SP - F12 Chains and Lightning <<Lord of the Seas>> (Completed)

[Calrex 0]

As he arrived on the twelfth floor once again Calrex gave a small sigh, rubbing his eyes with his free hand. It had been a while since he and Teayre had completed the <<Saying Vows>> quest and became married, at the same time having Teayre kill her father and become an orange player. Since he was spending his days with her outside of the safe zones he had been on guard duty, whether it actually was his turn or not for that night. As a result dark shadows had become prominent under his eyes as he moved forward. Even though he was perfectly fine in terms of game standards, having his health and energy at full, this didn't mean that the human conditions of fatigue were staved off.

Giving a small sigh he made his way out of the gates of Lazaro into the swamplands once again. He had been here a few times already, even though it wasn't the most desirable floor to be on, "I really would rather just be relaxing by Teayre's side right now, but if I don't keep training all of the effort I've put in so far won't attribute to much. She may be the damage dealer of the two of us, but that still means I need to keep up my end and stay as strong defensively as possible."

Looking up he saw that Roc was following him overhead as he gazed forward. He had timed his arrival perfectly, as the strong storm-like weather that intermittently covered the swamplands was currently active, with miniature tornadoes of wind and water forming and dissipating all around him. Reaching back he drew the Grand Blade while tossing the sheath aside, the home of the sword vanishing into crystals, "Other than the recently unlocked Tagas quest, this is one of the most difficult field boss quests. The last time I did this was with Ariel and Dom and we three shot it. Let's see if I can do the work of three people on my own."

Rubbing his eyes once again he gave a small sigh before moving forward.

Edited November 18, 2015 by Calrex

[Calrex 0]

As he made his way through the stormy environment Calrex remained unphased by all that was happening around him. It might have been because this particular type of effect had no direct harm on his character. Meanwhile Roc was easily avoiding each of the whirling gusts of wind and water, using his high speed to swerve, dive, and rise according to the changing currents. Tightening his grip on the Grand Blade the bluenette gave yet another sigh as he continued forward, "Guess I'm in no good mood right now. It's certainly been a while since that's happened. At least I believe it's not linked to that whole obsession of strength episode I had a few days ago."

Looking up Calrex saw that a couple bolts of lightning strike down to the earth before vanishing, leaving only sparks on the water in their wake. "Tch..."

The entire scene probably would have been considered fearsome, especially with the chance of the field boss appearing, but at this time the Ultramarine Knight was not in the mood for fear, anger, sadness, or anything inbetween. Lack of sleep, combined with the fact that he was constantly on guard to protect Teayre had temporarily removed any sense of strong emotion from his personality. If he was any more tired, it was likely even his voice would be devoid of emotion. At this point he was borderline operating on muscle memory and willpower.

A loud roar could be heard a decent distance away as he looked to the side to face it, "So...that's where you're hiding. Alright then..."

Turning to face where he was looking the Ultramarine Knight continued to move forward. It wouldn't be long before he arrived at his destination, prepared for the fight.

[Calrex 0]

"Once I get this done, I'm just going to go back to the floor Teayre is in, find some nice tree, and get some sleep. I swear this lack of rest is getting to me..."

Rubbing his eyes once again Calrex reopened them, only to see that they were only partially as open as before. It seemed like he was getting more tired by the second as he let out a large yawn, raising his hand up in front out of reflex before lowering it. Because of the lack of light his dark ocean blue eyes seemed borderline black, almost frozen over as he trudged forward.

"It's too bad there's no coffee in this game, or at least anything that might actually work to help wake me up. In any case better ke..."

Before he could finish his sentence Calrex looked as he heard something whizz by his head, looking up to see that a dagger had been buried into the pile of branches next to him. Tilting his head down he gave a sigh as he began to turn around, "I...Really have no time for this...I can only guess that the dagger was from someone trying to kill me in my tired state. Tch...waste of my time..."

