[PP | F1] Tipping the Scales <<Dragon Hunter Anthology - Dragon Hunt 1: the Emerald Hatchling>>

[Katoka 0]

Standing at the exit to the Town of Beginnings, Katoka yawned a bit. Opening her UI she checked to make sure she had properly sent messages to her two guild mates before checking he time again. She had figured that it would be good to quest with some others and maybe make some new friends. Freyd was the first she messaged since she had ventured into the desert with him and her two other companions, he seemed eager to join since he hadn't started this quest yet. He suggested sending a message to another guild mate, Elora, as well and see if she wanted to tag along; she agreed. She told them to meet her at the exit to the Town of Beginnings at noon so they could begin their trek out to the plains.

The blonde arrived early out of nervous habit. An hour early to be exact. "Why do I always do this to myself?" she asked aloud, letting out a sigh.

Spoiler

Name: Katoka
Level: 15
HP: 300/300
EN: 30/30

Stats:
Damage: 8
Evasion: 1
Accuracy: 2
LD:1
BLD:12
REC:2

Equipped Gear:
Weapon: Mumyou Sandanzuki (T1/Perfect/Katana) | BLD 1, DMG 2
Armor: Shinsengumi Yukata (T1/Perfect/Light Armor) | REC 2, EVA 1
Misc: Rabbit's Foot (T1/Perfect/Trinket) | ACC 2, LD 1

Skills:
Curved Sword [Rank 1]
Katana [Rank 3]

Extra Skills:

Mods:

Battle Ready Inventory:
Starter Healing Potions*3
Sand Armor Potion - +27 MIT (no stacking)*1

Housing Buffs:

Guild Hall Buffs:
Lucrative: Reduce LD needed for Salvage by 5 (10+ for Alchemist crystals, 6+ for everything else). +2 EXP per craft. Rank 9 crafters receive +1 crafting attempt per day. Rank 10 crafters receive +2 crafting attempts per day.
Col Deposit: +5% bonus col from last-hit monster kills and +10% bonus col from treasure chests.

Scents of the Wild:

Wedding Ring:

 

[Freyd 0]

"Because you're excessively punctual, Katoka," came a soft and complimentary voice from the shadows at the far end of the patio behind her.   "It's one of your best qualities, and shouldn't be dismissed so readily." 

A steaming cup of coffee hovered into the light first, followed by Freyd's face and hands.  His hood was actually down, revealing his deep brown eyes and tussled mop draping stray bangs over his eyes.  

"Thanks for the invitation, by the way.  I don't get back here as often as I used to, though Marv and I still keep up in our correspondence."  He nodded to one of the NPC guards standing by the gate, his back turned obliviously away from whatever might be happening in their courtyard.  Katoka couldn't recall ever seeing them move, except for the occasional yawn.  One of his gloved hands left the cup to open a party invitation between them.  

"Care for a drink while we wait?"  A black booted foot silently slid another chair out from the darkness for her convenience.

@Elora

Spoiler

Name: Freyd, The Whisper in Shadows
Level: 47
HP: 960/960
EN: 94/94

Stats:
Damage: 16
Mitigation: 54
Evasion: 1
Accuracy: 4
KEEN:1
HLY:2
BLD:12

Equipped Gear:
Weapon: Forgiven Disobedience (T1-2HSS, ACC 1, HOLY 1, BLD 1)
Armor: Skirmisher's Garb [T2 LA, MIT 2, EVA 1]
Misc: Assassin's Cowl (T2-Trinket, ACC 2, KEEN 1)

Skills:
2H Straight Sword [Rank 5]
Light Armor [Rank 4]
Searching [Rank 3]

Extra Skills:
Disguise
Familiar Mastery: Fighter 3
Survival

Mods:
Precision
Finesse - Rank 3
LA Athletics
Ferocity

Battle Ready Inventory:
Starter Healing Potion (50 hp)*3
Teleport Crystals*2
Turkish March *2
Eine Kleine Nachtmusik*5
Golden Key*5
T3 Blank Dungeon Map*5

