[Other FULL] «Sword Art Online: Sanctuary» [IC][T]

[Data_Error]

Aria
Lvl. 12 | Exp. 35% | HP. 100% | Col. 976
Floor 4 - Lobria, Market​

Luckily, he seemed to have bought it to some extent, or at least to the point where Aria could plausibly walk away. Which she chose to do, and quite hastily at that. She could practically feel the color draining from her face - her hold on her tongue slipped for but a moment and suddenly she had made a complete prat of herself. She sighed and crossed her arms even closer across her chest. It would be just as well should they meet next as strangers.

…

Aria didn't even need to look to know that particular hope had been completely dashed. The man was pushing six and a half feet in height, nigh on impossible to ignore. His armor - every bit as heavy in class as her own - only served to make him seem even larger. Probably some sort of high-output damage-dealing type of character, then. Yet a quick flick of her eyes caught a face with surprising youth and expressiveness for the rest of the archetype its body was attached to.

"No hard feelings, alright?" the man offered, grinning. Aria did what she could to soften her expression and turned her head slightly to return the courtesy.

"Certainly not. The fault, if any, was mine," she said plainly. There. A straight apology, a tight resolution all tied up for the man.

"The name's Dragon." Aria clenched her teeth behind smiling lips. Dragon this talk on was more like it..

"Aria," she returned, giving the man's hand a quick and firm shaking before returning it cross her chest. Pleasantries done, of course, but now she had gone and gotten herself trapped in a conversation, of all things. She never knew quite what to say to her fellow players. Bringing up the overall state of affairs would make for nothing but a depressing chat, news tended to boil down to some manner of guild affairs, and so she was left with geography and system events, of which either one was likely to qualify as "old news".

"…third floor's a bit of a runaround. Have you been?" she asked, settling for a talk over territory. Of course, considering her dangerous proximity to the level recommendation and the dense fog throughout the area, Aria had passed over the floor entirely, so this would likely force the conversation to a close shortly.

 

[machomuu]

William Danielson||Godot
Lv. 14||Floor 4 - Lobria​

Godot's hands shook uncontrollably as he looked at a panel. "It's for the child. It's for the child. It's for the child," he repeated to himself, his hand slowly moving closer and closer to the panel in front of him. "...but I haven't actually seen her much, recently, and it is quite the investment to be making..." He said to himself, backing his hand away. He continued to have a back and forth with himself, literally moving his hand back and forth as he presented to himself pros and cons.

4th Prefect Abode
Residential Building

Cost:50,000 Col
Current: 51,642 Col
[Confirm] [Cancel]​

Big, regular priced purchases were not a regular thing for Godot, especially when those purchases were for himself. He was a man of Steam deals and price drops, not to mention he lived in an apartment prior to playing the game. How exactly he got that money was pretty simple: because Mammon's Fang raised the amount of Col he gained from defeating enemies by 5%, and he'd used it to defeat a Diablos Dragon and a sea wyvern. That alone wasn't enough, so he decided to sell their spoils, as useful as they might have proved. If his mostly unsuccessful life had taught him anything, it was that parents will often make grave sacrifices, even if the outcome is less than worth it. The regret comes later, and you never let the child see it. Apart from that, he sold his weapon, Santa's Cane, and repaired his Meister's Soul- the latter of which was free thanks to the hair he'd gotten from the sea wyvern. It helped that he really didn't have too much that he bought for himself, largely because it was the Christmas season and he had to put himself in the "giving" mindset. Apart from that, after helping Lacy with her with her boss, he'd sold food for a short time. It was a small shop that didn't see too many customers, but it was enough to pay off the difference.

Thinking over it one final time, there was little reason for him to back off. After all, considering all he'd already given up that he had no way of retrieving, there was no reason not to spend his money on something that was important to him. This was doubly important since Tara was staying at the daycare that Kagome helped run and, though he knew she was in good hands, he wanted to see her more often. She was very close to Kagome and Apathy as well, and he'd hoped he could ask them all to live together with him. Of course, that was just wishful thinking. Kagome probably would have liked to be closer to the daycare, and despite how close they'd become, he wasn't sure Apathy and Kagome were ready to start living with each other. But at least there was a chance.

With a deep breath, he puffed out his chest and pressed the "Confirm" option. The number in the "Current" section quickly dropped to the amount of Col after reduction, which was then replaced by "Thank You!" text, which soon disappeared and allowed access to the door. Godot kept his breath held as he put his hand on the knob and turned. He stepped inside, closing the door behind him, and was astounded by what he saw. The house was like nothing he'd ever personally seen, being Japanese themed as it was, yet the particular house had some Western flair to it. It was furnished with a dinner table, several chairs, and a kitchen area. Up the stairs were several three bedrooms. It wasn't much, but for 50,000 Col, it was more than he could have asked for, and for the price it was rather spacious. He took a few minutes looking over his new abode, rather pleased with his purchase. He was especially fond of the kitchen, and more, the inclusion of a bunk bed in one room.

But he didn't waste much time. He took a rocking position in one of the chairs and brought up his and started writing a message.

To: Kagome
Subject: Need to Talk

Hey, I know this is sudden, but I need you and your sister to pick up Tara and come to the housing district in Lobria, I have something important I need to talk to you girls about.​

It was a brief message, but he never was good at writing long e-mails to others. After closing out the prompt, he sighed. "Whelp, no time to lounge." He slipped out of the chair and headed towards the kitchen area. "I guess it's about time I make some Grier's Stew. It's been a while, so I'll see if I can remember how to make it..."