Giving one last sigh he began to turn to face the person, or monster, that had decided to engage him in combat. His grip on the Grand Blade tightened even further, responding to the irritation that the bluenette was feeling at the moment.

[Calrex 0]

As the Ultramarine Knight turned around he saw there whoever or whatever had thrown the dagger at him had already vanished, disappeared into the raging torrents that currently covered the field zones of the floor. Clicking his teeth he turned around, not even bothering to activate his <<Reveal>> skill as he continued forward, feeling his body getting heavy as it cried for sleep. Roc continued to circle overhead as he continued to maneuver around the raging spirals of wind and water.

"Looks like the assailant took off, or is still in hiding. Good, I'd prefer either over having to deal with them. I swear this exhaustion is really wearing on my mental tolerance. Certainly a new sensation."

Looking forward he watched as he arrived at a large body of water, this time activating his vision skill to ensure that he could keep track of where he needed to go. As he had suspected, moving down the river was the field boss, the <<Sea Wyvern>>, which was originally the most threatening creature on this floor. With a small smirk the bluenette rubbed his eyes once again as they remained still slightly closed, the dark circles under his eyes becoming more prominent as he tilted his head down.

"I wish I could sleep right now, but this would be the worst time to do so. I'll just have to keep moving forward."

Slamming his fist into the side of a tree to try and send a shock to his nerves to keep himself awake, the Ultramarine Knight gave a small sigh as he remembered that the pain threshold for the game didn't exist, with most of the sensations he felt being created by his own mind. "Great, so no way of pinching of smacking myself awake. This battle is really going to be an ordeal then."

[Calrex 0]

ID: 39070
Battle Dice: 10 (Accuracy +3) = 13 (+2 Damage)
Mob Dice: 10 (Evasion +2) = 8 (+2 Damage)
Sword Art <<Nova Ascension>> Activated / <<Charge>> Activated (12 Energy Used / 37 Remaining)

Calrex gave a calming breath before he tightened his grip on the Grand Blade, seeing the field boss come into view. Focusing his senses he blinked his eyes a few times to keep himself awake before rushing forward. His sword lit up in a bright blue aura as he activated his new journeyman rank <<Charge>> skill, combining it with his <<Nova Ascension>> skill. As he closed the distance he looked to see that the creature already saw him coming as its mouth was already agape. As the blunette moved further the electrical energy he had come to familiarize himself with from his <<Lightning Fall>> skill began to form in the field boss' mouth before it unleashed a chasm of lightning at him.

"Tch...I'm not going to let some seahorse's bad breath stop this attack!"

Persisting his advance Calrex's sword and limbs began to spin with the light blue aura chains, beginning to spiral rapidly as he got closer and closer. Coming into striking range he unleashed the rapid barrage of strikes, enduring the gigantic bolt of lightning. The chains seemed to amplify the cutting power of the Grand Blade, acting like a series of chainsaws that helped to hack away at the oversized dragon before he did a full 360 rotation. His finishing pommel strike came around, the chains circling around the opposite end as he slammed it into the wyvern's head.

As he finished his attack the Ultramarine Knight leapt back, landing in the water, the spiraling chains still revolving around him as he stood up straight. The gusting wind and water continued to rage while bolts of lightning struck the water around him, unintentionally causing Calrex to have a more fierce appearance as the elements seemed to swarm around him.

"Chains and lightning huh? Heh, not a bad combination..."

HP List
Calrex: 103/201 (96+2 DMG = 98 DMG)
   Energy: 37/49 (-12)

Enemies:
Sea Wyvern: 174/300 (10+2+2 DMG * 9 Art = 126 DMG / Stunned Until Next Turn)

Edited November 17, 2015 by Calrex

[Calrex 0]

ID: 39071
Battle Dice: 3 (Accuracy +3) = 6
Mob Dice: 3 (Evasion +2) = 1 (Disregarded Due to Stun)
Sword Art <<Meteor Break>> Activated (11 Energy Used / 1 Recovered / 27 Remaining)

The epic seeming moment lasted for on a few seconds further before Calrex executed <<Meteor Break>> as the Grand Blade lit up with a bright golden glow. Activating his <<Sprint>> skill the river's surface seemed to form into a crater as the bluenette jumped forward before the waters returned back to their original place, covering the land below.

