[ PP/F1 ] Learning and Growing

[Titan 0]

Quest: The Third Lesson, Is Just As Free

Titan had been juggling quite a bit of tasks to do with the parcel delivery he had been holding onto for quite a bit for some girl named Hannah who was an Artisan, the identifying of weapons and the collection of Easter Eggs that he started hoarding. He finally had been able to figure out what the provide and the man needed quite a bit still and with the deadline looming for a couple of days, he knew he could power through it some time later.

What he did know? Is that he kept this poor girl wanting for these introduction quests for far too long and this would be the time that he finally took care of his final duties to be home free. He spotted the Artisan in the grove, she said she needed the missing gemstone for the band. After being given a general direction, Tian prepared himself carefully for the quest and simply organized his bag inside the Town of Beginnings as he mentally prepared himself for Hannah’s quest.
@Mari

TITAN'S INVENTORY

Spoiler

Titan (Level 9) 
HP: 180 / DAMAGE: 4
EN: 18 / MIT: 9
ACC: 3 / EVA: 0
KEEN: 1 / PAR: 1

Skills:

• 1-Handed Assault Spear (Rank 2)
• Searching (Rank 2) ( + 2 LD )

Equipment:

• ( P ) TERROR'S REACH | 1H Assault Spear ( KEEN / DMG / PARALYZE)
• ( U ) ARMOR OF TOTH | Leather Armor ( MIT )
• ( P ) EYE OF HORUS | Trinket ( ACC / ACC / ACC )

Inventory:

• ( 3 ) Starter Healing Potion ( Heals 50 HP )
• ( 6 ) ( U ) T1 Healing Potion (Heals 40 HP )

 

Edited April 22, 2020 by Titan

[Mari 1]

Around here was where the quest was, right? Mari had never actually done these quests. By the time they popped up she had out leveled them, however Mari had completed the first two challenges in the quest-line at least half a dozen times. Helping new players and all that jazz.  The Easter event was all but finished - and Mari had the items she needed and wanted. Aside from a few extra materials, which would have been nice. But hey, she wasn't one to complain.

Mari ran a hand through her ginger hair as she approached the glade where 'Hannah' usually sat - there, stood a tall blonde haired player. "Hey..." Mari lifted up her hand and gave him a small wave. "You're...Titan right?" She asked with the tilt of her head. He honestly looked like he didn't need her help. He stood tall, with clean, polished armour that had tiny blue accents on it that matched the calm waters of his eyes. The armour was either new, or he was one of those people who looked after it. Mari knew all too well how boring quests got when you did them alone, maybe that's why he asked for her help?  "I'm Mari." She said as she pointed at herself.  Her lips worked their way into a wry smile as her hand shifted to to hip.. "You said something about...making it worth my time?"  

Mari quickly shook her head, "No, but seriously - I have nothing going on right now - my time isn't worth all too much these days. So, Titan - what exactly would you like me to do? I have some spare damage potions if you'd like to beef yourself up."

@Titan

 

Spoiler

General
Level: 65 | HP: 1330  |Energy: 130

STATS
DAM: 16 | EVA 3  | MIT 43 | ACC 4 | 

BATTLE COPY
Mari    [H:0/0/0] - HP 1330/1330  | EN: 130/130 | DMG: 16 | MIT: 43 | EVA:3 | ACC: 4  | BH: 66 | BRN: 24 |BLEED: 24 | FLAME AURA: 15 |

SKILLS
Rank 5 Weapon (+5 DMG)
-Weapon Mod: Precision (+1 ACC)
Rank 5 Charge (+5 Damage -1 ACC)
Charge Mod BULL RUSH: Successful charge stuns target 1 turn
Rank 5 Light Armor (+25 MIT)
Light Armor Mod Athletics -  Gain +1 base damage and +30 HP when wearing light armor
SURVIVAL
Rank 5 Battle Healing (5% of total health rounded down start of each turn)
Familiar Mastery Expert - +1 (*Tier) Damage - +9 Damage
 

