Episode 95 — Meigibu
Episode 95 — Meigibu
Fifteenth Day in the Month of Bush Clover (June 15) in the Year of the Griffon
Floor 62
Bladescape was staying back, letting Natora and Malus take the lead for the day. The Wondercolts were clearing the labyrinth with Meigibu. They had unofficially teamed up with them the day before and then had arranged for an official joint effort to clear the labyrinth with both guilds at full strength. It was a good arrangement. Bladescape was glad to not be on point. The day before with Laughing Coffin and, more importantly, Kurayaro, was beyond stressful.
Malus, now the Wondercolts' third councilor, was leading Doombunny, Soryuto, Kiefer and Bladescape. Natora was leading Diemond, Konpeito, Thunder, and Reisenki. If Malus needed help leading, Bladescape would be right there, but the apple farmer would be fine.
The walk to the meeting point wasn’t far. Meigibu was already at the entrance, beneath the pillar of ivory that not only served as the pillars between floors, supporting Aincrad’s weight, but also as the 62nd Floor’s Boss Labyrinth. Meigibu was easy to spot because they were such a large guild. Bladescape counted forty players, most likely organized into five full parties, and two smaller parties of four and five. Most of them were in green, Eastern Style armor, and those that were not had something white or green to tie them into the guild.
The entire guild bowed to the Wondercolts, who bowed back with less unison, in greeting before Lobelia spoke. “Thank you for joining us today. We all look forward to clearing with you. Strong backup is appreciated.”
“We always enjoy dungeon diving with friends,” Bladescape replied with a smile. “Your guild has grown since we shared Christmas desserts. We know your skill, as well as Kamishi's and many of the others. The new faces are no doubt just as strong. It's tough with so many guilds level grinding."
"That it is," Lobelia agreed.
“Let’s dive in,” Kamishi said. “I am sure you were warned, but these hobgoblins wield heavy maces. They have a strong knockback chance, even against our tanks.”
“Duly noted,” Diemond replied. “Reisenki and I are ready to face those maces.”
Bladescape drew Harmonic Salvation, signaling them to move in, but it was Malus who headed in first, the Iron Bulwark out and ready. The shield was quickly put to use. No one had entered the Labyrinth in hours, probably since they had left the day before. Almost all of the clearing guilds were still working to grind their levels and meet personal quotas. It didn’t matter how many were still trying to train at once, they needed to level up to move forward. The handful of guilds who were clearing the Labyrinth hadn’t even broken onto its fifth floor. The Wondercolts and Meigibu were soon back to their last stopping point and not long afterwards they climbed the stairs to the fifth floor.
Bladescape didn’t have to do much fighting. Malus and Soryuto had everything locked down well. Kiefer was able to deal the damage necessary, plus it allowed Malus and Soryuto more chances to attack. Doombunny was her usual, ruthless self, despite the fact that she was using just her regular dagger, Mourning Protector, and her throwing knives. Colorra’s venom worked great against the hobgoblins, but she was only striking when necessary to conserve her reserves. It took time to refill and if Doombunny was extracting it for drug mixing, the snake couldn't afford to drain what she had in a fight.
Bladescape hopped back behind Soryuto after striking to draw aggro away from Doombunny. They were doing fine in their group of five. Even without Bladescape, they were not having a problem. Yells came from behind them. Bladescape glanced back at the nearest Meigibu party. The nine teams had been split up in smaller groups of at least two parties as they mapped the fifth floor of the Labyrinth.
The Meigibu party was a full party of six, but the three hobgoblins they were dealing with had broken their line. The tank and four shield users were on the ground, and the last member, a katana user, was shaking. She was frozen with fear, which usually spelled a death sentence.
Bladescape didn’t think as she sprinted across the ground between them. Her sword glowed green as she targeted the mace of the closest hobgoblin. The mace swung at the frightened girls, but Harmonic Salvation collided with it in time; the blow shattering the mace. The Hobgoblin was still dangerous without his weapon, but Bladescape continued her forward momentum. She rammed Harmonic Salvation to the hilt in the chest of the second hobgoblin. She ripped it out, twisting into a crouch and targeting the third. His mace was glowing as he targeted a girl who was struggling to get up. The second hobgoblin shattered as she jumped at the third, in a desperate attempt to get her sword in between the mace and the player.
