[F23-PP] Rules of Nature <<Ugzeke the Mighty>>

[NIGHT 0]

<<Ugzeke the Mighty>>

NIGHT: hey
NIGHT: u up?
NIGHT: feeling like boss prep?
NIGHT: there's this goblin thing on f23 that seems like itd be fun to wreck
NIGHT: lmk if you're coming

She'd just gotten out of her debtor's guild hall when she'd sent her elder the message. There was something about Dawn's Demise the other day that she'd finally managed to feel with Jack's Executioner... even if it did take a little bit of coaxing to draw that damage out of it. With that power came a variety of hunts that NIGHT had used to take out bosses -- the experience was very much needed at this point. But the ease of collapsing enemies was starting to get old.

To that end, she'd commissioned a new set of armor, hoping the difference of equipment would return a semblance of her older reality back to her current perspective. It had been all armor, reminiscent of the build she had initially been going for given the worst case scenario. She didn't need a fancy weapon to unleash hell to her enemies, NIGHT believed, but it would be fun to toy around with a bit of off-tanking during her time off.

Her steel greaves clattered against the stone floor as she made her way towards the town's teleporter. Whether or not her superior was tagging along, only time would tell.

@Bahr

	NIGHT   | HP: 1225/1225 | EN: 118/118   | ACC: 1 | DMG: 19 | MIT: 99 | LD: 3   | HM: 6 | LM: 2 | THORNS: 54 | TAUNT   | Stealth Detection: 3 | Stealth Rating: 7
- - -
[Examine] [Equipment] Zokutō Yoroi -- [ Mitigation I | +27 MIT. ] -- [ Thorns II | 54 unmitigated DMG on attacking enemies when they strike this player on non-critical attacks. ] Sleek Shift -- [ Mitigation I | +27 MIT. ] -- [ Heavy Momentum II | +6 DMG on an unsuccessful attack. Buff is removed on a successful attack. ] Second Wind -- [ Mitigation I | +27 MIT. ] -- [ Light Momentum II | +2 ACC on an unsuccessful attack. Buff is removed on a successful attack. ] [Battle-Ready Inventory] [T1E3] Teleport Crystal (1) | Instant | TELEPORT Skills Skills Mod Count: 7/8 Two-Handed Straight Sword | Passive | RANK 5/5 > Ferocity, Precision, Finesse Heavy Armor | Passive | RANK 3/5  > Athletics Searching | Passive | RANK 3/5 Hiding | Passive | RANK 4+1/5 > Blindside, Vanish, Surprise Attack: Trickster Extended Mod Limit | Passive | RANK 3/3  [Extra] Survival | Passive  Concentration | Active -- CD: 3 Familiar Mastery: Fighter | Passive | RANK 3/3 Consumed Buffs Spoiler Bialas Statue | +TAUNT Misc. Buffs Spoiler Dimensional Backpack, Item Stash | +2 Battle-Ready Inventory Slots. Well Rested | -1 EN for the first three expenditures of each combat.  Relaxed | +(5 * Tier) HP per out-of-combat post. Full energy restoration occurs after two turns out of combat. Squeaky Clean | -25% DoT damage taken from the first DoT applied to this player in a thread. Skylight: Hiding | +1 Expertise to declared utility skill. Cooldown of 30 days to reassign. Multipurpose | +1 LD/Prosperity/Stealth/Detection to one post per thread. Can be applied after a roll. Filling | +1 T1 slot to a food consumed by this player in a thread. Can exceed Cook enhancement caps. Col Deposit | +5% col from loot-minimum mobs, +10% col from treasure chests.

[♪]

[Bahr 0]

Spoiler

STATS
LEVEL - 69
HP - 1410
EN - 138
DMG - 20
MIT - 106
ACC - 2
EVA - 1
LD - 5
STEALTH DETECTION - 5
BATTLE HEALING - 70
BLEED 1
BURN 1
HEAVY MOMENTUM 2
LIGHT MOMENTUM 1

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 SEARCHING
     ➥ SEARCHING 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
» KAMATETSU STATUE
     ➥ +1 DMG

SKILLS

NON-COMBAT SKILLS
» EXTENDED MOD LIMIT R3 
     ➥ PASSIVE
     ➥ ALLOWS FOR THE USE OF ONE 3 ADDITIONAL MODS
» SEARCHING R4 >>> R5 WITH SKYLIGHT BUFF
     ➥ PASSIVE
     ➥ +5 LD
     ➥ +5 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% (68 HP) OF THEIRMAX HP EACH TURN
» ENERGIZE
     ➥ POST ACTION
     ➥ RESTORE 8 ENERGY TO TARGET PARTY MEMBER. CANNOT TARGET USER.

