[F16:SP] Becoming a Snake Eater <<Snake Out of Water>>

[Seul 1]

The small boat would eventually reach the sandy shores of Skull Island, the home of the elusive creature Seul was tasked with tracking down. "Finally made it." He mumbled while planting his feet on land for the first time in what felt like hours. It had only been one day ago when the tribe of the island found him in the main settlement and pleaded for his help in vanquishing the creature they called Hebishinu. Supposedly it was some kind of gigantic serpent that was immune to attacks; a trait that wasn't exactly the norm for monsters in Aincrad. Usually regardless of how much defense an enemy had it would take at least a little damage upon being hit. The tribes reports though showed that it was impervious to their arrows. Whatever ability was at work here was certainly something he would need to be on the look out for. 

Edited December 19, 2016 by Seul

[Seul 1]

Part of him couldn't help but wonder why they called the place "Skull Island". The other parts of course wanted to stay ignorant to whatever truths surrounded the history of the island. He was simply here to kill a snake, collect a reward, then be on his merry way to the next grand adventure that awaited somewhere else. That was just how he rolled.

From what he could tell the island looked deserted. More so than all the others at least.. He was expecting to see at least one other person, but all of the huts on the beach seemed abandoned. It most likely had something to do with that snake. If given the chance he probably would have left as well if given the chance to do so. Normal people were essentially helpless against a reptile like that. Thankfully he wasn't the same player he was when he started though. He was confident in his ability to vanquish the serpent and he would reclaim the island for the tribe as a result.

[Seul 1]

Moving past the beach proved to be easy enough. No monsters attacked him on the way into the jungle, but he wasn’t sure if that was particularly a good sign. For all he knew the snake could have eaten the other mobs on the island he was just going to be next on the menu. He shuddered at the thought, but brushed it aside in order to start thinking about his battle strategy.

How was he supposed to kill a monster that was immune to damage? There was obviously some sort of gimmick to the field boss, he just needed to figure out what that was and how to use it to his advantage. As long as he was capable of surviving its attacks there would be plenty of time to look for weak points. He felt his equipment would be able to handle the job so there wasn’t much concern about getting hit.

[Seul 1]

He did vaguely remember something the island's natives had mentioned. Before they managed to rope him into fulfilling this task they had sent multiple other people to go and quell the creature. None of which had ever returned though. Knowing that ahead of time either made him brave or a fool (maybe both). The snake didn’t scare him; there were far tougher, larger, more powerful, and scarier opponents in this world than an oversized limbless lizard.

But the disappearances of the other fighters did get him thinking. There was a good chance the boss really was just unbeatable. Why would the developers bother to include a monster that couldn’t be killed? It didn’t make any sense to him, especially with it being an optional fight and all. If they wanted to mess with the players they would have given the ability to something more mainstream that would have been unavoidable.

[Seul 1]

Expecting to not encounter enemies along the way would have been foolish on his part. Of course by now Seul knew that any trip into the wilderness could be the last if one wasn't prepared for the worst. In a tropical island setting like this there was bound to be plenty of creatures scurrying about with a taste for human flesh.

In his path two oversized amphibians materialized, hopping towards him with intent to kill obvious in their blood red colored eyes. Although damage on the higher floors was ramped up, he wasn't about to back down from the beasts. Besides, they'd make good practice for his new blade so with weapon in hand now he ran toward them; the natural glow of Maiden’s Kiss being overshadowed by the light of his sword art as he tore into the closest frog with a single cut. It was started by his sudden movements and attempted to counter with a lash of its tongue, but was only able to strike air as the boy spun away on his heel. The second frog had about as much luck as the first, simply having its attack knocked away by the flat of the greatsword. Things were off to a good start.

Stats

Spoiler

Stats

955 HP

94 Energy

11/19 Base Damage

84 Mitigation

24 Holy Blessing

16 Flame Aura

10 Battle Healing

2 Recovery  

6 Picking

1 Search & Detect

Taunt Active

 

Equipment

Maiden's Kiss.......... // +2 Damage | +8 Holy Damage

Regret................. // +24 Holy Blessing | +2 Recovery

Manticore Mask.........  // +Taunt | +18 Flame Aura (Def) | +16 Flame Aura (Off) | +18 Mit

 

Skills

Two-Handed Straight Sword.| Rank 5

Picking...................| Rank 4

Light Armor...............| Rank 3

Search & Detect...........| Rank 1

Battle Healing............| Rank 1

Howl......................| No Ranks

Parry.....................| No Ranks

 