EQUIPPED
Name: Kusanagi | Item Type: Dagger | Tier 2
Enhancements: Bleed 2 | Burn 2
'Bleed Damage of 24 for 2 turns on a roll of 8-10'
'Burn Damage' of 24 for 2 turns on a roll of 8-10 - Unmitigated

Name: Beacon Necklace | Item Type: Pendant | Tier 2
Enhancements  +3 ACC 

Name: Infernal Shadow | Item Type: Light Armour | Tier 3
Enhancements:  +2 Eva | +1 Flame Aura
'Effect: Prevent (6 per slot * Tier) damage per slot from successful attacks against you. Successful non-critical attacks against you deal (5 per slot * Tier) unmitigated burn damage to the attacking enemy.

 

 

[Titan 0]

Titan knew that he still had a bunch of Easter eggs he needed to collect but his mind was getting overwhelmed with the amount and the fervor these damn items had on himself and the rest of Aincrad has had so far. After he finally cleared his inventory, emptying a few trash items and feeling content, Titan was surprised by the announcement of one girl who appeared with a casual hand wave. Her cursor had been something that brought Titan surprise, but he knew the first few floors were safe from player killing so he truly wasn’t worried about dying with her near. “ Oh yeah, I responded to your bulletin. ” Surprised by her height and her own gear, she seemed fairly powerful. “ Nice to meet you, Mari. ” Giving her a head nod as he pointed for them to both walk and talk outside of the Town of Beginnings.

“ I thought I was being helpful and had damage potions too. Guess we’re both alchemists, huh. ” He sighed as a joke. “ I just need some help killing some of the monsters around here, it’s really the company that’s the best part. These quests can get fairly exhausting. ”
@Mari

[Mari 1]

Thus far, the tall man didn't seem too bothered by her orange crystal - Shay did leave a message about it and had given her a positive review - Mari guessed Titan had read that. Their height difference was vast, he practically towered two heads over her. But he didn't tease her about it, that was - refreshing.  He also carried himself in a way that Mari believed made him older than the people she normally dealt with, if she had to guess she'd say he was closer to her age. Which was rare. "Likewise." Mari said as he told her it was nice to meet her. Normally she'd have some smart ass comment to say, but she was doing her best not to do that.

"Right, I'll save them for someone who needs them then." Mari said simply with a shrug. "So." Mari began as she clasped her hands together - "Have you spoken to Hannah yet? She'll give you a location and you'll have to find something there - a gem or something."

@Titan

 

[Titan 0]

Titan had been extra vigilant in watching the way the other maneuvered through the space she had with an orange cursor. He hadn’t expected to see them still in this game, figuring those who were high enough wouldn’t bother helping newbies out or they’ve created their own little home to pk players there but never in the Town of Beginnings. With a simple nod, Titan invited Mari into his party. “ Sounds good. ” Giving the girl a warm smile, Titan pulled out the map that had been given to her by Hannah and pointed out into the dense forest for the cave. “ It says it’s this way to get the gem. ” Titan began to walk, a casual stride for now as he took in Mari’s gear and her petite stature, she must be mighty fast or something.

“ I’m guessing you’re a part of the front lines helping newbies catch up as fast as possible? ” For everyone’s he’s met so far who had been levels ahead of him, this happened to be the case. Titan was more curious to her motive than anything else, perhaps he’d do the same when the time came.
@Mari

[Mari 1]

"Right." Mari said with a small smile. "It's nice to see someone with some gumption." She said as she tapped the armour on his chest with the back of her wrist. "You'd be surprised how often people ask for my help, but don't read the information right in front of them." Mari ran a hand through her hair and sighed softly, "I suppose...I shouldn't complain, those people are finally taking the first steps out of that large town - it's scary. Frightening, especially when the world around you is so vastly different and death is a very real threat."

