[F20 - SP] Evasion is My Thing, Bud <<Pouncing Puma>>

[Bahr 0]

Spoiler

STATS
LEVEL - 64
HP - 1310
EN - 128
DMG - 19
MIT - 79
ACC - 3
EVA - 4
FALLEN - 12
HOLY - 6
LD - 4
STEALTH DETECTION - 4
HOLY BLESSING - 24
BATTLE HEALING - 64
PHASE

HOME BUFFS
» WELL RESTED
     ➥ -1 EN FOR THE FIRST THREE TURNS OF COMBAT
» RELAXED
     ➥ +15 TO OUT OF COMBAT HP REGENERATION
     ➥ FULL ENERGY REGENERATION AFTER TWO POSTS OUT OF COMBAT
» SQUEAKY CLEAN
     ➥ REDUCE INCOMING DOT DAMAGE BY 25% FOR FIRST INCOMING DOT INFLICTED IN THREAD
» FILLING
     ➥ INCREASE EFFECTIVENESS OF A SINGLE CONSUMED FOOD ITEM IN A THREAD BY +1 T1 SLOT
» ITEM STASH
     ➥ +1 BATTLE-READY INVENTORY SLOT
» DELICIOUS
     ➥ COMBINE 3 IDENTICAL FOOD ITEMS INTO A FEAST ONCE PER THREAD
» SKYLIGHT EXTENDED MOD LIMIT
     ➥ EXTENDED MOD LIMIT EXPERTISE INCREASED BY 1
» ANGLER
     ➥ +1 MATERIAL GAINED WHILE FISHING
» MULTIPURPOSE
     ➥ GAIN +1 TO LD, STEALTH RATING, STEALTH DETECTION, OR PROSPERITY TO ONE POST IN A THREAD
     ➥ CAN BE APPLIED AFTER THE ROLL
» DECOR: <<SPOOKY AMENITY>>
     ➥ REDUCE INCOMING DOT DAMAGE BY 5% FOR FIRST INCOMING DOT INFLICTED IN THREAD

SKILLS

NON-COMBAT SKILLS
» EXTENDED MOD LIMIT R1 >>> R2 WITH SKYLIGHT BUFF
     ➥ PASSIVE
     ➥ ALLOWS FOR THE USE OF ONE 1 >>> 2 ADDITIONAL MODS
» SEARCHING R4
     ➥ PASSIVE
     ➥ +4 LD
     ➥ +4 STEALTH DETECTION

COMBAT SKILLS
» PARRY
     ➥ POST ACTION
     ➥ REDUCE FINAL DAMAGE OF NEXT ATTACK AGAINST YOU BY 50% (ROUNDED DOWN) AND NEGATES STUN/PARALYSIS EFFECT OF THAT ATTACK
          ➥ COOLDOWN: 2 TURNS
» BATTLE HEALING R5
     ➥ PASSIVE
     ➥ WHILE IN COMBAT, USER HEALS FOR 5% (64 HP) OF THEIRMAX HP EACH TURN

EXTRA SKILLS
» DISGUISE
     ➥ FREE ACTION
     ➥ +1 EVA UNTIL START OF YOUR NEXT TURN
          ➥ COOLDOWN: 3 TURNS
» MEDITATION
     ➥ POST ACTION
     ➥ RECOVER AN ADDITIONAL 15 ENERGY - GETTING HIT BY AN ATTACK BEFORE YOUR NEXT TURN REDUCES ADDITIONAL ENERGY RECOVERY TO 9
          ➥ COOLDOWN: 3 TURNS