As he got into striking range he unleashed the opening shoulder tackle before barraging the wyvern with his flurry of slashes as he leave a series of shining cuts on the stunned field boss before delivering a falling slash that cut from the creature's head to the largest part of its chest. Leaping back he gave a small sigh as he shook his head. The water was finally starting to matt his hair, his bangs moving even further over his eyes that it seemed they would be completely masked. "Whelp this seems to have been a waste of my time. Last I did this was with Dom and Ariel, but at the strength I'm at it feels more I'm fighting a giant sea horse."

HP List
Calrex: 103/201
   Energy: 27/49 (-11+1)

Enemies:
Sea Wyvern: 64/300 (10 DMG * 11 Art = 110 DMG / Stun End)

Edited November 17, 2015 by Calrex

[Calrex 0]

ID: 39072
Battle Dice: 5 (Accuracy +3) = 8
Mob Dice: 6 (Evasion +2) = 4
Loot Dice: 1 (Search and Detect +2 / Item +1) = 4 (No Materials Found)
Sword Art <<Deadly Sins>> Activated (7 Energy Used / 1 Recovered / 21 Remaining)

As the wyvern broke free of the Stun effect Calrex gritted his teeth as he felt his vision beginning to blur from exhaustion once again, this time being a combined effect of both his natural and game mechanical fatigue. Dropping down on one knee he planted his sword into the ground as he stood fast against the rushing waters which were up to his chest, soaking his clothing to the bone. Unintentionally this triggered his <<Survival>> skill, which kept him from becoming extremely chilled from the river waters.

"Tch...gotta finish this off..."

The sea dragon turned its head to face Calrex as it fired yet another bolt of light at the Ultramarine Knight rushed forward, the chasm of electricity slamming down where he was just standing. Coming into striking range he quickly executed his master level Sword Art <<Deadly Sins>>. The Grand Blade lit up with a shining purple aura as he pierced it seven times up the neck in the shape of the Big Dipper. The creature gave one last roar before it turned it's head sideways, dissipating into crystals as the blue-haired swordsman landed back in the raging waters.

Giving a sigh Calrex swam back to the shore, pulling himself out onto mostly dry land. His entire body was soaked from the battle and the environmental elements, which seemed to vanish with the perishing of the <<Sea Wyvern>>. His chest rose and fell as his open mouth widened and narrowed with each deep breath.

Loot List:
1 Lightning Rod

HP List
Calrex: 103/201
   Energy: 21/49 (-7+1)

Enemies:
Sea Wyvern: -6/300 (10 DMG * 7 Art = 70)

Edited November 17, 2015 by Calrex

[Calrex 0]

(2 Posts Until Full Energy Recharge, 1 Recovered / 6 HP Recovered)

After the battle Calrex gave a few more calming breaths as he slowly tried to push himself back to his feet. Unfortunately it seemed the fatigue had finally gotten to him as his arms felt heavy as he attempted to sit upright. His hands slid back out as his head almost slammed back into the ground, "D-Dammit..."

His eyes felt extremely heavy, as it they were ten times their weight as they forcefully closed. His mind seemed to slowly drift as he fell into a slumber right at the edge of the water. The last thing he saw before he fell fully asleep saw the single flash of both his energy and health bars as they began to recover.

"Guess...I'm still not used to sleeping out here just yet..."

His breathing seemed to become slower, while maintaining its steady rhythm. The Grand Blade rested in his sword hand by his side as he continued to breath gently, his matted hair now pressed against his face. While his eyes were not completed closed now, the parts of his iris that were visible were completely darkened out, as if the pupil had expanded fully to take in what little light was in the area.

