Omen

<<THREAD SUMMARY>> Omen Receives: [Word Count: 6579/10 = 657.9] * [True Tier: 1] * [Group Factor: 0.7] = 461 + 1000 (Quest Reward) = 1461*2 (Recruitment Drive) = 2,922 EXP Cerberus Soul (T1/Unique/Consumable/Single-Use) | For the duration of a thread, natural successful attack rolls of 8-10 deal 12 unmitigated Burn damage each enemy turn for 2 turns. Burn damage does not stack, but can be refreshed. The Burn enhancement overrides this effect. Circe Receives: [Word Count: 6579/10 = 657.9] * [True Tier: 1] * [Group Factor: 0.7] = 461 + 1000 (Quest Reward) = 146

Circe's attack landed. She didn't have the Energy left for a Sword Art, so the attack didn't do much. But it did put it in range for Omen to kill it, whether it be by attack or Thorns. It didn't take long for Omen to decide what it would be. Push the offensive. Omen ditched the shield and charged. Cerberus snarled, startled by the sudden approach. In the end, it was no different than your average dog. Except this one had spit fire and had magma in its gut. Omen swung the simple axe and buried it in the chest of the beast, dug his feet in, and then pushed it even further. Cerberus's

Oz spoke, and Omen listened. Despite his surly appearance and deep voice, Omen was quite polite. But as Oz spoke, Omen felt as though his suspicions were being confirmed. Had he no desire to escape Aincrad? Did he not feel responsible for helping his fellow man fight at the front, regardless of how futile an effort it might seem? Omen certainly did. And it wasn't only because he had a family on the other side, but because of the families of every other man and woman trapped in Sword Art Online. Fighting for their happiness was a heavy burden, and it was one that Omen was intended to bear whate

"That's fine," Omen barked back. There was something about fighting a mob bigger than yourself that got your adrenaline pumping. It couldn't harm him, technically -- but no, that wasn't true. He could inflict Burn and kill him slowly. It could grow more aggressive or behave erratically, and throw their plan out the window. And all the while, the heat slowly whittled them down. Omen had known that getting put on the defensive would be the worst case scenario for the both of them. That was why it was all the more important to push the offensive. "Almost there!" Omen agreed. One of Cerberus

Circe's attacks each landed with a deadly precision. Omen grinned. This was it! "How's that, Circe?" He roared, suddenly filled with jubilation. "This is our perfect victory!" All of the stress, the heat, the uncertainty... it all faded away, replaced by pride and joy. There was nothing to worry about. They'd finally done it. Omen's voice filled Inferno Cavern one last time, though there was only one beast remaining to hear it. He held his shield high and drew a crystal with his other hand. He crushed it in his palm. The taste of rum filled their mouths but Omen barely tasted it. H

"Alright," he said. "Then it is decided." They were settled. Now all that was left was to execute it. Their health was basically full, and Omen was itching to get it over with. Was that not a little rash? Maybe. But maybe it was also better to act now, when the plan was still fresh in their mind, and they didn't have time to consider how it could possibly go wrong. "Let's go," Omen said firmly. He began to walk towards the cavern's entrance. "Our health will not be full, but that will not matter. I'll use a crystal to mitigate the first instance of damage and keep us on track."

Omen shook his head. "No, I will be fine. I should be able to heal myself. You can't take the hits like I can -- putting you in that position could very easily lead to the worst outcome." He thought about it some more, but replied more quickly this time. "The plan is the same. Begin with an AoE. If you can do it twice, even if it means hitting one less target, then do it again. After that, it should just be a matter of picking off the remaining heads." Omen idly swiped through his menus. His health was recovering, and so was his energy. It wouldn't be much longer before they headed

They escaped Inferno Cavern once more, and stood outside once more, allowing their HP and EN to recover. Their hit and run tactic had gone well, and even better when they had decided to push the offensive. Circe seemed to agree. "It could have gone smoother, all things considered." Omen adjusted the weapon and shield on his back. They were not cumbersome, but they were definitely unwieldy. He did not want to always have his hands filled, though. It made interacting with his menus a pain. Omen rolled his neck and thought about what was to come. "But yes. It was better." "Cerberus is

And then only one remained. As Omen had predicted, the only thing they were lacking was a bold strategy. The one that remained was singled out, alone, its companions felled, and soon to follow the rest of its pack into the grave. Circe's energy was tapped out -- she managed a basic attack to finish off the Hellhound prior. Now it was Omen's turn to do the same. He marched forward. The Hellhound did not appear to have much fight left in it. It gave a warning snap at the air between them, but whether warning or meager attack in actuality, it mattered not. Omen raised his axe and buried it in the

Omen watched with his arms crossed. He was not happy about it. But what else was he supposed to do? The man was well aware that his attacks would deal no damage. It would be inconsiderate of him to even try -- he'd just be getting in the way. The man who Omen had thought was in the same boat as him, however, did seem to have tricks up his sleeve. He wasn't aware of the Leadership skill, or any of its effects... but he saw the buffs, and he was curious. Still, he said nothing. The man just gave off a certain energy that Omen knew he wouldn't mesh well with. As he was thinking that, Oz off

Omen and Circe cut into them as if they were paper. What had they even been scared of in the first place? Omen had worried that with the numbers advantage, they would be easy pickings for Cerberus and its brood. That did not appear to be the case. They were hardly fighting the dogs -- they were fighting the clock. Inferno Cavern was slowly cooking them alive, but was there really anything to fear if they pushed the offensive? Omen roared again, swinging his axe wildly into the pack of Hellhounds. Twice, it connected, putting one of the hounds on death's door and burying the other. The third an

Their snapping jaws, their evasive maneuvers -- pack tactics, Omen decided. Was that why they weren't landing clean blows? He couldn't help but feel as though that that definitely played a role in it. He needed them to deliver him a clean hit, so they could take damage from his Thorns. But they weren't. They darted past him, nipping at his heals, faked a lunge, crunched hard on his leg. Aggravating. Though Omen didn't show it in his face, he showed it with his actions. He ditched the shield momentarily, lashing out wildly with his axe, cutting the remaining health values of the Hellhounds in h

"Alright. Then let's not waste anymore time." He rolled his neck and turned around, ready again to embark into that hellish hole in the mountains. It was back into Inferno Cavern with them. This time, however, they headed bravely into the heart of it, where the last of the Hellhounds still remained. They passed the lava pool and pushed in deeper still. Omen drew his axe and his shield, wielding them both at the ready. The Hellhounds descended upon them, magma dripping from their jowels, their eyes alight with the flame of their three-headed master. Some howled. Others snarled. Omen joine

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Freyd asked him if he cared to explain what he'd meant when he said that he used to have a nicer axe. Omen shook his head. "It is a long story," Omen rumbled. "Maybe another time." If he had to sit and explain what had happened to him, he would be there for a while. It seemed like everybody had other things they needed to do. Omen did not want to take up any more of their day than he already had. He shook their hands regardless. They had done a great thing for them, and Omen was truly appreciative. They offered to help them level up, if they were interested in joining the frontlines