Gleam in the Depths {F01 - SP - "The Third Lesson, Is Just as Free"}

[Ronnel 0]

He had seen it. There, tucked almost out of sight was a small opening in one of the cave walls. Ronnel stashed Varathra into his inventory again and moved over to it. There was a faint ray of sunlight shining down through the caves, and what had caught his eye was a very soft, gleaming green light. 

"There you are." Ronnel squirmed his arm into the opening - it was just larger than his forearm and bicep were - and worked his way in. His fingers felt the change in texture, from the rough rock to something that was almost glass like, smooth but with edges that his fingertips caught on. With a grunt of effort he started working the different piece under his fingers, rocking it back and forth and back and forth until - he heard an odd crumbling, cracking sound. The dark-haired man dragged the thing out, and felt the corner of his lips tug upwards. 

Nestled in his palm was a softly glinting green stone. 

(3/3 non combat posts, HP/EN recovered) 

[Ronnel 0]

"Well now. Time to store this away and get ou-" Ronnel felt his hair ruffle. That was odd, he was deep enough in the caves that there wasn't any breeze - his hair moved again, and this time his skin felt warm and damp as it moved. He swallowed. Right. He had forgotten Heather's warning. Slowly, carefully, he placed the gem into his inventory - the thing that was breathing behind him gave him the courtesy of that, at least. 

The man threw himself to the ground just in time to avoid the strike from the thing behind him. He rolled and came back up to his feet, pulling Varathra back out of his inventory and trying to strike out at the creature. Massive wings beat in the dark, shadows moving against shadows - and Ronnel's strike went wide, missing by a large margin. He cursed under his breath and scrambled to his feet. "Another freaking bat??" It chittered angrily at him, and he could see the monster’s eyes gleaming in the darkness.  

 

Cave Guardian HP: 20/20 DAM 50 (Only on First Successful Hit) / 5 (Does not Crit)

 

Link ID: 134408

BD: 5 (Miss) 

MD: 5 (Miss)

 

Ronnel HP: 180/180 EN: 17/18 (-1 basic attack) 

Edited January 15, 2020 by Ronnel

[Ronnel 0]

 

Ronnel growled under his breath and shifted his grip on his spear, actually bringing both hands around to hold it properly as his eyes scanned through the darkness. He knew that this thing was the last thing standing between him and leaving these caves, and once he had done that he was home free for finishing this quest and moving on with his life in the game. “Alright you - you and I are gonna dance and I don’t think it’ll end well for you. Come on then!” His only answer was a loud shriek and the sound of wings beating in the darkness.

Then there was the sound of rushing, and he knew the bat was coming at him. Ronnel slid backwards and hefted his spear up, waiting one heartbeat, then another - then thrust upwards. There was a cry of pain from the Cave Guardian, which immediately flew backwards, preventing a second strike from the player. “Come get some then you airborne rodent!”

 

Cave Guardian HP: 20/20 DAM 50 (Only on First Successful Hit) / 5 (Does not Crit)

 

Link ID: 134432

BD: 7 (+1 Acc from spear, -1 Acc darkness) 

DAM: 5

C.G.: HP 15/20

MD: 2 (Miss)

 

Ronnel HP: 180/180 EN: 17/18 (+1 recovery, -1 basic attack) 

Edited January 15, 2020 by Ronnel

[Ronnel 0]

Ronnel growled under his breath as he stared up at this thing. He wanted to finish this quickly but if this thing was going to hide back, out of range, then it was going to take longer than he wanted it to. He spun Varathra end over end as his eyes scanned the shadows. It was times like these, trapped in the darkness of these caves, that he was regretting not focusing more on support skills - Night Vision would have been fantastic down in here against these things. As it was - well, he’d have to tough it out and strike well.

There was a sound of wind rushing, and Ronnel darted forward, twin-bladed spear lunging upwards again, trying to repeat his strike from last time. It seemed that the bat-creature was expecting it though, and it pulled upwards, avoiding the attack - but also, thankfully, not attacking him in return. The monster chittered angrily as its dark wings beat against the inky black air. 

 

Cave Guardian HP: 15/20 DAM 50 (Only on First Successful Hit) / 5 (Does not Crit)

 

Link ID: 134433

BD: 2 (+1 Acc from spear, -1 Acc darkness) 

MD: 2(Miss)

 

Ronnel HP: 180/180 EN: 17/18 (+1 recovery, -1 basic attack) 

+2 DAM Heavy Momentum

 

Edited January 15, 2020 by Ronnel

[Ronnel 0]

Ronnel cursed as the cave guardian avoided his strike, his eyes trying to pierce the darkness as he looked around. “I am really starting to hate bats right now.” He hissed under his breath. He tightened his grip on Varathra as he prepared himself. This was still not as bad as the boar pups though - at least now, even in the darkness, he was able to connect with his strikes. He heard the sound of wingbeats again and grit his teeth. One beat, then two - and he stabbed upwards. 