Mari turned on her heel to walk besides Titan. This thus far, was going better than she expected. Cerulean eyes glanced sideward at the tall man. "So, TItan is an interesting name - I assume it's not the obvious factor of your height." Casual conversation...that's right, she'd just casually converse with him. "And yeh - something like that - I guess...you've noticed my crystal right?" Mari averted her gaze, her voice lowering as she fiddled with the dark scarf around her neck. "I...have a lot to atone for. I was in a bad place for a long time, and now I'm not - I guess I want to do my best to help others avoid that place."

@Titan

[Titan 0]

Titan couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle at the other’s word choice. He hadn’t necessarily thought himself as someone with a lot of resourcefulness but in compared to an average person, he did often read through quests thoroughly and tried to understand the whole picture before finishing a task. “ Yeah, I guess you’re right. ” The man mused, shrugging in the process as they continued forward together. “ I’ve been at it I think two weeks now and at first, I almost got killed by a boar. I feel a bit better, more understanding despite being a newbie. ” He answered very honestly for that last portion. “ There’s a bunch of you willing to aid and share their knowledge, I admire that and hope to do the same to others. ” The goal was the front line first and then creating building blocks for others to achieve.

Despite her short stature, the girl was curvy and almost made Titan uncomfortable in the same way she seemed to command the same type of presence he did. She had charm to her, a beckoning of sorts while her hips swayed as she walked and Titan couldn’t help but take a small innocent glance before looking back at the map. “ I’ll let you imagination run wild on that one, Mari. ”  He couldn’t help the playful tease; she tossed the ball in it waiting for the home run and he had to swing on it. “ It’d be ignorant of me not to notice, but I wasn’t going to question you on it. That’s your story to share if you’d like. ” After a bit of walking it seemed as though the cave they were looking for was just up ahead. “ I’ll go first, not because I know you can’t tank it but because it’s my quest. I shouldn’t have you hand hold me through every part. ” He winked, walking inside and waiting for Mari before he began to hear the critters of the cave, announcing themselves to the duo. He was sure a battle would take place soon enough.
@Mari

[Mari 1]

"Two weeks?" Mari repeated, "Ah, right - explains that pristine armour. I was trying to figure out if you were ...ahh...fresh meat, or if you were the kinda person who stays up till the wee hours of the morning polishing all the scratches and kinks out."  He said he almost got killed by a boar, just how many new players had met that same fate? "I feel like we should have a few players stationed in those fields to stop people dying by those meandering snotty things."  The conversation was light, and unlike other newbies Mari had taken through quests he held an air of...what was it?

“ I’ll let you imagination run wild on that one, Mari. ”

Confidence and arrogance. That's what he had. Mari scoffed, shaking her head. "If I did, I'd say you were compensating, Titan." She shot back. So he was one of those  people. The type with a swagger that they used to propel them through various experiences. Mari couldn't fault him....yet.

"You admire that? That's sweet. I'm..." She paused, this could be a good opportunity. "I'm actually going to be starting a guild with a few other frontiners with just that goal. Helping build up others from well, where you are. Guiding them to the frontlines, or what they want to do, be it a Master Chef. Gatherer - or fighter. What kind of build are you going for?" She'd drop information abut the guild, and after gauging who he is maybe offer him the information to join. She doubted he'd be looking for anything anytime soon.

"I'd rather not share it, not because I have anything to hide, but because..." Mari sighed as she wrapped her arms around herself. "It's painful. I wasn't a good person." She released herself from her grip as she glanced at him from over her shoulder. "So, I have a lot to make up for - lucky for you, eh?" She said with a wry grin.

They stopped at the entrance to a small cave. The entrance covered in dirt. Titan offered to go first, ducking under the low entrance. "I'm sure you'd just love that." Mari jested as she followed him into the cave.