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
» HYPERACTIVE
     ➥ POST ACTION
     ➥ INCREASE PASSIVE ENERGY RECOVERY OF PARTY MEMBER BY 3 FOR 3 TURNS. CAN TARGET USER.

EQUIPMENT

WEAPON
» [EQUIPPED] "BLINKSTRIKE" - TWO-HANDED STRAIGHT SWORD (T3 - PERFECT)
     ➥ +1 ACC
     ➥ BLEED
          ➥ 36 UNMITIGATED DAMAGE FOR TWO TURNS ON NATURAL ROLLS OF 9 OR HIGHER
     ➥ BURN
          ➥ 36 UNMITIGATED DAMAGE FOR TWO TURNS ON NATURAL ROLLS OF 9 OR HIGHER

ARMOR
» [EQUIPPED] "COAT OF THE CRIMSON CRUSADER" - LIGHT ARMOR (T3 - PERFECT)
     ➥ +54 MIT
     ➥ LIGHT MOMENTUM 1

» [EQUIPPED] "SERPENT'S STEP" - HEAVY ARMOR (T3 - PERFECT)
     ➥ HEAVY MOMENTUM 2
     ➥ +27 MIT

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

Bahr: Just send one message, god damn.
Bahr: omw

Wait a second. This was about that Ugzeke son of a bitch, wasn't it? Bahr had avoided this qurat for the longest time because, well, it sucked. The mob was bit and a little beefy, but was otherwise a boring battle. And when you were finally done, you were rewarded with minuscule amounts of experience. 

As Bahr summoned his quest info panel, he quickly navigated to the Ugzeke panel, then blinked. Had its experience drop tripled? If it had always looked this good, Bahr wasn't sure why he remembered it sucking. Maybe it was just his imagination. Maybe it was Maybelline. 

When he arrived on the 23rd Floor, he lingered around the teleporter for a bit. For some reason, he suspected that he was actually early this time. Wack. 

Bahr: Still coming? I'm here. 

[NIGHT 0]

NIGHT: 5s

And just like that, NIGHT was off the teleporter at her destination, trekking over towards the crimson marauder. Her armor change meant a world of a difference in terms of aesthetics for the woman, but she was still garbed in black for the most part.

There just happened to be way too many thorns on her now.

"Thanks for joining me," were the first words that rolled out of her mouth, NIGHT finally remembering how to be cordial. Last time they'd met, Bahr had managed to guess their mark of the day, and the player had a feeling he would show the same sentiments today, so she figured it'd be easier for them to cut right to the chase.

"Ugzeke nets some pretty experience bonus, so I've had my eye on completing it for some time now. That happen to be the same for you? The Underdark is likely to pose some interesting challenges from the lack of visibility." She shrugged, trying to place a direction to the caverns mentioned in her messages. "Might be a good opportunity to figure what it's like fighting in the dark. We're going up against shadows, might as well try chasing them for a spell."

@Bahr

[Bahr 0]

"Hey," Bahr chirped as he dismissed the messaging window. "Good to see you. I'd give you a hug, but it might be awkward. Besides..." He looked her gear over. "Looks like it might sting a little."

"Yeah, I've actually avoided it for awhile. Did it get an experience boost or something? I remember a patch coming out not long ago and I ended up with more skill points than I had previously." And then, at her mention of the dark, Bahr briefly considered turning on his Night Vision mod. But the whole point of this was to try to work on technique rather than system assist, so he decided against it. 

"Should be interesting, at the least. We'll have to see how it goes. It's stats aren't great, so I don't think we have much to be worried about. If you lead the way, I'll gladly follow. Don't know my way around these parts too well."

[NIGHT 0]

"It might've," NIGHT piped back, starting down one way on their journey to weave through the crowd. It always seemed to be rather packed on this floor, she'd noticed, even when she first showed up to complete a quest with her paladin when they were first rookies. "A few lower-leveled quests had that same boost at the time, I'd observed; maybe Ugzeke's one of them that got affected by the change? I mean, I think it's more than welcome. Who wouldn't enjoy a little bit more experience, right?"

Their trek took them towards the western side of town, the unexplored wilderness of the underground tunnels located in the lower regions of the dark elves' capital. She'd shot her companion a quick "Watch your step" out of jest as they'd entered, before nearly tripping over a rock a few seconds afterwards. That aside, the caves were generally found to be barren, though their walls made her curious with regards to the burrows' creations, as they seemed to ripple outwards, almost the dirt had been drilled through to form them.