Metal met flesh, and the two battled for a moment. Inevitably, flesh lost that fight, and the cave guardian let out a terrible shriek as Ronnel’s spear pierced its body. It pulled itself back, and the player heard a wet, sucking sound as the monster pulled itself free from his spear. Then before he could react, it drove itself forward, slamming its head against his with a heavy crash. Ronnel stumbled backwards, and his vision swam. 

 

Cave Guardian HP: 15/20 DAM 50 (Only on First Successful Hit) / 5 (Does not Crit)

 

Link ID: 134434

BD: 7 (+1 Acc from spear, -1 Acc darkness) 

DAM: 7 (5+2 Heavy Momentum)

C.G. HP: 8/20

MD: 6(HIT)

 DAM: 50 (Special Damage for Cave Guardian)

50 vs 26 = 24 DAM

Ronnel HP: 156/180 EN: 17/18 (+1 recovery, -1 basic attack) 

 

Edited January 15, 2020 by Ronnel

[Ronnel 0]

Ronnel bit his tongue to focus himself as his eyes shot to his health bar, then went wide. That was the first considerable amount of damage that he’d actually taken since he started venturing out into the world of this death game. In fact - the first time he’d faced bats, that kind of damage would have wiped him out. And that was after his mitigation reduced that blow. His red eyes snapped back to the spot where the Cave Guardian had pulled back into the shadows, and his lips pulled into a snarl.

“Now I really don’t like you.” His hands tightened on the haft of Varahtra. He thought he saw it coming in again, and lashed out, blade whistling through the shadows, and striking nothing. “Oh you over-” Ronnel stumbled backwards as the bat slammed into his torso, shoving him back a step. His chest stung slightly, but it was enough to show him - whatever had been the deal with that damaging blow, it was a one off. Or, on a cool-down before it would be usable again. Fine. He could work with that. 

 

 

Cave Guardian HP: 8/20  5 (Does not Crit)

 

Link ID: 134435

BD: 3 (+1 Acc from spear, -1 Acc darkness) 

 

C.G. HP: 8/20

MD: 7(HIT)

DAM: 5 vs 26 MIT = 1 DAM

Ronnel HP: 155/180 EN: 17/18 (+1 recovery, -1 basic attack) 

+2 DAM Heavy Momentum

 

Edited January 15, 2020 by Ronnel

[Ronnel 0]

Ronnel breathed out slowly, glaring into the darkness. He couldn’t let this fight drag on - if this thing really did have a cool down on that power hit, or if it could keep ramping up like he could if it missed, then the longer this went on the worse it would be for him. He tightened his grip on Varathra and breathed out slowly, sliding one foot back as he scanned for the bat. This thing was not going to beat him - he refused to let that happen. From the corner of one eye he saw a flicker of movement, and his head snapped towards it.

There - it wasn’t much, but there was a patch of shadows that were just slightly discolored, brighter in the darkness. Red data leaking from the wound he’d landed earlier on the Cave Guardian. That was all he needed, a reference point. The man squeezed down on his weapon, then let out a cry as he moved, darting forward. His feet beat against the cold stone of the cavern floor, and the twin blades of his spear split the darkness. There was a moment of silence, then an explosion of red data that drifted down around him as Ronnel slumped slightly, chest heaving.
“Take that you airborne vermin.” 

 

 

Cave Guardian HP: 8/20  5 (Does not Crit)

 

Link ID: 134436

BD: 10 (+1 Acc from spear, -1 Acc darkness CRIT) 

DAM: 9 (5+2 Heavy Momentum + 2 Crit)

C.G. HP: 0/20

 

Ronnel HP: 155/180 EN: 17/18 (+1 recovery, -1 basic attack) 

 

 

Edited January 15, 2020 by Ronnel

[Ronnel 0]

Ronnel slowly dragged himself back upright from his slumped position, leaning heavily onto Varathra as he did so. While that fight had been blessedly shorter than the earlier fight against the lesser bat, the difference in how heavily the Cave Guardian had struck him had shown that he still wasn’t up to a point where he could just ignore the attacks of whatever was coming at him. That was something he wanted to change - but also something that he couldn’t change just yet. He groaned and rubbed his forehead as he wrapped his other arm around his spear to hold himself up. 

“Alright… alright. I got the gem, I killed the guardian - good riddance - now I can leave.” He shook himself once and straightened up, then pushed his weapon back into his inventory. Now for the fun part - finding his way out of the cave in the darkness. He gave a shrug - there wasn’t anything else he could do about it but start going. 