HP List
Calrex: 109/201
   Energy: 22/49 (+1)

Edited November 17, 2015 by Calrex

[Calrex 0]

(1 Post Remaining Until Full Energy Recovery, 1 Recovered / 6 HP Recovered)

As Calrex began to dream, something he had not done in a decent amount of time, what seemed to play was a blend of happiness, sadness, anger, and a mixture of other emotions that seemed to merge together. It was possible that his REM sleep was replaying a lot of memories at once, but as it continued it seemed one of the dominant points was actually the most recent, his feeling about what happened with Teayre's father, as well as his own inability to do anything about it. If he had the choice, he would have wanted to be the one to deal the attack, taking on the orange mark. He was already prepared to endure whatever trial to keep his wife safe, but the fact he was temporarily disabled from the potion he had accidentally consumed weighed on him, "I...could have done something, but that potion...dammit all..."

The dream continued as his grip on the Grand Blade tightened, his free hand also clenching into a tight fist as his arms tensed up out of anger and frustration. His breathing seemed to become more shallow, almost icy, as if the cold persona began to once again slip loose of his control. "What...person do I need to be to protect her..."

The feeling began to subside as his memories began to shift to the day that he and Teayre completed the <<Saying Vows>> quest, finally becoming married in the game. His breathing seemed to jump as he gave a small laugh at seeing his wife don the Grand Chariot she had made for him. Even though the armor was designed for him from Oikawa, the fitting ability of SAO changed the armor's contours to fit the redhed before she promptly removed it due to the stuffiness.

"I know she wants me to be more open and like myself...so why does it sometimes feel like I need to be as far from myself as possible to keep her safe...I want to have her fight by my side, but seeing her hurt or sad...dammit it feels like I'm being torn up inside, geezes that was cheesy."

HP List
Calrex: 115/201
   Energy: 23/49 (+1)

[Calrex 0]

(Energy Fully Recovered / 6 HP Recovered)

"Tch...maybe I've been holding back too much..."

As his dream began to fade the last thing that went through his mind was his wife's smiling face before his eyes opened. The raging storm from when he fell asleep seemed to be a distant memory while the quiet sounds of the swamplands filled his ears as he sat up, crossing his legs. The dark circles seemed to be less than before as a result of his good amount of rest. Looking around the bluenette was surprised that nothing had occurred while he was in his slumber: No PKer attacks, no monsters, not even a single ambient mosquito buzzing occurred.

"Guess I'm really lucky to have had nothing attack me during that time. It was close to prime time to attack. Better get making my way back towards Lazaro then..."

Getting to his feet he retrieved the Grand Blade's sheath from his inventory as he reattached it to the back of his hip, flipping his sword into a reverse grip before guiding it back into the opening of the scabbard, sliding it home as the blade lock engaged. Taking his free hand he slid his hand from the base of his hairline, sliding upwards. Most of his bangs were pushed upwards and stayed there due to the wetness of his hair, while some shorter strands fell back into place. His hand acted in some ways similar to a squeegee, with a good amount of the liquid dripping off the back while some trails of water made their way down his face. Seconds after he gave his head a quick shake as more water flew off of his hair, returning his hair back almost completely back to its original appearance.

"Looks clear for now. Better get moving."

HP List
Calrex: 121/201
   Energy: 49/49

Edited November 17, 2015 by Calrex

[Calrex 0]

ID: 39115
Battle Dice: 8 (Accuracy +3) = 11
Mob Dice: 3 (Evasion +4) = -1
Sword Art <<Nova Ascension>> Activated / <<Charge>> Activated (12 Energy Used / 37 Remaining)

Before Calrex could start making his way back towards Lazaro suddenly a new sound could be heard from behind him. As he turned around he saw that a whirlpool had begun to form in the river, sucking in the water. Looking at his screen suddenly a "DANGER" warning flashed across his screen, "Tch...another enemy, this one is probably worse than the one I just fought. Darn it, I guess I was careless..."

