Nari-Lanreth

Nari turned and headed back to the dojo, passing through and looking for the rock in the garden. It didn’t take Nari long to find the large boulder – the big round, grey piece was an eyesore compared to the more traditional tones of the dojo. Pacing around the boulder, she took some time to study it from all angles, looking for any signs of cracks, blemishes or other points of weakness that she could take advantage of. Seeing no major weaknesses in the boulder – which, if Nari was being honest, she hadn’t expected to find – Nari took a step towards the boulder, bringing her hands up

Uncertain exactly whom her opponent would be, Nari picked up one of the wooden swords, testing it in her hand. Finding the sparring area, she wandered of, positioning herself on the far side, facing the centre and waited for her opponent to appear. She held the blade slightly off to her left, her right hand pulled open towards the ground, with her left foot forward. 'Centre of balance, remember.' Nari took a deep breath, watching for who would step up to challenge her. She recognised few of the faces here, so the names wouldn't help much. It didn't take long for an orange haired individu

Even with her head bowed and her focus on the floor, she could still see the smile of the girl – who upon a slightly closer inspection was clearly Nari’s junior – at her fumbling words. Closing her eyes for the briefest of moments, Nari heard the door crack open behind her, and her eyes snapped open again as the girl began speaking. "Hirru! Like, totally nice to see you again!" Nari turned her head slightly, seeing the body of the newcomer blocking her escape. Heart thudding in her chest she shot a gaze between the girl who had just been leading her back outside, and this newcomer.

Time seemed to come to a slow crawl as the water flowed over Nari. The mantra matched the dance of the flowers in the soft breeze, bringing Nari to a moment of relaxation that she hadn’t felt since the start of this game. The water – both the cold feel of it, and the sound of it around her seemed to subside into the distance, no longer pulling her attention. Some time later, Nari felt herself shake to consciousness – not quite having fallen asleep, yet still not entirely focused on the world around her. She had felt a while ago as Master Yunxiang had come to check on her, but the elderly

Nari could feel the pressure of the water on her shoulders, the cold and weight of it all pushing against her already exhausted body. ‘I will not let this simple test be the end of my resolve. I will overcome…I will… so cold… I will overcome… the cold, the frigid…’ She felt the words slip from her mind as she fought against the sudden shiver that ran down her spine. ‘I will… so cold… so… strong…’ Nari shook herself against the cold. She could feel the exhaustion taking over her body, the tiredness dragging against her consciousness. It would be so easy, so simple, just to lay down a

Nari heard the slight hum of the teleporter in her ears dissapate, signalling to her that the shift between floors had finally come to an end. No matter how often she used this system, she still had yet to get used to the blinding light that met her eyes as her form was transferred. Opening her eyes, she was greeted with a beautiful oceanside view. Her breath escaped between her lips as she felt them part. Lost in the view, it took Nari a moment before realising she needed to vacate the pad, lest someone else appear on top of her. Slow moving, she walked down through the settlement to th

Nari stopped as Koga’s commentary reached her ears. She felt her face go beat red as the words registered in her mind. “Uh, Nari, was it? I don't think the mayor's a loanshark...and I'm pretty sure you're not supposed to break his kneecaps or something if he doesn't pay.” She ducked her head, trying to hide her face behind her bangs as the embarrassment surged through her. She hadn’t realised how loud she had been, figuring the door parameters would muffle most of the interaction. “Oh – oh no. I… I didn’t think. I thought… I didn’t think you’d hear that...” The words slipped fro

Nari felt the mantra calming her, bringing her core back to a balance – a centre of focus. Nari felt the words repeat again and again in her mind, as she breathed slowly and deeply, inhaling and exhaling with every second word. ‘I will not let this simple test be the end of my resolve. I will overcome it, no matter what is thrown at me.’ Slowly, Nari felt herself return to the control she had been at before her mind had brought forth the memories of the field. Slowly, Nari forced her eyes open once more, focusing again on the flowers across from her. ‘I will not let this simple tes