@Titan

[Titan 0]

“ Yeah. It took me a while to get over the fact that I was stuck in the game, lost everything. We all went through it but at some point I had to understand that the front liners weren’t finishing the game and if I wasn’t willing to help, what good was I? ” His words were sincere, the crack in his armor that he displayed brilliantly living in his truth as authentically as he could. “ This is the armor I got from the second questgiver. Sorry it’s not broken up enough. I’ve been making sure to overlevel before I do quests. I really don’t want to take any chances at all but yeah, probably would be a good idea for guards if there’s enough higher levels to do that. ”

He could feel her eyes practically staring daggers at him. “ My name’s Titan cause I wanted to be a tank. I’ve been away from video games for a bit. As Titans were back in Greece, an ancient power who sought back their glory days once again. ” As he explained his name and the choice, he hoped Mari felt real stupid for thinking it had been something dumb and shallow.

The man was truly high and low brow, a culminating enigma to all levels of humors.

“ I’ve met a couple of other people who wanted to make a guild too, similar to what you were talking about. ” He was curious if they were in cahoots with one another. “ I’m going to be a tank though. I spoke with someone on the front lines in depth about guild so I’m not too worried. I’ve noticed that without damage, I don’t do enough so I’ll probably build out my damage and slowly transition as I get higher in levels. ” He thought about it a lot, even the need for his mitigation wombat. “ You're right, I would just love it. ” Words laced in wit, a clever tone as he pulled out his spear and noticed the dim light. " The jewel's supposed to be in the middle of the cave so i'll just keep walking and hope there's some light soon. "
@Mari

Edited April 23, 2020 by Titan

[Mari 1]

"Mmmmm...I disagree." Mari said as she stepped over a particularly large rock, the cave wasn't too dark at least. Luminescent fungus and mushrooms lit the cave in soft shades of blues and greens. "No one is useless, if people struggle to push forward - given the circumstances I think they should be given a free pass. This is kinda a unprecedented event. Like, it feels like some shoddy isekai anime - the only thing lacking is some preteen protagonist with a harem."

He mentioned that he was trying to over level himself before taking on quests. "That's a smart way to go about it - but If you want damage as a tank...I can offer you a few pointers. You don't need to invest too much into your weapon. You can get things like Howl - and then work on armour that has thorns - or immolation potions. I know a tank, that deals 99+ damage whenever he's hit, just because that's his build. I don't think he even has a weapon."

Mari was curious as to who else Titan had been talking to; "Oh? Yeh - I guess that there would be a few guilds that focus on that. Who were you talking to if ya don't mind me asking? Maybe I know them." Mari made a mental note to talk to the others about that fact, there were a lot of guilds whose purpose was to 'help the lower level playres' there had to be a way for them to stand apart from the others. Something that made them a little more unique.

Mari followed closely behind Titan. "The point of a Tank is to be a support player, so you should always be travelling with someone that is a damage based build and work together, that's why I'm here today. I'll be that partner for you."

Titan paused, turning to her,  You're right, I would just love it.

Mari rolled her eyes as she reached up and gave him a light pat on the shoulder. "Well, they do say dream big, right?" She joked. Mari couldn't tell if Titan meant it, or was just teasing her - it wasn't like she was inherently attractive or anything. She wasn't tall and graceful like Cordelia, and her skin wasn't flawless, she was covered with freckles. Mari felt more like she belonged with the children of the corn. Her eyes shifted way from him as she absently pushed strands of ginger back away from her face. "Were you given a potion to mitigate the initial attack? You...should probably take that now."

@Titan

[Titan 0]

He let the other girl finish before chiming in. “ I wasn’t referring to others, just myself. ” He wanted to clarify quickly. “ I knew for myself, I wasn’t doing any good wallowing in a life that I was missing out on when people were dying on the frontlines trying to get us out. I know the frontline aren’t for everyone and people shouldn’t be held accountable for this crazy hell we’re in. ” He made sure he was crystal clear this time. Titan was too close in making a joke about his rising harem like a mighty wave but he already could tell he needed to chose the jokes he’d send over Mari’s way because she had been able to tell what kind of guy he was. She might see the truth behind some of the humor.