 

[<Challenger>]

Taka the Lovable Poet: Level 14 - 72% Exp - 3000 Col
Ragnorak the Fearsome Fighter: Level 15 - 92% Exp - 3300 Col
Floor 3: The Misty Forest
Of Skipped Boss Fights and Prepositional Phrases​

"I have your back!" Taka shouted out as he rushed behind his companion's back and fended off a Mantis Knight's spear and dove forward with Poetic Justice. The massive blade pushed through the Knight's armor like butter, and within seconds he poofed out of existence and a beautiful explosion of pixels. "HA!"​

Ragnorak grinned as he whirled his axe in a circle, cleaving the legs off of a mantis. "Take THAT!" He brought his axe down on it's rider's head, making him burst away. "Come on! We have to get back to the teleporter!" The pair had driven deep into the third floor in an attempt to train themselves to the maximum extent. But, that plan had turned into a fiasco when they stumbled upon the nest of Mantis Knights. "RUN!" The two broke away from the horde surrounding them and dashed forward, quickly followed by the Knights. "Come on!" He looked behind him. The horde was close.​

Taka grinned as he followed closely behind his companion. "No time to stop now!" His blade was getting heavy, as it normally did after a long period of use. "We need to go!" The pair couldn't clearly see where they were going, considering that the heavy blanket of fog covered the entire floor, but their mini maps made everything so clear. His mane fluttered out behind him, blocking all view of the rider's, but he didn't mind. The realization of his mortality flooded his head as he thought about the mini-boss battle that had taken place a week ago. Taka noticed the stone circle out of the corner of his eye. "COME ON!" He leapt to the side, followed by Ragnorak, and the pair vanished in a flash of blue light.
-------------------------------
After a second or two of nothing, the dynamic duo appeared in Lobria's town square. The air was cool and crisp, but it was much preferred over the humid, cold mist of the third floor. Ragnorak looked around, his hands now resting on his hips, and sighed. "Glad to back in civilization," He looked to Taka and held his arms out. "There's so much to do here! Where should we start?"​

Taka pursed his lips in thought as he looked over all of the different stores, shops, and buildings. "To the blacksmiths and armorer's?" He could use armor. As much as he liked his regular armor and black cape, he could use some actual armor, and maybe even some stat boosting accessories. ​

Ragnorak nodded and looked over his equipment. His durability was running low on most of it, and he was due for a maintenance check. "Sounds like a plan to me." With that, the pair set off for the smithing part of town. ​

 

[Turnip]

Turnip
HP 41% | LV. 15 | XP 81% | Col 11315
Location - Floor 3: The Forest of Wavering Mist​

Turnip was being stalked, he was sure of it. The rustling in the bushes every now and again, the slight tension in the air – he doubted it was a mob; they tended to be a little less cautious about such things, and a whole lot less capable of swearing in English whenever he moved just that little bit too far away. Whoever was following him obviously thought him a lot less perceptive than he was – ordinarily, it would probably be a fatal mistake, but on only just over 40% health Turnip wasn't too fond of the idea of fighting another player.

His run of grinding just passed had been pretty solid: a few of the standard Salamander Warriors were only enough to poke him a little, though a pretty nasty Mantis Knight (several levels higher than Turnip, enough to prompt a 'Mantis Knights OP, Kayaba please nerf' from the warrior) had made off with around half of his health. Unfortunately, he was still getting used to the attack patterns of those things, though from what he could gather they were more easily dispatched with numbers. Where all the solo player love at? Turnip mused. Although good for grinding for both experience and loot, the third floor was something of a dangerous place. The mobs would be bad enough, if it weren't for the favourable conditions player-killers took advantage of. Misty areas in games were always the places where bad things happened.

The armoured figure held his sword low by his side. It was relatively new – a black sword with a red blade named 'Daedric Bow of Flames' – having been forged only just before going out on this little grind. His armour hadn't changed, really, apart from repairs and little enhancements. Turnip would probably have to see to that soon enough, after he dealt with the stalker's shenanigans and got back to Lobria… Speaking of which, there was an angered sigh from behind Turnip as he turned an awkward corner again. The amount of distance he'd travelled back to the floor portal with this person at his back wasn't even funny. He'd probably be there in about half a minute without any conflict.

As it turned out, that wasn't entirely the case. With a slightly louder sigh, from the bushes emerged another player – clad in leather armour and a cowl, a wicked kukri and the signature orange colour cursor. The PKer dashed at Turnip, kukri raised to his side in an attempt to strike. The armoured figure raised a hand in greeting.

"Hey, how're you doing?" He said, before moving the raised hand to his back and drawing his blade in a flash. Turnip's assailant raised his kukri to block, but to no avail – Draw Steel would not so easily be swayed. Though the majority of damage was blocked, the player killer was flung back, bouncing off several trees before finally smacking into a larger one.

Turnip sheathed his sword and began to walk backwards. "Gee gee, prick. Mess with a Turnip, you get the roots… the roots of your demise…! Yeah, I guess that works, I'll take it." The vegetable-themed player didn't catch another glimpse of the would-be assassin before teleporting back to floor 4, though that was hardly surprising to him. He was there in a matter of seconds, and it was generally accepted that getting up after taking a Draw Steel was something that not many people tended to fancy all that much. In a small burst of light, the armour-clad form of Turnip materialised in Lobria.

 

[ShinyDiamond]

Robin - Lvl 12
Floor 2: Marome Shops
HP: 100% - EXP: 87% - Col: 1341

​

1341 Col. Robin'll have to sell some goods to make some decent Col for a good weapon. Those monsters drop some neat stuff. At the markets, everything was buzzing with shoppers & loud negotiations. Robin prefers a more quiet shop, but this place has stronger equipment for Robin to get. He goes to one of the NPC's shops & sells many of his junk items he's been keeping since Floor 1. It's a mystery why didn't keep selling. Once that was done, Robin looks around the area for the weapon's shop. While doing so, he saw a familiar figure walking around. She was in a robe, obviously concealing her appearance.

Robin blushed just staring at Lucina. When he realized this, he quickly turns his head away & puts on his hood. Why is he doing this? It's not like he wants to make friends...

Robin walks over to Lucina & waves his hand, "H-hey L- Er..." He doesn't know why he's talking to Lucina. He's not one to want to talk to others. He knows he has a crush on her, he just can't seem to fight it. "I haven't seen you in a while," he said nervously with his head turned another direction while rubbing inside his hood. This is really out of character for him...

