[E3/SP/F21]More Spiders, I Guess <<Nature's Treasure>>

[Oscar 0]

Spoiler

Oscar 1140/1140 HP | 59/110 EN | 25 DMG | 4 ACC | 3 EVA | 121 MIT | VAMP-DEF | 12 FLN | 36 BRN[BD8-10] | 57 BH | 3 REC | 3 LD | 3 PRS

Explode Catapult vs Spider18 ID: 141791 BD6+4 Deal 518 DMG
Explode Catapult vs Spider20 ID: 141792 BD5+4 Deal 350 DMG

Spider18 0/700 HP | 165 DMG ID: 141795 LD13+3, CD3 2 Eggs, 5,145 Col, 5 T3 Materials
Spider20 0/700 HP | 165 DMG ID: 141796 LD15+3, CD2 2 Eggs, 6,615 Col, 3 T3 Materials

More sustainable solutions were in order. Both for him and everyone that he helped. Encouragement was helpful, sometimes even necessary. But it did little to truly motivate. Oscar was just one man. He could not possibly fill the needs of an ever-burgeoning population. At a certain point, just as he was responsible seeking his own order, they too were responsible for improving their circumstances. It was time to step back from the forefront and help them take control for themselves. With any luck, both Oscar and those he spent so much time and energy aiding would both grow for it. He was under no delusion however. It wouldn't be easy. The first step never was. But without doing this - catalyzing his metamorphosis - he would never get anywhere. With his escaping this game being his chief goal, Oscar simply could not afford not to prioritize his own well-being. It would only get more difficult from here.

[Oscar 0]

Spoiler

Oscar 1094/1140 HP | 41/110 EN | 25 DMG | 4 ACC | 3 EVA | 121 MIT | VAMP-DEF | 12 FLN | 36 BRN[BD8-10] | 57 BH | 3 REC | 3 LD | 3 PRS

Explode Catapult vs Spider21 ID: 141815 BD6+4 Deal 518 DMG CD12, Recovery Activates +3 EN
Explode Catapult vs Spider22 ID: 141816 BD5+4 Deal 350 DMG
Explode Catapult vs Spider23 ID: 141817 BD6+4 Deal 518 DMG
Explode Catapult vs Spider24 ID: 141818 BD3+4 Deal 350 DMG

Spider21 182/700 HP | 165 DMG MD10 Deal 46 DMG
Spider22 350/700 HP | 165 DMG MD6-3 Miss
Spider23 182/700 HP | 165 DMG MD5 Miss
Spider24 350/700 HP | 165 DMG MD4 Miss

The first step actually coincided with his current goal at the moment. The time that he was spending here, slaying meaningless spiders, was time that he wasn't feeding the homeless and orphaned. People might think him cold for it, but the charity was over. It wasn't exasperation, frustration, or feeling taken for granted that brought this decision about. It was simply time for the people of Floor One to stand on their own two feet. Oscar couldn't carry them. That didn't mean that he would turn them away, but his priorities had to change. The Labyrinth Guardian would be brought low any day now and the Raid Boss would be accessible at any moment. After meeting Baldur, he realized that as skilled as he was, that didn't make up for tactical mastery. He couldn't even predict what a 14-year-old boy would do at this point - a skill that he'd let stagnate.

[Oscar 0]

Spoiler

Oscar 1140/1140 HP | 23/110 EN | 25 DMG | 4 ACC | 3 EVA | 121 MIT | VAMP-DEF | 12 FLN | 36 BRN[BD8-10] | 57 BH | 3 REC | 3 LD | 3 PRS

Explode Catapult vs Spider21 ID: 141819 BD7+4 Deal 518 DMG CD7, Recovery Activates +3 EN
Explode Catapult vs Spider22 ID: 141820 BD6+4 Deal 518 DMG
Explode Catapult vs Spider23 ID: 141821 BD9 Deal 364 DMG
Explode Catapult vs Spider24 ID: 141822 BD5+4 Deal 350 DMG

Spider21 0/700 HP | 165 DMG ID: 141823 LD12+3, CD2 2 Eggs, 8,085 Col, 1 T3 Material
Spider22 0/700 HP | 165 DMG ID: 141824 LD14+3, CD7 5 Eggs, 6,615 Col, 3 T3 Materials
Spider23 0/700 HP | 165 DMG ID: 141825 LD10+3, CD3 2 Eggs, 6,615 Col, 3 T3 Materials
Spider24 0/700 HP | 165 DMG ID: 141826 LD18+3, CD1 2 Eggs, 6,615 Col, 3 T3 Materials

