[F03-PP] Dragon Hunter Anthology - Dragon Hunt 3: the Opal Hatching [Completed]

[Beat 0]

Spoiler

<<Dragon Hunter Anthology - Dragon Hunt 3: the Opal Hatching>>

This quest takes place on Floor 3.

This quest CANNOT be repeated.

You must defeat “Zylara the Quartz Hatchling” before attempting this quest.

=----=

 

After the destruction of the previous dragon hatchling, yet again you have received a message about the next dragon hatchlings location, this time around… it seems to know a language that you cannot decipher, in which they assume is elvish. While locating this boss it was said Dragon Cultists had came to its aid shortly after them spotting the boss.

 

=---=

=-=

 

 

Ghidorah - the Opal Hatchling

HP: 215 - MIT: 40 - ACC: 1 - EVA: 1 - DMG: 70 - Thorns: 14

 

Abilities:

<<Elven Tongue>> : When you approach this dragon the dragon will call out for help in elvish spawning two Elven Dragon Cultists to appear to the dragons aid to defend it.

 

Elven Dragon Cultist

HP: 50 - MIT: 25 - DMG: 35 - Thorns: 14

 

=---=

Recommended Level: 20

Post Limit: 1 Page (20+)

=---=

 

Rewards:

1 SP - 650 Col

<Ghidorah’s Opal> [Vanity Quest Item] : 1 of 9, collect all 9 and meet whom that waits before you, only then will you get the grand prize.

Beat sat in front of the fire reading through the details of the various dragon hunter quests, finding the sheer number quite daunting. He imagined the end reward would be worth it, but it was still quite the undertaking. 

"Jeez, we still have to kill eight more dragons? At least they're not too tough, at least not yet..." He said as he rose to his feet and walked into Shield's merchant shop. With their shops attached to their home, it was commonplace for the two of them to walk in and out of each other's shops. Shield would occasionally grab a bite to eat from Beat's cafe and Beat would peruse Shield's shelves when he heard a customer come and go. 

"Yo, you ready to go? The faster we get these dragons down, the sooner we can see if it's worth it in the end!" He yelled to the back of the shop as he looked at the items occupying the shelves of the merchant shop.

Edited April 9, 2017 by Beat

[Shield 0]

"Who are you talking to?" asked a voice directly behind Beat. "If you were looking for me, I was out walking Norbert."

He lifted the turtle to Beat's eye level, which cause the grouchy reptile to retract its head and open its mouth with a slight hiss. Shield turned the turtle around and looked it in one of its side-facing eyes.

"None of that," he said, just flinching back in time to have the turtle miss his nose. "I'm ready when you are. Let's roll."

Spoiler

ID# 80087 results: Loot: 9  + 3 item + 1 skill + 1 skill item = 14 - No Material (0 total)

Swapping gear:
- Finder's Keeper (- 1 skill rank: search & detect), -Seeking Aura (- 3 LD), + Pain Drinker (+ 54 Regen), + 1 Bloody Hell (+ 2 dmg, + 24 bleed)

Traveling their safe routes to the teleportation plaza of the eleventh floor, Shield felt confident enough to focus on gathering materials. Unfortunately, he didn't find any of them, so with a feeling of defeat, he switched in his combat gear instead. He stepped into the teleporter first, clearing his throat before speaking his destination.

"Third floor."

With that, the eleventh floor faded from view, giving way to the less familiar scenery of the third.

Edited March 21, 2017 by Shield

[Beat 0]

Spoiler

ID# 80264: LD: 11 = no mats 

“Christ!”

Beat jumped at the voice behind him and quickly composed himself before standing up, bravely reaching inside the shell and booping Norbert on the nose before Shield turned him around.

“So grumpy!” He said with a higher inflection as scrunched his nose at the grouch of a turtle. 

Horus soared above his hunting grounds as they took the safe routes to the floor, perching on Beat’s shoulder before they teleported to the third floor. He smiled as they left the settlement and arrived at the familiar plains of the third floor.

“You’re back home Horus. Know any of those guys?” He said, looking at his familiar who happily looked around them before flying up into the sky and circling with the other Falcons hunting above the plains.

