[PP|F24] <<Raging Rhino>> What's At Stake

[ChaseR 0]

<<Raging Rhino>>

It had been a fair while since he last met with Freyd, and now he was almost sure that he'd caught up- unless he were blasting through levels in all the same ways that he himself had been with NIGHT's assistance. "... There's a tough quest on the twenty fourth I don't want to pester NIGHT with, so... Hmph. Let's see.", Chase rounded up his thoughts before opening his menu and going over to the friends tab, only to message his fellow 'detective' of Aincrad. At least he felt like one, given how much he was trying to look up for the sake of the Sundered Spire even the bluehead had now witnessed.

ChaseR: There's a quest on the twenty fourth. I thought you might be interested- we cna do it together. ChaseR: We have to kill a rhino in an arena. Your strength should help cover my lack of good enchantments. Offensive ones at least.

The final remark might have felt like he was boasting about his armor, but Freyd hadn't gotten to see it yet. That was were the fun part came in too. With a fair while having passed since the two last met, now Freyd would see Chase's finalized build for the time being- unless he found the other armor he truly desired for the third tier. He was waiting with his arms crossed before the twenty fourth's teleporter, tapping his foot on the ground impatiently and waiting, checking the time every so often. "Good on me for leaving nothing to do before deciding to wait for someone. Smartass."

Spoiler

Name: ChaseR
Level: 50
HP: 1030/1030
EN: 100/100

Stats:
Damage: 18
Mitigation: 43
Evasion: 3
Accuracy: 3
BH:30
VAMP DEF:51
FRZ:24
BLD:24
HLY BLS:16
LD:2

Equipped Gear:
Weapon: <<Zero Degree Icicle>> (T2/Perfect/2HSS): ACC I, FRZ I, BLD I
Armor: <<Azure Overcoat>> (T2/Perfect/Light Armor): V.DEF I, HBS I, MIT I
Misc: <<Chained Bracelet>> (T2/Perfect/Trinket): EVA II, ACC I

Skills:
Two-Handed Straight Sword [Rank 5]
Light Armor [Rank 5]
Battle Healing [Rank 3]
Searching [Rank 1]
Fighting Spirit [Obtained]

Extra Skills:
Familiar Mastery: Fighter
Survival
Disguise

Mods:
2HSS Finesse [R3]
Precision
Athletics
Sprint & Acrobatics

Battle Ready Inventory:
Starter Healing Potions(heal 50HP)*3
Insta-Life ++ (T2/Perfect/HP REC III)*1
Woodland Armor (T2/Perfect) MIT III (1/3)*1
Teleport Crystal [F21]*1
Imugi's Inspiration (Mass HP Recovery)*3
Requires Extended Weight Limit 1
Requires Extended Weight Limit 2
Requires Extended Weight Limit 3
Obtained via Item Stash (Housing)
Obtained via Dimensional Backpack

Housing Buffs:
Filling: Increase the effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 T1 slot.
Relaxed: Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts.
Skylight (Searching): +1 Rank to the Searching skill.
Advanced Training: +2 SP to a thread. Limit one use per month [0/1]
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:

Scents of the Wild:

Wedding Ring:

 

Edited September 11, 2020 by ChaseR

[Freyd 0]

"ChaseR: We have to kill a rhino in an arena. Your strength should help cover my lack of good enchantments. Offensive ones at least."

Blue boy's been busy.  Good.  Let's god see what he's learned.

Freyd emerged from the portal on floor twenty four to find Chase sitting and looking bored out of his mind.  

"Coffee," he recommended.  "It's what I use to pass the time while waiting for people.  Or, try talking to the NPCs.  It's remarkably good therapy, since most of them aren't programmed for interaction."  A wry grin could be seen rising beneath the man's cowl, the rest of his face obscured, as always.  Freyd's appearance hadn't changed at all since the last time they had met, though that alone seemed a bit suspicious.