 

[Geras]

Rikuto Yuuto Sato // Ryuusa Lv.8
Floor 4: Lobria Market
Store status:

Spoiler:

Floor Management:
Floor 1 location (Town of Beginnings central market): Closed
Floor 2 location (Urbus town square): Kouki [NPC]
Floor 4 makeshift stand (Lobria market): Ryuusa

Special items: None at the moment

​

---

The heavily-armored businessman sighed as he stood behind the shoddy stand he had managed to construct in Lobria's marketplace with a bit of help from Camlann. This entire situation was more than a bit frustrating. Up until now, he'd been able to buy a locale for a proper store whenever one was available, where decoration, organization, the comfort of the indoors and a sign with the store's name on it were all good for drawing in customers. Unfortunately, a Lobria location for Ryuusa's Quality Goods didn't seem like it would be happening anytime soon as he simply did not have the money to spare right now. Christmas, a boss fight, and now new years in the past week meant his employees were getting a lot of time off, which while good for morale was bad for production, something he needed considering two whole floors were unlocked in what seemed like an instant. Furthermore, he was unable to look for mining spots on the third floor on account of his level and the lack of a safe zone, limiting his ability to get material that could keep up with the competition unless he bought those materials. He'd made a lot of progress on his smithing level, but again, what good was that without materials? Maybe it was time to reconsider his leveling priorities...

And so here he was, stuck in an unremarkable stand without much to attract customers. While his display equipment was indeed very good, having been upgraded numerous times for superior quality as per the store's name, it was still made from materials of lower floors so it unfortunately just didn't look as impressive as a lot of the newer stuff in some of the shops. He probably should have hired a musician to play in front of the stand and draw a crowd, but he'd been a bit hesitant with looking for new employees ever since Princess' death on Christmas. Try as he might, he still hadn't been able to get completely past that.

With customers few and far in between, Rikuto's mind would ordinarily have wandered as it does when it doesn't have something to focus on, but his status as a market-stand salesman meant he couldn't afford to be idle. With another sigh, he put his vocal cords to work and began shouting like a number of other stand-keepers. "RYUUSA'S QUALITY GOODS! HIGH QUALITY WEAPONS, ARMOR, POTIONS, CLOTHING, AND ACCESSORIES! WE DO CUSTOM ORDERS AND RESERVES!" Rikuto was very glad he had learned how to hide his level a couple days ago, as he didn't need a low level making this more embarrassing than it already was. But it was all he could do for now so he simply kept on doing it.

Eventually, shouting the same thing over and over became second nature to Rikuto so he was able to let his mind wander just a bit anyway. He recalled the insanity that was Christmas Day, where he somehow got the bright idea to go into a dungeon and fight enemies nearly twice his level, then proceed to participate in a fight against a miniboss that definitely had to have been twice his level. His Full-Guard +6 really took a beating that day, but fortunately his trusty shield held out. Although, he hated himself for risking his life recklessly like that so much that day he spent the night in a bar in a state of simulated drunkenness. He thought about the others, Lacy, Taka, and Godot, and how crazy fights like that were normal occurrences for them. He wasn't sure he himself was entirely ready to accept mortal combat as a normal part of his everyday life, even a month and a half into the game.

He then thought about Xenith, who had apparently led him to his room that drunken night after she helped fight the floor boss. Apparently she had joined some mercenary guild a bit after she started working for him. A group of people who devoted themselves to fighting things tough enough to merit other people paying them for it. And Xenith still somehow found the time to produce the store's entire potion stock. This game really had some amazing people in it, and Rikuto wasn't too sure he could keep up. He would have to try though, as he couldn't keep his family waiting too long. If it wasn't for them, he was sure he'd still be on the first floor getting drunk. It occurred to him that, being new year's eve, that's what he would probably be doing tonight if he were still in the real world. It was strange knowing that today he'd be more productive in a video game than in real life.

With that last random thought, Rikuto decided to rest his voice for a moment and continue shouting after bit.

---

(OOC:) How the store works:

Spoiler:

[Summary]: The store is called "Ryuusa's Quality Goods", and it is a general store consisting of armor, weapons, potions, clothing, and accessories. Items can be reserved for a 25% down payment, and custom items can be commissioned as long as they are paid for up front. Every once in a while, there will be a "Special Item" for sale that carries a unique bonus. After a day or two, the item will no longer be available regardless of whether it was sold.

[Management]: There are multiple store locations but only one will be run by my character at a time, with the other locations being run by one of my NPCs. You can just roleplay that as if you would an encounter with a normal NPC shopkeeper. Ask me about the price for whatever it is you want to buy or sell beforehand and I'll tell you. If you want to haggle with them, however, they will not be allowed to lower the price of anything more than 10% below normal when you're buying or raise the price 10% above normal when you're selling, and that's if you're really good.

[Buying]: Have your character ask for a specific item type (e.g. light armor, curved swords) and I'll make a price list afterwards of everything that fits under that, at least until Rose Quartz and ShinyDiamond finally make that official price list. The more specific the better because it means I get to make a smaller list. Rules for buying from my NPCs under [Management] above.

[Selling]: Items can be sold to any location. If it is the location Ryuusa is in, the item will be appraised at which point the characters can discuss final sales price. If the location is being run by one of my NPCs, let me know so I can give you a price. Rules for selling to my NPCs under [Management] above.

[Employment]: Ryuusa does indeed employ other players, who are free to ask if he isn't presently advertising "We're hiring!". Wage (and possibly hours) are based on the position and discussed with the potential employee. I'll usually only require you to write into a post that they actually showed up, after which you can carry on with whatever you were doing after mentioning that X hours passed.

[Disclaimers]: The store's funds and Ryuusa's funds are entirely separate. Any items sold to the store will not be used by Ryuusa, nor will any items being sold by the store. Rose Quartz and ShinyDiamond have the right to override any prices I have already decided.