“That takes me back. It not like it has been that long, but we are both incomparably stronger than we were when we first came here for that guy." Said as he watched his familiar enjoy himself, a feeling of pride welling up inside him. 

Edited March 23, 2017 by Beat

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

ID# 80289 results:

 Action: Howl

 MOB: 1 - Miss

[H:3] Shield HP: 760/760 - 76 Energy - 3 Dmg - 24 Bleed (BD 8+) - 111 Mitigation - 54 Regen - 28 Thorns - 20 Battle Healing
[H:0] @Beat

Ghidorah HP: 215/215 - MIT: 40 - ACC: 1 - EVA: 1 - DMG: 70 - Thorns: 14
Cultist 1 - HP: 50/50 - MIT: 25 - DMG: 35 - Thorns: 14
Cultist 1 - HP: 50/50 - MIT: 25 - DMG: 35 - Thorns: 14

<<Elven Tongue>> : When you approach this dragon the dragon will call out for help in elvish spawning two Elven Dragon Cultists to appear to the dragons aid to defend it.

Shield watched as well, noticing that a handful of the dire pigeons that they had once dealt with on these very plains were sent into a tizzy at the arrival of the more potent predator.

"It's funny to think, but although we once actually had to work to beat those feather brains, Horus can probably handle them alone," Shield said, watching the raptors circle in the thermals that rose above the plains and kept them effortlessly aloft.

Plains gave way to sparsely dotted woodlands interrupted by occasional rivers. All the while, the dot of their objective drew ever closer on the map. After an hour of walking, the dot seemed to practically be on top of them.

"Keep your guard up," he said, glancing around them for signs of a dragon. "The cultists that it summons are supposed to be much weaker than the dragon itself, but better safe than sorry."

On a large, flat stone near a river bank, a large, winged lizard lay sunning itself. Its black scales shone with a prismatic sheen, like mother of pearl or a soap bubble. The creature's wings were folded neatly along its back with its fore claws folded under its chin. As soon as it heard the approaching players, its head rose lazily from its half-slumber and it yawned, stretching by arching its back and extending its front legs in front of its body.

With a hop, it took off into the air, swirling its rainbow-glazed scales as it began to mutter.

"Ash nazg durbatulûk, ash nazg gimbatul, ash nazg thrakatulûk agh burzum-ishi krimpatul."

Shield smacked his palm against his forehead.

"Oh lord..." he grumbled under his breath. "Of course they would"

Two elves materialized in puffs of black smoke and began to advance on Shield and Beat. With a deep breath Shield compressed his ribs in on his lungs.

"NEEEEEEEEERD!" he bellowed, forcing all three of the opponents in front of him to be blown back a foot.

Ruffled by his outburst, the dragon and its disciples charged, converging on the spot where Shield stood, but failing to land any blows.

Edited March 24, 2017 by Shield

[Beat 0]

Spoiler

ID# 80323: BD: 1 

miss

Beat [62/620] [60/62] -2 EP

Beat quirked his brow at the odd language spoken by the dragon, though his curiosity was quickly replaced by the excitement of a more difficult battle as the two warriors charged in front of their quest target, providing their charge with a distraction and cover all at the same time. 

“What good is all that help if it is nothing compared to you?” Beat said, disappointed in the damage output of the enemies. “Let’s see if you can take a hit at least!”

With a quick pair of spins, Beat created and launched a whirlwind at the  crowd of enemies. As the twister approached, the dragon quickly rose up and produced a mighty wind with a series of flaps from its wings, stopping Beat's attack in its tracks, much to the player's amazement. 

"That...that was smart...wow..." Beat said, mouth gaped and hand scratching the back of his head. 

Edited March 29, 2017 by Beat

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

ID# 80902 results:

 Battle: 3

 MOB: 2

[H:3] Shield HP: 760/760 - 76 Energy - 3 Dmg - 24 Bleed (BD 8+) - 111 Mitigation - 54 Regen - 28 Thorns - 20 Battle Healing
[H:0] @Beat

Ghidorah HP: 215/215 - MIT: 40 - ACC: 1 - EVA: 1 - DMG: 70 - Thorns: 14
Cultist 1 - HP: 50/50 - MIT: 25 - DMG: 35 - Thorns: 14
Cultist 1 - HP: 50/50 - MIT: 25 - DMG: 35 - Thorns: 14

<<Elven Tongue>> : When you approach this dragon the dragon will call out for help in elvish spawning two Elven Dragon Cultists to appear to the dragons aid to defend it.