Harmonic Salvation pinged as it was hit. The blade was forced into the ground, burying its tip just on the other side of the girl. The mace was heavy, still locked against the blade and trying to crush both the sword and the girl. Bladescape wasn’t going to let that happen.
Bladescape grunted as she kept the mace from finishing its task. She risked it and stepped over the girl. The move pushed her low, practically forcing her to sit on top of the girl. Bladescape found her center, halting her descent. With Harmonic Salvation stuck, she had few options available to counter.
Without thinking, Bladescape slammed her forehead into the sturdy chin of the hobgoblin. It hurt, making her go cross-eyed, but it worked. He released the pressure on the mace as he took a step back. Bladescape kept Harmonic Salvation low, triggering a Sword Skill that slashed the hobgoblin’s leg off and then stabbed him in the gut before he fell. That was the end of him.
The first hobgoblin had drawn a dagger and was standing over another member of Meigibu. He raised it high and it glowed red. Bladescape was too far away to jump the distance. She flicked a pick, throwing it without taking aim. All her time spent practicing quick draws paid off as it hit him in the knee. The paralysis effect landed and he crumpled. The Meigibu member shrieked as he fell right on top of her.
Although he was paralyzed, Bladescape didn’t hesitate in her follow up. She leaped across to him, stretching out as far as possible, and getting the forward section of the blade into him. The beast shattered as the sword once again earned its worth. It didn’t stop the shrieks of the girl.
Bladescape sighed, falling onto her knees, unstable from the lunge. She scrambled up and over the girl. She was probably older than Bladescape was, but she didn’t seem it while she screamed. Bladescape grabbed her arm and pulled her up, breaking her out of the position of fear she had been stuck in. Bladescape embraced her tightly. It did the trick as she relaxed and went limp, sobbing. Bladescape countered the weight transfer with a slight step and held her up.
The rest of the party was getting to their feet. One of the other girls grabbed the one in Bladescape’s arms. Bladescape was able to take a step back and survey the area. The Wondercolts had just finished the last hobgoblin in front of them. They were doing fine without her.
This Meigibu party was stronger than they looked. They were stronger than they thought they were. Bladescape had no idea how to teach them that strength. She looked over at her party. Malus nodded, knowing what Bladescape was thinking. Kiefer saluted with his Katana, also in agreement.
The two parties were working closely together as they continued along their chosen path, but Bladescape stayed with the Meigibu party. With her direction, they began to stand stronger. She jumped in when she needed to, but most of the time Bladescape was their backbone, helping them stand strong and do what they already knew they could. They just needed someone to believe in them and Bladescape did.
The Meigibu party consisted of Eos - one of the seven men in Meigibu - the party’s axe wielding Tank. Kate used a hammer and a small, metal round shield, embossed with a red cherry blossom. Suiginto wielded a double headed battle axe with her Viking round shield, painted white. Babs, who was decked out in darker orange metal armor that was backed by amaranth cloth, was a lancer with a larger heater shield that was white. Suiko was a shy forward with a curved sword and medium kite shield. The last member was Ithilien. Clad in soft green armor to match Meigibu's secondary color, she was the katana user who had frozen when the hobgoblins had knocked the other five to the ground.
Lunch was late, finally happening when they found a safe zone. It was already occupied by the other parties diving together, but they had only just arrived, barely ahead of Bladescape's two parties. There was a difference in what Meigibu could pack for lunch and what Konpeito had been able to throw together with little notice. Konpeito hadn’t been able to make more than 10 meals. However, the difference wasn’t that noticeable. Meigibu obviously had a few cooks in their ranks.
Bladescape sat next to Malus and Natora. She wasn’t trying to hide anything, but she wanted to chat, quietly. “How are things?”
“In what way?” Natora asked, in between bites.
“I mean…” Bladescape paused, trying to choose the right words. “Well, I am now working with them, not my party. They are strong, but acting weak.”
