[F2-SP] A Time To Hunt - Bagging up those Wintery Flakes, Beginning Again pt. 6 - COMPLETE!

[Brax 0]

ID 46102

Spoiler

BD 10 +3 ACC LD 7 MoBD 3 -1 EVA

Brax 52/52 EN 2/13

Bandit 1 -14/32 DEAD [7 + 2crit x 6 Trample Act - 8 MIT] = 46 DMG

Bandit 2 -14/32 DEAD [7 + 2crit x 6 Trample Act - 8 MIT] = 46 DMG

Bandit 3 -14/32 DEAD [7 + 2crit x 6 Trample Act - 8 MIT] = 46 DMG

Bandit 4 -14/32 DEAD [7 + 2crit x 6 Trample Act - 8 MIT] = 46 DMG

     A rustling sound awoke Brax from his impromptu slumber.  How long had he been napping?  It was...unclear.  His senses roared back to full alertness as he heard the rustling again, and he sprang up from the bed with a vengeance.  His axe at the ready, Brax swung open the door to the room with a loud 'BANG!', surprising the heck out of the bandits standing just outside.  Another mob had moved into the area after the deaths of the ones before, either that or the mobs themselves had a high re-spawn rate until the 'boss' was cleared.  Either way, Brax was forced to contend with the group before he could assess the situation.  He bum rushed the lot, throwing his shoulder into the mob in order to activate his Trample Act.  His axe swept out automatically as the Sword Art took hold, his two attacks cleaving the mob in two as they stood in stunned silence.

+4 materials

+4 snowflakes

Edited January 21, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     He looked around at the West Wing, the area of the castle that held the living quarters, one of which he had taken advantage of to rest his weary bones.  The 'nap' had rejuvenated him somewhat, a fact he appreciated as he worked the kinks out of his muscles and joints.  Now, to discover what the rest of the Wing held, as there were several more doors for Brax to knock down, so to speak.

Edited January 20, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     Brax looked through the remaining rooms with a careful eye, looking for anything out of the ordinary that he might be able to take with him as extra loot.  Also, he thought that he might find some clues as to what the key he possessed might unlock.  The group in front of the kitchen that he had killed, seemingly forever ago, had dropped the special item and he had yet to find a use for it.  The idea that he would not find what he was looking for left him with a bit of frustration, something he thought he had gotten rid of with his little sleepy-time.  In a rare moment of feelings, Brax grimaced at his mind's use of 'sleepy-time', but the emotion was fleeting and he let it go.

Edited January 20, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     None of the rooms managed to pan out.  The lot of them devoid of anything but the barest essentials as far as living was concerned; a few were more done up, but time had erased everything of value, leaving behind naught but the basics.  Faded silk sheets long turned to dust, rotted dressers and chests of drawers with rusty tools and decayed leather, soft mattresses eaten through by bed bugs and the slow crawl of history.  He was a bit intrigued, to be perfectly honest, since the one room that was still relatively decently maintained happened to be the one he had used for his nap.  'A coincidence, I suppose, nothing more,' Brax thought to himself, and left it at that.  It mattered not what condition the rooms were in, only that their condition led to an absence of treasure or materials of value.  Finding nothing, he closed the last door and made his way back to the grand pair of doors leading up to the third floor.

Edited January 20, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

ID 46103

Spoiler

BD 5 +3 ACC LD 20 MoBD 5 -1 EVA

Brax 52/52 EN 2/13

Bandit 1 -2/32 DEAD [7 x 6 Trample Act - 8 MIT] = 34 DMG

Bandit 2 -2/32 DEAD [7 x 6 Trample Act - 8 MIT] = 34 DMG

Bandit 3 -2/32 DEAD [7 x 6 Trample Act - 8 MIT] = 34 DMG

Bandit 4 -2/32 DEAD [7 x 6 Trample Act - 8 MIT] = 34 DMG

     Brax exited the West Wing, but before he could reach the large and imposing doors leading upwards he would first have to contend with another mob of Bandits blocking his path.  He was beginning to think that the only thing great about this particular locale was the spawn rates of the mobs, as he had run into dozens of them from the moment he first emerged from underground.  They failed to notice his presence as he rounded the corner, so Brax took advantage of their lack of detection and charged their position, lowering his shoulder in preparation of his Trample Act.  His tackle hit home, and began shifting his virtual frame through the motions, sweeping through their ranks twice in succession.  The only thing left behind was their shower of pixels and a bag of col as loot, which he collected before striding up to the doors they had guarded.