Housing Buffs:
Rested: -1 energy cost for the first two expenditures of each combat
Clean: The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 20% (rounded down)
Hard Working: +2 EXP per crafting attempt and +1 crafting attempt per day
Filling: Increase the effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 T1 slot.
Item Stash: +1 Battle Ready Inventory Slot
Relaxed: Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts.
Col Stash: +5% bonus col from monster kills and treasure chests
Multipurpose: Gain +1 to LD, Stealth Rating, Stealth Detection, or Prosperity to one post in a thread. Can be applied after a roll

Guild Hall Buffs:
Lucrative: Reduce LD needed for Salvage by 5 (10+ for Alchemist crystals, 6+ for everything else). +2 EXP per craft. Rank 9 crafters receive +1 crafting attempt per day. Rank 10 crafters receive +2 crafting attempts per day.
Col Deposit: +5% bonus col from last-hit monster kills and +10% bonus col from treasure chests.

Scents of the Wild: n/a

Wedding Ring: n/a

 

Edited August 23, 2020 by Freyd - The Whisper in Shadows

[Elora 0]

Katoka, huh?, thought Elora as she had regarded the invitation to accompany her fellow guild-member on a quest, Sounds like a toy company...wait...no, was that...Tonka? She squinted her eyes to investigate the name further, Or maybe it's pronounced Cat-uh-kah? You'd think that if this game ever wanted to launch internationally that they'd have some sort of translation or text-to-voice feature. Well, whatever, I'm sure he's a cool guy. She accepted and closed the menu, promptly setting off to slay dragons, or something.

Naturally, Elora took her time traveling to the meeting site, arriving there roughly ten minutes after she was expected to. She noticed Freyd sitting with another wo -- Wait. Is that Katoka? Elora had no idea that the other guild-mate she was going to meet was actually a female player. It was fine, it just took her out of her element. The truth was, she wasn't used to interacting with people of the same sex. High school had made it difficult for her to trust girls. They always seemed to care about maintaining appearances and impressing boys, and she could recall several times where she was harassed for looking slobby or trying too hard to get attention from male companions. 

Maybe this time it would be different. This time she had Freyd to advocate for her, and admittedly, a more attractive facade to hide behind. Yeah, it's best to act normal.

"Hi guys! Er -- guy AND girl!", she found herself chucking nervously at the messy impression she was making. "Thanks for inviting me to join you", she said looking toward, but not directly at Katoka, "And nice to see you again", she added with a nod to Freyd. 

 

Spoiler

LEVEL - 18

HP - 360

EN - 36

DMG - 6 

ACC - 2

EVA - 1

KEEN - 1

LIGHT MOMENTUM - 2

 

SKILLS

Non-combat:

Passive:

Combat:

Weapon Skills: 2H Assault Spear R4 (+6 base damage)

     Blast (2 Energy +2 per target hit) - A pair of horizontal sweeping strokes that hits multiple targets.

     Straight (2 Energy) - Begins with the player bending their knees before thrusting forward with a singular powerful strike covering the gap between you and your opponent.

 

INVENTORY

Weapons: [Equipped] 2H Assault Spear (Rare)

   Damage - Gain +(1 * Tier) base damage per slot

   Accuracy - Gain +(1 per slot) to the BD when attacking. Cannot be used to cause a critical hit

 

Rank 1:

        [x1 AoE] Sonic Charge (1 Energy +2 per target hit) - A forward thrust which explodes energy at the end of the move.

        [x2 Stun] Twin Thrust (5 Energy) - A pair of quick thrusts aimed at the user's knees to immobilize them.

        [x2] Heft (2 Energy) - Lift the heavy end of the spear diagonally across your opponent from the ground, cutting their torso with the tip.

