F21/SP Hide n' Seek! <<The Hidden Village>>

[Oscar 0]

The Hidden Village

Oscar had just been hanging around his house, chilling out, when a sudden realization hit him. He hadn't actually gone out and had one of his trademark adventures in quite some time. Recently, his life had been filled with companionship, something he found himself eternally grateful for. However, there was also something to be said about striking out on his own and just blowing off some steam. When he got going, it was really difficult for him to stop and consider the people to his left and right. Ordinarily it wouldn't be an issue, but Oscar really wanted to get some work done by himself. So, he scarfed down and nearly an entire buffet of buffs and delivered genocide onto the slimes growing upon his farm. With all of his preparations made, Oscar headed up to Floor 21. He knew the exact quest he was going to do. One that had scared him before, but he was a big boy now. One of the Frontliners had even seen fit to bestow upon him a powerful weapon. It was time to get it done.

Spoiler

"TASTY" HOUSING BUFF APPLIED TO <<IMAGINE IF AZRAEL WAS A HOT DOG>> [+3 DMG, -45 MIT]
<<DIAMOND-INFUSED HOT DOG CONSUMED>> [+45 MIT]
<<TITAN'S STRENGTH>> CONSUMED [+3 DMG]
<<FOCUSED DOG>> CONSUMED [+2 ACC]
<<EVASION DOG>> CONSUMED [+2 EVA]
<<ULTRA LUCKY HOT DOG>> CONSUMED [+3 LD]
<<GOLDEN DOG>> CONSUMED [+3 PROSPERITY]
MEGA SLIME FARM USED [+2 SP TO THREAD]

 

Spoiler

Oscar - Lvl 50
1030 HP
100 Energy
3 Accuracy (+1 Precision + 2 Food)
5 Evasion (+3 Gear +2 Food)
25 Base Damage - (1 Base +7 Skill +1 Ferocity +9 Familiar +1 Athletics +3 Food +3 Potion)
106 Mitigation (+81 Gear +25 Skill -45 Food +45 Food)
12 Fallen
2 Burn
3 Loot Die (+3 Food)
3 Prosperity (+3 Food)

Equipment
Tesseleth’s Fury | Fallen, Fallen, Burn, Burn
Librarium Overcoat | +3 EVA
Mythril Greaves |  +81 MIT

Familiar
Leeroy & Jenkins - Familiar | +3*Tier DMG

Battle Ready Inventory
Teleportation Crystal
3 Healing Potions   | +30 HP Recovery
3 Healing Potion of Healing Healingness | T2 HP Recovery
Empty Inventory Slot |
Empty Inventory Slot |
Empty Inventory Slot |

Buffs
Well-Rested | -1 energy cost for the first three expenditures of each combat.
Filling | Increase the effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 slot.
Relaxed | Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts.
Col Stash | 5% Bonus Col from Monster kills and Chests
Squeaky Clean | The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 25%

Skills
2HBA | Rank 5: +8 Damage
Light Armor | Rank 5: +25 Damage Mitigation
Battle Healing | Rank 3: Recover 3% Max HP every round while in combat
Concentration | +1 to your BD (3 turn cooldown)
Survival | Heal 15*Tier HP when out of battle
Parry | 2-turn CD, 5 EN Half damage of next attack and remove Stun/Paralysis effects
Meditation | 3-turn CD. Recover an additional (5 * Tier) energy. Getting hit by an attack before the beginning of your next turn reduces the energy recovered to (3 * Tier).