"Nice digs!" He added, inspecting Chase's new armor with his merchant's eye.  "Is that Vamp-Def gear?"  Freyd gave a low whistle of admiration.  "I haven't actually seen any of that stuff myself yet, but also haven't had much time to spend in the shop over the last few weeks."

He spared a moment to send Chase a quick party invite and pick up the quest, then took stock of the man's progress.  He had definitely come a long way.

"Thanks for the invite, by the way.   It's... good to see you."  The tension during their last quest together made him hesitate, but Freyd wasn't one to dwell on those sorts of things.  He was more concerned that Chase might.

 

Freyd Consumes: Titan's Strength (DMG 3) [160770-1] | Cotton Candy Puffs (ACC 2) [165673] | Red Velvet Meringue (EVA 2) [165669] | Jar of Reaper Peppers (T3, MIT 2) [165677] | 

Freyd, The Whisper in Shadows | HP:1110/1110 | EN:108/108 | DMG:22 | MIT:124 | EVA:4 | ACC:6 | KEEN:1 | HLY:6 | BLD:36 | BH:22

Spoiler

Name: Freyd, The Whisper in Shadows
Level: 54
HP: 1110/1110
EN: 108/108

Stats:
Damage: 19 + 3 = 22
Mitigation: 79 + 45 = 124
Evasion: 2 + 2
Accuracy: 4 + 2
BH:22
KEEN:1
HLY:6
BLD:36

Equipped Gear:
Weapon: Grief's Harbinger (T3-2HSS, ACC 1, HOLY 1, BLD 1)
Armor: Skirmisher's Garb [T3 LA, MIT 2, EVA 1]
Misc: Assassin's Cowl (T2-Trinket, ACC 2, KEEN 1)

Skills:
2H Straight Sword [Rank 5]
Light Armor [Rank 5]
Searching [Rank 3]
Battle Healing [Rank 2]
Parry [Obtained]

Extra Skills:
Disguise
Familiar Mastery: Fighter 3
Survival
Meditation

Mods:
Precision
Finesse - Rank 3
LA Athletics
Ferocity
LA Sprint and Acrobatics

Battle Ready Inventory:
Starter Healing Potion (50 hp)*3
Teleport Crystals*2
Crystal of Support (30*tier) hp to party*1
Missing You*2
Concentrated Joy (T3 Vitality 2)*1

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

 

[ChaseR 0]

A slow nod followed, rather confused. Chase was pretty sure the two worlds were apart from one another, meaning the real and the virtual one, but... Coffee was never in the direction he swung either way. If anything, it helped him feel more weirded out- he sometimes liked the bitterness of it, others it repulsed him more than anything else. Even more of a love-hate relationship than him and Freyd. "... Right. You don't seem that happy, but sure thing.", he awkwardly stated, starting to worry whether that came off as crass or not.

He took a moment before opening his mouth again, grunting and scratching the back of his head. "A-Anyways. Holy Blessing, Vampiric Defense and mitigation. My overcoat.", he explained shortly with a small smile before deciding that it was time to fill him in on the quest. Without waiting any longer, he began to head down one of the narrow path that lead right towards the Colosseum. "I'll be tanking for the fight, so I'm expecting you to put in some good damage for me. It's a deal that the chief wanted to do with me. If me and whoever else I brought along managed to defeat the rhino, he'd give 'honor and fame'. I care about the item they give- it lets you Phase through mitigation for a while. You know what Phase does?"

[Freyd 0]

"Yeah.  Phase bypasses mitigation.  I came across an item that does it a few days ago.  This consumable version seems rather useless, considering its limited application, but every little bit helps, I guess.  So you did choose to go the tank route.  Good for you.  We always need more of them on the front line.  I'm still firmly entrenched on the damage side.  If I can just avoid face planting," he cringed, recalling his foul-up against Skalaugh, "we should be just fine."