Rank 2:

        [x3] Fatal Thrust (3 Energy) - A single powerful thrust.

        [x4 AoE] Hellish Twice (4 Energy +2 per target hit) - A pair of alternating sweeping motions which damages multiple targets.

        [x4] Mighty Charge (4 Energy) - Charge your opponent fiercely and impale them with your spearhead. Your opponent is then lifted up before being slammed into 

        the ground from the momentum of your maneuver.

Rank 3:

        [x5] Revolve Arts (5 Energy) - Two roundhouse kicks followed by two sweeping strokes, concluded with one final thrust.

        [x6] Dancing Spear (6 Energy) - An acrobatic combo involving sweeps, pole vaulting with kicks and a concluding thrust.

        [x6 AoE] Trip Expand (6 Energy +2 per target hit) - An attack with several 360 spinning attacks that cover a wide area.

Rank 4

        [x8 Stun] Divide (11 Energy)- A single vertical sweep after briefly spinning the spear which cuts straight up the middle of the enemy and finishes by striking the

        bottom of their jaw.

        [x10] Vent Forth (11 Energy) - A five-hit skill that employs three spinning slashes, concluded with one final thrust which stuns the opponent

 

Equipment:

[EQUIPPED] "Justicar’s Vambraces" (T1 Rare trinket: KEEN 1 | ACC 1)
Acquisition ID: #152309 | Identification ID: #152736 & #152737
A pair of hardened steel vambraces each engraved in minute script with the first one hundred names on the Monument of Life.

[EQUIPPED] "Auspicious Gi" (T1 Rare Light Armor: Light Momentum 2)
Acquisition ID: #152782 | Identification ID: #153315, 153316
Commonly worn by novices during the initial stages of martial arts training, this particular garment is made in the Japanese cut using fine white cotton reinforced with heavier than normal thread, enabling its user to exert greater force without the risk of embarrassing fashion failures.

T1 amulet (EVA 1)

"Selective Deflection" (Vanity Light Armor) 

 

Edited August 29, 2020 by Elora

[Katoka 0]

Katoka was startled by Freyd, letting out a squeak of surprise. After she regained some sort of composure she accepted the coffee from the hooded man, it smelled heavenly and she quickly began the blow on it to cool it off. "I don;t know about punctual is the right word for it, more like anxiously early." she laughed nervously and took a sip of the brew while taking note of the NPC guard that moved uncharacteristically. "Also I thought that maybe spending some time with other members of the guild would be good, that way we can get to know each other better."

The blonde noticed the green haired woman approach, she was taller than her, but then again there weren't a lot of people that Katoka was taller than. Hearing the poor girl stumble over her introduction she couldn't help but giggle a little. "Thank you for coming along! I hope that we can get to know each other better and hang out more." she bowed slightly to the woman, "I'm Katoka by the way. It's nice to meet you."

[Freyd 0]

"Hi Elora," Freyd replied casually.  "Katoka and I met in the guild hall shortly after I joined.  We killed the sand shark together, as I recall.  You played the role of decoy admirably."  He saluted Katoka with his cup, hiding the tiny smile that curled the edges of his lips with it at the same time.  The beast had laid a well-executed ambush and scared the proverbial pants off poor woman in the process.  She'd handled it well, given the circumstances.  Most others would have required a change of pants afterwards, even in a digital world.  If it rattled her, all the better.  She'd likely face far worse in the future.  Freyd considered it to be his role to prepare her for it, and was pleased to see members of Firm Anima working together.

"So, the dragon anthology series?  I haven't actually done this set of quests yet, though the scout reports suggest that they shouldn't be too much trouble, until we get farther down the list.  The first beast is a forest dragon, by the look of things.  It shouldn't give us any real trouble."

[Elora 0]

Elora realized that she'd completely forgotten to introduce herself, "Hey, nice to meet you. I'm Elora" Now that that was out of the way, the three of them could get down to business.

