[PP-F24] Festered with Savages <<Raging Rhino>>

[Sey 0]

Sey looked down at the piece of papers in his hands. After signing up for the quest, it appeared to be a challenge that formed in front of him. With this in mind, Sey would then look back up to see it in front of him. The arena. All of this for points that didn't boast to be equivalent to field bosses of the old age, but the item that it possessed did give him a slight incentive. There was a slight level of reluctance, however. The reason for this being the fact that the monster was told to have the ability to phase through his mitigation and it had a hefty amount of damage after reaching the second phase, so one might understand his reasoning when he didn't think he should enter inside of it. While his purple eyes stared and the challenge possessed great rewards, the potential to die at the end of this was all too real to him.

@Hikoru

[Hikoru 0]

Hikoru appeared on the 24th floor, his blue cloak on his shoulders. After the last update, his cloak had lost its enchantment near water, which made him a bit depressed. But, he still wore it for the style that he was known for. He gave a small sigh as he looked around, finding the large collesium. With the Boss raid coming soon, he wanted to try and get stronger, and he had heard about a beast that he could fight and get some good SP for. He started to walk towards it, when he saw a familiar figure nearby. It was a face that he hadn't seen in a long time, but it was a face that he recognized.

"Sey?" He asked curiously, drawing closer to him as he passed by a few characters and NPC's. "Sey is that you? What the heck man? Where have you been?" He asked, a smile on his face as he came close. "It's been a long time." He spoke, laughing a bit.

[Sey 0]

It didn't take long for a familiar voice to enter the fray, one of the Celestials in fact. A former one before chaos erupted and cut the wings of the angels, but it didn't matter, for this one was one that was better off if Hestia's words had to say anything about it. Fun fact, Sey respected Hikoru's path of becoming an information broker, it lead to a good deal in business and his capabilities of blending into the shadows made that easier. Seems like hiding was worth more than Sey originally anticipated, and now the shadow himself was revealed in the most casual way. Sey couldn't help but crack a smile.

"If it isn't the information broker himself, glad to see you're doing well in the game these days." Sey replied, completely ignoring his own absence from the game. It has been far too long, how could one forget it so easily? Yet here he was, doing exactly just that. "As for me, I've left the face of the game when it got too heated. Returned with a clearer head, the game seems to still be just as tense. How did you even push past all this?"

[Hikoru 0]

Hikoru just chuckled as Sey welcomed him warmly. It had been a while, but their relationship hadn't changed since he had last seen him. It felt nice, but he felt himself feeling a lot better than he did before. When he last saw Sey, he was broken, pretending to be someone he wasn't. It felt nice to be out of his shell and just be himself. He had been taking baby steps towards it, and now it was finally paying off. Sey asked how he was able to stand the tenseness with the frontlines, the people trying to get out of here. He just sighed and looked up into the sky, a small frown forming on his face.

"Y'know, I can't really give you a straight answer for that." He said. "When it comes to the frontlines... that's just how it's always been. It's never been easy to get along with everyone. Remember, every person has their own ideals, their own goals. It's just become something that im used to seeing, and that I've grown numb to. It's not a good thing for me, but it's the only way that I can really handle some of these people. Y'know?" He said. Then he remembered where he was. "By the way, what are you doing here?" He asked curiously.

[Sey 0]

Desensitized to the politics of the game, a coping mechanism without a doubt. Unfortunate, but how could Sey think any differently? If it was not for the situation with orange crystals and jail cells, he would relate in that sense. But with those came an unusual comfort, a thrill in fact. "I absolutely know. Well, you're getting on a lot better than most other people by the sounds of it. Considering the circumstances of, well, you know." The Celestials, this one was a pillar. A Paladin, was it? The titles barely clung to his mind, for it has been so long since he had to use such things. He tilted his head to the side when questioned about what he was doing here. To that, he would hand over the piece of paper towards the other player. "Inside the arena is a raging rhino. I am looking for experience points, so I need to kill it. The stats aren't so much a problem, the effects might do me less justice, however."