Reaching out, Freyd's black-gloved hand seemed to warp and pull at the ambient light around it, calling shadows from the surrounding area to call out in anguish as some of their substance was drawn together into the shape of blade, then sealed and wrapped in a casing of holy light.  The six-foot blade cast of tiny wisps of darkness as it moved.  Freyd threw the blade over his shoulder with ease and comfort.  Grief's Harbinger whispered quietly as it sat there, while the two men wandered down to the arena floor.

"So, what have you been up to?"  Freyd's casual tone struck a disturbing contrast the the weapon he now bore.

Freyd activates Parry (-5 EN)

[ChaseR 0]

Chase slowly drew his own blade out of its sheathe and looked over to the side, inspecting his weapon quickly. Could it be that the enchantments of his sword had now changed, with the upgrade- Fallen? "That's not what I remember you having the last time we met.", he asked curiously with a cocked eyebrow, before turning ahead of them as the rhino was let out of its cage. He stretched his neck and prepared for the throwdown, following along with the more casual mood that seemed to have settled now that the two were back together.

"Not much. Me and NIGHT ran through a lot of quests, and I got to tier three. Still, nothing from tier three on me, but I'm looking. For uniques, mostly.", he admitted rather matter of factly, scratching the back of his head with one hand. Now that the rhino stopped before them and let out a roar, trying to back them down. "I see you got an item yourself. Been running monsters down on any good spots in the twenty first or what?", he asked rather curiously, even if his eyes were pinned on the beast. He raised his sword before him, ready to deflect any attack coming his way as it started its route towards the two.

Spoiler

ChaseR: HP: 1030/1030 | EN: 100/100 | DMG: 18 | EVA: 3 | ACC: 3 | MIT: 43 | BH: 30 | FRZ: 24 | BLD: 24 | V.(DEF): 51 | HBS: 16 | LD: 2
Freyd, The Whisper in Shadows | HP:1110/1110 | EN:108/108 | DMG:22 | MIT:124 | EVA:4 | ACC:6 | KEEN:1 | HLY:6 | BLD:36 | BH:22

Piasuhon: HP: 1100/1100 | DMG: 300 | MIT: 50 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 2

*When Piasuhon crits, apply Phase. (50% mit)
** Piasuhon crits on MD 8-10 instead of MD 9-10.
*** When Piasuhon's health reaches 550 or less, his DMG becomes 400 and his ACC drops to 1.

 

[Freyd 0]

"Most of my grinding takes place on 22," Freyd replied.  "Not quite as good for col or mat drops, but I'm really not lacking for either.  My goal is item count."  The Rhino seemed to be giving them both a confused look, wondering why they were still wasting time with banter.

"Give us a minute," Freyd said to the irate beast, holding up a finger to it.  "We're just catching up.  It's been a while."

He turned his attention back to Chase, foolishly looking away from the monster.  Though momentarily stunned by his gall, this only seemed to infuriate the beast that much more, prompting it to charge recklessly towards him.  Freyd, meanwhile, amazingly started walking backwards and away from Chase as he continued their chat.

"Feel free to drop some items off at the shop whenever you want.  I'll ID them at cost for ya - friend's discount."  The ground was literally shaking with the impact of the Rhino's feet as it charged towards them, Freyd seemingly oblivious - until he winked.

Firmly halting his step with a planted heel, he suddenly and forcefully propelled himself into a forward roll at the last possible moment.  The creature's horns missed him by barely an inch.  Coming out of the roll, his black sword cleaved upward catching the Rhino in the softer tissue where its head met its massive shoulders.  You might call it a neck, if it even had one.  It cried out in both fury and surprise as Freyd spun, using his momentum to slap in on the backside with the flat of his blade as it continued its run, now aiming for Chase.
 

