Freyd

"GAH! Even Avalanche doesn't make this much racket!" Bracing himself as best he could within the constrained crevice, Freyd weathered the walking earthquake. Waiting until the titantic body shiver simmered, he then turned and pressed is hand in search of a weak point anywhere in the mob's massive stony surface. "Here! A fissure... well, maybe just more of a stress fracture, but it's something to work with." Repeated strikes, like performing kata in the guild dojo after hours when no one else would bother him, Freyd slammed his fist repeatedly into the target. "Goddamn. It's like Th

"Boastful," it replied as he asserted his growing strength. The mob seemed neither frightened, nor impressed, yet was not taunting him either. It knew his capabilities as well as he did - one of the few creatures in Aincrad to fully appreciated the scale of its enemies' strength. "You speak of the girls? Ah. Then our motives have been misunderstood. How typical." False Wulfrin stepped out from behind the trees, its hands out in the open, left index finger extended and pointing at the ground. Seeing that it wielded no weapon. A sword still safely stowed in its scabbard, he allowed

Freyd listened as Xlearsight described a rather morose world view; one he used to share to considerable extent. "Nah, man. You gotta ask yourself: can't it be both? 'Journey through the Death Gauntlet' also has a certain ring to it, yanno? Besides, our options are rather limited, and we don't always get to pick our own road in life. Sometimes it's just thrust upon us because we're all too damned lazy, or just in the wrong place at the wrong time." Harsh, perhaps, but Freyd dealt with danger in an overly pragmatic way. Sugar coating wasn't a luxury they could afford. "Like it or not

Thwacking the lone remaining fossil in its gills with the butt end of the fishing rod, the poor, beleaguered creature deemed it a mercy and croaked a final time, spilling its crystalline guts all over the murky swamp waters. A slurping sound accompanied the parting of Freyd's boot from same said muck, whipping around to catch the ominously named Lurker in the ribs producing a horrible crunching sound. The mob folded sideways, into itself, most of its avatar having crumpled under the impact. *BURP* "Really? That's all you have to say, after all that?" Rolling his eyes as he deli

Concealing a modestly prideful smile at Wulfrin's praise for his blade, Freyd knew full well the weapon's potency. The swordsman bore it well as he faced off against their opponents, flaying the one that had gotten by him. Ciela bore the brunt of the next wave with ease, in her usual, casual style. Thankful for his cowl, a tiny chuckle still eeked out at her comment about hearing good things. Few in Aincrad hadn't heard of the Red Wanderer, one way or another. Sparing his old friend a grim grin, the Whisper darted for the shadows, opposite the main and heavily fortified tower entrance. S

Changing tactics, hoping to keep their enemy on whatever passed for a rhino's toes, Freyd aimed his strikes at the joints between armor plates in its thick but tiny legs. A swift kick to the back of its left foremost limb cause its knee to buckle mid-charge. Just to add insult to injury, Freyd boosted the strike's impact with the very same item they'd come to gather from the critter in the first place. Toxic frost flash froze the injury, further damaging the surrounding plating, but Piasuhon's sheer mass produced too much momentum to be stopped on a dime. At least he'd bunged up its steeri

"Your suit looks great, Wulfrin. Don't fret so much. I'm sure Ciela will love it." A grin was offered Morningstar's way, who could see him better from his vantage. Wry smile perched and layered on a smirk, the casual ease resting on the Whisper's face was oddly disarming compared to the man's normally stern visage. "Morningstar and I happen to have defeated the Labyrinth Guardian together, along with Mina and Hirru. I've also been at the last few floor raids and know most of those who might attend. One or two extra also always seem to pull themselves out of the woodwork at the last

Rippling waves set into motion by none other than the Queen of Crayon herself somehow freed Freyd from his unenviable predicament. Screeching filled the air as Samael's Pride's bindings instantly yielded, giving voice to the void within. The sword art practically propelled itself, dragging him along for the ride as his fist flung forward, devouring a path as it carved its way through the thing's flank. "Thanks, toots." An offering of gratitude, notably including relief that he hadn't just made the boss fart his fingers out. That would have just been... eww. Poor Eruda seemed to b

