[F2-PP] <<Let There Be Light>> (Calrex)

[Shizuka 0]

Shizuka smiled. She had just woken up from her shop and the sun was shining brightly on her pale, white face. Indeed, she was going to have an adventure today even though she didn't really know what. She had recently heard of a quest up on the second floor which many people had done and she was rather interested... However, she wasn't exactly filled with information about this quest so she can't really just go accept it. Either way, she would head up to the second floor to look for the quest taking location and if she was unable to find it... so be it... It really mattered not. Shizuka sighed before rising from her bed and walking to the center of the shop. She had forgotten to craft the previous day, but she didn't really mind. Customers were not exactly frequent and she had limited amounts of materials to work with. Perhaps I can go find some materials afterward. Shizuka thought before walking out of her shop and to the teleportation gate where she would be teleported into the safe zone of floor 2. 

Up here, it was just as sunny as the first floor. Indeed, life was going about as usual and she has started to search the second floor. However, soon, she was engaged by an NPC lady that looked like she was on the edge. Indeed, she looked like she had been crying and just from that, Shizuka's heart broke a little. The NPC explained her situation, stating that her child had been attacked by monsters. At first, Shizuka did not trust the woman. She had done plenty of quests in which there was a sudden twist in the end and she would not be surprised at all if this was one as well. However, after some tears and begging, she soon gave in and accepted the quest. This could be a good leveling quest. She decided before having a sigh and looking at her friend list.  Seems like everyone's busy. I'll just PM Calrex... He's probably one of the most powerful and nice person I know. He'll definitely help me.  Shizuka thought before sending a PM over to the bluenette. 

[Calrex 0]

"Hm?"

Calrex looked down as he saw that a message had arrived as he gave a small yawn. He had been guarding Teayre for most of the night ever since his wife had become a PKer, having killed her father in revenge for all he had put her through. Keeping to his promise, he had not left her side for an extended amount of time, even in the nights for rest. However, this was beginning to tax on him as some dark circles had formed underneath his eyes. As he got to his feet he gave a smile as he gave Teayre a quick kiss, "I'll be back. Shizuka is asking for my help on a quest. It should be long, since it's the Let There Be Light mission."

Heading to the teleportation circle he vanished and reappeared on the second floor. Upon arrival he turned on his friend tracker, following to Shizuka's location as he gave a friendly wave, "Hey Shizuka. It's been a while. Looks like we're doing the second quest for this floor right?"

Swiping on his menu he equipped all of his gear as he gave a nod, "Whenever you're ready we can get moving on it. To my knowledge this quest takes place in a cave that actually is dark enough to hinder our eyesight without the Night Vision skill. I actually have it, so I can take point to scout for any potential threats."

Edited November 19, 2015 by Calrex

[Shizuka 0]

Shizuka had been admiring the basic landscaping of the floor when Calrex had managed to arrive. This time, it took a bit longer than when he would usually arrive. However, it was still very quick compared to some other people that would arrive if she had asked them to. Shizuka stood up from the bench immediately and looked at the man to see that he looked very, very, very tired. Black circles had formed under his eyes and his usually elegant blue hair was a mess. With a worried look, she glanced at the older man before speaking up with a worried tone, "Are you okay? You don't look very energetic." Shizuka said, wondering if the man might be exhausted from the amount of times in which she has asked him for assistance. No matter, if he suggests that he's okay, we shall proceed. Shizuka thought before walking.

"I have a general idea of where the cave might be."  Shizuka said and soon enough, she led the way, sure the cave might be dark but with Calrex's words that there is no danger as he has the skill in which allows him to see in the dark. Shizuka sighed in troublesome before equipping her sword and her charm that would help her in healing even though there would probably be no point as Calrex was more than capable of killing off the bats and other mobs that would be found in that cave. Either way, she had to prepare for everything including chances of injury. She then opened up her virtual menu and with a few clicks of buttons, she was able to send the party request over to the man so she wouldn't' be wasting her time doing this quest. "Alright. Ready when you are." Shizuka said with a smile.

 

[Calrex 0]

Calrex put a hand behind his head as he gave a nod, "I guess I really don't look my best right now do I? Sorry about that. Guess I haven't been getting enough sleep these past few days. Don't worry, it's nothing that'll cause trouble during the quest."

"I really should start thinking about regulating my sleep cycle a little better. I guess I really have been trying to make sure Teayre is safe, possibly a little too obsessively. In any case I'll be able to hold out. Once this quest is done I'll take a power nap to make sure I don't go knocking out randomly somewhere and put myself at risk."

