machomuu
Stuck in Hot Girl Summer
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- Take a left, turn right at the next stop, bear lef
- Seen Nov 1, 2023
William Danielson||Godot & Rise Amagawa||Apathy
Lv. 13||Floor 2
Only Once a Year
Lv. 13||Floor 2
Only Once a Year
As they continued onward, Apathy tugged at Godot's arm. "There's a pretty large lake in that direction." She pointed somewhere, but Godot didn't look to see where. Apathy looked up at him before looking ahead once again. She figured that Godot had some good reason for remaining silent, so she decided not to keep pestering him about the issue. She almost fell as Godot stopped suddenly.
"Apathy, I'm sorry for leading you on like this...but I'm being selfish," Godot spoke solemnly before turning around. She tilted her head in confusion. "We're gonna have to part ways; there's something I have to do. It wouldn't really mean anything if I didn't do it alone."
Apathy remained silent, creating a lull in the conversation. Looking away, she said, "I don't care about your prideful bull. I'm going with you." She put her hand on her weapon without changing her deadpan expression, but Godot didn't move an inch. Rather, he just stared at her with an unrelenting expression of stone. The exchange between the two had become so extraordinarily plain that it was as if they weren't even there, but it was Apathy who finally gave in, releasing her sword from her grip. "Fine," was all she said before walking in another direction. Godot watched her go off until she wasn't visible anymore.
Godot sighed heavily. "I'm sorry Apathy, but it wouldn't be right to use you like this." Godot opened up his Quests menu and looked at the map placement for a quest called "Only Once a Year". This is my only chance..I've gotta make the most of it. Godot immediately set out for the location depicted on the map.
---
When Godot arrived, what he found was as he'd expected, a dungeon. He unsheathed his weapon prior to walking inside. He didn't know what to expect...though he felt it odd that there were no enemies...nor any players. It was deafeningly silent to the point that Godot started to think it was a trap like the one a month ago. This was a rare item that he was after. He slowly walked forward, tapping his feet lightly against the smooth surface of the dungeon floor. His eyes scanned left and right, swapping between slow and fast rotations.
His alertness was heightened incredibly as a quiet scratching sound grew. At first, he suspected it was some type of spider monster. He stood in place, closing his eyes in an attempt to pinpoint the source of the noise and strike when it tried to do the same. It didn't take long for him to realize that the sound was coming from behind. He quickly swiveled around to see the entrance to the dungeon being overtaken by foliage. "Crap!" He yelled, sprinting towards the entrance before it could be completely blocked. He was faster than the foliage could cover, and because of that, he knew that he was safe.
That was, until something grabbed at Godot's leg. "Gah!" He tripped but found that he was unable to fall to the ground. Looking back, he saw that a vine had wrapped itself around his foot, and that gray dungeon was transforming into a lush green. He didn't hesitate, however, and cut the vine with his sword. He landed on his feet and continued his escape. Just as he was about to strike the shallow green preventing his escape, a vine caught his arm. Then another. Then a few caught his other arm. Then his legs. By this point, he was levitating and was a few feet above the ground, flailing his arms and legs. Finally, his sword was pulled away from him and taken into a hole in the ceiling. "N-no!" he lamented, but it wasn't long before he was dragged into the depths of the forest cavern.
He floated through the air for a good while, not knowing exactly where he was being taken or if he was even moving at all. He was overtaken by the darkness not long after the vines started dragging him away. Disorientation took him as well, unable to tell whether he was going left, right, up, down, or even if he was still conscious at all. As he tried to struggle from restraint, his restraints only became stricter, and at some points he even yelled out of frustration. The green showed no mercy as they not-so-kindly dropping him to the ground with no regard for his safety. It wasn't painful, but it certainly was unpleasant.
Godot rose to his feet, doing some stretches and surveying his surroundings as he did so. He was in an empty room with a single door. He headed towards the door and felt himself depress as he took a step. He looked down to see a pressure plate. "...Dammit." It was a textbook trap, and he fell for it hook-line. What appeared before him was a single Salamander Knight. Godot couldn't hold in his laughter when he noticed that the monster was clad in a Santa outfit and a candy cane as a weapon. He readied his weapon.