​

 

[Sapphire Rose]

Lucina
Player level 17
Floor 4: Lobria​

Lucina searched around for a small alley where she could quickly pull on her cloak. It didn't take long to find one at a place that was less crowded. She opened up her inventory once again and took a quick look around if anyone was looking before equipping her beloved cloak. Lucina didn't want to take the risk of not being able to fight on the front lines again. She hated to just stand by and watch things happen and promised herself this was not going to happen inside this game. Lucina's stubborness had a downside too. Even though she was told to hide herself a little more because those members of maffia gang still might be trying to get to her, she still kept bringing herself in danger by showing up on local events and festivals... like today.

She wondered if she'd see Robin, Turnip, Godot, Kagome and everyone else at the New Year's eve. Well... maybe not Godot. She had business to take care of with him but didn't want to do that today. She mainly hoped to see Robin but didn't exactly know why, she just wanted to see someone I guess. Now she thought about it, Robin was still the only one who knew about the scar on her back and was one of the few who knew about the maffia gang trying to kill her. It was strange how something from the past could escalate so badly.

It didn't take long before someone actually walked up to her while she had been mindlessly walking around the market place. "H-hey L- Er..." The hooded figure, obviously Robin, said while stuttering and waving at her. "I haven't seen you in a while," Robin said, sounding nervous and turning away from her. Something was odd about him today but Lucina couldn't put her finger on what. "Hey Robin, I was actually just thinking about you." Lucina replied while smiling. "I've been busy trying to get some more money." She said but corrected herself. "N-Not that I need new armor or something... I just want to save up money in case... Anyway, what have you been up to?" Lucina asked him.


------
«Lucina's white dress» [unequipped]
«Falchion» [equipped]
​

 

[ShinyDiamond]

Mamoru - Lvl 15
Floor 4: Lobria
HP: 95% - EXP: 35% - Col: 2753

Spoiler:

I'll have to cut through the markets before I can reach the wall. Well, that's the plan anyway. Too bad this town's safety system prevents me from actually cutting through here. Just kidding~

I'm walking through the markets while taking interests in the goods around me. I wonder where NPCs get these goods? Propably technology! Oh! Do I spy with my virtual eye...? Maybe it's time I reveal myself...

Robin - Lvl 12
Floor 2: Marome Shops
HP: 100% - EXP: 87% - Col: 6061

Spoiler:

It seems Lucina is here for the same reason as Robin. "I'm actually here selling some stuff too. I-isn't that a coincidence," he replies nervously, checking his new amount of Col. "I've been...staying put for a while, training." Robin scratches his head in desperation to know what to say next. These friendly conversations are not his thing. The next words that come out of his mouth are actually by instinct. "Uh, Lucina. If you don't mind, maybe-"

"Rooooobiiiiiin!!!" Robin's words were stopped right there when he heard a familiar voice. "That voice..." he rests his chin on his right fist, contemplating, "do I know it...?" Before he could even come close to thinking enough, he's suddenly back-kicked to the ground. "Agh-!"

"What's up, tough guy?" Mamoru lands on his feet & salutes to Robin with two fingers, "Long time no see!"

Spoiler:

Robin at first gets angry at the guy, until he looks up to see a familiar face. "C-Clay?!" He coulnd't believe it, but he had to. His best friend was in the game, virtual flesh & bones. It's no wonder. That back-kick is all too familiar. Robin gets up & dusts himself off, his hood off due to the kick. "Why'd you do that, Clay?"

Mamoru chuckles & replies, "What? Can't a guy see his old friend after a month?"

"That's not what I meant. You know, you really have a way of making bad impressions." As Robin explains his friend's personality, Mamoru is already introducing himself to Lucina.

"Nice to meet you! My name is Mamoru! At least in this world." As he keeps talking, Mamoru continues shaking Lucina's hands each one by one, "I've been keeping an eye on Robin here for a while, so I already know your secret," he whispers that last part in a weird way. He eyes Lucina inside her robe, "Not bad."

Spoiler:

"This is exactly what I'm talking about," Robin says irritably after he hammers Mamoru on the head, who comically lands flat on the ground. It took a while before Robin realizes again that Clay is in the game. "Hey, wait a minute! What the hell are you doing in this death game?"

Thanks to the safety in this town, Clay was alright, so he gets up & answers with a grin. "Well, it wasn't an easy task," he continues with weird poses, "I had to go through a bunch of obstacles to get the game, climb a bunch of mountains, raid the rackets, just so I could surprise you!" mamoru smiles at Robin, who only showed disinterest in his story. "But my step-mom beat me to the punch, so she surprised me." That only gave Robin dot eyes.

"..."

 

[Sapphire Rose]

Lucina
Player level 17
Floor 4: Lobria​

"I'm actually here selling some stuff too. I-isn't that a coincidence, I've been...staying put for a while, training." Robin seemed nervous but Lucina thought it was nothing. "Uh, Lucina. If you don't mind, maybe-" Robin wanted to ask something but was interupted by a loud voice shouting his name. Robin seemed to recognize the voice but the poor guy was back-kicked into the ground before he could even say something else or even finish what he was going to ask her. Lucina was a little stunned. The guy in front of her now was a blonde haired guy that looked somewhat like a... pirate maybe? "Robin! Are you alright?!" Lucina shouted worried but the pirate guy kept talking, he wouldn't give Robin a break. Lucina felt like she was watching a tutorial of a game where the maker of the tutorial kept pressing the (A) button.

"What's up, tough guy? Long time no see!" This guy actually knew Robin...? "C-Clay?!" It sounded like Robin indeed knew him. His in-game name seemed different though but that probably because these two knew each other in real life. Robin's attitude immediately changed after he showed up though. Aas this the real Robin? The two of them had a bit of a conversation about how that guy leaves bad impressions. Lucina didn't know what to think of him. He seemed like a guy that enjoys life even though he's in a game where dying means actually dying... unless he didn't know but that would be silly. Everyone knows. Soon the blonde guy turned to Lucina and introduced himself as Mamoru. He also said he knew her secret and took a look inside her hood which made her feel a bit uncomfortable. Before Lucina could even introduce herself he said "Not bad." What was that even supposed to mean...? Robin hit Mamoru of the head to end the whole confusing situation. After Robin asked how he ended up here, he was surprised by the answer somehow.