As he followed Shizuka to the cave he gave a nod, swiping on his menu to trade out the Grand Dragoon for the Grand Chariot: Legacy in order to mask his disheveled appearance, the full body armor encapsulating his body and head, leaving only the stoic expression of his gear . Giving a calming breath he took the first step into the cave, activating his <<Night Vision>> skill his eyes turned a lighter shade of blue as he also added in his <<Reveal>> skill, the deep ocean shade of his irises turning almost sky blue with the two combined skills active, "Alright, from what I remember there's a couple of bats in this cave that tend to hang around. Go ahead and keep an ear out for the missing child. I'll keep watch for the bats."

Drawing the Grand Blade he exhaled and focused his senses, keeping his weapon at the ready for the creatures he knew were in the area, "This should be fairly quick. From what I remember the bats don't have any mitigation, meaning that if both show up I can probably take them both out at once with my area of effect Sword Arts."

Edited November 19, 2015 by Calrex

[Shizuka 0]

And hence, Shizuka walked slowly into the cave of darkness. Indeed, darkness was an understatement as it was pitch black inside that cave. Shizuka could smell faint smell of death lingering in the air from players that died here due to their misconception of this darkness. At first, there was silence. Absolute silence as if the cave was completely empty. Then, Shizuka heard a faint sound in the distance that had come from an NPC girl, "Help! Help!" She had cried out. Shizuka immediately charged forward, trying to get there to the helpless girl before the bats could sense their presence and arrive. However, that was when Shizuka realized with a low growl that a bat was already standing in between her and the bat... Indeed, due to the darkness, she had been unable to see the beast and hence, was unable to attack it.

The situation was far from good for Shizuka at the moment... She was facing a bat and she didn't know its particular location... Only part of its features stood out like the gigantic blood-shot eyes that stared directly into her own. With a shiver, she began to back down, hoping that Calrex had seen the bat and would attack it ahead of her so she could secure her own safety.

[Calrex 0]

ID: 39411
Battle Dice:  3 (Accuracy +3) = 6
Mob Dice: 4 (Evasion =4) = 0
Loot Dice: 20 (Search and Detect =2 / Item +1) = 23 (Materials Found)
Sword Art <<Vorpal Strike>> Activated / <<Charge>> Activated (5 Energy Used / 45 Remaining)

Calrex gave a calming breath as he watched Shizuka begin to scan around the area for the child. As the two got close he was also able to pick up the cry for help, but his main focus was on the creature was hanging down from the ceiling above his teammate, "Yep...I knew there were going to be a couple in here..."

Drawing his sword he gave a calming breath before shifting his stance to the one needed to activate <<Vorpal Strike>>. The Grand Blade lit up with a pulsing yellow aura before he shot forward, reinforcing his strike with his <<Charge>> skill as he pierced the creature right in the gut, with each bulbous movement of the aura slamming into the monster as if to add damage.

He lingered there in the air for a second before the creature dissipated into crystals as he dropped back to the ground, bending his knees to absorb the shock, "Alright, that's one down."

Swiping on his menu the Grand Blade disappeared as his forearms were covered in a new piece of equipment. It was one had recently commissioned from Teion's shop, but he felt now would be as good a time as ever to test them out. The Grand Gauntlets: Buster enveloped his arms, matching the Grand Chariot: Legacy's appearance, "Hey Shizuka, there should be only one more bat to deal with, but I'll be doing some Martial Arts practice on it. I'll keep it's attention, so go ahead and keep focusing on finding that child."

Loot List:
1 Material

HP List
Calrex: 205/205
   Energy: 45/50 (-5)
Shizuka: 72/72
   Energy: 18/18

Enemies:
Giant Bat 1: -10/50 (10+2 DMG * 5 Art = 60 DMG)

Edited November 19, 2015 by Calrex

[Shizuka 0]

Shizuka watched as Calrex was able to strike the Giant Bat and obtain one material from it as well. Of course, she wasn't paying attention to the fight. Indeed, she had full trust that Calrex would be able to defeat the mob in one hit, maybe two if he manages to miss. So she was listening carefully to the cries of the girl, trying to decipher which direction the cry had come from. Indeed, there were only three possible ways. At first, she thought that the cries were coming from the left but then she thought that it had come from the right. Still, she was unable to realize where the sound was originating from. However, soon, she was able to realize that the fact the sound came from both sides must mean only one thing. Indeed, the girl must be in the middle cave section.