The defensive buffet to cancel Beat's move was a little surprising. That level of preparation was unexpected in a fairly low level encounter like this. If they were going to be able to make headway quickly, he was going to have to keep the pressure on to give Beat openings. He pushed past the buffeting wind of the dragon's wings, as well as the cultists, whose spears lanced through the air behind him. His axe hung behind him as he ran, drawn back to strike. Upon drawing level with his target, he swung, bringing his axe to bear against the iridescent hatchling.

With a flick of its tail, the dragon turned over in midair and let the attack slide past it harmlessly. Its claws raked through the air in front of Shield's face, and he instinctively leaped back, surprised at the agility and adaptability that the creature displayed.

"The devs were no slouch when they designed this fight," he said, glancing around at the enemies that now surrounded him.

Edited March 31, 2017 by Shield

[Beat 0]

Spoiler

ID# 80903: BD: 10 (7+3)

Tornado Kick + Charge = 17 * 6 = 102

[H:3] Shield HP: 760/760 - 76 Energy - 3 Dmg - 24 Bleed (BD 8+) - 111 Mitigation - 54 Regen - 28 Thorns - 20 Battle Healing
[H:0] Beat   HP: 620/620 - EP: 49/62 - Dmg: 14

Ghidorah HP: 153/215 - MIT: 40 - ACC: 1 - EVA: 1 - DMG: 70 - Thorns: 14
Cultist 1 - HP: 0/50 - MIT: 25 - DMG: 35 - Thorns: 14 [Dead]
Cultist 1 - HP: 0/50 - MIT: 25 - DMG: 35 - Thorns: 14 [Dead]

<<Elven Tongue>> : When you approach this dragon the dragon will call out for help in elvish spawning two Elven Dragon Cultists to appear to the dragons aid to defend it.

 

Beat's brow quirked as he studied the monsters' movements, deciding on an alternate plan of attack. The most obvious solution was to attack directly, but with the way they were moving, his leg would never reach all of them at once. He quickly went for the remaining solution and charged forward. 

"Alright green and ugly, let's see how you deal with this!" He said as he leaped high above the group of enemies positioned in front of Shield and began spinning with his leg out like a propeller. As he had done so often before, he created a twister, though this time from above to avoid needing to launch it towards his targets. He strategy succeeded, the twister ripping the Dragon's escort to pieces and leaving cuts and slices across the Dragon's body. 

"Well, at least you can take a hit." Beat said with a chuckle as he landed softly on the ground. 

Edited March 31, 2017 by Beat

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

ID# 80910 results:

 Battle: 7 - Hit! 3 dmg, Thorns - 14

 MOB: 7 - Hit! 70 dmg -111 mit = 1 dmg, Thorns - 28

[H:4] Shield HP: 746/760 - 76 Energy - 3 Dmg - 24 Bleed (BD 8+) - 111 Mitigation - 54 Regen - 28 Thorns - 20 Battle Healing
[H:1] Beat   HP: 606/620 - EP: 49/62 - Dmg: 14

Ghidorah HP: 125/215 - MIT: 40 - ACC: 1 - EVA: 1 - DMG: 70 - Thorns: 14

<<Elven Tongue>> : When you approach this dragon the dragon will call out for help in elvish spawning two Elven Dragon Cultists to appear to the dragons aid to defend it.

So far, the focused pressure on the hatchling seemed to be paying off. Shield tucked and rolled, coming out of the maneuver to the dragon's side and hopping into flanking position behind it.

"Keep it up!" he called out. "It doesn't seem to do as well when it doesn't have time to think!"

Shield stepped in and flourished his axe, bringing it down in a chopping motion that sliced through a portion of its wing. It tumbled over in midair, untucking with its head pointed towards its attacker. With a whip of its long, barbed tail, it left a gash down Shield's chest that healed almost immediately. Meanwhile, both combatants were left with a number of scrapes from sharpened protrusions on moth of their sets of armor.