+8 materials

+4 snowflakes

+640 col

Edited January 20, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     He found some difficulty trying to open the red velvet doors, however.  Try as he might, they stood firm against his incessant pushing.  He looked at them closely, and noticed a bit of information that had escaped him the first time around: the doors possessed a keyhole.  Strange, that he had missed that on his previous examinations of the entryway.  His frustrations at not finding any treasure must have led to the oversight.  Tabling the issue for a moment, he summoned his inventory window and selected the key that had dropped previously, which materialized in his hands.  Putting the key into the lock, Brax turned the handle and heard a chiming sound emanated throughout the entire area, signifying the completion of a quest of some sort.  Though, why he had not seen a marker pop up in his status window seemed odd to Brax.  Nevertheless, with the door now open, he ascended upwards to the third floor, and possibly the clearing of the hideout and the rewards associated thusly.

Edited January 20, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     The stairs wound upwards higher and higher, a seemingly impossible feat given the dimensions of the structure from the outside.  Brax did notice a tingle throughout his body as he crossed the threshold at the bottom of the stairs.  He might have passed through some sort of game portal, leading to a zone outside normal space parameters in-game, but he wasn't sure.  He put the idea out of his mind, as he would need all of his attention to deal with whatever resided within, whatever 'boss' type monster awaited his presence at the top of the walkway.

Edited January 20, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     Reaching the top, Brax beheld the Throne Room level of the castle ruins.  The decorations throughout the area were befitting of the royalty who once held sway in those hallowed halls.  A rich, blood red rug lay rolled out beneath his feet.  Purple silk curtains hung from the rafters high above, though the ceiling itself showed much of it's age.  The sky, dark as night with stars shining brightly, illuminated a despairing scene: a team of bandits, four strong, occupied the center of the room, brandished weapons held at the ready to banish the intruder who dared into their midst.

Edited January 20, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

ID 46149

Spoiler

BD 4 +3 ACC LD 12 MoBD 3 -1 EVA

Brax 52/52 EN 2/13

Bandit 1 -2/32 DEAD [7 x 6 Trample Act - 8 MIT] = 34 DMG

Bandit 2 -2/32 DEAD [7 x 6 Trample Act - 8 MIT] = 34 DMG

Bandit 3 -2/32 DEAD [7 x 6 Trample Act - 8 MIT] = 34 DMG

Bandit 4 -2/32 DEAD [7 x 6 Trample Act - 8 MIT] = 34 DMG

     The mob shouted their displeasure, clanging their weapons in the air and signaling their commencement of battle.  Brax made the first move, though, and leapt into their ranks to try and finish them off quickly, not knowing what other surprises might lay in wait elsewhere on the floor.  The bandits tried to assail him, but with some well-timed help from his Epitaph, Brax avoided every attack they threw his way.  Throwing his shoulder into one of them, he activated his Trample Act and defeated them all swiftly with his finishing sweeps, leaving naught behind but col and pixels.

+4 materials

+4 snowflakes

+640 col

Edited January 20, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     The fight over, Brax continued to survey the room.  The mob had taken up residence next to the thrones themselves, the dominating edifices of the area.  Three high backed chairs of regal design, they seemed to defy the decaying nature of the rest of the castle.  Soft silken cushions adorned intricately crafted wooden frames, golden buttons interspersed across the padding.  Rust free metal was inlaid throughout the wood itself, crafted exquisitely into artistic patterns resembling fractals and other abstract shapes.  A gold trim stood atop each, in varying degrees of ornateness distinct for each throne.

Edited January 20, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     They were objects fit for a king and his family, designed with meticulous care and devotion.  Brax took a moment to appreciate the beauty, to catalog the opulence in all it's glory.  He doubted many would see it, as the location was rather out of the way, and others would prefer a quick jaunt out for mats and mobs for fun and profit.  Unfortunately for him, the thrones themselves were immovable and immortal, thus he was unable to loot anything of value from them.  No treasure to be had on this hunt, it would seem.

Edited January 20, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     He ran a gloved hand over the superior craftsmanship, feeling the coolness of the wood in the starlight and wondering anew at the skill of the designers who built such a world as this.  His wonderings were interrupted, however, by a shimmer in the air before the throne.  As his eyes focused on the area, he saw a new group of bandits materialize as if from thin air.  They bore the same look as the ones he had killed moments before, and as questions began to bubble up in his mind they attacked.

