground with a gentle thud, then sheathed it before letting out a long sigh. He glanced at the health bar in the corner of his vision. Two health points remaining. "Not a moment too soon," he thought. 

Remembering the two health points he'd gained while hunting the other day, he was grateful he'd taken the time to level up at least once before undertaking his current quest. He took out a loaf of bread and bit into it, then headed off to the city to rest up before the next leg of his journey.

ID: 6931
BD: 8 (hit)
Battle damage = 1 (Rapier)

Azide HP: 2/7 (-0)
Boar HP: 0/3 (-1)

[Azide 0]

Azide looked up. The sun was starting to set on Aincrad, and it was getting late. "Geeze, the trip here alone ate up such a large chunk of my time," He passed by Sai's shop and considered stopping by to tell her he'd gotten his hands on a boar's tusk, but decided against it after considering how comparatively little progress he'd actually made. He shook his head, but hopefully some rest would make the next trip at least somewhat smoother. Maybe he'd even slay a few monsters here and there and get a bit more practice in. In any case, rest was his primary goal at the moment, so he decided he'd think about all of this in the morning. After wandering around the alleys of the city a while longer, he eventually stopped in front of a rather small wooden building. A carved wooden sign hung on the door from an old piece of rope, which read, Sleep Inn. "With a name like that, surely this place must be both classy and reputable," he thought. He opened the door to the rather small inn, and was greeted by the cheerful smile of who he presumed to be the innkeeper. Her smile seemed to light up the comparatively dark dark room, although that was no excuse for the lack of functional light bulbs. She waved at him from behind her desk, putting down the book she'd apparently been reading by candlelight. To the left of her desk was a hallway marked "rooms", and to the right was a shorter hallway labeled "bathrooms". 

 

"Hi there!" said the girl. "What can I do for you buddy?" She cleared her throat. "Actually, now that I think about it you're probably here for a room, am I right?" Noticing the player's blank expression, she waved her hands around again. "You still there buddy?"

 

He thought it somewhat strange to see a younger player running the equivalent of a motel, but then again an MMROPG like Sword Art Online hadn't exactly electrified the elderly audience. Then again, in a world as fantastical as this one, being a little young was almost trivial. Snapping out of that little daze, he looked back up at the innkeeper. "You know, you should probably fix the lighting in here. I think I'm getting the opposite of a tanning session in here. Also, I don't think that book is doing any favors for your eyes either." He pointed at the hallway. "Oh, and I'd like a room please."

[Azide 0]

Azide brushed himself off as he got back up on his feet."Geeze, who knew kicks could have such high knock back in this game?" He opened the inn door just a crack and peeked inside, hoping to make a better impression this time. Technically speaking though, he wasn't the only one who'd left an impression.

"I know you're still there!" yelled the innkeeper from outside his field of view.

Azide opened door the rest of the way and stepped back into the room. He scratched his head, noticing the girl's pursued lips and crossed arms. "Er, sorry about that. It's been a long day," he offered. "How about we start this over?"

She eyed with a fair amount of skepticism, but after taking a moment of consideration, softened her expression. "Apology accepted." She sighed, then rested her forearm on the desk in front of her and leaned forward. "But first, I wanna know what brings you here! I mean, we're not the biggest inn around here- in fact, we're probably one of the smaller ones now that I think about it."

Azide glanced up at the ceiling and fiddled with his brown locks, pondering her question. "Well, I suppose I just l prefer a more personal abode," he replied. "That's actually somewhat true, but I'd better save the rest of my answer for another day." He stretched both of his arms, then covered his mouth and yawned, then rubbed his eyes. "See, I've been working on collecting some materials today. On top of that, I probably have another long day waiting for me tomorrow as well, so I figured I'd prefer to stay somewhere nice and quiet tonight." In the background heard the creak of a rusty hinge, followed by the sound of a door gently closing shut. A man stepped out of what Azide assumed to be one of the bathrooms, and watched as he slowly made his way down the hallway.

