[F4-SP] A Time To Hunt - Bagging up those Wintery Flakes, Beginning Again pt. 10 - COMPLETE!

[Brax 0]

ID 46388

Spoiler

BD 9 +1 ACC LD 13 MoBD 6 -1 EVA

Brax 56/56 EN 3/14

Tundra Wolf 1 0/38 [7 + 1crit x 6 Trample Act - 10 MIT] = 38 DMG

Tundra Wolf 2 0/38 [7 + 1crit x 6 Trample Act - 10 MIT] = 38 DMG

Tundra Wolf 3 0/38 [7 + 1crit x 6 Trample Act - 10 MIT] = 38 DMG

Tundra Wolf 4 0/38 [7 + 1crit x 6 Trample Act - 10 MIT] = 38 DMG

     Brax materialized in the quiet town of Snowfrost, the main hub of Floor Four.  The very first thing to hit him was the cold, much to be expected, of course.  He had been moving upwards recently, taking a look at the upper floors in an attempt to better himself, to train his skills on higher and higher leveled monsters.  He had just finished a look-see at floor three, combating several elves during his sojourn there, and was now in the frozen tundra that described floor four.  Another quaint town, similar in feel to Delilah Village, save for the fact that instead of basking in the warmth of the summer sun the inhabitants here were bundled up against the chilly winds of the north.  And the houses, where on floor three there was less protection against the elements due to the favorable weather, here the log cottages were well equipped to keep their charges warm and toasty, whatever may come.  Brax, however, was not here for a lesson in architecture; he was here to train against the beasts of the field, the snow creatures that lay hidden in the ice.

     He knew that not far to the north of town was a field boss of decent strength, and while Brax wanted a challenge he knew that without his new armor he would not stand a ghost of a chance with the fearsome foe.  Instead, he ventured to the east, several icy caves and mountainous slopes a breeding ground for a more...normal fare of beasts and mobs.  He found such a group awaiting him not long after exiting town, a thick furred pack of tundra wolves on the prowl for warmth and food.  Brax, it seemed, would satisfy the need for now.  They circled the man, looking for an opening even as Brax did the same, his helmeted head swiveling to track the animals.  He needed to put a little distance between himself and the beasts, so as to activate his Trample Act.  Suddenly, the wolves charged, taking advantage of his moment of distraction to attack.  With a flash of green from his Epitaph, the armored man moved gracefully through the first wave of assaults, blocking the last two blows with his hefted weapon.  As the wolves gathered behind him he himself struck back, the distance between them enough to give Brax his opening.  His shoulderguard hit home, allowing the system to guide his axe through the two finishing swipes that eliminated the wolves handily.

+4 materials

+4 snowflakes

+660 col

Edited January 24, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

    Brax thought the same thing he always did after battling on a new floor: 'This is combat with fourth floor monsters, huh?  I believe, this time, I got lucky.  The beasts were clearly better organized, much more tactically sound.  I suppose that is to be expected, though, from higher leveled mobs.  It could have gone very different for me, had the Epitaph not been adequate enough to power my feet.'  He thought for a moment, then shook his head once for confirmation.  'If I do not wish for a mistake to cost me, I should prepare myself properly.  My path is clear.'

Edited January 24, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     Reaching into his inventory window, Brax selected one of his Potions of Protection, draining the flask in one quick move.  As he did, he felt another burning sensation, similar to when he drank the Potion of Strength, only this time the feeling was on his skin and not under it.  It faded after a moment, and all he was left with was a tingle that buzzed over his skin beneath the armor he always wore.

Consumed one Potion of Protection I (tier 1) (+9 MIT for a thread)

Edited January 24, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     He felt...tougher...than before.  Not stronger, necessarily, but tougher, as if the dangers of the floor were a distant dream.  Brax felt the cold recede far away, kept out by the inner power of the potion, he assumed.  He wasn't warm, per say, rather he was more numb, if the statement could truly apply to a man devoid of most if not all the emotional baggage of humanity.  He felt...well, numb was the only word his mind could think up to describe the sensation.  It was just a more magnified version of his usual countenance, his usual state of being.  The only way to figure if the potion truly worked would be to test it in combat.

Edited January 24, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

46389

Spoiler

BD 6 +3 ACC LD 7 MoBD 3 -1 EVA

Brax 56/56 EN 3/14

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

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

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

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

     He would not be given a chance in the next battle, however.  As Brax traversed the snowy wasteland, he encountered an interesting sight: an ice cave replete with boarders, specifically a group of abominable snowmen, yetis to be exact, though smaller than he might have expected.  They huffed and puffed in his direction, angered at the intrusion, and swung their muscled arms in protest and power at him while they charged.  Thankfully, Brax found purchase in the icy ground and was able to avoid all of their blows whilst hitting them with his Trample Act; three swift attacks later and all that was left was pixels winking in the cold and snowy air.

