[F2-SP] A Time to Hunt - Bagging up those WIntery Flakes pt. 8 Redux

[Brax 0]

     As Brax exited the forest surrounding the watchtower, he saw in the middle distance another set of ruins that appeared to be the remains of a castle, large and imposing in structure and design.  Not quite as awe-inspiring as the tower that formerly held the floor boss, but still a sight that drew in any adventurers in need of a place to battle and train their skills in combat.  Consuming another Potion of Strength, he set out in the direction of the sun, which cast it's gaze over the castle walls, and wondered what mysteries lay behind it's ruined walls.

Consumed Potion of Strength (+1 damage for a thread)

Edited January 15, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

ID 45684

Spoiler

BD 7 +3 ACC LD 14 MoBD 5 -1 EVA N/A

Brax 32/32 EN 3/8

Wolf 1 -1/16 DEAD [7 x 3 Lumberjack - 4 MIT] = 17 DMG

Wolf 2 -1/16 DEAD [7 x 3 Lumberjack - 4 MIT] = 17 DMG

Wolf 3 -1/16 DEAD [7 x 3 Lumberjack - 4 MIT] = 17 DMG

Wolf 4 -1/16 DEAD [7 x 3 Lumberjack - 4 MIT] = 17 DMG

Wolf 5 16/16

     Before he could reach the building, though, he had to make his way through the enemy laden lands between the two places.  He stumbled upon a pack of wolves ravenous for a meal, and they believed Brax was dinner.  The attack from their fangs, dripping with saliva in anticipation of having something to munch on, caught the heavily armored man by surprise.  They chewed through his armor almost like it wasn't there, drawing red pixels from his virtual body in rivulets.  Brax managed to rid himself of the pack, and in retaliation struck back with his Lumberjack, cleaving four of the beasts in half before their eyes, which left only one of the creatures left to contend with.

+4 materials

+4 snowflakes

+320 col

Edited January 15, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

ID 45685

Spoiler

BD 3 +3 ACC LD 2 MoBD 4 -1 EVA N/A

Brax 32/32 EN 1/8

Wolf 1 -1/16

Wolf 2 -1/16

Wolf 3 -1/16

Wolf 4-1/16

Wolf 5 -1/16 DEAD [7 x 3 Ultimate Breaker - 4 MIT] = 17 DMG

     The remaining beast reacted swiftly to his quick assault, avenging itself upon the destroyer of it's pack.  A swipe from it's claws cut into Brax's arms, leaving behind red welts under the metal protecting them from harm.  Once Brax's paralysis from the Sword Art wore off and he was again able to move, he activated the Ultimate Breaker on the last creature, two uppercuts tossing the poor beast into the air.  His final slam to the wolf's head bashed it into the forest floor, and the shower of pixels that followed signified it's demise.  Afterwards, the forest became silent yet again, save for the twittering of birds and the rustling of lower class animals flitting to and fro, and Brax moved forward to the castle ruins awaiting him.

+1 material

+1 snowflake

Edited January 15, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

 

     The forest gave way to the cliff Brax had climbed to reach the tower, and he slid down the rock facing to the flatlands below.  Landing softly at the foot of the wall, he saw some extra loot that apparently had been dropped from the beasts he had killed previously and had not yet been collected.  Apparently, other people had not traversed the area while he had been delving into the basement of the tower.

Edited January 16, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

 

     He collected the proffered loot, putting the supplies into his pack.  Crossing the sparsely grass covered flatlands, Brax saw his path laid out before him.  The ruins were to the west under a bright afternoon sun, with nary an adventurer in the area making their way towards it.  He again thought about the watchtower, how he had previously assumed it to have been well designed to repel invaders, and it's possible connection to the castle he was now making his way to.

Edited January 16, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     As he pondered the situation, he also thought about the new armor issues that arose with the patch, he would need a little extra padding to his HP gauge in order to survive another battle, just in case things went wrong.  But, as he had no potions to help, he turned his thoughts to the buildings he was currently setting out to expolore.  He imagined that the particular designer of these two locations tied their histories together, connecting them with some sort of thread only known to the one behind their constructions.

 

Edited January 16, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

ID 45686

LD 14

     They could have been allies, the tower a bastion of defense to warn of potential attacks.  Or perhaps it was a foothold for a rival nation, intent on trying to invade the castle's well fortified position.  For all anyone knew, it could have been a joke location, placed by a designer with nothing better to do than annoy inquisitive gamers with mysteries that could never be solved.  Brax logically understood the fact, but could not put his curiosity away so easily, and lost himself in contemplation, failing to notice a good material lying at his feet.

