[PP- F2] Time to Exterminate! << Long Live the Queen>> (Azide) (COMPLETED)

[Hikoru 0]

I quickly and quietly made my way to the area where this quest was to take place. I sat close by and slowly sighed, opening up my menu and seeing that Azide was online. I sent him a quick message, hoping I could get a reply before I got this Quest started

To: Azide

Subject: Quest?

Hey man, want to help me out with a Quest? I could really use the SP and the mats for my shop

~Hikoru

I sighed and waited with silence, watching the bugs and bees fly around me. I would ignore them, for now, but I know I will kill them all for this quest.

Edited November 22, 2015 by Hikoru

[Azide 0]

"What'cha doing there, Hikoru?" asked Azide, setting a hand on the black-haired boy's shoulder. From behind, he glimpsed over Hikoru's shoulder and managed to steal a quick glimpse of the player's screen before the message could be sent off. A moment later, a quick ping signaled that he'd a received a new message himself- he would have thought this to be an amazing coincidence, had he not caught the addressee of the boy's request. 

Azide walked out in front of the other player and turned to face him in the most casual of matters, as if his own sudden appearance here had not been of any real consequence. A bee zipped by his face, and quickly dropped to the ground in two- the man dressed in green had drawn his dagger and bisected it in one smooth motion without missing a beat. "Since I'm already here, it'd be a waste not to help. So you can count me in," he said, with a cheery nod.

[Hikoru 0]

Hikoru felt a sudden weight on his shoulder, and gripped Back Biter tightly, almost about to unsheath it when he recognized the voice and the owner of said voice. He slowed himself quickly, as to not do any damage and smiled as it was Azide, coincidentally in the same area at the same time as he was. The coincidence was questionable, but he wouldn't decline any help. He nodded and grabbed Back Biter, making sure the blade was sharp and ready to slice through pixelated flesh and bone.

"Ready when you are." I said as I smiled slightly "I think we may have to kill a few bee swarms before the queen comes out." He said as he silently looked for any swarms closeby

[Azide 0]

ID: 33414
BD: 9 (Crit +1)
MD: 5 (Miss)
LD: 16 (Loot)

Azide nodded, and drew his own weapon once more as he scanned the vicinity for any airborne creatures. "I've taken this quest before, actually," he remarked, as the two began to search for the currently-elusive mobs. "So I'll say that you definitely have the right idea. The queen herself won't appear until we've littered the forest floor with the bodies of a countless number of drones." He laughed, recalling how long it had taken him to do just that before the queen had finally revealed herself in the grassy clearing. "But once she's here, we should be able to make short work of her royal highness and contribute another carcass to the pile."

He closed his eyes and listened, remembering how he had discovered a few swarms the first time around- by homing in on their constant buzzing, and the wild beating of their wings which would fill the air with a humming should enough of the creatures happen to congregate within a close distance. No such sounds met his ears. But in the coming moments, his interested was piqued as he caught sight of a lone straggler zooming through the trees up ahead.

Azide charged forward, with his dagger firmly in his grip, and threw out two consecutive swings which shattered the wasp mid-air. "Sorry," he said, turning around with his hand pressed against the nape of his neck, "I just realized that we probably should have followed the thing back to its hive," he conceded.

Cross Edge (2x4)(8) = 64 DMG

Azide: 110/110 | 17/25 (-8)
Hikoru: ??/?? | ??/??

Wind Wasp: 0/64 (-64)

+320 col to party
+1 mat to Azide

[Hikoru 0]

Hikoru watches in awe and smiles

"Now thats how you use a Knife. Nice technique. Mind if I try something?" He said as he heard a buzzing behind him. He turned and aimed at a nearby flying bee

ID: 33420
BD: 9 (+1 Crit)
MD: 3 (Miss)
 

Hikoru striked quickly, with two slashes to the wasps medium sized body. It fell to the ground, but wasn't dead, not quite. But it was too stunned to attack back

Side Bite (2x1) (2)= 8 Damage

Azide: 110/110 HP l 17/25 EN

Hikoru: 44/44 HP l 4/12 EN

Wind Wasp: 4/12 HP

Edited September 30, 2015 by Hikoru

[Azide 0]

ID: 33448
BD: 9 (Crit +1)
MD: 1 (Miss)
LD: 17 (Loot)

A sharp and drawn out whistle cut through the air as the brown-haired man watched as a second wasp was sent plummeting to the ground. It was particularly notable, as Azide hadn't even been aware of his ability to whistle beforehand. Regardless, he nodded in approval as Hikoru landed a monstrous hit against the winged pest. 

