fauxkiller

Despite it being an intense struggle with that surprise boar, Faux had actually completed this mission much quicker than he had the day he came here to gather. He felt the encroaching feeling that the anger he had fought so hard to suppress might become vital to his survival here. Combat was inevitable. If Faux had continued on his path of avoiding it, sooner or later it would destroy him. This battle he had in the plains was proof of that. Supplemental information was not enough— he had to seek more knowledge on combat to avoid such brushes with death in the future. But possibly even unbeknow

There would be no dramatic flare or ceremonious declaration. A sudden rush. Like a comet flung horizontally at its target, Faux launches at the exhausted boar. Faux held his breath as his opal saber carved a graceful arc, slicing through the air with unmatched finesse. In that triumphant moment, time resumed its natural pace, and the boar's huffing and heaving came to an aprupt halt. The majestic creature staggered, disoriented, before collapsing to the ground in a thunderous display of defeat. Its body bursts into a colorful array of blues and crystal tones. This wave of cerulean washes away,

Repeatedly, the boar's tusks come perilously close. Faux twists and curves his body around these attacks, eventually sliding underneath the creature's massive frame and safely to the other side. The boar turns around with steaming nostrils and wastes no time coming for the brown-skinned target again. With saber in hand, he pierces the ground, using it as a pivot to launch himself out of harm's way just in time. The boar's hooves pound the earth, creating a slight tremor that threatens to unbalance him, but Faux remains upright. Unrelentless, the boar strikes again. This time, Faux leaps high i

However, as soon as the stun would fade from its body, the boar would jump high into the air. This takes Faux by surprise, as it was much higher than it had jumped before; and, it was doing backflips as it rose into the sky. Then, it comes falling down at incredible speeds and Faux doesn't react in time. The pig stomps down into his head and smashes him into the ground. This was a direct, critical hit. Dust and grassy debris speed in all directions away from the impact. Faux's vision goes blurry for a moment as he tries to regain his composure after such a hard hit. That's what he gets for sta

Another deep breath. Another glow of his saber. He shifts his footing, and begins a new type of assault. He takes many short steps around the beast, similar to how it had circled him. He slashes at its hide in quick succession, many tiny slashes that leave it squealing and seeking some kind of path away from the man. But as soon as it would begin to take a step in a new direction, hopefully away from the blade's judgement, Faux would be there. He looms around the space of the Mama Boar, applying five shallow slashes before shifting to be directly behind it. He

As the boar paces in a circle around him, Faux realizes how low his health has fallen. Red. It was the first time he had seen that color on his health bar. 'Is this the cardinal panic that players feel when their health is falling?' A heat begins to simmer in the pit of his stomach. He attempts to quell this by pulling one of his starter potions from his bag and splashing it down his throat. His health rings, this time in ascending tune, as it raises back to full. Faux instantly feels calmer, the burn of battle fading slightly. Yet, his opponent still circled him endlessly, always debating ano

Faux doesn't let his failed sword arts deter him from focusing. The piggish beast would not let up in its assault, but its attack pattern was far less than complex. It was only using basic attacks that would not be fatal unless Faux allowed them to be. He brandeshes his saber with a few acrobatic slashes of the air in front of him. Then, slipping into a crouch, he holds it in front of his face. 'Focus,' he tells himself. But upon the boar entering his vicinity once again, he swipes too early and entirely misses the thing. He is left open for the boar to jump up and ram head-on into his chest.

The boar charged with relentless fury, its massive tusks slashing through the air. With quick reflexes, the beginner player continuousy leaps aside, narrowly avoiding the deadly assault. Faux could feel himself start to move with fluidity, staying one step ahead of the beast's powerful lunges. His saber becomes an extension of his arm, waving through the air with distinct precision. Mama lunges towards him with a forceful grunt, and Faux meets it this time with a downward slash of his saber, meeting the beast's tusks with a resounding clash. The collision sent shockwaves through the young brok