Oscar never in his wildest dreams imagined that he would ever wish that he was still as streetwise as he was in his youth. He never imagined this because he knew what it took in order to develop that skill. And yet, he would need to find some way to reconcile the man he was now with what he used to be. For all of his desire to keep the people around him safe, the surest-fire way to do it would be to take a long walk off of a short cliff. If Oscar wasn't in the picture, then Tyson would have no reason to go after anyone. A relief, then, that he wasn't so self-sacrificing that he considered the idea even remotely appealing.

I like living.

A thought with such clarity had never before crossed his mind. Such an obvious statement never warranted being put into words. At least, he never considered saying it to be particularly important.

[Oscar 0]

Spoiler

Oscar 1140/1140 HP | 24/110 EN | 25 DMG | 4 ACC | 3 EVA | 121 MIT | VAMP-DEF | 12 FLN | 36 BRN[BD8-10] | 57 BH | 3 REC | 3 LD | 3 PRS
ID: 141828 CD11, LD7+3 4 Eggs, 4 T3 Materials

I like living carried with it a certain finality that, up until this point, Oscar had been utterly deprived of. His mind, formerly abuzz with a chaotic storm of thoughts and concerns, began to wrap itself around the concept. As it sank into the depths of his mind like an anchor. He was as a spectator to his own actions. While he found himself on the precipice of a major psychological breakthrough, he still went through the motions of what he had come here to do. He cast his line into the water, his hook sinking into the depths as he fought with himself. As the calm descended upon his mind, he realized that he didn't need to return to who he used to be in order to combat this threat to himself and his friends. He still possessed the skills he developed from living on the streets. They had been etched into the very core of his being. It was his existence and he had the power to choose what it was and how he operated.

[Oscar 0]

Spoiler

Oscar 1140/1140 HP | 25/110 EN | 25 DMG | 4 ACC | 3 EVA | 121 MIT | VAMP-DEF | 12 FLN | 36 BRN[BD8-10] | 57 BH | 3 REC | 3 LD | 3 PRS
ID: 141829 CD9, LD16+3 3 T3 Materials, 8 Eggs

His biggest fear had been by tapping into his past, he would have to live his present behind. He had made the mistake of placing the man he was now on a pedestal. As if that was the only thing he was. A product of luck, compassion, and hard work. By denying who he used to be - someone who would survive by any means necessary, he had created a schism in his mind. It was impossible for him to reconcile the good he did without acknowledging the bad that had motivated him. It called everything into question. Did he do the things he did because he was a good person or because he wanted people to think that he was good? He'd never been one to really, overtly take into consideration what other people thought of him. Was it possible, despite that, on a subconscious level he was forcing his darker side down out of a fear of what other people would think about him if they were armed with the knowledge of his past?

[Oscar 0]

Spoiler

Oscar 1049/1140 HP | 88/110 EN | 25 DMG | 4 ACC | 3 EVA | 121 MIT | VAMP-DEF | 12 FLN | 36 BRN[BD8-10] | 57 BH | 3 REC | 3 LD | 3 PRS

Explode Catapult vs Spider25 ID: 141830 BD2+4 Deal 350 DMG
Explode Catapult vs Spider26 ID: 141831 BD2+4 Deal 350 DMG
Explode Catapult vs Spider27 ID: 141832 BD7+4 Deal 518 DMG
Explode Catapult vs Spider28 ID: 141833 BD9 Deal 364 DMG

Spider25 350/700 HP | 165 DMG MD6-3 Miss
Spider26 350/700 HP | 165 DMG MD9 Deal 45 DMG
Spider27 182/700 HP | 165 DMG MD7-3 Miss
Spider28 336/700 HP | 165 DMG MD10 Deal 46 DMG

It was, after all, a bell that could not be unrung. If they knew the things that he did to survive in his youth, they may justify it. But they would still know exactly what Oscar was capable of. The things he would be willing to do when the chips were down and he was left with no choice. Did he have it in him - so many years later - to go there again? If his back was truly to the wall, what would he do? Now that he was a man, how far would he be willing to go?