Spoiler

ChaseR: HP: 1030/1030 | EN: 100/100 | DMG: 18 | EVA: 3 | ACC: 3 | MIT: 43 | BH: 30 | FRZ: 24 | BLD: 24 | V.(DEF): 51 | HBS: 16 | LD: 2
Freyd, The Whisper in Shadows | HP:1110/1110 | EN:99/108 | DMG:22 | MIT:124 | EVA:4 | ACC:6 | KEEN:1 | HLY:6 | BLD:36 | BH:22

Galaxy Destroyer (x13): 13 EN - (Rested, Finesse 3) = 9 EN

BD: 5 + 6 - 2 = 9 (hit).  Freyd deals (13*22 - 50 = 236) damage to Rhino

[0,1] Piasuhon: HP: 864/1100 | DMG: 300 | MIT: 50 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 2 (1100 - 236)

*When Piasuhon crits, apply Phase. (50% mit)
** Piasuhon crits on MD 8-10 instead of MD 9-10.
*** When Piasuhon's health reaches 550 or less, his DMG becomes 400 and his ACC drops to 1.

[ChaseR 0]

The offer honestly made Chase smile, after having to deal with Simmone's bartering and shenanigans, even if they ultimately ended up nowhere. "I hear you loud and clear. I'll get some foods to buff myself and go right away to my farming spot. Hell, if yours is more effective, I'll head there instead. And then, it's time to kill some monsters and get you a few items.", he laid his plan out and prepared himself as he watched Freyd's acrobatics. Of course they'd result in the rhino charging towards blue instead.

"I've got a few witch's brews you could use. For better results.", he added with a wide slash once he'd gotten a good, strong stance going, knocking the beast off balance and causing its horn to crack just slightly. The same lack of balance succeeded in two things- getting the beast's attention, and sending it out of its course to run into a wall instead. By now, they were basically toying with it until its time to disappear came. "... Maybe it's overkill for the both of us to fight it at once, huh?", he commented with a low chuckle, scratching the back of his head again as the rhino tried to regain its composure after hitting the wall so hard.

Spoiler

ChaseR uses Galaxy Destroyer on Piasuhon! (BD: 8 + 3 - 2 = 9)
18 * 13 - 50 = 184

Piasuhon attacks ChaseR! (MD: 2 + 2 - 3 = 1)
Piasuhon misses!

[2] ChaseR: HP: 1030/1030 | EN: 90/100 (-10) | DMG: 18 | EVA: 3 | ACC: 3 | MIT: 43 | BH: 30 | FRZ: 24 | BLD: 24 | V.(DEF): 51 | HBS: 16 | LD: 2
[1] Freyd, The Whisper in Shadows | HP: 1110/1110 | EN:99/108 | DMG:22 | MIT:124 | EVA:4 | ACC:6 | KEEN:1 | HLY:6 | BLD:36 | BH:22

Piasuhon: HP: 680/1100 (-184) | DMG: 300 | MIT: 50 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 2

*When Piasuhon crits, apply Phase. (50% mit)
** Piasuhon crits on MD 8-10 instead of MD 9-10.
*** When Piasuhon's health reaches 550 or less, his DMG becomes 400 and his ACC drops to 1.

 

Edited September 11, 2020 by ChaseR

[Freyd 0]

"The witch's brews can certainly help," Freyd replied as he lined himself up for another run.  "There are, unfortunately no guarantees.  I was working on tagging weapons the other day.  Not a single unique among them.  Sometimes, your luck just runs cold."

A sudden blast of speed propelled him towards the Rhino, which was struggling against its own bulk to turn back and face them.  Freyd's strike caught it on the flanks, leaving a bright orange slash that cut through its armored hide like it was butter, the edges of the wounds bubbling as if the digital mesh was distorting.  Chase swore he saw faces and hands pressing themselves against it, as if some twisted, demonic thing inside the Rhino was trying to free itself.  The creature brayed with rage and gained the agility it seemed to lack a moment earlier.

"Think I made it mad, Chase.  Good luck, bud."

