[F02-PP] I Have No Money And I Must Scream <<DHA-2: Quartz Hatchling>>

[NIGHT 0]

"I-I've never seen anyone eat so much before... M-my wallet... Y-Yukiro--- a-are you even human...?"

It was right after their meal, and NIGHT was stumbling. Not only was she full; with the debt her col had taken on, she wasn't even sure she was ever going to recover. "M-my funds..." A pitiful moan and a sigh. Perhaps next time, the tab would be on Yukiro -- and then he would pay. Figuratively.

... Maybe. She didn't exactly have the largest appetite in the world -- unlike her white-haired friend. When she shut her eyes, she could still remember the plates piling as the food kept coming. Eventually, the stack towered over the two of them, threatening to fall. NIGHT was certain that if she had been upright beside it for comparison, it would've been taller than her -- and then some.

"I don't think I can ever return there again..." The warrior clasped a hand over her mouth, gulping. Her eyes searched the area they were in. What was their objective again? Dragon hunting? As long as the walk over to their target would rid herself of her nausea, she was up for it. Gaze resting on Yukiro, she queried to him, "S-so, where's this mark of ours, again...?"

Quote

NIGHT consumes Super Sight Dried Bamboo Shoot. [+1 ACC]

@Yukiro

Spoiler

NIGHT
 | HP: 790/790 | EN: 76/76
 | ACC: 4 (3, +1) | DMG: 16 | EVA: 2 | MIT: 36 | PARALYZE: 2 | KEEN: 1 | PARAV-D: 1

---

[Skills]
 | Mod Count: 3/5

1. Two-Handed Straight Sword | Passive | RANK 5/5
   > Ferocity, Precision
2. Heavy Armor | Passive | RANK 3/5 
   > Athletics
3. - - -
4. - - -
5. - - - 

-[Extra]

• Survival | Passive 
• Concentration | Active -- CD: 3

---

[Equipment]

• Tobi-Kadachi
  -- [ Paralyze II | Natural successful attack rolls of 8-10 remove the enemy’s action on their next turn. Paralyzed opponents lose any evasion properties. ]
  -- [ Keen | After a successful attack, gain +1 BD until your next successful attack, at which point this bonus is removed. Another successful attack will reactivate this enhancement. ]
• Reminiscing The Lord
  -- [ Mitigation II | +18 MIT ]
  -- [ Paralytic Venom (Defensive) | Natural successful attacks against you of 8-10 removes the enemy’s action on their next turn. Paralyzed opponents lose any evasion properties. ]
• Silver Crescent Necklace
  -- [ Accuracy II | +2 ACC ]
  -- [ Evasion II | +2 EVA ]

-[Battle-Ready Inventory]

• Starter Healing Potions (3) --- Heals 50 HP.
• [T1] Uncommon Health Potions (3) --- Heals 40 HP.
• [T1E1] Super Sight Dried Bamboo Shoot (2) -- +1 ACC.
• - - -
• - - -

---

[Misc]

• -- [ Familiar Mastery: Fighter | +6 DMG ]

Edited March 11, 2020 by NIGHT

[Yukiro 0]

Spoiler

Yukiro

********************************************
LEVEL 28
560 HP | 56 EN | 8 DMG | 3 ACC | 44 MIT | 3 EVA | 1 REG | 1 FLN 

Skills:
2H Straight Sword - Rk 5
Light Armor - Rk 2

 

Equipped:

• "Unnamed" - 2H Straight Sword (T2 Demonic) ACC x3 Gain 3 to the BD on an attack roll, cannot be used to make a critical hit | FALLEN x1 Successful attack rolls of 6-8 (before modifiers) gain 4 fallen damage to your total base damage.
• "Briar Cloak" - Light Armor (T2 - Demonic) MIT x2 Prevent 36 damage from successful attacks against you | REG x1  | CRSD
• "Ravenfeather Treads" - Light Armor (T1 - Perfect) EVA x3 Reduces the die value by 3 on an enemy’s attack against you. Cannot be used to avoid a critical hit.