Natora sighed. “I'm already helping another party. Kiefer and Soryuto are with another one, Thunder is with yet a different party, and I am with Lobelia, who is leading one of their short parties. Kamishi is leading the other short party. This is what we noticed the other day, and what I wanted you to see for yourself. Strong warriors, true at heart, but they have been beaten and bruised by Aincrad. This game has struck fear deep into their hearts. They are tired and could use some more levels, but they are still on the front for a reason.”
“But they've got too much heart to give up,” Malus said. “We see their strength. They're stumblin’, but ain't face first in the mud. Not yet. They just need someone to catch em and set em proper."
“Forty,” Bladescape sighed. “Forty players. If we lose them off the front line…”
“It’s like losing an entire boss raiding party,” Natora finished.
“I’m following your two’s lead,” Bladescape said, leaving it there and taking a bite of her sandwich.
“I’m followin’ Natora,” Malus added.
“Great,” Natora groaned. “I hate being the vanguard.”
The three of them laughed together and then continued to eat in silence. They had to be ready to go first, even if no one else was. As the leaders of the Wondercolts, it was not a good idea for the others to be waiting on them to finish their food.
Once they got going again, Bladescape’s party didn’t last long. Malus and Doombunny split off to work with another Meigibu Party and Kiefer and Soryuto joined Kamishi. The Wondercolts were spread out, but they were turning the seven Meigibu parties into forces twice as strong as they had been acting.
Bladescape was leading three parties: Eos’s party, Lya's party which had picked up Malus and Doombunny, and Kamishi’s party who had Kiefer and Soryuto. They were mapping a wide corridor which was filled with multiple enemies. The three parties were spread out, making a solid battle line against the multiple hobgoblins attacking them, plus the ones waiting for an opening to attack.
Malus was leading Lya's party to victory on the right flank. Kamishi and Kiefer were holding the center. Eos had two hobgoblins banging on his tower shield. Each time their mace hit his shield, he was rocked back, but his feet were grounded. They were holding though.
Bladescape looked away for half a second, to double check the right flank. Malus was the only Tank on that side. It sounded like glass shattered on the left flank. The unmistakable sound of the virtual being broken down into its polygons.
Bladescape turned as fear pierced her heart. Everything had been fine. Eos was standing firm, but that didn’t last as he took two maces in quick succession on his shield, knocking him onto his back, spread eagle and exposed.
Bladescape acted, trying to push the shattering glass sound from her mind. It didn’t work, but she was focused as she leaped the distance. Harmonic Salvation glowing blue. The defense of the left flank was what mattered and she could worry about the shattered pieces after they were safe.
The first hobgoblin was sliced clean through, and the shattering of its polygons reverberated through her head, compounding the sound and her fear. She blocked the mace of the second hobgoblin and then rammed Harmonic Salvation up into his skull. He shattered into polygons, once again making the breaking glass sound, but this time it stopped her heart. There were two more hobgoblins on the left flank. Heart stopped or not, Bladescape sliced them apart.
Bladescape glanced to the right, looking to the others. Kamishi, Kiefer, and Soryuto were charging to the left flank, ahead of them to stabilize the entire line. Malus was leading the charge forward of the other two parties to establish a new forward line. They had heard the sound as well.
Bladescape turned back to the party. Eos was being pulled to his feet. All six of the party members were there, safe and sound.
“What happened?” Bladescape asked, panic still in her voice. “I turned, something shattered, and then I looked back, and Eos was knocked off his feet.”
“My shield broke,” Suiko explained. “Sorry.”
Bladescape let out a relieved sigh. Her heart was beating out of control, but it was at least beating. “Breaking gear sounds so similar to a player. Do you have a spare?”
“No,” Suiko replied. “But I started the day with the shield in perfect condition.”
Bladescape let out a troubled sigh. “Does anyone have a spare?” None of them did. “Alright, hang back and play as a damage dealer. Don’t take any risks, but hit hard when the timing is right. Make the kills rack up as fast, if not faster, as if you were a forward with a shield. Compensate for needing to rely on the rest of the squad but don't blame yourself. It happens and we are a team so that we can help each other out."