Gripping the Grand Blade he watched as an even larger, fiercer version of the <<Sea Wyvern>> emerged from the whirlpool, the chasm of spiraling water seeming to reverse direction, turning into a water spout before the creature gave a booming roar. Before it could get an attack out the Ultramarine Knight was already moving, sprinting across the water with his <<Charge>> skill to quickly close the distance. As he got into striking range his sword lit up once again with the light blue glow of his <<Nova Ascension>> Sword Art as he unleashed the barrage of attacks before turning and jamming his hilt into the creature's head.

Leaping back to land Calrex looked forward to see that the creature was stunned as he gave a sigh of relief, "Alright then, time to press the attack."

HP List
Calrex: 121/201
   Energy: 37/49 (-12)

Enemies:
Torrential Sea Wyvern: 292/400 (10+2 DMG * 9 Art = 108 DMG / Stunned Until Next Turn)

Edited November 17, 2015 by Calrex

[Calrex 0]

ID: 39129
Battle Dice: 6 (Accuracy +3) = 9
Mob Dice: 8 (Evasion +4) = 4 (Disregarded Due to Stun)
Sword Art <<Meteor Break>> Activated (11 Energy Used / 1 Recovered / 27 Remaining)

"I wonder if the only way to push myself further..."

"No...that will be at too much of a cost..."

Shaking his head to dismiss his thoughts Calrex charged forward once again, "The only thing I can do is keep training and hopefully something will eventually come along that might boost my skills further. Like Dom said, right now I'm supposedly the strongest solo player in Aincard. Nonetheless, I'm only part of the whole deal when fighting alongside Teayre. If she's the sword, then I'm the shield. I might not stand as steadfast as a full-blown tank like Tristan would, but what I lack in defense I make up for in consistent evasion, accuracy, and power."

Unleashing <<Meteor Break>> he barraged his new foe with the blurring series of slashes and tackles, leaving multiple shining golden cuts in the creature as he leapt back, "An embodiment of balance, heh, alright then. If I'm supposedly a white knight, the lightest kind of knight..."

Looking up at the wyvern as it broke free of its Stun effect Calrex pointed his sword at it, his eyebrows furrowed as he focused his entire being on the monster in front of him, "...then I'll show you how dark a shadow such a person casts..."

His eyes dimmed slightly as his ocean blue eyes seemed to grow darker, however the emotionless side of himself did not come forth. It seemed like he had brought the cold persona under his control once again.

HP List
Calrex: 121/201
   Energy: 27/49 (-11+1)

Enemies:
Torrential Sea Wyvern: 182/400 (10 DMG * 11 Art = 110 DMG / Stun End)  

Edited November 18, 2015 by Calrex

[Calrex 0]

ID: 39164
Battle Dice: 1 (Accuracy +3) = 4
Mob Dice: 1 (Evasion +4) = -3
No Action Taken (1 Recovered / 26 Remaining)

As Calrex's eyes seemed to fully dim he gave a calming breath as he moved into his fighting stance. Doing so he lowered his center of gravity further, almost as if he was building up the potential energy inside of him as he focused on the creature in front of him. The greater wyvern let out a roar as he fired a lightning blast towards the Ultramarine Knight, but the attacks fell harmless to the side, the blue-haired player not even flinching from the attack. There was no fear of pain, death, or suffering in his eyes. The only feeling present was the drive to eliminate what stood in his way.

Sliding his front foot forward the bluenette gave a calm breath as his eyes narrowed further, as it he was trying to see through the wyvern to the area behind its head. This was a predictive technique used in many martial arts to maximize striking power: Rather than aiming to just strike the enemy, you want your blows to go through them, using as much force as needed to complete the attack. Otherwise your attacks will be shallow and have a lessened effect.