Spoiler

[2] ChaseR: HP: 1030/1030 | EN: 82/100 | DMG: 18 | EVA: 3 | ACC: 3 | MIT: 43 | BH: 30 | FRZ: 24 | BLD: 24 | V.(DEF): 51 | HBS: 16 | LD: 2
[3] Freyd, The Whisper in Shadows | HP: 1110/1110 | EN:91/108 | DMG:22 | MIT:124 | EVA:4 | ACC:6 | KEEN:1 | HLY:6 | BLD:36 | BH:22

Galaxy Destroyer (x13): 13 EN - (Rested, Finesse 3, Turn Recovery) = 8 EN

BD: 9 (Crit +2, Holy +6, Bleed 36).  Freyd deals (13*29 - 50 = 327 + 36 bleed = 363) damage to Rhino

Piasuhon: HP: 317/1100  | DMG: 400 | MIT: 50 | ACC: 1 | EVA: 2 (680 - 363) (36 bleed, 1/2) Rage triggered.

*When Piasuhon crits, apply Phase. (50% mit)
** Piasuhon crits on MD 8-10 instead of MD 9-10.
*** When Piasuhon's health reaches 550 or less, his DMG becomes 400 and his ACC drops to 1.

[ChaseR 0]

The fight was starting to get pathetic at this point- however, the one thing keeping his interest was Freyd. His blade, especially, seemed much more different despite its holy elements. "Since when did you become promoted to gatekeeper of hell?", he asked rather cynically as the rhino turned his way, furious. The moment he began to charge right his way, Chase made use of a skill that he hadn't all the way up to now. Disguise. He quickly shifted his form and began to look just like Freyd, leaving the beast confused and halting in its tracks.

Taking advantage of the halt, he quickly dove in and slashed at the monster's legs. Although that would be nowhere near as effective as usual, ice appeared to stretch out of his sword and pin the beast right down. Before jumping back, just as the disguise's effect was wearing off, he jumped into the air and vertically hacked at the beast, leaving it with almost no health left. It was an easy swoop for Freyd, and in the event he missed, the monster was still encased in ice after all. "Say, this was a pushover, wasn't it?"

Spoiler

ChaseR uses Galaxy Destroyer on Piasuhon! (BD: 9 + 3 - 2 = 10)
19 * 13 - 50 = 197 + 24 = 221

[5] ChaseR: HP: 1030/1030 | EN: 73/100 (+1, -10) | DMG: 18 | EVA: 3 (+1) | ACC: 3 | MIT: 43 | BH: 30 | FRZ: 24 | BLD: 24 | V.(DEF): 51 | HBS: 16 | LD: 2
[3] Freyd, The Whisper in Shadows | HP: 1110/1110 | EN:91/108 | DMG:22 | MIT:124 | EVA:4 | ACC:6 | KEEN:1 | HLY:6 | BLD:36 | BH:22

Piasuhon: HP: 96/1100 (-221)  | DMG: 400 | MIT: 50 | ACC: 1 | EVA: 0 | T2 BLEED [1/2] | FREEZE (-24)

*When Piasuhon crits, apply Phase. (50% mit)
** Piasuhon crits on MD 8-10 instead of MD 9-10.
*** When Piasuhon's health reaches 550 or less, his DMG becomes 400 and his ACC drops to 1.

 

Edited September 11, 2020 by ChaseR

[Freyd 0]

"Believe it or not, it's actually a holy weapon, so that will be the pearly gates, thank you very much."  Freyd couldn't stifle his laugh as he said it.  It was also right about the point where he slipped on something fresh and spongy, his feet slipping out from under him in just the wrong way, so that he could land right in it.

He just groaned.  Every.  Fucking.  Time.

Picking himself off the floor, Freyd winced at the stench that accompanied his sand and shit-covered clothes wondering if this curse would ever end.  Maybe it was time to give the weapon Oscar had left him some serious consideration?

Angel of death meets rhino plops.  There's a headline.

"Sorry.  Messed up your freeze.  Go glare at him, or something.  He's about to fall over."  Freyd immediately wondere whether there was such a thing as a laundry crystal.  If not, there should be.