"Awwww crap!" Fingers sliding along the strangely rubbery texture of the sand shark's digital flesh, Freyd had just failed again to cull the damnable beast from existence. Cardinal was being a bitch again, or it's RNG. The distinction was immaterial. "Fine. So, we'll change things up." Hearing the tension and frustration in the voices of of his team members, he knew they needed reassurance. They also needed to feel a sense of worth in this endeavor. It wasn't good enough to fight Aincrad's battles purely for the sake of others. These players had already stepped up, or they wou

"You've returned," came the echo of his own voice from the lattice of shadows forming around him. It felt all too reminiscent of a web, save this one fashion by the absence of light, or perhaps a net drawing tighter with every step. The tinkling of fractal shards dripping from a blade like that same digital blood he'd just been wondering about. So his gemini had slain another mob? Not that it wasn't possible. Several quests provided allies to players, as NPCs who were theoretically vulnerable to damage - at least some of them. Had any of them ever actually died at the hands of other mobs

Her form was perfect, blade slashing all about him like it was dancing to the tune of her fingertips, cutting through the air as if it were frictionless void instead. Freyd knew that feeling, and the all-consuming appetite concealed in the absolute nothingness behind it. How else could one describe a sensation whose entirety was the consumption of all others? He saw it now, but in the face of a friend. So this is the test, is it? It took longer than expected, and a different form than Freyd had expected, but there it was: the same bloodlust that had overcome his senses in the form of War.

Thread Closing: Mina receives: 4,872 EXP (Word Count [16240/10*5*0.6]) 730 col (1 page [0]+ 15% P5 Reward [730]) Elora receives: 3,897 EXP (Word Count [16240/10*4*0.6]) 400 col (1 page [400]) Freyd receives: 15,590 EXP (Word Count [16240/10*16*0.6]) 2,338 col (1 page [0]+ 15% P5 Reward [2338])

"Uh... I actually, kinda maybe know a spot?" Scratching at the back of his cowl, the Whisper wondered whether he should reveal the secret lagoon hideaway he, Katoka and Elora had found. But these damnable fish-things had found them there anyway, spoiling the tail end of what had actually been a pretty good day. Maybe it wasn't quite so precious a scene as it seemed. "There's a blue water lagoon at the western edge of the floor, hidden behind a high ridge and opening to a wider ocean. Honestly, it doesn't make any sense geographically - like maybe some dev snuck it in while no one was l

"What the...?" Freyd was starting to feel bad for the poor red-coated party mascot, his fishing skills suffering their own brand of self-named tale. Had Wulfrin taken the Foraging quest by accident, but no one had the heart to tell him the truth?! Kiluia was in fine form, though, slapping each fish out of the water like a hungry bear eager to get its pesky kids off its back. This latest one was practically hurled right at him, leading Freyd to speculate that his old friend might be having a little fun at his expense - which was completely fair. Sidestepping at the last moment, the Whi

"Apologies, sensei-chan." Freyd bowed, sincerely, but with dual meaning. Though he'd invited Katoka to teach him the art of the sword, this exercise was as much about accepting the brunt of her deliberately fostered frustration - ideally also learning to do the same against future opponents. He'd also witnessed aggression stirring in Katoka since she'd received her newest blade. It was essential to determine whether it was the result of the blade's innate darkness or something deeper. Samael's Pride carried its own pull and price. Would such a burdensome weapon prove too much for his fri

A sweeping kick sprayed the last vestiges of the previous fossil fish in a high arc, squarely into the new one's bulbous eyes, sparking as they hit whatever that weird dangly lantern thing was meant to be. Changing the trajectory of his movements at the last moment, he whirled and slammed his fist full force into the thing's left knee, causing to explode. The mobs flailed, unable to maintain any sense of balance as it toppled and fell onto Renault before the rest of its crumbled into yet another cloud of sparkly death dust. "Moar," he roared, before dropping his voice back down to norma