"...Wait a minute."
He readied his weapon.
"H-HOLD ON A SEC!"
He started to pat himself over. When that didn't work, he went to his Equipment Menu and scrolled through his items. "W-where are all my weapons!" He'd forgotten that his sword had been taken, but the situation grew worse as he realized that the Meister's Soul had been taken as well. He was weaponless and faced with a Santa-clad Salamander. "Perfect," he sighed. He took a fighting stance, recalling the few years of Kenpo Karate that he had taken as a child.
The Salamander didn't attack, though. It seemed as if he was waiting for something. Was Godot supposed to make the first strike? Was he supposed to try to bypass the Salamander? Godot tried walking passed the knight and...it worked. The Salamander paid him no mind, but at the same time, the door wouldn't open. He turned around and looked at the Salamander, then reared towards his face. "...What do you want?" He asked. There was no response, as he'd expected.
He waited. Nothing happened. "WHAT DO YOU WANT!" He yelled out of frustration. He didn't attack, because he knew that there was a very good chance that he might die without a weapon. He was at a complete loss for exactly what he was supposed to do. Then, he started to analyze the Salamander. It was a Santa Costume. Maybe it wasn't simply a theme...but it had something to do with the requirement. "..." He nodded his head left and right, slowly piecing together theories on exactly what to do.
"...Merry Christmas?" Godot said, unsure. The Salamander smiled an incredibly creepy smile and then handed him his Candy Cane. It was classified as an Axe, which was classified as an axe, and disappeared in a haze of snow. Then, the door promptly opened. Godot was shocked at the convoluted nature of the quest...but it may have been more apparent than he gave it credit for being.
What followed was a hallway that seemed to lead to another room. Surveying the room one last time, there didn't seem to be any sort of alternate exit. As a result, Godot followed the hallway to the next room. It seemed to be a festive, Christmas-themed quest, and that was fine with him. He readied his Candy Cane, expecting to find more Christmas-themed monsters to kill with it. Then, a message popped up.
Quest Log has been Updated
Knowing that the quest log would probably be invaluable, he promptly checked the Quest Log. What he found inside was what seemed to be a journal entry, rather than the conventional description.
December 25
Clara told me to keep a journal...and it's a little strange, I never thought I'd be writing about my daily life in one of these, just mostly work. But it was a gift, and I definitely let it go to waste. I just got back from a small job in Urbus. I dressed up as Santa and handed out candy canes the children. It really was something seeing all of their smiling faces, it made me want a child of my own someday.
I'm not really sure what else to say, so I might as well get back to my research.
"Hmm..." Godot grumbled, closing the Quest Window. He sighed and looked at the candy cane in his hand. "I...don't feel so good about this." He pressed on, the green scenery transforming into a frosty paradise, and upon entering the room, he stopped. He looked around as he previously did, and noticed that the room was nearly identical save for the aesthetics. There was probably a pressure plate somewhere. He tapped the space in front of him and slowly applied pressure, and ever so slightly the floor depressed. He removed his foot before the pressure plate could activate stretched his legs before walking backwards in the hallway and sprinting back into the room, jumping as far as he could toward the door.
Once he landed, he depressed.
"Is this entire room made of pressure plates!?" He yelled. He turned around, trying to avoid being blind-sighted by whatever monster the plate may have spawned. And, in the darkness, was a small creature. It looked like a child. However, its eyes were red, and blood seeped from its teeth. Now, common sense told Godot that he was to give the child his candy cane, it was in the quest log. However, a twisted smile grew on the child's face as it licked its teeth can cracked its knuckles, all the while keeping its eyes trained on Godot. Unlike the Salamander, the child was ready to strike. He raised his weapon, and the child jumped. It was an agile creature, and it didn't seem to be human exactly; rather, it seemed to be some sort of...creature, but it was hard to pinpoint exactly what. It had brownish skin and what looked to be reddish eyes and long white hair.
