Takao 0 Posted July 8, 2015 #1 Report Share Posted July 8, 2015 The sun was far along in its never ending journey from one side of the horizon to the next. The skies, once clear and blue earlier in the day, had turned to bright mixtures of blue, orange, and purple as the last rays of light fell upon Aincrad. Takao pulled his blade free of the Kobold he'd just slain and watched it erupt into shards of light. He gave the menu a quick glance over before clearing it from his view and swiping his sword through the air in a flashy movement. He placed the tip of the blade at the mouth of the scabbard on his back and slid it inside, then dusted off his new coat. “Sucks I can't keep it on my side anymore... But it's much more manageable on my back now. Plus it looks cool!†He glanced over his shoulder, grinning wide at the blade. His grin slowly faded as he noticed somebody standing behind him. His eyes darted to the symbol hovering above their head. An NPC? He turned and placed his right hand on his hip as the NPC approached him. A black cloak shrouded him in his entirety, which put an odd feeling in Takao's stomach, but he suppressed it. Wearing a cloak was no reason to just judge somebody outright! «Evening, Player. Might I interest you in a friendly duel?» The NPC's voice sounded strangely familiar. Takao knew he'd heard it before. Maybe the NPC was in a town before and he hadn't noticed it? He glanced down at the prompt that appeared and read it off. « «CHALLENGER» wishes to duel! Do you accept? » One of Takao's expressive eyebrows quirked upward effortlessly as he looked back up at the NPC. He could see a hint of a smile beneath the shadows of his hood. His hand hovered over the accept button, but he hesitated. «If you win, I'll reward you handsomely. Beyond your wildest dreams!» Man did that voice sound familiar. Link to post Share on other sites
Takao 0 Posted July 8, 2015 Author #2 Report Share Posted July 8, 2015 A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. The prompt was something he'd never seen, as nobody had challenged him to a duel. Had the system realized that, with his level, he might be getting duel requests soon? That would explain the NPC showing up so suddenly – it could be a tutorial. “Well, y'know, loot isn't the best thing to tempt me with. But this could be fun! Let's give it a go!†Takao pressed the circular icon labeled “Accept†and watched the menu fade away. Between them, a larger menu appeared. DUEL CHALLENGER «VS» TAKAO Beneath the text, numbers began to count down. He watched the cloaked NPC draw a blade from beneath the fabric and narrowed his eyes. It looked like a normal sword, nothing special about it, but that was to be expected from a tutorial. If only Takao knew what he'd gotten himself into. He drew his own blade and widened his stance. The Impravidor was spun in his grip once, testing the balance, before being poised and ready to strike the NPC. … 6 … … 5 … … 4 … Link to post Share on other sites
Takao 0 Posted July 8, 2015 Author #3 Report Share Posted July 8, 2015 [Combat Sequence] Takao Gemini … 3 … … 2 … … 1 … START Takao reacted first after the counter stopped. He raised his blade and placed it behind his back, the blade glowing green and humming lowly. Takao was the first to move, but the NPC charged shortly after, his own sword raised. The distance between them was closed rather quickly since they seemed to be about the same in terms of speed. His challenger swung first, but was unfortunate enough to miss. Though it would have been more accurate to say that his swung had been evaded. Takao dropped down and slid against the earth, his boots quickly slowing him down to a stop just as the sword swung over him. His legs tensed and he pushed off with his left leg. He pulled his right arm forward and, since he was now behind the NPC, had little issue with slicing straight up its back. Takao imagined the smile his challenger was wearing a moment ago had faded as he watched the health deplete slightly. Watching the amount of damage he did gave him a good idea of how much health he had; it seemed to be about in line with his own. »ID: [23262] »BD: [9] (+1 critical damage) »MD: [2 - 1 = 1] «Takao» » [[HP : 17/17]] «Gemini» » [[HP : 13/17]] Link to post Share on other sites
