[SP - F02] There's a reason we use weapons <<Breaking The Unbreakable>>

[Neopolitan 0]

Neo had come to floor 2 hearing about some NPC giving out a skill if a player could complete a straight-forward task. No one had told her what it was though. Figuring it would probably be pretty quick, Neo started to look around. She heard a couple NPCs drop the hint that the skill giver was located in the mountains. Neo followed the hints and soon arrived to a man hiding up in the mountains. Seeing him meditate, Neo was hit with a pang of guilt for what had happened earlier that day. That's why she was here. She wanted the skill to become stronger, and would stop at nothing to get it. She was going to complete this regardless of what did happen, she had to for her. Neo would no longer stand by and let others die while they were fighting on the front lines for her. She wanted to get there herself.

[Neopolitan 0]

Quote

Consuming <<Matriarch's Stinger>>: +1 Damage for one thread

Neo tapped the old man on the shoulder. She didn't want to bother him but had no way of her presence being made known. The man didn't turn around, but Neo knew her message was clear. She took a seat behind him and began to meditate herself, letting the calmness flow through her. She tried to deal with the painful memories, but couldn't push them out.

"Having trouble there? It seems you have lost someone recently. Perhaps a way to let go of the anger will help you."

The man guided Neo to a rock. "Here, break this. Prove to me that you truly have anger flowing through you. Only then will we be able to accept it within ourselves."

Accepting anger isn't what I need to do, I need to expel it.

Neo struck the boulder hard, and heard it give a crack. Her fist hurt, but she powered through it. She would show the man that the anger would be expelled and his advice wasn't needed.

Spoiler

Roll ID: #102734

BD: 10 - Major critical hit

Boulder: 46/50 (-4): 2 base + 2 crit

 

[Neopolitan 0]

Neo went for another punch at the boulder. She could've tried to use her weapon, but decided punching was a much better way of expressing her anger.

"Good, let the anger flow through you. Let it permeate throughout your body. The anger needs to be present before you can address it."

I am addressing it, and showing it to you. You're not going to let me fool myself. I will destroy whatever thoughts you have of being able to accept anger. I will wipe away any doubt you have.

"The anger is there, but can you feel its root. Everyone is different, and some have multiple. Look for the root of the anger, search for it. DOn't forget to strike the rock with all of that anger. Without the feeling of expulsion, you won't be able to find your serenity."

Oh, I'll find my serenity. As soon as I'm done punching through this rock I'm coming for you.

Spoiler

Roll ID: #102735

BD: 6 + 3 = 9 - Hit

Boulder: 44/50 (-2)

 

[Neopolitan 0]

Neo went to strike the boulder, and felt her hand crumple against it. It hurt, but Neo focused on the pain, letting it drive her anger. She couldn't let go, this anger was what drove her. The anger was her source of power, she wouldn't give it up so easily. She knew where it came from, it came from this game. From the pain it had caused her. Sure she would get out without any physical scars, but the emotional ones she had would never heal. This game forced her to witness someone die in front of her.

"You seem to have faltered, that means you must have found your root. Now, focus on that root. Pull from deep within the ground. Let that root surface, don't let it dig deeper into yourself. Bring it up into the light and out of the shadows of despair. Let the root become the homing beacon for your anger."

Spoiler

Roll ID: 102736

BD: 2 + 3 = 5 - Miss

Boulder: 44/50

 

[Neopolitan 0]

Neo went to strike the boulder once more, feeling her hand crumple upon it. She knew it wasn't an immortal object, but that didn't make it soft by any means. The cracks she had made were the only signs of progress. There was no other indicator that she could break it. She felt the anger simmering and dying down inside her. She wanted to expel it, but there wasn't any there for her to expel.

"You have lost yourself digging for the root. You need to make sure you do not get lost burrowing through the dirt of your darkness. Bring yourself back up first. Find the tree of anger and gently reach for the root. Seek only when you are stable and the anger is fresh."

Calming herself, Neo tried to drum up the anger of her past, Amethyst's death, her own misery, and a plethora of other problems she has had in her past.