The creature was fast, but Godot was faster. He would have thought that the child would try to steal the candy cane. It didn't. It was very clearly after Godot's blood, and it was relishing every minute of it. He wanted to attack it but it seemed to be frail, despite its muscles and apparent strength. While part of it seemed to be attacking out of enjoyment, the other seemed to attacking out of necessity. No, this one didn't take much thought. It was just as simple as he thought it was. He put his arm out and offered the candy cane to the child. The child didn't take it, however, and it bit into his neck with its sharp teeth. His HP dropped. He didn't move. Godot gritted his teeth, hoping that the child would take the candy cane.
It didn't.
No, instead, it kept draining his health. Godot's mind started to race. He needed to do something, and it had to be done fast. He knew it was in the Quest Log, but he couldn't for the life of him figure what it was. The journal talked about the smiles of children and dressing up as Santa, but this smile seemed warped. It was not one of satisfaction but one of lust. He knew that, should his health reach critical levels, he would have to strike.
And then it hit him. It was not Godot it wanted, it was sustenance. He wasn't in any danger...no, the cane only offered an alternate way to go about the quest. Whether the alternate way was the right way was a whole other story entirely, but it wasn't really a problem. The child was simply chasing after the treat that was offered to it. Once it had its fill, being when Godot was in the red, it licked Godot's neck wound and melted away. The whole incident was for more of a feelgood than Godot was expecting, bloody as it was. He wondered if what he did was correct. Would the alternate way have been a mercy kill? That was the idea that stuck in his head.
---
Once again, a hallway presented itself. This time, however, the hall led to a crossroads. Upon reaching its center, the message appeared once again.
Quest Log has been Updated
Godot didn't hesitate to open his Quest Log and read the new journal entry.
February 22
Today I made an amazing, 1-in-a-million discovery! Venturing out into the mountains searching for ice crystals, I found a dead Diablos Dragon. What a find! Not only are they not indigenous to the region, but the chances of finding one dead by any means are astronomical! Of course, I was cautious in approaching it. When I'd first found it, I'd assumed that it was asleep, having never seen a dead Diablos Dragon before. It had been dead for what was probably hours, showing a visible powdering of snow about it. Of course, I couldn't carry it back myself, but I didn't really need the entire body. I took some bone, a few blood samples, scales, an eye, and a fang. It was enough.
This will increase the rate of my research ten-fold! Clara and I won't have to live in this cave, we can actually afford to live on the outside. We can buy a house! If I can develop a thesis and test it, then I'll be accepted as a valuable member of the scientific community. Though, the fame is honestly of no concern to me, all of this is for Clara's sake.
Godot scratched his head, wondering exactly how that would aid him in picking a path. All four paths looked the same, so he wasn't exactly sure where it was that he should go. It was another situation of him not knowing whether there was a wrong answer or if they all just led to different outcomes. Then, of course, there was the chance that each path, possibly even the one he just came from, all lead to the same place, and that there was only simply an illusion of choice. Of course, none of this really mattered, because once he had picked a path, the only outcome that mattered was the one of the path he'd chosen, regardless of the circumstances behind the outcome. He sighed, taking the straight path.
Going forward, the previously frozen aesthetic of the dungeon changed to a simple black, making it almost impossible to see. Even if there had been light, the black walls would have made the sources of luminescence look distant and wouldn't aid visibility. Godot bumped into the walls a few times in a simple attempt to walk forward, and when a turn appeared, he would hit the wall in front of him.
When he reached the next room...he fell. There was a drop, almost as if the entrance was meant to be a step for a giant. "D-dammit Kayaba," Godot grunted, rubbing his backside. "You really need to take another course in level design." After rising to his feet, Godot walked forward. He knew that there was a pressure plate, but there was no reason for him to try to avoid it as the way to the next room was only accessibly via the plate's surprise. He walked forward and nothing happened. Godot almost stumbled as the floor didn't move, solely because of his expectation for it to do so. Instead, the room took on something of a dim, orange hue. On both sides of the room, candles seem to have kindled themselves.