"Uhm... I-I'm Lucina. Nice to meet you... I guess?" Lucina said with a shakingly voice, adjusting her hood a bit. "Do you guys know each other...? And Robin, are you alright? I mean... that fall looked pretty bad." Lucina awkwardly smiled. Not really knowing what to think or say.

------
«Lucina's white dress» [unequipped]
«Falchion» [equipped]
​

 

[ShinyDiamond]

Robin - Lvl 12
Floor 2: Marome Shops
HP: 100% - EXP: 87% - Col: 6061

Spoiler:

Lucina introduces herself to Mamoru after that whole fiasco, then proceeding to ask Robin questions. He merely crosses his arms & grunts, "I'm fine thanks to the town's safety system. I'm afraid I do know the guy."

"I'm the guy!" Mamoru replies with a grin yet again.

Robin eyes Mamoru with one eye, "Is Mamoru the name you chose?"

"Pretty neat, huh?"

"No way." Robin was not interested in the least, except for Mamoru being inside the game. "I still can't believe you've been spying on me..."

Mamoru whistles as an explanation, "I wouldn't say spying...more like observing."

"Call it what you will..." Robin had that irritated look in his face as usual, something Mamoru is all too familiar with. Robin then remembers Lucina is still here. "Anyway, this is my friend, as you already know-"

"We're best friends!" Mamoru cuts in, wrapping his arm around Robin's neck. "I was just on my way to check out the wall. It's just a wall, but I'm curious~" Robin had that look in his eye again.

"You have the most weirdest tastes," he replies to Mamoru.

"Don't be like that!"

"I'll be whatever I like!"

"What, a narcissist?"

"You're using that wrong! Again!"

"Am I? I don't remember."

Spoiler:

"Grr...!" Things were getting out of control. Robin's teeth were gritting, & Mamoru, well, he only had a smile as if nothing's changed. They were causing quite a ruckus, a crowd was gathering around them. Robin payed no mind to them. He remembered Lucina, so before she could reply, Robin cut her off, "Stay out of this. This is how me & him always interact."

Mamoru just laughs, like he always does, "So, wanna settle this again?"

"..." Robin gave no comment & just walks in a different direction, which happened to be where the teleport gate is. It's the same gate that won't open til tomorrow, so not many people will be around.

"OOHH! We'll be fighting there? Great!" Mamoru gets excited & jogs past Robin on the way to the teleport gate. Looks like a duel is coming.

Robin: Still don't know why he insists on fighting me when he always loses.

 

[Sapphire Rose]

Lucina
Player level 17
Floor 4: Lobria​

After Robin said he was alright he confirmed that Mamoru was indeed his friend, best friend to be exaxt. Lucina was surprised by the fact Robin actually called him his friend because she hasn't heard Robin refer to anyone as a friend ever since they met. He even said he wasn't here to make friends in first place. Lucina was worried back then but it felt relieving seeing him like this right now. It definitely felt like they had been friends for a long time even though Robin was harsh on him. Mamoru was being noisy though, causing a crowd to gather around them to see what's happening.

"Stay out of this. This is how me & him always interact." Robin said sternly to Lucina. At this point Lucina didn't know whether Robin saw her as a friend or not. It seemed like his attitude was way different around people he considered a friend. To Lucina he was... cold, sometimes friendly... It kinda depended on the situation. Maybe he just stayed close to her because of that maffia gang...? Lucina decided to pay no mind to it even though it was something she was curious about now.

Meanwhile, Mamoru and Robin decided to fight somewhere and were walking off. Lucina quickly followed them and tried to read the situation. Were they really going to fight...? Why? What was the point to it? "Guys! Please reconsider!" Lucina shouted as she tried catching up. "Why are you guys going to fight? What's the point to it? Is the winner getting something?" Lucina actually sounded a bit excited. This would be the first time seeing a duel instead of being in one.

------
«Lucina's white dress» [unequipped]
«Falchion» [equipped]
​

 

[ShinyDiamond]

Robin - Mamoru
Floor 4: Teleport Gate
Duel!

Spoiler:

Robin payed no mind to anyone around besides Mamoru. As for Mamoru, he was willing to answer Lucina, "There's really no point to it," he gave a thumbs up as he continued to speak, "unless you count settling this argument a point!" Mamoru didn't really care about the reason behind the fights, except that he enjoys fighting with Robin.

"..." Robin, Mamoru & Lucina arrive at the teleport gate, & Robin already went to his spot from the middle. Mamoru gets to his side of the field, hopping in excitement. Robin speaks firsts, "..." if you count silence as speaking.

"Do you always have to make me have the first word?" Mamoru asks with a smile. Robin simply nods. "Alright then." Mamoru opens his menu & issues a request to Robin.

-Total Loss Mode
-Half Loss Mode
-First Strike Mode

Robin taps the duel option at the bottom: First Strike Mode. The countdown begins. He readies his Anneal Blade for battle, while Mamoru takes out his own weapon, Talwar. "Nice weapon," Robin compliments.

"Thanks! I forget how I got this." Mamoru replies, simply smiling all the time.

The countdown had 5 seconds left, Robin breathes in then out.

Duel!

Spoiler:

Mamoru runs really fast at Robin jabbing his sword straight at Robin's chest. Robin quickly swings his sword to deflect. "So fast...!" He & Mamoru start trading strikes & blocks with each other, Robin manages to delay Mamoru's streak attacks & slashes at his left shoulder. A slight miss. Mamoru jabs again & swings down, Robin backing away with each swing before returning a counterstrike at his lower torso. Mamoru slides his sword across Robin's own & pushes back.

"You think you can hit me?" Mamomu mocks. He shows off poses for no reason, all of which are really weird.

"...You're an idiot," Robin comments before jumpign around Mamoru & slashing across. They each swing without hesitating, landing small blows to each other. Mamoru backflips & sprints at Robin again. Robin takes a back stance & lowers his sword, which glows vivid white. Mamoru notices this & quickly jumps over Robin as he unleashes Beautiful Luna.