 

 

[Ronnel 0]

The cave was twisting and turning as Ronnel made his way carefully back through the system. Apparently he had moved further than he’d realized while he was searching for the gem for Hannah - either that, or when he was fighting, but he didn’t think he’d moved that far while he was fighting the bat or the guardian. Either way, the cave was beginning to feel a bit tight and choking as he avoided the stalactites and mites that crept from above and below. 

So it was with a sense of relief that the dark-haired man actually saw light filtering into the cave from up ahead. He saw a small branch off to one side, and frowned in thought. "I wonder…" There was a chance that he'd be able to come out of this with a bit extra. He ducked down into the branch, checking around to see if there was any hidden chests. Sadly for him though, his search turned up fruitless, and the red-eyed man gave a shrug. 

 

 

Chest check search

Link ID: 134437

Loot Die: 4 Fail

 

 

Edited January 16, 2020 by Ronnel

[Ronnel 0]

Ronnel pulled back from the small tunnel, brushing bits of stone chip and dirt from his clothes as he straightened back up, unfolding from the crouched position he had been in while looking for a chest. He ran his fingers through his hair and pushed more stone flecks from his dark locks as he tromped down the main tunnel towards the light. 

Emerging from the cave actually made him blink and squint his eyes, using one hand to shade against the light beating down on him. The difference between the darkness in the depths of the cave and the simulated sunlight was striking. He winced and rubbed at his eyes as he left them adjust to the change. Despite the momentary discomfort though, being out of the caves was nice. The fresh breeze felt good against his skin and he breathed out a sigh. "Alright. Back to town." Dirt and leaves crunched beneath his feet as he started down the trail on his minimap leading back to city gates. 

 

 

[Ronnel 0]

Leaves crunched beneath Ronnel's boots as he made his way back through the forest. It felt good to be able to stretch himself out as he walked and not worry about hitting his head on any outcropping of rock. Though he did have to duck once or twice to avoid a low hanging tree branch. Still, this part of his trip was far more pleasant than anything underground had been - no bat's were attacking him now. 

A soft breeze rolled around him, ruffling his clothes and making the man shiver slightly. He knew that it was entirely in his head, but he couldn't deny the feeling of a light chill that accompanied the wind. If it wasn't for the fact that they were all trapped in this death game Ronnel would have been impressed with the level of detail. As it was - well he wasn't the biggest fan of this simulated world, and he didn't know many who were.

[Ronnel 0]

The walls of the city came into view as Ronnel followed the winding trail through the grassy fields. The transition from woods to plains had been smooth, and the red-eyed man was becoming somewhat accustomed to it enough that he had barely noticed. That was a good sign he felt - no longer was he only familiar with the closed in streets of the Town of Beginning. But he knew he couldn't let himself get complacent, if he did that he'd just end up stagnating and end up right back where he started. 

Ronnel slowly trod down the path in through the city gates, waving to the gate guards as he did. Their eyes automatically flicked up then down, a visual representation of the AI checking his status. He knew the wave was pointless - hell he was sure some other players would laugh at him for it - but he couldn't help it. With every passing day that they were stuck in here, he was coming to accept the fact that this was their home - why be rude when it could be avoided? 

[Ronnel 0]

"Alright - now then, time to get back to Hannah's and give her this thing." Ronnel murmured to himself as he started making his way through the city streets, pulling open his inventory screen as he went. His fingers flicked through the relatively sparse collection of items, verifying the presence of the gem that he needed. Every fiber of his being stilled when he saw the quest rewards from finishing the blacksmith's 'lesson', and he ground his teeth together in frustration. 
A nice, simple, shiny Potion of Safeguard. In the description, it mentioned only being useful for one thing - for one quest. For fighting the Cave Guardian. This was supposed to have prevented that heavy blow he took, and like a buffoon he hadn't even looked at it ahead of time! He groaned and rubbed the heel of one hand against an eye, cursing himself under his breath. "I really am as stupid as she was thinking, aren't I?" The dark haired man grumbled as his shoulders slumped. 
 

[Ronnel 0]

Shaking off that wonderfully stupid mistake, and grumbling to himself that he really needed to actually check the quest rewards when he got the, Ronnel resumed his trek through the city streets in the direction of Hannah's Grove. The streets of the Town were becoming more familiar to him as he actually walked through them with purpose instead of aimlessly wandering. There wasn’t going to be any asking NPC guards for where to go this time around for him. 
Soon enough the tall trees of the grove came into view as the sun began to sink over the edge of the horizon. The shadows stretched out as he wound his way through the woods, following the small path that led inwards. Soon enough he reached the clearing where Hannah had been before, though this time she wasn’t outside from what he could see. Ronnel hummed and looked around before shrugging - he would knock on the door for the small hut that was there, and if she wasn’t in he would just have to come back later.
 