Skill Mods
Ferocity                   | Increases Base Damage by 1
Athletics                  | Increases Base Damage by 1, Max HP by 10*tier
Precision                 | Increases Accuracy by 1
Justified Riposte      | Successful Parries Stun Opponent, 3 Turn CD

[Oscar 0]

Spoiler

Oscar 1030/1030 HP | 83/100 EN | 25 DMG | 3 ACC | 5 EVA | 12 FLN | 2 BRN | 106 MIT | 3 LD | 3 PRS

Explode Catapult vs Cave Bat1 ID: 137816 BD9 Deal 289 DMG Burn Applied
Explode Catapult vs Cave Bat2 ID: 137817 BD9 Deal 289 DMG Burn Applied

[BURNING]Cave Bat1 675/1000 [-289][-36]HP | 175 DMG | 75 MIT | 1 ACC | 2 EVA MD5-5 Miss
[BURNING]Cave Bat2 675/1000 [-289][-36] HP | 175 DMG | 75 MIT | 1 ACC | 2 EVA MD8-5 Miss

You see, rumors had been spreading about a strange, hidden village on Floor 21. No one knew the way to the village. That was due to one of two reasons. Option A, no one was willing to impart the information. Or Option B, no one could make it past the Cave Bats to find the place. For you see, the quest led you to a cave guarded by some particularly powerful enemies. When Oscar was still Tier 2, he made sure to stay well away from that cave. But now? Now it was time to see what Tesseleth's Fury could do. Oscar, being one to run in guns blazing, did just that. Both attacks landed as critical hits upon the bats. The creatures screeched as Tesseleth's Fury seared their flesh with a Burn debuff. They lashed out wildly, but Oscar was able to dance out of the way of their blows. In one strike, he had managed to reduce the both of them to nearly half of their health. Things were going along swimmingly.

[Oscar 0]

Spoiler

[Paralyzed]Oscar 686/1030 HP | 66/100 EN | 25 DMG | 3 ACC | 5 EVA | 12 FLN | 2 BRN | 106 MIT | 3 LD | 3 PRS

Explode Catapult vs Cave Bat1 ID: 137818 BD5+3 Deal 289 DMG
Explode Catapult vs Cave Bat2 ID: 137819 BD2+3 Miss.

[BURNING]Cave Bat1 350/1000 [-289][-36]HP | 175 DMG | 75 MIT | 1 ACC | 2 EVA MD9 Deal 172 DMG
[BURNING]Cave Bat2 639/1000 [-36] HP | 175 DMG | 75 MIT | 1 ACC | 2 EVA MD9 Deal 172 DMG 

Round two had begun. Oscar was sitting. His alpha strike had been absolutely dominating, reducing both of his enemies to nearly half of their health and applying a burn DoT. This quest had been worrisome for quite some time, but it seemed as if he was at an advantage. He let fly another Explode Catapult. One of the bats was able to dance out of the way of the attack. The other one, however, took the full brunt of the hit. His surprise attack had granted him a bit of an advantage, but the Bats suddenly turned and sunk their claws into his shoulder blades. He felt his body go numb as their venom seeped into his veins. Paralysis. He hadn't exactly accounted for that. Not only that, but they had done significant damage to him. He would have to hope that neither of them scored a crit next round, further refreshing the duration of the paralysis. Of all the ways to go out, Oscar definitely didn't want to get stunlocked to death.

[Oscar 0]

Spoiler

Oscar 597/1030 [+30] HP | 66/100 EN | 25 DMG | 3 ACC | 5 EVA | 12 FLN | 2 BRN | 106 MIT | 3 LD | 3 PRS

Cave Bat1 350/1000 HP | 175 DMG | 75 MIT | 1 ACC | 2 EVA ID: 137820 MD7 Deal 119 DMG
Cave Bat2 639/1000 HP | 175 DMG | 75 MIT | 1 ACC | 2 EVA ID: 137820 MD3 Miss

Battle Healing. He'd almost forgotten that he had invested in the skill. Although it was a pittance considering the sheer damage that the bats had brought to bear, any recovery was a godsend at this point. One of the bats wound up, slicing through Oscar's chest easily. After all, he couldn't very well dodge while he was paralyzed, could he? The other bat seemed to have suddenly lost whatever je ne sais quoi it had when it landed that crit and completely whiffed the attack against a stationary target. Oscar was grateful for this. He could console himself that next turn, he would be back at it again. Hopefully, he wouldn't get immediately critted again. Being paralyzed right as he was able to move again would certainly be high on Oscar's list of things that would suck.