When the light debuff finally kicked in, that was when NIGHT knew they were far down enough to run across their mark's lair. Her glove instinctively went to the right-most wall, hoping to follow it in accordance to her broker's directions. Three downward slopes, a handful of turns and numerous calls to see if Bahr was still there (he was, though NIGHT was not without shock at his responses), and they'd finally stumbled upon a dimly-lit room, beckoning interested parties to step forth.

At the heart of it was a grizzled shadow sat in a squat.

"Uh--" In her hesitance and worry that they might've perhaps found the wrong room (or boss), she turned to Bahr with a tilt of her head. "You... first?"

@Bahr

Spoiler

>Players receive a 1 ACC penalty due to the state of the environment.

ID: 155828 | BD: 3
NIGHT missed!
> Heavy Momentum, Light Momentum proc'd. (+6 DMG, +2 ACC)

Ugzeke | HP: 1500/1500 | DMG: 200 | MIT: 35 | ACC: 2 | UGZEKE SMASH | UGZEKE MAD | UGZEKE CONFUSED

[0] NIGHT | HP: 1225/1225 | EN: 117/118 (-1) | DMG: 25 (19, +6) | MIT: 99 | ACC: 2 (1, +2 -1) | HM: 6 | LM: 2 | THORNS: 54 | TAUNT
[0] Bahr | HP: 1410/1410 | EN: 138/138 | DMG: 20 | MIT: 106 | ACC: 1 (2, -1) | EVA: 1 | HM: 6 | LM: 1 | BH: 70 | BLEED: 1 | BURN: 1

UGZEKE SMASH: CD10+, 175 DMG + stun on the player with the most hate.
UGZEKE MAD: At 750HP, DMG 250, -2 ACC
UGZEKE CONFUSED: If CD < 3 rolled, no action taken.

[Bahr 0]

Bahr grinned at NIGHT's invitation for him to go first. "Don't mind if I do," he mused as he stepped forward into the room, sizing up the giant before them. "Hey buddy. Daddy's home," he taunted as Blinkstrike flickered into existence, which he then rested against his shoulder. To Bahr's surprise, it seemed that the troll hadn't heard him. Strange. 

"I said DADDY'S HOME!" he shouted from only a few feet away from the beast, his voice reverberating off of the walls and echoing in on itself. Confused, Bahr shot an uneasy glance toward NIGHT, accompanied by a shrug. 

Finally, Bahr just hit the damn thing. Still, no response. 

"Uhm... Is it glitched?

Perplexed by their shared enemy, Bahr simply turned back to NIGHT and stared at her incredulously. This was strangely reminiscent of the Shocking Stallion quest, wherein the boss got stuck in an animation loop and Bahr somply struck it until it died. Would Ugzeke fare the same?

Spoiler

>Players receive a 1 ACC penalty due to the state of the environment.

ID: 155861 | BD: 7
Bahr hits for 20×13=260-35=225 DMG

Ugzeke | HP: 1275/1500 | DMG: 200 | MIT: 35 | ACC: 2 | UGZEKE SMASH | UGZEKE MAD | UGZEKE CONFUSED
ID: 155862 | CD: 3
Ugzeke takes no action because he's the big dumb. 

[0] NIGHT | HP: 1225/1225 | EN: 117/118 (-1) | DMG: 25 (19, +6) | MIT: 99 | ACC: 2 (1, +2 -1) | HM: 6 | LM: 2 | THORNS: 54 | TAUNT
[1] Bahr | HP: 1410/1410 | EN: 138/138 | DMG: 20 | MIT: 106 | ACC: 1 (2, -1) | EVA: 1 | HM: 6 | LM: 1 | BH: 70 | BLEED: 1 | BURN: 1

UGZEKE SMASH: CD10+, 175 DMG + stun on the player with the most hate.
UGZEKE MAD: At 750HP, DMG 250, -2 ACC
UGZEKE CONFUSED: If CD < 3 rolled, no action taken.

 

[NIGHT 0]

"Glitched...?" That-- that might be bad. NIGHT already thought the barks from Bahr were already pretty sus to begin with, but the boss not moving really takes the cake. If only there was a way to call for a check-in from staff or something. Unfortunately, NIGHT never truly believed there was anyone at the help desk behind the option to call for a Game Master, so that idea quickly went out the window for her.