"As far as is necessary. It's not just about me anymore."

The thought hit him like a ton of bricks. It caused him so much pause that two of the spiders he was currently entrenched in combat with managed to actually hit him. As he had feared, his baser instincts were still as strong as ever.

[Oscar 0]

Spoiler

Oscar 1106/1140 HP | 69/110 EN | 25 DMG | 4 ACC | 3 EVA | 121 MIT | VAMP-DEF | 12 FLN | 36 BRN[BD8-10] | 57 BH | 3 REC | 3 LD | 3 PRS

Explode Catapult vs Spider25 ID: 141834 BD1 Miss
Explode Catapult vs Spider26 ID: 141835 BD4+4 Deal 350 DMG
Explode Catapult vs Spider27 ID: 141836 BD9 Deal 364 DMG
Explode Catapult vs Spider28 ID: 141837 BD6+4 Deal 518 DMG

Spider25 350/700 HP | 165 DMG MD5-3 Miss
Spider26 0/700 HP | 165 DMG ID: 141839 LD11+3, CD2 2 Eggs, 6,615 Col, 3 T3 Materials
Spider27 0/700 HP | 165 DMG ID: 141840 LD19+3, CD11 6 Eggs, 9,555 Col, 5 T3 Materials
Spider28 0/700 HP | 165 DMG ID: 141841 LD17+3, CD4 3 Eggs, 6,615 Col, 3 T3 Materials

He took a pause for a moment. He couldn't afford to let himself get so distracted that he let these spiders whittle his health bar down to zero. His eyes narrowed to an icy glare as he reaffirmed his grip on Tesseleth's Fury. He let fly an Explode Catapult, catching three of the four spiders in front of him. Something had stoked his rage, he realized as he carved through their ranks with his axe. He didn't remember ever letting himself get this angry in recent memory. There was something about being right at the edge of probably the biggest mental breakthrough of your life that made any distractions that much more infuriating. He absolutely hated the thought that these spiders had been so lucky that they had struck him hard enough to bring him out of his very important work on himself. As the spiders shattered, Oscar struggled to keep hold of all of it.

[Oscar 0]

Spoiler

Oscar 1106/1140 HP | 57/110 EN | 25 DMG | 4 ACC | 3 EVA | 121 MIT | VAMP-DEF | 12 FLN | 36 BRN[BD8-10] | 57 BH | 3 REC | 3 LD | 3 PRS

Explode Catapult vs Spider25 ID: 141842 BD8+4 Deal 518 DMG CD8 Recovery activates, +3 EN

Spider25 0/700 HP | 165 DMG ID: 141844 LD19+3, CD4 3 Eggs, 6,615 Col, 3 T3 Materials

Like water through his fingers, he felt it all slip away. He roared in frustration as he brought Tesseleth's Fury down in a wide arc and executed the lone remaining spider. His face contorted into a scowl as kicked the remnant of the arachnid towards the nearest rock formation. The mangled spider sailed through the air and shattered against the rock. "F--king b-stard," Oscar growled. Fury still burning through his veins, Oscar collected his loot and made his way towards the next group. If he couldn't make any headway on the important stuff, he'd double down on this whole spider genocide thing. At the very least, it might give him an outlet for all of this newfound rage. Oscar often found himself surprised by the extent to which he simply did not know himself. He never fathomed that he could display this level of aggressive rage. If he were being completely honest with himself, it was preferable to being sad all of the time.

[Oscar 0]

Spoiler

Oscar 1140/1140 HP | 39/110 EN | 25 DMG | 4 ACC | 3 EVA | 121 MIT | VAMP-DEF | 12 FLN | 36 BRN[BD8-10] | 57 BH | 3 REC | 3 LD | 3 PRS

Explode Catapult vs Spider29 ID: 141854 BD4+4 Deal 350 DMG CD12, Recovery Activates +3 EN
Explode Catapult vs Spider30 ID: 141855 BD9 Deal 364 DMG
Explode Catapult vs Spider31 ID: 141856 BD10 Deal 378 DMG
Explode Catapult vs Spider32 ID: 141857 BD5+4 Deal 350 DMG

Spider29 350/700 HP | 165 DMG MD6-3 Miss
Spider30 336/700 HP | 165 DMG MD7-3 Miss
Spider31 322/700 HP | 165 DMG MD1 Miss
Spider32 350/700 HP | 165 DMG MD6-3 Miss