[Hikoru 0]

Hikoru just nodded as he said he was doing better off. And sadly, it was somewhat true. Other players didn't cope well with the stress that came with the frontlines and other players. He had just grown numb to it, as he had to mess with the likes of Zel, Dom, and Tristan, some of the most hard-headed, cocky people he had ever met in his time on earth and this game. Thanks to them, the small squabbles didn't seem as bad. He sighed and looked as Sey gave him a paper about the quest, and his face lit up. "You're here for that too? That's what I came for! Why don't we tag team? It'll make it way easier to beat." He said with a small smile. He grabbed his dagger. and pulled it out, passing it to Sey with the hilt towards Sey, himself grabbing the blade carefully.

"I still think I can handle myself alright." He said with a laugh. "While this weapon is only Tier 1, It packs a pretty good punch if I land a crit." He said with a sly tone in his voice. He had worked tirelessly to make his build accessible for crits, to make them the most effective. It had been a long time since he had crit, however, but he was excited to see one day his crit come from stealth. That day would be a good day. "It's up to you, but I think it'd be fun."

[Sey 0]

"An additional hand is most certainly welcome, especially a damage dealer. I'm a capable tank now, so I think we could compliment each other quite nicely." Sey replied, his fists slowly manipulating the wind around them as fighting intent would then form around them. Gauntlets, a sure change for one to witness, for he was now in the martial arts field. His damage output has grown an insane level thanks to this, though he still had the very basics in his grasp as of currently. "Then make sure to fish for that crit and make the ground shake." Sey would reply with a smile, determined to handle this Rhino now that there was a damage boost. He didn't know how high the boost was, but Sey was slightly less of a level than he remember Hikoru being when they last met, so the damage had to at least be equivalent to Sey's current output. That was of some comfort to him, fortunately. With that, he would then proceed to step in. "You ready for this?"

Edited April 11, 2019 by Sey

[Hikoru 0]

Hikoru nodded as he pulled up his cloak, entering the arena quietly and stealthily. He knew that his best shot at hitting this creature hard was to take it from stealth, and that's what he was the best at. He quietly slipped past the guards and all the others around him. Even with the new stealth update, he reigned supreme compared to everyone else, and he was now way better at detecting people as well when it came to fighting another stealthed creature or player. He unsheathed his dagger and found a good vantage point above the rhino that he could see, now below him at a perfect point to strike. He decided to wait for Sey to initiate the fight to strike the creature after he gained hate. While he would be fine with taking a few hits, he wanted to see how Sey was as a tank. With Shield going off the grid from what he heard from the info brokers, he could use a new partner in crime to handle quests that may come his way.

ID: 114588 LD: 13+5= 18 Stealth Rating

[Sey 0]

No time was wasted into bailing out from the scene. Sey's fists of wind would then cause the air to chill around him, the snow part of his name taking effect. With the tap of the skill he planned to use, he would then let out a battle cry for the crowd to enjoy before charging. Once Hikoru made his way inside, the doors would slam shut behind them. Sey was the one who let out the cry, so he would have to be the one to eat any hits that come through. The Rhino would charge mightily towards Sey, who held his arms up in an X formation. It didn't take too long for the massive beast to be stopped by Sey's defenive armor as well as his stance, though it took a decent level of his health to force the strength to hold back such a mighty beast. There was little he could retaliate with under his current pressure, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to get revenge on the next round.

Action: Focused Howl (Fighting Spirit Enhanced)

ID# 114590 results:

MOB: 7

Sey: 1136/1310 | EN: 116/122 | DMG: 19 | MIT: 126 | ACC: 3 | EVA: 2 | BH: 65 | -25% DoT Damage | Hate: 6
@Hikoru: ???/???

Piasuhōn | HP: 1,100 | DMG: 300 | MIT: 50 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 2

Edited April 11, 2019 by Sey

[Hikoru 0]

Hikoru waited until Sey entered, then the doors slammed shut as the crowd above them cheered. This was all a game to them, a game within a game. Nice job Kayaba. The Rhino struck Sey hard, lowering his health a bit. Hikoru just smiled and gripped his dagger. He took it well, and he could see the fire in his eyes. This was a Sey that had prepared for battle and was ready for anything to come his way. My, how the young man had come. He knew that now was his chance, and he leaped down, stabbing the Rhino straight through his heart. He gave a triumphant look as he watched the creature's health inch down with every stab he dealt, dealing a good chunk of it's' health.

"Alright, now I'm gonna Vanish again and we'll see if I can do any better damage." He said with a chuckle, and then backed away from the large creature and watched it's movements, to see how his next hit could land easier.