"Crazy!" Mamoru shouts excitedly. He raises his sword high up, & it glows a deep blue. Robin wonders why he doesn't move immediately. It wasn't long before he realizes what Mamoru is about to do; he runs at Robin & jabs, Robin barely deflects, then Mamoru slashes upward, Robin pushes against the attack. He sees Mamoru come down, which gives Robin an idea. As Mamoru slahes down, Robin backs away just a bit, & as Mamoru finishes up, Robin quickly jabs fast at his shoulder. Mamoru gets pushes back as a big chunk of his HP is depletd.

Winner
Mamoru VS Robin

Robin sheathes his sword & walks up to Mamoru, "As usual, I win." Mamoru laughs & gets up, patting Robin's shoulders.

"You haven't changed a bit! Next time for sure, I'll be the winner!"

Robin sweeps away Mamoru's hands from his shoulders, "Keep dreaming." Mamoru puts away his own sword & takes a stern pose, "OK mate, tonight we go off on a journey to a land called Wonderland! We shall collect all the chocolate & seize the keep!" He raises his fist in the air & shouts, "ALL WILL KNEEL BEFORE THE MIGHTY GUY!!!"

Robin stays silent for a moment before slumping, "...You always find a way to chance the mood." Mamoru merely chuckles & rubs the back of his head.

 

[Sapphire Rose]

Lucina
Player level 17
Floor 4: Teleport Gate​

Mamoru answered Lucina's questions and confirmed there was no point in fighting. Lucina smiled and couldn't help thinking this was their way of showing their friendship. She also felt a bit lonely. She couldn't help but be reminded of the fact that she never had a real friend. She stopped following them once they reached the teleport gate. They both took their stances and gave each other some quick words and looks before they started battling. Lucina always thought Robin was a man of few words but today he showed a different part of his personality. He showed a part of his personality that she never expected. He was like a bird, he sang his own songs but the right person had to come along for it.

Lucina watched the battle patiently and was stunned by how long the two were holding out. Lucina saw in her eye corners that a crowd was gathering to see the battle. They were causing quite a ruckus here. Lucina opened her menu to see the time and was surprised that an hour had passed already since she woke up. She closed her menu and returned her attention to the duel. Mamoru and Robin kept dodging each others blows but in the end Robin was able to hit the poor guy. Lucina couldn't help but laugh a little bit. They seemed to have a lot of fun, especially Mamoru who acted like Robin was some kind of king.

Lucina walked up to the two. "Congratulations, Robin." Lucina didn't bother to shake his hand, knowing he wouldn't take it anyway because... that was Robin. A rude guy with a soft spot that he had shown when guarding Lucina in the fields while she had fallen asleep a few weeks ago. "That was an amazing fight. It wasn't as short as I expected! I thought one of you would trow the first blow after a few seconds but it took more than 5 minuted!" Lucina smiled and adjusted her hood a bit. She wasn't planning on letting that thing fall off her head in the middle of a crowd even though they were all slowly leaving. "I'm going to cook something for new year's eve. I still need to invite some people but would you guys like to come?"

------
«Lucina's white dress» [unequipped]
«Falchion» [equipped]
​

 

[Nagi]

.W I S P / HP:85% ; EXP:37% ; Col:15,500 _______ FLOOR 3

A myriad of sparkling pixels flew into the air as the last of the Salamander Warriors was defeated. The girl kept the stance of her finishing move for a few more seconds while the blade in her hand lost its silver shine. She was panting; the horde of reptiles had given her a harder time than she'd anticipated. They may not be particularly intelligent, but they hit hard and could be quite fast. The result screen appeared in front of her, showcasing the EXP, col and items she received. She stood up and sheathed her sword before inspecting them.​

As expected, nothing special. The items were just two «Salamander Warrior's Armor». At least she got a good chunk of experience. She looked around and noticed the fog, though ever-present, seemed to thin out, signaling the beginning of another day. The girl dismissed the item screen and started making her way towards the floor teleport.
Despite the unwelcoming atmosphere of the forest, she felt oddly at ease here - at least when there weren't any monsters around. Perhaps it was because of the silence, or because the blanket of mist was soothing in a way... or maybe because of the similarity the thick, mountainous pine forest had to her home country. Her display name was right on target in that sense; will-o'-the-wisps would also feel right at home in a place like this. She chuckled at the thought. One difference though; the human Wisp would normally think twice before staying in the forest overnight. In this case, she made an exception. She had heard a special monster drop would only appear when the monsters were beat at night. Sadly, despite fighting for most of the night, she didn't manage to get that drop even once. Maybe the rumor had been wrong after all?

As she got closer to the floor teleport, the fog gradually thinned even more, and Wisp was greeted with the bright pastel colours of the dawn sky. While most players would consider this a blessing, to her it wasn't so much; it provided better vision, sure, but also visibility, and dealing with other players wasn't really something she felt like at the moment - or most of the time, really.
Thankfully, there was a simple solution. Wisp stood behind a tree and adjusted her robe to cover her body and bright hair. Then, she simply pressed the button on the right side of her visual field to go into «Hiding» status. After making sure she was covered properly, she proceeded.
It was always a bit nerve-racking to use «Hiding» in clear view, but as she used the skill so often it'd gotten to a very high level. To people who lacked a well-developed «Detection» skill, she was practically invisible, but then of course «Detection» was a very common skill to have. Wisp rushed to the teleport gate as fast as possible, while taking caution to land on her tiptoes every step to reduce impact and thus sound. She kept an eye on her «Hide Rate» that was steadily decreasing as she stepped into the light. Even this early in the morning, there was a group of people gathered around the teleport gate. Just as she stepped on the platform, her «Hide Rate» ran out, and she abruptly became visible to all. The crowd was startled, but she had enough time for her next disappearing act:​

''Teleport!''​

 

[(Drakath)]

Drakath - Level 15 - Exp 50% - 17,593 Col - Floor 3

"Alright, where is it." Drakath said, attempting to keep his voice down. He was crouching on a thick tree branch while surveying the dark misty area, lit by a dim light blue light that was shining through the trees. The branch cracked, he knew this would happen eventually. "There, I found it." Drakath said, just as the branch broke off. He kicked off the branch and landed on another tree's branch. He ran along the branches from tree to tree until he reached a giant pit. A group of Mantis Knights and Salamander Warriors surrounded the pit. Are they guarding it? I guess he wasn't lying after all he thought. He decided he was going to jump into the pit while avoiding detection. He calmed himself, This is it, leap of faith. He ran forward on the branch and jumped off with all of his might.