Edited January 20, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

ID 46151

Spoiler

BD 3 +3 ACC LD 12 MoBD 5 -1 EVA

Brax 52/52 EN 2/13

Bandit 1 -2/32 DEAD [7 x 6 Trample Act - 8 MIT] = 34 DMG

Bandit 2 -2/32 DEAD [7 x 6 Trample Act - 8 MIT] = 34 DMG

Bandit 3 -2/32 DEAD [7 x 6 Trample Act - 8 MIT] = 34 DMG

Bandit 4 -2/32 DEAD [7 x 6 Trample Act - 8 MIT] = 34 DMG

     Brax's Epitaph flashed on his wrist as the mob advanced on his position.  He used the emerald energy to avoid the first one's blade, side-stepping the second one as it flew through the air at his head.  The third and fourth bandits both carried rough looking maces covered in spikes, and they swung low in an attempt to catch his legs and sweep them from under his body, making him easy prey.  Brax managed to bring his axe up just in time to deflect one weapon into the other, causing the two to collide into each other with a loud 'BANG' and crumble into a heap.  Stepping back for a moment, he lowered himself into a crouch and sprang forwards, catching one bandit still standing with his shoulder and moving into a Trample Act, arching his axe into the bandits and cleaving them in half, killing them outright and collecting the loot they left behind.

+4 materials

+4 snowflakes

+640 col

Edited January 20, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     'So, that's the special aspect of the castle, then,' Brax mused to himself, taking a seat in the center throne.  'The mob here, in this room, spawns several times faster than anywhere else.  A constant farming zone, probably set to the level that registers at the locked door's opening.'  While not what Brax was really looking for, it nonetheless had a certain appeal.  He would simply need to wait around for a few moments, and another group would spawn almost immediately for him to kill for profit and EXP.

Edited January 20, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     He would have considered the news disappointing, to say the least, if he could have felt or expressed such an attitude of discontent.  However, his Alexithymia prevented such things to the extreme.  So, he simply sat in the chair and brooded on his weariness and frustration.  Such an anticlimactic ending to a long and arduous journey, this quick spawning bandit point.  It was as if the game were saying 'Screw you, Player, for trying to get rich on the 2nd Floor, of all places!'  His gauntleted hand covered his tired eyes, rubbing at his temples to ease the headache forming behind them.

Edited January 20, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     He did not have long to himself, though, for as he began to feel the heaviness of his lids causing them to close, a telling shimmer began to form in front of his eyes once again.  The bandit mob was reforming, their virtual bodies taking shape in the ether.  Leather boots came into focus, followed by pants and armor of the same materials.  Arms wielding short swords and axes formed next, with the final touch being scarred heads with unruly hair covered by bandanas marked with the signature of their respective bandit gang.

Edited January 20, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

ID 46152

Spoiler

BD 10 +3 ACC LD 6 MoBD 8 -1 EVA

Brax 40/52 [6 - 3 MIT] x 4 = 12 DMG

Bandit 1 -14/32 DEAD [7 + 2crit x 6 Trample Act - 8 MIT] = 46 DMG

Bandit 2 -14/32 DEAD [7 + 2crit x 6 Trample Act - 8 MIT] = 46 DMG

Bandit 3 -14/32 DEAD [7 + 2crit x 6 Trample Act - 8 MIT] = 46 DMG

Bandit 4 -14/32 DEAD [7 + 2crit x 6 Trample Act - 8 MIT] = 46 DMG

     This time, his tired frame simply stood in place as the mob attacked him; Brax did not even try to dodge.  Their feeble attacks couldn't get too far past his armored body, though they did do some damage to him, he could feel it in his bones.  Halfheartedly, he threw his shoulder out in an automated response, forcing his uncaring frame into the Trample Act and slicing through the mob with a disinterested stare.  Amidst the shower of pixels that followed in the wake of their demise, Brax almost did not pick up the loot they had left behind.  Almost.

+4 materials

+4 snowflakes

Edited January 20, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     He had lost his interest in the castle ruins and all that it had to offer.  Without the lure of treasure or the thrill of the challenge of stronger monsters to hunt and train against, there was little reason for him to stay.  That being said, he had no specific place to go, no real destination in mind for a new hunting trip.  And, with the night sky overhead, he really did not want to wander about in the wilds in the dark.  It...would not be very prudent or safe without such things as a light source or the <<Night Vision>> skill mod.

Edited January 20, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     Thus, the only thing left to him was to remain in the ruins until the night was over.  How much time had passed while he slept, Brax did not know.  It had been dusk, the sun setting through the holes in the walls of the West Wing, before he had passed out, and when he awoke the sky was pitch black, with only the stars to light up the night.  Every now and again the clouds would part, illuminating the room in which he currently stood with soft beams of moonlight, indicating that the night was still going strong.

Edited January 20, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     He considered something for a moment and realized that there was a chronometer attached to the status window every player possessed, thus allowing him to tell what time it was exactly.  Just one of the few things he had seemingly missed in his study of the interface earlier in his career as a player character.  Opening up the window, Brax saw that the time read 1:45 A.M., with morning light not until around 5:30 or so.  He had four hours to wait around, with little to occupy his time save the mob that was beginning to respawn right before his eyes.

Edited January 21, 2016 by Brax