“ Uhh, hmm. ” Titan pulled out his notes from Shield to read out loud. “ I met with someone named Shield? He gave me this basic list of what I should focus on based on what I told him my goals were. ” On the notepad, large bold notes had been taken that essentially said that his familiar would be for mitigation, he’d have a weapon that provided damage and a shield that had regeneration with a trinket that had accuracy with a slash next to the last one that then said taunt. He showed his notes to her, curious to her own thoughts.

“ I was going to use this as a formula for now as I continued. ” He took the other’s words into consideration, but he wasn’t sure what to think after hearing that what he seemed to be doing was wrong? “ I’m not trying to tank until I’m in the third tier though, really. There aren’t enough people leveling up right now to be a tank trying to level up. It’s really nice that there’s others like you but, I don’t want to burden people every single time I’m ready to do some quests. ” He hope she’d understand and that’d help her see what his plans were. His bigger than most ego quickly dwarfed as she poked holes into his plans.

“ I lost the potion from the time I got it. ” He answered honestly. “ It’s why I leveled up as much as I did. I have 220 health right now and potions, just in case. I should be okay. ” With that, he finally made it to the gem and pulled it right out of its home and engaged the cave guardian. 

Titan noticed the guardian showing up with a vicious smirk, his eyes caught the creature's eyes as he pulled out his assault spear and charged up a quick maiming blow aimed for the guardian as he shoved at it's stomach and did some damage quickly and gaining aggro on it. Luckily, Titan had been able to sidestep the other's attack and he waited, hoping they'd be able to down it fairly quickly. 
@Mari

 

CAVE GUARDIAN:

Spoiler

A Wild Cave Guardian Has Appeared !

Health Points: 4/20 HP ( -16 HP )

Damage: 50 / 5

Hate: 1 - Titan

TITAN: 

Spoiler

Titan (Level 9) 

Health Points: 180 / 180 ( -0 DMG )	DAMAGE: 4
Energy: 14 / 18 ( - 4 )	MITIGATION: 9
ACC: 3 KEEN: 1 ( ACTIVATED )	EVA: 0 PARALYZE: 1

Skills:

• 1-Handed Assault Spear (Rank 2)
• Searching (Rank 2) ( + 2 LD )

Equipment:

• ( P ) TERROR'S REACH | 1H Assault Spear ( KEEN / DMG / PARALYZE)
• ( U ) ARMOR OF TOTH | Leather Armor ( MIT )
• ( P ) EYE OF HORUS | Trinket ( ACC / ACC / ACC )

Inventory:

• ( 3 ) Starter Healing Potion ( Heals 50 HP )
• ( 6 ) ( U ) T1 Healing Potion (Heals 40 HP )

TITAN'S ATTACK ( + 3 ACC )

Spoiler

 

Edited April 23, 2020 by Titan

[Mari 1]

"Shield!?" Mari cackled, slapping her knee as she laughed boisterously. "You met Shield!?" She laughed and shook her head, taking a few moments to calm down. "Sorry! sorry! I - I don't know why I find that so funny. Shield -hoo boy." Mari slapped her cheeks and took a few deep breaths. "Yeh, no. Shield is the one who approached me- asked me to help start up the guild. He's a friend. A friend." Mari repeated as she placed her hand over her chest. She really didn't know why she found that so funny. Maybe because it was all so coincidental? Maybe it was because everything seemed to be falling neatly in place lately? "I really...don't know why I found that so funny, it's just...circumstances I guess." Mari said with a shake of her head, ginger hair tickling her freckled cheeks. "He's...he's the perfect person for guidance when it comes to a tank build. A little rough - but hey, I'd rather that blunt attitude than flowery bullsh*t, right?" Mari said. "So if my advice clashes with Shields, listen to the big brute. It'll make him feel all warm and fuzzy inside."