HP List
Calrex: 121/201
   Energy: 28/49 (+1)

Enemies:
Torrential Sea Wyvern: 182/400

Edited November 18, 2015 by Calrex

[Calrex 0]

ID: 39194
Battle Dice: 10 (Accuracy +3) = 13 (+2 Damage)
Mob Dice: 5 (Evasion +4) = 1
Sword Art <<Meteor Break>> Activated (11 Energy Used / 1 Recovered / 18 Remaining)

As a prime opening appeared it came at the perfect time. Right as the wyvern began to charge up its breath attack one again Calrex rushed in, quickly closing the distance before unleashing a more powerful form of his <<Meteor Break>> Sword Art. Moving his left hand to add support to his grip the bluenette threw his entire body into the opening tackle before barraging the sea dragon with the series of sword slashes, each having an added bit of damage from the Ultramarine Knight swinging with two arms over one to put more strength behind his blow. As the finisher for his combo came around he leapt high, coming down as he performed yet another cleaving slice on the creature before he leapt back.

"It's on its last legs now. I think even a simple Vorpal Strike should be enough to finish it off."

HP List
Calrex: 121/201
   Energy: 18/49 (-11+1)

Enemies:
Torrential Sea Wyvern: 50/400 (10+2 DMG * 11 Art = 132 DMG)

Edited November 18, 2015 by Calrex

[Calrex 0]

ID: 39196
Battle Dice: 8 (Accuracy +3) = 11
Mob Dice: 7 (Evasion +4) = 3
Loot Dice: 18 (Search and Detect +2 / Item +1) = 21 (Materials Found)
Sword Art <<Vorpal Strike>> Activated (5 Energy Used / 1 Recovered / 14 Remaining)

As Calrex saw the sea wyvern unleash a desperate attack to try and hit him he angled his body. His non-dominant shoulder moved forward as his sword arm pulled back slightly. The point of the Grand Blade was facing forward, the flat of the sword itself facing upwards as he gave a calming breath. The sword lit up with the pulsing glow of his <<Vorpal Strike>> Sword Art as he flew forward, guided by the assisted system.

"This blow will end it."

A chasm of lightning flew past him from the creature's mouth, coming inches away from striking his avatar, but he remained unfaltering as he closed the rest of the distance, piercing the creature at its crest, each pulse of the aura seeming to slam into the entry point, adding to the damage the initial strike caused. There was a moment of silence, like the entire world was paused before the creature burst into crystals as the Ultramarine Knight completed his attack.

"Eliminated..."

With the end of the creature came the secondary dispersing of the torrential weather as Calrex's madly blowing hair fell straight down, matting and covering his face once again. Making his way back to the shore he resheathed the Grand Blade as he gave another calming breath, "Alright, better get moving back to Lazaro before any other creatures decide to pick a bone with me."

Loot List:
1 Material

HP List
Calrex: 121/201
   Energy: 14/49 (-5+1)

Enemies:
Torrential Sea Wyvern: 0/400 (10 DMG * 5 Art = 50 DMG)

Edited November 18, 2015 by Calrex

[Calrex 0]

(2 Turns Remaining Until Full Energy Recharge, 1 Recovered / 6 HP Recovered)

With his foe destroyed Calrex began to make his way back towards the settlement. By this point the raging winds and water that was present when he first departed into the field zones had completely ceased, restringing back to the stagnant waters of the swamplands, with the occasional croak of a frog to add to the ambient background noise, completely setting the theme of the floor. It was certainly a much different feel compared to the stormy climate from only a few hours ago. As the bluenette made his way back towards the settlement, following the clusters of land that peeked out of the water's surface, he gave a few calming breaths.

His eyes began to slowly shift back to their ocean blue hue as he no longer focused all of his being into a single task. As this happened he gave a small laugh at himself, "The darkness of a white knight, heh, sounds dark and poetic. Nothing like me at all. But I guess it does follow that idea: The closer to the light you get, the darker the darkness seems. I guess I really need to tell Xanatos that...when I see him."

"I hope he's alright. I haven't seem him in quite some time. I certainly hope he's doing well. Hikoru, Noctis, everyone from that last quest he took us on to fight against the King of Minos. Especially Noctis. After he disappeared we were forced to retreat, and lost track of Xanatos on the way back out."

