Takao 0 Posted July 12, 2015 #1 Report Share Posted July 12, 2015 Floor five was perhaps his least favourite floor so far. He'd jumped around to various floors in no particular order, but the arid deserts of floor five were deplorable and just plain uncomfortable. It was just as hot as he remembered it being, maybe even more so, it was hard to tell. He'd almost considered turning around and going back through the teleporter, but something had drawn him here, just as it had the last time. A field boss had been discovered some time ago. It was a difficult one at that, apparently. The story he'd heard was that a small party had discovered a shark swimming through the sand like it was water, and for the low leveled party it had proven to be quite the battle. It was probably crazy idea to go looking for it alone, a chaotic idea to have implanted in one's head. Takao happened to be an avid practitioner of chaos, and today would be no different. He had killed at least one field boss in the past, after all, so it wasn't exactly walking into uncharted territory. He knew the risks, was well aware of the difficulty of the fight that awaited him, but his determination wasn't wavering in the slightest. Once he'd left the safety of the town of Armadillo he drew the sword from his back. Being ambushed in the desert was a possibility, the most likely scenario actually, so having his sword at the ready was a necessary precaution. The precise location of the field boss was never said, though a general area had been estimated. He'd placed a mark on his map as a reminder and set his heading toward it. He wasn't pushing himself to get there quickly, instead taking each step at a leisurely pace and exercising general caution. He looked for movement beneath the dunes as he approached the estimated spawn zone, and kept a keen eye on his surroundings in general. If it was nearby, it hadn't shown itself yet. Quote Report Link to post Share on other sites
Takao 0 Posted July 12, 2015 Author #2 Report Share Posted July 12, 2015 The town of Armadillo was little more than a memory now, a hazy backdrop to the vast expanses of desert Takao trudged through with zeal. When confronting a dangerous, perhaps even deadly situation, one would be justified to have second thoughts. But with each step Takao took, he found his eagerness boiling inside. Or maybe that was just his insides frying from the heat, both were very valid possibilities. He estimated the distance from the town to be about a kilometer and a half, so running back wasn't a valid alternative if the battle went sour. But retreat wasn't on the itinerary. No, his plans for the day were simple. Go to Armadillo, check. Go to the desert, check. Find and kick some Sand Shark butt, yet to be checked. Return to the third floor and enjoy a nice sandwich, also yet to be checked. But both of the latter options would be checked off, he was confident of that. The sand beneath his feet began to shift in an unnatural way, as if it were accommodating for lost or moved sand below. With his sword held in his right hand, Takao used his left to quickly navigate through his menu. He located the «Matriarch's Stinger» within his inventory and selected it, then applied it to his weapon. The damage bonus was minuscule, but on the off chance that it did come down to a difference of one or two health points being knocked off, he didn't want to take the chance. Besides, the faster he beat it, the sooner he'd be heading to the third floor. Takao closed out of his menu just as the sand beneath him started to rumble. "Game time." * Item Consumed * «Matriarch's Stinger» Quote Report Link to post Share on other sites
Takao 0 Posted July 12, 2015 Author #3 Report Share Posted July 12, 2015 [Combat Sequence] Takao Sand Shark As if on cue after his words were softly spoken, the spot directly beneath Takao erupted into a geyser of sand. He had moved to a safer location well in advance, and had already started charging a sword art. His blade began to glow a bright, neon green as the Sand Shark finally revealed itself. A wide grin set on his face as he finished his preparations, now entirely ready for combat. The Sand Shark soared approximately two meters by Takao's count into the air after leaving the sand. It was poised and ready to strike, but a flash of green interrupted it before the opportunity presented itself. A large red wound appeared on its side where Takao's blade had sliced into its rough skin, chipping away at one of the three health bars hovering nearby. Although it wasn't a particularly spectacular amount of health to drop with one slice, it was still a good start to the fight, and certainly set the tone of the battle. Even with the smile on his face, it was clear Takao wasn't playing around. »ID: [24226] »BD: [7] »MD: [3 - 3 = 0] «Takao» » [[HP : 32/32]] «Sand Shark» » [[HP : 45/50]] Quote Report Link to post Share on other sites