Something about the flow of the flowers cause Nari’s mind to wander, the mantra slipping away as she focused on their dance in the wind. Nari’s mind began to wander, thinking back to a time she had visited a lake back in an area mere hours away from where she had lived. She remembered, one summer, when she had visited the lake itself. A field nearby filled with flowers – a collection of local wildflowers whose names had long ago slipped her mind – had drawn her attention. She had wandered into the field, looking for a place for picnic. It was within this field that Nari had met her first

As Nari turned her thoughts inwards, she could feel the pressure of the water, and the pain from the cold beginning to recede. Not letting the surprise cause her mind to slip and wander, Nari instead refocused herself, breathing deeply and slowly, forcing her heart to calm and her mind to empty. ‘I will not let this simple test be the end of my resolve. I will overcome it, no matter what is thrown at me.’ The words repeated as a mantra in her mind, and slowly, she forced her eyes open, making sure to keep her mind empty of anything but the repetition. In the back of her mind she cou

Nari stood watching the water for some time before she remembered why she had come here. Shaking herself from her delirium, Nari stepped towards the waterfall. A small path led beneath the falling water, to a small outcrop that one could sit upon should they so choose. Nari looked around, making sure that no one else was nearby before bringing up her inventory menu once more. Nari scrolled through her menu, coming to rest where her clothing was listed. Her finger hovered over the remove button. She felt herself turn red in the face once more, and she glanced around to make sure that no o

Letting the log drop from her grip, Nari stumbled backwards. She felt herself fall to the floor as her arms and legs finally gave out beneath her. Leaning her head back against the wall, she knew that she had done as much as she could. ‘I can only hope that it’s enough for the task ahead.’ Her mind’s voice whispered. Nari shrugged mentally, knowing that it didn’t much matter. She had nothing further that she could give physically. ‘I should…rest here a bit…before the next part.’ She thought over what Master Yunxiang had said, about needing to sit under the waterfall until her conce

Nari felt her legs give out beneath her as she turned a final corner. Tucking her shoulder and allowing her body to roll, Nari felt herself stopped as her legs slammed into the wall, her back bending against the where the floor and wall met. Closing her eyes, she sighed, realising that nothing appeared broken or overly damaged. Snapping her eyes open, she realised that she had reached a speed beyond anything she had managed previously, a hint of redness coming to her face in pride. After a few moments, she leaned sideways, allowing her feet to fall beneath her. Once she had returne

Nari continued the routines right up until her arms gave way beneath her. Collapsing to the floor, she felt little had changed. Cursing and groaning as she did so, she forced herself to her feet, deciding that perhaps a change in the routine was required. She looked around for anything that could inspire her, but nothing immediately stood out. ‘Think…what other exercises did I used to do back in the real world?’ Nari thought back to her days when she had spent some time enthusiastic about gymnastics and Aikido. She pictured her time in both activities, wondering what else could possibly

Some time later Nari awoke from her rest. Finding herself still alone, she rose, her body feeling slightly better than before her sleep. Determined to be done with this as quickly as possible, Nari began her routine, deciding that a muscle building collection of push-ups, squats, and handstands. Her arms and legs burned as she moved through the motions, starting slowly but picking up momentum as the numerous different forms began to return to her. ‘I wish that I had spent more time focusing on these in the real world – I wonder if it would’ve helped me…’ She pushed the thought aside – no

As Nari’s dialogue box disappears, the elderly man suddenly smiles. Stepping forward he gives a slight bow, the man began speaking, introducing himself to Nari – yet seemingly unaware of her own responses and reactions. “My name is Master Yunxiang, and I am the monk who lives atop the mountain. Those who are worthy may learn from me the secrets of the martial arts, but first they must prove themselves.” The man waves his left hand, pulling it from his beard and twirling it around the air before him in what was likely meant to be a display of agility. Nari’s tired eyes followed the movemen