He relaxed everything in his body, closed his eyes, and gracefully fell forward. His body was vertical above the middle of the pit, he spread his arms at a 45 degree angle as his entered the pit. He fell for what seemed like an eternity but to him, it felt like flight. Just before he hit the ground, he flipped forward and landed in a 3 point pose. The bottom was much softer than he imagined, as he lost no health much to his surprise. He opened his eyes as he stood up and saw a very large cave, well lit with torches, full of traps and treasure. He slowly walked from the floating object,surrounded by water, that he was standing on to the path that went across the lake he was in, to the cave.

Sakurza - Level 14 - Exp 75% - 14,862 Col - Floor 3

A tunnel, she thought confused. I guess I'll just go in, it'll get me out of the mist and I might find something she thought, as she went inside she quickly realized it went underwater but had air pockets. She walked through the tight tunnel with little light until there was a drop, "I guess this is where the swimming starts." Sakurza said, hearing a light echo in her voice. She then dove into the water with a splash and began swimming to the next air pocket. She went from pocket to pocket until she was pulled away into a waterfall. She screamed as she fell until she saw water below. She flipped into a dive position and landed in the water. The water pushed her into another tunnel. She saw a dim blue light and swam towards it, hoping it was an air pocket. She came up from underwater and gasped for air. She looked around and realized that she was in a lake at the bottom of a pit. She was extremely exhausted from going through the underwater path and her health was in the red zone. She swam to a floating platform and when she reached it, she saw someone running to her, and everything went black. Drakath pulled her up to the platform and began making potions and treating her with them.

 

[ShinyDiamond]

Robin - Lvl 12
Floor 4: Lobria Shops
HP: 100% - EXP: 87% - Col: 6061

Spoiler:

"Ha ha!" Mamoru was busy laughing it out from his recent...who knows what it was. Robin's words were literally taken away for him. He just always seems surprised with Mamoru & his actions. That aside, he's in the game with Robin, whether he likes it or not. Frankly, Robin wasn't too worried about his friend. He always seemed to get himself out of trouble, even if he's the cause of it.

Lucina, who watched the duel & congratulates Robin, walks up to the duo & invites them both to a New Year's Eve feast. Robin wasn't all too excited about the idea. On the other hand, Mamoru was smiling & drooling. "Food~" He just really likes everything. Maybe. Robin sometimes couldn't figure him out. Mamoru wipes his drool & clears his throat, "As much as I want to, I can't."

"HUH?!" Robin was appalled. Mamoru, turning down food? It's unimaginable!

"Yep, I have a busy schedule. Lots of stuff to do before the end of the day." He says nothing more & turns to where the direction of the wall was, & off he goes.

"......" Robin thought he was stupid. Cue comedic sweat. "He's...just wants to explore more," he reluctantly explained. At least he was gone...& he's with Lucina. As soon as he realized this, he quickly turns to her & tries to find his words. "W-well, see, I'm here to get some new equipment, & then go train. I'm t-training overnight," Robin quickly turns with a blush & looks at the shops. He did need new equipment, but he couldn't tell Lucina he wasn't into the holidays.

Mamoru - Lvl 15
Floor 4: Lobria
HP: 95% - EXP: 35% - Col: 2753

Spoiler:

Wall! Wall! Wall! I want to see the wall! But I also want food. But I wanna explore too! Gah, so many choices! Waaaalll!!! I crash straight into something without even realizing it. Oh, it's the wall! When i regain my composure, I take a step back & look waaaay up. "Wow...! Amazing." This wall sure is massive, I wonder if I could climb? Hrg!!! Nope. Meh, I'll keep trying just for fun. I don't even care if some eyes are looking strangely at me. I can enjoy myself.

As much as I wanna eat, I take exploring as more fun than food. You can see unexpected things when you adventure, like finding your friend, meeting his girl, who's pretty cute... I should mess with Robin more next time. I wonder why he seems a bit different anyway. Probably now that he's meeting some new people under serious conditions. Ha! What life brings you.

 

[DeathofShadows]

<<Dragon>>
A New Acquaintance

Level: 15 | EXP:000650 | Guild: N/A | Col:1503 | HP: 100%

Floor 4 - Markets

---

Dragon chuckled, rubbig the back of his neck. "That one was crazy. Thankfully, once the rest of the front line and I knew what we were up against, it was rather easy to form a strategy." He looked at Aria inquisitively, adding, "I'm guessing you've heard the rumors about a murder guild floating around? That was probably the scariest part for me."

The rumor had started about a week after the second floor had been cleared. Something called the Black Hand. The rumor told of a guild of red players, with the express purpose to kill other players. He holed that it had nothig to do with that Enigma fellow that had vanished just before they had entered the second floor boss room. It wasn't that he thought the strange man was a friend, he merely did not wish to clash with someone of that skill if he had a choice. The so-called "assassin" was a beast when it came to close quarters.

As if to back up this rumor, they had lost a few players to unexplained circumstances... But those were bad thoughts. They had made it through that floor, and now it was time to celebrate!

Before Aria had a chance to answer his previous question, Dragon interjected by asking, "Would you mind i I got you a drink or something?"​

CSS by DeathofShadows

 

[Data_Error]

Aria
Lvl. 12 | Exp. 35% | HP. 100% | Col. 976
Floor 4 - Lobria, Market​

The man had a bit of a laugh to himself, admitting that "That one was crazy," and that "once the rest of the front line and I knew what we were up against, it was rather easy to form a strategy."