+4 materials

+4 snowflakes

Edited January 24, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     It would seem that Brax had yet to experience to pain of damage here in the cold recesses of floor four.  The enemies, while looking powerful and imposing, were rather inaccurate in their attacks, and the Epitaph on his wrist was enough to guide his feet to victory.  The odds would not always be in his favor, though, and so Brax did not allow his satisfaction too much time to grow and fester into something more.  He would wait until the current journey was over and he was 'safe' in town before ruminating of the beasts' supposed strength or lack thereof.

Edited January 24, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     While he waited and wandered, though, Brax could explore the vastness of the snow and ice covered floor to his heart's content, such as it was.  The vastness of the area was a sight to behold.  Frozen caverns littered the plains, a thin sheen of frost coating the ground with it's cold fingers.  One wrong move and a man could go sliding down into the valleys below, never to return with substantial aid from friends, or a teleport crystal prepared well in advance.  Jagged rocks jutted out along every path, broken spires of ice reaching for the clouds above as if to try and stop the snow from falling.

Edited January 24, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     A chilling howl echoed on the wind, a lonely monster crying out against the frozen tundra in search of shelter from the constant storm.  An inhospitable place to be sure, at least outside of the warm safe zones, but in those protected enclosures lay cozy homes that bore friendliness and warmth of a nature Brax had not seen before.  He had moved through town quickly, the better to reach the far off training grounds offered by the lands outside, but even his swiftly moving feet could not cause his eyes to avert from the homey sights.

Edited January 24, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

ID 46390

Spoiler

BD 10 +3 ACC LD 14 MoBD 5 -1 EVA

Brax 56/56 EN 3/14

Ice Elemental 1 0/43 DEAD [7 + 2crit x 6 Trample Act - 11 MIT] = 43 DMG

Ice Elemental 2 0/43 DEAD [7 + 2crit x 6 Trample Act - 11 MIT] = 43 DMG

Ice Elemental 3 0/43 DEAD [7 + 2crit x 6 Trample Act - 11 MIT] = 43 DMG

Ice Elemental 4 0/43 DEAD [7 + 2crit x 6 Trample Act - 11 MIT] = 43 DMG

     Brax put his reminiscing on hold for a moment, as his ears perked up to a rumbling sound beneath his feet.  He was crossing what appeared to be a frozen lake, the ice thick enough to handle his heavy frame.  The rumble got louder and he felt the ice shift under him roughly.  As he drew forth his axe, the ice began to reform in the near distance, coming together to form a quartet of bodies that shimmered in the sunlight.  The ice was not normal; no, it was in fact a group of ice elementals, red points gleaming as they looked in Brax's direction.  Still in the midst of becoming solid, Brax charged their position as though to interrupt them before they could act.  He hit them hard, leaping back as his axe swung out in the last two moves of his Trample Act, cutting down the frozen spirits before they could even raise their arms in protest.  The icy remains fell to the ground, the presence behind them no longer strong enough to hold the material together, and Brax collected the loot from their demise.

+4 materials

+4 snowflakes

+860 col

Edited January 24, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     Afterwards, Brax thought back on the homey sights observed in Snowfrost Town.  The town had a warmth to it that Brax failed to understand; indeed, his lack of empathic responses made him unable to comprehend the familiar sense of family and camaraderie the settlement gave off in abundance.  Smoke billowing from the chimneys of every house he passed, bundled up townsfolk greeting each other warmly and with a pleasurable spring in their steps, Brax could feel none of it.  He was as cold inside as the snow falling from above.

Edited January 24, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     It was most unfortunate, this void inside of him.  Though Brax could not fully crave a thing, could not summon the feelings of want and desire, he was still driven in his heart to reclaim his lost self.  It was a necessity, so far as he was concerned, like food or breathing.  For him, there could be no other higher goal than the discovery of what had made him HIM.  The strength he gathered, the power he would amass, all just a means to an eventual end.  One that would allow him to connect with everything a town like this would have to offer: a life well lived.

Edited January 24, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     It was not as if Brax could not see the effect of emotions on others; in fact, he had gotten rather decent at it during his time at Berringer's.  Both his observations of the various patients residing there and the books he had read on the subject, they allowed him a logical conception of other people's emotional states.  If he so chose, Brax could emulate the feeling in action, if not in actual deed, that is inside himself.  A few times in Aincrad, he had managed to operate well to other people, though that was long ago and he had expended much in the effort.  For now, he chose to simply be impassive, stoic and unchanging, preferring to not put on any airs.  Less energy expenditure that way.