The sun beat down mercilessly, casting long shadows across the parched ground. With beads of sweat trickling down his brow, he gripped his trusty saber tightly, his heart pounding with a mix of fear and determination. The boar snorted fiercely, its eyes fixed on Faux, as it pawed the dry earth once more. The effects of the paralysis had worn off, and she was already furious with her inability to tackle the stupid human. She doesn't waste a moment charging forward. Faux is ready. His saber glows like it has before, and in a dramatic jump dash towards the giant boar, he thrusts his arm forward t

They both dash forward into action. Faux has probably fought less opponents than this Mama Boar had in its brief existence, so he wouldn't underestimate it. Rather, he overestimated the power of a basic attack. Sure, they had done him justice in fighting boarlets; but, that was essentially taking life candy from a baby. Here, as he rolls to the left and cuts a shallow swipe into Mama, her health bar barely budges. It appears her tough hyde is reducing some of the damage. But still, the slash he cuts into her is an expertly clean one, causing the wound to not fade, but continuously spew little

Faux watches as Morningstar provides the finishing slashes to the creature admist conversation about apples. "A couple of new items and you'll be on your way to the front lines." Faux stores his weapon for the last time and nods assuredly at Morningstar. He had been avoiding combat for so long-- long before he came to this game, in fact. Violence was an aversion for Faux in the real world, so each time he lifted his sword, it was with the courage to grate against the fiber of his being. The frosty-headed boy would make Star's words a reality one day. As night began to fall, t

"Well," Faux starts as he equips the shoes, "I am actually a low level player myself, as you may have guessed." His eyes twinkle with joy as he watches the biting mist start to pool around his feet. He already felt more a part of his environment. These "boots" were made for first steps (and that's just what they'll do). Perhaps, night wouldn't understand this sentiment. So, Faux continues humbly explaining what he really does. "I've never been higher than Floor 10, but I investigate rumors on the lower floors for potential hidden quests. I also interview players, mainly in the Town of Beginnin

Faux is appreciative of the kind words from the experienced players, but there's little to show on his face. He sheathes his blade. It was clear that the other two were significantly stronger, and doing most of the heavy lifting. The dusky boy admired them for uplifting him in this moment without being patronizing. However, his eyes could barely follow Raidou's movement just now. And the fact that he so calmly stood in this dangerous valley at the edge of night with his groceries still in hand made Faux feel a bit silly for having to concentrate so hard. Even now, the hairs o

Examining the glowing bits of dry grass closer, it would appear something was left behind by the destruction of those poor boars. It was a tiny veil, full of a dark crimson liquid. Upon picking it up, cardinal provides small text determining it "Boarlet's Blood," along with a question of acquisiton. Faux turns the cylindrical glass around in his fingers for a few seconds, watching the thick blood ooze around its walls. He doesn't even consider taking it when a loud huff comes from behind him. He can feel the push of air on his back, fleeing from this exhale. He turns to see a much larger boar

This was beginning to feel very comfortable for him. Faux weaves from side-to-side , dodging the Boar’s futile tackles and inching closer. With a swift swoop downwards, the boar is severed in half and bursts into fading diamonds. Faux, yet again, felt a sense of accomplishment in even being here. He already had plenty of boar tusks and pelts to supply Lyle and there wasn’t a single scratch on the lad. He sheathes his Salted Therapy and kneels in the grass. He needed to feel this moment. Then, he sits to document the scenery in his sketchbook. He hadn’t drawn a good boar yesterday, so here he d

Dissapointed, sure, but certainly not surprised that the man with shoulderblades crimson was not interested in paying. In fact, it would seem he little interest in their means of transportation. With an adjustment of his glasses and a toss of the cape in gorgeous flare, he is setting off. Faux turns to a giggling Star and smiles. "Thank you. We should get going, then." ★ The ride to the Stone Valley was stunning. Faux didn't mind riding behind the stranger, because his mind was spinning and soaring through the valley in the distance. All that his eye could ca

Faux can feel the cool of the icey shoes caress his fingertips before they're being pulled away again. He frowns. But her inquiry is not unfounded. Even Faux thought she had pulled out the items rather quickly. This would possibly be the truest show of strength Faux had seen yet- she would feel so comfortable in her abilities to openly brandish valuable items in this way? It seemed bold, to say the least. Especially here, where NPC character are less than friendly, and players follow suit. Or maybe, he's just overvaluing this commodity, due to it being instrumental for the man to continue his