ID: 114591 BD: 3+3-2= 4 [Disregarded Due to Sneak Attack]

Hikoru used Swarm! 14 x 19 x 1.20 = 319 - 50 = 269 Damage

Sey: 1136/1310 | EN: 116/122 | DMG: 19 | MIT: 126 | ACC: 3 | EVA: 2 | BH: 65 | -25% DoT Damage | Hate: 6
Hikoru: 1550/1550  | EN: 137/152 | DMG: 16 | MIT: 79 | ACC: 3 | EVA: 3 | BH: 76 | -25% DoT Damage | Hate: 0

Piasuhōn | HP: 831/1,100 | DMG: 300 | MIT: 50 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 2

[Sey 0]

Purple to blue, his eyes were a wonder in themselves when it came to combat. Did they change merely based on his attitude? Regardless, they were seeing the rhino take a Hikoru bullet from above, a decent level of health taken away. Now it was up to Sey to follow up to see how much damage he could inflict at his mightiest... Which was recently compromised because of his need to be a tank for the frontlines. But charge was the skill he could afford to lose, thankfully. With that, he would return the favor towards the rhino with a massive fist towards the chin. An explosive right hook! So explosive that it knocked the monster to... Nearly half of it's health? Apparently! Sey would have thought the second phase would trigger if the green color did not exist, but here they were... And it was beautiful! They could possibly enough this without too much trouble after all!

Action: All Might (Charge +3 Added) 22 x 15 = 330 - 50 = 280

ID# 114592 results:

Battle: 7 + 3 - 2 = 8

MOB: 1

Sey: 1136/1310 | EN: 100/122 | DMG: 19 | MIT: 126 | ACC: 3 | EVA: 2 | BH: 65 | -25% DoT Damage | Hate: 8
@Hikoru: 1550/1550  | EN: 137/152 | DMG: 16 | MIT: 79 | ACC: 3 | EVA: 3 | BH: 76 | -25% DoT Damage | Hate: 0

Piasuhōn | HP: 551/1,100 | DMG: 300 | MIT: 50 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 2

Edited April 12, 2019 by Sey

[Hikoru 0]

Hikoru watched as Sey gave a devastating blow to the large Rhino, and he was proud of the young man. He had come far, and he was proud of the tank that he was becoming. He gave a small sigh and pulled his hood back up, that had fallen behind him from his attack and felt his <<Vanish>> Mod activate, disappearing into the shadows, but not going for a vantage point. Instead, he just backed up into the shadows. He knew that it wasn't his best work, but he was just going for a basic cloaking to jump out and attack the creature easily. He let out a small sigh and waited silently.

"Sey, I just need you to attack him one more time, and I should be able to finish him off easily. Let's just wait and see what happens." He said with a small smile. "And maybe after this, we could go and get a drink, im pretty parched." He said with a laugh.

ID: 114619 LD: 1+8 = 9 Stealth Damage (Lol lucky I'm immune to Passive Detection)

Hikoru used Vanish! It's Super Effective!

Sey: 1136/1310 | EN: 100/122 | DMG: 19 | MIT: 126 | ACC: 3 | EVA: 2 | BH: 65 | -25% DoT Damage | Hate: 8
Hikoru: 1550/1550  | EN: 138/152 | DMG: 16 | MIT: 79 | ACC: 3 | EVA: 3 | BH: 79 | -25% DoT Damage | Hate: 0

Piasuhōn | HP: 551/1,100 | DMG: 300 | MIT: 50 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 2

[Sey 0]

The rhino was taking a severe beating from the likes of these two. Despite the hellish level of damage that it did, it charged through the best it could it pursuit of Sey, only to find itself being slammed by Hikoru's dagger. Then Sey would follow up with another hard fist to the jaw, he swore he heard the thing snap from the impact. A well-executed ending to the attack before stepping back. "If we are lucky, you might be right, the end is so near. But if we can't handle it too soon, the damage that it will inflict... It's not going to be a happy story for me to tell." Sey explained, for the rhino was now pissed off at the both of them, but more specifically the one with the most hate. Considering the fact that they were so high in health, there was a lot less to worry about. But the illusion of pain is still enough to make him shake at the thought of dealing with it's enraged state.

