[F05 - SP] Playing Catch-Up <<Bloodstained Land>>

[Bahr 0]

Spoiler

• LEVEL: 40
• HP: 820 | ENERGY: 80
• DMG: 15 | MIT: 48 | ACC: 4 | EVA: 3
  SKILLS 3/6 | MODS 3/5
  
  HOME BUFFS
  » RESTED
       ➥ -1 EN FOR THE FIRST TWO TURNS OF COMBAT
  » RELAXED
       ➥ +10 TO OUT OF COMBAT HP REGENERATION
       ➥ FULL ENERGY REGENERATION AFTER TWO POSTS OUT OF COMBAT
•  
• SKILLS
• EXTRA SKILLS
  » DISGUISE
       ➥ FREE ACTION
       ➥ +1 EVA UNTIL START OF YOUR NEXT TURN
            ➥ COOLDOWN: 3 TURNS
  » MEDITATION
       ➥ POST ACTION
       ➥ RECOVER AN ADDITIONAL 10 ENERGY - GETTING HIT BY AN ATTACK BEFORE YOUR NEXT TURN REDUCES ADDITIONAL ENERGY RECOVERY TO 6
            ➥ COOLDOWN: 3 TURNS
  
  COMBAT SKILLS
  » PARRY
       ➥ POST ACTION
       ➥ REDUCE FINAL DAMAGE OF NEXT ATTACK AGAINST YOU BY 50% (ROUNDED DOWN) AND NEGATES STUN/PARALYSIS EFFECT OF THAT ATTACK
            ➥ COOLDOWN: 2 TURNS
            ➥ 5 ENERGY CONSUMED ON USE
  
  WEAPON SKILLS
  » TWO-HANDED STRAIGHT SWORD R5
       ➥ +7 DMG WHEN TWO-HANDED WEAPON IS EQUIPPED
  
  ARMOR SKILLS
  » LIGHT ARMOR R3
       ➥ +12 MIT 
  
  MODS
  » LIGHT ARMOR MOD: ATHLETICS
       ➥ +1 DMG
       ➥ +20 HP
  » PARRY MOD: JUSTIFIED RIPOSTE
       ➥ POST ACTION: COMBINE WITH PARRY
       ➥ SUCCESSFUL PARRY STUNS OPPONENT
            ➥ COOLDOWN: 3 TURNS
  » WEAPON MOD: PRECISION
       ➥ PASSIVE
       ➥ +1 ACC
  
  SWORD ARTS
  » [X2 AOE] BLAST
       ➥ 2 ENERGY +2 PER TARGET HIT CONSUMED ON USE
  » [X2] STRAIGHT
       ➥ 2 ENERGY CONSUMED ON USE
  » [X3] SCOOPED
       ➥ 3 ENERGY CONSUMED ON USE
  » [X4 STUN] LIGHTNING
       ➥ 7 ENERGY CONSUMED ON USE
  » [X4] CYCLONE
       ➥ 4 ENERGY CONSUMED ON USE
  » [X5] BACK RUSH
       ➥ 5 ENERGY CONSUMED ON USE
  » [X6 STUN] FIGHT BLADE
       ➥ 9 ENERGY CONSUMED ON USE
  » [X7] ASTRAL HELL
       ➥ 7 ENERGY CONSUMED ON USE
  » [X8 AOE STUN] TEMPEST
       ➥ 8 ENERGY +2 PER TARGET HIT CONSUMED ON USE
  » [X12] CALAMITOUS TRAGEDY
       ➥ 12 ENERGY CONSUMED ON USE
  » [X13] GALAXY DESTROYER
       ➥ 13 ENERGY CONSUMED ON USE
  » [X12 AOE] CALAMITY DISASTER
       ➥ 13 ENERGY +2 PER TARGET HIT CONSUMED ON USE

INVENTORY
ARMOR
» [EQUIPPED] "COAT OF THE BLOODEDGE" - LIGHT ARMOR (T1 - PERFECT)
     ➥ +3 EVA
» "HERO'S HAKAMA" - LIGHT ARMOR (T2 - PERFECT)
     ➥ +36 MIT
     ➥ RECOVERY 1

WEAPONS
» [EQUIPPED] "SCARECROW'S SICKLE" - TWO-HANDED STRAIGHT SWORD (T2 - DEMONIC)
     ➥ +6 DMG
     ➥ BLEED

FAMILIAR
» [EQUIPPED] SWINE BAJESUS R3
     ➥ +3 ACC

BATTLE READY ITEMS
» T1 THE WORLD'S MOST ELUSIVE HOT DOG (1)
     ➥ +2 EVA

That damn Oscar. He was climbing through the ranks almost as fast as Bahr had once he finally ventured outward from the Town of Beginnings. Already finishing quests that Bahr himself hadn't yet had the guff to attempt.