She approached the hunched figure, still worried about the consequences (or lack there of?) if they'd managed to take out the opponent before it could react. At least under the somewhat dim light, she could make out enough of its physical traits to deem that it was indeed Ugzeke. NIGHT let her blade come to life as well, before giving it her all behind her swing -- it was enough to launch the block a good inch away from its original position, but not much else was telling in the way of its movements.

"If this is what glitched looks like, I don't know if I want to know what a bug might."

@Bahr

Spoiler

ID: 155866 | BD: 11 (9, +2)
<<Galaxy Destroyer>> vs Ugzeke.
25 + 1 = 26 DMG | 26 * 13 = 338 DMG | 338 - 35 = 303 DMG
> Heavy Momentum, Light Momentum stacks expended. (-6 DMG, -2 ACC)

Ugzeke | HP: 972/1500 (-303) | DMG: 200 | MIT: 35 | ACC: 2 | UGZEKE SMASH | UGZEKE MAD | UGZEKE CONFUSED

[3] NIGHT | HP: 1225/1225 | EN: 109/118 (+1, -9) | DMG: 19 | MIT: 99 | ACC: 0 (-2) | HM: 6 | LM: 2 | THORNS: 54 | TAUNT
[1] Bahr | HP: 1410/1410 | EN: 138/138 | DMG: 20 | MIT: 106 | ACC: 1 | EVA: 1 | HM: 6 | LM: 1 | BH: 70 | BLEED: 1 | BURN: 1

UGZEKE SMASH: CD10+, 175 DMG + stun on the player with the most hate.
UGZEKE MAD: At 750HP, DMG 250, -2 ACC
UGZEKE CONFUSED: If CD < 3 rolled, no action taken.

[Bahr 0]

As Bahr squinted at the creature, he readied another Galaxy Destroyer. "I ran into a situation similar to this recently, during the Shocking Stallion quest," he explained over the dull hum of the energy being poured into Blinkstrike, its glow painting the dimly light room with a sheet of scarlet. "It got stuck in an animation loop, and never attacked me back. All I had to do was keep thwacking the thing until it died. It was, uh, very uneventful."

But this time, as Blinkstrike carved a chunk of health away from the gauge and turned it from green to yellow, something spurred in Ugzeke. As if having finally noticed that it was indeed being attacked, it very suddenly stood and roared, the verbosity of its voice shaking the stony walls and sending small pebbles skittering across the ground. Inexplicably, it actually went after NIGHT rather than Bahr, pounding its club into the floor directly where she'd just been standing. Despite her lack of evasion enhancements, it appeared as though she was still nimble enough to avoid being squashed.

"Awwwwwwlright!" Bahr exclaimed, his enthusiastic tone filling the room. "Now we're talking!"
 

Spoiler

>Players receive a 1 ACC penalty due to the state of the environment.

ID: 155868 | BD: 5+1=6
Bahr hits for 20×13=260-35=225 DMG

Ugzeke | HP: 747/1500 | DMG: 250 | MIT: 35 | ACC: 0 | UGZEKE SMASH | UGZEKE MAD | UGZEKE CONFUSED
ID: 155869 | CD: 8 | MD: 2
Ugzeke misses because he's the big dumb. 

[3] NIGHT | HP: 1225/1225 | EN: 109/118 | DMG: 19 | MIT: 99 | ACC: 0 | HM: 6 | LM: 2 | THORNS: 54 | TAUNT
[2] Bahr | HP: 1410/1410 | EN: 121/138 | DMG: 20 | MIT: 106 | ACC: 1 (2, -1) | EVA: 1 | HM: 6 | LM: 1 | BH: 70 | BLEED: 1 | BURN: 1

UGZEKE SMASH: CD10+, 175 DMG + stun on the player with the most hate.
UGZEKE MAD: At 750HP, DMG 250, -2 ACC
UGZEKE CONFUSED: If CD < 3 rolled, no action taken.

 

[NIGHT 0]

An animation loop, and Bahr was still here standing? Alive, and in the (digital) flesh? Though the developers may have worked their butts of trying to patch in several SP boosts, it bothered her to no end that there were still bugs(?) with some of their system mobs and their AI. What was up with that? They'd developed a neural network, but couldn't get a monster to respond reliably. Did they pawn off half the work on a smaller company or something...?

It was the yelling that pulled her back to the present, and NIGHT managed to dodge roll off to the side when she felt her stability crumble before Ugzeke's roar. Its weapon smashed upon the ground further cemented her struggle to rise, the quake from its impact sending shocks down her nerves.

"Awwwwwwlright! Now we're talking!"

At least one of them was enthusiastic about it...! NIGHT was just hoping Ugzeke wouldn't be this erratic in the rest of the fight to come.

