[SP-F1] A New Path <<Secret Medicine of the Forest>>

[Telrenya 0]

Spoiler

Telrenya's head swiveled side to side. The eyes that had been modified to a dull green from their normal chocolate brown scanned the crowds of the Town of Beginnings, looking for something. Underneath the plain brown hood resting atop her head, her normal blonde locks had been colored to a jet-black. To complete her transformed appearance, she had traded her normal white-and-gold combat attire for a new set of light armor. The various pieces of leather, cloth, and even the light metal chestpiece were all brand new to her, but she would have been lying if she said she didn't think her altered appearance felt empowering.

The woman continued down the winding streets of the city, looking for a quest. Any quest--as long as it was one she could handle on her own, it would be progress towards her goal. At the thought of her plans--the reason why she had gone out of her way to buy appearance-changing items and a new set of armor and weapon--caused a feeling of guilt to weigh down on her.

[Telrenya 0]

'He would kill me if he knew...' Telrenya had never seen Jomei's wrath directed towards her, and hoped she never would. But she was certain that he wouldn't approve of her plan to powerlevel herself in the hopes of joining her friends on the frontlines.

Telrenya came to a stop in front of a bulletin board in one of the city's many plazas. Her eyes were drawn to a specific posting, and her feet carried her back over to her board before she had managed to pass it by completely. Her eyes drifted from side to side as she read over the details for a low-level quest. This one in particular called for the slaying of different types of Nepents in the forests outside of town just past the edge of the plains. She read over the information available a second time, to make sure she had a clear understanding of the details, before nodding to herself.

[Telrenya 0]

ID#: 90102 | BD: 8 + (2 ACC) = 10 - Success!
Basic Attack: 7 DMG

MD: 8 (-1 EVA) = 7 - Dead

'Sounds straight-forward and easy enough.' She gave herself some mental reassurance before heading in the direction of the gates that would lead her outside of the settlement.

When she reached the Eastern Gate, Telrenya took a moment to open her inventory and equip a silver mask that hid the last of her features, leaving none of the woman exposed. She filled her lungs with a deep breath, steeling herself for the journey she was only just beginning.

It didn't take long at all to cross the fields and reach the edge of the thick forests that extended farther out across the first floor. Telrenya didn't hesitate to begin the trek through the woods, keeping a careful watch for the Nepent creatures that the quest had detailed.

When her eyes finally fell upon one of the target creatures, Telrenya had to hold back a grimace. She drew the rapier from its scabbard on her hip, staring down the strange looking creature before taking in a sharp breath and lunging forward with a regular attack.

Telrenya: 360/360 HP | 35/36 EN | 7 DMG | 2 ACC | 1 EVA
Quest Progress: 1/2 Nepents Killed

[Telrenya 0]

ID#: 90103 | BD: 7 + (2 ACC) = 9 - Success!
Basic Attack: 7 DMG

MD: 9 (-1 EVA) = 8 - Dead

"Well that wasn't bad..." Telrenya mumbled under her breath. The Nepents that she had charged into only took a single regular attack before its HP dropped and the monster shattered into pieces of light before her eyes. She thought about sheathing her blade until she came across another, but it was soon clear that she wouldn't get the chance. From behind a few trees in the distance, another Nepent, looking just as unpleasant as the first.

Telrenya quickly trained her rapier on the monster, examining it for a moment. Despite some minor differences in aesthetic, the creature looked to be the same in strength as the one she had cut down moments ago. Without any further hesitation, the woman lunged forward in the same manner, and just as the last time. And just as the last result, the monster let out a loud screech as its hit points were depleted and it vanished into light.

Telrenya: 360/360 HP | 35/36 EN | 7 DMG | 2 ACC | 1 EVA
Quest Progress: 2/2 Nepents Killed

[Telrenya 0]

ID#: 90104 | BD: 2 + (2 ACC) = 4 - Fail!
MD: 5 (-1 EVA) = 4 = Fail!

"Two down. Now there's a bigger one, right?" The woman asked herself as her eyes scanned the forest carefully for any signs of movement. She waited a few seconds, then took a couple of small steps forward before the Nepent Variant finally revealed itself. With a large red flower looming over its head, the monster grinned at her with the mouth that took up a large portion of what might be considered its head.