Mari gave him a sympathetic look as he said he didn't want to be a burden. "Titan - you're not a  burden. I don't really like beating around the bush - if I had a problem with this, or decided you were too frustrating to deal with I'd walk away. Don't get me wrong...I wanna help people - but I'm not going to bend over backwards and smile and bat my lashes at someone who I'd rather kick in the gut."  Mari held out her hand, offering him a cheeky grin. "You're probably at the half way mark between them right now."

Mari winced when he said he lost the potion. "Really? Oof. That's fine - I have crystals in case things get dire." 

They neared the glowing gem that Titan needed to complete the quest; it was then that there was a rumble and a black creature with several glowing yellow eyes emerged - it screeched- almost like a bat. Titan was quick to charge forward, his spear tearing through the creatues abdomen. Mari whistled as she watched its health drop right down. "Did you even need me here?" She questioned. 

As Titan fell back Mari pulled out her dagger; an ornate weapon with a hilt shaped like two snakes - the blade a deep crimson, like it had been dipped into a pool of blood. It was a drop from a floor boss. Mari darted in after Titan, ducking under the furry swing of the Cave Guardian before ramming the dagger into its heel. The creature screamed in pain before shattering.

"Well. That was easier than I thought." Mari said as she put her blade away.
 

@Titan

ID:143733  BD: 3 +4=7 HIT
Action: Attack > Cave Guardian
MARI  [H:] - HP 1330/1330  | EN: 130/130 | DMG: 16 | MIT: 43 | EVA:3 | ACC: 4  | BH: 66 | BRN: 24 |BLEED: 24 | FLAME AURA: 15 |
TITAN [H:1] - HP 180/180  | EN: 14/18 | DMG: 4 | MIT: 9 | EVA:0 | ACC: 3  | PARA: 1 | 
CAVE GUARDIAN HP 0/20 | DMG: 5 |

Edited April 23, 2020 by Mari

[Titan 0]

Titan glanced at the girl peculiarly, confused and unsure why she found it so funny that he met Shield. “ Yeah, I, uh. ” He let her go through her full range of emotions while explaining what it was exactly that made her crack up in the way that she did. “ He’s pretty awesome. Ended up fishing with him, I saw a bulletin of him wanting to chat with newbie tanks so I hit him up for that. ” He wouldn’t consider Shield a friend per se, but he was something he felt like he could send a message to if he needed. The man seemed knowledgeable and probably one of the best tanks from the way he so eloquently described the dos and don’ts of tanking. “ Yeah, he was very honest with the state of the frontlines. How it’s not all sunshine and roses, there’s grudges and even people who may use an opportunity maliciously. ” It was the nicest way he could put it, not ever seeing what it even meant first handed. “ Sounds good, thanks Mari. I know he’s a thorns tank and does insane damage but he said he got lucky with his drops for it. ” He wasn’t so certain he’d be as lucky as well. He’d bit his tongue, rolling his eyes knowing for sure that he was closer to like than loathe in Mari, he could just feel it in his bones.

It all happened in a flash and with Mari’s final hit, it seemed as though the monster fell and all that was left was the gem he needed to give to Hannah. “ Yeah, I might’ve overleveled too much for this one. ” he let out a small chuckle, hand going behind his back to scratch his head before putting away his weapon and made sure he hadn’t forgot anything before they turned around. “ Sorry, didn’t mean to waste your time. I didn’t think…. It’d be that easy to defeat. ”
@Mari

[Mari 1]

"Fishing, ah - for the egg event right?" Mari asked. "I was considering giving up fishing to free up a skill slot. But I honestly found it so peaceful that I wanna keep it." She wasn't really needing the slot currently anyway - especially if she were considering changing from dagger to polearm - she may not need to go the trickster and hide routes. Mari opened up her HUD, glancing at her stats. "Ah, it appears I have around 60 free skill points...so yeh, I'll probably keep fishing for now." She closed it up.