"The first beast is a forest dragon, by the look of things.  It shouldn't give us any real trouble."

"Dragons are always trouble", scowled Elora as she recalled her attempts to tame one to keep as a familiar, "They're just little furnaces filled with unbridled rage and fire" She paused briefly before adding, "I guess a forest one might not be so hot-headed, but I'm skill skeptical" Although she showed no restraint when complaining about the creatures, it was evident she held little worry about them in this particular case, otherwise she wouldn't have agreed to accompany the other players on the quest. All she could do now is wait for them to finish their morning rituals, but she didn't mind the slow start. "Are you thinking of playing the decoy again this time around?", she asked Katoka with a humoring smirk. 

 

@Katoka

Edited August 29, 2020 by Elora

[Katoka 0]

Katoka blushed, "I...hadn't planned on it. But knowing my luck I'll keep missing and just draw it's attention." she sighed hunching over in defeat. "I am interested to hear how you know so much about dragons though Elora." she said straightening up. The blonde felt there was a good story behind her descriptions of the creatures, plus it couldn't hurt to have a good story on the trip to the dragon's spawning area.

"From what I've read up on the quests at the guild hall I feel like you'll be able to one hit a majority of these baby dragons Freyd." Katoka said before she finished her coffee. "As for later down the line it will definitely be troublesome, especially the final bit. But by the time we get there I'm sure we'll be strong enough to handle things." the little samurai was beginning to ramble again about quest details and plans before she stopped herself, her face beginning to flush again. "W-we should probably head out soon. Before I start rambling again."

@Freyd - The Whisper in Shadows

Edited August 29, 2020 by Katoka

[Freyd 0]

"They're just little furnaces filled with unbridled rage and fire" 

Coffee burbled and sputtered in his mouth as Elora described dragons with memories tainted by other recent experience.  Does that make her a dragon as well?  She was more 'tempest' than 'rage' and 'brittle pride' than 'fire', but the imagery felt compelling.  He chuckled quietly as she continued, waving off any attention it garnered as if he'd just remembered something unrelated.

"Yes, we should probably get to it.  This creature has a wide spawn area.  It could take some time to find it."  Motioning towards the gate, he took care to return his cup and saucer to the bar, with thanks to the attending NPC.  On their way out the gate itself, he slapped one of the many identical guards on the shoulder.

"Take it easy there, Marv.  You're too tense, buddy.  Relax a little bit."

The guard's expression didn't change.  His gaze remained fixed forward and unflinching.  His only response was a cyclical yawn programmed to repeat every sixty seconds or so.  Freyd grinned at his two companions as they continued.

"Good old Marv - always taking everything so seriously."

@Elora

Edited August 29, 2020 by Freyd - The Whisper in Shadows

[Elora 0]

"We should try sticking something into his mouth when he yawns one of these times", suggested Elora mischievously, "Maybe it'll disrupt his sequencing and elicit an interesting reaction" She hadn't tested the boundaries of the game's seemingly limitless programming nearly as much as her curiosity demanded, probably because it was just easier to pretend that the world they experienced wasn't one that could be broken. "On the other hand...", she added reluctantly, "It's probably best not to mess around with the coding when the consequences could be so...severe for some people" Maaaybe this isn't the best thing to be talking about right now. Elora preferred to avoid mentioning their situation or the possibility of returning to life outside of the system. It was better not to think about.

"As for dragons", she addressed Katoka somewhat abruptly "I wouldn't say that I know A LOT about them, just what *ssholes they can be if they're provoked. I wanted to capture one to keep as a familiar, but all it did was bite and shoot fire at us", stated Elora as she neglected to mention that Freyd was involved in the encounter. It wasn't long before they happened upon a forest. After all, they were really the only other habitat on the 1st Floor besides fields and a few dinky mountains which more accurately resembled tall hills. 