Snapping to consciousness, Nari realised with a start that she had actually fallen asleep. Glancing upwards, she noticed the light had shifted in the sky slightly, but it didn’t appear as if more than an hour had passed. Scowling herself for taking such dangerous actions, she pulled herself to her feet, looking to the path ahead. The dirt path had resumed, wrapping to the west this time, and increasing to a stronger angle – Nari figured closer to forty degrees. Pulling her inventory back up, she refitted herself in her armour, the comfort of it and the shield reassuring her. Bowing

The path up the mountain had begun to wind towards the eastern edge as Nari had continued, forcing her to slowly shift right from where she had originally approached. The grade had slightly increased on her, but seemed to have levelled out over the last few minutes, maintaining a soft thirty degrees. Nari had just started to relax, thinking the rest of the journey would be relatively simple, when the path had come to a sudden abrupt stop. Before her lay the face of a cliff, dropping off immediately, the ground below barely visible – but clearly far beyond what she could survive. Turn

Shop Post: Wølf Fang Blade Transaction Date: 2022.02.03 Cost of Transaction: 2 materials Crafter's Profession: Blacksmith Crafter's Rank: 1 Item Name: Wølf Fang Blade Item Tier: T1 Item Type: One Handed Straight Sword Item Rarity: Perfect Item Enhancements: Keen (2 Slots), Bleed (1 Slot) Craft/Appraisal/Obtainment IDs & Rolls: ID203193 Item Description: A hand and

Glancing around the newly crafted shop, Nari couldn't help but feel a moment of pride and enthusiasm. The shop front itself was sparkling, that fresh new scent reaching her nose. Passing through the doorway into the forge in the back room, Nari felt her excitement soar. The anvil, her tools, everything here belonged to her. Striding over to the anvil and workbench, she picked up her hammer, hefting it in her left hand. Placing the first piece of working material on the anvil, Nari took a deep breath before bringing the hammer down, allowing the ringing sound to echo around the forg

Tucked towards the eastern edge of the city of Ronbaru, a little ways off the main pathways of the city thoroughfare sits a small, well cleaned little shop. It’s grey brick front – with a dark violet solid door, encompassed on either side by mid sized bay windows that allow in the illuminated lamps from the exterior – stands out only so slightly from the buildings around it of standard tan brick. Above the door sits a relatively small sign that reads simply ‘The Winter Fox Smithery’, the white letters standing out against the light violet background. Upon entering the shop front, one

Nari stares at the poster, a slight sneer on her face. 'A Valentine's day tournament? Who would ever sign up for this?' Glancing around to make sure no one saw her, she rushed to Floor 24 to make sure she signed up in time for the event. Consider me here...

Nari opened her mouth to protest the words that Bismuth had spewed forth, ready to argue further with this…individual. And then the lady in the doorway spoke, reminding Nari that there was still work to be done. Glancing back at the smiling face of Bismuth, Nari gave a slight sneer before moving to the doorway. “NIGHT, was it? You’re right. Let’s get on with this…” Nari pushed past the door, heading in to meet with the alchemist – and at the same time feeling the confidence she had portrayed outside slip away. ‘What was I thinking?! To get that worked up – they probably think that I’m cr

Coming to the edge of the bridge, Nari slid forwards carefully to test the strength of the rock beneath her feet. Glancing over the side as she did so, she saw that the drop went on far beyond what her eyes could see, far enough down that she doubted she would survive if she did slip over the edge. As she continued to carefully step forward, Nari began eyeing the gap in the centre of the bridge. The gap itself appeared larger than she had originally expected, she would have assumed it was nearly a metre across – far enough that she wondered if jumping across would even be possible. As she

The shimmering of blue in the air filled Nari’s vision as the teleporter dropped her onto the surface of Floor 2’s main town. It took a moment for her vision to clear, the after effects leaving her eyes watery. She hoped that she would eventually get used to it – it seemed like a good system for moving between floors and locations, but the bright light definitely annoyed her. Glancing around, she saw a small village, a sparse population moved throughout the streets – Nari could tell that a few of these individuals were players, but most of these other players seemed busy with their ow