"I can respect your methods," he said with a wry smile. "You're just a little too weak to make it pay off for you."

Edited March 31, 2017 by Shield

[Beat 0]

Spoiler

ID# 80911: BD: 11 (8+3) 

All Might = 14 * 15 = 210

[H:3] Shield HP: 760/760 - 76 Energy - 3 Dmg - 24 Bleed (BD 8+) - 111 Mitigation - 54 Regen - 28 Thorns - 20 Battle Healing
[H:0] Beat   HP: 620/620 - EP: 33/62 - Dmg: 14

Ghidorah HP: 0/215 - MIT: 40 - ACC: 1 - EVA: 1 - DMG: 70 - Thorns: 14 [Dead]
Cultist 1 - HP: 0/50 - MIT: 25 - DMG: 35 - Thorns: 14 [Dead]
Cultist 1 - HP: 0/50 - MIT: 25 - DMG: 35 - Thorns: 14 [Dead]

<<Elven Tongue>> : When you approach this dragon the dragon will call out for help in elvish spawning two Elven Dragon Cultists to appear to the dragons aid to defend it.

Beat smirked at Shields assessment and charged towards the now lone Dragon, who, unless it pulled off another miraculous defense as it had before, was about to become a shower of red particles. 

"Yeah, that defense from before was genius! Let's see more!" Beat said, hoping to get a decent fight out of an enemy that had no chance whatsoever, statistically speaking. Getting in close, Beat's feet kicked up dirt as he skidded to a halt, transferring his momentum through his legs, hip and body, and eventually all into his arm as he sent his strongest Sword Art directly into the dragon's snout, destroying the creature outright. A small gust of force and a shower of red particles were all that remained of the guardian of the gem they sought. 

"mmm...too bad." Beat said, a little disappointed, but not terribly surprised. He walked over to the dragon's nest and retrieved the large opal gem, stashing in their inventory before looking around the area. 

"Well then, up for some hunting on the way home? Loot is better up there and the action is more intense."

Edited April 2, 2017 by Beat

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

Swapping gear:
- Pain Drinker (-54 Regen), -1 Bloody Hell (-2 dmg, -24 bleed), + Finder's Keeper (+1 skill rank: search & detect), +Seeking Aura (+3 LD)

ID# 81238 results: Loot: 14 + 3 item + 1 skill + 1 skill item = 19 - +1 Material (1 total)

Shield shrugged. A little bit of extra grind was never a bad idea. If nothing else, getting a hold of equipment to appraise was always worthwhile. Tier two gear especially was in demand when it came to appraisable equipment. he navigated through his menus to replace his combat gear with his looting gear and turned back towards the town where they had come from.

As they walked, Shield noticed the faint glow of his earring that had been cast onto his shoulder in the dim forest lighting. He glanced around, spotting a patch of red mushrooms. Their heads were dotted with white spots, much like mushrooms from a certain video game that no generation of gamer could have an excuse not to know. He tapped the heads until one came up with an item menu, from which he selected the option to store the item away in his inventory with his other similar materials.

Edited April 4, 2017 by Shield

[Beat 0]

Spoiler

ID# 81310: LD: 22 (18+4) = 1 T2 Mat found (1 total) 

Rest 1/3

Upon reaching the teleportation pad, Beat turned to look at the rest of the town before leaving, "Eleventh Floor!" 

The evening sky of the fourth floor faded away, and in a flash of light, turned into the dreary, overcast skies of the eleventh floor. Beat's cheery demeanor faded somewhat as he suddenly wished that they had picked a more pleasant floor to live on.

"You know, when they unlock the twenty-first floor, I think we need to move there, or at least somewhere with a little more sun than this place." He said, hoping to coax more conversation out of the surly tank. 

Beat guided them along an alternate route to their home, knowing that straying from the relatively safe path that they normally took would end up with them running into trouble eventually. As they walked through the thick forests of the eleventh floor, his ring became suddenly warm, making him aware of the unique mushroom growing on a low hanging branch. Beat happily snatched it up and stored it in his inventory. 