Extra Skills

Providence(Protector).....| Rank 2

Meditation................| Rank 0

Concentration.............| No Ranks

Survival..................| No Ranks

 

Skill Mods

Athletics

Dismantling

THSS Ferocity (Rank 5)

Justified Riposte

 

Inventory

1. Woodland Armor - 2 Charges Left
2. Basic Teleport Crystal - x1
3. Banner of Support - 3 Charges Left
4. Generic Armor MK.9 (+3 Evasion)
5. Lucky Coin (+3 LD)

ID: 74508 | BD: 6 (5+1 Concentration) | MD: 3

[ Party ]

• Seul | 955 / 955 HP | 81 / 94 EN (-13)
  • Sword Art: Galaxy Destroyer | 11 + 1 Ferocity x 13 = 156 DMG

[ Enemy ]

• Giant Tree Frog | 321 / 477 HP | 160 DMG (-156 HP)
• Giant Tree Frog | 477 / 477 HP | 160 DMG

Edited January 19, 2017 by Seul

[Seul 1]

Another direct hit from Galaxy Destroyer left the first frog with less than half it's health in tact once he was done with it. Unfortunately his luck seemed to run out as they both managed to slam their tongues into him like slobber whips, knocking off a good chunk of his health as a result. The flame aura struck back as soon as they did, hurting them just a bit more.

For now he wasn't worried. He'd heal back a good portion of the damage in a moment and was close to killing one of the frogs anyway. If things started going sour he could always just play defensively and wait for them to kill themselves without being in any additional danger. Finishing them off without using a ton of energy would be ideal, but depending on how accurate he was with the blade things might turn out far different from what he desired.

ID: 74644 | BD: 6  | CD: 7 (Recovery Activates) | MD: 7

[ Party ]

• Seul | 803 / 955 HP | 71 / 94 EN (+3/-13) | [Concentration Timer: 1/5]
  • Sword Art: Galaxy Destroyer | -13 EN | 11 + 1 Ferocity x 13 = 156

[ Enemy ]

• Giant Tree Frog | 149 / 477 HP | 160 DMG (-172 HP)
• Giant Tree Frog | 461 / 477 HP | 160 DMG (-16 HP)
  • Attacks: 160 - 84 = 76 (x2) | Flame Aura Activated

Edited January 19, 2017 by Seul

[Seul 1]

With one final attack Seul managed to finish off the first frog, having it turn to pixelated dust once he finished ripping it apart. While he was distracted though the second frog struck from the side, bringing his health just below the next section. The battle was pretty much over now that it was a one on one confrontation, but he would play with the creature anyway as there really wasn't much else to do in between looking for his real target. He couldn't remember the last time he went hunting like this. It felt like ages now, but being here now reminded him just how much of a good sport it was. The rush of battle when two sides desperately tried clinging for life was what he enjoyed about combat and coming out on top as the victor was satisfying feeling if it was done against a powerful monster.

ID: 74647 | BD: 7  | CD: 12 (Recovery Activates) | MD: 7 | LD: 15 (14 + 1 Search) |  Loot: 2385 Col & 1 Mat

[ Party ]

• Seul | 785 / 955 HP (+58/-76) | 61 / 94 EN (+3/-13) | [Concentration Timer: 2/5]
  • Sword Art: Galaxy Destroyer | -13 EN | 11 + 1 Ferocity x 13 = 156

[ Enemy ]

• Giant Tree Frog | 0 / 477 HP | 160 DMG (-156 HP)
• Giant Tree Frog | 445 / 477 HP | 160 DMG (-16 HP)
  • Attacks: 160 - 84 = 76 | Flame Aura Activated

Edited January 19, 2017 by Seul

[Seul 1]

After swinging the sword in a circular motion by the hilt he ran in again, using a horizontal swipe to force the frog backwards. Unfortunately such a move was easy to predict and the monster managed to easily avoid getting hit by just hopping out of the way. It attempted to use its tongue to perform a counter, but Seul used his sword to just knock the appendage away as it neared his body. They were at a stalemate, but one side obviously outmatched the other. All he had to do was bide some time until he could land a clean hit.

What he really wanted was to unlock the true potential of the weapon he was gifted. Up till this point he hasn't been able to make use of the holy properties that were bestowed on the sword, but staying hopeful was about as much as he could do until he felt worthy of owning it.