HP List
Calrex: 126/201 (+6)
   Energy: 15/49 (+1)

[Calrex 0]

(1 Turns Remaining Until Full Energy Recharge, 1 Recovered / 6 HP Recovered)

As his thoughts turned to the friends he had lost contact with Calrex gave a small sigh as more depressing memories came to mind, memories of those he had unknowingly lost along the way. The first that he remembered specifically was Zeri, a friend he had met during the time he had fist started training with the Grand Chariot that was gifted to him by Teayre. It was not until he had revisited the Monument of Life that he had found out his friend had somehow died. Second was Lindow, the older man who saw him as a mentor figure. If he had to be honest with himself, he thought that Lindow would have been one of the people he truly wanted to see exit his game. The man had told him about his wife and daughter, whom he sure would be grief-struck once they found out their husband and father had passed away. Once again, he didn't know what had occurred, merely finding out after seeing the man's game suddenly become crossed out on the giant obelisk.

"To think that even with how much strength we all have, there is still always that chance of us being killed so easily."

Following this his memories transitioned to the event boss that he and a handful of others undertook, where they ended up fighting a giant pumpkin. The sight of his now-wife Teayre and his other good friends Ariel and Kalesh a single blow away from death remained plastered into his mind. He remembered the flurry of blows that had descended upon him from the boss' minions, hacking away at his health until less than half was remaining. If he had to be honest with himself, he was prepared to die at that moment, and it would have been worth it to keep the person he loved with all his heart safe.

With that his mind recalled a very old memory, one that was fabricated from his first encounter with his supposed "demon." The vision of seeing Oikawa, someone close enough to him he could have called him a brother, being eliminated in a single stroke...the sight of seeing his wife on the verge of deletion. The memory didn't fill him with fear, but instead with rage. He could feel his blood boiling as his fists tightened. A sight like that, made him feel disappointed in himself all over again. It was a depiction of his inability to protect them.

"To think I've come this far, and yet I still cannot keep them safe. I wonder if there was some point up to now where I might have gone wrong. The lightning bruiser build...I wonder if it's some farfetched dream I thought I could embody. The way I am now, the way I've been chosen to operate, it seems more like I'm just a blink tank. I forgot the fact we're in a damn MMORPG. It's a world where most of our results are fueled solely by the cold mechanics of the system. Willpower, drive, things that could influence fate in the real world, mean nothing here when it comes to combat..."

HP List
Calrex: 132/201 (+6)
   Energy: 16/49 (+1)

Edited November 18, 2015 by Calrex

[Calrex 0]

(Full Energy Recharge / 6 HP Recovered)

Calrex gave a small sigh. He could feel a wetness around his eyes, but from what he wasn't sure. It was most certainly possible that it could have been from the dampness of the floor, remnants of the raging wind and water from the field boss' presence. However, it was also possible that the strong emotions linked to his current thoughts were wearing down on the calm, stoic personality he usually assumed when he was alone.

"Dammit...I swear these thoughts are getting to me, but right now...I can't seem to help it. I guess the exhaustion must really be getting to me."

Rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand Calrex gave a small sigh as he continued forward, "I wonder how long I can keep this up. I guess eventually everyone will catch up, that's no surprise. I can't gain any more skills, so the most I can do is maximize the ones I have. Right now anything that contribute to combat would be Charge, a one-off attack to open combat, Meditation, which allowed me to heal and remove any negative effects that don't seem to occur as often anymore, and Martial Arts, which unless there is some secondary set of special Sword Arts seems to be fairly useless unless I aim to use it in combat. So unless more Extra Skills are discovered, I gain a unique set of gear, or somehow find some suitable unique skill...I guess I'm starting to see my limit...and there's no foreseeable way I can surpass it."

