//------------------------------// // Episode 20 - Udders and Stingers // Story: EQG: Sword Art Online - Ruby Palace // by Mindrop //------------------------------// Episode 20 - Udders and Stingers Fifth Day in the Month of Holly (December 5) in the Year of the Hawk Floor 2 Bladescape, Natora, and Diemond teleported to Urbus. On their way through Tolbana, they had bought food that was durable enough to last till lunch. They walked to the meeting point. As expected, they were the first ones there. The others were not late and soon came rushing over through the morning crowd. A lot of players were staying inside the safe zone, but enthusiastic about seeing somewhere else besides the Town of Beginnings. But not everyone was there to explore. Plenty wanted to try their luck hunting in the fields outside the city. Bladescape led their group out of the city as quickly as they could manage and immediately headed south. They were in the same teams they had been over the past few days.  It didn’t take long for one of the oxen to find them. It went for Soryuto. Malus got in front and stopped it. Everyone else except for Knightstar struck. She was writing down calculations. They continued among the trees and grasslands, ambling between the tabletop mountains with no direction except to explore and fight every ox they could. After Knightstar was satisfied with her base level of information, they split up a bit to benefit from being in two parties. Even split up, they quickly dispatched the oxen. They had good levels, great weapons, good tactics and teamwork, and they were getting great XP in rather quick succession.  As Bladescape finished off the latest trembling ox, she heard something. It wasn’t a player or another ox. It was a buzzing sound.  “What is that?” Malus asked. “Y’all hear that, right?” “Yeah,” Bladescape nodded. “I do. It sounds like a bee.” “More like a wasp,” Konpeito said.  “How do you know that?” Malus asked.  “Cause that is what its name is, Windwasp,” Konpeito said, pointing behind Malus with her axe. Everyone looked at where she was pointing. The Windwasp was black with green stripes and four wings. The red icon above its head meant that it was a monster, but it was only about 20 inches long. The stinger was like an ice pick.  It bolted at them. Malus got in position but it dodged around her shield and landed its stinger in her shoulder. The attack left it in a delay. It never had a chance to come out of it as Konpeito’s axe sliced it apart at the joint between the thorax and the abdomen. “And another successful critical attack,” Konpeito said, cockily shouldering her axe.  “Ow,” Malus groaned. “That stinger stuns.” “That is a new thing,” Bladescape said. “At least it isn’t poison.” “True,” Malus nodded. “All the same, I would prefer to avoid it and them. I hate wasps.” “Why?” Konpeito asked. “Good XP and easy to kill. Plus this!” Konpeito held out something pointy.  “Is that the stinger?” Bladescape asked.  “Yep!” Konpeito exclaimed. “Well, actually, it is called Needle of Windwasp. I wonder if Diemond can use it for sewing.” “Item drops are always good,” Bladescape said. “With this new development, we should find the others.” They didn’t have a chance to look as five more wasps blitzed out of the trees at them. Malus was nearly useless, trying to swat them with her hammer. Reisenki was just fast enough to get a hit in, but the tank build wasn’t good for fighting the Windwasps. Konpeito and Bladescape handled them fine, each taking out two. Doombunny pegged the fifth with two throwing knives in quick succession.  “Yeah, that is good XP,” Bladescape said, looking at her menu. “They are going to be annoying, but good XP.” “There you are!” Thunderborne exclaimed as she came through the trees. The others soon came into view. “We have been trying to find you for like ever. When we need you, you are not there. When we don’t, you are too close.” “Let me guess,” Bladescape said. “Wasps?” “Huh? What? No. We found a town! Natora said we had to find you first, before exploring it.” “Yeah, but I am more concerned about these wasps,” Natora said.  “They drop these!” Konpeito exclaimed, holding out a needle.  “Ooooh,” Knightstar said, heading over to Konpeito to check it out. “Let’s get to the safety of the town first,” Bladescape said. “Then we can give you the rundown.” “Wise idea,” Natora said. “It’s a few hundred meters behind us, blocked by the trees. It also is on the top of these flat mountains.” “So all of the cities are on top of the mountains,” Bladescape said. “Interesting, but logical. Keep everyone above the monsters.” They didn’t make it to the city before six wasps blitzed them. The first one was hit with three throwing knives, eliminating it. Bladescape slashed the second into polygons. Konpeito slashed two open with a combination of Pinkie Pie agility and critical strikes. Thunderborne had trouble hitting one of the agile wasps, but finally stabbed one, the same with Natora. Knightstar missed, Soryuto missed, and Kiefer missed. “Interesting,” Knightstar said. “Low stats, but high XP in relative terms. They will be troublesome due to the ambush ability, but they may prove to be good to hunt. This Needle of Windwasp item is intriguing. I got one, did anyone else get one from these six?” No one did. “So, that was a one in six, probably a reality of a ten-percent drop rate at most.” “City,” Bladescape said, getting them back on track.  The climb up the stairs to the city was steep, but doable. It was a small city named Marome. It had no NPC blacksmith and the few shops lacked a variety of items, large stocks of anything, and had nothing new. It also lacked a teleport plaza. “We should eat lunch,” Bladescape said. “It’s a bit early, but we won’t get a break once we leave.” Everyone agreed and they broke out the food.  “Fight our way back, or are we going to explore more?” Natora asked as she ate. “We should explore more,” Bladescape said. “We have time before we need to head back. Suddenly I regret having rented rooms in Urbus. I bet outside the city will be heavily farmed by now.” “Probably, but knowing where Marome is,” Natora said. “We can make it here pretty quick and start fresh. How far away is it?” “We wandered a lot,” Knightstar said. “But the distance is only three kilometers south. If we stay together and take the most efficient route, we can get here in an hour, tops.” “And what is that in miles?” Thunderborne asked.  Knightstar sighed “It's not even two miles. You should really learn the conversion since everything in not only Japan, but in Aincrad, is in meters and kilometers. For reference, a kilometer is nought-six-two miles or a mile is one-nought-six kilometers.” “You don’t have to patronize me,” Thunderborne groaned.  “I wasn’t patronizing you,” Knightstar replied. “I’m certain you are not the only one in our group who doesn’t know the conversion.” “It’s all the same in my head,” Malus stated. “I can tell you how to convert bushels, in both imperial and USC measurements, for pecks, liters, and dry and liquid gallons.” “I’m used to meters,” Diemond said. “So much of the fashion industry is in meters. Any imported fabric is measured in meters.” “Feet are for walking and yards are for grass,” Konpeito said. “And Miles is a boy’s name.” “That’s Myles, with a y, not an I,” Knightstar said.  Konpeito shrugged. “Same difference when the longest piece of licorice was made by Myles Van Meter in the Netherlands and is just as sweet no matter how it is measured!” “Sweets aside,” Bladescape said, trying to figure out how to pick up again after that divergence. “After we finish lunch, we leave by the south entrance and then swing east, looping back around to Urbus to arrive for a late dinner.” “That will give us some good mapping and experience,” Natora said. “It’s a good plan.” They finished up lunch and got back to exploring. They ran into a trembling ox immediately and then saw nothing as they picked through the canyons and mountains, searching through the brush and the trees for anything.  Bladescape stopped them. “Hold up, something is on the edge of my search field. Something else. Something new and big.” “How far does your field reach?” Natora asked.  “The trees on the other side of the clearing,” Bladescape said, pointed. “Go about thirty meters or so into the trees, that is where it fades.” “That’s a good distance,” Natora said.  “About one-hundred meters,” Knightstar said. “That is very good. Nothing can sneak up on us with a field like that. Or wait, is it linear, or a semi-circle, or what is the shape of the field?”  “It’s a circle,” Bladescape clarified. “The extent of the range is what I said, but I can tighten it up which also sharpens it and gives it detail. I have been keeping it about fifty meters, but when we hit a clearing like this, I extend it. The tighter the field, the more detail Search gives me when something enters it. In this case, all I have is an impression, like...like I am the center of a ball and something is pressing on the outside, pressing it in. That is all I have though. Either we need to get closer or it has to. One way or the other, we need more–it’s charging us! What is that–” Out from the trees came a charging bovine. It was twice the size as the trembling ox and was named the Trembling Cow. It was easily five meters at the shoulder and clearly had the same tenacity as the trembling ox, if not more. The health it had was four times that of the trembling ox. “DIEMOND!” Malus called as she charged ahead. “With me! Let’s stop it together.” Diemond sighed as she rushed after Malus. Reisenki sped off after them.  “Same tactic as the ox!” Bladescape ordered. “Just because it's bigger doesn’t mean anything.” Bladescape charged after them. Natora was right behind her as well as Konpeito and Thunder. Bladescape went left, Konpeito and Thunder went to the right, and Natora went to post up right behind the tanks, to take maximum advantage of her spear’s reach.  Bladescape saw the tanks form a wall, with Diemond and Reisenki helping to brace Malus at their center. Natora got behind them, adding to the support as she prepared her spear to trigger a thrusting sword skill over the tank’s heads. The trembling cow continued its thunderous charge. Bladescape looked at its eyes as she slid to a stop on the flank, preparing the Ancient Red Sun sword for her own strike. If the trembling ox relentlessly targeted a single player, the cow probably did too. Bladescape, Thunderborne, and Konpeito were not the targets since they had gone to the side and it hadn’t changed course. Bladescape glanced back at the others. Kiefer, Soryuto, and Doombunny were with Knightstar. They were her shield as she took notes. They hadn’t moved. The cow was most likely targeting one of them, which meant if the tanks failed, the cow would power through, straight for them. If the tanks did stop it, they would not kill it in one synchronized strike. Even if all 11 of them struck, they couldn’t deal enough damage in one moment to pull it off like they could with the ox. The cow was going to get around the tanks, somehow.  There was no time to change tactics. Bladescape brought her sword up, triggering a skill. The cow slammed into the tanks at the same moment as Natora triggered her thrust. Bladescape yelled as she let the skill loose, jumping forward and slicing the cow across the foreleg.  The tanks crumbled and they were trampled, along with Natora, as the cow kept going.  “NO!” Malus yelled as she was trampled. “Knightstar, it's going for one of y’all!” Bladescape came out of the delay and rushed after the cow. It had been slowed down by the tanks but was picking up speed at a terrifying rate. Thunderborne and Konpeito were rushing after it as well.  Bladescape tried, but she couldn’t catch up. Thunderborne did, but her quick four thrust combination didn’t do much or even phase the beast. Bladescape watched as the others reacted too slowly. They miscalculated, including Knightstar. She had been paying attention to the fight and not her own danger level. She didn’t escape its path and was brutally trampled under its hooves.  The trembling cow came to a stop as quickly as it could and turned. It was focused on Knightstar and charged her. Bladescape got to Knightstar as it started its charge. Knightstar was dazed and in the orange just from getting trampled. She was in no position to run and dodge. Bladescape looked at the cow as it cried in pain and stumbled towards the side. A knife was lodged in its eye.  Kiefer slid over to them. “Soryuto and I have her. We’ll get her a potion and out of the way. Go kill it!” Bladescape nodded and charged after the cow. Konpeito and Thunderborne landed blows. The health bar wasn’t even half depleted. A noticeable chunk disappeared as it bellowed in pain. Bladescape caught sight of a throwing knife in its other eye. Doombunny had pegged it right where they needed her to.  Bladescape triggered a sword skill and sliced at its leg. It was the only easy place to hit. The belly was at her head’s level.  Natora yelled and rammed her spear into its neck. She turned to Bladescape. “The tanks are falling back to Knightstar and will send the others to help on an aggressive assault. We can’t stop it. Doom’s daggers might have reduced its ability to maneuver, but we can’t physically block it. The Tanks will physically shield Knightstar if it gets past us, taking the damage for her. Their armor and health are better than hers.” “Let’s not force any of them to be trampled,” Bladescape said. Thunderborne slid to a stop beside them. Kiefer and Soryuto joined them as well. “Aggressive assault,” Bladescape ordered. “We think it’s blinded. We have to remove as much HP as fast as possible. Watch out for accidentally getting trampled because you are too close when you land your hits.” “Soryuto and I will go to the right,” Kiefer said.  “I’ll go head to head with it and for its neck,” Natora added.  “Thunder, follow me left and swing around to its rear,” Bladescape ordered. She rushed off, not waiting for their confirmation. They all followed the plan.  As Bladescape got to the left side, Natora skewered it. Konpeito came out of nowhere, sliding on her knees under its belly. She swung her axe up into its belly. She was out from under it a moment later, clear of its hooves. Bladescape ignored her and attacked, working to play her role.  They were able to get their strikes in, narrowly avoiding getting trampled by the thrashing cow. It had a sense of where they were and tried to stomp and kick them at every chance it got. They slowly got its health down into red and edged it down closer to the grey, but it had a lot of health and wasn’t standing still. Doombunny landed a few more throwing knives in it. Kiefer got kicked, knocking him out of the fight, both literally and while he waited for the health potion to bring his health back up to a safe level. He had lost over half of it to a simple kick.  Bladescape thrust her sword into its shoulder. She got out of the delay and narrowly avoided the kick. It tried to target her with its reduced senses, but Natora once again pinned her spear into its neck. The red spots where it had been stabbed looked like it had a rash on its neck and shoulders from her spear.  The cow swiped its head at Natora, forcing her to disengage and dodge the attack. Konpeito came from somewhere, using its lowered head to her advantage. She snagged its ear and as it thrashed, used it to swing up onto its back. It tried to buck her off, but it never had the chance as she buried her dane axe square in its skull, scoring a critical strike and depleting the last of its HP. It floated away in polygons and Konpeito found herself five meters in the air, with no way to stop the brutal fall.  Bladescape sheathed her sword as she rushed over to her friend. Konpeito was in the red, mostly from the fall, splayed out on her back. “Konpeito,” Bladescape said as she bent down. “That was both epic and stupid.” “Yeah,” Konpeito groaned. “I didn’t think that one through.” “Drink a potion,” Bladescape said as she brought one to her lips. “In case anything comes after us.” “Well, that was a nightmare,” Knightstar said as she came over to them. Everyone was gathering around Konpeito. “It’s not a boss of any kind, but the trembling cow is certainly pushing those boundaries. Extremely high HP, high resistance, lots of power, and extreme size.” “That sounds like a boss,” Natora said. “So, if it isn’t one, then I am afraid to find out what a boss on this floor looks like.” “Good XP though,” Knightstar added.  “Maybe, but I don’t think we should actively seek them out,” Malus said. “And not just cause I can’t stop it. I ain’t no chicken, but we used a lot of energy and potions fightin it.” “Malus is right,” Bladescape said. “And I never got trampled. We can sort out a strategy, and need to, but there are more profitable endeavors for us. I highly doubt that will be our only encounter.” “You were right, it was big,” Diemond said. “I just wish it wasn't that big.” “I think we can all agree on that,” Reisenki said. “Half of my throwing knives didn’t survive the fight,” Doombunny added. “Their durability is small, but they are cheap. I just need to get more and have spares in my inventory.” Konpeito sat up. “Anyone want milk?” “What?” Bladescape asked. “Why would any of us want milk right now?” “I dunno,” Konpeito shrugged. “All I know is I got Trembling Cow’s milk.” “Interesting,” Knightstar said. “It must be for cooking something.” “Let’s get moving,” Bladescape said. “We don’t need to be standing here, exposed. That was not a quick fight and I don’t want it to respawn. We know where it is on our map if we want to fight it again. With the way the terrain is, I don’t think there is a direct way back to Urbus. I’m tired and sore from the fight. I want a hot meal and a bed.” Everyone agreed and they got back to exploring their way back to Urbus. The exterior sun had set, but light was still coming in between the floors, when they got back. The rest of the afternoon was filled with battle after battle between the oxen and wasps.  