The girl couldn't hold back a look of disgust as the stronger monster came into view and began to charge at her. Out of all the monsters she'd seen in Aincrad, these were most definitely the creepiest thus far. The monster moved a bit faster than she had been expecting, and rather than meet it head-on, Telrenya dashed to one side in an attempt to dodge its charge. She attempted a counter-attack, but each of her thrusts were clumsy and just as unsuccessful as the monster's attack.

Telrenya: 360/360 HP | 33/36 EN | 7 DMG | 2 ACC | 1 EVA
Quest Progress: 2/2 Nepents Killed | 0/1 Nepent Variant Killed

[Telrenya 0]

ID#: 90146 | BD: 5 + (2 ACC) = 7 - Success!
MD: 8 (-1 EVA) = 7 - Dead

ID#: 90147 | LD: 18 - Success! Quest item <<Nepent's Ovule>> obtained!

"I was beginning to think that was too easy..." Telrenya pulled back her blade, crossing one leg over the other as she began to circle her opponent. The Nepent Variant simply bounced in place, the vine- and root-like appendeges on its body wriggling as it focused it's eyeless frame on her. Behind her mask, Telrenya's bottom lip stiffened in digust. 'These things are just...creepy.' She concluded.

Taking the initiative for her next attack, Telrenya's blade glowed a soft golden color. Activating <<Accel Stub>> for a lower-leveled art that would still give her the power she needed, the woman delivered three consecutive blows that all met their mark. Despite the Nepent Variant's thicker skin, her thin blade pierced right through it to drop the creature's HP to zero. "Phew..." She brought a hand to her hip and shifted her weight to one side. "Yeah, this really isn't so bad." She declared to herself with a small smile.

Telrenya: 360/360 HP | 31/36 EN | 7 DMG | 2 ACC | 1 EVA
Quest Progress: 2/2 Nepents Killed | 1/1 Nepent Variant Killed | 1/1 <<Nepent's Ovule>>

[Telrenya 0]

With the Nepent Variant's death, a small menu window appeared before her, alerting her of the item drop she received from the forest-dwelling monster. The woman's expression brightened into a smile, recalling the quest's objective to receive that very drop. After a quick look around her, the blonde sheathed her rapier in a pair of swift motions before lifting her hand to dismiss the dialogue box hovering in front of her avatar. "Well, that was certainly easier than I thought it'd be..."

"E-e-excuse m-me!" The sound of an unfamiliar voice snapped her to attention, her head quickly shifting to find the source of the call. A frantic-looking player in rather basic clothing ran through the trees, a sense of urgency about him that Telrenya could not at first discern the reason for. As if to immediately answer her wondering, the sight of a creature skittering along behind him came into view.

[Telrenya 0]

Telrenya's shoulders stiffened while her eyes widened at the sight before her. This stranger that had called out to her was being chased after by an impossibly large arachnid. The creature's presence alone caused the woman to freeze up, but as the man grew closer to her and continued calling out to her, she gradually regained her senses.

"I-I'm terribly s-sorry to t-trouble you, b-b-but might I get s-some assistance?!" His formality was hardly appropriate given the situation he was in, but after Telrenya's faux-green eyes fell on his panicked expression she felt her hand reach for the hilt of her rapier, ripping the weapon from its scabbard on her hip. She ran towards the man as he scrambled in her direction, filling her lungs with air before calling back out to him. "Keep going! The city is west from here, you'll be fine once you reach the edge of the forest!"

[Telrenya 0]

She tried to offer the stranger both directions and reassurance. When their forms passed each other, Telrenya dug the heels of her boots into the ground as she skidded to a halt. Attempting to block off the monster's chase seemed to work, as all eight of its beady eyes trained themselves on her. Her bottom lip quivered in fear for a split second before she stiffened it and attempted to swallow past the feeling. She had expected the monster to stop in its charge, as most monsters she had encountered were prone to squaring off with her as their opponent. The massive spider, looming several feet taller than her as it approached, was a clear exception to her previous experiences. The creature showed no such hesitation, instead bringing one of its long legs crashing down behind the woman's back. Her eyes widened, but before her mind got the chance to process the situation, her legs were swept out from under her.