 

Edited August 31, 2020 by Elora

[Katoka 0]

Katoka giggled at the green haired girl, she liked how spunky she was while coming up with the plan to fight the dragon. "As much as this world and it's creatures are coded, it can be hard to tell them apart from actual living things. It might still be fairly amusing to stick something in the dragon's mouth and see what happens." she laughed covering her with one hand. Elora was very amusing, "It would be fun to go on more quests with her in the future." she thought to herself as they entered the forest.

The samurai began to search around the area for anything of interest that could lead them to the beast. "Hey Freyd, do you think it would spawn around here?" she asked with her head in a nearby bush. She pulled her head out and brushed some twigs and leaves from her hair, missing a few as she did so, "Or maybe we should look for signs a place where there's been a recent fire?" she shrugged and looked to her companions.

[Freyd 0]

"As much as this world and it's creatures are coded, it can be hard to tell them apart from actual living things."  Katoka's words rung in his ears like alarm bells after an all-night game binge.  

"Be careful of how much faith you place in your real world expectations of this world and its denizens," Freyd replied, deliberately dousing her enthusiasm.  "Aincrad plays by its own rules, and not according to our wishes or aspirations.  That chipmunk," he pointed to a small skittering critter racing up a nearby maple, "could be a level 50 field boss, and you wouldn't want to find out the hard way."  He looked into both of their incredulous faces, and, without missing a beat, added: "Just ask Sam to go fishing with you, if you don't believe me.  I've heard horror stories."

He turned to survey the underbrush again, his ear-splitting grin concealed beneath his cowl.  It was a valuable lesson, even if mischievously delivered. 

Something large darted across several large boughs of the thicker parts of the tree canopy overhead.  Freyd's white blade materialized in his hand, as if summoned by instinct.  Turning back to shush his companions, his smile was long since gone.

Vanity Tag: @Sam

[Elora 0]

Elora reacted to Freyd's alarmism by summoning a weapon of her own, which was a trusty pokey stick. She surveyed the gnarled branches that crept above them with no success in identifying the threat. "Must've been that level 50 chipmunk", she teased to Freyd with a sarcastic expression. Still, she was aware that his instincts were likely more trustworthy than her own. It was probably worth taking a closer look. Elora took a few steps in the direction of the disturbance, provoking a long-necked reptilian creature to shoot out from a tree with a hiss. 

"JESUS -- F*CK!", she screamed, instinctively hurling her spear in the general direction of the monster. It soared past the wyvern by at least a meter, releasing an angelic whistle that was suddenly halted by its contact with a far-off tree trunk. Elora slid backwards, obviously startled by the monster's appearance. "Oh my god, it's head looked like a f*cking snake!" She clutched her chest momentarily to calm herself. "I'm going to get my spear. Good luck!" With that, she darted off and into the nearby thicket. At least it's enough of an excuse to not have to fight that thing. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spoiler

Elora Attacks with "Divide"  

[x8 Stun] Divide (11 Energy)- A single vertical sweep after briefly spinning the spear which cuts straight up the middle of the enemy and finishes by striking the bottom of their jaw.

Elora: ID#: 167130 BD3 Miss >> Emerald Hatchling (125HP - 0HP = 125HP)

 

Players:

[0] Elora | HP: 360/360 | EN: 25/36 | DMG:6 | ACC:2 | EVA:1 | KEEN:1 | LM:2

[0] Katoka | HP: 300/300 | EN: 30/30 | DMG:8 | EVA:1 | ACC:2 | LD:1 | BLD:12 | REC:2

[0] Freyd, The Whisper in Shadows | HP:960/960 | EN:94/94 | DMG:16 | MIT:54 | EVA:1 | ACC:4 | KEEN:1 | HLY:2 | BLD:12

 

Enemies:

Emerald Hatchling | HP: 125/125 | DMG:50 | MIT:25

Abilities: <<Screech>> On a LD roll of 17+ when this boss attacks, this boss will let out a piercing wail that somehow freezes the player in place, removes all evasion properties.