Takao 0 Posted July 12, 2015 Author #4 Report Share Posted July 12, 2015 [Combat Sequence] Takao Sand Shark As soon as Takao landed on the sand behind the shark, he spun on his heel and sprinted toward it again. The grace that the usually-aquatic beast once had upon appearing from the sand was gone with the first slash, and Takao was eager to “keep the ball rollingâ€, as it were. It was still about two and a half meters in the air, and even though it had begun its descent, Takao had closed in before it could be reached from the ground. He jumped off the slight incline of the dune that he'd landed on and cleaved away another chunk of the Sand Shark's health with a single, well placed cut. By the time he'd landed the second time, the Sand Shark had already reached the sand again and burrowed beneath it. The dorsal fin disappeared beneath the surface, though the barely visible shifting of sands kept him alerted to the general whereabouts of his quarry. Twenty percent of its health was already gone with two clean cuts, and although that brought a smile beaming with pride onto his face, he knew the battle was far from over. »ID: [24227] »BD: [6] »MD: [3 - 3 = 0] «Takao» » [[HP : 32/32]] «Sand Shark» » [[HP : 40/50]] Quote Report Link to post Share on other sites
Takao 0 Posted July 12, 2015 Author #5 Report Share Posted July 12, 2015 [Combat Sequence] Takao Sand Shark Both combatants appeared to be equally eager to fight as the Sand Shark didn't stay submerged beneath the sand for long. The soft footing beneath Takao began to rumble again, to which Takao immediately took notice of. He poised his sword and prepared another sword art, this time his sword glowing a pale green. When it became apparent to him that the Sand Shark was about to leap from the depths again, which was nothing more than a very rough estimate judging by his gut feeling, Takao jumped to the side. The Sand Shark soared through the eruption of sand a second time and, as if to replicate the first jump, Takao released the sword art unto the Sand Shark's side. It cleaved deep again, shaving off another chunk of its health, leaving in it's wake a sizable gap in the Sand Shark's health bar. Barely a sliver of the first health bar remained. »ID: [24228] »BD: [8] »MD: [3 - 3 = 0] «Takao» » [[HP : 32/32]] «Sand Shark» » [[HP : 35/50]] Quote Report Link to post Share on other sites
Takao 0 Posted July 12, 2015 Author #6 Report Share Posted July 12, 2015 [Combat Sequence] Takao Sand Shark The intelligence of the monsters in Aincrad were surprising to him at times. There some monsters that seemed positively stupid, incapable of deciphering attack patterns and sticking to their own linear strategies. Then there were monsters that were smart, monsters that watched and learned from their mistakes as to not repeat them. Takao was lucky to have an arsenal of tricks up his sleeve, because it seemed like the monsters needed a go or two before they could learn his tactics. Field bosses especially, they were the smartest of all the AI he'd faced thus far. He could only imagine what facing a boss would be like; surely it would be terrifying and scary, but the thought also made him excited and eager. He certainly was a nonconformist when it came to the topic of survival. He lived by and was sure that he would die by a simple motto. 'A life sat down is no life at all.' The Sand Shark took a swing at him with its massive tail and missed, though Takao forfeited the ability to return with a strike of his own through his dodge. They entered another stalemate as the shark submerged itself amongst the dunes of sand again. »ID: [24239] »BD: [4] »MD: [4 - 3 = 1] «Takao» » [[HP : 32/32]] «Sand Shark» » [[HP : 35/50]] Quote Report Link to post Share on other sites