WEAPON SKILLS
» TWO-HANDED STRAIGHT SWORD R5
     ➥ +7 DMG WHEN TWO-HANDED WEAPON IS EQUIPPED

ARMOR SKILLS
» LIGHT ARMOR R5
     ➥ +25 MIT

MODS
» LIGHT ARMOR MOD: ATHLETICS
     ➥ PASSIVE
     ➥ +1 DMG WHEN WEARING LIGHT ARMOR
     ➥ +30 HP WHEN WEARING LIGHT ARMOR
» LIGHT ARMOR MOD: SPRINT & ACROBATICS
     ➥ PASSIVE
     ➥ +1 EVA WHEN WEARING LIGHT ARMOR
» PARRY MOD: JUSTIFIED RIPOSTE
     ➥ POST ACTION: COMBINE WITH PARRY
     ➥ SUCCESSFUL PARRY STUNS OPPONENT
          ➥ COOLDOWN: 3 TURNS
» WEAPON MOD: PRECISION
     ➥ PASSIVE
     ➥ +1 ACC
» WEAPON MOD: TWO-HANDED STRAIGHT SWORD FEROCITY
     ➥ PASSIVE
     ➥ +1 DMG WHEN USING 2HSS SWORD ARTS
» WEAPON MOD: TWO-HANDED STRAIGHT SWORD FINESSE R3
     ➥ PASSIVE
     ➥ REDUCES THE EN COST OF TWO-HANDED STRAIGHT SWORD SWORD ARTS BY 3
» BATTLE HEALING MOD: EMERGENCY RECOVERY
     ➥ PASSIVE
     ➥ WHEN PLAYER WOULD SUFFER NON-LETHAL DAMAGE THAT PUTS THEM BELOW 25% HP, HEAL 10% HP AFTER THE ATTACK RESOLVES
     ➥ CAN ONLY OCCUR ONCE PER THREAD

EQUIPMENT

WEAPON
» [EQUIPPED] "DAWN'S DEMISE" - TWO-HANDED STRAIGHT SWORD (T3 - DEMONIC)
     ➥ FALLEN 2
          ➥ +12 TO BASE DAMAGE ON NATURAL ROLLS OF 6-8
     ➥ HOLY
          ➥ +6 TO BASE DAMAGE ON NATURAL ROLLS OF 9 OR HIGHER
     ➥ PHASE
          ➥ IGNORES 50% OF MIT ON NATURAL ROLLS OF 9 OR HIGHER

ARMOR
» [EQUIPPED] "BLOODSTAINED COAT" - LIGHT ARMOR (T3 - DEMONIC)
     ➥ +54 MIT
     ➥ +1 EVA
     ➥ HOLY BLESSING
          ➥ AFTER TAKING DAMAGE, USER HEALS 24 HP AT THE BEGINNING OF THE FOLLOWING TURN

TRINKET
» [EQUIPPED] "EAGLE'S EYE" - TRINKET (T1 - DEMONIC)
     ➥ +2 EVA
     ➥ +2 ACC

FAMILIAR
» [EQUIPPED] SWINE BAJESUS R3
     ➥ +9 DMG

FOCUSED DOG CONSUMED (+2 ACC >>> +3 ACC with "Filling" House Buff)
EVASION DOG CONSUMED (+2 EVA)

Four down, two to go.

Bahr was knocking out these quests a lot more quickly than he had initially anticipated. Sure, there'd been a bit of a lull around the time he took on the Leaching Lich, but other than that it had been smooth sailing. Relatively easy, too. But he'd heard that the puma was where the difficult was supposedly going to ramp up, so he'd brought in a little extra oomph this time.

A Focused Dog and an Evasion Dog. He probably could have brought a bit more, but he figured that this would suffice. It bolstered his core stats to the extent that he didn't necessarily feel the need to boost is damage or mitigation. After all, if he was hitting consistently with Fallen and Holy, and dodging enough, he wouldn't need to worry about them, right?

After a bit of searching, he found the temple. It was abandoned, and practically in ruin, but stood strong enough that Bahr felt comfortable enough venturing inside. He'd investigate the multiple branching pathways that stood as options for him, pick one at random, and then continue onward.
 

Spoiler

Bahr: HP: 1310/1310 | EN: 128/128 | DMG: 19 | MIT: 79 | ACC: 6 | EVA: 6 | FLN: 12 | HLY: 6 | PHASE | BH: 64 | HB: 24 | LD: 4 | SD: 4

 

[Bahr 0]

It almost seemed a bit cheaty to preach to NIGHT about the importance of spending time outside of safe zones without buffs on, then go in buffed against enemies like this. But the essence of what he was trying to teach her had more to do with learning how to best use the proclivities of the system in conjunction with her wit to better extrapolate the benefits from the buffs when it came time to use them. She hadn't particularly receptive to the lesson yet, but he hoped that with time she might recognize that there was a method to the madness. 