[Oscar 0]

Spoiler

Oscar 627/1030 [+30] HP | 64/100 EN | 25 DMG | 3 ACC | 5 EVA | 12 FLN | 2 BRN | 106 MIT | 3 LD | 3 PRS

Explode Catapult vs Cave Bat1 ID: 137822 BD3+3-1 Miss
Explode Catapult vs Cave Bat2 ID: 137823 BD3+3-1 Miss

Cave Bat1 350/1000 HP | 175 DMG | 75 MIT | 1 ACC | 2 EVA MD1 Miss
Cave Bat2 639/1000 HP | 175 DMG | 75 MIT | 1 ACC | 2 EVA MD3 Miss

Speaking of missing je ne sais quoi, Oscar's first attack after being released from the grip of paralysis absolutely sucked. Not only did he not hit anything - further extending the risk that he would be stunlocked to death - but his burn debuffs had faded from the creatures. This meant that he scored a whopping ZERO damage on the two enemies. Mercifully, his evasion properties were now in play once again. So when the beasts moved to strike, Oscar was able to dance away from their claws with relative ease. Even in the cramped quarters of the cave, Oscar somehow found plenty of room to maneuver. One Fallen Proc, that's all it would take. If he could manage to land a Fallen Proc, this fight would be over. Or, at the very least, much easier. Tesseleth's Fury had a 30% chance of doing just that. He just had to hope it came through in the clutch.

[Oscar 0]

Spoiler

Oscar 657/1030 [+30] HP | 46/100 EN | 25 DMG | 3 ACC | 5 EVA | 12 FLN | 2 BRN | 106 MIT | 3 LD | 3 PRS

Explode Catapult vs Cave Bat1 ID: 137824 BD4+3-1 Deal 275 DMG
Explode Catapult vs Cave Bat2 ID: 137825 BD10 Deal 303 DMG

Cave Bat1 75/1000 [-275]HP | 175 DMG | 75 MIT | 1 ACC | 2 EVA MD3-5 Miss
Cave Bat2 304/1000 [-303][-32]HP | 175 DMG | 75 MIT | 1 ACC | 2 EVA MD5-5 Miss

Once more, Oscar sent the deadly edge of Tesseleth's Fury screaming through the air towards the beasts. This time, his weapon found purchase in their bodies. His strike flew true and the edge of the axe found itself caught on one of the bat's collar bone. He gave a mighty tug, following through with the attack and slicing through the other bat in the same motion. Like a hot knife through butter, the axe left a grievous wound behind. Literally like a hot knife through butter. One of the assholes was on fire again. It screeched and flailed, lashing out blindly with its claws. But, much like last time, Oscar danced out of the way. So caught up in the searing pain, the first bat actually trapped the second one behind it, making its attack that much easier to dodge. Oscar spun his weapon around in his hand. If he played his cards right, this fight would be decided next round.

[Oscar 0]

Spoiler

Oscar 687/1030 [+30] HP | 28/100 EN | 25 DMG | 3 ACC | 5 EVA | 12 FLN | 2 BRN | 106 MIT | 3 LD | 3 PRS

Explode Catapult vs Cave Bat1 ID: 137826 BD9 Deal 289 DMG
Explode Catapult vs Cave Bat2 ID: 137827 BD9 Deal 289 DMG

Cave Bat1 0/1000 HP | 175 DMG | 75 MIT | 1 ACC | 2 EVA
Cave Bat2 0/1000 HP | 175 DMG | 75 MIT | 1 ACC | 2 EVA

And, just like the first round, Oscar finished the fight with two critical hits. As Tesseleth's Fury claimed their souls, the froze mid attack. Then, their models began to flicker. Cracks began to spiderweb over their forms. Light poured from the fractures as they grew more severe. Then, at the drop of the hat, the creatures abruptly shattered. With a flourish, Oscar slung Tesseleth's Fury over his back, letting out a shaky sigh of relief. He was glad that was over. The details of the quest - the strength of the mobs and his lack of skill with stealth made this quest so much more difficult than it could potentially be. He was glad that he was able to pull through just fine. His eyes flicked up to his health bar. His mitigation stat had been next to useless against the creatures. He had hoped that it would go just a bit farther, but here he was, disappointed. Perhaps his build required further refinement.

