Episode 111 — Infinite Spear
Episode 111 — Infinite Spear
Fifth Day in the Month of Deutzia Flower (July 5) in the Year of the Griffon
Floor 63 — Front Line 64
Natora was enjoying the bar brawl. It was her first time in one of them while they pushed the level quotas. She had offered to stay home and receive the furniture, alternating with Bladescape, so that Kamishi and Lobelia could focus on their levels. Malus couldn't leave either since she officially led the effort. Everything ordered had arrived in a timely manner and it looked fantastic. Most of their members wouldn't see it for another ten or so days, but at least they would get to go home to a headquarters with proper furniture and bedrooms that felt like they were their own.
Natora's jumonji yari, Dragon Tail, was great against the unarmed soft targets. It was her replacement for Blazefury Lance, which had become her backup. The horizontal spurs eliminated over penetration, plus it made a cool cross shaped spearhead. It was her favorite spear design and she got to exclusively train it. Usually when she fought, she ended up using Armor Pierce. As a damage dealer with a spear, her best damage factors typically came from those Skills. It slowed down completing the Two-Handed Spear Skill, but it had steadily been raised because Armor Pierce was very limited in the Sword Skills it offered. They all were thrusting attacks and low in combinations. Another factor working against her was the fact that she struck half as many times as most forwards would, except each blow was more substantial and heavy-hitting.
She had two hours in the bar with her party. She was leading Dinah, Chok, Harari, Sonita, and Pyrrha. Pyrrha and Dinah were lancers and Pyrrha was someone Natora really wanted to get to know. Natora had always admired her drive, determination, and self sacrifice. She was a great lancer and solid tactician. She knew how to use her small shield to protect what she needed to. If they got to form the lancer squad, Pyrrha was their top candidate to lead it. There were other things Natora had noticed about her, but only in brief instances, clouding who Pyrrha was in a bit of a mystery.
Now, Natora got to watch Pyrrha as they tore up The Flying Duck, the whorehouse bar. Natora didn't mind the location, but some members had requested not to go back into it if possible, so she would likely be in this one whenever she was on rotation. Pyrrha didn't have any issues either and she definitely preferred the two story bar because it had a higher ceiling, which was better for spears. She was agile and quick, yet stalwart and knew how to have fun. Her smaller shield with the spear worked to her advantage. Many lancers became encumbered by using larger shields, becoming little more than tanks with a spear. Pyrrha was the most agile lancer Natora knew.
But Natora wasn't only watching her. She watched everyone and focused plenty on her own fights. The six of them were pretty spread out so they didn't run into each other. They were able to keep the respawns suppressed, making their rotation easier. Not that it stopped. Ever. The endless fights were very interesting. It would be a hot training location. Most players would instinctively think of solo training and sure, Natora could absolutely wipe the floor on her own, but a full party was best. It lessened the work and the shared XP was more advantageous if you worked in a party than running solo. It was simple math; they could kill more as a full party than being solo ever could. Sure, no squad tactics could be trained, but the Wondercolts were here for a reason: to quickly level bust their new members up to the quotas they had set.
It had been a while since Natora genuinely had fun grinding for XP. It probably wouldn't last, not with the planned schedule, but she would enjoy it while it did. Fighting on tables and jumping onto chairs so they would tip over as she thrust her spear into a vagabond was fun. It wasn't necessary, but it was awesome.
Their time eventually was up. The next team on rotation had just entered. Together, both teams cleared the last of the patrons and Natora's party switched out unaccosted.
As Natora stepped out of the bar, her menu popped up. There was a second one on top of it. She was blindsided by what it said: "You unlocked the Skill, Mugen Yari, by being the first to complete the Two-Handed Spear." She was close going in and hadn't used Armor Pierce once, but she didn't expect to see a screen notifying her that she maxed it, let alone that she was the first to complete the Skill. On top of that, she got a special Skill out of it. She had no doubt it would be a sick Skill.
Whatever Mugen Yari, infinite spear, actually turned out to be, she had to be careful. None of the others noticed she got another screen. They had kept walking since it wasn't close to being their first rotation. Natora couldn't let others know about the Skill until it was leveled enough to make its reveal worthwhile. Like any Skill, it would be weak at the start. Plenty of players would be jealous, especially since she got it for maxing the Skill first. While it hadn't been used in a long time, she didn't want to be labeled a Beater for it. The title was mostly a nuisance back in the early days, but it did sting at times because it wasn't true, yet she had to wear it anyway. Especially how Kibaou always used it against her. She wouldn't let them do that to her, or anyone else, again. Only when it was ready, when she was ready, would she publicly display the Skill.