@Katoka

Edited September 3, 2020 by Elora

[Katoka 0]

Seeing her two companions ready their weapons caused Katoka to follow suit. She held her katana at the ready as Elora searched the area and get startled by the dragon racing down from the nearby tree. The blonde tried not to laugh when the woman launched her weapon into a tree in the distance. Readying herself, Katoka queued up her sword art and rushed in while Elora chased after her weapon.

"Time for me to take crack at the little guy!" she called out as she ran in. The samurai knew that Freyd would more than likely dispatch the small dragon with one hit, but she wanted to at least get some damage in herself. She slid to a stop next to her target kicking up dirt and proceeded to let the system finish her movements. With sweeping slashes of her weapon the samurai cut into the creature with ease, finishing off her skill with a downward slash and then scooting back from her enemy so she wouldn't be too close.

Spoiler

Emerald Hatchling | HP: 110/125 | DMG:50 | MIT:25 << HIT
(8 DMG x 5 = 40 - 25 MIT = 15 DMG)

[0] Elora | HP: 360/360 | EN: 25/36 | DMG:6 | ACC:2 | EVA:1 | KEEN:1 | LM:2
[1] Katoka | HP: 300/300 | EN: 25/30 | DMG:8 | EVA:1 | ACC:2 | LD:1 | BLD:12 | REC:2
[0] Freyd, The Whisper in Shadows | HP:960/960 | EN:94/94 | DMG:16 | MIT:54 | EVA:1 | ACC:4 | KEEN:1 | HLY:2 | BLD:12

Edited September 4, 2020 by Katoka

[Freyd 0]

Freyd suppressed a chuckle as he watched Elora struggle with her first attack.  Given how often he spectacularly failed in his opening moves, he really had to right to mock or criticize.  At least her antics never disappointed.  The woman had a strange but admirable spirit. 

Katoka ran up next, and got in a good swing.  'Good for you, kid', Freyd thought to himself.  He'd been concerned that any lingering fear from the sand shark incident might have affected her, but she challenged the wyrmling with admirable ferocity.

When it came time to take his own swing, he merely walked forward and made eye contact with the beast.  It was about to screech at him when his bleached white blade slapped it firmly on top of the head with a loud *THWACK*.  By the time the creature recovered, Freyd had stepped back to his position.  Confused, the wyrmling chose to attack Katoka, as he was the only one to have actually done it harm, but it stumbled and wobbled unsteadily missing the young Samurai.

"Good!  Please try again, ladies," sounding strangely like some kind of coach or trainer.  He wanted them to feel like they owned this victory.  "Let's see how you do this time around."

Spoiler

[0] Elora | HP: 360/360 | EN: 25/36 | DMG:6 | ACC:2 | EVA:1 | KEEN:1 | LM:2
[1] Katoka | HP: 300/300 | EN: 25/30 | DMG:8 | EVA:1 | ACC:2 | LD:1 | BLD:12 | REC:2
[1] Freyd, The Whisper in Shadows | HP:960/960 | EN:94/94 | DMG:16 | MIT:54 | EVA:1 | ACC:4 | KEEN:1 | HLY:2 | BLD:12

BD: 8 + 4 = 12.  Freyd deals (16 - 50 = 0) damage to the Emerald Hatchling.

Spoiler

Emerald Hatchling | HP: 110/125 | DMG:50 | MIT:25

MD: 3 - 1 = 2 (miss).  Emerald Hatchling misses Katoka.  (LD 5 = Screech does not trigger)

<<Screech>> On a LD roll of 17+ when this boss attacks, this boss will let out a piercing wail that somehow freezes the player in place, removes all evasion properties.

[Elora 0]

Meanwhile, Elora had been struggling to dislodge the spike of her spear from the tree's intertwined strips of bark. Her only success came from planting a leg against its trunk and leveraging her weight to yank the weapon free. Upon its sudden release, she stumbled backwards, nearly tripping over a girthy root that protruded from the ground. Alright, note to self -- don't do THAT again. She spun around and returned to the fray.