Spoiler

[5] ChaseR: HP: 1030/1030 | EN: 73/100 | DMG: 18 | EVA: 3 (+1) | ACC: 3 | MIT: 43 | BH: 30 | FRZ: 24 | BLD: 24 | V.(DEF): 51 | HBS: 16 | LD: 2
[3] Freyd, The Whisper in Shadows | HP: 1110/1110 | EN:89/108 | DMG:22 | MIT:124 | EVA:4 | ACC:6 | KEEN:1 | HLY:6 | BLD:36 | BH:22

2 EN (Miss)

Piasuhon: HP: 72/1100 (-24)  | DMG: 400 | MIT: 50 | ACC: 1 | EVA: 0 | T2 BLEED [2/2] | FREEZE (-24)

*When Piasuhon crits, apply Phase. (50% mit)
** Piasuhon crits on MD 8-10 instead of MD 9-10.
*** When Piasuhon's health reaches 550 or less, his DMG becomes 400 and his ACC drops to 1.

[ChaseR 0]

By now, all of his interest in the fight had finished completely. Just when he'd expected Freyd to put an end to the battle and show off his blade that much more, he was dealt an unfair hand by the cruel mistress that fate ultimately is. "... R-Right.", he said somewhat discouraged and opened his menu, nonchalantly throwing an orange crystal his way. "You all say that my vanity crystals are trash, but here you go covered in shit and in need of them.", he chuckled, feeling as if he were being rather rude but he couldn't help it.

As he raised his sword in the air, he brought it down onto the beast and slashed at it before it could really get back into it and charge them again, finding himself laughing. Hell, he almost fell on the ground and started rolling as he turned to look at Freyd, uttering in between his almost maniacal chuckling. "Better to sh-shit- A-Aah... in the sink than to sink in the shit- pffft!". Boy, was he in a good mood with his companion's misery.

Spoiler

ChaseR uses Astral Hell on Piasuhon! (BD: 10)
20 * 7 - 50 = 90 + 24 = 114

[8] ChaseR: HP: 1030/1030 | EN: 64/100 (+1, -10) | DMG: 18 | EVA: 3 | ACC: 3 | MIT: 43 | BH: 30 | FRZ: 24 | BLD: 24 | V.(DEF): 51 | HBS: 16 | LD: 2
[3] Freyd, The Whisper in Shadows | HP: 1110/1110 | EN:89/108 | DMG:22 | MIT:124 | EVA:4 | ACC:6 | KEEN:1 | HLY:6 | BLD:36 | BH:22

Piasuhon: HP: 0/1100 (-114)  | DMG: 400 | MIT: 50 | ACC: 1 | EVA: 0 | FROZEN [24] | T2 BLEED [1/2]

*When Piasuhon crits, apply Phase. (50% mit)
** Piasuhon crits on MD 8-10 instead of MD 9-10.
*** When Piasuhon's health reaches 550 or less, his DMG becomes 400 and his ACC drops to 1.

 

Edited September 12, 2020 by ChaseR

[Freyd 0]

Freyd caught the orange crystal and activated it.   He practically beamed as it removed the offending odour and stains.   

"You mean... the are honestly a thing!?  This is awesome!  I'll take three dozen!  That should keep me stocked for a week at the rate I tend to foul up in fights."

Chase had finished slaughtering the beast by the time the finished.  He looked down at the dead Rhino.  "I guess this also means that you got that consumable you wanted.  Congrats!  I'm sure that you'll put it to good use."

Freyd called up the guild registry, reviewing the details.

"You joined as a consultant?  I can't say that I'm surprised.  You didn't seem interested in binding yourself to a guild at all, at the time.  What changed?

It was an honest and sincere question.  Chase had always struck him as highly principled, even if the reasoning behind those principles might be poorly rooted.  Maybe things had changed.

[ChaseR 0]

And then it caught him off guard. Chase glared at Freyd, staying completely silent and simply looking at him with furrowed eyebrows. "N-Nothing changed..? What are you talking about?", he grumbled and walked over, looking at his menu. And it was then that he started to connect the dots. Simmone told him to rest easy with plenty of the crafters, that he'd have some reduced costs and she'd overlook the tax on the unidentifieds and sales- "Th-The fucking weasel! Hey hey hey, get me the fuck outta there right now. I never agreed to joinin', it was all gran!"