Equipped Vanity Items:

N/A

Familiar: 

• Yumi - N/A

Battle-ready Items:

T1 Health Potions of Uncommon Quality (+40HP) x5
Starter Healing Potions (Heals 50 HP) x3
Crystal of Agile Dragon Wings (Teleport crystal) x2
T1 Damage Potion. (+1 Damage) x1
T1 Over-Health Potion (+50 Temp. HP) x2

The boy laughed, bowing slightly to NIGHT. He knew they'd agreed for her to pay, but maybe he'd been a little too cruel. Even so, a good sized meal always put Yukiro in a good mood. 

"Sorry, sorry! It's been a while since I've eaten anything, so I really went for it. I'll be sure to pay you back eventually!" He snickered a bit. "And, well, now you know why I was always out grinding. I needed the money!" 

He decided it was best not to tell his smaller friend that he was up for a second round of food. She might actually decide he was a changeling and try to kill him. He'd make sure to go smooth things over with the restaurant someday, maybe pay off some of the tab. But, for now, NIGHT was right. They were supposed to be dragon hunting. 

"The second dragon should be on the second floor," he brilliantly observed, "It's supposed to be curled up by a tree with golden apples. If it's not there, it'll be nearby. But, ah..." Yuki skimmed the info broker's description again, "Sorry, one second." 
Stopping in front of the first floor's teleport platform, Yukiro sent a message to Fleur. After a few moments there was a response. The boy visibly paled as he read it. 
"It, ah... The tree is never in the same place twice. There's no way to know where on floor two we'll find it. But, um," he grinned at NIGHT with childish optimism, "It's probably on the West side of the floor! Probably!" 

@NIGHT

Edited March 13, 2020 by Yukiro

[NIGHT 0]

Talk about a hike and a half. Fingers crossed, they'd be able to walk a mile before they got anywhere close to the tree. NIGHT let out a sigh of relief, hand running through her hair, trying to waive off the feeling of being bloated. "Sounds about right for the system to be this finicky about the details..."

In a beat, she righted her posture, before gesturing over to the west exit of town. "Well, no point in standing here all day, then. We better get to it." As the player started to shamble outwards towards the outskirts, she continued. "So, exactly how much debt do you rack up per meal, again? I can't imagine having to head out and grind every time I wanted to have a feast." She covered her mouth at the thought of food once again, and it took her a moment to recover. "N-nevermind... I-If anything, it's just good to see you in high spirits once again."

The adventurer took an idle glance over to the wild patches of herbs and ferns, as she slung her arms behind her head, ready to enjoy the slow walk. "Hey, y'mind if we stop now and again for materials? I'm pretty sure I'm running out of them."

@Yukiro

[Yukiro 0]

"How much debt per meal?" Yukiro repeated back to NIGHT as he followed her to the outskirts of town. He thought for a moment. There was no way he could admit that he had been over ten thousand col in debt every time he wanted to eat. "Y-yeah. Best we don't talk about that. Yeah, it's, ah, good to be feeling better." 

One of Yukiro's arms swung slightly at his side, the other resting in a pocket. He glanced around, looking for anything interesting as he walked. Nothing caught his eye. 

"Hey, y'mind if we stop now and again for materials? I'm pretty sure I'm running out of them." 

"What?" Yukiro asked, snapping out of his distraction with the environment, "Oh, right. Sure, we can gather along the way. If you need materials, then let's get you some." 

Yukiro glanced around for a moment hoping he'd see something worth grabbing, but nothing stuck out to him. Maybe he just wasn't used to this, just like with everything else. Closing his eyes and letting out a heavy sigh, the boy refocused on the path, letting his mind wander a bit. 

@NIGHT

[NIGHT 0]

"Sweet. Thanks."

NIGHT's eyes drifted to the next patch of foliage, eager to start searching. Her attempt bore no fruit, though, as the two stopped in their tracks for a moment. The woman hissed when she withdrew her hands, dusting her gloves off and rising back up from her squat. "So much for that."

Back to the walk they went. "Maybe I should just rely on other players for materials, next time," she commented, squinting at a speck of dirt on her equipment, trying to rub it off. "There's a merchant near my place, now. I haven't gone to see her in a bit, but last I remembered she's also gathering materials herself..." NIGHT head turned to Yukiro. "What about you, your stores looking okay?" She tilted her head, setting a hand to her hip. "I'd imagine being holed up in a smithy isn't exactly the best environment for resting." Or... sulking, for that matter.