Shizuka nodded as Calrex told her to go ahead and fetch the girl while he dealt with the mob. Shizuka smiled in agreement, knowing that the cave contained only two bats and it would be a while before they respawned. Shizuka sighed before finding her way through the darkness and soon, she was able to trace the cries and find the girl. She wasn't tied up or anything, but she was indeed restrained by some random material. It matters not. Soon, Shizuka walked over to the black-haired NPC girl before saying a word of comfort.

[Calrex 0]

ID: 39519
Battle DIce: 1 (Accuracy +3) = 4 (Disregarded Due to Howl)
Mob DIce: 1 (Evasion +4) = -3
<<Howl>> Activated (+3 Hate to all enemies)

Calrex gave a nod as he saw Shizuka discern the location of the child heading into the middle part of the cave as he scanned around. A wave of exhaustion came over him for a second as he felt his legs buckle slightly, his stance breaking for a second before he caught himself, "Dammit...I need to stay awake right now."

Hearing a screech he looked upwards, seeing that the second bat had appeared and was making its way over towards Shizuka. Clenching his fists he gave a calming breath before his limbs were surrounded by the light blue aura chains of his armor. Slamming his fists together the chains exploded from his avatar as he activated his <<Howl>> skill.

The soundwave rushed past the bat as it turned back to face him, immediately flying forward in an attempt to scratch at him, but the Ultramarine Knight quickly maneuvered out of the way with a quick safety roll as he got back to his feet, "Alright bat number two. You're going down."

HP List
Calrex: 205/205
   Energy: 46/50 (+1)
Shizuka: 72/72
   Energy: 18/18

Enemies:
(H: C 3 / S 0) Giant Bat 1: 50/50

Edited November 20, 2015 by Calrex

[Shizuka 0]

ID: 39530
Battle Dice: 2-1=1
Sword Art <<Vertical>> Activated

Shizuka looked at the helpless, fragile girl with a heart full of pity. "Alright girl. Don't worry." She said when the girl looked up with a frightening look. "We're here to help you. Just follow me quietly okay? That means don't cry or else the bats might get us... But we have quite a good warrior with us and bats should be no problem at all." Shizuka said with the most calming tone that she could manage and indeed, it was somewhat effective because the girl did seem to calm down a little bit more. Shizuka smiled, adding a cherry on the cake and hence, the NPC girl began to follow her... It was as if the invisible barrier had disappeared now that Shizuka had arrived.

As Shizuka walked back to where Calrex was, she heard the sound of a battle. Indeed, she had heard a howl of some sorts and she didn't know what that was. If it was a skill that Calrex had used, she didn't know what it was. At first, she thought that Calrex was in trouble and that howl was to alarm her but then, as she got closer to the bluenette, she realized that he was just fighting with the same type of bat that they had fought with not too long ago. Shizuka sighed as she was no longer worried but now, it was her turn to strike. With a smile, she charged forward, attempting to deal damage to the bat.

--------------------

Calrex: 205/205
   Energy: 46/50
      Hate: 3
Shizuka: 72/72
   Energy: 16/18 (-2)
      Hate: 0

Giant Bat 1: 50/50

Edited November 20, 2015 by Shizuka

[Calrex 0]

ID: 39533
Battle Dice: 5 (Accuracy +3) = 8
Mob Dice: 4 (Evasion +4) = 0
Sword Art <<Crescent Moon>> Activated / <<Charge>> Activated (6 Energy Used / 1 Recovered / 41 Remaining)

Calrex looked to see that Shizuka had taken the opportunity to strike as he gave a nod. Giving a calming breath he crouched his body low, the originally yellow aura of his <<Martial Arts>> skill being replaced by the light aura aura that seemed to match him. As his skill was channeled through his new gauntlets the aura shifted, becoming visible chains as they began to spin rapidly around his legs.

Rushing forward he activated his <<Charge>> skill to quickly close the distance. Activating his <<Crescent Moon>> Sword Art he quickly turned and faced away from the bat before kicking up into the air, performing a backflip. The movement quickly turned into an attack as his legs separated, turning into a gainer flash kick as he struck the bat on the head, inflicting a debilitating blow as he saw the Stun effect triggered.

Landing back on the ground he gave a calming breath as he nodded to his teammate.