"By all means, free to try that again if you're feeling up for it," he remarked, as he walked up to the still-writhing wasp. Azide lowered himself to a crouch and looked at the poor wretch for a moment before raising his dagger. With a quick jab to the head, yet another insect had been dispensed. "By the way, Hikoru. It's been ages since we've last seen each other- I hope you don't mind if I ask how everything's been?" he asked, raising himself to his feet.

1 (Base) + 1 (Athletic) + 1 (Familiar) + 4 (Dagger Skill) + 1 (BD 9) = 8 DMG

Azide: 110/110 HP | 17/25 NRG (+1)(-1)
Hikoru: 44/44 HP | 4/12 NRG

Wind Wasp: -4/12 HP (-8)

+1 material (LD 15+) (2 mats total)

[Hikoru 0]

Hikoru sighed and nodded silently as Azide finished the wasp off.

"I probably will A little later, when I get the chance." He said as he sheathed his blade once more. He looked and walked over to Azide

"I've been good, busy mostly, but ever since everything was updated, its been hard to grind, so I took some major R&R, Searching every single floor for the best Taverns and Spots to drink and have fun with the other players." He said with a smile, reminising all the recent parties he had been to "But the Quests called for me, and I decided to find old friends and start exploring again. I may even open up the old shop." He said with a smile. He was happy he had someone to talk to, after a long time of not remembering what happened the night before.

+1 EN

5/12 EN

[Azide 0]

With their noisier friends now lying dead and buried (or rather, dead and shattered into a fine blue dust of pixelation), the meadow was left with a more somber stillness, and a distinct quietness. It did not seem natural, that the constant chirping of birds which should have echoed through the trees and into their ears had at some point faded away. On the other hand, it did lend itself well to conversation.

Azide stood still and listened as Hikoru summed up what he could only assume to have been the last few months or so. He held back a grin as the boy mentioned that he had taken time away for rest and relaxation; he wondered if Hikoru were aware how many others had done very much of the same? It seemed as if many of the players he'd seen around months ago were either still absent, or had recently gone off to become hermits. But he couldn't blame them- his own return to the front-lines had only been but a couple of weeks ago. 

"Speaking of old friends, while you were off doing your own thing, did you happen to run into Xanatos or Noctis by any chance?" he asked, in reference to the single adventure which the two had jointly taken part in. He himself had not heard of Noctis, nor his former guildmate in a long while. Wherever those two were, he hoped that they were getting plenty of R&R, as Hikoru had called it.

[Hikoru 0]

Hikoru watched the Bees pixelate before his eyes, and he sighed as he sat down, letting his Energy replenish little by little. He looked around at the familiar area around him. He remembered when he took to helping his friend Takneil take the exact same Quest with his old friend Calrex helping as well. As him and Takneil weren't that big on a level, they still were able to defeat it thanks to Calrex and his high level.

He heard Azide ask about his old friends Xanatos and Noctis. He sighed as he got a little teary-eyed thinking about the two.

"No, in fact nothing from Xan in a long time.... a-and I havent heard from Noctis since...." He stopped and breathed in deeply "Since he dissapeared...." He said, remembering the incident well. The Skeleton King had clouded Noctis and one of his minions in smoke, and he suddenly dissapeared. He hadn't seen or heard hide nor hair of Noctis ever since them, and it worried him, fearing the worst had happened

[Azide 0]

"Ah," said Azide, as he looked off into the endless forest which stretched out ahead of them. He wondered what the fate of Noctis had been on that day, and whether or not his friend Xanatos might still be out there somewhere, strumming Garanza in some far off woodland- perhaps in a clearing just like this one. 

Noticing the sudden mistiness in Hikoru's eyes, he laid a hand on the boy's shoulder and turned to face him. "While I can't say that's what I'd been hoping to hear, I'm sure they're alive and well. Who knows? Perhaps we'll run into them again someday. But for now, let's keep our spirits up." 