 

"Ahh, I see!" She nodded her head, and appeared to have cooled off at least a bit. She tapped her fingers quietly on the table, producing a definite, and yet unfamiliar rhythm. "Well unfortunately, our last room was just filled not too long ago, but if you tell me what you'll be looking for tomorrow, I'll let you sleep on that bench over there!" She grinned and gestured at the line of adjacent chairs which sat in the corner of the lobby. 

Azide bit his tongue, suppressing the urge to point out that her "bench" wasn't even a real bench. More importantly, he had a few choice words for her decision to withhold that bit of information until just now, but he knew he might as well just play along. "After all, I'm not exactly sure if sleeping outside would actually restore my health, he thought. "Well I'll be searching for two things actually. Greater Steel Ore, for one, and a Ruby Red Ruby. I don't know if those mean anything to know, but it'd be much appreciated if you shared anything you knew." 

 

"I hate to tell you this kid, but you're probably not gonna get far asking a girl like her about rocks," said the man from earlier. His hair was both neat and gray, and he sported a pair of wide-framed glasses that reminded Azide of the ones all the senior professors seemed to love back at university. His dress was both modest yet neat, and he seemed surprisingly sturdy for someone of his age. The older man walked right up to the two of them and smiled warmly, setting a hand on his shoulder. "But I think I just might know someone who can help you find just that." 

[Azide 0]

"Am I safe in assuming that person would be you, professor Osenkowski?" Azide smiled, and his eyes looked both brighter and fuller. It had taken hearing the old man's voice for him to realize it, but those glasses hadn't just resembled the ones of a senior professor from the university. They were the ones of a senior professor. Azide reached out with his hand to greet his old friend, secretly relieved to see at least one familiar, if unexpected face in this world.

The old professor accepted his hand, but instead of shaking it, drew him in for a bear hug. "Really Nouel? After all this time and you'd settle for a shake of the hands?" Osenkowski kept his arms wrapped tightly around Azide, bringing back to him childhood memories which he could now call fond. "I'm so proud of the young man you've grown up to be, but you still have a lot to learn about opening up to people." He felt no resistance on the part of Nouel, and yet he was all too aware that the boy was not exactly returning reciprocating the gesture. Osenkowski pulled away and chuckled quietly. At his full height, he stood almost two heads higher than the youth in front of him. He would be quiet imposing if it hadn't been for the distinctly gentle look in his eyes.

Azide's eyes looked far off and away as his old friend wrapped his arms around him. He remembered all that that man had done for him- remembered the man who'd set him straight, and whipped some sense into him. Not just as his professor, but as the man who'd lived down the street and responded to his delinquent pranks with nothing but kindness and understanding. Years ago, Azide had laughed at the man, and thought him to be another naive idiot. "Just another old fool," he'd thought. But was Osenkowski who'd seen the potential within him. It was Osenkowski who'd sponsored him with a top notch education, and had even convinced the university board to overlook the boy's prior record. Because of this man, he'd gotten a second chance at life, and eventually became a serious contender for the top rank in his class. That was, until he ended up stuck in a little place called Aincrad. He looked at the man in front of him, eyes full of regret. "So they got you too?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

Osenkowski laugh bellowed as it always had. Getting the last of it out, he ruffled Azide's hair, making the boy avert his gaze. "Aye. I'd just been trying out a gift I'd gotten for my grandson's birthday. Took me quite a while actually! Surprised I was even able to get it on with this big noggin of mine," he said, tapping his knuckles against his temple. "And by the time I'd figured I'd seen enough, a fellow by the name of Kayaba Akihiko showed up, and it all went downhill after that." He shook his head, but he looked more amused than angry or saddened. "Since then, I've been travelling with any souls kind enough to watch out for an old man like me." He paused, and his eyes flashed with a sort of insightful look. "And it just so happens that after all these travels, Nouel, I know just the place to find what you're looking for."