Edited January 24, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

ID 46391

Spoiler

BD 10 +3 ACC LD 19 MoBD 9 -1 EVA N/A

Brax 52/56 [12 + 1crit - 12 MIT] x 4 = 4 DMG EN 3/14

Tundra Wolf 1 0/43 DEAD [7 + 2crit x 6 Trample Act - 11 MIT] = 43 DMG

Tundra Wolf 2 0/43 DEAD [7 + 2crit x 6 Trample Act - 11 MIT] = 43 DMG

Tundra Wolf 3 0/43 DEAD [7 + 2crit x 6 Trample Act - 11 MIT] = 43 DMG

Tundra Wolf 4 0/43 DEAD [7 + 2crit x 6 Trample Act - 11 MIT] = 43 DMG

     His boots crunched in the newly fallen snow as he wandered about in search of another mob to test himself against.  Sliding down a frozen embankment, he found himself before an cave constructed entirely of ice, several wolfish inhabitants milling about in front of the locale.  Brax readied his axe as their nostrils picked up his scent, and he charged their position with intent to kill.  What he failed to see was twofold: one, his metal-clad footwear slipped precariously on a patch of ice, causing the man to stumble enough to engage his Epitaph to aid him, allowing the player to recover somewhat enough to plant himself; second, the two wolf group was actually a four man team, the final two members of the pack hidden in the flurries that swirled about the field.  They pounced as Brax settled down, snapping jaws tearing into cold flesh and drawing forth a sizable amount of blood.

     Brax was surprised; there was no other way to describe it.  The ambush had been successful, but to the pack's chagrin Brax was undeterred.  He spun three times on the ice, using the slippery surface to increase his turning speed and threw off the pack all in the same direction.  "Perfect," Brax said aloud, and he planted his feet to push off hard.  Charging their prone position, he hit the pack hard and swung his axe clean through their bodies, cutting twice to end his Trample Act and killing the sneaky mob.

+8 materials

+4 snowflakes

+860 col

Edited January 24, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     Brax stretched the muscles throughout his body, turning this way and that to work out the kinks of battle.  Looking down at this hand after sheathing his axe across his back, he clenched his fist once or twice while contemplating the fight.  'That potion did wonders,' he mused, 'doing precisely what it needed to do.  While the pack may have ambushed me, my skin was energized enough to leave me with barely a scratch.  It was as if I were made of stone, a rock that the waves of their attacks broke upon with little effect.'

Edited January 24, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     'Will that be what I feel like once I gain the Veteran's Breastplate?' Brax wondered.  'All of that power, guarding me from the ills the world may bring against me?  One can only hope,' he concluded, gathering the mob's loot drop and striking out in search of more training.  He could just imagine what the upper class armors would be like, once he had sufficiently leveled up.  The latest armor patch had also arrived with an equipment upgrade, raising the bar for gear to multiple tiers, allowing more power to be amassed in the limited enhancements they were allowed.

Edited January 24, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     For now, to engage the EXP laden quests he would only need tier one equipment, but once those were completed, Brax believed he would have access to the level requirements for the upper tier pieces, which would boost his capabilities tremendously.  Though, most of the advancement would come to his damage and protection; he would need training and skill to achieve higher success in regards to actually making contact with foes of a stronger nature.  It was a long road ahead.

Edited January 24, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

ID 46392

Spoiler

BD 3 +3 ACC LD 4 MoBD 5 -1 EVA

Brax 55/56 EN 3/14

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

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

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

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

     A long road that passed through multiple mobs, including another group of yetis that stood in his meandering path.  He had been making his way through the passes that branched off the town of Snowfrost to the east, investigating caves and the like, and would soon head back to recuperate.  But first, the yetis would have to be contended with.  They jumped from their perches high above the canyon, landing in front of the adventurer and bellowing in anger and joy at the prospect of battle.  Brax allowed a wan smile to cross his face as well, his body already in motion as soon as the beasts landed.  The ground shook beneath him due to the hard landing and his own pattering boots, and the Epitaph flashed once with emerald energy to keep his feet steady.  As they came at him, Brax dropped low and drove his shoulder into their midst, colliding hard with the mob and leaping back just before his axe swung out fiercely in twin successive blows, his Trample Act finishing the mob with devastating power.

+4 materials

+4 snowflakes

Edited January 24, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     His trip into the snowy wilds of floor four almost complete, Brax took a long look around at the area.  It would be nice enough to return to in the future, when in search of field bosses and other pieces of treasure that may lay hidden in the snow and ice.  Perhaps he might even come here when he had chosen a profession, as the location of Snowfrost was a seemingly well traveled hub of activity.  But, before he could consider all that, Brax would have to go back to town and organize his thoughts regarding the scouting/hunting trip he was currently on.

Edited January 24, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     He turned around and began the trek back to civilization, his thoughts as pure as the snow falling about his head.  He would return to Snowfrost, warm himself by a fire and think on the battles the floor had to offer, of the enemies that populated the area.  Then, perhaps, he would come back into the cold, or maybe he would go higher, seek the sweltering deserts that dominated the entirety of floor five.  He had never seen a lot of sand, so far as he knew, so perhaps the experience would be most beneficial.

Edited January 24, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     His booted feet found decent purchase in the slippery snow, but he felt the potion he had taken and the buzz of his skin begin to fade as he continued towards the settlement.  He idly wondered if perhaps the extreme temperatures might have something to do with the alchemical device losing it's potency, and hoped he could make it back to civilization before it ran out.  Brax would be waylaid, though, by another angry mob before he could claim the safety of the town.

Edited January 24, 2016 by Brax