Azide summed his inventory with a few quick swipes of the air; after a few clicks, a new window blinked into existence in front of the player beside him, reading: Azide has offered you 2 materials. Accept? Y/N. "It's not a lot, but there'll be more to come as soon as we get back to work. Whatever I get today in materials, I'll be happy to donate towards the re-opening of your shop." He smiled, hoping Hikoru would not catch the uncertainty which still lingered in his own eyes.

[Hikoru 0]

Hikoru felt Azide's hand on his shoulder, comforting him as if he was a father. He nodded and wipes the forming tears in his eyes. He breathed silently, in, out, in, out. Calming his heart and mind. He knew he couldn't get choked up, it could be the death of him if he didn't have full focus on the task at hand. He sighed inwardly and soon a ping appeared in front of him. It was the 2 materials that Azide had claimed form killing the beasts. He nodded and accepted the Mats, making sure they were in his pack.

"Thanks Azide, these should be really useful." He said with a small smile. But then he thought of something

"But wait, don't you have a shop? I'm sure you could use it more than I can. I barely have any business nowadays...." He said, rubbing the back of his neck shyly " I don't know if anyone is willing to set foot in it. Im only a Rank 1 Merchant...." He said, admitting that he should have taken care of his Shop better than he had

[Azide 0]

ID#35579
BD: 8 (Hit)
MD: 8 (-3 ACC) = 5 (Miss)
LD: 3 (No loot)

Hikoru seemed shaken, but at the very least he seemed to be making a valiant attempt at calming his nerves; there was little more that Azide could do for the boy- he could not magic Noctis nor Xanatos out of thin air. But even so, Azide did not feel worried, for Hikoru seemed more than capable of controlling his own emotions. It would only be condescending to hold his hand in the process. The rest of the emotional journey would be up to him.

He waved his hand dismissively as the boy sniffled and suggested that the materials might be better served at the the Navarre Lab of Alchemical Research. "Bah, I'm practically up to my ears in materials. If some of them weren't so sharp and pointy, I could probably swim in them if I really wanted," he remarked. This was a stretch, but there was no point in saying otherwise. "Besides, your shop can't possible thrive until you put a little work and heart into it. Just think of this as something to get you up and running again."

As the last words left his lips, he spotted something buzzing on by out of the corner of his eye, and dashed forward. In a mad dash, Azide closed the distance between himself and the lone Wind Wasp, and slashed twice in rapid succession. As he landed, the red glow faded from his blade. "In the meantime, let's get back to work, shall we?"

Cross Edge (2x4)(7) 56 DMG

Azide: 110/110 HP | 17/25 (-8) NRG
Hikoru: 44/44 | 12/12 NRG

Wind Wasp: 0/56 (-56)

+1 mat to Hikoru (3 total)

Edited September 30, 2015 by Azide

[Hikoru 0]

Hikoru sniffed and wiped his eyes once more, making sure every tear was out of his eye. He had cried in the days after they dissapeared, so he shouldn't cry now. He nodded as Azide finished off another wind wasp.

"Right." He said as he moved towards Azide, and he heard another wasp to his far left, trying to fly away. "Oh no you don't." he said to himself as he quickly chased after it

ID: 33582
BD: 6
MD: 4

Hikoru quickly and silently catches up with the unnoticing wasp, and clips off its wings, sending it spiraling to the ground, almost dead once more

"Its all yours Azide!" He said, sheathing his blade once more.

Azide: 110/110 HP l 17/25 ENG

Hikoru: 44/44 HP l 12/12 ENG

Air Wasp: 9/12 HP -3 HP

[Azide 0]

ID#33585
BD: 10 (Crit +2)
LD: 6 (No loot)

Azide darted forward as the Wind Wasp began to fall out of the sky, having lost its wings courtesy of Hikoru. In a quick flash, he'd come to stand directly beneath the insect as it hurtled towards the ground in an uncontrolled spiral. A surgical swing of his dagger overhead served to put the poor thing out of its misery. Just as the creature had lived in the air, it had died there as well. As a shower of blue pixels drifted slowly down around him, he swept the clearing with his eyes, but could spot no Queen Bee just yet. 

"Looks like we're not out of the woods just yet. So to speak, and also rather literally. Anyway, let's keep at it, Hikoru."