Oh yeah, it's easy. The thing is elusive, for sure, but a few crits will bring it down. No problem.

Bahr gritted his teeth as the memory of Oscar nonchalantly recounting the experience floating through his mind. Had he really found the mutated Sand Shark so easy to defeat? He had to have been embellishing, to at least some extent. As a harsh gust of wind rolled through the fifth floor and wrought sand and debris against Bahr's rigid frame, he immediately recognized that the Azure Crusader had to have been fibbing. There was no way that someone could tolerate an environment like this and not find the experience even remotely unpleasant.

"Find the mob. Kill it. Get home."

[Bahr 0]

It was probably unfair of Bahr to be upset with Oscar at all. In fact, he knew it was wrong. He should have been happy that his friend had managed to climb through the ranks so quickly. There was just a part of it that gnawed at Bahr, to a certain extent. What if Oscar surpassed him? Not that that would be a bad thing, just a tad embarrassing. Bahr had prided himself on the pace he had had getting so far so quickly. He hadn't expected Oscar to come into play with a progression speed that rivaled his own. But in the end, it was a good thing to have people like that in Bahr's corner.

As Bahr opened up his inventory and the World's Most Elusive Hotdog materialized in his hands, a realization dawned on him. Of course Oscar had been able to catch up to Bahr so quickly - he had near infinite access to high-quality consumables. It all made sense now. Why wouldn't he be able to keep pace with Bahr? He quickly downed the food and brought another consumable from his inventory - the Matriarch's Stinger. Once both of the consumables had been... consumed, he made his way into the desert.

WORLD'S MOST ELUSIVE HOTDOG CONSUMED (+2 EVA)
MATRIARCH'S STINGER (+1 DMG FOR ONE BATTLE)

Spoiler

Bahr: HP: 820/820 | EN: 80/80 | DMG: 16 | MIT: 48 | ACC: 4 | EVA: 5 | BLEED 1

 

[Bahr 0]

It wasn't long before Bahr began to near the spot. Knowing that he had a rough fight ahead of him, he readied a special Parry - mod included - that he hoped would save him from any serious damage should the creature cut through his above-average evasion. In the end, what would truly save Bahr would be his evasion - but just in case it didn't, he would have his Mitigation and Parry to fall back on. The fact that it could stun the opponent was something that had to be considered a positive, as well. Considering how evasive this thing supposedly was, getting it to stand still for a second and take an attack was a blessing.

This wouldn't be like his fight against the original Sand Shark, for sure. Back then, Bahr had been able to simply stand in one place and use Back Rush to take it down. Something told him that this new and improved version wouldn't be all too threatened by such an amateur tactic, if at all.

PARRY: JUSTIFIED RIPOSTE ACTIVATED (-5 EN)

Spoiler

Bahr: HP: 820/820 | EN: 80-5=75/80 | DMG: 16 | MIT: 48 | ACC: 4 | EVA: 5 | BLEED 1
PARRY: JUSTIFIED RIPOSTE ACTIVE

 

[Bahr 0]

And it wasn't long after Bahr had activated his Parry that the Land Shark decided to present itself. It dashed out of the sand and toward Bahr so quickly that he barely had time to react, clumsily sidestepping the creature as it dove toward him. Somehow he had the presence of mind to rip his sword forward as the monster approached him, slicing deeply into its torso and veering it off course just enough that its razor sharp talons didn't catch him. 

Bahr was only able to catch a glimpse of the thing before it hastily buried itself in the sand once more and disappeared from sight, but what he did see was absolutely hideous. It didn't look like a shark at all. It resembled a gigantic, revolting insect of some kind. How did the developers consider that thing a shark at all? Never mind that - the thing was ludicrously fast. Bahr would need to stay on his toes if he had any chance of avoiding this thing for long.
 