[Azide 0]

"There's no way to be entirely sure, but I'm pretty darn sure this is what the old man was talking about," Azide remarked, raising and lowering the sketch repeatedly. "Damn, Osenkowski wasn't kidding when he said he'd been practicing his drawing skills here." He remembered the crude drawings the man had scribbled on the boar occasionally, and after looking back at the perfect recreation of the landscape before him, had trouble reconciling his the past and the present. He shook his head and laughed. "Bless your heart old man." He carefully rolled the piece of parchment into a neat little tube, then slipped it away for safe keeping. He wished they could have made the journey together, but the more rational part of his brain assured him that he'd have enough trouble protecting himself, let alone someone else. 'Some day, old friend."

He gazed in awe at the mountain before him. It was somewhat lacking in the spiraling-peaks department, belonging to a flat-topped range, but it was an impressive sight nevertheless. Azide scanned the massive structure for a hole in the side of the mountain, eventually spotting it near the top. "There's my entrance, but how to get there?" he thought. After a few more moments searching, he spotted a path leading all the way up. A rugged, beaten, and rough path- but a path nonetheless. Azide rolled his shoulders around, then stretched his calves before straightening himself up again. "Bench or not, I sure as hell am glad I managed to get some sleep last night." And off he went.

[Azide 0]

Azide peered over the ridge's and watched as a few chunks of stone crumbled away from the outer edge and tumbled down the steep incline. Each piece would bounce against cliffside- some more than other, although all but one of them had broken apart long before reaching the bottom. "Assuming I slip from up here, a one in twenty chance actually wouldn't be too bad." He watched as the sole surviving stone fragment collided against one of the many outcroppings which jutted out menacingly from mountainside, leaving behind nothing but a small cloud of dust. "Hmm, guess I should probably be careful." He turned around and rubbed his hands together, then began to scale the rocky wall that lay before him. For now, at least. "Just a bit more pain and suffering to go, but it'll all be worth it soon," he mumbled halfheartedly. Then out of the corner of his eye, he spied something heading- no, speeding his way. "Damn, all the way up here?" He strained his neck to search for his would be assailant, hearing its all-too-familiar buzz before spotting the wind wasp itself. It looked to be just a regular drone. "In other words, weak. Weak, but incredibly annoying."

The insect came gunning straight for the inconveniently positioned player but missed as Azide pressed himself flat against the rough cliffside, coming very close to losing his foothold altogether. With one hand preoccupied, the player clumsily drew his rapier and lashed out in retaliation, but missing it altogether.

ID: 7236

BD: 4 (miss +0)

MD: 3 (miss +0)

Azide HP: 11/11

Wasp HP: 3/3

[Azide 0]

Unwilling to let the creature literally pester him, Azide reversed flipped the rapier in his hand, so that the blade now pointed downwards. He strained his arm as far as it would reach and wedged the iron pommel of his rapier in whichever rocky pocket would accept it, then leveraged it in order to pull himself further up the cliffside. After that, he simply shifted his free arm towards a rock higher up the wall and took a firm hold of it.

Before long, the wind wasp came darting back towards the player, hoping to do a little more damage the second time around. This did, in fact, result in a little more damage. One, to be exact, as the small creature managed to clip the player with wing as it sped past. Even doing minimal damage, it had at least had the advantage in mobility, and seemed to hold out on hopes of slowly racking up damage through sustained hit and run tactics.

These hopes quickly faded, however, as Azide swiped at the wasp before it could manage to fully escape his reach and managed to send it crashing into the mountainside. It dropped into a free fall momentarily, before regaining its wits and returning to flight. Seeing his chance, Azide had managed to overcome roughly another meter or so of the mountain by the time the wasp was close enough to pose a threat. "Just one more clean hit should do it."

