[F2-PP] <<Dragon Hunter Anthology>> PT 2: Sticks and Stones

[Baldur 0]

Spoiler

<<Dragon Hunter Anthology - Dragon Hunt 2: the Quartz Hatchling>>

This quest takes place on Floor 2.

This quest CANNOT be repeated.

You must defeat “Rhaegal the Emerald Hatchling” before attempting this quest.

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Shortly after the first dragon hatchling slain, you receive a message from the same Information Broker on the location of the next Dragon Hatchling, it appeared on floor two, and despite the fact of how cute it is… it can be quite the prankster, this hatchling shouldn’t be underestimated especially if you are lower leveled.

 

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Zylara - the Quartz Hatchling

HP: 175 - MIT: 35 - ACC: 1 - EVA: 0 - DMG: 65

 

Abilities:

<<Mend Mini-Twigs>> : On a natural roll of 15+ in LD when this attacks, miniature sticks will form in front of your character in attempts to trip you, in result you will receive -1 ACC on your current attack.

 

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Recommended Level: 15

Post Limit: 1 Page (20+)

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Rewards:

1 SP - 600 Col (Split between each player)

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

Floor 2
Late Afternoon
Urubus
Same day as Part 1
@Katagawa

 

Stepping up to the teleportation platform of the <<Town of Beginnings>> Baldur said the name "Urubus" and was instantly dissolved into a pillar of light, only to be reformed on the second floor. It was more beautiful than he remembered, but he had never really spent much time on the second floor to begin with.

"It's been a while since I've been here." Baldur remarked to Katagawa, but didn't really expect an answer from her.

The wattle and daub houses extended out all around them, but you could clearly see out the main entrance to the floor beyond, a simple but vivid reminder of just how small <<Urubus>> was... or perhaps just how big the Town was on the first floor.

"Alright, so according to the info brokers the next dragon shouldn't be too far from here. There's supposed to be a little forest on a plateau towards the center of the floor where the dragon's nest can be found."

He gave Katagawa a friendly smile and started to walk towards the exit and the floor beyond.

"Have you done any of the quests on the second floor before?" 

[Katagawa 0]

Hokori walked into the telleporter not too far behind Baldur. He seemed to be quite enamored by the floor itself, but she was quite indifferent. Then again, a lot of her amazement at mountains had died down after being in Europe and wanting to go hiking a lot. "Just my second time here actually. Been spending more time on the first floor than I would like."  She fiddled a bit with her sword, wanting the weight to kind of just disappear. It waasn't the most comfortable weapon to have, but it was the one she was stuck with for the time being. When the time wouldcome she'd try to find herself her own weapon though.

"I've only done one of the quests up here currently. Taking down the queen bee. Don't remember who I did it with, but it honestly feels like that was so long ago already. I can only imagine how far back it seems for you." She was warming up to the samurai, though she wasn't sure if that was necessarily a good thing. For all she knew it could be an elaborate scheme to trap her. SHe hoped this was earnest effort though.

@Baldur

[Baldur 0]

Baldur suddenly smirked at Katagawa's comment.

"The last time I did <<Long Live the Queen>>?" He let out a short, abrupt laugh, as if he had been caught off guard by both the question and the laugh.

"To be honest, I can't even remember." He let his hand brush against one of the trees as they left the city and headed out into the wilderness. It was more green than he remembered the last time he was here, but then it had been a long time for that too.

"I actually had to look up the name of the main settlement on this floor just to teleport here, it's been so long." The large, western samurai man shook his dark hair in disbelief. How long had it been since he was last down here? Since he had last helped someone of low level. "At one point I had considered farming it for the consumable... but that was before we unlocked higher tier enhancements... so that may tell you how long its been. The front line was probably still at floor 11."

Baldur had remembered when the 10th and 11th floors has been unlocked. He hadn't quite been a member of the frontline yet, but he had been just a step behind in leveling and trying to catch up. Him and Oikawa and Calrex and Ariel and Tyger.

A lifetime ago.

The though brought a bittersweet smile to his face.

"Sometimes, being on the frontline I feel like I've been trapped here in Aincrad for longer than lower level players, and I have to remind myself that isn't true. Perhaps, when you aren't progressing, it feels like the days blend together and you lose track of time, but when you're struggling every day to push forward, and you see so many sights and so many floors it makes things feel like they've taken longer than they have. What about you? Does it feel like we've been here for a long time, or a little? Can you still remember life on the outside?"