@Yukiro

Quote

ID: 137656 | LD: 12 | Material Search

Edited March 13, 2020 by NIGHT

[Yukiro 0]

Spoiler

ID# 137733 | LD: 14
No materials found

When NIGHT stopped, Yukiro figured that he should take full advantage of the moment. He walked over to a small tangle of plants and weeds, starting to sift through them with his bare hands. He plucked a few particularly interesting plants, but they shattered as he did, leaving him empty handed once again. With a sigh, Yukiro stood up, moving to follow NIGHT as he dusted his hands off. 

"A merchant near your place, huh? That might be smart. Saves you the usual grind of gathering. Though, it's probably best to just do both. Really max out on those mats, right?" he mused to himself. While the boy wasn't sure whether his advice was even good, he thought it sounded right. "As for my shop... I haven't really done anything with it for a long time. I'm considering just scrapping the whole thing and starting over. Maybe just starting a shop that sells materials instead of actual goods." 

@NIGHT

Edited March 13, 2020 by Yukiro

[NIGHT 0]

Her breath was light and cool from taking in the fresh air when she'd laughed. It'd been quite the time since she'd gotten that -- humor, for once after so long. "You're kidding, Yukiro! Surely, you jest." A shop of materials rather than goods? NIGHT put on a wry smile just thinking about the effort needed to keep its wares up to stock. "Well. Not to mock on your dreams or anything. I mean, there's always room for support players." The adventurer gave her friend a nod, served with a curious, doubtful smirk. "If you really mean it; that materials shop? Good luck to you on it. I'll be keeping in touch for my own wares. And the security when grinding? You know where to find me."

Another squat and rifling through some bushes yielded nothing. NIGHT clicked her tongue and dusted off her hands. "Maybe I should get to crafting something that brings me luck, soon. Say, Yukiro," her head turned to him, as she continued strolling down the path. The player seemed like she hadn't learned her lesson just yet, walking backwards with arms behind her head. "What'dya think would be good to craft? Come to think of it, I don't know if I've ever seen you wear jewelry before. Not a fan of it?"

@Yukiro

Quote

ID: 137734 | LD: 8 | Material Search

Edited March 13, 2020 by NIGHT

[Yukiro 0]

Spoiler

ID# 137735 | LD: 19
1 T2 Material found! 

"...I didn't think it was that bad of an idea. I just thought maybe I could capitalize on people's natural aversion to grinding." The boy let out a heavy sigh. "But I guess it's not that great of an idea. People can get materials pretty easy. And free of charge. I guess maybe I'll have to start up the forge again," he groaned. As much as he didn't mind making the equipment, it felt like a massive grind, not to mention a drain on his good mood. He'd have to keep avoiding that for a while yet. 

Yukiro cast his eyes about, looking for something that stood out. "Jewelry? I've just never worn it before, I guess. Maybe I'd be willing to try something, if it had good stats." 
Suddenly the boy paused mid-step. Something had glinted among the green of the grass. Yukiro hopped over to it and picked it out of the ground. It was a small orb of metal, less than an inch in diameter, glinting in the sunlight. Grinning, Yukiro walked back over to NIGHT and showed her the platinum nugget. 

"Lucky~! Maybe there's something to be found in materials after all," he exclaimed with a slight smirk, "What do you think you could make out of this thing? It's kinda small, so maybe I'll give it to you," he pondered aloud, continuing on their walk. 

@NIGHT

Edited March 13, 2020 by Yukiro

[NIGHT 0]

"That's not it," NIGHT corrected, smile still on her face. "I figured you'd be gathering all day. Sounds like it gets boring pretty quickly, to be honest. But you're right." A shift of her posture. "People're pretty averse to grinding. 'S a good work out though, in my opinion, though like I've said, I think I've been slacking off on it for a while now. I've gotta get back to it at some point."

When Yukiro paused to check something out, she stopped, taking the moment to stretch. Her nausea was beginning to wane. Ideal. She really enjoyed taking her time keeping up her paces. When the adventurer opened her eyes, letting a breath of relief escape her, her white-haired friend was back with a sparkling material in his hand.