ID: 7237

BD: 9 (Crit +1)

MD: 8 (Hit)

Damage taken (Wasp) = 1 (Rapier) + 1 (Crit) = 2

Damage taken (Azide) = 1 (Base damage)

Azide HP: 10/11 (-1)

Wasp HP: 1/3 (-2)

[Azide 0]

Azide swung his rapier at the persistent creature, missing as it maneuvered nimbly out his range in a way he couldn't hope to imitate on their current battlefield. Following his miss, he lost track of the creature's whereabouts just long enough for it to appear behind him. He made an effort to swat the bug out of the air, but struggled to make contact, being far too limited by his current predicament. Then he felt a sharp stabbing pain shoot through him, and screamed as the wasp's stinger plunged deeper into his back, before retreating. His breath quickened as the burning sensation began to radiate from his entire body, before disappearing. "Thank God injuries in this game are only temporary," he reflected. "Well, besides death, but you win some you lose some I suppose." He wiped away sweat from his brow, then tightened his grip on the rapier.

ID: 7239

BD: 3 (Miss)

MD: 8 (Hit)

Damage taken (Wasp) = 0 (Miss)

Damage taken (Azide) = 1 (Base)

Azide HP: 9/11

Wasp HP: 1/3

[Azide 0]

The persistent wasp flew up high- far higher than the top of the mountain, but failed to make contact at the player after swooping down at him. Fortunately enough for it, he too failed to make a mark with his rapier as it sped by unscathed. Azide heard the familiar whoosh of empty swings. Missed swings. "This is getting real old real fast," he thought, watching as the creature looped in the air and prepared to strike at him once again. He set his eyes back on the top of the cliff and began climbing once again, until finally his hand was able to take hold of the very top of the wall. He strained, and with great effort, began pulling himself onto the plateau above just as the wasp took flight once more.

ID: 7255
BD: 4 (Miss +0)
MD: 4 (Miss +0)

Azide HP: 9/11 (-0)
Wasp HP: 1/3 (-0)

[Azide 0]

With a grunt, Azide finally managed to pull himself onto the mountaintop, at the cost of a direct hit from the wind wasp. The figurative thorn in his side almost literally became such, as it rammed into him with its stinger once again, sending him further back into the plateau. He swore under his breath as the the creature continued driving the spike further into his body, but gritted his teeth and tolerated the pain just long enough to knock it with his pommel, then plunged the slim blade of his rapier straight through the length of its body as it hovered daze. As the creature began to disappear while impaled upon his sword, he swung his rapier towards the sky, flinging the dying creature into the sky. He watched hurtled helplessly away, then shattered into the familiar crystals midair.

Azide looked down at his feet to see some honey that the creature had dropped during their struggle, then stored the material away for later. "Probably not worth the struggle I went through, but after all that and five health points lost, I'll take what I can get." He turned back to the cave, entering cautiously and slowly. He sat down, leaning against the cold cave wall and facing away from the entrance. "I might lose a few minutes sitting around here, but considering the trade off is that my eyes will be at least somewhat adjusted to the darkness, I think I could live with that." Alone in the darkness, he kept still. Waiting.

ID: 7256

BD: 8 (Hit +1)

MD: 10 (Crit +2)

LD: 20

Damage taken (Azide) = 1 (Base) + 2 (Crit +2) = 3

Damage taken (Wasp) = 1 (Rapier)

Azide HP: 6/11 (-3)

Wasp HP: 0/3 (-1) [Dead]

*1 material found

[Azide 0]

A few minutes passed before Azide glanced around the cave, finding himself pleased with the visibility levels at hand. He stood up, the continued deeper into the cave, stumbling over a rusty iron pickaxe. He reached down and took it into his hands, running his fingers lightly across roughly worn tool. He could feel all of the little scratches and nicks the item had taken over time, and in a way it was just as good as seeing it under broad daylight. "It feels as if it's seen better days- and I can only hope it whoever held it last didn't die here, but if anything this should do nicely for that steel ore." He carried in his right hand, now that his rapier was sitting safely in its sheath once again. There was only one monster here, after all, as observed by Osenkowski. "And I'll deal with that little obstacle when I get there."