1 (Base) + 1 (Athletic) + 1 (Familiar) + 4 (Dagger Skill) + 2 (BD 10) = 9 DMG

Azide: 110/110 HP | 17/25 NRG (+1)(-1)
Hikoru: 44/44 HP | 12/12 NRG

Wind Wasp: 0/12 HP (-9)

[Hikoru 0]

Hikoru nodded silently, continuing to move forward towards their goal. He breathed deeply, making sure he was ready to fight the next swarm of wasps that came towards him. He saw a group of them. and tapped Azide's shoulder, then he pointed towards the group

"Over there! Looks to be about 2 or 3 over there. Lets get this done!" He said, knowing that a few more and the queen would appear. He knew they would get this done soon, and he would be happy to get this quest done with. He never liked wasps, or any sort of bees for that matter, and that feeling was bothering him throughout this whole time.

[Azide 0]

He noticed the young man taking another steady inhalation, and he smiled an easy smile.

It would be a long road for all of them, when this whole incident blew over; the day they stepped back out into the real world was the day that they would have to come to grips with the reality of what had taken place within the world of Aincrad. Hopes of Noctis making a miraculous reappearance had diminished significantly when their expedition into the caverns had been abruptly aborted, notably without finding even a single trace of their black-garbed friend. After that day, even Xanatos had vanished, and he wondered if perhaps their disappearances had been related. Had the self-proclaimed Squire of Minos perhaps ventured alone back into the underground cavern of the King's usurper? Or perhaps the musician had gone mad with guilt at the player's presumed casualty, having organized the exploration in the first place. But it was not his fault...

After all of that, a deep breath had been the least of what Azide had needed. So while he held no illusions that Hikoru had moved on from his troubles at the drop of a hat, seeing a boost to the young man's composure was a reassuring sign. Aincrad would not be kind to those who broke down within its walls; all they could do was drive deeper into its depths, all for the hope of someday peering out from the highest tower. Only then would they receive closure on the conditions of those they had lost.

Feeling a tap on his shoulder, Azide snapped out of his daze and spun around as a new group of wasps revealed themselves from amidst the brambles. "Do what you can to the one on the far left," began Azide, as he shifted his stance. He shot a glance to the dark-haired boy, and flexed his fingers around the grip of his knife. "You can leave the other two to me." He took a brief pause as his eyes darted left and right. "I have a feeling that the Queen won't be too happy to lose another three of her drones." 

Racing forward, Azide swung his blade twice, slashing the wasp twice consecutively across its midsection. The creature exploded in a shower of fragmented data, sending bluish particulars flying into the air in a manner reminiscent of fluttering dandelion seeds.

---

ID: 37226 | BD: 2 + 3 (Enhancements) + 1 (Concentration) = 6 (Hit) | MD: 7 - 3 = 4 (Miss) | LD: 14 (No materials found)

<<Side Bite>> used (2x1)(7) = 14 DMG 

Azide: 110/110 HP | 16/25 NRG (+1)(-2)
Hikoru: 44/44 HP | 12/12 NRG

Wind Wasp 1: -2/12 HP (-14)

Wind Wasp 2: 12/12 HP

Wind Wasp 3: 12/12 HP

Edited November 4, 2015 by Azide

[Hikoru 0]

Hikoru nodded at Azide, looking at the far left wasp, who was staring him down with some sort of lust for his blood. He grit his teeth, This was no mere task. These wasps were specifically designed to attack and kill other players without mercy, as with all other creatures generated in this game. He watched Azide take out one of the wasps quickly, and he sighed with exasperation. He needed to get stronger. He wasn't able to do enough damage, and it was aggravating him to no prevail. He knew that one day he would be stronger than Azide was now, as with Teayre and Calrex.... But for now, he just had to bide his time, dealing the damage that he can.

He turns back to the wasp and charges forward, trying to make two quick slashes but misses, gritting his teeth and moving back beside Azide. "No use, missed my shot." He said, a bit agitated.