Faux isn’t given much time to celebrate before he’s being approached by two more boarlets. “If you want revenge, you’ll find no such relief in me,” Faux chuckles at the animals. The saber feels good in his hands. Something is happening to Faux. His heart is racing, his palms are clammy, and his toes twitch and shift in anticipation of the next rush. He recognizes this feeling as the sensation that burns through him before he has his… outbursts. Trying to fight back the urge to let loose on every boar he sees now floods his thoughts. His body wants to go. Want to lurch forward and claim another

Faux and his saber would bring this prophecy to fruition. He allows everything around him to come to a still. Nothing else matters besides defeating the enemy in front of him. In the future, there would come times in which Faux would truly have to defend his life. While a simple boarlet wouldn’t be enough to take him down, there were things that existed in the shadows of this game far worse. Inhale. The snorting and squealing of the little pig is the only thing Faux concentrates on in this moment. It screams out, finally making its move. It sprints full speed at Faux, and as it does, the man c

Faux wouldn't hesitate, there was no need. He lunges towards the boar once more, this time in a head-on confrontation. Maybe this beast deserves to at least look in the eyes of that which would take its life. 'Rest easy, little boar. You will exist through your brother spawns.' For now, Faux would keep to basic attacks. At his level and rank, he should be able to one-hit K.O. these mobs. If he could hit them. His very first jump forward would have him land on a random slippery patch of fauna, throwing off his balance as he thrust his saber forward at the boar. It easily avoid

Faux was sure to check his bag to ensure he had health potions on hand before making his way outside the safe zone. He's greeted with the familiar feeling of the invisible film that separates him from certain danger pooling around his body and evaporating just as quickly. He could already see soon-to-be targets wandering the dry grass in the far distance. Faux sees low level players like him beating on some of the unlucky boards already. He takes a deep breath and decides on an opponent. A small, unsuspecting boar is facing the opposite direction only a hundred or so feet in front of the begin

Having spent entire days there recently, Faux felt confident with an attack plan. He knew that the boars often lingered around the shady areas when grazing, typically in larger groups than Faux wanted to deal with. It would be better to go after the spawns that wander the open fields, rushing around stupidly aiming for non-existent targets. In the real world, Faux was a pescatarian and wouldn’t dream of hunting living creatures for game, kill, or any other reason. He didn’t think he would experience this trepidation, but now in the moments leading up to the gate, he wonders if he’ll be able to

Little did Lyle know, Faux could present a masterclass in short, precise communication. Less chit chat was not a downside for the man. “I’m here to collect the debts you owe to Mayor Dorian White,” Faux says this surely, as if there were no question Lyle owed their forgetful leader. On the upswing following Faux’s words, Lyle bursts into laughter. It’s raspy and cynical, an obvious disrespect to Faux that goes over his head. “What— Is this their new way or collecting taxes from the people? How odd! At least send someone intimidating!” He continues to guffaw for a bit before snapping back into

Faux reminds himself of how Zackariah spoke of Mayor Dorian and the blacksmith, Lyle. It was the the first and only time Faux heard a slight inclination of contempt in the jolly alchemist’s tone. This saber-wielding young man had learned long ago that when someone as benevolent and kind as he passes judgement towards an individual, it’s for good cause. Fully understood in terms of the mayor, but he would have to find out if this Lyle character would contain similarly agitating character flaws. The door to the shop opens, but with a lurching creeeak that Faux instantly recogni

GOODBYE TO FATHER FIGURES << THE SECOND LESSON >> It was a good night’s rest. The first lesson had granted some pleasantly introspective moments, and Faux would be lying if he said he wasn’t touched by Zackariah’s friendliness. His programmed friendliness. Faux tosses himself from the shabby inn mattress, throwing around the milky strands of sweat-stained hair on his head. It would be another warm day, because Faux had already decided before he fell asleep: that he would continue these beginner quests. He had gone as far as he could go as a beginner info