At this, Aria had to consciously keep her lips closed and expression even, but all the same allowed her eyes to dart up and down for but a second and give Dragon another once-over. The rest of the front line? She had immediately written this man down as a player quite invested in the combat aspects of the game, but not as part of the floor-clearing group. If this man was not just full of hot air, he was indeed someone quite deserving of her consideration.

And, of course, her overall chance of surviving this game of death would skyrocket in his presence.

As if reading her thoughts (and, given his returning her studying stare, he may well have been to some small degree), Dragon now asked, "I'm guessing you've heard the rumors about a murder guild floating around? That was probably the scariest part for me."

Yes, that would certainly be the most terrifying bit. A maze-like wood coated thickly in fog sounded like an ambush just waiting to happen. Rumors were rumors and all that, and hard to put stock in when reports varied from a smattering of street-bandits to a highly organized ring of assassins, yet either way they created a risk great enough that Aria was now fairly positive she would never visit the floor below without an overwhelmingly convincing motive.

Not even letting the conversation rest long enough for Aria to say as much, Dragon spoke a third time, proposing "would you mind if I got you a drink or something?" Aria rolled her eyes upward and pretended to ponder this, albeit there was little doubt for her to ponder over. Dragon would be too valuable of an ally for Aria to stiff him on his offer, and besides, she hardly had many better uses for her time - she was finished with field work for the day, and it was getting a bit late to plausibly do anything but go to market, anyway. She could afford a bit more drawing out of the conversation.

"Certainly," she allowed, giving Dragon a curt nod. "Have you a place in mind?" And she did, very deeply, hope that Dragon had a place in mind, so as that it might not be her fault when she would inevitably pick some place disappointing to one or both of them.

 

[(Drakath)]

Sakurza - Level 14 - Exp 75% - 12,864 Col - Floor 3

The sound of her beating heart was all that she could hear. The darkness was all she could see. Her breathing slowed to a steady pace. She slowly opened her eyes. She saw a dim light. As she propped herself up to look around, "Well you've been out for a while." She looked around and saw Drakath sitting down near her. "How do you feel?" he asked. "I'm a bit dizzy but I feel okay." she replied. "What happened? You looked terrible when I pulled you to this platform." "I saw a tunnel, went in and fell down a waterfall, hit a few rocks, and tried swimming here." she answered. "How did you get here?" "I was exploring and jumped down here." "From up there? That's a big drop, how did you survive?" "Well, this platform is way softer than you think." "When did you find me?" she asked. "Shortly after I landed. I heard a scream and soon after, I saw you barely make it to this platform. It took a while but I managed to fix you up with some potions. You were out for around one to two hours." Drakath said. "Well I'm fine now but, where are we?" "At the bottom of a pit, on a platform floating in water that leads to a cave." "You think we should go in?" "Sure, why not?" Drakath said. Sakurza and Drakath stood up and walked into the cave. They knew that all of the treasures were traps, so they continued on into the cave.

Drakath - Level 15 - Exp 50% - 17,593 Col - Floor 3

Drakath and Sakurza were confronted by 3 Salamander Warriors. It's about time something showed up. After a few counter attacks they each exploded into polygons. They continued walking and found a pit with stone pillars sticking out of it. Drakath was the first to start moving across. Jumping from pillar to pillar he crossed the pit, but midway through the pillar collapsed. He managed to jump off and stick his sword into the side of a pillar. That was close. He began climbing the pillar with his sword. When Sakurza saw him climbing, she started crossing the pit. Drakath pulled himself up to the top of the pillar. "Hey, are you okay?" "Yeah, I'm fine" He saw her pillar start cracking rapidly, "Jump!" hearing his yell she jumped to the next pillar and saw the one she was on collapse. "Thanks." They finished crossing the pit and there was a stone wall in front of them. "Huh, a dead end." Drakath said. He saw an unusual piece of stone in the wall, "Or maybe not." He unsheathed his sword and stabbed into a split in the rock. The stone wall slid apart, with gravel and dust falling off as it moved. "Nice, I didn't even notice that." Sakurza said. They walked through and saw a large area with steps leading to what looked like a throne. They saw a player, with an orange color cursor above his head, with the darkness was hiding his appearance, the player was sitting on the throne. This can't be good, I hope it isn't what I think it is.

 

[Sapphire Rose]

Lucina
Player level 17
Floor 4: Teleport Gate​

Lucina was kind of surprised that Mamoru turned down her offer and maybe it was a little inconvenient too because she needed something or someone to get Robin to come too. Now that Mamoru wasn't going, Robin probably wouldn't either... and that meant spending her New Year's Eve alone again... which she usually didn't mind but Robin would be spending it alone too. She had a thoughtful look on her face as she tried to think of other ways to get him to come. It felt just like getting her little sister not to work at holidays but different. Why she wanted him to come so badly was even a riddle to her. Maybe she just didn't want her allies or friends to spend these precious days all alone. Although she thought of Robin as someone who wouldn't mind spending holidays alone, she just couldn't forgive herself if she didn't at least try. It wasn't a secret Robin liked her food but that just wouldn't do... she needed to be smart. She needed a tactic, a clever move but as soon as Mamoru left and Robin turned down her offer as well Lucina just couldn't keep her mouth shut and said something before thinking... again.

"Oh no, you're not gonna spend an holiday alone again! You're coming whether you want to or not! If you want to fight for it then go on, I'll win anyway because I'm far more skilled and higher leveled!" Lucina shooted with a strong determination showing in her eyes. As soon as Lucina noticed what she actually said a faint red blush showed up across her cheeks and she scratched her chin while looking away from Robin. This was an awkward situation for her as she doesn't often lose control of her emotions... thoughts however, that was a whole different story. "Damn... did it again..." She said quietly. "W-What I mean is... You can always go train but you can't always celebrate New Year's Eve at a friend's house... So... please?"

------
«Lucina's white dress» [unequipped]
«Falchion» [equipped]
​