[Oscar 0]

Spoiler

Oscar 837/1030 HP | 29/100 EN | 25 DMG | 3 ACC | 5 EVA | 12 FLN | 2 BRN | 106 MIT | 3 LD | 3 PRS
Found dude
Consumed 3 Healing Potions [+90 HP]

But the quest wasn't over yet. He still had to locate the village for the quest to truly be considered over. If only he knew how to do that. But, the only way forward was forward so that was the direction he went. Oscar scarcely took one step before he heard a man calling for him from one of the alcoves. Poking his head inside, he saw a man chained to the wall.

"Y-you killed those creatures, yes? If you help me out of here, I'll show you where my village is!"

Oscar didn't even have to think of a moment. He deftly sliced through the chains with Tesseleth's Fury, leaving half-melted still rings behind. The man quickly bolted out of his alcove and Oscar took off after him. At this point, Oscar didn't know if he was in a hurry to be free of this place or if he was trying to go back on his word. Either way, Oscar knew following him was the best way to find the village.

[Oscar 0]

Spoiler

Oscar 897/1030 HP | 30/100 EN | 25 DMG | 3 ACC | 5 EVA | 12 FLN | 2 BRN | 106 MIT | 3 LD | 3 PRS
Found village

It quickly became apparent that the man had just feared for his life. Oscar lost sight of the man fairly quickly. There was something to be said about being in familiar terrain and the inherent advantages it brought. What was more, the man stepped lightly. Hardly a broken twig or stray leaf was left in his wake. Thus, Oscar had nothing to track. But, more than a few times, the man turned around and made sure Oscar was behind him. Eventually, they came to the secret village. Before Oscar could even set foot inside, the Chieftain of the village approached him.

"Halt outsider! Entry to our village is forbidden! But, we owe you a debt of gratitude for rescuing our kinsman. Take this and leave. Tell no one of what you saw here."

A set of light armor was thrown at Oscar. He accepted it and shrugged. He didn't really need any sort of extra rewards from the quest, he was just happy to be done with it.

[Oscar 0]

Spoiler

Oscar 567/1030 HP [-390][+30]| 78/100 EN | 25 DMG | 3 ACC | 5 EVA | 12 FLN | 2 BRN | 106 MIT | 3 LD | 3 PRS

Explode Catapult to Spider1 ID: 137830 BD7+3 FLN Proc Deal 518 DMG
Explode Catapult to Spider2 ID: 137831 BD5+3 Deal 350 DMG
Explode Catapult to Spider3 ID: 137832 BD3+3 Deal 350 DMG
Explode Catapult to Spider4 ID: 137832 BD6+3 FLN Proc Deal 518 DMG

Spider1 482/1000 HP | 300 DMG MD9 Deal 195 DMG
Spider2 650/1000 HP | 300 DMG MD5
Spider3 650/1000 HP | 300 DMG MD9 Deal 195 DMG
Spider4 482/1000 HP | 300 DMG MD4

Now that he was all the way up here, perhaps some grinding was just what the doctor ordered. It had been quite some time since he'd gone out on his own and farmed some resources. Honestly, he was really hurting for Tier 3 materials. Thus, he meandered over to his favorite farming spot and called the spiders. Well, not so much "called" the spiders as it was "existed in their general vicinity." For you see, the spiders were not one to turn up and easy meal. Or, at least a meal that they perceived as easy. As they skittered into range, Oscar struck with Tesseleth's Fury. Immediately, two of the spiders were knocked into the yellow. A Fallen Proc. He sword under his breath as the spiders landed their crits against him. He clicked his tongue and put some space between himself and the spiders. "Oh now you want to activate!"