It seemed that her fellow guild members had made some progress in their pursuit to take down the beast, although Freyd seemed to be mentoring her and the other more than helping them. Elora didn't know whether or not she felt that it was annoying or encouraging. Whichever it may have been, now wasn't the time to think about it. The dragon had already made a desperate attempt to harm Katoka, and that inspired Elora to act with more urgency. She lunged forward, repositioning her feet to enter a spin that brandished her spear in an offensive pirouette. The shaft of her staff made contact with the body of the dragon, knocking it down just as it was about to spring into the air.

 

Spoiler

Elora Attacks with "Vent Forth"  

[x10] Vent Forth (11 Energy) - A five-hit skill that employs three spinning slashes, concluded with one final thrust which stuns the opponent

Elora: ID#: 167351 BD5 +2ACC = 7 Hit >> Emerald Hatchling (110HP - 60HP = 50HP)

 

Players:

[0] Elora | HP: 360/360 | EN: 15/36 | DMG:6 | ACC:2 | EVA:1 | KEEN:1 | LM:2
[1] Katoka | HP: 300/300 | EN: 25/30 | DMG:8 | EVA:1 | ACC:2 | LD:1 | BLD:12 | REC:2
[1] Freyd, The Whisper in Shadows | HP:960/960 | EN:94/94 | DMG:16 | MIT:54 | EVA:1 | ACC:4 | KEEN:1 | HLY:2 | BLD:12

 

Enemies:

Emerald Hatchling | HP: 50/125 | DMG:50 | MIT:25

Abilities: <<Screech>> On a LD roll of 17+ when this boss attacks, this boss will let out a piercing wail that somehow freezes the player in place, removes all evasion properties.

@Katoka

Edited September 7, 2020 by Elora

[Katoka 0]

"Nice hit Elora!" the blonde called out as she saw her strike the dragon. Something about the way she fought jogged Katoka's memory, she had seen it before. Shaking her head the samurai readied her self and once again unleashed an attack on her enemy. This time she used a new art, her steps moving fluidly as if she was stepping on rocks crossing a river.

When she struck the dragon it was in circular motions that left light trails from the sword art being released, it was almost entrancing to watch. When her damage was dealt the girl stepped back once again out of the dragon's melee reach. She knew that the creature could hit from a distance, but she liked her chances being out of reach. "Alright Freyd, you're up!" she called to him. She had a feeling though that he was going to conk it over the head again, she didn't mind but she might not be about to hold in her laugh like she did last time.

Spoiler

Emerald Hatchling | HP: 27/125 | DMG:50 | MIT:25 << HIT
(8 DMG x 6 = 48 - 25 MIT = 23 DMG)

[1] Elora | HP: 360/360 | EN: 15/36 | DMG:6 | ACC:2 | EVA:1 | KEEN:1 | LM:2
[2] Katoka | HP: 300/300 | EN: 21/30 | DMG:8 | EVA:1 | ACC:2 | LD:1 | BLD:12 | REC:2
[1] Freyd, The Whisper in Shadows | HP:960/960 | EN:94/94 | DMG:16 | MIT:54 | EVA:1 | ACC:4 | KEEN:1 | HLY:2 | BLD:12

Edited September 6, 2020 by Katoka

[Freyd 0]

Practice time was over, at least for now.  Like a blur, Freyd dashed past the reptile, his white blade held to his side like a massive reciprocating saw blade.  With a single blow, he had sliced the creature in two from head to tail, it's cry of pain frozen on its face while it processed the consequence of the orange-red line that followed the path of the blade.  The wyrmling burst into a puffy cloud of brilliant shards an instant later, green crystalline shards raining down upon them like a strange woodland blessing.

"You did well, both of you."  He offered them both a smile of encouragement.  "We should hunt down the rest of these beasts to help further refine your skills."