Spoiler

Encounter: Land Shark the Terra Firma
HP: 650 | DMG: 250 | MIT: 75 | ACC: 0 | EVA: 4
<< Assault Mode >> : On a LD roll of 10+, this boss will spot through hidden players and the bosses ACC and EVA will temporarily switch for his attack and his attack only and will strike as though it had partial phase on a natural roll of 9, and full phase on a roll of 10.
<< Move Swiftly >> : The skill Concentration will not work on this boss, and players will suffer a -1 penalty to ACC.
<< Hard-Scaled >> : Paralysis and Freeze do not work on this boss.
<< Weak-Spots >> : On a player’s roll of a natural 9-10, they will gain partial phase on their attack.

Spoiler

Bahr: HP: 820/820 | EN: 75+1-12=64/80 | DMG: 16 | MIT: 48 | ACC: 4 | EVA: 5 | BLEED 1
PARRY: JUSTIFIED RIPOSTE ACTIVE
CD: 4 (No extra energy recovered this turn)

Bahr used [x13] Galaxy Destroyer, -12 EN ("Rested" House Buff reduces energy cost by 1)

Land Shark the Terra Firma: HP: 650-133=517/650 | DMG: 250 | MIT: 75 | ACC: 4 (for attack only) | EVA: 4 | ID: 124718 | BD: 8+4-5=7, Hit for 16x13=208-75=133 DMG | MD: 5+4-5=4, Miss
LD: 20 | ASSAULT MODE ACTIVATED (ACC and EVA switched for attack only)

 

[Bahr 0]

Bahr was really starting to see the appeal of consumables. He had never really fancied them in the past, preferring to rely on his own strengths to accomplish what he set out to do as opposed to banking on buffs to carry him through. But the buffs were exactly what was making this fight so easy for him. The extra damage was a plus, but the extra speed he had gotten from Oscar's hot dog was extremely invigorating. He was quicker than he had ever been before, and this showed the next time the creature reared its revolting head and attempted another pass at him.

He tore his glowing blade through the creature and blasted it backward, its health bar plummeting into the yellow. With a shriek, it bore its nasty teeth toward Bahr and retreated into the sand once more. Bahr simply stood still and waited for its next strike. Sure, the thing was ridiculously fast, but he was even faster. He had no doubt he could outmaneuver it.
 

Spoiler

Bahr: HP: 820/820 | EN: 64+3-12=55/80 | DMG: 16 | MIT: 48 | ACC: 4 | EVA: 5 | BLEED 1
PARRY: JUSTIFIED RIPOSTE ACTIVE
CD: 8 (2 extra energy recovered this turn)

Bahr used [x13] Galaxy Destroyer, -12 EN ("Rested" House Buff reduces energy cost by 1)

Land Shark the Terra Firma: HP: 517-183-24=310/650 | DMG: 250 | MIT: 38 (for this turn only) | ACC: 0 | EVA: 4 | ID: 124719 | BD: 9, Crit for 17x13=221-38=183 DMG | BLEED INFLICTED | BLEED INFLICTS 24 DMG | MD: 1, Miss
CRITICAL HIT LANDED AGAINST LAND SHARK, MIT REDUCED TO 38 FOR THIS ATTACK
LD: 1

 

[Bahr 0]

No wonder Oscar had been able to take this thing so easily. He no doubt had used more buffs than Bahr, so he imagined this must have been a walk in the park for the Azure Crusader. Was that how he had caught up to Bahr so quickly? The use of buffs? It was something Bahr was going to need to consider more seriously moving forward, considering the quests were getting harder and harder. He knew that they were designed for parties, so that was no surprise. But he didn't always have the time to link up with someone else to get the job done. Sometimes they would slow him down, as callous as that probably seemed to say. His best bet was usually just to keep to himself and plug along solo. It was the fastest way. If he had any hope of reaching the Frontlines on the schedule he intended to keep, he couldn't afford to be social about it. The speed was the key.
 