Wulfrin had to stop and turn after a dozen steps. Freyd still hadn't moved, his usually stern blue eyes startlingly wide and staring back as if someone had just struck him dumb. A few more seconds were needed to get his lips sufficiently rebooted to function, his tone lacking its usual confidence or edge. "Me?!" Attempts at blinking away his daze struggled to find traction. "I... that's... very kind," he finally managed, sounding strangely solemn. Sure, he'd helped them out in a number of ways, and with gear and advice, and... the penny finally dropped. And you did what friends do,

Racing through the underbrush, Wulfrin found himself confronted by whipping branches and debris, branches snapping at him as the sky unleashed gust of unpredictable fury from various directions at once. The last thing he expected was to see the same two girls he'd just chased after come running towards him, tears streaming down their panicked faces. The older-looking of them seemed to cradle her partner, sheltering her with her arm as they darted past Wulfrin without the slightest regard and back towards Krycim village. Thunder boomed overhead once more, causing the overhead boughs to c

"Never underestimate the value of authenticity when preparing a disguise. Also, yes." A manic grin confirmed suspicions that he was likely messing with her on at least some lesser level. Freyd perused Zackariah's shop while his copilot conducted the interrogation, scouring the place for random inspiration has he half-listened to their conservation. Eyes glanced askew at Katoka's once a name was dropped. A lead. "What kinds of items has she been seeking, if I may ask?" The NPC's insights might connect dots linking Veradine more directly to the embers or toxic pheromones his colle

Groaning at Kiluia's joke, he couldn't keep a smile from creeping onto his lips. Ciela seemed to appreciate it more, also demonstrating her prowess for the group and striking their enemy for good measure, her bubbly personality already egging the rest of them on. "What the? You still have the penguin?!" Pivoting on the spot, his one leg not appearing to shift, but planting his position firmly on the ground, Freyd's other foot whipped and spun to catch the man-fish in the gills to a horrible horrible warbling sound mixed with the shattering of glass, mere inches above the cuddly tu

Several merchants called out to him offering various sundry wares, none of which he required, though the scents of local cuisine proved enticing. For such a small village, they seemed to have well-developed arts in this regard, likely from whatever mistress ran the only true lodging house in Krycim proper. With only a hundred or so residents, and little traffic in the ages since the front lines first swept through, there was little call for visitors. Wulfrin's gaze strayed repeatedly to his periphery, wondering whether his own false self might pay him another visit, like it had promised. H

"IN Raitoboro Bay?!" Freyd immediate reaction was less than stellar and unworthy of the message's author's intent. But, in the absence of actual details, might be forgiven. The Whisper's fortunes soured suspiciously often when it came to activities in open water. If the pattern persisted, one of them would likely eventually prove lethal. "Right before I make the switch to heavy armor," he grumbled. "Maybe I should just attach lead weights to my ankles and get it done with." Persi, lounging nearby comfy couch well lit by rays beaming in from the adjacent bay window, rolled her eyes a

[Note: No reply from Sora, who appears to have dipped from site. After five months, we are moving ahead under the assumption that the player will not be returning.] "You'll be fine," Freyd offered in his most comforting tone, "Provided you let me do the fighting for you. Just being near the battle will suffice, and should provide you with a substantial level boost once the mob is taken down. There's literally nothing more to the quest, though related troubles have occasionally followed." A dismissive wave of his hand implied there was no need to worry, the limb limned by inky black wr

Shimmering patterns of verdant greenery and light interplay with each other among the vast, dense foliage of floor six. Like droplets of rain reflecting the skies from which they fall, each beam would flicker on the jungle floor, then be swallowed. Whether by the canopy above or thick underbrush was a matter of perspective, as are so many other things in life. This floor, in particular, accentuates that dichotomy, home to an infamous breed of mobs unlike any others. No one can say what they look like, save everything and possibly nothing at all. They are hollow, yet deadly, like shadows ca

Tracing the trigger key for his recently acquired meathook, Freyd had yet to actually use the vicious looking thing. It proved to be an unexpected boon from a touch-and-go encounter on the outskirts of Glyndebourne, for which a certain item from this place had proven to be invaluable. "Seems prudent to replace such a treasure, don't you think?" Persi wasn't paying attention, being far too absorbed my a miscellaneous trash can unfathomably denying her righteous curiosity. There was probably nothing in it. They'd never seen a janitor or NPC in the place, and he could only conjure one