He was practically barking at Freyd, unsure how to operate anything to do with guilds in any way, shape or form. "I never said I'd join, gran told me I had benefits with crafters but like hell I knew they were all part of your guild, I just wanted my items and she cut me a deal without disclosing anything, hell, I don't even know any of your guild's leaders or whoever your single guild leader is! I never joined any guild, the hell's that about?!", he rambled on and on, almost fuming just from the sort of move Simmone had pulled on him. Then again, he wasn't exactly a part of the guild, but that wasn't the matter. 

[Freyd 0]

Freyd looked at Chase with a neutral expression as the blue man worked himself up into a full and proper frothing lather.  Here we go again...

"Seriously?," he said, bluntly.  "Overreacting much?  It says here that you're consultant to the guild.  It's basically like an honorary membership and gives you what Simmone promised, but no responsibilities.  Unfortunately, it also means no direct access to all the goodies in the guild vault.  Them's the breaks, if you don't want any greater commitment."  His left brow arched upwards.  "I'm not really sure how any of that led this.... this."  He gestured to indicate Chase's reaction.

"You sure you're okay, bud?  This seems to be a bit of a habit with you."  It was only an observation, but Freyd was fully expecting a barrage of fireworks to be unleashed as a result.  Sometimes, he also just had to prod the bear. Chase had done it to him.  Would a little counterpoint truly be out of the question?

[ChaseR 0]

Maybe... Just maybe Freyd was right. On thinking about it any better. Hell, having no access to the guild vault is definitely for the better. That meant he wasn't truly affiliated with the guild. And being a consult meant that the members would trust him, and that was just more intel that he could use for both his library and way around Aincrad. "Silence you. Hmph. I'll make the most I can out of my status, just know that.", he told Freyd with furrowed brows, still not quite alright about the fact he was affiliated with the guild one way or another.

"... I'll see if I can become a consultant to other guilds as well. More intel for me to make use of.", he commented somewhat spitefully, although it ultimately boiled down to him not wanting to take any sides whatsoever. If more guilds used a system like this, he could definitely become more knowledgeable than Bistro and probably the best informant in Aincrad. "I just hate guilds, alright? Don't want to be in one. I hate hanging out with strangers, even if I know a few from your group. They've tried getting me to join in the past alright.", he admitted, remembering back to Kiluia, Haine, Vie, Katoka... The list was long.

[Freyd 0]

Freyd's only visible response was an arched eyebrow.  He struggled to understand Chase's reasoning, but that seemed to be a regular occurrence.  The man always seemed to be trying to pull himself in two opposing directions at the exact same time.  

He wants information and benefits, but doesn't want to have to commit?  Is he even prepared to contribute, or will he just sit around and mooch what he can then sell it off to the information brokers or other guilds.  Freyd was convinced that he needed to talk with Raidou about the potential risks to guild security.  Nothing much seemed to have come of others holding the title, but a little malice and ill intent could do a lot of damage.  So could some naive, self-conflicted stupidity.

"I don't get that - at all.  If you hate guilds, then don't be in one.  It's always possible to find people to group with, but the players grinding the top tier content - floor bosses, labyrinths, sub-dungeons and the like - they don't trust easily.  You might be cutting yourself off from the bulk of the front lines without one.  You'd also be amazed by the number of top tier players who have orange player-killer icons.  Just be sure to watch yourself if you choose to stay alone.  It's not an easy existence."

Freyd's thoughts drifted to Mari, but he kept any further comments to himself.

Vanity Tag: @Raidou  @Mari

[ChaseR 0]

The words that Freyd uttered were more than simply just disheartening. To hear that among their ranks were player killers was hurtful. Very much so. "I don't consider this me being in the guild. It's me working with you as a mutual agreement. Okay?", he dismissed, but this time rather than flustered he appeared to be more grounded, almost too calm. The sort of calm before the storm, to be exact. The idea the man had just planted into the back of his mind, which he'd soon see in the floor's boss fight sooner or later, he didn't like any.

