[PP-F5] Welcome to the Desert <<Blood in the Sand>>

[Sey 0]

It was the fifth floor, and he had yet to gain any progress. So of course, he needed to take on a new quest, and quickly. At this point, he found his luck when it came to these things rather high, since there were usually others that were there to give him a leg up in combat against the enemies of the sand. That was where this one came in, Blood in the Sand. Apparently there was a sand shark, which treated the hot sand of the desert below it like an ocean. An interesting approach naturally, but one that seemed to have a decent payout as well as an equally decent drop in the process. Of course, this was nothing to sneeze at, considering how rewards came with risks. This was no different, he should probably prepare himself before he went out to battle. Starter clothing armor? Check. Starting assault spear? Check. Seemed like he was ready. So with this, he would make his way out to the edge of the safe zone, nearing the open world, but not quite out of it yet. Hopefully the gamble would be worth it.

[Husky 0]

Winter has arrived, and yet the fifth floor was still blazing hot. It was never his favorite floor to be in, but there're businesses needed to attend to. Husky returned to the floor for the renown blacksmith: Teion. He need his gear to be checked out, and Teion's blacksmiths skill was undoubtedly hard to match. Woofles however, has to be left behind. The fact that he was a Snow Wolf, treading on hot sand would be a torture to him. 

While roaming around the town, Husky noticed something odd. On the fifth floor, someone who still possess starter items. It's certainly odd that someone that low level could be found on a floor like this. Maybe he should go and asked him out.
"Hi. If you don't mind me asking, are you lost?" Approaching the stranger, he asked. It would be rude for someone to be so blunt to a stranger, but it was for his own sake.

[Sey 0]

"Lost?" Sey would question as he would then be approached by a sudden stranger, perhaps his calling had been answered. Turning to address them, they seem to also have gear that was leagues above his own. At this point, there was little shame to it. But why would this man assume that he was lost? "I don't believe I am. Why do you ask though?" It was not too obvious for Sey, but this was most likely just because of the equipment he had. Traveling floors with his gear was impossible with this world, but he was a bit later of a bloomer. At least he was armed and able to fight, but for how long? And how can he fight the enemy if he does not have much else other than a dull looking spear? Still, this man was a stranger, so he won't be so quick to ask for assistance.

[Husky 0]

"Ah, My apologies. Seeing someone in starter gear up in higher floors like this one was a rather rare sight." Husky took a step back, bowed and apologized to the stranger. "There 're people who has wander up to the higher floors to explore, but most of them have someone accompanied them, however, you seemed to be alone. It's dangerous to be traveling up here all by yourself." He stoop up tall, warned the new player of the dangers ahead.

He would've returned to his own bidding, but leaving a new player all along like this would be problematic. Maybe he should asked to tag along. "If you don't mind, I could help you out if you needed anything. All you got to do is ask." Husky asked, keeping a friendly smile on his face.

[Sey 0]

The man did have a point, starter gear while so high up, the fifth floor, was something that probably would not be seen as common. "I guess you're right. I don't have much else I can use I'm afraid." He would respond to the man, scratching the back of his head in a little bit of shame. Perhaps it was a bit hard to admit after all. However, he must remain his composure. After all, this man did seem nice, his smile certainly convincing. He even offered to come along with him. Perhaps they could have an arrangement to party up, Sey could use the help for the quest. Flicking his finger over to the other player, he would open up an HUD before sending a party request. "I could use a bit of help. I'm trying to take a quest anyways on this floor. Does something along the lines of "Blood in the Sand" sound familiar to you?" With that, he would place his available hand back in his pocket, tilting his head to the side, interested in hearing how he would reply.

[Husky 0]

Accepting the party invitation, Husky was surprise that someone like him would took on a quest like this. "Now that's testing fate." The Warrior told himself, checking his inventory for his equipment and consumables. Over-preparation never hurts anyone. "Ah, <<Blood in the Sand>> That quest brings me back.... it wasn't really pleasurable to say the least, but I have taken that quest before. I'll be more than happy to help you out. Just be careful where you step your foot out there."  Husky spoke, remembered of the time when he took on the Shark while drunk from the Sake bottle he downed in one go. 