[Telrenya 0]

"Whoa! H-hey!" Telrenya's back hit the ground with a loud 'thud'. She let out a grumble of discomfort, but before she could even attempt to scramble back to her feet, another loud crash sounded beside her frame. The spider's opposite front leg had smashed into the ground just past her body, dragging along the grass and dirt that the forest floor comprised of. The furry appendage collided with her side, shoving the girl along the ground as it pulled her roughly towards its thorax. The girl let out a small cry of surprise, the heels of her gloved palms pushing into the ground so as to resist the forced movement, to no avail.

The giant arachnid now held itself over Telrenya's prone body, positioning itself as the girl desperately moved to push herself away from its reach. In response, the spider simply stared down at her with its multitude of eyes, baring its fangs as it lowered itself closer to her.

[Telrenya 0]

Just as Telrenya let out a terrified scream, wrenching her eyes shut before the monster would surely eat her alive, the spider let out a small screech, lifting its body and recoiling slightly. The rock that had collided with one of the beast's eyes fell to the ground beside the raven-haired woman, and the spider standing over her pulled its attention up to find the source of the attack. Standing not so far in the distance, the same feeble-looking adventurer stood, frozen in a stance that would indicate he had been the one to lob the projectile at the furry gargantuan. Telrenya's neck craned to catch sight of the stranger. When the monster's eyes were trained on the man, it looked as if his entire face went completely white. "O-o-oh b-bugger me." He squeaked out under his breath. The meek player was frozen in place for a moment before the monster staring him down began to move again.

[Telrenya 0]

The spider, seemingly no longer interested in Telrenya, took a few steps forward in the man's direction, prompting the player to quickly turn tail and start running again. "Oh d-dear, now I-I've gone and done it." He stuttered out, and the scene began to replay much as it had before. Telrenya's arms flew up to cover her head and face, her body curling against the ground as the spider's legs crashed down around her while it carried itself off. The woman paused a moment, breathing heavily after the terrifying experience, before she got a hold of herself and pushed up to her hands and knees. She stared at the backside of the creature as it continued chasing its original target, her eyes wide behind the silver mask resting over her features. Though she was frightened, with her heart beating rapidly inside of her chest, Telrenya pushed herself up to her feet and began running after the monster.

[Telrenya 0]

Telrenya ran just as fast as her legs could carry her. The soles of her boots pounded against the forest floor as she veered to the left in hopes of reaching the fleeing player before his monstrous pursuer. 'Alright... Okay.' She tried to collect herself as well as she could to keep herself from panicking. 'Giant spider trying to eat people. No big deal.' Luckily she seemed to hold a faster pace than either of the other figures, and combined with her impromptu shortcut, she managed to catch sight of the man once again. With heavy breaths flowing through her lungs, the woman sprinted to cross paths with the stranger. Reaching out a hand as she came close to him, Telrenya grabbed at the sleeve of his tunic and pulled. The motion elicited a small cry of surprise from the man, and she hurriedly pulled him into a denser area where the trees were more plentiful and hopefully the spider would have more difficulty navigating.

[Telrenya 0]

She had no idea where she was going or where she was leading the man, but Telrenya could only think about putting as much distance between them and the monster chasing after them as possible. The arachnid did its best to weave through the obstacles of the forest, its legs like tendrils clawing at the bark of heavy trees while its body crashed against low-hanging branches. The ran for a few seconds longer until the heel of Telrenya's boot sank into the ground. The floor itself seemed to buckle beneath the players' weight, and both of them let out a yelp as the dirt immediately crumbled into a steep slope that had them sliding through an underground path. The bright sunlight outside vanished, and after a couple of seconds the players passed over a sharp cliff, dropping them several feet until their bodies crashed into the floor below with a light splash.

[Telrenya 0]

Telrenya lay on her side in a shallow pool of water, letting out a small groan between ragged breaths. Her body tingled all over as Cardinal punished her for the physical stress she'd placed on her avatar. While she pushed herself up to her elbow, the woman couldn't take it anymore, She ripped the silver mask from her face, her breathing echoing against the musty walls without the barrier shielding her face. A faint turquoise glow kissed her cheeks and reflected against the light metal plate covering her chest. Her eyes shifted, turning her head to look for the source of the dim light, but before she had found it she was suddenly reminded of the presence of the other player in the room. The man sat himself up, his breathing just as ragged as hers while his body lightly trembled from the series of events. "T-t-t-trapped!" He stuttered in a panicked mumble.