[Ronnel 0]

Ronnel walked up to the small little hut and lifted one hand, rapping on the wooden door. There was a pause, and he wondered if she actually was out somewhere else and he would need to return. Then just before he gave up and walked away, he heard rustling and footsteps approaching the door from inside. He took a single step back from the hut and started reaching into his inventory as the door swung open. 
Hannah blinked once, then twice, and adjusted her glasses on the edge of her nose. She was befuddled for a moment, then her eyes lit up. “Ah, traveller! You’re back much sooner than I expected - I hope you bring good news?” She rubbed her hands together as she looked up at Ronnel, who chuckled and nodded. 
“I do indeed. The Guardian didn’t slow me down very much at all.” Aside from its high burst attack, the bat he’d fought before finding the gem was actually more dangerous. 
 

[Ronnel 0]

Ronnel pulled the small gemstone out of his inventory, the green crystal glinting softly in the fading sunlight that was coming through the trees of the grove. Hannah paused for a moment and then reached out a hand for it, palm up. The red-eyed man tilted his hand, letting the stone fall down into the outstretched palm. The alchemist took the small crystal and held it up, peering into it and rotating it back and forth slowly. Her lips curved into a smile as she lowered it back down, her gaze focusing on Ronnel. 
“This is going to do wonderfully. I’ll be able to use this gem to make a lovely trinket for someone to use with the golden band you brought me from Lyle.” Ah, right - that had been the purpose of the ring that he’d ferried over from the blacksmith, for her to make a new trinket. While in the cave he’d actually forgotten about that. 
 

[Ronnel 0]

“What exactly is it that your trinkets and alchemy can do, Miss Hannah? I’ve not really spoken with an alchemist before.” The woman blinked at Ronnel as he asked the question, then adjusted her glasses with the hand that wasn’t holding the gemstone. 
“Well - depending on what resources we have available and how skilled we are, we’re able to make jewelry, potions, or powerful crystals. Things like accuracy or evasion buffs, or if we’re talking the crystals, well, that’s where the teleport crystals that you travelers are so fond of come from.” He blinked once. That sounded like a useful talent to have - perhaps something that he’d be looking into in the future, if he didn’t meet a player that could use it that he could purchase from. She held up the small gem in her fingers as she grinned at Ronnel.
“This, for example, I can use to create a ring that will boost accuracy or evasion perhaps.” 
 

[Ronnel 0]

Hannah’s eyes twinkled as she winked at Ronnel. “How about it, traveller?” He blinked at her and tilted his head to one side. “Well, you brought me all the materials to make a piece of jewelry. So I figure - why not allow you to be the one to profit from it? Or at least - well, I’ll get some useful practice in, and you’ll get a new piece of equipment to go along with you as a memento.” Ronnel scratched his cheek. This must be the system’s way of prompting him to choose a quest reward from finishing this part of the chain. 

“Well - I do prefer actually hitting my targets when I’m fighting them.” Memories of constantly missing the blasted boar pups and getting infuriated with them flashed in his mind and he grunted. “Yes - definitely, I dislike missing. So, uh, accuracy I suppose is what I’d prefer?” Hannah gave him a bright nod.

[Ronnel 0]

“Excellent! Well, give me a little bit to work on this then, good sir.” She smiled at him and then backed up into her hut, closing the door behind her. Well - this wasn’t going to be like with Zackariah then, where he was able to help in the crafting process. That was fine - he had a feeling that if he tried helping with working on the gem, he might end up cracking or chipping it somehow, and ruining it. Well - now he had a little time to kill while the NPC went through the crafting process. 
Ronnel wandered over to the tree that Hannah had been sitting against when he first showed up, and plopped himself down against it. He leaned back onto the tree, and ran the fingers of one hand through his hair as he looked upwards into the leaves. Hopefully the crafting process didn’t take Hannah very long - he hadn’t brought anything to really… Ronnel chuckled and pulled up his menus. If nothing else, he could look at what he had available and try to think about what he wanted to specialize in moving forward.
 

[Ronnel 0]

Ronnel was just finishing deciding to put more of his points into his spear skill, bringing it up to the next rank once he finished this quest, when he heard the door of Hannah’s hut swing back open. He scrambled up to his feet, brushing the dirt and leaves from his pants as he walked back over to where she was standing with a smile on her lips. The alchemist held up her hand, and let Ronnel see the small, gleaming band in her hand. 
“Here you are, traveller! One ring that will benefit your accuracy. Hope it helps you take down the creatures that threaten you and yours as you make your way along.” Ronnel gently took the ring and looked at it. The small green crystal he had obtained from the cave was nestled into the band from Lyle, smoothed out and faceted slightly. Four thin spires of gold crept out of the band and wrapped around it, looking almost like a little crosshair.