It was exactly what was allowing him to traverse the labyrinth that was this temple on his way to the puma. He'd mapped out at least two different paths from the main chamber at this point and saved the data. Who knows if they might come in handy while facing off against the mob? He probably didn't need to worry about environmental benefits with the buffs he had activated, but due to his experience without buffs, he'd learned that fully knowing one' environment in a fight could make a world of difference.

[Bahr 0]

And who really knew, for sure? There was a chance that she absolutely would be better off without his teachings. She'd made it to Tier 3, after all, so it wasn't as though she hadn't picked up her own tricks along the way. Her mastery over consumables and debuffs made her a force to be reckoned with. Another such encounter Bahr had had - with Pinball - had proven to him the efficacy of such technique. But is she could learn to harness that with other techniques that weren't strictly system-enforced, she might be better for it.

That was the hope, anyway.

It was around now that Bahr was beginning to slow his crawl through the dungeon. He'd heard something up ahead. It had been subtle, like the thud of a cat jumping onto a tile floor from the counter. But being that his target just so happened to be a large cat, he couldn't be sure. 

He stopped before rounding the corner into the next chamber. If it turned out to be the mob, he had to be ready. As such, he activated Parry before going in to ensure he could mitigate as much damage as possible, and possibly even stun the creature if it got too close.
 

Spoiler

Bahr: HP: 1310/1310 | EN: 128-5=123/128 | DMG: 19 | MIT: 79 | ACC: 6 | EVA: 6 | FLN: 12 | HLY: 6 | PHASE | BH: 64 | HB: 24 | LD: 4 | SD: 4

Bahr used ParryL Justified Riposte. -5 EN

 

[Bahr 0]

When he rounded the corner, he found himself face to face with it. A gigantic puma that stood tall enough to be eye level with him, its eyes narrowed and pupils dilated. It snarled, and Bahr took an instinctive step backward. This was the mob that he had been looking for, and while he'd been very confident in his abilities leading up to this point, he suddenly felt much, much smaller. As though he hadn't anticipated the size or power of his adversary. But now, as he was face to face with it, he knew that it was no ordinary cat he was up against.

It seemed that, for now, the puma was perfectly content in letting him back up and put some space between them. Lord knew, it could close that space in an instant. But as Bahr backed up, he slowly drew Dawn's Demise and readied himself for the battle up ahead. It would be no easy matter, but that was exactly what he'd signed up for.
 

Spoiler

Bahr: HP: 1310/1310 | EN: 123+1-1=123/128 | DMG: 19 | MIT: 79 | ACC: 6 | EVA: 6 | FLN: 12 | HLY: 6 | PHASE | BH: 64 | HB: 24 | LD: 4 | SD: 4
PARRY: JUSTIFIED RIPOSTE ACTIVE

Bahr used [x13] Galaxy Destroyer, -1 EN FOR MISS ("Well Rested" House Buff reduces EN expenditure by 1.)

Suterusu: HP: 1000/1000 | DMG: 250 | MIT: 25 | ACC: 1 | EVA: 3 | ID: 154189 | BD: 3+5-3=5, Miss
Suterusu roll ID: 154191 | MD: 8+1-6=3, Miss

 

[Bahr 0]

Then, without warning, Bahr decided it was time to lash out. The delivery of the strike came just as fast as the energy was poured into Dawn's Demise, and sent the panther hurtling. It was only after that damage was delivered that the nmae of the creature he was accosting came into view on his HUD.

Suterusu.

He wasn't familiar with the name, but felt as though it brought a bad omen. And, as he suspected, without skipping a beat, the monster lashed out at him with its claws, uncaring as to whatever it swiped in its path. Bahr narrowly avoided the counterattack, dipping back as its razor sharp nails dug against the temple's walls, causing sparks to fly any which way. Thought Bahr had an understanding that he could handle this creature alone, he wasn't a fool; it was going to be trouble, and Bahr was going to struggle with it. 
 