[Telrenya 0]

"Trapped l-like rats!" His hysteria seemed to be growing worse by the second. Telrenya flinched at the feeling of water droplets hitting her cheeks as the figure nearby scrambled to his feet. The woman propped herself up, placing her back against the cave wall beside her while she drew one knee close to her chest, still trying to catch her breath. She was seemingly invisible to the stranger, who began pacing back and forth, only able to make two or three strides before the width of the small cavern forced him to turn back around. "Hey..." She called gently in a breathy voice. Unsurprisingly, her voice was met with only continued mutterings as the man held a hand over his chin. A few more moments passed, and Telrenya's breathing had finally started to regulate. With a small grunt of effort, the woman pulled herself to her feet, hooking her mask onto a leather strap across her thigh.

[Telrenya 0]

Intercepting the man's pacing, Telrenya grabbed on to either of his arms, jostling the player slightly as she turned his frame to face her. "Calm down, please! It's okay, we're safe in here." She both pleaded and tried to assure the man that the spider had no way to reach them in the cavern. The man gave a start, and now that he was standing face-to-face with Telrenya, she finally got a look at his features through the dim light. His dark hair was short but messy, his bangs falling just above the amber eyes that looked frightened and worried. His brow was creased so heavily that she wouldn't be surprised if the lines on his forehead wouldn't have completely disappeared when his expression relaxed. He stood only an inch or two taller than her, and if she had to guess, he seemed around her age, perhaps a year or two older.

[Telrenya 0]

"O-oh..." He breathed out, and it seemed the man had come to his senses as his wide eyes stared back into Telrenya's. He took a shaky breath in before his shoulders fell and his lids fell over his eyes. The player gave a small clearing of his throat before offering a weak smile. "S-sorry...about that." His stammering hadn't cleared completely, but he seemed to have done as good a job at calming himself as he could. The girl released her grip on him and put a more comfortable distance between them, which the man then filled with an outstretched hand. "My name is Mercury. Pleased to meet you, Miss." Telrenya breathed a small sigh of relief at his gradual recovery and returned his handshake with a soft smile of her own. "Oh, u-uhm," She responded nervously upon hearing the man give his name. "Call me Erin." She settled on the name after a few moments' hesitation.

[Telrenya 0]

"Miss Erin, thank you for saving me back there. T-twice, no less." He seemed a bit embarrassed at the last fact, bringing his hand up to rub at the nape of his neck. "Though, it seems we've found ourselves in a new predicament here..." His gaze traveled around the damp cavern they had stumbled into.

"No no, you saved me just the same." Telrenya shot back with a shy laugh. The thought of that spider's fangs looming over her nearly sent a shiver down her spine. Now with a moment to take in their surroundings, the woman shifted a bit, her eyes drawn towards the source of the colored glow. The light seemed to be pouring through a small hole towards the top of the side of the room. Curious, Telrenya walked slowly over to it, her hand gingerly reached out towards the opening. The surface had a bit of give to it, and as her fingers wrapped around the opening, the thinnest part of the dirt wall crumbled in her hand to widen the opening.

[Telrenya 0]

"Where do you suppose..." Telrenya's thought trailed off as her soft voice rolled along the cavern walls. Despite the imminent threat of danger no longer looming over them--or chasing after them, for that matter--her new acquaintance still seemed a bit on-edge. Mercury, as the man called himself, fidgeted lightly as he watched Telrenya's movements with a nervous curiosity. He had already turned and craned his neck towards the ledge they had fallen from, determining that trying to go back the way they came wasn't likely to be possible. And so, he kept his attention turned to the hooded woman as she fiddled and fumbled with a gap in the cave wall. Telrenya pulled gently at the crumbling dirt, widening it as much as she could until the packed surface began too thick for her to simply pull away. She took half a step back, a frown working its way onto her features before she turned to the sheepish man behind her. "What do you say? Will you stick with me, for now?"

Thread Complete!

• Telrenya: +2 SP, +400 col, +Anneal Blade [Uncommon/+1 DMG Rapier]