ID: 74650 | BD: 5  | CD: 10 (Recovery Activates) | MD: 1 | Loot: 2385 Col & 1 Mat

[ Party ]

• Seul | 819 / 955 HP (+34/-76) | 62 / 94 EN (+3/-2) | [Concentration Timer: 3/5]
  • Sword Art: N/A

[ Enemy ]

• Giant Tree Frog | 0 / 477 HP | 160 DMG (-156 HP)
• Giant Tree Frog | 445 / 477 HP | 160 DMG 

Edited January 19, 2017 by Seul

[Seul 1]

After deflecting the monster’s tongue he rushed it yet again, only this time the blade managed to cut clean through the frog's side. Half health became a familiar sight as the damage was registered by the system, yet still in doing so he was left open and got struck. Again. It was more annoying than it was actually harmful, but he wasn't in the mood to get whipped by a stupid creature like this. He was going to kill it if it was the last thing he ever did in this world. Then the giant snake would be next!

An invincible serpent. The thought of facing it was too enticing. He was determined to kill it on his own, if only to prove to himself that it was possible. Thus far quests were his pride and joy, a mark of how far he had come since he started. That being said, he wasn't about to die here.

ID: 74652 | BD: 7  | CD: 3 | MD: 8 | Loot: 2385 Col & 1 Mat

[ Party ]

• Seul | 753 / 955 HP (+10/-76) | 50 / 94 EN (+1/-13) | [Concentration Timer: 4/5]
  • Sword Art: Galaxy Destoryer | 11 + 1 Ferocity x 13 = 156 DMG

[ Enemy ]

• Giant Tree Frog | 0 / 477 HP | 160 DMG (-156 HP)
• Giant Tree Frog | 273 / 477 HP | 160 DMG (-172 HP)
  • Attack: 160 - 84 MIT = 76 DMG | Flame Aura Activated

Edited January 19, 2017 by Seul

[Seul 1]

Seul attacked and managed to get another clean hit on the frog. One more attack would be enough to finish it off and thankfully he was able to move out of the way of the monster’s tongue. Soon the battle would be over and he'd be able to get on with the mission. The giant snake was probably going to be a much tougher challenge than the frogs. How was he going to handle it? He wondered. He couldn't wait to find out, but killing the frog would need to come first.

“Alright, little froggy…” He said as he waved the sword in its direction, trying to goad it into hopping into striking range. “You need to be a good little monster now and let me kill you so I can get some col and move on with my life. We both know how this is going to end so there's no point in fighting anymore.”

ID: 74656 | BD: 6 | CD: 11 (Recovery) | MD: 5 | Loot: 2385 Col & 1 Mat

[ Party ]

• Seul | 787 / 955 HP (+34) | 40 / 94 EN (+3/-13) | [Concentration Timer: 5/5]
  • Sword Art: Galaxy Destoryer | 11 + 1 Ferocity x 13 = 156 DMG

[ Enemy ]

• Giant Tree Frog | 0 / 477 HP | 160 DMG (-156 HP)
• Giant Tree Frog | 117 / 477 HP | 160 DMG (-156 HP)

Edited January 19, 2017 by Seul

[Seul 1]

His next slash would result in a miss, but that only meant he was able to easily avoid the creature’s attack as well. He needed to end the fight sooner rather than later since this thing wasn't exactly the main event. Going into another battle with low health and energy just seemed like a recipe for trouble.

After placing some distance between himself and the frog, Seul steadied his blade yet again in its direction. This wasn't working. Times like these were honestly when he wished he had more accuracy, but such things came with there own drawbacks as well. What good would accuracy be if his damage was low? What good would damage be if he could never hit anything? There needed to be a balance of sorts. Maybe next he would think about investing in the precision mod to help with his ability to hit with better aimed strokes

ID: 74667 | BD: 2 | CD: 12 (Recovery) | MD: 3 | Loot: 2385 Col & 1 Mat

[ Party ]

• Seul | 797 / 955 HP (+10) | 41 / 94 EN (+3/-2) 
  • Sword Art: N/A

[ Enemy ]

• Giant Tree Frog | 0 / 477 HP | 160 DMG
• Giant Tree Frog | 117 / 477 HP | 160 DMG 

Edited January 19, 2017 by Seul

[Seul 1]

Something odd began to happen before he could move again. The natural aura surrounding Maiden's Kiss shined much brighter than usual and in that moment it seemed like nothing would be able to stand up to its cutting power. Seul got in close and made multiple cuts into the frog, eventually killing it once the final stroke landed between its eyes. This power though… For such a low ranking sword art the damage had been impressive and on par with that of a rank five move. This was the blade's true potential; harnessing Holy damage.