"Uh-oh..." Godot said with an almost sarcastic amount of fear in his voice. "How am I supposed to defeat Magus without any magic?" He chuckled, though the joke was a defense mechanism. If what was going to happen was what he predicted was to happen, he was to be in for a big fight. He stepped forward, and more candles lit. Each couple of steps was accompanied by a candle, and with each candle, Godot's apprehension rose. His teeth rattled inadvertently, and his grip on the cane tightened. Amidst all of this, there was a clang that rang out suddenly, and Godot felt a slight "thump" at his feet. The moment he heard the sound, the "thump" didn't even register, and he immediately raised his cane in a defensive position, his eyes darting in every direction and his breath quickening. It wasn't long before he realized that the he had kicked something.
"Ma-Mammon's Fang?" Godot exclaimed, his voice echoing throughout the room. Indeed, it was his trusty sword. How it got there wasn't important. He quickly equipped it in place of the Candy Cane. It didn't really replenish his confidence, but it was somewhat reassuring. With sword in hand, Godot continued down the path at a quickened pace. A familiar message appeared.
Quest Log has been Updated
March 31
I have created a mutagen from the Diablos Dragon. It's currently untested, but if all goes well, it could be a breakthrough for multiple fields of science. Not only could we cure previously incurable diseases, but we could also reverse physical disabilities and debilitated senses. It could change the world of medical science!
Even more than that, we can GROW as a species. With this, humans can become stronger, faster, and even smarter, too! We could grow wings and learn to fly, and we could possibly learn to breathe fire! Of course, the latter two examples are simply the musings of an imaginative child yearning to create magic. However, the possibility does exist, though the availability of individuals who would actually want such abilities would probably be minimal.
With that in mind, I need test subjects. This theory cannot be submitted until I have tested it. Not humans, of course. Instead, I'll need to use something like a Salamander. No, no...too dangerous. Hm...this will require more thought. I will end this entry for today and report my findings some other day.
Godot remained silent, wondering exactly what that entry had to do with the quest at all. Godot continued onward, that was all he could do. He'd invested endless thought into the matter already, he couldn't let it stop him any longer. He couldn't simply sit and ponder what the whole scenario; the clock was ticking.
Quest Log has been Updated
April 15
Never in my years of science have I ever seen such a phenomenon. A baby Mini-Tauros had been separated from its pack, and as it turned out, I did not have a test subject. So, I used the creature to administer my tests. Sure, it wasn't the most compatible subject to the human anatomy, but I was still weighing my options and it seemed to be the most humane and least dangerous opportunity I would get. I named him Bels.
After administering just a small amount of the mutagen, his old teeth fell out and, at an astonishing rate, it grew new, sharper teeth. He also showed an increase in the activity of his back two legs rather than its front two and, when presented with a ball, he played with it with its front two hooves. Simply amazing!
Once I administered more, Bels became much faster and its reaction times increased. There also seemed to be some sort of mutation taking place with its hooves, and, what's more, he managed to stand on its back legs for full minutes. Bels seemed to have been gaining bipedal tendencies. The way it played with the ball also became more intuitive, even managing to use its front hooves to play with the ball while it was standing on its back legs. It was astounding, the developments taking place.
What was truly unbelievable, however, was what I witnessed this morning. I could barely believe my eyes! The creature had seemingly transformed into a humanoid...in fact, it was almost as if Bels had transformed into a human with clear deformities. It was still a Tauros, with his horns and brown fur still being visible (though his fur could easily be mistaken for his skin in its current state). Bels' white mane grew downward, and his hooves turned into what seemed to be claws, hands, and feet. Even more incredible, its front legs seemed to have transformed into arms! Save for his animalistic tendencies, his apparent deformities, and his inability to speak, he could barely pass for a foreign pre-pubescent boy.
It has indeed been a wonderful couple of weeks! Now, these changes are rather absurd for a creature of such low compatibility to both the Diablos and to humans, so the effects of the mutagen may need to be tuned.