@Bahr

Spoiler

ID: 156168 | BD: 5
NIGHT missed!
> Heavy Momentum, Light Momentum proc'd. (+6 DMG, +2 ACC)

Ugzeke | HP: 747/1500 | DMG: 250 | MIT: 35 | UGZEKE SMASH | UGZEKE MAD | UGZEKE CONFUSED

[3] NIGHT | HP: 1225/1225 | EN: 108/118 (+1, -2) | DMG: 25 (+6) | MIT: 99 | ACC: 2 (+2) | HM: 6 | LM: 2 | THORNS: 54 | TAUNT
[2] Bahr | HP: 1410/1410 | EN: 121/138 | DMG: 20 | MIT: 106 | ACC: 1 | EVA: 1 | HM: 6 | LM: 1 | BH: 70 | BLEED: 1 | BURN: 1

>Players receive a 1 ACC penalty due to the state of the environment.
UGZEKE SMASH: CD10+, 175 DMG + stun on the player with the most hate.
UGZEKE MAD: At 750HP, DMG 250, -2 ACC
UGZEKE CONFUSED: If CD < 3 rolled, no action taken.

[Bahr 0]

Despite the fact that Ugzeke was kinda, like, raging out, Bahr didn't feel particularly threatened just yet. They'd already managed to clear over half of its health, and even if they were in a low light environment, he was confident that they would be able to piece out the remainder of its health before it became too ornery and did some actual damage.

That is, until it managed to strike NIGHT.

Its club moved more nimbly than either player had probably previously imagined, thwacking NIGHT and sending her hurtling into a nearby wall. A yellow icon in Bahr's party HUD heralded her stunned status, and Bahr knew he need to act.

But as he lunged forward and attempted to connect Blinkstrike with their shared opponent, he found that the creature itself was a bit more nimble than either of them had probably imagined, either. Bahr growled as it avoided his strike, and looked back over his shoulder toward his downed partner. "Don't worry, I'll keep him off of you," Bahr reassured her. "I'm tougher to move than I look."
 

Spoiler

>Players receive a 1 ACC penalty due to the state of the environment.

ID: 156173 | BD: 2+1=3
Bahr misses.
Heavy Momentum gains a stack (1). (+6 DMG to next successful attack.)
Light Momentum gains a stack (1). (+1 ACC until next successful attack.)

Ugzeke | HP: 747/1500 | DMG: 250 | MIT: 35 | ACC: 0 | UGZEKE SMASH | UGZEKE MAD | UGZEKE CONFUSED
ID: 156174 | CD: 10 | MD: 9
Ugzeke uses Ugzeke Smash!
176-99=77 DMG | STUN INFLICTED 

[3] NIGHT | HP: 1148/1225 | EN: 109/118 | DMG: 19 | MIT: 99 | ACC: 0 | HM: 6 | LM: 2 | THORNS: 54 | TAUNT | STUNNED
[2] Bahr | HP: 1410/1410 | EN: 121/138 | DMG: 20 | MIT: 106 | ACC: 1 (2, -1) | EVA: 1 | HM: 6 | LM: 1 | BH: 70 | BLEED: 1 | BURN: 1

UGZEKE SMASH: CD10+, 175 DMG + stun on the player with the most hate.
UGZEKE MAD: At 750HP, DMG 250, -2 ACC
UGZEKE CONFUSED: If CD < 3 rolled, no action taken.

 

[NIGHT 0]

Well at least he was moving much more now. Hopefully, Ugzeke wouldn't run into any technical problems soon.

When he'd struck out once again, his blow connected, and NIGHT went down with a comedic oof while feeling her back slammed against the cavern's side. The damage she'd taken had been minimal, but the system's stun made her movements sluggish, if not rendering her completely immobile. The woman reached a hand out to the wall as she slowly helped herself upwards, the world still revolving around her.

"I-- believe you," she managed to stammer out, watching the red blur shift to her aid. "--Moving a bit too fast for my tastes... One second..."

@Bahr

Spoiler

Ugzeke | HP: 747/1500 | DMG: 250 | MIT: 35 | UGZEKE SMASH | UGZEKE MAD | UGZEKE CONFUSED

[3] NIGHT | HP: 1148/1225 | EN: 109/118 (+1) | DMG: 25  | MIT: 99 | ACC: 2 | HM: 6 | LM: 2 | THORNS: 54 | TAUNT | STUNNED
[2] Bahr | HP: 1410/1410 | EN: 121/138 | DMG: 26 (+6) | MIT: 106 | ACC: 3 (+2) | EVA: 1 | HM: 6 | LM: 1 | BH: 70 | BLEED: 1 | BURN: 1

>Players receive a 1 ACC penalty due to the state of the environment.
UGZEKE SMASH: CD10+, 175 DMG + stun on the player with the most hate.
UGZEKE MAD: At 750HP, DMG 250, -2 ACC
UGZEKE CONFUSED: If CD < 3 rolled, no action taken.