Spoiler

Bahr: HP: 1310/1310 | EN: 123/128 | DMG: 19 | MIT: 79 | ACC: 6 | EVA: 6 | FLN: 12 | HLY: 6 | PHASE | BH: 64 | HB: 24 | LD: 4 | SD: 4
PARRY: JUSTIFIED RIPOSTE ACTIVE

Bahr used [x13] Galaxy Destroyer, -9 EN ("Well Rested" House Buff reduces EN expenditure by 1.)

Suterusu: HP: 1000-378=622/1000 | DMG: 250 | MIT: 25 | ACC: 1 | EVA: 3 | ID: 154549 | BD: 6+5-3=8 | FALLEN ACTIVATED | 31x13=403-25=378 DMG
Suterusu roll ID: 154550 | MD: 7+1-6=2, Miss

 

[Bahr 0]

Though he'd managed to score a hit against it, the battle was far from over. The puma snarled at him before taking a few bounds backward, seemingly melding into and becoming one with the darkness itself. What was this? Stealth? The notes that Bahr had received on the quest hadn’t mentioned anything about that. It was something that he could adapt to - but it had caught him so off guard that he wasn’t prepared to search this time around. 

Try as he might to track the creature, there was no trail to cling to once it had gone. Eyes perusing the room, he could make out it’s every structure and curve, but the puma was nowhere to be found. It seemed that he would need to play a waiting game until the beast deemed the time right to attack again. Not the most comfortable position to be in, but it wasn’t really like he had a choice. 
 

Spoiler

Bahr: HP: 1310/1310 | EN: 123+1=124/128 | DMG: 19 | MIT: 79 | ACC: 6 | EVA: 6 | FLN: 12 | HLY: 6 | PHASE | BH: 64 | HB: 24 | LD: 4 | SD: 4
PARRY: JUSTIFIED RIPOSTE ACTIVE

Bahr tries to detect Suterusu.

Suterusu: HP: 622/1000 | DMG: 250 | MIT: 25 | ACC: 1 | EVA: 3 | ID: 154552 | LD: 9+4=13 | Failed to locate Suterusu
Suterusu roll ID: x | MD: x

 

[Bahr 0]

Bahr waited. And waited. And waited. Still, no puma. It was like watching paint dry. Or perhaps it only felt that way because everything seemed to slow down a bit when Bahr’s adrenaline got going. It was a natural physiological response, not one unique to Bahr, and usually came with benefits. Increased reactivity, heightened awareness, better twitch muscle response, things like that. But in situations like this, it only seemed to prolong the anticipation. 

Then he heard it. The light scrape of claws against stone from behind him. Without skipping a beat, Bahr powered up his blade and spun around, swinging the gigantic slab of metal in the direction of what he could only assume was the puma without even attempting to aim. Worst case scenario, he wasted some energy if he was only hearing things. Best case scenario, he clocked the beast before it had a chance to hit him. 

Luckily, it turned out to be the latter. 
 

Spoiler

Bahr: HP: 1310/1310 | EN: 116/128 | DMG: 19 | MIT: 79 | ACC: 6 | EVA: 6 | FLN: 12 | HLY: 6 | PHASE | BH: 64 | HB: 24 | LD: 4 | SD: 4
PARRY: JUSTIFIED RIPOSTE ACTIVE

Bahr used [x13] Galaxy Destroyer, -9 EN (“Well Rested” House Buff reduces EN expenditure by 1.)

Suterusu: HP: 622-325=297/1000 | DMG: 250 | MIT: 25 | ACC: 1 | EVA: 3 | ID: 154727 | BD: 9, 26x13=338-13=325 DMG
Suterusu roll ID: 154728 | MD: 6+3-6=3, Miss

 

[Bahr 0]

The puma was still reeling from Bahr's last attack, but he wanted to keep on the pressure. If he didn't let the thing recover, he could dispatch it before it had a chance to do any serious damage. But as he stepped forward and swung, his toes got caught on some of the rubble scattered about and sent him stumbling. In his haste, he had neglected the terrain and let it get the better of him. Now he was off balance, and the beast had recovered from the stupor of the damage it had sustained before. 