Action: All Might

ID# 114724 results:

Battle: 7 [19 x 15 = 285 - 50 = 235]

MOB: 5

Sey: 1191/1310 | EN: 84/122 | DMG: 19 | MIT: 126 | ACC: 3 | EVA: 2 | BH: 65 | -25% DoT Damage | Hate: 10
@Hikoru: 1550/1550  | EN: 138/152 | DMG: 16 | MIT: 79 | ACC: 3 | EVA: 3 | BH: 79 | -25% DoT Damage | Hate: 0

Piasuhōn | HP: 316/1,100 | DMG: 400 | MIT: 50 | ACC: 1 | EVA: 2 [Second Phase]

Edited April 14, 2019 by Sey

[Hikoru 0]

Hikoru watched as Sey gave yet another killer blow to the large Rhino. He felt bad for it honestly, they had pummeled it profusely, and the creature had yet to hit them other than once or twice, he had lost count already. He stood near the creature, it's angered pants heard loudly in his ears as if he could hear the heartbeat of the large creature. He waited until he had the right angle, then he struck from the shadows, piercing the creature's hide as it gave a large scream in his ears, his Sword art completing and leaving only a sliver of health remaining. He grits his teeth. Not enough. If he had charged, maybe it would have been different, but he didn't want to take the risk of missing. He looks at Sey

"It's all yours! Finish him off!" He said, preparing in case the Rhino had some sort of ability to attack those with no Hate, but he had no clue.

ID: 114725

LD: 11+7=19 Stealth Check

BD: 5+3-3 = 5 Miss! [Disregarded Due to Sneak Attack]

Hikoru used Swarm: 14 x 19 x 1.20 = 319 - 50 = 269 Damage to Piasuhōn

Sey: 1191/1310 | EN: 84/122 | DMG: 19 | MIT: 126 | ACC: 3 | EVA: 2 | BH: 65 | -25% DoT Damage | Hate: 10
Hikoru: 1550/1550  | EN: 124/152 | DMG: 16 | MIT: 79 | ACC: 3 | EVA: 3 | BH: 76 | -25% DoT Damage | Hate: 0

Piasuhōn | HP: 47/1,100 | DMG: 400 | MIT: 50 | ACC: 1 | EVA: 2 [Second Phase]

 

[Sey 0]

It was all his!? Welllll, kind of, but not really. With all of the pressure that Sey on him, the Rhino made sure to give him hell and pressed against him, in which Sey would swiftly retaliate with a cross of his arms. This level of backlash would cause him to slide back, but he ultimately would block the damage before opening his arms out, a perfect parry. This parry knocked the rhino back with a huge gust of wind to slam it against the walls. It was bound to get up soon again before running for Sey, but at least he was able to drive off the attack and obtain a small level of charisma for it as well. If things went for the worst, Sey would have taken another massive hit that could have threatened his health. Fortunately, he brought a Hikoru, someone with a better chance at securing high levels of damage. There was something that gave Hikoru a huge boost and Sey was completely ignorant to it.

ID# 115660 results:

Battle: 3 + 3 - 2 = 4

MOB: 1

Sey: 1256/1310 | EN: 83/122 | DMG: 19 | MIT: 126 | ACC: 3 | EVA: 2 | BH: 65 | -25% DoT Damage | Hate: 11
Hikoru: 1550/1550  | EN: 124/152 | DMG: 16 | MIT: 79 | ACC: 3 | EVA: 3 | BH: 76 | -25% DoT Damage | Hate: 0

Piasuhōn | HP: 47/1,100 | DMG: 400 | MIT: 50 | ACC: 1 | EVA: 2 [Second Phase]

Edited May 1, 2019 by Sey

[Hikoru 0]

Hikoru watches as both Sey and the giant Rhino missed. He just sighs and quietly leans down, getting into a good position to Charge. He was going to have one shot, and he had to make it count. He was going all in. He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply, exhaling and opening his eyes to watch the bull's movements. He focused, slowing things down, seeing the muscles of the creature move in unison as it charged towards Sey. It was here that he noticed a small opening in the creature's armor that it wore. He saw where it was, right underneath the right front leg. He waited until he was lined up, then he sprinted forward, striking the creature dead on underneath its armor. The creature gave a shriek as Hikoru gripped his dagger, grabbing the hilt with both hands and dragging it across the rhino's body and causing the blade to rip through the flesh of the creature, cutting the creature in half, where he saw the heart clearly and stabbed through it to complete his sword art, the creature pixelating into nothing but crystals, as the roar of the crowd above echoed throughout the island. He smiled and gave a thumbs up towards Sey

"Think they're entertained?"