“Understood,” Suiko nodded.
Bladescape looked at the forward line. “Let’s move. They are holding, but they are spread thin. They are strong, you are strong, but we need everyone at their battle stations. Follow me!”
Bladescape finished by holding Harmonic Salvation up high. She swiped the blade down towards their friends and then she charged, yelling the Wondercolts' motto as she bolted towards the line. The distance wasn't that great. The other six issued their own war cries and charged after her.
Bladescape didn’t stop at the line. She had played back all day, striking a few times in desperate attempts to save a member or distract enemies. She had originally planned on reinforcing the line, but her plan shifted as she charged and had her fighting spirit reignited. She was done playing in the rear. She rushed past the others, keying up a Sword Skill, and cutting down the nearest hobgoblin. She went to the next, ducking under his mace and ran him through. Bladescape went on a rampage out in front of them all. The line didn’t move as she sliced the two dozen hobgoblins to pieces with honed speed and precision.
Bladescape sheathed Harmonic Salvation as she walked back to the line. She couldn’t help but grin. She breathed a sigh of relief as she got back to everyone. “I needed that. After yesterday’s debacles, that was...pleasant. However, the rest of the day can’t ride on my shoulders. I'm still not at my best."
“That was,” Lya said, finding herself at a loss for words. “It was…”
“Inspiring,” Kate finished. “You know how to do battle and you are strong enough to be clearing these hobgoblins on your own.”
Bladescape shrugged. “I’ve worked hard to be the best I can be, for my friends and for the other players. The stronger I am, the safer my friends are as we fight our way to freedom. The smarter I am in leading them, the safer we are.
"But I don’t just rely on myself. I listen to my friends and my council to make sure we do things smartly. The Wondercolts are here, in the Labyrinth, because we have been smart, and it means we are on the top of the Level curve for the clearers. Always have been. We worked hard to get where we are and to stay at the top. It’s saving us from needing to be fighting for grinding spots right now, but it hasn’t been easy.”
“It’s meant a lotta sleepless nights,” Malus added. “But worth it.”
"It shows," Kamishi said. "We could use some advice on that. To stay relevant."
"You're more relevant than you are giving yourself credit for," Soryuto said. "I see it, we all see it, you just need to see and believe it. I know Tifa fights with claws, but we have Doombunny with us. She uses daggers on the front line! If she can, Tifa certainly still can, plus everyone else. And we also have Konpeito, whose focus is fun, friends, and food. She fights with us, yet often is absolutely distracted, while still somehow staying on point."
"Point taken," Eos said. "But how do I get better, so that I am solid on my feet? I know it's Malus I'm currently compared to, I've heard the stories of the Iron Bulwark, but you, Soryuto, can withstand the pounding of two hobgoblins with ease. I am a Tank, but I can’t hold any more."
"It takes time," Soryuto said. "The hobgoblins are making me stagger and that's okay so long as I don't fall. Their weapons are heavy and I'm functioning more like a tank. Malus has been a great example I get to see on a daily basis, as well as giving all of the Wondercolts lessons in holding our ground. Hold until relieved, but that is why your party should be right there, to be that relief."
"Stairs are ahead," Doombunny reported. "And with the space in front of them, I doubt our ascent will go unchallenged."
"No sign of monsters?" Bladescape asked.
"Reveal didn’t show any," Doombunny stated. "But we have done this enough times. It's still a newer skill. I'm certain something will appear."
"We...there is nowhere to go but forward," Bladescape replied. “Let's go."
There was hesitation in at least half of the Meigibu members. Kamishi and Eos were ready to go. Most gamers were male and SAO was no exception for that bias. Female games were usually tough and strong, but it did seem like the bulk of the females in SAO were not capable of fighting on the front lines. There was a disproportionate percentage for each sex when it came to the Clearers and Assault Team. The majority of women that were Clearers were members of Meigibu, which was thirty-three. Ignoring the Wondercolts, there were another twenty or so clearers who were female, spread out among the various guilds, typically as the sole female or a pair. Asuna was the only female in the KoB.