April 29
Lately, Bels hasn't been eating. He has lost a lot of weight in the past weeks, and he hasn't touched his food in a good while. He has also become less active, and on the general day he usually just sits around, rarely touching the ball. I surmise that there may be a change in diet, and I will need to experiment with other food choices to compliment that.
Though, I did observe that Bels gets incredibly excited whenever I or Clara walks by. It seems that he may require more social interaction. I have never seen such a smile on his face. Anyway, it's about time I change the old food, it is starting to create a stench.
April 29
Bels is dead. I went to go change his old food, as stated in the previous entry, and the moment I opened the door...he attacked. He bit me and scratched me something fierce and I bled an incredible amount. It seems that he had become carnivorous, and in my inability to take notice of this change quickly enough, he decided to feast on human flesh.
Clara warned me about this. She noticed that something had been off about Bels recently, and I was too stubborn to listen to her. She was the one to kill Bels, though...he seemed to be ill. In a postmortem analysis, I found that for some reason, Bels' physical status had been degenerating for some time. Had he not been killed, he may have only lasted another week.
July 20
In light of the lack of progression in my research, the news that Clara is pregnant has made me so happy. You would never suspect it, because she showed no sign of morning sickness, though her eating habits did increase! It only makes sense, she's eating for two now.
We've already agreed on the name for our child, her name will be Tara. I have seven more months until she's born, and thus, I have six more months to publish my theory. I want her to be born into a where she can be with others and breathe fresh air every day. I want her life to be normal.
December 23
I'd suspected that Clara had contracted the mutagen some time ago. Secretly, I'd thought it since the death of Bels, rest his soul. I decided not to document this suspicion as it seemed like a silly thought at the time and...because I was in denial. I'd noticed the symptoms. I've noticed her increase in strength. I noticed the wounds on her back where she tried to cut off the wings. I've noticed the sharpness of her teeth.
Clara knew for a long time that she had contracted the mutagen. She hid it from me. She possibly knew all along, and when I confronted her about it, she said that she was happy that she was able to be a test subject, putting on a smile and yet struggling to hide the tears that lay behind closed eyelids.
It's all my fault.
"It's all my fault." Godot's head shot up from the final message as an ominous voice spoke. The candles rounded some distance ahead of Godot, and there lay the prize: A Mistletoe. "She died yesterday...she died giving birth to Tara." Behind the Mistletoe appeared a man, seemingly a doctor or professor of some kind. "She was so...SO STUPID!" The doctor hit the wall out of frustration. "Why did she hide it from me!? WHY!? I could have developed an antidote! I could have saved her, but..." Even in the dimness of the room, the man's tears were visible. "I loved her more than anything in the world. There was nothing I cherished more. Nothing. Now all I have left in the world is Tara...but I don't have much time left." Something seemed to be moving on the professor's back. He laughed a wry laugh. "I'm glad you were the one who came. You were willing to treat the Tauros the way I never could with Bels, resorting to analyzing it and even sacrificing itself for your sake. With the Salamander, despite your frustration, you restrained yourself and made a wise decision. You are the only one who I can trust Tara with."
The man clenched his teeth and covered his mouth, holding in coughs that resulted in a bloody palm. "However, if you are to take her into the outside world, you must first prove that you are strong enough to protect her." He twitched wildly, and his coughs resulted in smoke. From his back grew two gargantuan wings. His shoes and clothes exploded, and his body transformed from that of a well built human to that of a large wyvern. He was no longer human, and he was no longer a professor. Now, the tragic man was simply a Diablos Dragon.
Godot readied his weapon, but he shook uncontrollably. In his first month in SAO, his first and only friend in the game was lost to a Diablos, and seeing one again brought along a weakness complex, as if he weren't able to defeat the dragon. He'd basically defaulted to death. The Diablos sent down his fist and Godot only barely dodged. A stream of fire followed, with Godot unequipping his weapon and turning tail and running. The Diablos followed suit, but Godot pulled out a Teleport Crystal and readied a transport.