"Alright, I'll be waiting for you outside the town. Once you have got everything ready, I'll meet you by the gates." Husky spoke, before making his way toward the town's gate. The Warrior took from his inventory a medium bottle of Damage potion, before drinking it down, hoping that the potion would give him enough extra damage to make the boss fight clean and quick.

_________________________________

Consume: [Damage Potion: +2]

Edited November 12, 2016 by Husky

[Sey 0]

Sadly, he had not been equipped with too many things. In fact, one might even say that he had nothing at all. No items, no equipment, no levels, no pets, nothing of the sort. And they would not be incorrect either. However, the man did give him the option, so he would take the time to mentally prepare himself. Taking in a deep breath, he would begin to make his way towards the gates after a minute. While a little nervous, it was not the first time he had taken a chance before. Business was always about a risk, and this was no different. So with that in his mind, he would pace his way over towards the town edge where he would meet the gates that separated him from the safe zone. This was going to be a rough ride, but he was ready with all of his starter gear equipped. "All right, I think I am ready. Hopefully I can survive on what I have right now"

[Husky 0]

Once the stranger has arrived to the town's gate, Husky had finished his preparation for the travel. Having finished this particular quest already, Husky knew where to look for, as well as the tactic to finish the boss. Therefore, killing the Land shark should be easy. 

"Right, I never get to introduce myself. Sorry for being so rude. Call me Husky. A pleasure to meet you." The brown hair Warrior extended his hand for a hand shake. That was when he had realize a rather important detail. "Since you haven't finished <<The Traveler>> yet. That's going to cause a little problem. Just stay safe out there, and if there's anything happen, call me out. Also, once the boss has been found, do not approach it." He told his newly met partner, "Beside that, watch your steps, and stand behind me. I'll try and protect you with all I got." before set foot out into the scorching desert. 

Edited November 12, 2016 by Husky

[Sey 0]

"All right, I'll keep myself on guard then!" Sey would announce to his partner, acknowledging the second part before then hollowing his eyes in a bit of embarrassment. So much excitement, it probably made him look a little stupid. The least he could do was accept the handshake and introduce himself. "My name is Sey. Nice to meat you Husky." With that, he would shake hands with the man the way a true businessman should before then placing his spear up, ready for the lead to be taken by the man in front of him. Like hell was he going to make the first step without some help. If anything, he should stay close in case something unfortunate happened. Maybe he should later on take on the quest that had been mentioned. The traveler, it sounded easy enough. But this was the first task. So he would follow Husky's steps.

[Husky 0]

The path on the burning sand was horrendous. Living in England since he was a small kid, Husky had not seen anything that would match this desert heat. The sands seemed as if they were real, and even felt like it as well. It was as if they were in real life, and not just a virtual game. None the less, he can't take any time admiring the wonders Kayaba has created and trapped them all under. There're works to be done, and at the moment, all they need is to find the boss, and defeat it. 

After a while walking, they found the boss submerged under the sand. The shark fin exposed on top, along with the name tag: Land Shark on top. "That's our target." He exclaimed fixed the straps on his gauntlets, readied to move in for the attack. "Now, stick to the plan, and be very careful. I don't want any of my partner to get hurt." Husky nod, before going in. The shark emerged from the sand, revealing itself, as Husky went in for the attack.

His first punch thrown grazed over the rough scales of the Shark. It swung it head around and snapped the sharp jaws at him. The warrior didn't duck in time, as the teeth clamps down onto his shoulder pads of his armor, puncture through the metal and pierce his flesh. He quickly retreat before the shark could deal any further damage, as the teeth left behind on his shoulder began to disappeared to tiny blue pixels. 