Takao 0 Posted July 12, 2015 Author #7 Report Share Posted July 12, 2015 [Combat Sequence] Takao Sand Shark Just as Takao had anticipated, the Sand Shark was learning. When it emerged from the sand dunes again, it did so from a distance, not underneath Takao. The location was harder to spot beforehand due to the spacing between where Takao stood and where it had traveled to while submerged. The shifting of sands was barely visible directly in front of him, much less so ten meters away. Even so, the plume of sand and booming sound of the massive beast purging itself from the depths was enough warning. When the two clashed, damage was mutually exchanged. Takao's blade cleaved deep into the beast's side, stripping it of its first health bar and digging into the second. Takao, on the other hand, caught a rather large, rough-skinned tail with his face. The force threw him to the ground and sent him tumbling a solid ten meters, only stopping when his body lost its momentum. He slowly pushed himself off the ground and spat out sand. “Aueh, nauh aghen! Gro-oth!†»ID: [24240] »BD: [8] »MD: [9 - 3 = 6] (+1 critical damage) «Takao» » [[HP : 29/32]] (-1 from DMG mitigation) «Sand Shark» » [[HP : 30/50]] Quote Report Link to post Share on other sites
Takao 0 Posted July 12, 2015 Author #8 Report Share Posted July 12, 2015 [Combat Sequence] Takao Sand Shark Clearing his tongue of the sand was quick work, but to his displeasure the loathsome taste lingered in his mouth. He'd have time to worry about that later though, for he had bigger fish to fry. Literally. The Sand Shark only emerged from the sand to attack, which made timing his strikes correctly paramount to his success. Predicting the exact location of the monster was difficult now that it circled him differently and opted to attack from a distance, rather than from directly underneath him. He theorized that the sudden switch of tactics could be blamed on the first depleted health bar. Just like the last field boss he'd battled, they seemed to switch their attack patterns at those specific thresholds, which just seemed like a terrible choice for design. It wasn't hard to notice the sudden shift, and even if he didn't know exactly what was coming, having the forethought to be prepared was advantage enough. His thoughts were cut short by the Sand Shark soaring out of the sand dunes again, with Takao as its landing point. The brunet's eyes narrowed, but his smile remained. “Alright ya' glorified fish! You can call me Chef Takao, 'cause I'm about to make me some Sashimi!†His taunts fell upon deaf ears as he composed himself, lowered his center of gravity, and prepared to strike. The Sand Shark's flight path was linear with some give in either direction if it thrashed, but that was still plenty of opportunity for Takao to evade and return the attempted strike with one of his own. »ID: [24250] »BD: [9] (+1 critical damage) »MD: [5 - 3 = 1] «Takao» » [[HP : 29/32]] «Sand Shark» » [[HP : 24/50]] Quote Report Link to post Share on other sites
Takao 0 Posted July 13, 2015 Author #9 Report Share Posted July 13, 2015 [Combat Sequence] Takao Sand Shark The fight was going well, surprisingly well actually. Suspiciously well. Despite his confidence and determination, the thought that something bad could happen at any moment lingered in the back of his mind, threatening to distract him at any moment. Before the Sand Shark could resubmerge itself amongst the sand dunes, Takao managed to get one quick hit in, and drag his blade along the side of shark's tough skin. The long slice took a hefty chunk of health away from the shark's second health meter, leaving it just barely hanging on to that final sliver of health. The Sand Shark dove straight into the sand behind him and retreated, no doubt circling around for another attempt at a strike. Even for a field boss it's movements were becoming predictable, even though the battle strategy would change again with his next hit. »ID: [24251] »BD: [9] (+1 critical damage) »MD: [1 - 3 = -2] «Takao» » [[HP : 29/32]] «Sand Shark» » [[HP : 18/50]] Quote Report Link to post Share on other sites