Oscar descended upon the next congregation of spiders like a beast. Instead of precise cuts, carefully aimed to hit as many creatures as possible with one swing, he waded into their midst, hacking and slashing as he did. Spiders were blasted about in all directions. Oscar provided them no quarter to adequately counterattack. One spider leaped at him, aiming one limb at his chest. Oscar wheeled around and knocked it back down to the ground with a downward punch. Other spiders, upon trying to hit him, were given a similar treatment. There was a voice in his head - an inaudible whisper - that tugged him back. He knew that he was letting things get out of hand. But he also knew that pumping the brakes would only result in more of the same sadness and anguish as he had come to be accustomed to. He very much didn't want to go back to that.

[Oscar 0]

Spoiler

Oscar 1140/1140 HP | 18/110 EN | 25 DMG | 4 ACC | 3 EVA | 121 MIT | VAMP-DEF | 12 FLN | 36 BRN[BD8-10] | 57 BH | 3 REC | 3 LD | 3 PRS

Explode Catapult vs Spider29 ID: 141858 BD2+4 Deal 350 DMG
Explode Catapult vs Spider30 ID: 141859 BD2+4 Deal 350 DMG
Explode Catapult vs Spider31 ID: 141860 BD9 Deal 364 DMG
Explode Catapult vs Spider32 ID: 141861 BD7+4 Deal 518 DMG

Spider29 0/700 HP | 165 DMG ID: 141862 LD13+3, CD4 3 Eggs, 6,615 Col, 3 T3 Materials
Spider30 0/700 HP | 165 DMG ID: 141863 LD19+3, CD2 2 Eggs, 6,615 Col, 3 T3 Materials
Spider31 0/700 HP | 165 DMG ID: 141864 LD20+3, CD1 2 Eggs, 6,615 Col, 3 T3 Materials
Spider32 0/700 HP | 165 DMG ID: 141865 LD20+3, CD11 6 Eggs, 11,025 Col, 3 T3 Materials

His rage was red-hot and explosive. It billowed out from his breast and seared through his veins. He felt untouchable, unstoppable. That if he hit something hard enough, it would crumble before him.

That's stupid.

Ignoring the thought, Oscar pushed on and continued the fight. He found himself reveling in the carnage he was unleashing. As he gave his rage an outlet, it seemed only intensify the "high" he was experiencing. A feedback loop of aggression. The more aggressive he was, the more aggressive he wanted to be. 

Really stupid, actually.

"SHUT UP!" Oscar's voice echoed through his immediate surroundings like a sudden gunshot. It was so forceful that it even startled himself. He was met with a sudden silence, one that made the voice in his head that much louder.

I can't believe I'm forgetting Rule One.

[Oscar 0]

Spoiler

Oscar 1140/1140 HP | 19/110 EN | 25 DMG | 4 ACC | 3 EVA | 121 MIT | VAMP-DEF | 12 FLN | 36 BRN[BD8-10] | 57 BH | 3 REC | 3 LD | 3 PRS
ID: 141871 CD4, LD8+3 6 Eggs

Rule One was the most important and very first lesson that the Major had ever said. In his youth, Oscar had been ruled by his anger, much like he was right now. It was simple. But, when the Major explained the thought behind it, it was the most powerful of the lessons. Oscar took a steadying breath and put his weapon away. The fury he had felt ebbed away, returning to the core of his being. Once there, he put a lid on it. 

"Rule your anger," he whispered softly.

It was strange how all of his solution had some level of control attributed to them. The outburst he'd just had was a slipping of the mask. It made him realize that he hadn't really been following Rule One as closely as he should have been. The anger had always been there, he simply bottled it up. It was controlled only in the sense that it was never used. The whole point of ruling his anger was to put it to better use.