_______________________________

ID: 70717
BD: 3 (Failed)
MOB: 10 (Critical hit)

Husky: 298/320 HP | 30 EN | 12 DMG | 30 MIT | 14 THR DMG ( -(52 -30 MIT) = -22 DMG)

vs

Land Shark: 111/125 HP | 50 DMG | ( -14 THR DMG)

Edited November 13, 2016 by Husky

[Sey 0]

The plan was set on making sure he did not die really, so he was being carried. Admittedly, this did make him feel a bit of guilt. Not because he was being carried, but because this guy was carrying Sey at his own free will. It must have felt like a lot of work for him. But the area around him was too dangerous, so focusing on that was not going to be working out too well. So he must be prepared. "If you need me to jump it as well, let me know!" With this said, he would not do anything to contribute to the battle. The wind of the sand was burning as it flew, hitting his body with a nasty barrage. However, it did not seem to do anything to him or his health bar. Perhaps he had been braced well enough to take the brim of the hit without punishment. With this, he knew that his battle was not going to be against the monster, but the environment. This was great, an enemy that he could not even hit back.

 

ID: 70718

CD: 2

[Husky 0]

While Sey was hiding on top of the hills, battling with the harsh desert winds, Husky stayed near the shark and continued on with their battle. The shark has shielded itself well. Try as he might, it's hard for Husky to get into punching range without being hit or knocked away. The shark once again shook violently when Husky got near. It's head whacked against his body, pushing the warrior back. He fell onto the scorching sand, before quickly getting back up, brushing the sand off his armor. Husky took a kneel, waiting for the shark next move while he strategized his next move

"Damn... the shark is being too violent. I need to finish this boss quickly, before Sey start taking elemental damage...." He sat still and think for a while. However, as he did so, the Land Shark has submerge down into the sand, until it was completely vanished. Husky, his expression hasn't change, calmly waited. "Right... If it doesn't let me get near him, I'll wait for it to attack me." Husky focused on the ground surround him, waiting for any movement from the sand beneath.

___________________________________

ID: 70720

BD: 5 (Missed)
MOB: 7 (Hit)

Husky: 278/320 HP | 30 EN | 12 DMG | 30 MIT | 14 THR DMG ( -(50 -30 MIT) = -20 DMG)

vs

Land Shark: 97/125 HP | 50 DMG | ( -14 THR DMG)

[Sey 0]

"You got this Husky!" Sey would exclaim from the top of the hill, raising a fist in the air as his words would echo below to the fight. While the hit was not too successful, he was still hoping for Husky to destroy the boss that was below. Again, he was a useless being on top of a hill, but hopefully he could repay the guy later on once he ended up getting some better equipment. In the meantime, he just had to wait for the winds... As they arrived again. This time, he was a lot more braced for the weather, as he would stomp his feet onto the sandy ground to brace for the impact, preventing his body from moving off the hill. Perfect, he could not even feel any pain, and his health bar was evidence of that being the case. His luck was treating him well so far, if he can just hold up for long enough, he can live to see the end of the battle. Perhaps others may have been so unlucky... But he was not those others.

ID: 70721

CD: 5

[Husky 0]

"Just wait for it..." Husky told himself in a calmly manner. The boss can't deal that much damage to him, but he can inflict a grievous wound to the shark if he knows where to strike. All he got to do was to wait until the perfect moment to strike. Then, the shark emerge from the ground. It almost leaped into the air, coming down toward Husky like a cannon ball. This time, he saw the shark attack. Leaping out of the way, he activated his sword art: <<Acupuncture>> just as the Land Shark hit the dry sand. His gauntlets were glowing in bright red, as he leaped forward for his retaliation.

The beast, still dazed by the attack, had not a clue where was Husky coming in from. His fits were true, connected to the creature's weak point. The warrior let the game carried him through, as he struck his fist onto the shark's grills. Another quickly connect with the shark's eye, and the final one, leaped into the air and strike at its snout. The three hit was just enough to finish the job, as the shark stopped struggling; it shone in a bright spectrum, before bursting to millions of pixels, fading into the hot air of the desert. 