[Katagawa 0]

Hokori felt so strange. It was like she had just been in this game for a few moments, but looking back on it it was nearly a lifteim ago that she had entered this. It was so strange to think that she had already come this far and yet still had so far to go. "At least for me, my life didn't really change between the inside and the outside. At least for the first couple months. I pursued my knowledge and got pretty darn good at applying it. I focused on studying the tools they used in this game to further my own knowledge in my field. I may be missing out on a proper education, though I have been getting taught so much more in the meantime. It just feels like I'm spending a couple years studying abroad rather than pursuing a graduate degree immediately. Probably a break for the better on my end." She did worry about how much time she had lost with family and friends, but she felt that it would be for her own betterment at the end of the day.

@Baldur

[Baldur 0]

"That is a strangely optimistic view of our situation." Baldur was honestly surprised, as he had never heard anyone answer that question this way before. He had never heard anyone answer it his way before either, but he was fairly certain that there were others out there who shared his feeling, they just didn't want to admit it. The samurai offered Katagawa a smile, showing that he was pleased and thoughtful about her answer.

"I suppose I forgot to ask, but how old are you? I admit, by my age, everyone around me has graduated a long time ago, so I never really consider how much schooling people are missing. My biggest concern is about accumulated debt." He gives her a wry grin.

"The logistics of Aincrad seem so much more.. conceivable... than that of modern day urban living.

Baldur's mind turned back to Lessa's pet project, teaching the younger kids of Aincrad who would be losing out on education, so that they would at least not lose out on quite so much. But more than forgetting things over summer vacation, or golden week, these kids would go years between an education that built year over year on the foundation laid before it.

"I'm 33, by the way, in case I forgot to mention that when I introduced myself."

[Katagawa 0]

"I was 24 when I first entered this game. That would probably make me about 26 now. It can really be quite hard to keep track of the time in a world where all the time is relative to whatever the creators wish it to be. For all we know they sped up the simulation and we've only been stuck for a week or two here." She realized how ridiculous she sounded saying that out loud, but didn't retract her statement. As far fetched as it was, it was a possibility.

"I hear you about that accumulated debt. I probably have student loans, those ticking little time bombs, ready to pounce on me the moment I get out of here. It is sad how complex society has gotten. But the simplicity we get to enjoy here is only through a common goal and a small population." Hokori nodded as Baldur also confirmed his own age. She didn't particularly care about other's age, but it was a nice way to be able to gauge the maturity of them.

@Baldur

[Baldur 0]

The terrain began to shift around them, and soon they were surrounded by dense forest and the atmospheric wildlife the designers put in. There were the occasional monsters roaming around, but with their level, the monsters wouldn't aggro them. Even though Katagawa was lower than Baldur by a significant amount, her level was higher than that of the second floor's denizens by a substantial amount.

"So do you have any questions about the frontlines? I know my biggest one coming into it was the wide array of consumables and trying to keep track of them. I used to have this dilusion of grandure where I would go and farm the quests that give unique and valuable consumables to bring to the raid to really hone my edge, but the truth is that I just don't have that much time and energy after doing what I already do for the frontlines."

Baldur gave a slight chuckle. There were people who ran around him in terms of time and energy, but Baldur tried to make sure he took some time to hone himself, and keep his mind and temperament grounded. The last thing he ever wanted to do was lose his temper at a boss fight or meeting, or burn himself out again. That alone was worth it to him; play the long game.

[Katagawa 0]

The floor that they were on was honestly quite the nice place. It wasn't one of those terrifying floors she had heard about, but she knew that was no reason to be complacent. She thought about what Baldur said, and thought carefullly. There wasn't that much that she knew of the front lines, but she knew she would be able to navigate her way around optimizing her consumables fairly well. "I don't think I'm goign to be too particular about taking in consumables. I'm thinking of tanking and not focusing that much on damage so probably just some stuff to add to my mitigation and evasion. What I would really like to know is what I may be walking in to. I know these aren't an army of soldiers fighting to the front, so there's got to be some drama that goes on. I just want to be prepared to know what there is to pay attention for or people who may not be what they show themselves to be." As much as she hated to play politics, she knew it was going to be a necessary evill for her to do.

@Baldur