ID: 37557

BD: 2 (No Damage)

 

Azide: 110/110 HP | 16/25 NRG
Hikoru: 44/44 HP | 12/12 NRG

Wind Wasp 1: 0/12 HP

Wind Wasp 2: 12/12 HP

Wind Wasp 3: 12/12 HP

[Azide 0]

From out the woodwork, two additional creatures came jetting in to replace their fallen comrade, putting their numbers at a total of four. Azide smiled as his fingers clenched tighter around the handle of his dagger. If the Queen herself had not been intending to show before, then she almost certainly would after this. Admittedly, he felt a certain amount of regret, that Hikoru had not had many opportunities to prove himself here today. But at the same time, that sensation was not nearly as strong as his desire for efficiency- to get this over with at the very first opportunity. Ultimately, a promising player such as Hikoru would have plenty of time in the future to find his glory.

"Don't sweat it," said Azide. The nameless knife in his hand began to emanate crimson light as he shifted his grip to reverse. "I'll go ahead and finish up here, but I believe that Her Majesty just might appear soon enough. If my hunch has any merit, then do whatever you can to chip away at her health." He took a step forward, his eyes narrowing as they homed in on the hovering targets. "I'll be counting on you. But in the meantime, I think I'll start first by taking care of one that fellow that's been giving you the bug eye."

In a flash, Azide raced forward. Throwing two slashes in a single revolution, the steel of his blade tore through all four wasps without hesitation. 

ID: 37563 | BD: 8 (Hit) | LD: 9 (No loot)

<<Round Accel>> used (2x1)(7) = 14 DMG

Azide: 110/110 HP | 13/25 NRG (+1)(-4)
Hikoru: 44/44 HP | 12/12 NRG

Wind Wasp 2: -2/12
Wind Wasp 3: -2/12
Wind Wasp 4: -2/12
Wind Wasp 5: -2/12

Edited November 6, 2015 by Azide

[Hikoru 0]

Hikoru watched in amazement as Azide swept the 4 wasps all at once, and he watched as all of them pixelated into nothing but small particles, then vanished without a trace

"Wooow Azide! That was amazing!" He said, staring still at where the wasps once were. "I wish I had that kind of strength..." He muttered to himself. He sighed and held onto Back-Biter strong, expecting to hear the Queen anytime. He sighed and sat for a moment, making sure not to overexert himself. He looked around and saw no indication that the Queen was anywhere close, but he did notice that most of the wasps were running into a certain place, away from them. He looked and heard a collective buzzing emenating from that area

"Uh.... Azide... What are they doing?" He asked shakily, knowing very well what was probably going on, but wanted some confirmation before he ran into any conclusions

[Azide 0]

A smile came to his lips at Hikoru's words and reaction. "I'm hoping that you reconsider your ideas of amazing," said Azide, lowering the blade of Chemikaze. Around him, pixel swirls of blue ascended around him, giving way to delicate nothingness- the last remnants of the mindless creatures which he had slain. "My weapon isn't meant for taking on more than a single enemy, really. It only worked in this case because these wasps have all had such low health, and little to no mitigation. Using it in this way is a disservice to its real potential."

He stared at the dagger for a moment, running his eyes up and down its humble length. Sure, it was formidable even now- but just how destructive might it be after he invested just a couple more points? As far as he could tell, nobody had grandmastered the weapon-type thus far, leaving its endgame abilities open-ended.

A loud collective buzzing shook him from his daze, and it was Hikoru's prodding which freed him from the episode completely. "I think I just might have an idea..." remarked Azide, as he raced on over to suspect area. 

As he leapt through the brambles, swarms of wasps fled the vicinity en masse, until only a single wasp was left remaining. She stared at him with hard eyes, but before she could strike, Azide hurtled forward and diced her with two clean slashes across the Queen's thorax. 

"Sorry, I meant for you to get in at least one shot on her," said Azide, as he turned around. His hand was buried in his hair, scratching furiously as the Wasp Queen dissolved behind him. He raised a curled hand, and cleared his throat with a terse cough. "In any case, our job here is done. Let's get out of here before spiders show up or something."

ID: 39262 | BD: 3 + 3 = 6 (Hit) | LD: 18 (1 material found)

<<Cross Edge>> used (2x4)(7) = 56 DMG

Azide: 110/110 HP | 14/25 NRG (+1)
Hikoru: 44/44 HP | 12/12 NRG

Wasp Queen: -6/50 HP

+1 mat to Hikoru (4 mats total) 

OOC: You can end the thread with your next post.

Edited November 18, 2015 by Azide