The area ahead wasn't much bigger than the wide hallway they had been fighting in. They had entered from the bottom left corner. There was another entrance on the top right corner. The stairs were on the left wall, three quarters of the way to the top left corner. The only other notable features were two statues, each one being a seated troll.
A deep groan sounded as the last in their party crossed the threshold from the hallway into the room. It sounded like a drawn out "huh" question and then an angry growl.
The statues cracked and shattered, like the shell of an egg. Two trolls stood up from their seated position. They were the mid bosses guarding the room and stairs. They quickly noticed the party members. Each had two health bars, and both were identified as a generic “Cave Troll.”
Bladescape issued orders. "Malus and Eos, you two tanks are my blockers. Keep the pressure up on Lefty. Soryuto, you will be their strong shield user and take their right flank. I need your agility to be available for adjustments. Ithilien, Doombunny, and Suiko, you are with Malus and Eos as their damage dealers. I'll take Kate, Babs, Suiginto, Pyrrha, and Kiefer and go after Righty. Kamishi, you take the others and go with the Tanks to whittle down Lefty. Let the Tanks do their jobs and then switch in. Even against two trolls, we can do this."
They reorganized to fit the new structure. Kamishi took command of the damage party, leaving Malus in charge of Eos and Soryuto. Bladescape's party of six was going to have to be fast and efficient. They had two shields, two lancers, and two power forwards.
"Kiefer, we need a quick takedown," Bladescape stated. "Give righty all that you have."
"Got it," Kiefer said with a nod before charging forward.
The Wondercolts's samurai didn't disappoint either. The combination attack was one Bladescape was familiar with and she used it to her advantage as the troll howled in pain.
Bladescape used that moment to leap onto the oversized maul it carried and jump. She kicked off the arm of the troll, changing direction a bit. Harmonic Salvation glowed as she reversed her grip and stabbed down. The sword split the virtual flesh and sunk all the way into its shoulder. She missed the neck, as planned, but with her weight and gravity in her favor, the sword was hilted. Not an easy feat with the length and flanges.
Bladescape leveraged her way up onto the shoulder of the moving troll. She ripped out Harmonic Salvation, planning on going for the neck, but she was thrown as the beast thrashed beneath her. Kiefer had gotten Babs and Pyrrha to give the troll a taste of their spears. Bladescape landed hard, the wind having been knocked out of her.
Righty swung at Babs and Pyrrha. Pyrrha jumped back to avoid the massive maul. Babs raised her shield. Bladescape saw her eyes go wide in terror as she realized her mistake. It was too late and the maul smacked into her, tossing her back.
On the other side, Eos was knocked over but Malus held as Lefty swung his maul at them. Doombunny struck hard as he was stopped by Malus and Suiko also scored a strong hit. She was grabbed by the troll and lifted up into the air. It bellowed in her face. He howled in pain and dropped her as Kamishi unleashed the full extent of his Katana Skill, with many of the others also joining the fight.
Soryuto blocked a severely delayed Kamishi from Lefty and then sprinted to Righty. She made several cuts at the leg of the troll, drawing its attention. In retaliation, it raised its maul overhead and brought it straight down to squash her. Soryuto skipped back, narrowly avoiding it. The troll punched at her. She stopped the fist on her shield. The maul swung at her and Soryuto ducked low, under its path. She braced herself down behind her shield for the next attack.
It didn't come as Kiefer and Bladescape let loose a fury of Sword Skills on the back of the troll. Kate, Suiginto, and Phirrha charged in as well, sword skills triggered. The three of them knocked the troll around, confusing the AI’s targeting program. It was like a shoving match, where the jocks pushed the nerd around between them, except with weapons and their lives on the line.
Kiefer sprinted over to Babs. Her health was almost gone as she laid there, breathing heavily. Kiefer pulled out a red crystal and healed her. He grabbed her right arm, and pulled her up onto her feet. The best thing she could do was walk the hit off. Kiefer picked up her spear and put it in her hand. He nodded to her with a reassuring smile and then charged back into the fray.