Takao 0 Posted July 8, 2015 Author #4 Report Share Posted July 8, 2015 [Combat Sequence] Takao Gemini Takao landed swiftly behind Gemini. He spun, not wanting to give his opponent the opportunity to strike him in response. The NPC spun around on his heel and Takao raised his sword for another strike. He intended to be on the offensive for the duration of the fight, to force his opponent to sacrifice any opportunities to inflict damage in favour of defending himself. But Takao was stunned momentarily when the hood of the cloak, the latter being damaged from his strike just seconds earlier, flipped up from the sudden turn. His own face stared at him, mouth curled into a wicked smile. Takao's eyes widened in realization, only snapping out of the shocked trance when he felt a sharp sting of pain course through his midsection. His immediate response was to place distance between the two, then assess the cause of the pain. He jumped back and glanced down, frowning at the gash in his stomach. Something was telling him that this wasn't an ordinary duel. »ID: [23263] »BD: [2] »MD: [7 - 1 = 6] «Takao» » [[HP : 14/17]] «Gemini» » [[HP : 13/17]] Link to post Share on other sites
Takao 0 Posted July 8, 2015 Author #5 Report Share Posted July 8, 2015 [Combat Sequence] Takao Gemini “I picked a fight with the wrong me!†Takao yelled out to his doppelganger. The two clashed again, their blades singing with shrill tones of clanging metal throughout the dense jungle. It wasn't the best place to be fighting, but there wasn't any time to be having regrets now. Gemini sent a low strike that Takao parried to the side, opening his opponent's defenses. He lunged forward and sent a slash into the stomach of Gemini. When his boots hit the jungle floor, he spun to face him again, and smiled when he watched the health drop. Alright, so I'm fighting myself then. He doesn't seem to have my gear though, so I don't think he has the same bonuses... Takao glanced to his health in the top left. Gemini's earlier strike had dealt less damage than Takao's own. His damage is about in line with my own... his health too. He must have identical stats. His thoughts were interrupted by a familiar humming sound, followed by a green light engulfing Gemini's blade as he raised it behind his head. Takao's eyes narrowed. Same sword arts too. This shouldn't be too hard, after all, the person who knows me best is me! “Aww hell no! Using my own business against me? I am so going down! E-er... and by me, I mean you!†»ID: [23264] »BD: [9] (+1 critical damage) »MD: [5 - 1 = 4] «Takao» » [[HP : 14/17]] «Gemini» » [[HP : 9/17]] Link to post Share on other sites
Takao 0 Posted July 8, 2015 Author #6 Report Share Posted July 8, 2015 [Combat Sequence] Takao Gemini Gemini finished charging Takao's sword art and sprinted forward. Takao raised his blade and smiled. Using his own tricks against him wouldn't work if he recognized them right off the bat, and Gemini was sending himself straight into a set course. A course that would lead to his defeat! Gemini leapt into the air and kicked his left leg around to send his body into a spin. His right arm came around, carrying with it his blade. It snapped forward on a crash course for Takao's head, but a sharp hiss of metal clashing together with metal interrupted him. Takao batted the blade away and opened Gemini up for a clear shot in the air. He spun on his heel and swung the true edge of his sword for his opponent's exposed torso. The blade caught, sliced through, and Takao leapt back away to reduce the chances of backlash. “If I beat myself this easy, does that mean that I'm good or terrible..?†Takao shook the thought from his head and looked to Gemini's health bar as he slowly climbed back to his feet. Just a little more. »ID: [23265] »BD: [7] »MD: [4 - 1 = 3] «Takao» » [[HP : 14/17]] «Gemini» » [[HP : 6/17]] Link to post Share on other sites
Takao 0 Posted July 8, 2015 Author #7 Report Share Posted July 8, 2015 [Combat Sequence] Takao Gemini Takao moved behind a tree just as Gemini's strike would hit him. Utilizing his environment was a new tactic he'd been employing lately, luring enemies into disadvantageous situations made the process of defeating them much more pleasant for Takao. His opponent had little problem with prying his blade free of the jungle geomtry, but wasn't fast enough to prevent Takao's blade from sinking deep into his shoulder. It sliced clean through his torso before leaving at the bottom of his stomach. A nice chunk of health was depleted from the NPC's bar as a result. Gemini grunted in Takao's voice, a factor of the battle that still disturbed him deeply. “Come on, me! You're better than this!†Takao provoked his doppelganger, an uneasy smile settled on his face. This duel wouldn't end up being a double edged sword, right? He wasn't actually killing himself, was he? There wasn't enough time for Takao to mull over the thought as Gemini's sword swung toward him. He raised his sword and blocked the blade with his own. The two entered a stalemate, neither of their parameters allowing them the advantage. They were equal in might, but it didn't seem that the same could be said about skill. »ID: [23266] »BD: [6] »MD: [5 - 1 = 4] «Takao» » [[HP : 14/17]] «Gemini» » [[HP : 3/17]] Link to post Share on other sites