"Dammit all, I probably should have worked with Oikawa more to try and optimize my skill point investment. It's just like in every game I've played with this kind of system. I want to try and be good at everything, and in the end I can't excel at anything because of my lack of focus in a single direction. Jack of all trades, master of none for sure...guess in the end I've got some kind of envy for those that can excel."

HP List
Calrex: 138/201 (+6)
   Energy: 49/49

[Calrex 0]

(6 HP Recovered)

"Oikawa...I hope he's alright. He up and disappeared right after completing the eleventh floor boss meeting and fell off the radar. I haven't heard a single words of where he might be. I guess the Faint nickname he referred to himself as really was accurate. Honestly...I'm not sure if I'm doing a good enough job of living up to his title of Ultramarine Knight for me. I can protect someone sure, but if you put me up against an absolute tank like Tristan I fall short. I can deal a decent amount of damage, but anyone with a grandmastered weapon and unique items can easily surpass that as well. If it weren't for Meteor Break, I probably wouldn't even be considered for dealing damage, as the rapier, dagger, and katana Sword Arts seem to fulfill the job better. I guess in the end I'll always be drifting or floating somewhere in the middle."

"Tch...here I go again, feeling sorry for myself. I want to say that I'm happy without regrets for the choices I've made, but it's hard to fight the idea that the grass is greener on the other side."

"Come on Calrex, get it together. Remember, there's pros and cons to everything. There's nothing wrong with being somewhere in the middle. It makes you multipurpose. The other builds you've seen, the ones that you envy, they're only good at doing one, maybe two, things that's it. If you want to be harsh you might as well call them a gimmick, a lack of creativity. Tristan is a tank, and with the way he's built himself that's the most he can do. Zelrius may possess the Dual Blades, but if it weren't for the high damage he can deal or having someone to keep the enemy off of him his defenses would easily be overwhelmed. The same could be said for Teayre. You may not excel, but with the strength you have from the effort you've put in, you've been able to keep pace with those people to hold in high regard."

"Remember what Lindow said...everything in this game is out of the desire to survive. Honor and glory in a game means nothing if you die in the process. Pride, hubris, self-admiration, narcissism, all of that is just a bunch of hot air when faced with a person's one weakness. All of our efforts mean nothing if in the end we're reduced to nothing but pixels. One could be the best swordsman in the game and have the admiration of many lower level players, but once they die their memory will quickly desire, because people can be fickle..."

HP List
Calrex: 144/201 (+6)
   Energy: 49/49

[Calrex 0]

With a small sigh Calrex looked forward to see that while he was lost in his thoughts, his trek was uninterrupted as he came to the gates of Lazaro, leading back into the safe zone. Looking down at his side his mind went back to the fact that Teayre, his wife, was currently an orange player, and thus didn't have the luxury of entering back into the safe zones. Shaking his head he moved some of his hair out of the way of his face, "Damn judgement system. She goes and pulls her punches for me, yet she couldn't think to provoke a single strike from the man before she cut him in half. I guess it's still going to be some time before I fully understand being driven only by emotion."

"If things went a different way, or depicted in a different manner, I might probably be that villan who never appears to get his hands dirty, merely because he's skilled at playing his cards just right so they fall into place. In any case, I'd best stop dwelling on these thoughts. No matter what build I end up with, I'll see it through to the end. If ever there is a chance I can change my jack-of-all trades self into a possible master-of-all, I'll seek it out. But for now, I'll just have to play with the cards I've dealt myself."

Slamming his fist into his opposite palm the bluenette gathered his resolve as he looked forward, "No matter what storm is going on inside me, I'm not going to let it hinder my ability to protect her. She's the person I care about the most, and given my heart to. I won't lose her if it's in my ability to do something about it. Even if it means having to tackle someone off the face of Aincrad."

As he spoke the memory from <<Calming the Soul>> passed through his mind once again, "Xanatos, forgive me for these words, heh. If I need to channel what one would consider darkness, light, or anything inbetween, I'll take it all in to make sure she sees the outside world."