Spoiler

Bahr: HP: 820/820 | EN: 55+3-2=56/80 | DMG: 16 | MIT: 48 | ACC: 4 | EVA: 5 | BLEED 1
PARRY: JUSTIFIED RIPOSTE ACTIVE
CD: 10 (2 extra energy recovered this turn)

Bahr used [x13] Galaxy Destroyer, -2 EN FOR MISS

Land Shark the Terra Firma: HP: 310-24=286/650 | DMG: 250 | MIT: 75 | ACC: 4 (for attack only) | EVA: 4 | ID: 124720 | BD: 5+4-5=4, Miss | BLEED INFLICTS 24 DMG | BLEED EXPIRES | MD: 5+4-5=4, Miss
LD: 17 | ASSAULT MODE ACTIVATED (ACC and EVA switched for attack only)

 

[Bahr 0]

Come to think of it, how many quests had Bahr completed solo as opposed to in a party? It would be interesting for him to go back and do a tally of all of the times he ran a quest solo, and compared that to the number of times he had actually done a quest with somebody. If he were to guess, it was probably something like an 80/20 split. Rarely did he ever actually spend time with anyone. Not even at social events. He had branched out from the Town of Beginnings, partially in an attempt to be more sociable. But he had managed to seclude himself and become even more isolated outside the walls of that town than he had ever been within them. The cruel reality of fighting his way to the Frontlines so late in the game is that there was virtually no hope of ever actually catching up. 
 

Spoiler

Bahr: HP: 820/820 | EN: 56+3-2=57/80 | DMG: 16 | MIT: 48 | ACC: 4 | EVA: 5 | BLEED 1
PARRY: JUSTIFIED RIPOSTE ACTIVE
CD: 11 (2 extra energy recovered this turn)

Bahr used [x13] Galaxy Destroyer, -2 EN FOR MISS

Land Shark the Terra Firma: HP: 286/650 | DMG: 250 | MIT: 75 | ACC: 4 (for attack only) | EVA: 4 | ID: 124721 | BD: 1, Miss | MD: 3+4-5=2, Miss
LD: 16 | ASSAULT MODE ACTIVATED (ACC and EVA switched for attack only)

 

[Bahr 0]

Finally, the Land Shark emerged, coming in for another lightning quick strike that would have landed a lesser Bahr on his ass. But thanks to the buff he had received from the mighty hot dog of elusiveness, he was able to narrowly avoid the strike and plant one of his own into the monster. As his sword ripped through the creature and depleted its health bar even further, Bahr couldn't help but let out a laugh. He had avoided fighting this thing long after discovering its existence from his info broker, but for what? It was a wimp. And he had been sitting on this consumable for ages. What had he been so afraid of?

As usual, the Land Shark retreated into the sand with a shrill whimper, shielding itself from any more oncoming attacks. Bahr wasn't afraid. The next time it reared its putrid head, he would have a chance to put it out of its misery once and for all.
 

Spoiler

Bahr: HP: 820/820 | EN: 57+1-13=45/80 | DMG: 16 | MIT: 48 | ACC: 4 | EVA: 5 | BLEED 1
PARRY: JUSTIFIED RIPOSTE ACTIVE
CD: 5 (No extra energy recovered this turn)

Bahr used [x13] Galaxy Destroyer, -13 EN

Land Shark the Terra Firma: HP: 286-133=153/650 | DMG: 250 | MIT: 75 | ACC: 0 | EVA: 4 | ID: 124723 | BD: 8+4-5=7, Hit for 16x13=208-75=133 DMG | MD: 6+4-5=5, Miss
LD: 6 

 

[Bahr 0]

And so he did. He wasn't really sure why it surprised him, but he honestly hadn't expected his sword to cleave through the monster with such ease when it popped out of the sand for its final attack. With a heavy swing of his mighty blade, he tore the creature in twain with ease, both pieces of its lifeless body bursting into clouds of infinite tiny blue polygonal fractals. As a gust rolled through the area, the azure confetti was swept away and dissipated into nothingness. Bahr blinked as the loot panel populated in front of him. A Mitigation potion, perfect for missions where he felt he needed the extra bulk. He couldn't help but remember that the Sand Shark had given him a similar buff when he had defeated it, though he had never gotten around to actually consuming it. It seemed he was collecting a stockpile of buffs from these field bosses, which came in handy on occasion.
 