The city was busy. Plenty of people were there, both fighters and tourists. Doombunny took off immediately to go buy more daggers from the same smith she had gotten her set from. Everyone else got food at a restaurant and had a good meal. Doombunny joined them a little while later, restocked on knives, a whole extra set, and more ordered.  Bladescape set the morning meeting time and then she went back to Tolbana. Natora joined her. By the meeting time, everyone agreed to have their equipment repaired. They didn’t need anyone’s equipment to fail because it ran out of durability. In the room, Bladescape spoke up. “I hurt, but I shouldn’t be resting.” “Why not?” Natora asked.  “We did fine in this fight, but if I am going to lead by example and claim boss LABs, I will need to get stronger, faster, and have that will to dominate. I’m too docile.” “So what, you want to train all night and not sleep?” Natora asked.  “Why not?” Bladescape asked. “Or at least later. We are only fighting when the sun is up. We need to push levels, especially if we want to maintain the edge for the floor boss raids.” “I’m close to level fourteen,” Natora said.  “Me too,” Bladescape nodded. “But we should want to go into the boss fight as close to level twenty as possible. A lot of players are out there. The area around town is picked clean for respawns, which did make the last leg of our trip back nice and calm.” “Alright,” Natora said with a nod. “It has merit. This isn’t going to end anytime soon. We know how to make it stop, but that is ninety-eight floors above us. The floor won’t stay unknown for long. Maybe two weeks, at most, and we will be facing the floor boss. That doesn’t give us any time to level up. I’m not sure how we can easily and safely farm these creatures on night trips, so I will leave that planning up to you. I’m competitive, but this is...now this is our life and world we live in. I will admit to you that I am complacent. I want to live here, not fight for my life. That does include wanting to battle and conquer, but I am more relaxed about it. I’ll back you up though. We don’t need my mentality; we need the drive you have.” “I don’t have it, yet,” Bladescape said. “No, that is where you are wrong. You have it. You don’t know how to tap into it and harness it, but you have it. Your questions, your will, your drive to want it means you have it. We just need to harness that in the right way. You will take us to the top, but we need you to pull us along. Diemond and Konpeito will get distracted with their secondary skills and I can see Malus finding something to occupy her time. She may not mind hard work and she is stubborn, but that doesn’t mean all she wants to do is fight.” Bladescape pulled up her menu, changing into her sleepwear. On impulse, she also pulled out her book of memories. Natora wasn't going to bed yet, she was reading the guide book. Bladescape opened it to the center and read the page. It was part of her talk with Mister Shinmi, during the competition, when he was giving her life lessons and wisdom of the samurai. The first part of this next one you have down, but what about the rest? 'Wisdom comes from paying attention to wise people. Love comes from always striving for the good of others and placing others before oneself. Bravery is developed by simply gritting one’s teeth and with determination crashing through any barrier in one’s way without regard to the circumstances.' Bladescape had the wisdom, learned the hard way, and she had the love. The Bravery part was what she desired. To crash through each barrier on each floor until she reached the summit of this floating castle of iron and kicked down the doors to the Ruby Palace, and meet head on whatever boss awaited them there so they could once again be back in the human reality. BLADESCAPE: Level 13 — Two-Handed Sword — Searching — Weapon Defense — Leather Armor  NATORA:  Level 13 —  Two-Handed Spear — Purchase Negotiations — Sales Negotiation — Weapon Defense KNIGHTSTAR: Level 13 — One-Handed Sword — Shield — Light Metal Armor — Equipment Appraisal  MALUS: Level 13 — One-Handed War Hammer — Shield — Light Metal Armor — First Aid  THUNDERBORNE: Level 13 — Rapier — Sprint — Acrobatics — Weapon Defense  KONPEITO: Level 13 — Two-Handed Axe — Cooking — Weapon Defense —  Light Metal Armor  DIEMOND: Level 13 — Mace — Shield — Sewing — Light Metal Armor   DOOMBUNNY: Level 13 — One-Handed Dagger — Hide — Fighting Spirit — Blade Throwing KIEFER: Level 8 — One-Handed Curved Sword — Slash Weapon Forging — Light Metal Armor  SORYUTO: Level 8 — One-Handed Sword — Shield — Light Metal Armor  REISENKI: Level 8 — One-Handed Axe — Shield — Light Metal Armor