"Woah." NIGHT's eyes widened. Talk about rare -- she'd been expecting the occasional leaf-bit or sparkling white vagueness once again, but a solid piece of metal in the middle of nowhere felt like striking gold. "Lucky indeed! Wonder if there's any more of those around..."

As she continued to keep an eye on her stroll, she offered a wave of a hand to Yukiro. "Hah, it's fine! I appreciate the thought, though. ...It sure looks pretty." The woman rubbed her chin with two fingers, gaze resting on the platinum nugget in her friend's hands. "Might be pretty fitting inspiration for your armor crafting, if you're going back into it."

@Yukiro

Quote

ID: 137758 | LD: 13 | Material Search

Edited March 14, 2020 by NIGHT

[Yukiro 0]

Yukiro followed after NIGHT, quickly catching up to her with a few steps. He sighed a bit, placing the nugget in his inventory. "Well, if you don't want to take it now, I guess you can buy it from me later," he said with a slight air of mischievousness to his word, "Though, maybe I can give you a discount. After all, I've already more than taken advantage of your wallet," he said with a slight snicker and a large grin. 

"Anyway, we should refocus. We're getting a it far from town, so if something's gonna go wrong, it's bound to happen sooner rather than later." Yukiro took on a more serious tone, eyes starting to scan around them. "I'm not saying you should be tense, just on guard. Casualties are always worst when they're unexpected."
Huh, he thought to himself, I guess that studying war wasn't a total waste of time. 
"Hey, do you still have that pauldron I gave you a while back?" Yukiro asked out of nowhere, "I don't expect you to, I was just wondering. Don't ask why, 'cause I don't know."

@NIGHT

[NIGHT 0]

The scatter of breath that left NIGHT was only barely akin to a huff of disbelief. She still couldn't believe how quickly the vast amount of col from her coffers had been drained in a second's notice. "Just you wait," she added, "all it takes is an hour of training and a half -- I'll get it back eventually."

Not that she'd wanted to extend another invitation to feast with the ravenous man so soon. She'd definitely need a fund stashed away for a meal as such to happen again...

"Anyway, we should refocus. We're getting a it far from town, so if something's gonna go wrong, it's bound to happen sooner rather than later."

"Yeah," the player returned, turning her gaze back on the fields on the second. Though it looked to be a clear day out, what mist that usually lurked about the floor still managed to disrupt their vision just in the slightest, the swirling wisps drifting along idly just as the players' stroll had been. NIGHT shut an eye as she continued pacing, turning to Yukiro casually. "I'm fairly certain I can handle anything on this floor, but let me know if you manage to spot anything in the wild."

She couldn't remember if she'd kept around the pauldron when her friend had asked, however. A glance through her inventory told her otherwise, and with furrowed brows she shook her head back at the taller man. "Think I was running low on col when I discarded it. That, and I'd outgrown it a little too quickly. You could always make another though, can't you?"

[Yukiro 0]

"I'm fairly certain I can handle anything on this floor, but let me know if you manage to spot anything in the wild."

Yukiro suddenly felt the distinct urge to call NIGHT's attention to every single little living thing he noticed; a few birds flitting up in the trees, a furry mammal running in the brush a ways off, a lizard on a rock. But he decided against it. Besides, he didn't want to have the admittedly much stronger player distracted when the big moment came. 

Upon hearing that NIGHT gave up the pauldron, Yukiro felt... relived? He wasn't sure why, and didn't want to dwell on it too much. "It's not that big deal. That said, can I make another..? I dunno, I've never tried. I mostly just do requests, if I can help it. I don't really like making things anymore, though I feel like I should do something to help newer players. Since I had so much help getting started myself," Yukiro glanced over at NIGHT for a moment, "And I still am getting help, too."
Kind of pathetic of me, really. 
As he walked down what was becoming increasingly less path-like, the boy managed to barely avoid tripping and falling face-first into the ground. 

@NIGHT

 

[NIGHT 0]

"I don't think you'll ever stop receiving help from strangers," NIGHT commented, a light grin gracing her lips. "That's how it is in Aincrad, isn't it? You go on a quest or two, and end up running into other players looking to face the same boss. Just as you help them, they also lend their aid to you."