It lunged forward toward him, and it was only through the grace of system assist that he managed to raise his blade in time to counter the attack. Parry was still active, and worked exactly as intended. Bahr still took a smidgen of damage, but nothing in comparison to what would have been done had he not prepped before hand. Now it was stunned, but the status would not last for long. Bahr had an opportunity to end this, and would be remiss if he didn't take it. 

Spoiler

Bahr: HP: 1223/1310 | EN: 115/128 | DMG: 19 | MIT: 79 | ACC: 6 | EVA: 6 | FLN: 12 | HLY: 6 | PHASE | BH: 64 | HB: 24 | LD: 4 | SD: 4
PARRY: JUSTIFIED RIPOSTE ACTIVE

Bahr used [x13] Galaxy Destroyer, -2 EN 

Suterusu: HP: 297/1000 | DMG: 250 | MIT: 25 | ACC: 1 | EVA: 3 | ID: 154729 | BD: 1, Miss
Suterusu roll ID: 154730 | MD: 10, Crit for 252-79=173/2=87 DMG | STUNNED

 

[Bahr 0]

So he took the opportunity. And he hit. But still, the creature survived. It seemed that Dawn's Demise was being particularly uncooperative today, getting fewer Fallen and Holy procs than was typical. This was exactly why Bahr had tried to explain the importance of not relying too much on the system to boost one's stats - it would oftentimes lead to disappointment. So he kept a cool head, waited for the cooldown of the Sword Art to wear off, and for him to be released from his frozen state. 

By the time his cooldown had released him, so too had the puma been released from its stun. And it looked pissed. Officially deep in the red, clinging to life by a mere sliver, it knew the end was coming. But, from the looks of it, it had no intention of going down without a fight. Bahr braced himself and set his jaw, trying to mentally prepare for whatever came next. 

Spoiler

Bahr: HP: 1310/1310 | EN: 106/128 | DMG: 19 | MIT: 79 | ACC: 6 | EVA: 6 | FLN: 12 | HLY: 6 | PHASE | BH: 64 | HB: 24 | LD: 4 | SD: 4

Bahr used [x13] Galaxy Destroyer, -10 EN 

Suterusu: HP: 75/1000 | DMG: 250 | MIT: 25 | ACC: 1 | EVA: 3 | ID: 155154 | BD: 5, Hit for 19x13=247-25=222 DMG
Suterusu roll ID: x | MD: STUNNED | STUN EXPIRES

 

[Bahr 0]

True to its nature, Surerusu then did exactly what Bahr had expected would happen. It began to meld back into the shadows. While not unimpressive, Bahr had exactly the tools he needed to handle such an occurrence. He watched it, and tracked the direction it was headed by the time it disappeared. Observed the subtle shifts of the objects in the room, the way the air flowed. And when the time was right, and Bahr anticipated a strike, he pointed his blade in the direction that was his best guest of where the monster was hiding. 

A startled growl signified Bahr's success. At the other end of Dawn's Demise, the puma slowly materialized out of the darkness, its teeth bared as it slowly backed away from its adversary. Bahr only grinned. He knew he had the creature in the palm of his hand, and it knew it, too. It didn't want to go down without a fight, but surely it knew what was coming. There was no escaping this. 

Spoiler

Bahr: HP: 1310/1310 | EN: 106/128 | DMG: 19 | MIT: 79 | ACC: 6 | EVA: 6 | FLN: 12 | HLY: 6 | PHASE | BH: 64 | HB: 24 | LD: 4 | SD: 4

Bahr tries to detect Suterusu. 

ID: 155155 | LD: 16+4=20 | Suterusu detected!