[Oscar 0]

Spoiler

Oscar 401/1030 HP [-196][+30]| 57/100 EN | 25 DMG | 3 ACC | 5 EVA | 12 FLN | 2 BRN | 106 MIT | 3 LD | 3 PRS

Explode Catapult to Spider1 ID: 137834 BD1+3 Miss
Explode Catapult to Spider2 ID: 137835 BD7+3 Deal 518 DMG
Explode Catapult to Spider3 ID: 137836 BD2+3 Miss
Explode Catapult to Spider4 ID: 137837 BD10  Deal 378 DMG

Spider1 482/1000 HP | 300 DMG MD1 Miss
Spider2 132/1000 HP | 300 DMG MD10 Deal 196 DMG
Spider3 650/1000 HP | 300 DMG MD8-3  Miss
Spider4 104/1000 HP | 300 DMG MD6-3 Miss

His second attack wasn't very fantastic. He missed half of them. Though he managed to land a Fallen Proc on one of them - critburning another - one of the spiders seemed to have it in for Oscar's gibbly bits. He took a wary look at his health bar. If he didn't kill a few of them - and fast - he would find himself not living anymore. On the list of ways Oscar would like to die, the entry "Murdered by spiders" was several orders of magnitude lower than "stunlocked to death." At least there was some excuse for being stunlocked to death. He could picture Bahr now. Yeah, dumbass couldn't even fight off some spiders. That was somehow worse than He got stunlocked, what could he do? Oscar didn't feel like he could truly find peace in the afterlife knowing that his manner of death would be a source of infinite ridicule.

[Oscar 0]

Spoiler

Oscar 531/1030 HP [+30]| 36/100 EN | 25 DMG | 3 ACC | 5 EVA | 12 FLN | 2 BRN | 106 MIT | 3 LD | 3 PRS

Explode Catapult to Spider1 ID: 137838 BD7+3 FLN Proc Deal 518 DMG
Explode Catapult to Spider2 ID: 137839 BD5+3 Deal 350 DMG
Explode Catapult to Spider3 ID: 137840 BD7+3 FLN Proc Deal 518 DMG
Explode Catapult to Spider4 ID: 137841 BD7+3 FLN Proc Deal 518 DMG

Spider1 0/1000 HP | 300 DMG ID: 137842 LD12+3, CD11 10,500 Col, 2 T3 Materials, Rare T3 Armor
Spider2 0/1000 HP | 300 DMG ID: 137843 LD8+3, CD4 10,500 Col, T3 Consumable
Spider3 132/1000 HP | 300 DMG MD4-3 Miss
Spider4 0/1000 HP | 300 DMG  ID: 137844 LD17+3, CD6 8,400 Col, 2 T3 Materials, T3 Perfect Armor, T3 Perfect Trinket

Thankfully, Oscar didn't have to consider what would be said at his funeral. Tesseleth's Fury finally came through in the clutch. Three Fallen Procs activated on a single swipe of his AoE. This instantly caused three of the spiders to disintegrate into dust. The final remaining spider lashed out at Oscar, but missed him by a mile. Thankful to stop hemorrhaging health for once, Oscar collected his loot and then turned his focus back to the spider. At least, when Tesseleth's Fury decided to be kind to him, he did ridiculous amounts of damage. He wasn't exactly sure that he would have been able to survive many more rounds of combat with the edge the weapon provided. But now, he just had one final spider to stomp. If this one spider managed to subvert expectations and become the spider who killed him, he wouldn't even be mad. That would be impressive.

[Oscar 0]

Spoiler

Oscar 571/1030 HP [+30]| 36/100 EN | 25 DMG | 3 ACC | 5 EVA | 12 FLN | 2 BRN | 106 MIT | 3 LD | 3 PRS

Screw Dimension to Spider3 ID: 137840 BD3+3 Deal 350 DMG

Spider3 0/1000 HP | 300 DMG ID: 137846 LD17+3, CD9 10,500 Col, 4 T3 Materials, T3 Perfect Weapon

This time, Oscar wasn't going to waste his time on a final Explode Catapult. Situations like these - when only one mob remained - was the reason why the Good Lord made Screw Dimension. And Screw Dimension really screwed this spider up. Legs flew in all directions before shattering like glass and floating away on the wind. Oscar collect his loot and took a look at his health bar. Those spiders really took him to the Screw Dimension if you're picking up what I'm putting down. He really needed to be more careful going forward. He wasn't afraid of spiders. He wasn't really afraid of dying. He was, however, terrified to dying to spiders. Bahr would bring him back to life just to kill him again, all the while telling him how stupid he was for letting the little asshole nibble on the gibbly bits to the point of death. It just wasn't worth the heartache.