______________________________________________

ID: 70792
BD: 9 (Critical hit!)
MOB: 2 (Missed)

Husky: 278/320 HP | 20 EN | 12 DMG | 30 MIT | 14 THR DMG |  

vs

Land Shark: -20/125 HP | 50 DMG | ( -(13 *Acupuncture: 3x3) = -117 DMG)

[Sey 0]

The winds and the sand seemed to calm down extremely as it felt more just like the wind, and in a gentle breeze as well. A nice refreshing amount of wind, though a few specks of sand were within it, none of it wanted to attack him. It did make him reflect a bit on the situation at hand. He was just being carried through this task, which panged a bit of guilt into him all of a sudden. Was there nothing that he could do? Then again, his body was very fragile to the outside world around him, if he were to make a mistake and challenge the winds... He might end up falling a victim to it. While he would love to pierce his assault spear through the body of the field boss, he was to stand still and hope for the best against the weather. So far, it did not seem to mistreat him, so that was in his favor. It might intensify again however, so he must be prepared regardless of the situation currently. So he held his own for the remainder of the fight, only for it to end so quickly...

ID: 70801

CD: 11

Edited November 15, 2016 by Sey

[Husky 0]

Brushing the sands off his gauntlets and chest piece, Husky made his way back to where Sey was. His face now relaxed; his mouth curved a small smile. "Alright, that should be that. Now let's head back to town." The warrior suggested, as the two head back to town. 

"How was the fight? I sure hope you got a good view." Husky asked, on the way back to town. "It'd be a good opportunity for you to learn about fighting tactics." He suggested. Since this might be Sey's first ever expedition outside of town, maybe it's a good time to teach him something while he's at it.

[Sey 0]

Yes, they should probably get back to the safe zone quickly before he ended up taking any damage from the winds. It was not going to be a pretty sight for them for too long if some blood was placed onto the ground as well. "That looked amazing! One second that boss had such a high health bar, then in two strikes..." His sentence would cut off as the end, showing him to be speechless at the end of it. What a team player this man was, he was most certainly useful in a battle. Sey would bow formally in appreciation, a subtle one that represented thanks for the assistance. With that, he would then look towards the direction of the town. "One day, I will try to learn those skills. I don't want to stand idle in combat anymore." The guilt from having an innocent player fight his battles... Again... Was painful for him to swallow. This guy offered, sure, but that did not mean it was any less wrong.

[Husky 0]

"Don't beat yourself up so hard about petty things like these." Seeing Sey was feeling somewhat guilty for not being able to help much, Husky approached the boy and try to cheer him up. "You know, when I was at lower level, a lot of people helped me out too. I would never in my mind, thought of the reality that I had relied on so much people to move on. The worse part is I never get to know them." Husky sat down onto the sand, taking a small rest before returning to town.

"Maybe there're still good people in this game, those that you can rely on. Maybe it's not that bad. You're not worthless just because you can't fend for yourself against enemies that you couldn't take on at your current circumstance." Husky continued explaining.  He was hoping that his words would encourage Sey to move on forward. Maybe someday later, he'll even see Sey standing on even ground. 

[Sey 0]

Then perhaps he should learn from that mistake, he wanted to keep bonds with those who helped them. If not to make friends with them, at least to pay them back for all the good they have done for him. All in due time of course, he was ambitious to get to that beautiful point in time. So with that, those words placed his casual half smile onto his face. "All right, then I will not make that mistake of losing them then. The help you gave definitely helped me, I am very grateful." The player would reply, tapping onto Husky's player icon before opening up a set of options. One of them was the friend request button, he knew what to do from there. So he'd press the button he needed to, which if successful, should send an HUD screen over, ready to ask for a friendship between the two. If not now, he will definitely have some use to the other player all in due time. Sey could not wait for when that moment arrives.

[Husky 0]

Seeing that Sey has cheered up, Husky face grew a friendly smile. Getting up from the sandy hills, the brunette warrior tapped Sey by his shoulder, encouraging him to continue, "That's the spirit." before continued back to town himself. The trip back didn't took that long, and Husky had gotten better at navigating using the map to guide their way. 

"Alright. That's the end of the trip." Husky stopped before Sey. "All you have to do now, is return to the NPC you received the quest from and get your reward. For the time being, I'm going to go and continue on with my usual business." He waved goodbye to his newly made friend, before went back into town, continuing on with what he had in planned for the day.