[Bahr 0]

Ugzeke's rage was now a bit more intimidating, if Bahr were being honest. Especially as he found himself equipped with only basic gear. But this was exactly what he'd been chasing after. It was in moments like this, times when he truly felt the pressure and unease of combat, that he thrived. He could spank a mob like Ugzeke all day, every day if he were using his typical gear. Hell, sometimes he felt like he could rule Aincrad with a single hand so long as the other gripped Dawn's Demise.

But this? This feeling was what he lived for.

He dashed forward as fast as his inferior equipment would allow, readying a Galaxy Destroyer and tearing into the best with every bit the same tenacity it had struck NIGHT with. Its health plummeted as it stumbled backward, smacking its skull against the hard cavernous walls. It slumped then, against the wall, leaving itself vulnerable to another attack. "You up yet?" Bahr called. "He's wide open. Get him."
 

Spoiler

>Players receive a 1 ACC penalty due to the state of the environment.

ID: 156181 | BD: 6+2=3
Bahr hits Ugzeke for 26x13=338-35=303 DMG
Heavy Momentum stack expended. (+6 DMG)
Light Momentum stack expended. (+1 ACC)

Ugzeke | HP: 444/1500 | DMG: 250 | MIT: 35 | ACC: 0 | UGZEKE SMASH | UGZEKE MAD | UGZEKE CONFUSED
ID: 156182 | CD: 3 
Ugzeke takes no action because he is the big dumb.

[3] NIGHT | HP: 1148/1225 | EN: 109/118 | DMG: 19 | MIT: 99 | ACC: 0 | HM: 6 | LM: 2 | THORNS: 54 | TAUNT
[3] Bahr | HP: 1410/1410 | EN: 113/138 | DMG: 20 | MIT: 106 | ACC: 1 (2, -1) | EVA: 1 | HM: 6 | LM: 1 | BH: 70 | BLEED: 1 | BURN: 1

UGZEKE SMASH: CD10+, 175 DMG + stun on the player with the most hate.
UGZEKE MAD: At 750HP, DMG 250, -2 ACC
UGZEKE CONFUSED: If CD < 3 rolled, no action taken.

 

[NIGHT 0]

When she'd finally came to, their target was already well prepared for her next strike. In the same way NIGHT had been trying to rise earlier, so was Ugzeke attempting to find his footing, the figure's movements much slower and ungraceful than her own. Was he trying to locate his weapon? It'd been tossed to the side in his falter. He mightn't have reached it in time.

Brilliant setup. Wide open indeed.

There was a flash of rage when she'd stepped up to the plate. So too did her blade flare to life with a luminescent white. Something about revenge for a blow she'd taken was satisfying in that manner, her will working together with the system in ease to deliver a delicious sort of payback. With one guided slash, the woman tore through the monster's green skin -- a critical hit? Say it wasn't so. Only a trace of light matched with hatched danger lines was left in her wake this time, and here NIGHT thought to miss her haunted blade's scenic corruption.

The boss' health dialed backwards to match her mentor's coat.

"So just one more hit then."

@Bahr

Spoiler

ID: 156191 | BD: 12 (10, +2)
<<Galaxy Destroyer>> vs Ugzeke.
26 + 2 = 28 DMG | 28 * 13 = 364 DMG | 364 - 35 = 329 DMG
> Heavy Momentum, Light Momentum stack expended (-6 DMG, -2 ACC).

Ugzeke | HP: 115/1500 (-329) | DMG: 250 | MIT: 35 | UGZEKE SMASH | UGZEKE MAD | UGZEKE CONFUSED

[6] NIGHT | HP: 1148/1225 | EN: 100/118 (+1, -10) | DMG: 19 (-6) | MIT: 99 | ACC: 0 (-2) | HM: 6 | LM: 2 | THORNS: 54 | TAUNT
[3] Bahr | HP: 1410/1410 | EN: 113/138 | DMG: 20 | MIT: 106 | ACC: 1 | EVA: 1 | HM: 6 | LM: 1 | BH: 70 | BLEED: 1 | BURN: 1

>Players receive a 1 ACC penalty due to the state of the environment.
UGZEKE SMASH: CD10+, 175 DMG + stun on the player with the most hate.
UGZEKE MAD: At 750HP, DMG 250, -2 ACC
UGZEKE CONFUSED: If CD < 3 rolled, no action taken.