There was no time to rest or figure out how to use Holy damage consistently. His health and energy levels were still decent, so finding the boss would take priority over everything else. The true battle was just about to begin and with the sword in his possession, it would probably be an easy one.

ID: 74695 | BD: 10 | CD: 8 (Recovery) | MD: 3 | LD: 6 | Loot: 2385 Col & 2 Mats

[ Party ]

• Seul | 807 / 955 HP (+10) | 37 / 94 EN (+3/-7) 
  • Sword Art: Astral Hell | -7 EN | 11 + 8 Holy + 2 Crit x 7 = 147 DMG

[ Enemy ]

• Giant Tree Frog | 0 / 477 HP | 160 DMG
• Giant Tree Frog | 0 / 477 HP | 160 DMG (-147 HP)

Edited January 19, 2017 by Seul

[Seul 1]

ID: 74696 | LD: 6 (Failed)

Passives: 827 (+20) HP | Energy Timer: 1/3

With all the fighting over there was at least a few minutes for him to catch his breath. For this particular quest finding the boss was literally half the battle. Supposedly the creature dipped in and out of the trees for cover and would make for an even harder target if one wasn't skilled in searching. Those facts didn't worry Seul though. He had been through much worse in his travels and if it was proving to be too much to handle he could always try to outlast the snake by using the flame against it.

These were all just strategies based on the limited information he knew. Honestly he had no idea what to actually expect moving forward. Taking on the frogs ate up a bit of his time and he was not in the mood to let something like that happen again any time in the near future.

Edited January 19, 2017 by Seul

[Seul 1]

ID: 74721 | LD: 20 (19 + 1 Search) | Snake Found!

Passives: 847 (+20) HP | Energy Timer: 2/3

Eventually the path brought him to a lake near the center of the island with trees strewn about within the water. On the edge of the shore he crouched down and peered in the still liquid, only to see ripples moving around ahead and scales breaking the surface every now and then. He had found his target: Hebishinu!

“Why is it all of these monsters love being in water these days?” He wondered out loud to himself as he watched the boss slither in watched out of sight. It didn't seem to notice his presence yet and he would have liked to keep it that way until he got his equipment sorted out. A quick swipe of his hand opened the menu HUD before moving to the inventory button. What would be the best option for fighting a monster like this? Maybe now was a good time to use his lucky coin.

Edited January 19, 2017 by Seul

[Seul 1]

Equipment Change: [Regret --> Lucky Coin | +3 LD now in effect]

Passives: 867 (+20) HP | Energy Timer: 3/3 | Energy Fully Restored

He ultimately decided to use the lucky coin as it would be better for him in the long run to have the extra luck on his side for this battle. With that in mind he began to wade into the water but couldn't seem to locate the snakes whereabouts now. This really wasn't his strong suit. He was more of a see and kill type of player and not built for games of hide and seek.

He sighed while unsheathing his blade. The monster had to be lurking somewhere nearby and he wasn't leaving until it's head was on a pike. The locals had lived in fear for far too long and looked to him as a saviour of sorts. Letting them down now wasn't an option. Even if they were just NPCs they would be able to reclaim their home with the snake eradicated. They at least shared that desire at heart to go home.

Edited January 19, 2017 by Seul

[Seul 1]

Just how did the monster escape his vision so easily? The environment certainly wasn't the ideal place for a fight he supposed. Out of the corner of his eye he could see the scales of Hebishinu break through the surface once more but before it could retreat he jumped at it, swinging his sword down on the spot the snake had just been.

“Did… Did I get it?” He asked. Things were never so easy though. A loud splash pierced the air and as he turned to the boss lunged at him; biting into his shoulder and dragging him under the water in the process. The thing had an element of surprise on its side rather than just raw power. If he want more careful this would probably be a forecast for the entire fight. He had to think of a new method other than just swinging wildly, but first he'd need to escape its grasp.