Doombunny had also slipped over to Righty, judging Bladescape’s initial strategy to be too weak in numbers. She slid behind an unaware Kate and then jumped out from behind as the troll stumbled backwards towards them. She unleashed Viper, a seven hit combo, all stabs. It was almost as fast as Thunderborne was.
The troll dropped onto a knee, taking the paralysis effect Doombunny had been unable to inflict on Lefty. Kate scrambled out of the way as it dropped onto the ground. It would have flattened her if she hadn’t moved.
Bladescape leaped up onto the troll’s back and then moved to his head. She drove Harmonic Salvation down, through his skull. The blade stopped when the tip hit the floor.
The troll shattered, unable to withstand the fatal hit, the head also being a critical attack point. Bladescape dropped a good two feet to the floor, almost falling as she landed. She stabilized herself and looked at Lefty. She saw Kamishi and Malus charge in from two different sides. They both had high level Sword Skills triggered with multiple combination attacks. The troll had three quarters of his second health bar left. It was gone as the two of them struck.
It shattered and Bladescape breathed and a sigh of relief. The menu popped up, showing the drop list. It wasn’t bad XP, but pitiful Col since trolls were too dumb to save any money. Bladescape had gotten a Last Attack Bonus. It appeared that each troll was a separate mid boss, even though they both guarded the stairs. They might have been designed to be triggered by two different teams. If that was true, the two different guild tags had drawn both out at the same time.
The LAB was useless to her. It was a shield. Bladescape opted to materialize it rather than put it in her storage. She caught it. It was a mid-level heater shield, but it was better than nothing.
Bladescape presented it to Suiko. “I have no use for a shield, and the Wondercolts carry better than this. You need it, so take it.”
“Really?” Suiko asked.
“Really,” Bladescape nodded with a smile. “We need all members on deck and as strong as possible for the day.”
“This is actually a bit better than what I had,” Suiko said as she read the info. She equipped it and bowed in thanks.
They heard footsteps coming from the other hall, distracting Bladescape from responding.
“The others are approaching,” Doombunny informed them. “All four parties.”
Bladescape checked the time. It was a lot later than she had thought it was. It had taken them all day to clear the fifth floor of the Labyrinth. The Wondercolts, solo, couldn’t have done much better, if at all. The first five floors of the boss labyrinth were completely mapped, and that was what mattered. They would get that info to the Clearers as soon as they got back home. Everyone needed a boost for this Floor. It would help offset the training time the others were forced to do.
With both Wondercolts and Meigibu gathered together, they decided to ascend the stairs to the sixth floor and then call it a day. That ascent would give them the perfect starting foothold for the next day.
They were not that deep in the Labyrinth, so they decided to walk rather than waste teleport crystals. They knew the fastest path to take. There was some fighting of respawns that had to be done. Natora, Thunderborne, Reisenki, and Konpeito were out front, clearing the way, along with six of the seven guys in Meigibu. Malus was too slow to keep up with them. Konpeito kept showing most of them up in her usual fashion by scoring critical attacks that obliterated a hobgoblin because of the added damage factor.
BLADESCAPE: Level 85 — Two-Handed Sword — Searching — Weapon Defense — Leather Armor — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Sprint — Blade Throwing — Extended Weight Carry — Acrobatics — Greatsword
NATORA: Level 80 — Two-Handed Spear — Purchase Negotiations — Sales Negotiation — Weapon Defense — Weapon Defense — Light Metal Armor — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Acrobatics — Armor Pierce — Sprint — Extended Weight Carry
MALUS: Level 80 — One-Handed War Hammer — Greatsword — Heavy Metal Armor — First Aid — Extended Weight Carry — Battle Regeneration — Fishing — Search — Martial Arts — Rend — Sprint
THUNDERBORNE: Level 80 — Rapier — Sprint — Acrobatics — Weapon Defense — Light Metal Armor — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Armor Pierce — Martial Arts — Blade Throwing — Search
KONPEITO: Level 80 — Two-Handed Axe — Cooking — Weapon Defense — Light Metal Armor — Martial Arts — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Music — Blade Throwing — Bard — Extended Weight Carry — Rend
DIEMOND: Level 80 — Mace — Greatsword — Sewing — Heavy Metal Armor — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Light Metal Armor Forging — Heavy Metal Armor Forging — Extended Weight Carry — Jewelry Creation — Rend
DOOMBUNNY: Level 81 — One-Handed Dagger — Hide — Fighting Spirit — Blade Throwing — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Familiar Cooperation — Mixing — Listen — Reveal — Main-gauche — Search
KIEFER: Level 79 — One-Handed Curved Sword — Slash Weapon Forging — Light Metal Armor — Weapon Defense — First Aid — Katana — Battle Regeneration — Slash Weapon Forging — Blade Throwing — Armor Pierce
SORYUTO: Level 77 — One-Handed Sword — Shield — Light Metal Armor — Music — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Fighting Spirit — Armor Pierce — Acrobatics — Extended Weight Carry
REISENKI: Level 79 — One-Handed Axe — Greatsword — Heavy Metal Armor — Equipment Repair — Metal Equipment Repair — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Cooking — Metal Refining — One-Hand Weapon Creation
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Seems like Bladescape's PTSD is really beginning to manifest.