Natora was Level 82. She had not had much of a chance to raise her last Skill, Extended Weight Carry. Sure, it probably would come in handy at certain times, especially long days in the field, but it wasn't a necessity to have. She had made it eighty levels, eighteen months, without it. It was her most disposable skill. She swapped it out for Mugen Yari.
Natora went to the mess tent and loaded a plate with food. She sat in a corner to eat while she messed with her menu. She wanted to understand more of what she had unlocked. She only got a cursory glance before Pyrrha walked up to her table, but what she saw excited Natora immensely. It would definitely up her game in a substantial way.
"Mind if I join you?" Pyrrha asked, holding her own plate of food.
"Not at all," Natora said with a smile. "Please, sit." Pyrrha did. "It was a blast having you in my party and watching you fight. You certainly know how to use your spear, yet you don't hide behind your shield like so many lancers."
"Why thank you," Pyrrha said. "A shield should not be the main focus of a lancer. Otherwise you might as well be a tank. At least that is my opinion. You, though, your skill with the spear is very impressive. I saw some of it when we were in the labyrinth together, but today I really saw it. You are exceptionally skilled. Few spear users are like you. You have the speed and agility of many fencers, yet you have the advantage of reach and a heavier hitting weapon. It comes intuitively to you."
"Thanks," Natora said. "I enjoy it, a lot. I've never regretted my choice, even early on."
"What do you mean?" Pyrrha asked.
Natora realized Pyrrha didn't know about the early risks Natora took. "Oh, well, when our little group of eight set out, after the so-called tutorial, we were organized and it meant we got ahead of most players. I had chosen the spear, but I also picked up Purchase Negotiation to buy stuff for our group. Then I chose Sales Negotiation. It wasn't until Level Twelve when I got something defensive with Weapon Defense. Level Twenty I added my armor Skill. I fought floor bosses without an armor Skill and I never used a shield. Still, I didn't regret it because I had seven friends who had my back, keeping me safe."
"That's very impressive and brave of you," Pyrrha said. "It explains your fighting style even more. You had to be bold, yet agile, because you only had your skill and your friends' shields for protection. Few Two-Handed Spear users are as brave as you. I doubt any of them sacrificed so much at the start for the good of their cohort."
"Oh, they didn't," Natora stated, rolling her eyes. "You weren’t there at the first raid meeting. Most of them hadn’t worked in parties, even when they were with a group. They didn't set them up. They knew nothing. Some days I'm surprised only Diavel died in that raid. We almost lost more, but the Wondercolts proved our worth and Kirito took down the boss. The strategy was solid, but the players were not. They got better, but they were not stellar by any means. Still better than most beta testers were during the beta, but not the caliber of player we currently see on the front."
"We don't hear much about the early days," Pyrrha stated. "The paper wasn't running yet and we didn't know much about the game."
Natora let out a sigh. "There are certainly stories that should be remembered and told, but much of what was done at the start was disastrous and reckless. It doesn't deserve to be remembered. Players died because of it. They should be remembered, but Kibaou and Lind were not good for the front. Not with how they fought with each other yet still tried to force the Wondercolts and unaffiliated players out. Lind did refocus his guild after the failed Twenty-Fifth Floor Boss fight, rebranding the Dragon Knights Brigade into the Divine Dragon Alliance. That transition was done pretty well. The players early on that didn't perish largely stopped clearing because of what they went through. Because of the demands of clearing, they spent a lot of energy over the first quarter of Aincrad and most of those who were left burned out by floor Fifty."
"I understand that you were labeled a Beater?" Pyrrha asked.
Natora just gave a slow nod. She didn't know what else to do.
"Forgive my prodding," Pyrrha said. "I shouldn't have asked."
"It's nothing you said," Natora stated. She realized she needed to open up to Pyrrha in order to get to know her better. "Yeah, I was given that title. I lost it faster than most because of how the Wondercolts acted. Because I proved to be different. Some of them were nasty about it—how they used it. All I could do was brush it off and play nice. I don't regret anything I did or playing nice, but it's still, at times, a painful memory.
"Like I said, most of them burned out. They fought with rage and anger, blind to the consequences, seeking only to get free. But we faced a much greater challenge than they could grasp and they couldn't take the correct steps to ensure that we safely and efficiently cleared the game at a sustainable pace. As bad as it was, the Twenty-Fifth Floor Boss was good because it forced us to change our clearing strategy and focus on longevity. We needed that switch and the Wondercolts could not get them to understand the real stakes. They didn't level because of their insistence on beating the bosses as quickly as possible. I'm glad you guys didn't come until after that first effort fell apart. You wouldn't have lasted if you had come earlier, which means you wouldn't be here now."