HP List
Calrex: 205/205
   Energy: 41/50 (-6+1)
Shizuka: 72/72
   Energy: 16/18

Enemies:
(H: C 4 / S 1) Giant Bat 1: 23/50 (7+2 DMG * 3 Art = 27 DMG / Stunned Until Next Turn)

Edited November 21, 2015 by Calrex

[Shizuka 0]

ID: 39572
Battle Dice: 3-1=2
Sword Art <<Snake Bite>>

Shizuka thought that she would definitely be able to score an attack on the gigantic bat. No matter how bad her attacking and damage dealing skills, she surely can't miss a stunned target right? Wrong. Indeed, she had managed to miss the still target despite its stillness. Shizuka cursed, unbelieving to the fact that that had just happened. However, Shizuka then retreated, preparing for her next attack. "The darkness is really hard to deal with..." Shizuka murmured before looking back at the NPC girl to see that she was indeed, waiting, waiting patiently. What do I expect? Of course, she would be waiting... NPCs don't have minds. Shizuka thought with the roll of an eye before keeping her eyes on the still bat who was lingering in the darkness.

Calrex: 205/205
   Energy: 41/50
      Hate: 3
Shizuka: 72/72
   Energy: 15/18 (+1) (-2)
      Hate: 0

Giant Bat 1: 23/50

Edited November 21, 2015 by Shizuka

[Calrex 0]

ID: 39859
Battle Dice: 7 (Accuracy +3) = 10
Mob Dice: 10 (Evasion +4) = 6 (Disregarded Due to Stun)
Loot Dice: 13 (Search and Detect +2 / Item +1) = 16 (Materials Found)
Sword Art <<Delayed Sword>> Activated (4 Energy Used / 1 Recovered / 38 Remaining)

"Yeah, it certainly is. I'm not sure how often we'll be encountering this on the other floors, but I've actually invested in the Night Vision skill, which allows my eyes to adjust to darkness like this. It might be helpful for you to pick up."

Looking back at their stunned foe the bluenette gave a calming breath. The part of the Grand Gauntlets: Buster seemed to begin to emit a light blue aura that seemed like a afterburner as he flew forward, executing his <<Delayed Sword>> Sword Art. Rapidly spinning he delivered a series of kicks, high and low, as if he were aiming for all of the vital points on the bat's body before dropping his upper body forward to put enough force behind his right arm for a chop.

The hand blow seemed to cut into the creature before it sliced it clean off. The monster shattered into crystals immediately after as Calrex gave a sigh of relief, looking back and giving a nod to Shizuka, "That should be the last one. Let's get out of here."

Loot List:
1 Material

HP List
Calrex: 205/205
   Energy: 38/50 (-4+1)
      Hate: 4
Shizuka: 72/72
   Energy: 15/18 (+1) (-2)
      Hate: 0

Giant Bat 1: -5/50 (7 DMG * 4 Art = 28 DMG)

Edited November 21, 2015 by Calrex

[Shizuka 0]

"Yes, let's go," Shizuka said, already starting to walk away from the dark cave. The cave had really, really perked Shizuka's anxiousness. She didn't like the dark as it means that there is something that is hiding from her. She liked to see everything as that is the only way that she can be aware of any possible danger that is around her. Of course, danger doesn't wait to attack, you have to be aware of it and when it is dark, there is no way for you to do so. Soon, after yet another sigh, Shizuka started to rapidly walk outside having had the girl's hand in her own palm.

Soon, just as Shizuka's eyes were blinded by the sunlight, she heard a delightful squeal coming from the outside of the cave and indeed, the girl's mother was waiting right there. Soon, the woman walked up to the pink-haired girl and gave her several sentences of gratefulness in which Shizuka felt very uncomfortable in. However, soon the moment was over and the CONGRATULATIONS pop-up did pop up for the girl. Indeed, she had already completed the quest but the day was still early and she knows that it would be best if she didn't just go home now and probably procrastinate in her crafting before ending up not being able to craft. With a smile, Shizuka looked at Calrex, "I know you're a busy man, but I am going to stick around for some material gathering now. Feel free to join me if you wish." Shizuka said politely.

 

Edited November 23, 2015 by Shizuka

[Calrex 0]

With the bat's defeat Calrex gave a nod as he followed Shizuka and the girl out of the cave, seeing that the mother was already waiting for their return. With a nod he put his hands at his sides as he listened to Shizuka's invite for some material gathering, "Sure thing, that sounds like a good idea. I actually just started a profession, so some more materials will come in handy."

He gave a friendly nod, even though this was masked by the stoic expression of the Grand Chariot: Legacy's armor. However, it also accomplished his desired task of hiding the tired expression on his face. Even though he was more than capable of continuing anything for the rest of the day, he understood that the restless nights of watching over his wife was taking their toll on his psyche. After all, there were certain parts of a human's makeup that couldn't be quantified into mechanics within the game.

Looking around he scanned the area for any immediate threats before turning back to his teammate, "We should be able to find some good materials in the field area surrounding this cavern. If need be we can also take a quick trek upwards into some of the mountains for different types of useful objects."