12064043
Oh yeah. Plus, she still has not had a single dream since diving. Trauma will be addressed and pop up more. The longer in, the more risk. That is why I have the "drama" tag. Still is a T-rated adventure story, but there needs to be more tension and stakes for realism and its fun!
Nice update as usual!
12062232
I think this makes the second that we know dissaproves of the whole thing, and they both gave their lives to help the Players
12064229
Think there might be a NPC 'uprising'?
Another good chapter focusing on Bladescape and the other Wondercolts as they focus on clearing a Labyrinth. Given last chapter I almost expected Knightstar to be involved somehow, but I guess she'll have t wait a little longer.
12064340
There is a reason why they did not have dates. Interspersing them all without disrupting more important chapter chains took planning. Readers needed to know she was working on them and have the fun of the quest.
12064284
12064229
Now I am wondering what this "NPC uprising" would look like. In your opinions?
12064381
I would think more of what is happening, like when Malus got her shield, or like how Doom got the Heart of the great lion. Less Fight to kill a player more, try to see if a player is worthy of something, in Malus's case something that probably wasn't intended, Doom's case, an easier path to get something useful
12064381
I would guess that in this instance it would take the form of unexpected attacks, maybe a special flag mob or multiple appearing as the system rebels openly?
They'd have to first know who to target though
12064427
I think we went in totally opposing directions here, which is great! :D
12064432
No telling what Mindrop is planning. They're sneaky...
12064432
12064441
That is why I asked both of y'all! I wanted to see the directions each of you were thinking. I enjoy chatting about the story and hearing feedback. As well as hearing y'all's guesses. I do my best to have foreshadowing and ensure the reader can track my logic. A serial novel requires some different applications of those factors and gives some advantages, like easier feedback/chatting. It is fun to be sneaky. Considering I was writing Floor 87 last night and earlier today, it can be easy to forget where y'all are at or the moment something changes. Two weeks ago I shifted a small floor arc from 78 to 82 for better timing.
12064582
I still bet they breathe oxygen too...
I don't blame her for giving the girl a hug as she almost died because of that hobgoblin!
Better that than another life lost.
Wait, there's no other girls in all of KOB!?
Oof.
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I have thought about an underwater themed floor and some unique challenges. So far, I've not had time to write any of that and may ditch it. I already drew up three big arcs, 83, 89, and 95. With a solid arc needed for 76, 77, 82, and needing more for 90. That is usually four chapters directly on the floor, plus some ancillary chapters in the same timeframe.
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The majority are in the Wondercolts and Meigibu. There are others floating around and they will be still later on. I actually just finished sketching out who is on the front and in what guilds on 87. There are some more. Still, the majority are in blue and gold. The males still hold a solid quarter, but it makes sense the outnumbered females would be more likely to join women centric guilds. Not that the Wondercolts are driving out/away men. The same with Meigibu.
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Hmm. It seems I accidentally replied to myself instead of you. Lol. Not sure how I pulled that off.
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I see
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I blame the pinkie emote
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Probably!