Spoiler

Rol ID: 102737

BD: 2 + 3 = 5 - miss

Boulder: 44/50

 

[Neopolitan 0]

Neo let loose another punch at the rock, hearing it crack a little more. She had the faint picture of Amethyst in the forefront of her mind. She was already fading from memory, she had known her for such a small amount of time. Everything had been over much too quickly. Neo couldn't forgive herself for not doing better to protect her. Those nepents should've been after her not the weak link.

"You have found your anger again. Now, I want you to reach gently for the root. Find that root and  bring up to you. Don't go to the root, bring the root to you. YOu do not want the anger to be your master. You must make the anger listen to you."

Anger, if you're listening, than get out of my head. You don't belong here, I want you gone. You drive me forward, but now you drive me back. I want you to stay behind while I go and defeat Kayaba.

Spoiler

Roll ID: #102740

BD: 6 + 3 = 9 -hit

Boulder: 42/50

 

[Neopolitan 0]

Neo struck the boulder again, picturing the face of the nepents on it. As she drew her hand back, she saw the face of the nepents evolve into the mysterious hooded face of Kayaba. She couldn't unsee it. She saw the boulder crack some more as the man continued to talk.

"You have the root in front of you now. You can see the cause of the anger upon the rock. That is now your projection. You may want to expel it, but that will only bring more doubt to your mind. You must embrace it. The anger is a part of who you are, a part of who you have and will become. With it, you will become more powerful than ever. Get rid of it, and you will be missing a part of your soul. Draw upon the anger, but do not let it control you. That is the key to your anger"

Spoiler

ROll ID: #102742

BD: 5 + 3 - Hit

Boulder: 40/50

 

[Neopolitan 0]

Neo went to strike the boulder once more, and felt her hand crumple against it again. THe image of Kayaba began to fade. She was losing sight of her root. Digging for her anger once more, Neo brought up the ever fading image of Amethyst. She was already long gone, but Neo wanted her back badly. Neo couldn't help but wonder what she should've done to save her. She crumpled to the ground, silent tears streaming out of her.

"Sadness is a part of your anger, I can see that clearly now. You need to fuel that sadness into you. Though you see it as a negative, work it to be a strength. Use the perception of its failure to guide your thoughts. If people see you as weak you can prove them to be wrong. If people think that you are strong, show them that youa re weak. Do not let people see a part, show the whole."

Spoiler

Roll ID: #102754

BD: 2 +3 - miss

Boulder: 40/50

 

[Neopolitan 0]

Neo struck the rock harder than ever, seeing the face of Kayaba snapping back into view. She saw as the boulder cracked some more. There was little progress, but Neo knew that she was going to make it. She would make it through the game.

"The sadness has become fuel, and you have fed fuel to the fire. Use the fire, now more strengthened than ever, and continue to show your anger. Wear it on your sleeve, but remember your heart belongs on the other. DO not forget to separate the anger from your other feelings. It must be there, but it must be separate. If you keep it with the others, it will cloud your mind. It's voice is its own, not that of your other thoughts."

Neo found it strange that the man was so keen on her intent when she hadn't even spoken a word to him. It was a little unnerving, but heartwarming all the same. someone could understand her, even if it was just an NPC.

Spoiler

Roll ID: 102757

BD: 10 - major critical hit

boulder: 36/50

 

[Neopolitan 0]

Neo struck the boulder again. Letting the cracks begin to spread. She felt the sadness become a part of her, letting it fuel her anger. She felt the anger to, though it had become a bit distant. She felt the power of the anger coursing through her but also a calmness of mind that surrounded her. The face of Amethyst began to become clearer in her mind now, and the sadness came welling back up.

"You have begun a cycle. You have the sadness growing within you, feeding the anger. Now take the anger, and feed it into your passion. Feed it into your mind. Do not give it all at once, slowly push it into your mind. Use it all and it will be gone. Dripping it in small bit by small bit will let you fuel the passion inside of you."

Neo listened carefully to the man, no longer ignoring his words. She saw now that he was right in the path he was guiding her along.