[Oscar 0]

Spoiler

Oscar 631/1030 HP | 37/100 EN | 25 DMG | 3 ACC | 5 EVA | 12 FLN | 2 BRN | 106 MIT | 3 LD | 3 PRS
ID: 137847 LD9 Nothing Found

Now, it was time to rest. While he had some energy left, he definitely didn't have enough to jump straight back into combat either. Not to mention he was sitting at just over half health. If the last round had been any indication, he would need more than that if he wanted to perform this grind safely. Oscar didn't remember ever worrying over his health this much in the past. But then again, Oscar had never fought enemies this powerful before either. It was worth noting at this point that the spiders he was facing were stronger than any quest boss he had fought up till now. They actually dealt more damage than the Cave Bats he was so concerned with before. Oscar continued musing to himself about their relative power levels as he searched high and low for materials. When he didn't find any, he merely shrugged his shoulders and moved on.

[Oscar 0]

Spoiler

Oscar 661/1030 HP | 38/100 EN | 25 DMG | 3 ACC | 5 EVA | 12 FLN | 2 BRN | 106 MIT | 3 LD | 3 PRS
ID: 137848 LD17 T3 Material Found

Eventually, Oscar managed to find and pick a flower. He didn't know what the flower would do, or even how it grew in the gloomy floor 21. But, he figured he could use it to season his hot dogs. Not that they needed any seasonings. No, they were perfect as they were. But materials were still materials and he found himself with a profound lack of T3 mats. This one material would be a drop in the bucket compared to what he needed, but it would go a long way into updating his shop for the Frontliners he would be bound to attract now that he was a Grandmaster Cook. He just had to be careful. He couldn't feed anyone if the spiders were feeding on his gibbly bits. It wouldn't be long now before his energy was completely restored. He wouldn't give fully back into the grind, but he felt confident about squashing a spider or two for some extra loots.

[Oscar 0]

Spoiler

Oscar 721/1030 HP | 88/100 EN | 25 DMG | 3 ACC | 5 EVA | 12 FLN | 2 BRN | 106 MIT | 3 LD | 3 PRS

Screw Dimension vs Spider ID: 137849 BD7+3 FLN Proc Deal 481 DMG

Spider 519/1000 HP | 300 DMG | 1 ACC | -1 EVA MD1 Miss

Oscar managed to locate a single spider that was just sitting out here chilling by itself. Clearly, the obvious course of action was to exterminate it with extreme prejudice. He readied his axe and rushed forward. Tesseleth's Fury cleaved downward through the air, falling upon the spider. A burst of dark energy radiated from the point of impact - Fallen had activated. The creature's health bar tanked as the it received the full brunt of the Fallen Damage. It made an effort to strike Oscar, but found itself unable to do so. He hopped back, giving himself some breathing room. His axe lent itself well to wide arcs, something he couldn't really do in close quarters. He spun his weapon around in his hands, confident of his advantage. One more Fallen Proc, perhaps spiced up with Burn, would end the creature. Could Oscar win the lottery here?