"I'm not alone. I'm just sticking away from big groups. I've met and gotten on good terms with a few frontliners as is. If you have any concerns about me being a guild consultant bringing you any harm with any information I pick up... It won't. I'm keeping everything to myself.", he continued with the same, serious tone, looking right into Freyd's gaze with his own that as is, was enough to kill. "I'm making a small database in my basement's library. Of the game overall. I just need more contributions, and then I can fill in actual secret mechanics. For now, it's all common knowledge. Skills, good spots to farm and how to operate the game."

[Freyd 0]

That was an unexpected response, though Freyd appreciated what it signified and gradually let a smile rise across his lips.

"That's... actually really good! You were struggling with some of the lore and tech, last time we spoke.  This seems like a fine solution.  And reaching out to meet other front liners is also great."  He nodded, as if realizing for the first time that Chase might actually have a functional plan in the works.  Huh.  Who would have guessed?  News that he had underestimated the man gave him hope.

"Heh.  You surprised me with that.  I'm impressed, and happy for you."  He doubted that the blue swordsman would accept it, but a collegial relationship through the guild required him to make the offer.  "Let me know if there is anything I can do to assist, though I suspect that you'll tell me this is something you prefer to do yourself.  That would be quite fair."

[ChaseR 0]

The amount of excitement coming from Freyd was rather worrying, given how he was usually so blank. "... J-Just how stupid did you think I was..?", he grumbled under his breath and scratched the back of his head, looking further to the side as he realized the two had been talking this over still in the colosseum, ignorant of the crowd's silence. It had almost started to feel natural, like the meetup was in a cafe or anywhere but a death pit. "Anyways... I'm sure something will come up. I could probably kill my way up here if I tried, but... I can't be stubborn now. Not going to risk my life and get Lily in trouble.", he nodded to himself with a small smile, sighing.

He began to head back towards the entry that the two had gone in the arena through, looking over his shoulder to ask Freyd to tag along. "... I hope you have some items ready. Cause I'm going to work you to the bone now that you made the offer. I'll probably keep you busy for a few days doing my labor work, sound alright?", he asked with a smirk, remembering the little 'fine print' that he'd offered beforehand too. "Say... Something about doing me identifications at cost too? You sure on that?". It didn't take more than the few steps to realise all he had to do was nab some good items and then throw them all at Freyd until something good came out.

[Freyd 0]

"... J-Just how stupid did you think I was..?"

Freyd nearly replied, taking it to be a serious question, until he realized that it was meant to be rhetorical.  He just proved that he isn't.  Be nice.

He clamped his jaw shut, nodding with apparent sympathy at the man's mention of his... sister, wasn't it?  No.  The friend who was supposed to meet him here, but was delayed - Lily.  Freyd also recalled mention of some relationship he had with someone named Shay.  The spymaster of Firm Anima's O&I division rarely forgot such details, and Chase would likely know of his appointed role by now.

"Regardless of what you think of me, Chase, I do keep my promises.  Bring your goods to the shop at Angel's Point on floor 13.  My two associates can get things sorted for you if I'm out.  Be mindful around the woman.  She's... ornery.  We'll make sure you get looked after.  I also meant what I said: guild rates - at cost."  He nodded his confirmation as they made their way out together.

***

Thread Summary:

ChaseR Receives:

7 SP (1 page, +1 event, +5 quest)

2,700 col

• Rhino's Horn [Consumable]: (Applied to a Weapon. When attacking, on the First Crit, the attack ignores 40% Mitigation of the target it's attacking. If it is an AoE it only applies to the first target hit, not all 4. If this item is stacked with a Phase Weapon, the 40% Phase ONLY affects Block instead of overall Mitigation.) [This Item drops Once Per thread]

Freyd Receives:

7 SP (1 page, +1 event, +5 quest)

2,700 col