Takao 0 Posted July 8, 2015 Author #8 Report Share Posted July 8, 2015 [Combat Sequence] Takao Gemini Takao struggled against the might of Gemini, who in turned struggled against the might of Takao. Their blades rattled against one another as the stalemate continued, neither of the two wanting to risk breaking the stalemate. Takao didn't want to take damage, knowing full well how much he could deal to himself. Gemini knew that one more hit would be his last. Thus, they were at an impasse. Takao's eyes darted to his opponent's health bar, then looked himself in the eyes. “One more hit and it's over!†Takao struggled out through clenched teeth, forcing himself to smile. “No shame in surrender, y'know!†The NPC hissed something about seeing the duel to the end, which turned Takao's smile to a frown. Even if it was just a non-player character, a collection of programming, it still felt too real. He was fighting himself; they shared an appearance and battle strategies. Maybe not personalities, for Takao would have yielded and given the loss to the NPC had their roles been switched, but still similar enough for the situation to be disturbing. Gemini broke the stalemate and jumped back, charging the same sword art he'd tried earlier. “Don't do it, man! I'm serious!†Takao warned, but his doppelganger either didn't hear him or didn't care to respond. The blade glowed green and he sprinted forward. His feet left the ground and his left leg began to swing, but before he could complete the rotation, a gash appeared in his midsection. Takao stepped out of the way and allowed the NPC to fall with wide eyes. As his body hit the ground, it exploded and disappeared into nothingness. Takao stared on for a minute, his eyes holding a withering expression. Is that what I'd look like if I died? »ID: [23267] »BD: [7] »MD: [1 - 1 = 0] «Takao» » [[HP : 14/17]] «Gemini» » [[HP : 0/17]] Link to post Share on other sites
Takao 0 Posted July 8, 2015 Author #9 Report Share Posted July 8, 2015 An uncharacteristic silence had fallen over Takao. He pulled his gaze away from where Gemini had fallen when a prompt appeared in his face, notifying him of his completed quest. After sheathing his blade on his back, he ran a hand through his hair and read the menu. The quest had given him enough experience to level up, which brought a small smile to his face. “Well, at least I know I'm good for some experience.†A light laugh cleared the tense air that surrounded him. He continued reading, and an eyebrow raised at the text that followed. He'd earned a skill - «Concentration». He read more about it and learned exactly what the skill did. Unlike his others, which were passives, this one was activated on use, and had a lengthy cool down period. It'd increase his attack when activated, but only that attack. “Huh... I'll have to remember to use that.†Takao glanced around and exhaled a breath. Now I'm out of the mood to grind for experience. I guess I'll look around for some crafting materials for now. »ID: [23268] »LD: [9] Link to post Share on other sites
Takao 0 Posted July 8, 2015 Author #10 Report Share Posted July 8, 2015 The jungle's atmosphere was entirely different from any of the other environments he'd been in. It was much denser, the humidity felt like it was draining him of his energy at all times, and the sounds seemed to echo from much further distances. The ambiance was entirely different too – very unsettling. The flora was just as different too, everything was so strange and foreign to him. But a long walk in a new environment gave him plenty of opportunities to clear his head of thoughts he'd rather not have. After all, he had just killed himself, more or less. Even if it was a quest character, nothing more than an NPC that was just wearing his face. Nothing particularly grabbed his interest in the way of crafting materials, so he continued on. »ID: [23269] »LD: [6] Link to post Share on other sites