Suterusu: HP: 75/1000 | DMG: 250 | MIT: 25 | ACC: 1 | EVA: 3 | ID: x | BD: x
Suterusu roll ID: x | MD: Entered Stealth

 

[Bahr 0]

Dawn's Demise ignited with scarlet light and cast crimson against the walls, the outlines of both Bahr and his pray flickering in protest the the blade's illumination. Then, smoky tendrils joined their shadows against the stoney surfaces, a sign that Fallen was in play for this attack. Not that it matters, but better late than never. Bahr locked eyes with his target for the last time before dashing forward and plunging the sword into its heart, sending it scattering across the chamber in the form of countless azure shards. A worthy adversary, but not quite worthy enough. It certainly wasn't a Guardian of Fire. 

His work done, Bahr dismissed Dawn's Demise in a ribbon of light and started back toward the entrance of the ruins, referencing his handy sandy map to make the trek a bit easier. There was nothing left for him here. No treasure, no Indiana Jones fantasy. 

Spoiler

Bahr: HP: 1310/1310 | EN: 106/128 | DMG: 19 | MIT: 79 | ACC: 6 | EVA: 6 | FLN: 12 | HLY: 6 | PHASE | BH: 64 | HB: 24 | LD: 4 | SD: 4

Bahr tries to detect Suterusu. 

ID: 155157 and I rolled a BD7 I'm on mobile and don't really want to edit this stack block but trust me the thing is D-E-A-D.

Suterusu: HP: 75/1000 | DMG: 250 | MIT: 25 | ACC: 1 | EVA: 3 | ID: x | BD: x
Suterusu roll ID: x | MD: Entered Stealth

 

[Bahr 0]

By the time he had made it outside, he'd made up his mind for what he wanted to do with the rest of his day. It was time to head to his island and get to work on clearing the land, something he had put off ever since purchasing the property. When he bought it, he knew that it would be a lot of work, and it didn't make any sense to shirk that work now that he'd spent the col. It was time to put his money where his mouth was and get down to business. Island wasn't going to prepare itself. 

He could have traversed to a town. Used the teleport gate, gotten a free ride. Ridden a boat out to his private island. And as much as he loved the though of surfing the waves, there was an issue. His boat was there, and he'd need to pay someone to ferry him there. He could take the trip and spend the col, or use a teleport crystal to get there faster that cost around the same amount. Bahr decided that, in this instance, it was convenience that matter the most. 

[Bahr 0]

One teleport crystal later, he was standing on his island. Wide eyed, almost wishing he hadn't. Why had he spent so much col on this place? Sure, the sixteenth floor was totally gorgeous, but was he actually prepared to put in the work thus place required just to even get to a point where he could even start building the house? He didn't know how to build a house in the first place! Sure, there was probably some sort of system assist to guide him, but that didn't mean he was actually going to be able to build anything worthwhile. 

Whatever. That was something to worry about another day. If he spent any long lamenting over it, he'd waste another day without having done any of the actual work to get there. He could put more thought into the actual construction of his new home after he'd done enough work for it to actually matter. 

[Bahr 0]

In accordance with his resolve, Bahr summoned the hatchet that had been provided by the island package, and began hacking away. Much to his surprise, he found it quite easy to clear the foliage around the island. It only took two, maybe three strikes per plant for it to be cleared. Trees took five to six strikes. The problem lay in the fact that he could only clear one plant at a time, making it a very time consuming endeavor. Moreover, it seemed to drain his energy at a fairly consistent rate with each and every swing of the axe. And in heat like this, it felt like it was being sapped away even quicker. 

After about an hour of work, Bahr looked around to take in his progress. Despite knowing that he'd chopped down dozens, if not hundreds of plants, he couldn't tell. It looked like he was still at square one, and hadn't so much as made a dent. 

[Bahr 0]

Bahr wondered if Dawn's Demise might have better luck and clearing the foliage and trees. It was a lot larger, had a wide area of effect, and had the weight and density to carve through most anything. So he stowed the hatchet back in his inventory, summoned Dawn's Demise, and seized up the surrounding area for the most effective strike he could manage. 

The most efficient way he could surmise to conduct his makeshift foliage clearing was to wade out into the brush a small ways, charge up a Calamity Disaster, and let it loose in the widest arc he could possibly manage - a full circle, if possible. This would expose the greatest area possible to the attack and, hopefully, clear it all out in a single swing. 