Spoiler

Roll ID:  #102760

BD: 8+3 = 11 - Hit

Boulder: 34/50

 

[Neopolitan 0]

Once again, Neo punched her fist at the rock, hearing some decent cracking this time. The cracks she was making had started to become visible, much like her revelation. She let the anger drip into her slowly, letting it fuel into her own passion. She felt it surging through her, even just the little bit was enough to give her power.

"I see you have mastered dripping your anger slowly quite quickly, but that is not the only technique. For many, there is anger that will build up in excess. For this you must expulse it in a burst. Do not let it vent quickly. Only have a singular burst, than control, than another burst if necessary. Wait for longer if you need more than two bursts. You may still feel stable, but you will be close to the edge of losing control of the anger."

Neo continued to listen, and soak in the knowledge of his leessons.

Spoiler

Roll ID: #102765

BD: 10 - major crit

Boulder: 30/50

 

[Neopolitan 0]

Neo continued to strike the rock, hearing it start to give way to her. She gave it the burst of anger she needed to release, and began to calm herself down. The image of Kayaba had disappeared, but now she had it internalized. Her anger had a face, but she knew how to control it now.

"There is your first burst, it will be needed time and time again. Though keep them spaced out. You must continue to let your anger be present, else a part of you will go missing. Many mistake the negative emotions as ones that need to be expelled, that they should not exist. Instead, they are a part of you. The sadness and anger and hatred are all a part of your being. It is woven into your very existence, the part of you that can not be given or taken. To ignore that part by getting rid of it is to deny yourself."

Spoiler

Roll ID: #102766

BD: 9 - minor crit

Boulder: 27/50

 

[Neopolitan 0]

As Neo continue to strike at the boulder, she let loose another burst of anger. She centered herself once more, and when for another burst when the man stopped her.

"Remember, limit yourself to two bursts. Go past that and you will unbalance yourself. Though you feel stable, it will eat at your control until it is lost, and then the process must begin anew. Do not put your head in the darkness, keep it into the light. But reach into it and draw from it. In doing so you will be able to control it. By controlling your darkness you may wield it and not fear it. You will be able to strike from where those who fear to tread it dread. And though it sounds harsh, it is that weakness you must point out in a rude fashion to show people that it is a part of them. Use their guilt to guide them, use their anger to mold them, use their sadness to show them. Do not fall into the dark, but harness it from within."

Spoiler

Roll ID: #102767

BD: 10 - Major crit

Boulder: 23/50

 

[Neopolitan 0]

Feeling more stable, Neo sent another bunch flying. She didn't let a burst out, but continued to funnel the anger throughout her body. Letting it permeate through the mind and veins. She pictured having the reservoir of her anger behind her. It was a support, but there were others there as well. There was her happiness, her drive, her excitement. As they worked together, Neo could feel herself becoming more powerful. The boulder was feeling softer with each punch.

"You are getting close, but remember this. Though you may want to draw on one at a time, it is together we stand. separate your emotions and you will crumble to them. Do not let one become the fuel, they must all contribute together. Then you will become their master."

Neo continued to listen, the words struck a core inside her she didn't know she had. It didn't take long before she was ready to strike again with full force. The full force of all of her emotions.

Spoiler

Roll ID: #102783

BD: 7 + 3 = 10 - Hit

Boulder: 21/50

 

[Neopolitan 0]

Neo sent another fist into the boulder, it was beginning to weaken under her constant pressure. As funny as it sounded, Neo could feel the emotions of the rock. She felt its pain consuming it, she could feel the amount of anguish washing over it. It had lost its control. She realized that it was ready to burst from its emotions.

"You see the emotions of the rock before you. It is not uncommon that you will be guilty at punishing your opponent for what they feel, but it will need to be done. Even if you wish for them to become stronger, you must show them their lack of control. You must show them that they are unbalanced. Without that balance, there is no way for them to have that control. If they are your enemy, exploit the unbalance. If they are your friend, exploit it and then some. You must show your enemy your strength and prove to your allies their weakness."