Edited April 5, 2017 by Beat

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

ID# 81317 results: Loot: 8 + 3 item + 1 skill + 1 skill item = 13 - No Material (1/0 total)

"The problem with that plan is that real estate isn't free," he said, frowning a little at the thought of having to save up again. "I've got less than half of what we'd need for another house like the one we have, and I think there's a very real possibility some of what I have will need to go towards buying materials."

He kept his eye on his shoulder for the dim light of his detection earring, but for the moment it was not turning up anything new. He shrugged, directing his attention to the terrain around them in case some of the thousands of ants that populated the floor were to try to ambush them.

"I'm not opposed to the idea of living elsewhere," he clarified. "I just feel like there are other things we may need to spend our Col on. For example, if we someday outgrow the Ascendants, won't we need to build our own guild hall?"

Edited April 5, 2017 by Shield

[Beat 0]

Spoiler

ID# 81319: LD: 8 (4+4) = no mats (1 Total) 

Rest: 2/3

Beat's brow furrowed as he folded his arms, trying to think of the information they had read about housing. He was never one to read through something like that thoroughly, but he couldn't believe that they couldn't simply move their home. 

"You mean to tell me we can't move it at all? I mean, I get why I can't just up and move my home in the real world, but this is a video game right?" Beat exclaimed, throwing his arms out and scaring the life out of a rodent that had been apparently resting in a nearby bush. 

Horus screeched from up above, letting him know that so far, the coast was clear, but Beat knew that from up there, Horus couldn't see everything through the treeline. 

"Looks like we didn't stray far enough away from out usual route. I don't blame the monsters from avoiding that way, but I figured we would run into some trouble eventually out here." He said, looking to his traveling companion, his brow scrunching again as he remembered to address something Shield had said, "Outgrow the Celestial ascendants? Have we not already?"

 

Edited April 5, 2017 by Beat

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

ID# 81320 results: Loot: 20 + 3 item + 1 skill + 1 skill item = 25 - +1 Material (1/1 total)

From his response, Beat sounded as if he and Shield were on similar pages. He paused, looking at Beat and holding his gaze.

"So you've been feeling that too, then?" he said, a hard look in and around his eyes. It was more focus than it was anger. This was a tricky matter. "They claim to be focused on boosting their members, and yet is seems like we've been doing just as well on our own without their help... So that leaves us with a choice."

He bent down, examining a stone with the typical rusted stains of iron ore. With a tap and a few swipes, he stored it away before straightening back up.

"We could stay and bring up the Ascendants to live up to their claims... which would be a worthy goal, though not an easy one, since there's already a set power structure we would be fighting against. Or..." He disliked what he was about to say, feeling a certain amount of disloyalty in it, especially after pushing to become a Sentinel. "Or we could break off. Form our own guild. Do for others what the ascendants haven't done for us."

Edited April 5, 2017 by Shield

[Beat 0]

Spoiler

ID# 81323: LD: 20 (16+4) = 1 T2 mats found (2 Total)

REst 3/3 EP FULL!

Beat's focus turned to the conversation as Shield's statements resonated with his thoughts. They were indeed on the same page on at least that much. Beat's attention was so focused, that he nearly missed the ding of his energy bar filling and even still, paid the noise little mind as he spoke. 

"I've thought about that. You and I both know how to run a guild and our different strengths would work well together to manage a guild." Beat said, his index finger scratching the underside of his chin. In Crossreign, their guilds remarkably reflected the differences between their leaders and it made him wonder what would have happened if their guilds had joined forces. 

"The fact of the matter is just as you have said, they recruited us and made many promises that, so far, they have yet to keep." Beat started again, slowing his pace gradually to a halt as he felt that the conversation deserved his undivided attention, "I think you and I both had expectations from the guild that I think you and I could make happen for others in a guild of our own. Helping raise a new wave of frontliners isn't an impossibility, but it takes the kind of motivation we used to get ourselves here."

Edited April 5, 2017 by Beat

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

 ID# 81330 results: Loot: 8 + 3 item + 1 skill + 1 skill item = 25 - +1 Material (1/1 total)

Shield was silent for a long time. He didn't expect them to solve the issue in the span of this specific conversation, but it needed to be discussed. He folded his arms over his chest.