Takao 0 Posted July 8, 2015 Author #11 Report Share Posted July 8, 2015 Takao's eyes wandered up to his health bar and noted its depleted state. He was still well within the green zone, so even if he did encounter something in the jungle that he'd rather not, the chance that he would die was small. Even so, it didn't hurt to be careful. He watched where he walked and kept a keen eye on the jungle surrounding him. The walk back to town would take a while now that he'd wandered down a detour in search of crafting materials. His efforts had been fruitless so far, but he still held out hope. He had quite a ways to go before he'd be back in Amazon. »ID: [23270] »LD: [10] Link to post Share on other sites
Takao 0 Posted July 8, 2015 Author #12 Report Share Posted July 8, 2015 Nothing but an endless sea of trees laid out before him, but as he walked, he felt a small smile crawl onto his face. It was barely noticeable, nothing more than a slight tug of muscles in his face. In fact, it was more of the positive air that surrounded him that made it seem like a smile than it was an actual smile. His mind started to wander over various topics. How long it would take to clear the game, what better foods there were to try than the bread and water he'd been sating himself with for the entirety of his time in Sword Art Online. Finally his thoughts stopped at the town of Amazon – a town populated entirely by female NPCs. Not a particularly comfortable situation for Takao, being a young teenager, but the constant reminders that they were just animated collections of ones and zeroes helped him get through it. »ID: [23271] »LD: [8] Link to post Share on other sites
Takao 0 Posted July 8, 2015 Author #13 Report Share Posted July 8, 2015 Takao had opted to eat as he walked. The thought of food made his stomach rumble, which was nothing a quick spot of digital bread couldn't sate. “I bet my parents are totally freaked out over this whole NerveGear business. Hope they aren't worrying too much.†He said to himself after swallowing the bite of bread in his mouth. His eyes glanced over the jungle, which was a magnificent sight to behold. “Too bad this turned out like it did. Kyo would've loved the scenery.†Fond memories of his sister flooded his head. Takao wondered if, eventually, the NerveGear would circumvent the massive amounts of negativity that was likely surrounding it, and if he could ever convince his sister to try it out. »ID: [23272] »LD: [11] Link to post Share on other sites
Takao 0 Posted July 8, 2015 Author #14 Report Share Posted July 8, 2015 “Aha, finally!†Takao reached out and plucked the flower from its stalk. The sparkling yellow petals had caught his eye in the dense jungle, immediately spurring his response. The plant beneath it disappeared, leaving only the material in his hands. He pressed his index finger to it and read the name. He had a hard time pronouncing whatever it was called, but upon further inspection, learned it could be used for crafting with alchemy. A valuable resource, no doubt. He'd keep it for later. »ID: [23273] »LD: [16] +1 Material Link to post Share on other sites
Takao 0 Posted July 8, 2015 Author #15 Report Share Posted July 8, 2015 Bright rays of sunlight shone through the high forest canopy, bringing light to the otherwise dark jungle floor. Takao stopped for a moment's rest and laid his back across a mossy log. Growing up in the city of Osaka meant that his experiences with interesting environments was very limited. He'd likely never have seen a jungle like this in the real world, which made moments like these all the more enjoyable – and worth it. Bird calls of foreign variety were beginning to lull him to sleep, which was a very dangerous and incredibly reckless decision. But Takao wasn't exactly the most normal of people to begin with, so this was alright with him. Even if he was attacked, he still had plenty of health left to react with. »ID: [23274] »LD: [13] Link to post Share on other sites
Takao 0 Posted July 8, 2015 Author #16 Report Share Posted July 8, 2015 More time had passed than Takao had realized. The log, although not particularly the epitome of comfort, still provided the young brunet with a much needed respite. His eyes opened slowly and took in his surroundings, focusing on the forest canopy. After listening to the faint calls of birds echoing through the forest for another minute or so, he finally hopped off the log and stretched his arms. Takao swiped his hand in front of him and pressed a few buttons on the floating menu to pull up his map. With his heading reaffirmed, he set out for the town of Amazon. »ID: [23275] »LD: [7] Link to post Share on other sites