"I was close to joining a few times, but neither of their guilds looked like they were good fits," Pyrrha admitted. "They needed to cool off and I was too calm and calculated for their likes. They only wanted boss raiders, but I wasn't sure about fighting floor bosses. Then I found Lobelia and joined up with her. Kamishi and his guild had already merged with them. I found a good home there. I'm glad everyone has been able to stick together and I'm excited to be pushing levels and our personal skills again."
Those were some interesting tidbits about Pyrrha. It explained a lot about her personality and play style. She needed to be encouraged for everything she had done.
"Good," Natora said with a grin. "You should be. You have a lot of skill. Not wanting to fight floor bosses is understandable. Always has been to the Wondercolts. I've been in plenty. Personally, the worst was Floor Thirty-Five; Scorpia Queen Of The Arachnida, a giant scorpion that kept laying clutches of eggs which grew up to be its endless army of scorpions, except we didn't know it was endless going in. Very late in the long fight, I was sent with Thunderborne to eliminate the eggs — we had to vault off the wall to get behind the deep line of scorpions — and I ended up almost dying when the queen hit me with her stinger. I got both poison and paralysis effects. Reisenki came out of nowhere, tackling me and saving me. We ended up underneath the boss, crawling to stay under her, but she couldn't get to us despite her best efforts. We were striking her from below, in very cramped positions. Not good for a spear, very tiring, but we pulled it off and the egg clutches were destroyed, so the rest of the raiders were not far behind.”
"That sounds like quite the adventure," Pyrrha said with a laugh. "A little too much adventure for me."
"Possibly," Natora said. "Don't take this as me telling you to. Yeah, floor bosses are a different level of raid, but you don't know if it is too much adventure until you try. It's just about finding the right one. I don't go to a lot of them because I use a spear. There are battles we absolutely need lancers, plenty more we need shield users who can deal good damage, but far too many lancers just don't have the skill, let alone the agility, necessary to be truly effective. Like you said, many are just tanks with a spear. From what I’ve seen, you're better than most of the lancers in the Assault Team. I get it, it's easier to be better when you don't have that extra pressure and there’s also an obvious difference in mentality between Clearers and the Assault Team."
"Thank you," Pyrrha said before Natora could say more. "I'll consider your words. I understand what you are saying. Maybe I will, maybe I won't. Either way, I'll own my role in the Wondercolts as we clear the game."
"That's all we really ask," Natora said. "But I think it's my turn to ask you something."
"Okay," Pyrrha said with a nod. "Ask away."
"During the first few days following the merger, you were at our throwing range a lot," Natora stated. "The furniture day, you took enough time to pick the designer but then went back to the range. You requested to not be assigned to assist a designer team and you're not a cook. You were granted that, allowing you to skill build at our range. Except, you're a lancer. You don't get the opportunity to throw a knife easily in battle because you're actively using both hands. You're trying to get the system to allow you to throw your spear, aren't you?"
"Close," Pyrrha said with a sly smile. "But not quite. I want to get it to allow me to throw javelins. Not the ones used in the Olympics or track and field, but war ones, which are heavy hitters and have a shorter range; twenty meters, maybe forty for the lighter versions historically fielded. Much lighter than my spear but not at all like the throwing picks or knives in the game, however, just like throwing knives, they won't be a viable primary combat strategy. The damage would be too low and carrying enough to do anything would be expensive, realistically impossible. Still, I think it's a valid tactic to have available. It's going to require me to max Blade Throwing if I'm to make an Outside System Skill."
Twenty meters was the maximum range of throwing knives. Going to forty would be amazing. There certainly were times it would be a great advantage to have that extra twenty meters. It didn't matter unless she was successful.
"Impressive," Natora said. She couldn't stop the sly smile from growing. "If anyone can figure it out, it's you. You have the drive and determination to make it happen. I wish you the best of luck for that endeavor."