Placing a hand on each of their shoulders, he hoped that they would acknowledge their success and continue to learn from this experience.  He knew full well that greater dangers lay ahead and wanted them to be ready.

"Come on," he offered, "lunch is on me to celebrate, after we turn this in."

Spoiler

[1] Elora | HP: 360/360 | EN: 15/36 | DMG:6 | ACC:2 | EVA:1 | KEEN:1 | LM:2
[2] Katoka | HP: 300/300 | EN: 21/30 | DMG:8 | EVA:1 | ACC:2 | LD:1 | BLD:12 | REC:2
[2] Freyd, The Whisper in Shadows | HP:960/960 | EN:92/94 | DMG:16 | MIT:54 | EVA:1 | ACC:4 | KEEN:1 | HLY:2 | BLD:12

Astral Hell (x7): 7 EN - (Rested, Finesse 3, Turn Recovery) = 2 EN

BD: 6 + 4 = 10 (hit).  Freyd deals (112 - 25 = 87) damage to the Emerald Hatchling.

Emerald Hatchling | HP: 0/125 | DMG:50 | MIT:25 (23 - 87)

[Elora 0]

Katoka's attack against the dragon was nothing short of memorizing, perhaps it was even a bit...nostalgic? Elora couldn't help but feel a sense of deja vu, like she had witnessed a similar style of fighting before. Maybe it was just akin to how other players wielded their katanas. Freyd quickly stepped to fill Katoka's vacancy, delivering the final blow to the monster. 

"That was a lot easier than I thought it would be", remarked Elora. It seemed like barely any time had passed between the present and her first days of fearfully fighting in Aincrad. Maybe this comfort with combat was what Freyd had warned her about. Though things felt natural and somewhat unearned to her now, it would probably be best to proceed with caution, lest her arrogance lead to a early end. Still, she found herself agreeing to Freyd's proposal that they hunt down more of the dragons. 

"Come on," he offered, "lunch is on me to celebrate, after we turn this in."

Elora also did not feel obligated to decline that offer, "If you insist", she said with the hint of a smirk.

 

@Katoka

[Katoka 0]

Katoka enjoyed the thought of having Freyd along for the remainder of the dragon hunting quests. They were only going to get more difficult along the way after all and having a strong ally there for backup was the kind of insurance that she was comfortable with. Checking to be sure she got the item drop the blonde agreed to have lunch, nothing was better after a battle than filling your belly, especially if it was free.

Following the two back to town Katoka picked up her pace so she could walk alongside the green haired woman, "Hey Elora, have you met before this? I swear I've seen your fighting style before." the giggled a bit, "Wild spear throwing tactics and all." racking her brain the samurai tried to remember where she had seen another spear user other than Ruler. Holding her chin with her thumb and forefinger, her face scrunched in thought as they walked along the dirt road.

@Freyd - The Whisper in Shadows

[Freyd 0]

Freyd slowed his pace and faded back into his own shadow, letting Elora and Katoka spend some time together.  It was good to his guild mates bonding.  They fought well today, and it was gratifying to see them growing in strength and prowess together.  It struck his as even stranger that he was the one watching over them like some sort of veteran.  He didn't feel like it was a title he had earned, but maybe that was changing.

Damn.  Raidou was even more of a genius than he had originally credited the man.  Everyone just thought he was just creating a crafting guild, but it was turning into far more than that.  His own decision to join had been spur of the moment decision.  Freyd had just been reaching that point where he would need to rely on allies to proceed much farther.  Kiluia had reached out and he already knew a number of members from other shared experiences.  It had seemed a reasonable options with potential benefits.  How little he had realized how much that would prove to be true.

Vanity Tag: @Raidou

Thread Summary:

Each player receives:

3 SP (1 page + 1 event + 1 quest)

300 col

<Rhaegal's Emerald> [Vanity Quest item; 1 of 9]