[Oscar 0]

Spoiler

Oscar 1140/1140 HP | 20/110 EN | 25 DMG | 4 ACC | 3 EVA | 121 MIT | VAMP-DEF | 12 FLN | 36 BRN[BD8-10] | 57 BH | 3 REC | 3 LD | 3 PRS
ID: 141872 CD3, LD19+3 8 Eggs

And Oscar had a lot to be angry over. But ultimately, nothing got him so enraged as how profoundly he had failed Tyson. He couldn't bring himself to hate the boy over the way he reacted. After all, as far as he was concerned, Oscar had abandoned him. To say nothing of the fact that Oscar thought he was dead. It was utterly irrelevant. He had to fix this. And like that, Oscar committed himself to Tyson's game - heart and soul. The only way to get through to the kid would be to outplay him. The first parts of a plan began to formulate. Most importantly, Oscar would have to make Tyson think he was in an advantageous situation. He felt the rage burning in his breast spreading again. This time, instead of exploding outward in an instant, it was a slow burn. It merely served to fuel and motivate Oscar to figure out exactly how he was going to win.

[Oscar 0]

Spoiler

Oscar 1095/1140 HP | 90/110 EN | 25 DMG | 4 ACC | 3 EVA | 121 MIT | VAMP-DEF | 12 FLN | 36 BRN[BD8-10] | 57 BH | 3 REC | 3 LD | 3 PRS

Explode Catapult vs Spider33 ID: 141873 BD1 Miss
Explode Catapult vs Spider34 ID: 141875 BD6+4 Deal 518 DMG
Explode Catapult vs Spider35 ID: 141874 BD2+4 Deal 350 DMG
Explode Catapult vs Spider36 ID: 141876 BD5+4 Deal 350 DMG

Spider33 700/700 HP | 165 DMG MD5
Spider34 182/700 HP | 165 DMG MD4
Spider35 350/700 HP | 165 DMG MD2
Spider36 350/700 HP | 165 DMG MD9 Deal 45 DMG

How can I possibly be this self-aware and still lack the ability to treat my depression?

Oscar realized as he engaged in combat once again that he had a certain level of control over himself that most people simply lacked. A good chunk of the world didn't have the ability to control their anger so with such skill. They weren't capable of meaningful introspection - at least as far as motivating themselves to actually change went. But then again, it wasn't as if depression was a mere state of mind. That would make things easier, honestly. If he were able to simply fix it by changing his outlook, he felt like it would have been done by now. There were many moving parts. First and foremost, he couldn't let it catch up with him. He was very good at denying certain facets of his nature. Why, then, couldn't he do the same with this?

[Oscar 0]

Spoiler

Oscar 1140/1140 HP | 72/110 EN | 25 DMG | 4 ACC | 3 EVA | 121 MIT | VAMP-DEF | 12 FLN | 36 BRN[BD8-10] | 57 BH | 3 REC | 3 LD | 3 PRS

Explode Catapult vs Spider33 ID: 141877 BD5+4 Deal 350 DMG CD7 Recovery Activates +3 EN
Explode Catapult vs Spider34 ID: 141878 BD4+4 Deal 350 DMG
Explode Catapult vs Spider35 ID: 141869 BD5+4 Deal 350 DMG
Explode Catapult vs Spider36 ID: 141880 BD5+4 Deal 350 DMG

Spider33 350/700 HP | 165 DMG MD3 Miss
Spider34 0/700 HP | 165 DMG MD ID: 141881 LD13+3, CD9 5 Eggs, 8,820 Col, 3 T3 Materials
Spider35 0/700 HP | 165 DMG MD ID: 141882 LD18+3, CD9 5 Eggs, 10,290 Col, 3 T3 Materials
Spider36 0/700 HP | 165 DMG MD ID: 141883 LD4+3, CD12 8,820 Col, 1 T3 Material

Of course, that was only the tip of the iceberg. The first line of defense. Making it as difficult as possible for it to emerge from the deepest recesses of his mind was only the beginning. He couldn't simply bottle it all up and pretend that everything was fine and that it didn't exist. If he did that, then it was altogether too likely that he would find himself in a far worse position than he would otherwise find himself in. It was at this point that Oscar realized that his own self-awareness did provide him with the foundation he needed to create certain plans that would be executed in response to certain outcomes. Not allowing it purchase in his mind was the first of those things. But, invariably, it would find a way to claw itself to the forefront of his mind. He fired off a half-hearted Explode Catapult. There was no denying at this point that he was distracted. But, at the very least, he was still managing to make the grind work.