At the blacksmith's dismal perception of his own crafts, however, the woman turned her eyes towards the skies. "I've been only working on requests recently myself, if that knowledge helps. But it's always good to have a few items here and there in stock..." She didn't know too much about the differences between artisanry and metalwork, but the profession she did pick up had been one of the recommended ones for players looking to head into crafting. "Why not make a few pieces you think you'll get use out of and display them instead? --If you're really versatile, you could always don them out on adventures and then return them to your storefront when you're done with them."

[Yukiro 0]

"Hm. I suppose that is true. I guess, unless you actively seek to be alone," he paused for the briefest moment, considering his own actions, "...Nobody truly stands alone. Not here." It was honestly an inspiring thought. Perhaps he should try to meet more people... 

...Maybe not.

At NIGHT's suggestion to create things that he would use, Yukiro started to ponder. Now that he thought about it, he'd gotten extremely lucky in what weapons he'd gotten. It would be somewhat selfish of him to stop making weapons for others, especially since he'd been given so much. "...That might be a good idea. I'll think about it. Besides, I've got to find some way to make enough money to--" 
A sudden burst of sound came from beneath Yukiro. He leaped behind NIGHT, making a high-pitched shrieking noise as he drew his sword on instinct. But nothing was there.
As it turned out, he'd just stepped on a stick. 
The boy's face turned bright red, almost matching his eyes. Slowly, he sheathed his sword and, giving NIGHT a very dangerous look, slowly said, "...You will tell no one of this. Ever. Okay?"

@NIGHT

[NIGHT 0]

At the pause in their journey, NIGHT could only stare blankly at Yukiro, just as taken as he had been at the sudden crackle -- that was only underfoot. The edges of her lips curled up into a smirk, as her arms folded once more, waiting for the swordsman to catch up. "I'll see who asks first and think about it later."

An unlikely scenario for others to ask about a long-forgotten player. But it was entertaining nonetheless to the woman, had her taller friend started squirming under the pressure.

"Were you about to finish your sentence with 'paying for the crazy amount of food you consume every day'?"

No further than a few paces forward, and a dash of white crossed NIGHT's vision. Their mark? It looked small enough to be so from the player's estimate. "--You might want to do something about the little lurker nearby though," she commented, attempting to search for the drakeling with a scan across her surroundings. "If I don't tattle, he might."

[Yukiro 0]

Spoiler

Yukiro | 560 HP | 43/56 EN | 8 DMG | 3 ACC | 44 MIT | 3 EVA | 1 REG | 1 FLN 
NIGHT | 790 HP | 76 EN | 4 (3+1) ACC | 16 DMG | 2 EVA | 36 MIT | 2 PARA | 1 KEEN | 1 PARAV-D
Zylara - The Quartz Hatchling | 93/175 HP | 35 MIT | 1 ACC | 0 EVA | 65 DMG
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.

Roll ID: 177923 | BD: 9
Critical hit!
(8+1)*13= 117-35= 82 total DMG

It took Yukiro a moment to realize that the lurker NIGHT was referring to was, in fact, the dragon and not another player. Taking a moment to compose himself, he pushed any thoughts unrelated to the task at hand to the back of his mind. It was fighting time. Remember your practice while you were gone, he thought, trying to reassure himself, Don't let it go to waste.

Eyes scanning the fog and growth, Yukiro located the dragon. "Let me get a hit off first, then go ahead and end it," he quietly said to NIGHT before bursting off towards the small reptile. Odds were, NIGHT had already been planning that very thing. He just wanted to make certain of it. He may have lower numbers, but... Actually, at this point, NIGHT was probably also more skilled than him. 

Focus. Breath.

Taking a deep, controlled breath as he ran, Yukiro drew his sword and activated what was now his most familiar sword art. In a single, furious slash straight down into the dragon's head, Yukiro's unnamed sword smacked it's face into the ground before slicing right through it. Skidding to a stop and turning to face the dragon's back, sword raised, Yukiro prepared to defend himself incase NIGHT somehow managed to miss. 