Takao 0 Posted July 13, 2015 Author #10 Report Share Posted July 13, 2015 [Combat Sequence] Takao Sand Shark Takao was beginning to think that he could add precognition to his resume after this whole “death game†business was over and done with, because he his track record for “calling it†was exceptional. Nearly spotless, to be honest. The gut feeling he had tugging in the back of his head proved to be true. Once the Sand Shark emerged from the sands, Takao struck it across the eye as he evaded. The Shark's tactics changed almost instantaneously after its health bar dropped to the last remaining meter. It swung its body rapidly in the air and slammed its rough tail fin into Takao. He was sent tumbling nearly twenty meters, dust and sand kicking up each time his body rolled over the ground. He grunted and yelped out a vast vocabulary of onomatopoeic sounds of pain each time he tumbled across the sand. When he finally did stop, he did so face down in the sand, and exhaled a long groan of rare frustration into the boiling hot grains. His recently acquired proficiency with light armour did very little to protect him of the damage, though he was thankful for every point of damage he didn't have to take. Slowly he climbed to his feet, spitting out sand as he regained his balance, and set his sights on the Sand Shark as it swam over the surface of the sand, pushing the grains aside in its approach. “Yeuh ah tho goin' down naoh!†He said, spitting out the last of the sand in his mouth. »ID: [24258] »BD: [7] »MD: [10 - 3 = 7] (+2 critical damage) «Takao» » [[HP : 25/32]] (-1 from DMG mitigation) «Sand Shark» » [[HP : 12/50]] Quote Report Link to post Share on other sites
Takao 0 Posted July 13, 2015 Author #11 Report Share Posted July 13, 2015 [Combat Sequence] Takao Sand Shark The Sand Shark's last ditch efforts to dispatch of it's hunter were reckless and dangerous. It wasn't submerging completely anymore, the top half of it waded through the sand with such ease and grace it was hard to remember it wasn't swimming in water. Strangely enough, it was moving even faster like this, which is where the danger of the situation stemmed from. But there was a trade off for that speed. Now it was wide open for Takao to be on the offensive, and that was a big mistake to make. Takao raised his sword and placed it across his shoulders. His feet were shifted to be about shoulder width apart, and poised to root his stance. He didn't have to wait long for the Sand Shark to get close and take a bite at him, and when it did finally come within range, he leapt into the air above it. He twisted his midsection and threw his weight around with his left leg. Using the momentum generated by the swing, he snapped his arm forward like a whip, slashing into the Sand Shark's back with speed and precision. He landed on the back of the Sand Shark and plunged his blade down to the hilt, using it to stabilize himself. »ID: [24259] »BD: [9] (+1 critical damage) »MD: [8 - 3 = 5] «Takao» » [[HP : 25/32]] «Sand Shark» » [[HP : 5/50]] Quote Report Link to post Share on other sites
Takao 0 Posted July 13, 2015 Author #12 Report Share Posted July 13, 2015 [Combat Sequence] Takao Sand Shark Using his blade as a point of balance allowed for Takao to stay on the back of the Sand Shark even as it thrashed about. For whatever reason it didn't delve back down into the dunes, though Takao was silently thankful for it. The attack pattern must've been fairly straightforward from his observations. It wouldn't go back down under because it's health was so low. Unfortunately, it didn't look like his blade would be dealing damage over time to the Sand Shark. The wound was too miniscule, useful only for keeping his balance. The Sand Shark was no better off as it thrashed and flailed, trying and failing to get Takao off. »ID: [24261] »BD: [2] »MD: [1 - 3 = -2] «Takao» » [[HP : 25/32]] «Sand Shark» » [[HP : 5/50]] Quote Report Link to post Share on other sites
Takao 0 Posted July 13, 2015 Author #13 Report Share Posted July 13, 2015 [Combat Sequence] Takao Sand Shark Takao held his sword firmly with both hands, his boots using the Sand Shark's naturally rough and sandpaper (pun intended) like skin for additional grip. Try as it might, the beast couldn't shake him. But it was far from an easy fight to put up, each time it flailed he risked being thrown into oblivion. All he needed was an opportunity, a mere second of calm to finish it. The beast's last health meter was nearly depleted, one attack would end it all. A wide smile appeared on his face as his green eyes scanned over to his own health, perfectly within the safety of the green threshold. Every little battle was helping him immensely, the exact amount unquantifiable. He'd fought and won against a weaker field boss just yesterday, and he had already fared exceptionally well in comparison. Suddenly, an opportunity presented itself to him. The Sand Shark was carrying him toward a sand dune that it intended to dive into, perhaps taking Takao with it. But that wouldn't happen. He pulled the blade free of the Sand Shark's back and, with the help of his