"It's messy," he said, a focused scowl settling into his features as he tried to reason through the situation. "They mean well, and I know their intent is to push others onward to bigger and better things, but there are other guilds who are trying the same thing, despite the fact that it's what the Ascendants have been trying to do all along."

He paced back and forth, turning his eyes to the ground. The two of them had only just begun to establish a rapport with their paladins and some of the other higher ups. The idea of leaving, though not an inapt one, seemed like a betrayal.

"That tells us that we're not the only ones seeing what we're seeing," he sighed, running his hand back through his hair in exasperation. "It's essentially what the Emerald Harbingers are trying to do."

Edited April 5, 2017 by Shield

[Beat 0]

"Emerald Harbingers?" Beat said, staring off in thought as his brow continued to scrunch in concentration. His only experience with Atzo's guild had left him with mixed feeling on the matter. Atzo himself seemed grounded and organized enough to run the guild, but the members of his guild were interesting to say the least.

“I suppose their goals are somewhat in line with what we’re after and it doesn’t make sense to make an entirely separate guild if both groups are after the same thing.” Beat said as he continued to look upwards, catching a glimpse Horus through the treetops occasionally.

“I take it you have ideas about that already?” He asked, assuming the normally thoughtful man was already thinking several steps ahead. Beat excelled in the moment, when decisive action was needed, but Shield’s strength was accumulating information and making a plan ahead of time, which was certainly important for what they were proposing.

Edited April 5, 2017 by Beat

[Shield 0]

"Perhaps," he said slowly, still trying to work out his exact feelings on the matter. "I definitely have ideas about Atzo. He's one of the more focused players I've encountered, and his rise was comparable even to ours. Solomon seems like a decent sort as well, though I don't know how motivated he is. We shall have to see. The others, I have very little knowledge of, but if Atzo trusts them, that at least says something."

Spoiler

ID# 81370 results: Loot: 6 + 5 = 11 - No materials (1/1 total)

He took a few steps to the side of the road and found a stone upon which to take a seat. Resting his elbows on his knees and his loose fist in his opposite palm, he set his chin on the backs of his knuckles. It was difficult to compare the different options. On the one hand, he bore the ascendants no ill will, but there were higher stakes at play than just bonds of friendship. Everything in SAO carried weight.

Edited April 5, 2017 by Shield

[Beat 0]

Spoiler

ID# 81583: LD: 22 (18+4) = 1 T2 Mat found (3 Total)

"I see...so we're scouting their members for our own? I think the best we could hope for would be a merger, but that can get complicated..." Beat pondered out loud to his colleague, "We would have to offer an arrangement better than the one he has now."

Beat was finding the idea of leaving the Celestial Ascendants in favor of what promised to be a better opportunity to be less difficult than he thought it would be. The fact that they had done most of the heavy lifting themselves to get them to where they were today in addition to the fact that they hadn't really been involved in any guild related activities made the attachments to those friendships frail at best. Beat's attention was momentarily diverted as Horus swooped in and landed on his shoulder, dropping a small chunk of ore into his hand, which he quickly stashed. 

"As for leaving the Ascendants, as much as it feels like we used them, we really didn't, which is a little bit of the problem. I can't say I've developed any special bonds with any of them. You and I can accomplish far more if we free ourselves from someone else's command structure." 

Edited April 7, 2017 by Beat

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

ID# 81623 results: Loot: 4 + 5 = 9 - No dungeon

As guilty as he felt admitting it to himself, Beat wasn't saying anything he didn't already agree with, with the possible exception that they hadn't formed strong connections. Even if they were to leave, he felt like he would be leaving with strong allies if things ever went south.

"I think we've said what needed to be said on the matter," Shield said, staring down the path that they had been walking. "I think that we need to go with the tried and true method of 'sleeping on it' before we make any major decisions."

At this point, they were beginning to cross paths with the more familiar routes through the rocky terrain nearer the base of the mountains. What's more, the sun was beginning to move closer to their peaks.

"We're close enough to home," he observed, covering his eyes to stare on ahead of them. "Why don't we go ahead and call it a day?"

Edited April 8, 2017 by Shield