Spoiler

Bahr: HP: 820/820 | EN: 45+1-13=33/80 | DMG: 16 | MIT: 48 | ACC: 4 | EVA: 5 | BLEED 1
PARRY: JUSTIFIED RIPOSTE ACTIVE
CD: 5 (No extra energy recovered this turn)

Bahr used [x13] Galaxy Destroyer, -13 EN

Land Shark the Terra Firma: HP: 153-183=0/650 | DMG: 250 | MIT: 38 | ACC: 0 | EVA: 4 | ID: 124725 | BD: 9, Crit for 17x13=221-38=183 DMG | Land Shark the Terra Firma defeated
CRITICAL HIT LANDED AGAINST LAND SHARK, MIT REDUCED TO 38 FOR THIS ATTACK

 

[Bahr 0]

So that was it, then. The Land Shark destroyed without Bahr having taken even a single hit. It was almost pathetic, really, that he had allowed himself to be so afraid of something so easily torn to shreds. He thought back to his fight against the Gemini, and how he had learned at that point that the secret to winning exchanges such as these was simply to have confidence in himself as opposed to doubting his abilities.

In fact, it seemed as though he had been doubting himself far too much lately. His experience with Lessa had softened him, made him doubt in his own ability. This had led to a complete change in the way that he approached combat, and it had started to show. Well no more. He simply needed to believe in himself, and the rest would fall into place. Such was the energy of this world - kill or be killed.

[Bahr 0]

He looked at his stat panel and watched as his damage fell by a point - the effect of the Matriarch's Stinger wearing off. His Parry was still active as well, having not been activated the entire fight. A part of Bahr was disappointed that he hadn't gotten the opportunity to see his plan in action, but there wasn't much that could be done about it now. He didn't feel like hunting any mobs, and it wasn't like he was intending to go get himself thwacked on purpose. It made more sense to simply leave well enough alone.

He would get the opportunity to see his plans go into action soon enough. It wasn't that he meant to glamorize himself, but as it currently stood he was simply too good to need a lot of the strategies he had developed. He was still at a point in the game where aiming at something and hitting it hard enough and enough times was more than enough to fell most any foe.

[Bahr 0]

How many field bosses had he defeated so far through sheer raw power? Too many to count. Well, not literally, but it was more like Bahr didn't care to count. So far he had required nothing more than brute force, speed, and a little luck to make it through any quest that stood before him and the Frontlines. Whether or not that was going to change in the future, Bahr had absolutely no idea. But was it really worth worrying about? By then, he would have all of the strategies under his belt that he had intended to have this entire time, and he would be well equipped to handle whatever came his way. Just as he had planned.

Perhaps that was it. Many others struggled with bosses like this one. Was it a lack of planning and foresight? Inferior weaponry, skills, or stats? A lack of desire to actually fight with everything they had? Or perhaps pure dumb bad luck?

[Bahr 0]

Any of these could be possible. But Bahr knew that the game wasn't stacked against them. Everything that the Cardinal System pushed forward was ultimately fair and balanced for the players trapped within the confines of its game. Bahr had had more trouble with regular field mobs than he had ever had with field bosses, and that was more a matter of him getting in over his head and either not properly preparing, or getting too cocky and believing he could take the next pack on without having to first stop and heal himself.

No. For most people who died in the game, it was their fault. The only true exception to this were boss fights. Those suckers were mean and designed to be player killers, and they had succeeded at taking the life of more than a few. Such was the quandary of being a fighter on the Frontlines.

[Bahr 0]

You had access to the money, the fame, the prestige, and the best loot. But with that came the most apparent chance of death. Anybody could fall victim to a wrong turn, or a super charged mob, or a floor boss that just had it out for them at the time. Sometimes it was chaotic, and there was no rhyme or reason to who lived and who died. Who "deserved" to live or die didn't even remotely matter. Just as in real life, death was often unfair and lacked poetic nuance, serving only as a jarring experience to everyone whose life had been touched by the ones that had been lost.

Would Bahr become just another one of those statistics? He didn't want to think that it was a possibility, but how could he deny that? How could he so arrogantly believe that he would be the one exception to the chaotic nature of the Frontlines?