"Luck is only half of it - to get that luck I can garantee Shield studied what items he would need, and what skills he would need to maximise those odds."

Titan chuckled and talked about how he had over levelled himself for the quest. Mari placed her hands on her hips. "Mmm, be careful, you void the rewards once you hit level 15 - These quests are made to introduce you to the mechanics of the game. Kinda wish they were around when I started travelling...then again I didn't really do that many quests to start." Mari shook her head as he apologized. "Again, it doesn't bother me - I don't mind the conversation. It's not like we're in the middle of a volcano or somethin, now - did you wanna head back?"

@Titan

[Titan 0]

“ Yeah, I didn’t really fish with him. I picked eggs and mats on the side but I’ll probably go fishing. It seems too good to pass up. ” It wasn’t something like the man felt like he could waste his skill points on now but perhaps when his build was a little more set. Searching would just have to do for now. “ You have how many? ” A bit flabbergasted by the number, he barely had 3 and constantly seemed to be climbing with his own necessary weapon skills and eyeing out when he should buy the heavy armor set as well. It was a challenge, but he’d figure it out eventually. “ Yeah, he seems to be incredibly smart. I thought I was clever but he’s a whole other beast. ” If the man didn’t seem honest and kind, he’d probably be a bit more concerned.

“ Yeah, that’s what I heard. I have two more quests to do after this one. The Warg one on Floor 2 and the last one of this chain. ” He was thankful to have Mari’s help regardless if he needed it or not.

“ We should head back to the quest giver. Wrap this up one nice and easy. ” Titan made sure everything in front of him had been taken cared of and headed his way outside back to the Town of Beginnings.
@Mari

[Mari 1]

"It's a useful and...peaceful thing to have, but honestly. I wouldn't grab it till you have the spare." Mari gave a sheepish laugh as he asked how many she had. Mari simply rose her bare shoulders in a small shrug, she had no real way to explain that to him. "I'm indecisive." She admitted. "I also feel like...I don't want to bother with a skill till I can go all in."

Mari grinned and gave him a light elbow to his side. "Now, now - don't feel too emasculated now. I'm sure you can play catch up to the big strong Mari."  Titan had been overall pretty pleasant to deal wtih, Mari was used to people who were more skittish, scared. Titan was...arrogant, but not overly so - he still held himself with a modicum of humility. Admitting where his faults were, he also seemed to admire Shield. "Yeh he's pretty clued in, if only there was a way to learn from him and level up quicker." Mari said in a sarcastic tone.

Titan mentioned he needed to do two more of those beginner quests. Mari jutted a thumb to herself. "Well, you know I won't bite- so if you need the help all you have to do is ask."

@Titan

Edited April 24, 2020 by Mari

[Titan 0]

“ Yeah, right now I just have search up to rank two which is helpful enough for the looting boost but it doesn’t do much unless I find one of those courtyards for mat farming. ” Shrugging, he was collecting a bunch of skill points but with armor and weapon still needing to be maxed out, Titan was focused on doing that. “ No, that makes sense. It’s why I’m holding off on armor for now. I want to max my assault spear first. The sooner I don’t need to worry about doing more damage means I can focus on my defenses. ” It’d been working so far but he’d only been doing this for a week or two, not enough time to truly know if what his tactic was had been the most efficient.

“ Shut up. ” A coy smirk spread on Titan’s face as he lightly shoved the other girl in the arm. “ Just because you think you’re scary with that orange cursor doesn’t frighten me. ” He puffed his chest slightly, making sure she realized that he was no punk b*tch. “ Ha. I mean, I told him to let me know about his guild when it was settled but he didn’t give me a direct answer. Probably not sure about me yet. ” Titan could only be as good as he was, if others didn’t realize he was committed then that wasn’t something he could show more of.