So he stepped out into the tall grass and bushes, poured energy into his sword, and prepared to attack. It was time to see if his theory was correct. 

[Bahr 0]

As he let loose his Sword Art and watched the golden blade shimmer ferociously tear through the brush, managing to swipe the gigantic slab of metal in a full circle just as he'd hoped. But, unfortunately, there was a problem. Above each and every plant populated a violet notice that heralded its immortal status. Peculiar, considering that they were all most certainly not immortal. It seemed that the island was keen on only having its plants tended to by the tools that it had provided. Bahr felt as though he'd stepped into a hyper realistic version of Minecraft, or something. 

With a grumble, he dismissed Dawn's Demise and opened up his inventory to select the hatchet once more. It was as the panel populated that he saw it. It was completely littered with random nonsense. Materials gathered from his endeavors so far that were only applicable to home building exclusively. 

[Bahr 0]

His eye twitched as he gazed upon the mess. Bahr was meticulous with organizing his inventory and keeping everything sorted. And it wasn't sorta by convention means, mind you. It wasn't sorted alphabetically, or by item type, or anything else so ergonomic. It was organized in an indescribable, custom format that only made sense to Bahr and what he found to be personally relevant. He'd saved these settings, and when the materials were added into his inventory, the conventions of the setting confused them for other things and just dumped them into seemingly random locations. 

Muttered curses flowed from his mouth like a reverent prayer as he fiddled with the menu for no less than fifteen minutes. Rearranging, saving the settings, noticing a problem, and then sweating some more before troubleshooting again. When it was finally all said and done, Bahr was beginning to sense hints of orange in the sky. The sun would be setting soon, and he had hardly managed to make any headway whatsoever. 

[Bahr 0]

His inventory was set. He had experimented, figuring out what did and didn't work. Most everything besides the hatchet didn't work, and given its minimal efficiency, Bahr had come to the only logical conclusion that remained. Hours upon hours, possibly even days upon days of cumulative work, would be required to get this island to where it needed to be. Blood, sweat and tears would be shed to bring this endeavor to fruition. There were no shortcuts. No work arounds. He needed to put in the time and effort to get what he wanted out of it. And though he respected that, he found himself somewhat annoyed by it.

Did he regret his decision to purchase the island? Somewhat. Was he going to give up? No way in hell. It had become too personal at this point to let go. And though he understood that this was only the beginning, he'd invested too much at this point to look back. He was in this until the bitter end. 

[Bahr 0]

He began hacking away at the bushes like a madman. They looked like a good place to start. They took the fewest swings to bring down, and if he focused on one type of plant, maybe he could see the fruits of his labors by day's end. There would still be other flora in the area to taun him with its presence, but if he could establish a system and stick to it, he might just actually get somewhere. The bushes one day. The grass the next. The trees the day after. And then everything else he was overlooking in his current frenzy could be dealt with after the fact. There would surely be a lot, but in that moment, he didn't care. The key element in his technique was pure, unadulterated speed. 

His energy plummeted at the same rate as the sun, reaching near empty by the time the starts were dotting the sky and the last traces of red were retreating over the horizon. He was a sweat, sloppy mess; hair matted and frazzled, breathing rapidly and deeply, and eyes glued wide open.

[Bahr 0]

He looked like some sort of deranged animal as he stood there, panting, clutching the hatchet in his tired arms. And as those wide eyes scanned the area, he could see that his labor was beginning to pay off. Just not enough. 

Sure, he'd cleared out a ton of bushes. But there were more that remained, more than he had even managed to get torn down in his fervor, and this nearly broke the man. He allowed himself to fall onto his back on the solitary patch that he'd carved and let out an annoyed huff. Try as he might, he was going to either need to get some help with this, or spend the next several years breaking his back trying to do it solo. The solution seemed obvious, but his pride was telling him to go it alone. 

No. It would be better to get help. Sometimes it takes a village. 

______________________________________

Quest Completed. 

Thread net gains:

5 SP

5900 col

Mothra Statue