With a bit more exploration and quite a bit of walking and stumbling, Azide eventually came across what he'd been searching for. Out of the corner of his eye, he'd spotted a metallic gleam which glinted under small stream of light, which itself appeared to come from a small crack in the cavern's roof. He approached it, rusted pickaxe in hand, and struck at the metallic vain. He looked at the ground, finding he'd only managed to knock loose a piece of rock. He shrugged, not expecting any miracles, and prepared to strike at the spot once more.

ID: 7266

LD: 5 (no suitable materials found)

[Azide 0]

Azide struck again, knocking off something metallic, which he took as a good sign. He bent down and took the chunk in his hand, holding it up to his eye. He shook his head and tossed the piece over his shoulder, muttering something about its low quality. No, for a sword like this, regular steel ore simply wouldn't do. "Rapiers aren't exactly mean for hacking and slashing, so if I were to bring this back to Sai, my sword would shatter into bits the moment I struck something with it." He sighed, the lifted the tool with both hands this time, then swung it overhead and into the cave wall.

ID: 7267

LD: 4 (nothing found)

[Azide 0]

Azide tossed yet another flawed piece of ore over his shoulder, hearing it land against the rocky floor with a dull thud. "Damn it, what does a guy have to do around here to get some ore around here? I'm not even asking to find gold!" He sighed deeply, wondering whether he was just painfully unlucky or if the game's RNG had simply broken today. He stretched his limbs, then rolled his neck around before raising the pickaxe up and over his shoulder once more. "I don't have time for this," he thought. "I still have to get the Ruby Red Ruby, and who knows how long that might take?" He hastened his previously methodic movements, and quickly swung the metal instrument downward.

ID: 7268

LD: 9 (nothing found)

[Azide 0]

Azide looked at the small hole in the wall in front of him, then at the small pile of rubble that had begun to accumulate behind him. "And I always thought I was going to school to avoid doing all of this labor," he mumbled, tossing another piece of rock onto the heap. "If somebody happened to be reading my life story, I imagine at this point, they would be quite bored." He repeated the same tired motions once more, praying for an end to the tediousness.

ID: 7269

LD: 2 (nothing)

[Azide 0]

Another metallic chunk fell to the ground floor, landing with little fanfare. After all, this wasn't the first time today he'd knock a piece out of the wall and onto the ground, and it probably wouldn't be the last. He stopped over and picked up the piece of ore, more out of routine than an expectation that his find would amount to much. Azide glanced at it casually, preparing to toss it over his shoulder before doing a double-take. He held it up to his eyes, in disbelief that he'd actually managed to find it. He celebrated his small victory today quietly, but the novelty of it quickly wore off as he remembered he was still sitting in a dark cave, and still had not finished his quest. He stored the Greater Steel Ore away for later, then made his way toward the stone door he'd noticed earlier while searching the cave.

In time, he found himself faced with the stone door he'd taken note of earlier, but had chosen to ignore at the time. He swallowed, then leaned his body against the heavy stone and pushed with all his might. With a bit of effort and some elbow grease, the door budged open just far enough for him to slip inside. Behind the door lay a room, with a small hole in the roof serving as a skylight. Granted, it wasn't exactly sunny in here, but it provided a very workable amount of visibility for what was to come. At the end of the room stood a statue carved of stone, roughly human sized, and Azide thought it reminded him of the petrified citizens of Pompeii. "Let's get this over with," he thought, thinking back to Osenkowski's warnings.

He drew his rapier from its sheath, then ran forth and plunged it deep into the statue's rocky torso. The creature's single red eye lit up as it let out a fierce roar, taking hold of his blade and pulling it out of its now-animated body, then threw both the sword and the player holding it against the wall. Azide fell to his knees, groaning, but managed to steady himself. "Just one more fight."

ID: 7270

BD: 9 (Crit +1)

MD: 6 (Hit +1)

LD: 15 (suitable material found)

Damage taken (Azide) = 1 (Base)

Damage taken (Stone Golem) = 1 (Rapier) + 1 (Crit +1) = 2

Azide HP: 5/11 (-1)

Golemn HP: 4/6 (-2)

*One material acquired.