Takao 0 Posted July 8, 2015 Author #17 Report Share Posted July 8, 2015 “Okay, no, wait...†Takao shuffled his feet and slowly turned, his eyes glued to the map floating before him. “So this is north...†He muttered to himself as the map reacted in accordance to his slight movements, feeding him information on the direction that he was facing. He raised his hand to point directly in front of him, then slowly moved it to the right until it reached a ninety degree angle from its starting position. “Which means this is east...†His left hand was raised to point north, and his body shuffled again, though his hands tried their best to remain stationary. “Which means the town should be this way! I think. Probably. Yeah, the town's totally this way.†Without a second doubt in his decision, Takao closed the map and set off. »ID: [23276] »LD: [9] Link to post Share on other sites
Takao 0 Posted July 8, 2015 Author #18 Report Share Posted July 8, 2015 Takao wiped a line of sweat from his forehead as he leapt over a log. He hands pressed onto the mossy surface and allowed him the space to vault over. His boots hit the wet jungle floor and resumed his momentum with barely even the slightest pause. Takao wasn't running from anything in specific, he was just taking advantage of the unique setting. From his time grinding and fighting, he'd acquired a skill relating to acrobatics and sprinting. He didn't know very much about the process of learning and training skills, but the only idea that had settled in his head was to use the skill repeatedly. So there we was, running in the jungle, taking every opportunity to preform an acrobatic feat amidst his sprinting. »ID: [23277] »LD: [5] Link to post Share on other sites
Takao 0 Posted July 9, 2015 Author #19 Report Share Posted July 9, 2015 [Combat Sequence] Takao Animated Vines A leafy tendril swiped low, aiming for his legs. Takao leapt backward and preformed a single flip, an unnecessary and flashy action, but it was all in the interest of raising skill. The vines had appeared from nowhere and almost gotten the advantage in the battle by capturing Takao, but given that he was already in the middle of a full speed sprint when they'd attacked, he had plenty of opportunity to evade. He landed on a nearby fallen log and made a mental note of how plentiful they were in the jungle before his attention settled on the vines, and a smile appeared on his face. “This is getting easier and easier... Heh, I think I'm startin' to get cocky!†Takao raised his blade and set it across his shoulders. The metal began to hum and whir, then erupted into a green light. Takao jumped from the log as another torrent of vines whipped toward him, but his action was faster. His left leg swung around and his body twirled, his blade sliced clean through several of the vines and severed them completely before he landed. »ID: [23445] »BD: [7] »MD: [1 - 2 = 0] «Takao» » [[HP : 21/21]] «Animated Vines» » [[HP : 7/11]] Link to post Share on other sites
Takao 0 Posted July 9, 2015 Author #20 Report Share Posted July 9, 2015 [Combat Sequence] Takao Animated Vines The body of the beast he fought was large – not quite massive, but still a towering sight to behold. The vines, now fewer than it had before, still whipped around violently. They smashed into the ground beside Takao who evaded each just slightly, keeping himself within range to cut the leafy tendrils before they could retreat back to the body to strike again. It seemed to be a viable strategy to him, the enemy's health was steadily decreasing with each lost limb. It had entered the red zone, and Takao smiled. His joy was short lived, however, when he felt something wrap around his foot. He tried to react immediately, but was still too late, and the vines lifted him up into the air. “Whoa, okay big fella'! We can talk about this!†He reasoned, knowing full well the monster's negotiating skills were deplorable. One might even say nonexistent. Takao reached up with his blade, preparing to slice through the vine, but sooner found himself being slammed into the ground. A loud grunt and low, drawn out grown escaped his mouth as the vine lifted him back up. “Okay... very uncool...†he groaned out. »ID: [23450] »BD: [7] »MD: [10 - 2 = 8] (+2 critical damage) «Takao» » [[HP : 16/21]] «Animated Vines» » [[HP : 3/11]] Link to post Share on other sites
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