[Oscar 0]

Spoiler

Oscar 1140/1140 HP | 60/110 EN | 25 DMG | 4 ACC | 3 EVA | 121 MIT | VAMP-DEF | 12 FLN | 36 BRN[BD8-10] | 57 BH | 3 REC | 3 LD | 3 PRS

Explode Catapult vs Spider33 ID: 141885 BD10 Deal 378 DMG CD9 Recovery Activates +3 EN

Spider33 0/700 HP | 165 DMG ID: 141887 LD4+3, CD6 8,085 Col, 1 T3 Material

While being stuck in his own head resulted in him not fighting at his highest capacity, there was a certain element of fear that he no longer had when it came to fighting these creatures. He doubted that there was any reality in which they could concievably kill him. Between his Mitigation and his passive regeneration abilities, Oscar was nigh-unkillable by any ordinary mob. It created a situation in which he was forced inward and made to address the many, many cracks in his psyche that he had allowed to form over the past twenty-odd years. It wasn't a cohesive thing. Where he had been considering what to do about Tyson, how far he would be willing to go to win, he was now onto his underlying depression. No one issue seemed to be getting decisively resolved, but progress was being made on all of them. He half-expected everything to just fall into place at some point.

[Oscar 0]

Spoiler

Oscar 1140/1140 HP | 42/110 EN | 25 DMG | 4 ACC | 3 EVA | 121 MIT | VAMP-DEF | 12 FLN | 36 BRN[BD8-10] | 57 BH | 3 REC | 3 LD | 3 PRS

Explode Catapult vs Spider37 ID: 141888 BD8+4 Deal 518 DMG CD7 Recovery Activates +3 EN
Explode Catapult vs Spider38 ID: 141889 BD8+4 Deal 518 DMG
Explode Catapult vs Spider39 ID: 141890 BD3+4 Deal 350 DMG
Explode Catapult vs Spider40 ID: 141891 BD7+4 Deal 518 DMG

Spider37 182/700 HP | 165 DMG MD8-3 Miss
Spider38 182/700 HP | 165 DMG MD4-3 Miss
Spider39 350/700 HP | 165 DMG MD8-3 Miss
Spider40 182/700 HP | 165 DMG MD7-3 Miss

Of course, the professional in him knew that such a feat would be impossible. Mental change, much like the physical, required hard work, dedication, and incremental progress. But by being afforded the opportunity to think so long and hard on so many different issues, those same issues were moved closer and closer towards healthy. The needle was shifting, the flow had completely changed. He even found himself becoming more and more capable of splitting his focus. For the first time since this introspection began, Oscar was consciously aware of him actually initiating combat with another group of spiders. He waded in and began slicing and dicing, cleaving through their ranks. After his initial strike, Oscar danced in between their counterattacks. They missed him by a mile. It seemed that he was becoming more focused the more he fought. As he put his issues to bed, his efficacy increased in proportion. It was amazing how much damage a mental block could do.

[Oscar 0]

Spoiler

Oscar 1140/1140 HP | 21/110 EN | 25 DMG | 4 ACC | 3 EVA | 121 MIT | VAMP-DEF | 12 FLN | 36 BRN[BD8-10] | 57 BH | 3 REC | 3 LD | 3 PRS

Explode Catapult vs Spider37 ID: 141892 BD5+4 Deal 350 DMG
Explode Catapult vs Spider38 ID: 141893 BD9 Deal 364 DMG
Explode Catapult vs Spider39 ID: 141894 BD4+4 Deal 350 DMG
Explode Catapult vs Spider40 ID: 141895 BD5+4 Deal 350 DMG

Spider37 0/700 HP | 165 DMG ID: 141896 LD10+3, CD5 3 Eggs, 6,615 Col, 3 T3 Materials
Spider38 0/700 HP | 165 DMG ID: 141897 LD16+3, CD9 5 Eggs, 9,555 Col, 3 T3 Materials
Spider39 0/700 HP | 165 DMG ID: 141898 LD4+3, CD7 6,615 Col, 3 T3 Materials
Spider40 0/700 HP | 165 DMG ID: 141899 LD13+3, CD6 3 Eggs, 6,615 Col, 3 T3 Materials

For once, Oscar was able to conclude a round of combat without missing one of his enemies. Such an occurrence had become something of a rarity at this point. As the spiders shattered and left behind those glimmering loot spots Oscar let out a sigh of relief and busied himself with collecting everything. He took a moment to take stock of where he was at right now, surprised when he noticed the sheer volume of Col and Materials he had managed to claim for himself. He still had something of a ways to go before he had finished grinding up all of the eggs he needed. But he had definitely made some headway. Maybe one million Col wasn't out of his reach now? That would be quite the achievement if he managed to make it happen. In any case, it was time to wait out his energy restoration. He'd just have to wait for the next realization to wash over him and occupy him for the new few posts minutes.