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 82 — Two-Handed Spear — Purchase Negotiations — Sales Negotiation — Weapon Defense — Light Metal Armor — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Acrobatics — Armor Pierce — Sprint — Mugen Yari
MALUS: Level 81 — One-Handed War Hammer — Greatshield — Heavy Metal Armor — First Aid — Extended Weight Carry — Battle Regeneration — Fishing — Search — Martial Arts — Rend — Sprint
THUNDERBORNE: Level 81 — Rapier — Sprint — Acrobatics — Weapon Defense — Light Metal Armor — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Armor Pierce — Martial Arts — Blade Throwing — Search
KONPEITO: Level 81 — 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 81 — Mace — Greatshield — Sewing — Heavy Metal Armor — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Light Metal Armor Forging — Heavy Metal Armor Forging — Extended Weight Carry — Jewelry Creation — Rend
DOOMBUNNY: Level 82 — One-Handed Dagger — Hide — Fighting Spirit — Blade Throwing — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Familiar Cooperation — Mixing — Listen — Reveal — Main-gauche — Search — Sleight of Hand
KIEFER: Level 80 — One-Handed Curved Sword — Slash Weapon Forging — Light Metal Armor — Weapon Defense — First Aid — Katana — Battle Regeneration — Slash Weapon Forging — Blade Throwing — Armor Pierce — Martial Arts
SORYUTO: Level 78 — One-Handed Sword — Shield — Light Metal Armor — Music — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Fighting Spirit — Armor Pierce — Acrobatics — Extended Weight Carry
REISENKI: Level 80 — One-Handed Axe — Greatshield — Heavy Metal Armor — Equipment Repair — Metal Equipment Repair — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Cooking — Metal Refining — One-Hand Weapon Creation — Two-Handed Weapon Creation
KNIGHTSTAR: Level 74 — One-Handed Sword — Shield — Light Metal Armor — Equipment Appraisal — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Acrobatics — Extended Weight Carry — Armor Pierce — Search
LOBELIA: Level 62 — One-Handed Curved Sword — Shield — Light Metal Armor — Search — Meditation — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Acrobatics — Painting
KAMISHI: Level 64 — One-Handed Curved Sword — Shield — Light Metal Armor — Katana — First Aid — Extended Weight Carry — Battle Regeneration — Reveal — Trap Dismantling
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Nice update!
And now a fun question just for the lulz. Suppose for a moment the sirens decided to take a vacation to japan (somehow) And suppose for a moment while there Aria talked them into trying SAO and they got caught up in the whole mess. What would they do? Sit tight in one of the towns? Try and fight? something else? Would each one do something differnt? And what if they ran into Sunset and friends?
12147454
Adagio would definitely be in control. I suppose they would take Bard to a dark level, charming both players and monsters to do their bidding. They would most likely not push for freedom. They would have more power over those ten thousand souls than most players realized. They would clash with PoH and Laughing Coffin. A dead player is of no use to them. Some on the Assault Team probably would be able to resist, having a strong enough will, but that would be a small number of players.
The only way to stop them would be with their own master Bard, Konpeito. She is their only shot at out barding sirens. A wildcard and not what you want to rely on, but I have no idea how you would break their hold on the players. lol.
Edit: Also, glad you enjoyed it. Natora is fun and Mugen Yari will be a blast.
12147474
And Post Rainbow Rocks sirens? Or do ya think theyd still try the song and dance tactics? :)
12147561
That was post Rainbow Rocks! lol.
12147583
ah ^^
CMON LOBELIA!
GRIND!GRIND!GRIND!
12147585
The might not have their necklaces, but they could certainly figure out to warp Bard to their advantage.
12147588
Next week! I swear next week will have data on that. Natora hasn't looked at any of the progress reports.
For a second I got the impression she has a crush on Pyrrha, but I'm pretty sure Natora just wants to be friends with her.
I don't blame her for keeping it a secret, she's doing what Kirito did when he found out he had a duel welding skill.
Even if history is interesting, especially coming from someone who's trying to earn a degree in one, I'll admit that some history isn't perfect and is serious on why it's often forgotten for those reasons.
12147666
Haha! No punctuation errors! I'm always glad when you catch them and, as usual, love seeing your comments!
Yes, she wants to be friends. Having an admiration is not the same, but it can be easy to confirm. Maybe I could have made it clearer, IDK.
Bladescape hasn't told anyone else about Greatsword, just Kirito and Doombunny. There is no established method for it, but it could cause trouble for Natora and Bladescape.
I love history. That was my undergrad minor. It is important, but certainly was not important for the conversation at hand.
12147694
Noted and np.
Yay! New special skill! Honestly, that would be the hardest part of a deep SAO fic like this, the Unique Skills.
Spears aren't one of my favorite weapons but I do know they have a few advantages to them.
12147793
Yeah, it has been difficult. I have also needed to expand the basic Skills list from the canon one, which can get difficult. We have 7 Unique Skills in canon named, of 10. Battoujutsu (Katana), Darkness Blade (killing the most players), Dual Blade, Holy Sword, Mugen Yari (Infinite Spear), Kaishingeki (being the first to get to 10,000 critical hits), and Shurikenjutsu (Blade Throwing). Even named, it doesn't give us details on them. I have been sorting some of them out as I need to. My team has been a big help.
I developed Greatsword, that one was easier if you understand swords and the way they were historically used. The Two-Handed Sword Skill was missing the fluidity of the various Greatsword techniques. I know numbers 9 and 10 too. I think y'all will love both of them.
I have several more Extra Skills to come too which y'all should love too. I teased Falconry in a blog post. No one has conquered the Battle Dance quest yet. I have several more too that I won't spoil. Not this early.
12147919
I agree. I'm a sword guy, but yeah, spears have their place.