Party 

• Seul | 819/955 HP (+10/-58) | 92/94 EN (-2) | [Toxic Venom: Deals 12 DMG per turn | 0/4]

Enemy

• Hebishinu | 600/600 HP | 140 DMG | +2 ACC | [SAFEGUARD: 0/2]
• Crit: Toxic Venom on CD 1-6 / Paralyze on CD 7-12
  • Attack: 140 + 2 - 84 = 58 | Toxic Venom Activated 

Rolls (Seul)

• ID: 74723 | BD: 2 | LD: 19 

Rolls (Hebishinu) 

• ID: 74724 | BD: 10 | CD: 3

Edited January 20, 2017 by Seul

[Seul 1]

Somehow he managed to wrestle himself free from the snake's jaws and gasped for air as he returned to the surface. Hebishinu was nowhere to be seen, but he didn't expect that to last for long. These few seconds would be crucial in shaping the rest of the battle. Overall his health appeared to still be decent, just a little less than full which was partially due to the fight against the frogs. The boss didn't hit very hard but instead left behind a nasty poisonous effect that damaged him slowly over time. Battle healing would take care of it and null most of the points the venom removed, but now he needed to deal with the actual bite.

He got up and got into a parry stance but the snake never showed up to attack him. Did it just run away or something? If it did does that mean he completed the quest?

Party 

• Seul | 817/955 HP (+10/-12) | 92/94 EN (+1/-2) | [Toxic Venom: Deals 12 DMG per turn | 1/4]

Enemy

• Hebishinu | 600/600 HP | 140 DMG | +2 ACC | [SAFEGUARD: 0/2]
• Crit: Toxic Venom on CD 1-6 / Paralyze on CD 7-12
  • Attack: N/A

Rolls (Seul)

• ID: N/A

Rolls (Hebishinu) 

• ID: 74727 | BD: 1 

Edited January 20, 2017 by Seul

[Seul 1]

Seul was tempted to drop his guard, but renewed the parry stance while he waited to be attacked by the boss. It took a while, but Hebishinu did eventually attack. He was ready this time, twisting his blade and parrying the fangs of the creature which only managed to scratch him in the end. Following up with a riposte left the monster stunned, allowing him another minute to catch his breath.

Flame aura seemed like the way to go. As long as he kept getting hit the snake would die eventually to his flames. It was going to take a while but it was the most efficient way to end the fight with only a few wounds to speak of. Everything was going to be alright. His new plan was going to get him through this and he'd probably get a lot of experience from the harshness of the fight.

Party 

• Seul | 814/955 HP (+10/-13) | 91/94 EN (+1/-2) | [Toxic Venom: Deals 12 DMG per turn | 2/4]

Enemy

• Hebishinu | 584/600 HP (-16) | 140 DMG | +2 ACC | [SAFEGUARD: 0/2] | [STUNNED]
• Crit: Toxic Venom on CD 1-6 / Paralyze on CD 7-12
  • Attack: 140 x 0.5 Parry - 84 = 1 DMG | Flame Aura Activated | Justified Riposte Activated

Rolls (Hebishinu) 

• ID: 74734 | BD: 7 (5 + 2) 

Edited January 20, 2017 by Seul

[Seul 1]

Equipment Change: [Lucky Coin --> Regret | +24 Holy Blessing / +2 Recovery]

With the boss temporarily down for the count, Seul opened up his inventory to swap out his gear. Placing the lucky coin away he removed the coat, Regret, and slipped it on. The fight was likely going to last forever now since he wouldn't be doing any attacking himself. Tactics like these were something he wasn't usually accustomed to, but using them now was going to be the only way to win in a one on one fight.

Raising his blade again, the monster was probably close to regaining its mobility. He let out a deep sigh and closed his eyes, waiting for the beast to strike so that he could get on with the battle. Having a plan definitely made it easier to face Hebishinu and to be able to say that he faced it on his own would be enough of a reward on its own.

“Alright, let's go!”

Party 

• Seul | 812/955 HP (+10/-12) | 92/94 EN (+1) | [Toxic Venom: Deals 12 DMG per turn | 3/4]

Enemy

• Hebishinu | 584/600 HP  | 140 DMG | +2 ACC | [SAFEGUARD: 0/2] | [STUNNED]
• Crit: Toxic Venom on CD 1-6 / Paralyze on CD 7-12
  • Attack: N/A

Rolls (Hebishinu) 

• ID: N/A | BD: N/A

Edited January 20, 2017 by Seul

[Seul 1]

Writing

Party 

• Seul | 810/955 HP (+10/-12) | 91/94 EN (+1/-2) | [Toxic Venom: Deals 12 DMG per turn | 4/4]

Enemy

• Hebishinu | 584/600 HP  | 140 DMG | +2 ACC | [SAFEGUARD: 0/2] 
• Crit: Toxic Venom on CD 1-6 / Paralyze on CD 7-12
  • Attack: N/A

Rolls (Hebishinu) 

• ID: 74780 | BD: 4 (2 + 2)

Edited January 20, 2017 by Seul