[Bahr 0]

The answer was that he couldn't. Not confidently, at least. At the same time, he had easily trounced field bosses and other difficult quests that countless others had died attempting. How was it that he could so easily eviscerate mobs that had slain people of a comparable level? He couldn't help but feel that he was different somehow. Special. Destined for greatness, or at the very least to survive. But he knew that this was a fairly tale, in all actuality. Everyone is the protagonist of their own story, but Bahr was nothing more than an ordinary bloke on his way to an early death just like the rest of them.

A tough pill to swallow. But one he had to nonetheless. He couldn't go to the Frontlines with illusions of grandeur floating around his cerebellum. No, he had to keep his wits about him and look at things from an objective, matter of fact point of view.

[Bahr 0]

To do otherwise was suicide, more so than simply approaching the Frontlines to begin with. It would be foolish to do anything that would increase his odds of death. There were people relying on him to make it - both within the game and on the outside.

Though, admittedly, he hadn't really been thinking about the outside as much lately. All of his thoughts revolved around the game. How to progress quicker, how to become as strong as possible, how to make sure he stayed ahead of the pack. It was exhausting and invigorating all at the same time. It had consumed his life and turned him into an entirely different person than he was before. In the Town of Beginnings, he was just another dude trying his best out of an absolutely horrid situation. Once he ventured beyond the walls, though, everything changed. Now he had to be the strongest, fastest, best person out there.

[Bahr 0]

Was it pride that was driving him? Vanity? Greed? What was it? He himself didn't even know. Obviously, he wanted to find her, and get them both out of this blasted game. But those weren't things that drove him to the brink of insanity and fueled a blood lust the likes of which he had never once in his life experienced. It was an entirely new sensation, one that he not only had only felt within the confines of the game, but only after having ventured beyond the walls of the Town of Beginnings. 

And it hadn't even started that way, either. When he left that city, he was still himself. He was still himself through the majority of the entire first tier, as well. Hell, it wasn't until he got his hands on this cursed sword that things started going downhill for him on a mental level. But was that the sword's fault, or his? He had been blaming the sword, because that was the easy thing to do. But it seemed equally possible - no, more probably that it had been him the whole time.

[Bahr 0]

Perhaps he simply didn't have what it took to cut it as a Frontliner. From a mental perspective, anyways. What would he do if he was faced with near certain death? What would he do under that sort of pressure? How would he react if someone died right before his eyes? Someone he had been tasked with protecting? What he he himself died? What would happen to the people he left behind? What would happen to his family in the real world?

Hell, what had happened to his family in the real world already? Did they have any hope of him returning? Had they given up on him? Did they even visit him in the hospital anymore? Somehow, he almost found that it would be better if they didn't. If they moved on with their lives as opposed to sitting around and tormenting themselves by being in their comatose relative's hospital room.

[Bahr 0]

It stung to think about that, and made Bahr feel a bit lonely, but he wanted what was best for them in the end. What happened to him ultimately didn't matter. He ultimately didn't matter. In the real world, he contributed nothing to the world. He worked general sales making money for people that viewed him as nothing more than an ant that they could squash between their fat, meaty fingers at any time of their choosing. The disgusting, greedy, money-hungry overlords that controlled everything and pulled the strings from behind the strings. The politicians nothing more that puppets, with the corporate moguls the hand within. It had made him sick to think about when he lived in the real world, but now it revolted him to the point that he felt the need to vomit. Though, he had never once vomited in Aincrad, so something told him that that wasn't a possibility anyways.

[Bahr 0]

Finally,  the teleportation plaza. It had taken him a lot longer to reach it than usual. Or had it? Perhaps his sense of time was warped from the dark thoughts swimming around his gray matter. But it always ended up like this. If he ended up with too much time on his hands and nothing to occupy himself with, it always turned to thoughts like these. Thoughts that filled him with the adrenaline he craved. Thoughts that set his teeth on edge. Thoughts that forced the anxiety within him to bubble over and present as furrowed brows and the grinding of teeth. 

But that was going to be over soon. He was on Floor Ten now, and it was only a matter of time before he made it home. And when he was home, he could finally unwind. It was his safe place, a place where the dark thoughts that plagued him outside no longer existed. He could sit down next to a warm fire with a nice pot of coffee and fall asleep in his arm chair if he wanted to. No worries. No regrets. Nothing.