[Oscar 0]

Spoiler

Oscar 1140/1140 HP | 22/110 EN | 25 DMG | 4 ACC | 3 EVA | 121 MIT | VAMP-DEF | 12 FLN | 36 BRN[BD8-10] | 57 BH | 3 REC | 3 LD | 3 PRS
ID: 141900 CD12, LD11+3 6 Eggs, 4 T3 Materials

Where was I? Oscar thought as he cast his line out into the lake. He waited for a moment, hoping for inspiration to come. It had washed over him so freely previously. Yet, now that he was resolved to put in the work, the threads that he had latched onto were nowhere to be found. Oscar sighed and shook his head as he felt a tug on his line. With a firm tug, his catch was pulled from the depths. Six eggs, four materials. Not bad. He swiped his right hand and conjured his menu. He scrolled through the seemingly endless lists until he found the item he was looking for. In the air before him, a bottle of dark-colored liquid manifested. He flicked the cap off of the bottle with his thumb and took a long drink from the bottle. The bubbly liquid passed over his lips and down his throat. He slowly pulled the bottle away from his lips and clicked his tongue. Warren was right, I nailed that one.

[Oscar 0]

Spoiler

Oscar 1140/1140 HP | 23/110 EN | 25 DMG | 4 ACC | 3 EVA | 121 MIT | VAMP-DEF | 12 FLN | 36 BRN[BD8-10] | 57 BH | 3 REC | 3 LD | 3 PRS
ID: 141901 CD9, LD5+3 4 Eggs, 3 T3 Materials

One of Oscar's pastimes recently had been doing his utmost to recreate popular American sodas through taste alone. So far, he'd only succeeded in creating one. As he polished off his drink, he cast his line back into the lake. It was damn refreshing. It was also quite nostalgic. Reminded him of the good ol' days. By that, of course, he meant the times when he didn't have a NerveGear strapped to his head and was lying - presumably - in a hospital somewhere.

They aren't going to come back.

That was a sobering thought. Though, not exactly false either. Even if he made it out of here, nothing would ever be the same. Everyone was an idealized version of themselves here. A blank slate with infinite potential. The sky was, literally, the limit within the confines of this world. Could he ever really go back to the real world after this? The more he settled in, the more he overlooked the obvious differences between this real and virtual. As that happened, he found himself more at home here than he had ever been in the real world.

[Oscar 0]

Spoiler

Oscar 1140/1140 HP | 88/110 EN | 25 DMG | 4 ACC | 3 EVA | 121 MIT | VAMP-DEF | 12 FLN | 36 BRN[BD8-10] | 57 BH | 3 REC | 3 LD | 3 PRS

Explode Catapult vs Spider41 ID: 141903 BD10 Deal 378 DMG
Explode Catapult vs Spider42 ID: 141904 BD4+4 Deal 350 DMG
Explode Catapult vs Spider43 ID: 141905 BD6+4 Deal 518 DMG
Explode Catapult vs Spider44 ID: 141906 BD10 Deal 378 DMG

Spider41 322/700 HP | 165 DMG MD2 Miss
Spider42 350/700 HP | 165 DMG MD1 Miss
Spider43 182/700 HP | 165 DMG MD8-3 Miss
Spider44 322/700 HP | 165 DMG MD6-3 Miss

He felt a little guilty at that realization. All the work everyone in his life had put in to help him and he was perfectly willing to throw it all away to stay here in this world. Early warning signs of addiction, I suppose. Oscar had never been one for video games. It was the type of hobby that was cultivated in one's youth. It rather necessitated the presence of parents, a house, and generally normal childhood things most people took for granted. Because he never had any of those things and spent his formative years fighting for survival on the streets, he never had much of an interest in them. Tyson, on the other hand, loved them. If only to keep him out of her hair, he mother bought him whatever secondhand system would keep him distracted. It was Tyson that suggested that they originally play this game together. Oscar hadn't been certain about it, but after Tyson had saved up the money from working his part-time job, there was no way he could deny the child's excitement.