ID: 115673 BD: 10 (+2 Base Damage)

Hikoru used Swarm! 14 x 23 = 322 - 25 = 297 Damage

Sey: 1256/1310 | EN: 83/122 | DMG: 19 | MIT: 126 | ACC: 3 | EVA: 2 | BH: 65 | -25% DoT Damage | Hate: 11
Hikoru: 1550/1550  | EN: 124/152 | DMG: 16 | MIT: 79 | ACC: 3 | EVA: 3 | BH: 76 | -25% DoT Damage | Hate: 0

Piasuhōn | HP: -250/1,100 OVERKILL

[Sey 0]

"What a lovely finishing touch, poor thing had so little health to be so mercilessly slaughtered." Sey commented with a calm smile, looking down towards the crystals that laid for a moment before giving them a harsher kick. "And yet that's not any less than what this loser deserves." Considering the number of lives it probably took from others, there was little regret to kick an NPC when it was down. And the experience points that came from it was a lovely bonus to the situation. Now they were somewhat back to the way things were, one Celestial out of four. "Glad to know you haven't gone to hell while I basically pissed off from the face of the game for a while." The player declared confidently, placing his hands behind the back of his head looking to finish the quest with a simple step outside of the arena. No NPC to really talk to at this point, this may as well have been a field boss if he didn't know any better.

[Hikoru 0]

Hikoru smiled and stood triumphantly, soaking in the sound of the audience around him, the cheering and applause filled his ears, and he finally knew why the gladiators fought, next to the money of course. He turned to Sey as he kicked the remains of the Rhino, and he just chuckled. "Yeah, I didn't mean to hurt him that bad, but hey, when in Rome." He said with another chuckle, then he wrapped an arm around Sey, and made his way out of the arena. "I'm doing alright for once, I promise." He said with a smile. "It's taken time, but I'm finally starting to be... me, and it's been nice." He said with a small laugh. He looked around the outside of the large Collesium, the bright blue skies glistening on the clear blue waters. He gave a sigh and pat Sey's back. "Yeah, You've missed a bit, but hey, it must be nice to just lean back and enjoy views like this, without having too many thoughts on grinding, staying up on your exp to fight a boss that's going to get even stronger than the last. I miss simpler times." He said with another small sigh.

[Sey 0]

"Fair enough. It was us or him anyways, may as well make a flashier grave." Sey replied, placing his hands up and over his head, a smile on his lips as he would listen to what the sneakier of the both of them had to say. Something about him getting better, seems like stuff wasn't doing so well on his end for the moment. It was okay, it wasn't like Sey was supposed to know this sort of thing, politics in the game and whatnot. "Well, we are a fourth of the way towards the end. The next floors will definitely make a huge difference for us." And he could not wait to see what type of gear they would obtain when they do that, the unique skills of the highest tier must be absolute insanity. Only time could tell. "Well, keep those numbers high and at least you can guarantee another day to live. May as well embrace a high level for now, I would hate for the patches to make what is being done obsolete."

[Hikoru 0]

Hikoru gave a small nod as Sey spoke, saying that they were a fourth of the way done, and it really did hurt a bit. Two years, and yet they had only done a fourth of the game. How long would it be for them? How long would they be trapped? He shook his head. If he focused on the future so much, he wouldn't be able to enjoy that he was alive today, that he would be able to fight another day, take one step closer to freedom. That's how he had survived for so long in this game, stayed strong when he needed to. He just gave a small sigh and pat Sey's shoulder.

"Live to fight another day, that's our life now. We best do our best to do it shouldn't we?" He said with a small chuckle. He grabbed the boy over his shoulder and gave a smile. "Come on! Let's get a bite to eat and catch up! My treat!" He said in a gleeful tone. He was done with trying to focus on the negative so much, it had defeated so much of the purpose in his life, which is to be a happy person, to protect those he loved. If he didn't start to change now, he never would.