acrobatics skill, preformed a single hand spring and vaulted above the field boss. His gaze followed the Sand Shark as he preformed a single flip in the air. Takao's grip on his sword was like iron as he began his descent. The timing on his jump couldn't have been more ideal; just as the Sand Shark was about to delve beneath the sands, Takao's blade hacked into its neck. Its momentum turned into dead weight, sliding across the sand until it disappeared into a beautiful display of light and colourful shards. Takao landed with a soft thud, the sand cushioning his landing. He exhaled a long, exhausted breath as he sheathed his blade, then inhaled sharply. When he exhaled again, he did so in the form of a long, loud, and continuous single tone cheer, celebrating his victory by "Woo"ing into the air. »ID: [24261] »BD: [10] (+2 critical damage) »MD: [3 - 3 = 0] »LD: [16] «Takao» » [[HP : 25/32]] «Sand Shark» » [[HP : 0/50]] +250 Col Quote Report Link to post Share on other sites
Takao 0 Posted July 13, 2015 Author #14 Report Share Posted July 13, 2015 Takao's cheering faded into silent breathlessness as the reward menu prompt appeared in his face. His excitement settled long enough to read what the menu had to say. He'd earned a bit of col from besting the beast which was immediately deposited to his inventory. At some point he'd have to remember to buy some health crystals from Mari, but the thought to remind himself to do so was curiously elusive. His eyes sank further down the rewards listing and read off the amount of experience, taking a quick mental note of how much more he'd have left before his next level rolled around. A grin set on his face as he realized how close he was to his next level. In fact, he wagered he'd be able to get that level on the way back if he managed to kill a few more monsters before the town. The last thing on the list was an item, one «Sand Armour Potion». He closed out of the menu and navigated to his inventory to check the item's description, quickly scanning over the effects upon consumption. It seemed to increase his resistance to damage slightly for about as long as his battle with the Sand Shark. He closed out of his inventory without withdrawing the item and spun on his heel. A quick check of his heading and he was off toward Armadillo, though he had no doubts that he'd be taking a few detours. It'd be nice to return to town with a new level in tow to accompany his items and skill points. Quote Report Link to post Share on other sites
Takao 0 Posted July 13, 2015 Author #15 Report Share Posted July 13, 2015 The blistering simulated heat of floor five was terrible when paired with the exhaustion that had started to set in. He had unequipped his «Hunter's Coat» with the interest of relieving himself of some of the heat, but its effect was very minimal. Each step he took seemed harder than the last, and his entire body was starting to feel heavy. "Phew." Takao exhaled as he brought his gloved hand up to his face, wiping away the sweat that had accumulated from his walking. He'd only been at it for ten minutes or so, but after the fatigue of his battle set in, every second droned on for what felt like a minute, and minutes took hours to pass. Although he was miserable, he didn't regret trudging out into the desert on his lonesome in the slightest. It was an excellent experience, an impressive feat to have accomplished, and the rewards were plentiful. Overall, despite his current miserable state, he couldn't find it in himself to complain. "I really should invest in one of those teleport crystals..." Quote Report Link to post Share on other sites
Takao 0 Posted July 13, 2015 Author #16 Report Share Posted July 13, 2015 A nice, long walk in the desert gave Takao plenty of time to think about a plethora of different topics. The thought that reoccurred the most was his repeated success as a solo player. He had yet to participate in any large guild outings with the other members of the Cerulean Silence, so his opinions were very one sided. Perhaps it was the heat, or perhaps this was just the result of letting his imaginative mind wander, but he was beginning think that a guild was particularly necessary for his success as a player. "Mari offered me protection, sort'a... But I'm starting to think I might not really need it." His thoughts continued to race as he glanced over his shoulder. The battlefield he'd left after defeating the Sand Shark was well beyond his view now, but the memory remained. "Maybe I'm just getting a little too confident for my own good. I'll see how things go with the guild quests and decide if I'll stay then." He would really, honestly hate to suddenly leave the guild so soon after joining - and he certainly wasn't planning on it - but he did have to wonder how it would interfere with his usual workings. Mari had claimed the members were most independent, which was a bonus. His thoughts continued to wander as he walked, occupying himself with his inner psyche rather than the blistering heat. Quote Report Link to post Share on other sites