Edited November 16, 2020 by Yukiro

[NIGHT 0]

She only turned around to look at the onslaught once Yukiro had boosted off the ground. Between the pair, it was he who seemed to need the exercise more, and yet even after all the time holed away in isolation, the edge hadn't been taken away from his training's prowess.

Perhaps this time, the hatchling would know they weren't exactly here to play with it.

When NIGHT had a clear shot towards their target's location, all it took was one tug of Tobi from its sheathe to spur her into action. The dragon seemed to stumble -- a pitiable sight had she been moved by its cuteness and size -- but it was virtual and fake and the players had a job to do. So it was with a sunder that the creature shattered into pieces, fragments scattering like dust.

The blade in her hand had a heft to it, as she stored her steel back into its hold. "All according to plan," NIGHT returned to her companion, giving Yukiro a smile and a nod.

Spoiler

ID: 177930 | BD: 5 +4 = 9 | <<Galaxy Destroyer>> vs Zylara, Quartz Hatchling.
The strike lands! (-13 EN)
16 * 13 = 208 DMG

---

Yukiro | 560 HP | 43/56 EN | 8 DMG | 3 ACC | 44 MIT | 3 EVA | 1 REG | 1 FLN 
NIGHT | 790 HP | 63/76 EN | 4 ACC | 16 DMG | 2 EVA | 36 MIT | 2 PARA | 1 KEEN | 1 PARAV-D
Zylara - The Quartz Hatchling | -115/175 HP (-208) | 35 MIT | 1 ACC | 0 EVA | 65 DMG
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.

[Yukiro 0]

Yukiro let out a long, slow breath as the dragon shattered under NIGHT's attack. He wasn't sure how much damage he'd actually done, but he supposed it didn't really matter. Letting the tip of his stygian sword fall to the ground and straightening his back, Yukiro relaxed his muscles. 
"Good swing," he praised NIGHT, "Did you learn your technique from trial and error? Or is there someone I should go learn from?" 
Admittedly, Yukiro was still bothered by how far behind he'd fallen, but that was really his own fault. It wasn't right to blame NIGHT for his own ineptitude. If anything, he should try and learn from her success. 
Now, there should be... Ah, there it is. 
The window to show the rewards for slaying the dragon popped up. Some exp, a touch of col, and, of course, a special item. 
<<Zylara's Quartz>>
"...I really want to know what these things are used for now. A quest, I assume." Yukiro closed the window and smiled at NIGHT. "Back to town, I guess?"

[NIGHT 0]

"The former," she admitted, fingers running through the back of her hair. "Enough time out training would hone that for anyone. But even I'm surprised." A raised palm was but to emphasize her point. "I guess it's based off muscle memory, seeing how you haven't lost your instinct for this sort of thing. Or maybe it's your training from time passed...?"

It was easy to forget how Yukiro was essentially an intermediate at the game; given the need for proper form, posture and instinct, NIGHT would probably have broken her wrist day one, whereas her friend would still be able to keep going. As she mulled over her memory, the player watched as her companion scooped up a gemstone in white, glittering colours of the rainbows when it was turned around in the man's hand.

She but tilted her head at the quartz. "What kind of quest would need these jewels?" Had it not been marked so uniquely so, the artisan might've mistaken it for a material to be used in one of her crafts instead. But at the invitation to trek back, she nodded, pacing along behind Yukiro.

[Yukiro 0]

"It's..." Yukiro briefly flashed back to his youth. Being almost forced to practice, day in, day out. It was for his benefit, he knew that, just not how exactly it benefitted him. Escpecially in a place where technique mattered less than numbers. But, oh well, he supposed. "It might be something along those lines. Maybe I'll tell you about it one day, if you can convince me."

As for what kind of quest this could entail... Honestly, the boy had no idea. "Maybe there's an NPC that collects them? Or maybe it's for a rock throwing contest? I dunno, you've done more of this than me." Walking back in what Yukiro really hoped was the right direction, he lead NIGHT through the only moderately thick mist. After a little while the vague path began to reform under the pair's feet. Yukiro let out a secret sigh of relief knowing he hadn't lead them astray. "Thanks for helping me out on this. I really do appreciate the help, even if you don't really need me yourself." 

"Ah... This... Might be the wrong path..."