[Oscar 0]

Spoiler

Oscar 751/1030 HP | 77/100 EN | 25 DMG | 3 ACC | 5 EVA | 12 FLN | 2 BRN | 106 MIT | 3 LD | 3 PRS

Screw Dimension vs Spider ID: 137850 BD10 Deal 351 DMG

Spider 168/1000 HP | 300 DMG | 1 ACC | -1 EVA MD5+1-5 Miss

No dice. Oscar rushed forward, swinging his axe down on the creature. Instead of a Fallen Proc, Oscar landed a greater critical on the creature. Under ordinary circumstances, this would be amazing. But he no longer used his Holy weapon - though it had followed him in the Tiers thanks to its Cursed Enhancement. The saving grace was that he had activated a burn proc on the creature. The spider ignited, flailing its limbs about wildly as the spicy bleed dealt even more damage. Despite its wild writhing, Oscar was able to easily dodge the attacks. He hopped back again, ready to finish this fight with one final blow. Knowing his luck, this would be the attack in which he landed a Fallen Proc. Precisely when he didn't need it. But, Lady Luck giveth and Lady Luck taketh away. He couldn't be too mad. Given the choice between Fallen with bad timing or no Fallen, he would definitely choose the former.

[Oscar 0]

Spoiler

Oscar 781/1030 HP | 66/100 EN | 25 DMG | 3 ACC | 5 EVA | 12 FLN | 2 BRN | 106 MIT | 3 LD | 3 PRS

Screw Dimension vs Spider ID: 137851 BD6+3 Deal 518 DMG

Spider 0/1000 HP | 300 DMG | 1 ACC | -1 EVA ID: 137852 LD4+3, CD3 8,400 Col, 2 T3 Materials, Uncommon T3 Consumable

As he thought, Fallen with bad timing. As he rushed forward, Tesseleth's Fury took on a dark, spectral glow. He struck the spider with all of his might, triggering yet another burst of tenebrous energy upon impact. The spider's health bar was depleted, causing the arachnid to shatter and leaving Oscar with only the loot to be collected. And collect it he did. Gladly. His health was regenerating at a fair clip - something that was making him less nervous. Battle Healing didn't heal much all at once, but it definitely added up. He couldn't wait to finish ranking the skill up, in all honesty. Extra healing was always nice. But it made Oscar think. What was he going to do with the surplus of SP he would probably find himself in possession of? He only had so many skill slots. But even considering that, he found himself wondering whether he would ever have enough SP to use them all.

[Oscar 0]

Spoiler

Oscar 841/1030 HP | 67/100 EN | 25 DMG | 3 ACC | 5 EVA | 12 FLN | 2 BRN | 106 MIT | 3 LD | 3 PRS
ID: 137853 LD6+3 Nothing Found

Now that he was out of combat, he could allow his health and energy to refill freely. As he did so, Oscar busied himself trying to find more materials to make his down time a bit more profitable. Try as he might, however, he couldn't really get the whole future of his skillset thing out of his head. Maybe he could dabble in stealth? No, that was silly. What kind of fool would he look like skulking about with a huge-ass axe on his back? Stealth lent itself better of more concealable or nimble weapons. Perhaps if he still used a Katana. Plus there was the whole fact that he was pretty discontent with his build right now. He'd pushed heavily into Mitigation, but it still seemed like he was getting absolutely chunked every which way but the right way. Evasion didn't really avail him much on critical hits. In fact, crits bypassed it. But was it worth changing up his entire build over?

[Oscar 0]

Spoiler

Oscar 871/1030 HP | 68/100 EN | 25 DMG | 3 ACC | 5 EVA | 12 FLN | 2 BRN | 106 MIT | 3 LD | 3 PRS
ID: 137854 LD12+3 T3 Material Found

Regardless of which way it went, his question wasn't answered by acknowledging his discontent with his build. Perhaps it was just bias talking. You don't notice the times that the weatherman is right, but you notice when the weatherman is wrong. Perhaps this was one such situation. He didn't really notice the times in which Evasion had saved his ass, but he did notice the times where it did absolutely nothing for him. The Mitigation wasn't there as a primary defensive resource. It was there to save his ass against errant crits. The monsters he was fighting just seemed to be doing so much more damage than he found himself capable of dealing with, unfortunately. His Mitigation only seemed to be reducing damage by 30% at this point. While that wasn't anything to sneeze at, the fact a single hit from a creature could deal almost 20% of his health in damage after Mitigation was concerning.