“ Are the front lines pretty quiet right now or something? Looking for the boss? ” He asked. “ Of course, though. I’ll let you know. I think I can solo it though, if this one went this easy. ”
@Mari

[Mari 1]

The walk back was pleasant, the sun's rays sprinkled through the canopy of trees above, it was high noon - she guessed. Mari absently ran her fingers through her hair,  working out the knots with her fingers. "I thought about search - I recently had a quest where lockpicking would have been a load of help - but those sort of things... Hmm I'd rather save for someone else. I can finesse my build a little more, pay someone for mats etc as I need." Mari lowered her hands and shrugged.  "Maybe I can pay you for your services one day." She added with a grin. "And his guild, you're looking at one of the founding members - we haven't gotten it off the ground yet- but if you have backing from two of us - you're a shoo-in."

He told her to shut up and Mari waved him off - it wasn't till he mentioned the orange crystal that she stopped. Her demeanor changed. "Wh..." She shook her head. Why would he think that? "You know..." Mari added quietly. Her eyes downcast, it felt like a punch to the gut. "I don't want to scare others with my crystal. I just don't  feel like I deserve redemption yet."

Mari cleared her throat and tried to right herself back up, they were nearing the glade where Hannah sat. "There is a scouting party - if it takes much longer I may join them." Mari said with a renewed smile.

@Titan

[Titan 0]

Titan enjoyed the heat, even if it had been artificial, against his face peeking through as soon as they left the cave. It was beautiful and mesmerizing, the gem still clutched tight in Titan’s hand as they continued forward. He couldn’t put it in his inventory, the way the light refracted against it was too incredible not to enjoy. “ Maybe one day. ” He mused back, Titan wasn’t quite sure what he’d be able to help with, especially when it seemed like most of the high levels were fairly self-sufficient. Titan remembered watching as Shield brought out his keychain filled with keys, he could also suspect those were to make looting much easier. “ It’s no rush, let me know when it’s made and if I’d get an invite. I’m not opposed to playing solo but it sounds like your goal and what I’m trying to do aligns perfectly. ”

This had been one of the first times he’d seen her diminish, shrink a bit into herself and Titan didn’t want that at all. “ I, Mari… ” Titan hadn’t realized it was something that she was sensitive to. “ I didn’t mean it like that, it was just a joke. ” Hoping she’d understand, he didn’t actually think that of her. “ Things happen. I’m not judging you for what you think is the right thing to do. ” He didn’t know Mari at all but he knew he’d never bring up her crystal again.

His eyes noticed Hannah and with a beaming smile, he returned the gem to her and after a quick exchange he received a bunch of items from her. Once he was finished, he turned back to Mari with a beaming grin. “ All thanks to you, Mari. Thanks again for everything you do with helping out the newbies. ” He grabbed the col in a satchel and handed it to her. “ The amount is small but, it’s the only way I can thank you right now. ” He would not take no from her either.
@Mari

[Mari 1]

"Oh I'll be sure to let ya know." Mari said. "I am sure Shield would kill me if I didn't - aha - although knowing him... he'll probably reach out and message you first. Take it from someone who has been solo most of her days - having others..." Mari trailed off and sighed as she watched Hannah peacefully drawing in her sketchpad. "It just makes things better, I get that not everyone likes having people around them." Mari said, thinking of people like Alkor - who were so socially recluse that a game like this was literally a living hell for him. "But - before you know it...your loneliness just eats away at you." 

Mari shook her head when Titan was taken aback. "I know. I know." she said trying to wave him off with a forced chuckle. "I don't...My actions were not right. It's never right to do...what I did." Mari hugged herself tight as she said those words. Mari sighed and released herself from her grip. She gave Titan a brave smile as he turned to deal with Hannah.

"Hey, if I helped - even if only a little then that works for me. Will you be needing help with the next one? It's a giant ass fish. I can accompany you there too - if not then I'm sure we'll meet again, especially since you're going the tank route." Mari added. She then shook her head, holding up her hands. "Really, I'm fine for Col - I don't need any. You should keep it. If you insist on paying, pay me in like one or two materials - beyond that, please keep your money."

@Titan