[Bahr 0]

"Too easy," Bahr chirped as he nodded in affirmation of NIGHT's conclusion. It was hanging on by a thread, and was now cornered. Short of some miraculous hail mary, this would be the strike that did the creature in for good. Not wasting any time, Bahr bathed his sword in crimson light and let it rip, carving a straight red line up the length of the creature's body. Moments later, its frame collapsed into a cloud of countless polygonal fractals. The remnants twinkled with an azure glow before gradually disintegrating into oblivion, confirmation that their struggle was finished.

Bahr sheathed Blinkstrike and looked to his companion, offering her a fist bump. "Good work," he suggested, "Sorry the Thorns didn't work out. Maybe next time?" Though, there weren't many quests left for them to take together, Bahr suddenly realized. Unless, of course, they started redoing old quests. And then, what was the point, really? Reward farming? Didn't seem like a great opportunity for lessons.

"So what do you think?" he inquired. "About using lesser gear. Isn't too terrible, is it?"
 

Spoiler

>Players receive a 1 ACC penalty due to the state of the environment.

ID: 156195 | BD: 6+2=3
Bahr hits Ugzeke for 20x13=260-35=225 DMG

Ugzeke | HP: 0/1500 | DMG: 250 | MIT: 35 | ACC: 0 | UGZEKE SMASH | UGZEKE MAD | UGZEKE CONFUSED
ID: x | CD: x
Ugzeke takes no action because he dead.

[4] NIGHT | HP: 1148/1225 | EN: 109/118 | DMG: 19 | MIT: 99 | ACC: 0 | HM: 6 | LM: 2 | THORNS: 54 | TAUNT
[4] Bahr | HP: 1410/1410 | EN: 104/138 | DMG: 20 | MIT: 106 | ACC: 1 (2, -1) | EVA: 1 | HM: 6 | LM: 1 | BH: 70 | BLEED: 1 | BURN: 1

 

[NIGHT 0]

Fist bump? She took it with a nod. Pow-wows were great; it was surprising she hadn't seen players execute on them more.

"Right back at 'cha. And--" NIGHT had nearly forgotten about her armor's specialty before her companion brought it up again. She rubbed the back of her neck, sheepish. "--It's cool. The thorns feel somewhat like home, actually. They're comfortable."

"The new suit seems to do wonders, actually." Having forgone her damage totem for the taunt's instead, she'd figured she was capable of tanking somewhat, though still fell short on its execution and reliability of pulling aggro. Still, it had balanced well with her gloves managing to pull lost strength from somewhere, making the hits she did land that much more impactful. "'Too terrible's not giving the sets enough credit. I had to run the numbers a bit and balance the gear out, but it worked out in the end."

"It's definitely fun to run," she reflected, a flick of her wrist relinquishing her blade to her inventory. "Wouldn't mind doing it again. Shame to imagine I've been running out of targets to--" pick fun at "-- maim though. Your quest list getting shorter too?"

@Bahr

[Bahr 0]

"Yeah," Bahr confirmed, giving an idle nod. "Seems it's easier to garner experience now than in was a few months ago. I'd surfed through the vast majority of the quests solo by that time, and a part of me wishes I'd waited. It's nice and all, that I was able to get to Tier 3 as quickly as I did, and that now it's easier to get experience. But if I'd had an opportunity to pair them, I think I'd be a much higher level than I am now."

"Not that it matters too much," he admitted. "I feel plenty capable where I'm at. But it's looking like it might soon come to a point where I need to farm through quests I've already done in the past, and that..." He pondered on a moment, trying to find the best choice of words. "Honestly just seems kinda boring. I mean, I already did them before."

After silently giving the idea a bit more thought, he concluded with, "Maybe I can turn my attention to helping others through the quests instead. There are plenty of players who haven't gotten through a lot of these quests. Since I know about them, maybe I can act like a guide of sorts. Help other players to get to a point where you and I are now."

[NIGHT 0]

Her eyes widened at the solo-questing revelation. She too had expected to have gone off on that same journey -- it was only out of sheer luck she'd been able to go on expeditions with a gaggle of newer adventurers at the time. As Bahr mused at the options made available to him, it struck NIGHT that she hadn't contemplated on revisiting the same quests she'd done before.

"Honestly just seems kinda boring. I mean, I already did them before."