Edited January 16, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

ID 45687

Spoiler

BD 7 +3 ACC LD 1 MoBD 8 -1 EVA

Brax 20/32 [6 - 3 MIT] x 4 = 12 DMG EN 3/8

Boar 1 -1/16 DEAD [7 x 3 Lumberjack - 4 MIT] = 17 DMG

Boar 2 -1/16 DEAD [7 x 3 Lumberjack - 4 MIT] = 17 DMG

Boar 3 -1/16 DEAD [7 x 3 Lumberjack - 4 MIT] = 17 DMG

Boar 4 -1/16 DEAD [7 x 3 Lumberjack - 4 MIT] = 17 DMG

     Lost in thought, his contemplation focused on the buildings, Brax failed to notice the coming of another mob, this time a group of boars native to the open grasslands he had to cross on his way to another forest at the base of the mountain on which the ruins lay.  They attacked him unawares, catching him with his defenses down, the impact knocking the armored man off his feet and throwing him to the ground hard, his body bouncing several times before coming to rest.  His Epitaph flashed in response, allowing Brax to use the momentum to flip himself upright at the end, landing lightly on his feet with weapon raised high in defense.  Another flash from the trinket and his feet propelled his frame into battle, his axe glowing green with the power of the Lumberjack, and three quick sweeping motions later, all that was left of the herd of boars was their dying pixels.

+4 materials

+4 snowflakes

Edited January 15, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     Brax was in need of a rest, for his HP was at a dangerous level.  But, he did not want to waste one of his potions to gain the health back, he might require them in the future.  Instead, he took a moments pause, laying out in the sparse grass to rest and recover both HP and EN.  The virtual clouds rolled by overhead, and the soft breeze blew over his tired frame.  Brax did not want to take a nap, though; the area was not safe enough for that.

 

Edited January 14, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

 

     The grassy area was nothing particularly special, no areas of interest to speak of.  It was simply an open space, connecting the various mountains and forests that dominated the floor.  The flatlands Brax crossed today were even partially deserted, leading him to believe that he was the only one out hunting today.  Though, with the amount of players still trapped in the game, and the fact that there were only thirteen floors open to them, that could not be the case.  They were simply elsewhere, probably deep in dungeons or hidden by the trees, gathering their goods for sale and profit.

Edited January 16, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     Brax closed his eyes for just a minute, his intent simply to take a little more rest before his energy returned.  The need for sleep overwhelmed him though, and his impromptu nap made him blind to all comings and goings.  The grass was soft beneath his weary head, and his armor wrapped around him like a cocoon, sheathing him in it's falsely protective armaments.  He was almost unaware of the advance of a mob, eager to snack on an unsuspecting player.

Edited January 14, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

ID 45688

Spoiler

BD 6 +3 ACC LD 6 MoBD 1 -1 EVA

Brax 23/32 EN 3/8

Wolf 1 -1/16 DEAD [7 x 3 Lumberjack - 5 MIT] = 17 DMG

Wolf 2 -1/16 DEAD [7 x 3 Lumberjack - 5 MIT] = 17 DMG

Wolf 3 -1/16 DEAD [7 x 3 Lumberjack - 5 MIT] = 17 DMG

Wolf 4 -1/16 DEAD [7 x 3 Lumberjack - 5 MIT] = 17 DMG

Wolf Pack Leader 21/21

     Thankfully, his senses were not dulled by the nap he was almost claimed by, as he heard the tell tale brush of the grass against animal paws.  He remained prone, though, the better to strike the unsuspecting beasts with his own surprise.  His axe was in his hands down at his side, the warm weapon pulsing eagerly for blood, and when Brax could hear the huffing and puffing just a few inches from his face he attacked, rising up quickly by engaging the Epitaph on his wrist.  Power flowed through his body as he maneuvered swiftly, and his axe set itself into the Lumberjack stance.  With three sweeping blows he defeated several of the wolves before they could even realize that their prey had ambushed them instead.