Takao 0 Posted July 13, 2015 Author #17 Report Share Posted July 13, 2015 Takao released a long and well deserved yawn, if he were to say so himself. By now it didn't matter which of the two forces working against him, which were the fatigue from fighting the Sand Shark and the heat that seemed to be burning him to the core. He didn't care about the source, his mind was dead set on relief. The town of Armadillo surely wouldn't grant him the respite he desired, he'd likely have to visit Snowfrost on the fourth floor to achieve the kind of cool air he desired. It would, however, off him a very needed rest, some decent food, and a way out of the desert via teleportation pad. If this wasn't enough motivation to get him to buy a teleportation crystal, regardless of how many times it could be used, then it was likely that nothing could. Quote Report Link to post Share on other sites
Takao 0 Posted July 13, 2015 Author #18 Report Share Posted July 13, 2015 What felt like hours of walking had turned out to have been about twenty minutes, according to the built in clock that Takao periodically checked alongside the map. Each heavy step he took seemed to get slower and slower, but sitting down to rest was out of the question. He wasn't about to let himself fry like an egg on asphalt, not when the town was close enough to warrant perseverance. He delved into his menus and navigated by pressing the various hovering chimes until he reached his inventory. He selected one of the units of water he still had from his beginner pack and held his hand out. It materialized into his grasp and the menus disappeared. After taking a long drink, he opted to pouring the rest of the water over his head. The cool feeling that washed over him was divine, and he swore he could feel and hear steam rising off the top of his head. Item Consumed: Water x1 Quote Report Link to post Share on other sites
Takao 0 Posted July 13, 2015 Author #19 Report Share Posted July 13, 2015 Despite the trek back to Armadillo taking longer than he could have ever imagined was humanly possible, luck still had a funny way of favouring Takao. He came across a small deposit of iron ore, though it would be more accurate to say that he'd tripped over it. The temptation to curse was strong, but he fought it back and occupied himself with unearthing the resource node instead. Once he did so, the resource was depleted and he took the iron ore, stashing it away into the safety of his inventory. He slowly rose to stand and, while his menu was still open, opted to checking the time and map again. He was closer, but there was still quite a bit of walking left to be done. A soft groan escaped as he closed out of the menu and set back off on his way. He was certainly going to be treating himself today. » ID: [24315] » LD: [15] +1 Material Quote Report Link to post Share on other sites
Takao 0 Posted July 13, 2015 Author #20 Report Share Posted July 13, 2015 After what seemed like ages, the town of Armadillo ever so slowly sprawled into view. What a sight for sore, weary eyes it was. Takao worked up a smile as he wiped his face, drying the sweat on his forehead that would inevitably be replaced within minutes. He couldn't bring himself to hasten his pace, but his momentum did not waver in the slightest. Looking at the small town in the distance grow larger with every step he took was enough to motivate him to keep moving. He placed his hands behind his head and interlocked his fingers as he walked, every fibre in his being working to keep him walking forward without giving in to the very convincing desire to simply lay down right where he stood and take a nap. Takao didn't have the slightest idea of what the sun's effects on a person were like in Aincrad, but he had no interest in finding out. Quote Report Link to post Share on other sites
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