"Right?" With how the system worked, it simply made sense for players to keep on rushing through them and leave old content behind. The fact that they could pull newbies through them with relative ease only made the load less taxing at a glance; at least then it would be an action taken out of good will alongside training. "It'd be nice to help out some fresh faces," she added, thumb set under her chin. "I guess the only matter now would be finding players in need of our assistance. Sometimes they'd show up one day and then we never get to see them again. If our presence helps them stay alive, then we're all the better for it."

"-- I was actually contemplating on chasing dungeons for a while." She hadn't prepared her kit out to scout for them just yet, but that was next on her shopping list, other than the gear today. "Could chain them one after another in a day for pretty good gains. The only concern I might find is that at levels such as these, it's much safer to go as a group, and that's not to mention going through the effort of finding these..."

@Bahr

[Bahr 0]

Sub-dungeons, huh? Bahr had tackled a few before - typically solo - but NIGHT wasn't incorrect. They did scale exponentially with whatever floor they were found on, which made floors like the one they were on particularly dangerous. With a solid party, one wouldn't find themself particularly threatened. But as many in Aincrad were aware, you didn't usually have a party with you. And even then, things rarely went according to plan. 

"I could see being a dungeon hunter for awhile," Bahr mused, before adding, "But if I'm being honest, that's the sort of thing I'd bring my good gear for. Especially on floors like this one. The things that lurk within are several times stronger than the troll we just fought." He tilted his head back and huffed a bit, almost as though exhausted by the thought of it. "Like I said, there's nothing wrong with carrying around good gear and using buffs. It's the situations that actually require them that are the most nervewracking."

[NIGHT 0]

NIGHT chuckled at his exasperation. Honestly, watching him repeat his point just to hammer in the idea was entertaining, but just as tired as he was with mentioning it, so was she in hearing it. She paused, sensing a hint of reluctance in herself to confess the entertainment of using perfect gear, but once the words left her soul, it felt like a weight off her shoulders, if not tied with a tinge of guilt. "Alright, alright." NIGHT waved her hand. "You got me. I get your point. I think we can move on from my use of consumables now. --I've been trying to lighten my reliance on them, anyway..."

But when Bahr had mentioned situations that would require them, it gave the woman something to ruminate upon. It was easier to attach the idea to the dungeon enemies as her companion had mentioned, but her mind went back to the floor boss raid, and she couldn't help but feel agitated by his advice.

It seemed rather ominous the way Bahr had said it.

"I'll take your word for it," she replied, after a moment of hesitation. "...Were you speaking about Shadow specifically, perhaps? I haven't a clue what to expect from it, even after the discussion with the... front-liners." A thumb went to her lips as she hummed. "All the preparation in the world, and I still don't know if we'd be ready for a fight of those proportions."

@Bahr

[Bahr 0]

Bahr hummed at her counter, realizing she hadn't quite understood what he meant when he talked about consumables and top tier gear. He'd meant to highlight a flaw in his own philosophy, but she'd taken it as another slight against her consumable habit. Bahr briefly considered correcting her, but it wasn't exactly worth it. People are free to have misunderstandings, and this was a mild one. 

"When it comes to the Frontliners, I wouldn't worry about it," Bahr responded with a shrug. "They're worry warts. You saw the way they treated Zaj- Zage- uh..." Bahr struggled for a moment to enunciate the spicy J-sound. "Zagchica." Close enough. "Despite not knowing her well, the way she described her skill layout would indicate she's a perfectly capable tank, and would likely do well in the raid. They just like to be overly cautious and overly prepared because, frankly, they've seen some shit."

"But, in my experience, the most dangerous thing to a player in Aincrad is another player." Then, Bahr amended. "That's not to say that you shouldn't take a floor boss seriously, or show up with anything less than the absolute best that you can bring. But I can think of at least one person who could shred through Zajcica's defenses and eviscerate her easily. I don't have the same confidence that this floor boss is so capable."

"In the end, though, no. I wasn't speaking specifically about the floor boss, though it's a good example. There are plenty of trap rooms or more powerful mobs in Aincrad that demand enhancement performance that normal gear can't manage. It's a matter of discerning those from the ones that don't require such careful forethought."

"Be confident in your own abilities. They'll matter more in a life or death situation than whether or not you chose a Protein Snack over a Damage Potion."

________________________________________________

Quest completed. 

Thread net gains:

Bahr

2700 col | 5 SP | Wimpy Damage Potion that's not actually a Damage Potion but might as well be because you can't actually use it in conjunction with a Damage Potion - AKA "Simp Juice"

NIGHT

2700 col | 5 SP | Simp Juice