+4 materials

+4 snowflakes

Edited January 15, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

ID 45689

Spoiler

BD 6 +3 ACC LD 14 MoBD 3 -1 EVA

Brax 23/32 EN 1/8

Wolf 1 0/19

Wolf 2 0/19

Wolf 3 0/19

Wolf 4 0/19

Wolf Pack Leader -1/16 DEAD [7 x 3 Ultimate Breaker - 4 MIT] = 17 DMG

     The Pack Leader was enraged: how could this sleeping giant get the drop on it's pack?  Such a thing could not be tolerated!  Roaring it's displeasure, the wolf saw an opening as the armored man was seemingly frozen.  It grinned, baring all of it's fangs in delight, for now it could make the player pay for it's crimes.  The beast lunged forward, attempting to tackle the man down to the ground, the better to feast on his entrails, but no sooner did the creature hit the armored man than he was able to raise his weapon in defiance, a swift uppercut to the head momentarily stunning the wolf hard.  Not able to recover, the beast felt it's body raised up in the air by another blow, and it's last thought was cut short by a final strike that slammed it into the ground.

+1 material

+1 snowflake

+80 col

Edited January 15, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

 

     The battle won, Brax gathered all available loot from the monsters before doing another thorough search for anything he might have missed.  He had not gathered back all the energy he wanted, but decided to move on anyways, as the situation had reminded him that he could ill afford to rest in such an indefensible area as the land he was currently in.  Not finding anything, Brax began to move on, his eyes in search of a place to rest and relax.

Edited January 16, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

 

     Noting his fatigue, he knew instinctually that he would not make it to the ruins before his body would need rest, as his previous attempt at napping proved.  Instead, he would need to find a defendable position somewhere, possibly a tree or empty cave to hide in until his HP recovered.  The forest at the base of the mountain on which the castle resided would prove most hospitable for such a task.

Edited January 16, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

 

     His continued search for a place to rest led him across the fields into the green protection of the forest.  As he entered the treeline, his senses were alerted to the presence of multiple mobs, all itching for a chance to bite into some unwary traveler's flesh and rend it's bones into powder.  Brax would have to remain on his guard, keeping a close eye out for the ever presents threats to his health.

Edited January 16, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

ID 45690

LD 6

Roaming the fields, Brax kept up his quest for more loot, though with his lack of specific gear and skills he was subjected to the whims of Cardinal's RNG odds, which were relatively slim. Nevertheless, he persisted in his task, keeping his nose to the proverbial grindstone. Even as he searched for materials, Brax also let his eyes look for an enemy or four to hunt. These steppes were rife with potential prey.

Edited January 16, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

 

     The forest felt alive as Brax wandered around, life pouring out of every pore around him.  The trees pulsed with energy, old and gnarled, having been designed to appear aged and strong.  The vines connecting them were big and sturdy, allowing for smaller beasts to traverse them high above the ground with little fear of falling or breaking the roads provided to them.  Overgrown moss lined the roots of the trees, and Brax scooped up a sample, presupposing that someone in town may find it useful.

Edited January 16, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

ID 45692

BD 4 +3 ACC LD 5 MoBD 6 -1 EVA

Brax 32/32 EN 3/8

Wolf 1 -1/16 DEAD [7 x 3 Lumberjack - 4 MIT] = 17 DMG

Wolf 2 -1/16 DEAD [7 x 3 Lumberjack - 4 MIT] = 17 DMG

Wolf 3 -1/16 DEAD [7 x 3 Lumberjack - 4 MIT] = 17 DMG

Wolf 4 -1/16 DEAD [7 x 3 Lumberjack - 4 MIT] = 17 DMG

 

The threat came to a head with the arrival of a pack of wolves, eager to snap up the soft material inside Brax's tin shell. They were unfortunately stymied by the lush overgrowth of the forest floor, the vegetation seemingly unfamiliar to their quick moving paws. Brax was able to maneuver around them easily, his Epitaph aiding his movements with practiced grace, and his axe rose and fell with the green glow that heralded the Lumberjack, used on their furry hides not the surrounding landscape. He made quick work of the mob, stopping only briefly to collect their loots before moving on in search of a resting place.

+4 materials

+4 snowflakes

Edited January 16, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     The light began to dim, Brax noticed with his practiced senses.  The tree canopy above was thickening quickly.  He was approaching the mountainside, the green grass beneath his feet giving way to hard rock and stone, yet the trees still grew thickly about, as if in defiance of the soil they stood in.  Since he did not see a path going up, nor did he notice the ground inclining up either, Brax assumed the rundown fortress he had seen must have a cave entrance leading through the mountain itself.  As much as he did not want to go in with light sources, Brax knew that the treasures above would outweigh the need for safety, at least in theory.

Edited January 14, 2016 by Brax