Spoiler

Roll ID: #102784

BD: 3 + 3 = 6 - hit

Boulder: 19/50

 

[Neopolitan 0]

Neo struck the boulder once more, showing it that it could not be defeated if it had its own stability. She saw that it was unstable, and exploited that weakness. She struck it not only with force, but emotion. She released her own anguish into it, letting it strengthen in the mix of her emotions. SHe used that anguish to throw the boulder even further off balance. It was far from breaking, but would be pushed close to breaking itself by her own emotions.

"Power the boulder with your own emotions, use your feelings to push it further off balance. Use the power you know to weaken the power they think they know. If you show them the weakness, they will adapt. Hit them with the emotion they try to balance with, make them overcorrect. Use their attempts to find balance in combat as a weapon against them. I see you can sense the emotion strongly, that means you can be more specific than most and target them where it truly hurts."

Spoiler

Roll ID: #102786

BD: 5 + 3 = 8 - hit

boulder: 17/50

 

[Neopolitan 0]

Neo saw the boulder trying to balance itself, and Neo struck it with the same emotion to make it overbalance. It was prepared for the extra of the same emotion, but not the emotion it wished to balance with. Neo could feel its anger boiling and taking control, throwing it even further off balance. She struck it hard enough that she knew it was getting ever closer to breaking open. She could see the cracks beginning to form along a vertical line up and down the center.

"You've thrown it off balance, but have you ensured that you remained balanced. Though it is important to exploit your opponent, do not forget to shore up your defenses. Lest you wish to be taken down by your own technique. Ensure that you check yourself before every attack for balance. Only then will you be able to see what lies ahead of you. See your emotions tangling with theirs, let them mix, but do not let them tangle."

Spoiler

Roll ID: #102787

BD: 5 + 3 = 8 - Hit

Boulder: 15/20

 

[Neopolitan 0]

Neo checked herself and found she was out of balance once again. She rebalanced her mind and checked the rock once again. It had achieved some balance, but was still overweighed in some areas. Neo chose to strike it in a way that would balance it in an attempt to trick it into overbalancing once again. She punished it with her fist, seeing more cracks fall upon its surface it was starting to crack louder and louder now. She could tell that the boulder was nearing its end. The old man left her alone with the boulder, seeing that she had mastered what he had to teach. He was impressed with how quickly she learned. Few took his lessons that quickly. It helped that she was quiet, and just listened as she acted. There was meaning to say that actions spoke louder than words. Though words had a power of their own, there was nothing that could stop an action that was already happening.

Spoiler

Roll ID: #102788

BD: 9 - Minor crit

Boulder: 12/50

 

[Neopolitan 0]

Neo hit the boulder once more. She made sure her own emotions were in check and that the boulder wasn't totally balanced. With this, she kept throwing it off balance. There was little the boulder could do. Even though it was overburdened with fear, all it could do was sit there and take Neo's punches. It wasn't going to be able to do much as it sat there helpless. Neo wanted to spare it the pain, but knew that for it to have balance, it must find it itself. There was guidance, but there was no showing the exact path. All she could do was show the entrance to the balanced way. If the boulder would not take the lessons that she taught it, than it would surely crack and fail like so many others before it. She kept herself in balance the whole time and knew that though she was angered at Amethyst's death, there was peace in that fury.

Spoiler

Roll ID: #102789

BD: 3 + 3 = 6 - hit

Boulder: 10/50

 

[Neopolitan 0]

Neo tried to attack the boulder and felt it finally fight back. It seemed that it had learned to balance itself. It wasn't quite balanced though, it let out its first burst of emotion. Enough of it and Neo would be able to finish it off. There wasn't much it could do to balance itself under all of this pressure. Neo kept trying to throw it off balance. Even if it was able to find balance, it would be immediately challenged by Neo's own barrage. Her balance was different from the boulder's, her mix slightly different. Although she had her emotions also altered by the boulder, she recognized when it was wrong and could use that to her advantage. Dealing with the unbalance by unbalancing the rock. If the rock was unable to compensate, it would soon find itself totally beaten. And Neo was ready to finally deal the last blow.

Spoiler

Roll ID: #102790

BD: 1 - critical miss

boulder: 10/50