It was just like last time, but there didn't seem to be anything stopping him this time. He could escape. He could leave and forget all about the quest. He could go off and leave Alistair unavenged. He could deliver his gift to Kagome and look her in the eye, all the while knowing that he was too cowardly to avenge her brother. He could leave and be completely unworthy of Kagome's love, instead being some coward that had been hidden away in Godot and took his place. He could leave and lose everything he cared for in the world.
With a skid, Godot stopped and looked the Diablos in the face. The Dragon sent down his feet, ready to stomp on the immobile warrior. Godot wouldn't have it. He dodge-rolled to the side and quickly climbed the Diablos with his sword re-equipped. He stabbed into the Diablos' leg, climbing as quickly as he could and keeping a careful eye on his stamina. The Diablos slapped his leg, and Godot stabbed into the Diablos' hand. Unlike the boss of the first floor, however, the Diablos wouldn't have it. He rose from the ground and flew up high, leaving Godot at a major disadvantage. He held onto his sword with all his might, but like an assassin on a colossus he was losing stamina fast.
Then, a miracle happened. Well, not so much a miracle as a convenience. He spotted the Meister's Soul. It was dark, but the wyvern's constant blaze of frustration lit the ceiling gloriously numerous times, and plunged upright in the ceiling was the polearm. With a timed jump, he was able to pull out his sword and jump from the wyvern's hand to the ceiling.
And missed.
He was sent plunging downward, but the Diablos seemed to want to go for a faster death. Appearing below Godot, the wyvern looked up and spewed his fire breath. That was Godot's chance. He took a potion in hand a sparrow-dove into the fire. His HP fell gradually, but he used the potion and survived the flames. Still using the speed of the dive, Godot planted Mammon's Fang into the Diablos' chest, though not so much that he could pierce the heart. Still, the pain took its toll, and both of the fighters fell to the ground. Luckily for Godot, he landed on the Diablos, cushioning his fall and minimizing the damage taken.
The Diablos rose to his feet. "That was a good effort," he spoke in a low, demonic voice, "But I see that you are not fit to protect my daughter." Godot stood firm and kept a stern eye on the professor. He was confident that the fight was his. With a roar, the Diablos rushed towards Godot. In a mad furry, he spewed a furious fire down, punching and stomping in a rhythmless mass. Godot continued to dodge but made sure to stay close to the spot he was standing in before the attack. He had to wait for the Diablos to become tired, and when that happened, he took the chance to strike. After a final punch, Godot jumped on the arm of the Diablos. With fire and flurry, the Diablos tried to thwart the warrior, but his lack of speed worked against him, especially thanks to the debilitating nature of the mutagen and the wounds already sustained. With precision, he grabbed the Meister's Soul that had fallen from the ceiling thanks to all of the vibrations, and with a roar, Godot jabbed the Mammon's Fang and sent it through the Diablos' heart. It was over.
"I..." The professor started with slow speech, "...I have...chosen...correctly." Godot looked at the draconic professor with sympathy as he faded away in a snowy mist as Tauros and the Salamander had before him. With a heavy sigh, Godot gathered his weapons and slowly walked over to the Mistletoe. Normally, he would have wondered where Tara was, but his mind was blank. It was a long day, and the mission had taken a toll on him. He stared at the Mistletoe, levitating over the pedestal and glowing bright. In a sense, he felt happy, yet he looked like a truck ran over him (which may have been partially because he was run over by a dragon). He felt sympathy for the professor, and for Clara and Tara, even if they were all just NPCs. He felt as if he needed to take a moment to mourn for the family, and so he did before finally picking up the mistletoe. Then, with bright letters and happy music, a message appeared on the wall.
Congratulations!
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas!
Godot wasn't amused. In fact, he was disgusted. Kayaba had some sense of humor. The message soon faded away, and Godot found himself outside the dungeon, the entrance blocked by a rock wall. After all was said and done, Godot headed back to Urbus, with Christmas on his heels.
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