"It certainly has been a while since I've looked for materials on this floor. Before I took a break from material gathering most of it was done on either the first or tenth floors. Being here is a refreshing change of pace.."

[Shizuka 0]

Shizuka smiled, the day was already ending but before the world becomes truly engulfed by the darkness of the night, Shizuka could possibly get some materials during the time that she will continue to spend on this floor. Of course, there was no time to waste... Recently, she hadn't been feeling inspired to complete some crafts but here, she might be able to obtain some inspiration from this material gathering session. Shizuka sighed before looking around, hoping that she could find something of use for her shop, preferably something like mushrooms as that was a common material item.

ID: 39712
Loot Dice: 10+3=13

However, she was unable to find any sort of mushrooms at all and instead, she did spot a nearby tree that was filled with red apples that looked rather delicious. Of course, Shizuka was rather hungry and ramen didn't sound like a good choice for her at the moment. Instead, she decided to head up and try to obtain an apple from that tree. However, when she approached the tree, she realized that the apples were rather high in the air, probably impossible for someone like her to reach. With a sigh, Shizuka tried anyway to see if she could perhaps unlock her inner baller skills but it really didn't work.

Edited November 22, 2015 by Shizuka

[Calrex 0]

ID: 39775
Loot Dice: 12 (Search and Detect +2 / Item +1) = 15 (Materials Found)

As Shizuka began her search for materials, Calrex gave a nod as he turned and did so as well. Using his <<Reveal>> skill he began to search around, scanning the landscape. Since he was fairly familiar with the floor's materials from past expeditions, he was able to easily determine some objects that were suitable for use as bait. Picking up a couple of what appeared to be strange types of albino worms he added them to his inventory as he got to his feet, dusting off his feet, "Alright one down."

"I wonder how Shizuka's doing on her gathering."

Loot List:
1 Material

Edited November 22, 2015 by Calrex

[Shizuka 0]

ID: 39779
Loot Dice: 16+3=19

Shizuka frowned. It seems as if she and Calrex had separated and, well, she didn't really mind. She was probably going to get more material gathering done anyway by herself as she could concentrate more. Soon, she continued to search for materials in which she can place in her inventory to call this material gathering time at least partially successful. With a smile, she managed to spot an area in which mushrooms were blossoming kindly for her to pick. Of course, she was not going to just leave them there and soon, she was able to easily pick them out from the ground and into her inventory.

Loot List:
1 Material

Edited November 22, 2015 by Shizuka

[Calrex 0]

ID: 39781
Loot Dice: 18 (Search and Detect +2 / Item +1) = 21 (Materials Found)

With some extra time Calrex was able to find yet another handful of albino worms to use for bait as he gave a calming breath, "If only this was still a viable method for gaining many materials. Ever since Sword Arts were released it seems this is the method that requires the most work."

Getting to his feet he turned around, looking over towards Shizuka's location, "How's the searching on your end? It looks like there's a good amount in the area this time around."

Loot Dice:
2 Materials

Edited November 22, 2015 by Calrex

[Shizuka 0]

ID: 39795
Loot Dice: 16+3=19

Shizuka smiled when Calrex asked her how material gathering was going and right there, she saw a patch of mushrooms hidden beneath the shadow of a sheltering tree. "It's been going very well. Indeed, it seems like there's a good, nice patch of mushrooms right there for my alchemist needs." Shizuka said, delighted with how good the material gathering was going so far. She would do this for the rest of the night and once she obtains enough, she would go ahead and craft to gain more experience for herself. I need crystals for crafting. Shizuka thought before picking the mushrooms up and continuing the search. 

Loot List:
2 Materials

Edited November 23, 2015 by Shizuka

[Calrex 0]

ID: 39807
Loot Dice: 18 (Search and Detect +2 / Item +1) = 21 (Material Found)

"Nice work. Right now I'm just gathering some things I can use as bait. Found a couple of odd pale white worms so far. I'm guessing they're based on that albino disorder in nature."

Looking down Calrex parted some of the dirt out of the way as he found yet another one of the worms trying to burrow deeper into the earth. Plucking it from the ground he swiped on his menu as he transferred it to his inventory, "My luck's been pretty good so far, much better than my first few days of fishing went. I wonder if this is some sign of a turnaround. Well, better not get my hopes up. It can always take a turn for the worse. Tch, like Teayre's fathering showing up right after the wedding. I swear if it were any more perfectly timed I would have thought I was in some kind of soap."

Getting back to his feet he dusted off any bits of earthen material from his hands before looking around, "In any case that makes three so far..."

Loot List:
3 Materials

Edited November 23, 2015 by Calrex