[F14-PP] A Chamber of Bone (Lich's Calling)

[Kasumi 0]

A soft exhale and a whir of steel, spray of flowers left to fall easily. A sound of an exchange to those that would hear it, as the multiple flashes of the conflict continue to fill the chamber. Kasumi was doing as she was asked, and caught off guard once the boss had reformed a bit too early. The Lich swings toward her, before her form vanishes and rakes the back of its neck with a powerful blow. She was fighting to put it down, but a staggering collection of monsters at her back continued to bring it back. It howls and rips its weapon around toward the girl, a spray of bone at the far side of the chamber she was long past where it expected her to be. The crunching of bone beneath their very feet as each connection causes the pieces to fly in all directions like water out of a hose.

Mega Slime Farm Activated: +2 SP Upon Thread Closure

Kasumi Consumes: Titan's Strength (+3 DMG) 182453, Well Done Steak (+3 Protein/Filled -30 Miti) 180858-1, Poached Egg (+2 Accuracy) 175871-2

Kasumi | HP:820/820 | EN:82/82 | DMG:20 | EVA:3 | ACC:5 | BLD:24

Spoiler

Kasumi, The Crashing Wave
Level: 41
HP: 820/820
EN: 82/82

Stats:
Damage: 20
Evasion: 3
Accuracy: 5
BLD:24

Equipped Gear:
Weapon: Mugen's Lineage - Growth [T2/Perfect] Damage 2, Bleed 1
Armor: Mugen Tenshin Decree [T1/Perfect] (3 Accuracy)
Misc: White Red-trimmed Gee [T1/Perfect] (3 Evasion)

Skills:
Martial Arts [Rank 5]
Light Armor [Rank 3]
Hiding [Rank 4] +1 

Extra Skills:
Concentration

Mods:
Finesse Rank 3
Ferocity
Athletics
Vanish

Battle Ready Inventory:
Teleport Crystal*1
Vocal Augmentation - Resonation [T1/Perfect/Support/Instant] +60 HP*2
Bird Seed (T2/Rare/Snack) Vitality 2*1

Housing Buffs:
Well Rested: -1 energy cost for the first three expenditures of each combat
Squeaky Clean: The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 25% (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
Tasty: Turn 2 identical food items into a Lesser Feast. A Lesser Feast contains 4 portions of the food items sacrificed.
Relaxed: Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts.
Skylight (Hiding): +1 Rank to the Hiding 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
Decor [Potted Tanabata]: This buff affects the player and their choice of up to two party members.

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.

 

[Koga 0]

The sounds of battle echoed off the stone, and the mass of precipitation of blue shards as the swarm of undead skeletons were beaten back in some other player's attempt to kill the Lich King. Koga looked over to Alkor, "C'mon, let's go." Without another word the man took off towards the fight, drawing his sword as he dove into the fray.

With a quick vertical chop, a skeleton dissolved into binary, and Koga' parried aside the attack of another. It was only a moment or two before Koga spotted the player who had started the battle. "Mind if we join in?" Koga shouted at her, as he beheaded another skeleton, giving himself enough room to breathe for a moment.

Hearing another Shambling Soldier behind him, Koga span on his heals, and side stepped the strike, before driving his blade into the skeleton's back. Koga quickly sweeped over the area, looking for Alkor and ensuring that the other man had stuck with him.

@Alkor

Spoiler

Koga
Level: 38
Health: 760
Energy: 76
DMG: 15 // EVA: 2  // MIT: 18 // ACC: 4
BRN: 24 // BLT: 24 // FALN: 4 // REGN: 10

Skills
>> Katana V
     // Ferocity
     // Precision
>> Light Armor VI

Extra Skills
>> Familiar Master: Fighter III
>> Survival

Inventory
>> T2 Demonic Katana <<Tsuki no Hikari>> [Burn // Blight // Cursed // Fallen]
>> T1 Perfect Necklace <<White Owl Necklace>> [Accuracy // Accuracy // Accuracy]
>> T2 Perfect Light Armor <<Shadow Chance Coat>> [Evasion // Evasion // Regen]

Battle-Ready Inventory
>> Spider Ciders [90 HP Restoration] (2)
>> [50 HP] Healing Potions (2)
>> [40 HP] Healing Potion (5)

Buffs
>> <<Well Rested>> -1 energy cost for the first three expenditures of each combat.
>> <<Squeaky Clean>> The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 25% (rounded down).
>> <<Relaxed>> Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts.

 

[Alkor 0]

"Was it really a good idea to run and gun in like we just did?" Alkor asked incredulously. "We skipped a whole lot of prep, and even though this is a lower floor for us, it's not like this is an easy que-"

His complaints were cut short by the sudden, vicious interjection of a skeleton. With his blade barely connecting in defense, Alkor staggered backward. The exchange only solidified for him that this would be a much more difficult encounter than the Floor generally offered. He understood implicitly the need Koga felt to run headlong into the fray in order to prevent anything horrendous from happening to the other Player, but them being unprepared was just as bad if not worse than her trying to take the quest on by her lonesome. He sneered as he pressed back, forcing the skeleton that assailed him onto the back foot. Now he had the advantage.

"Like I said, next time, we think first. That sound okay to you?" he asked rhetorically as his blade carved through the mob and sent it scattering. He took a quick breath just in time for another skeleton to engage him. "God, they just keep coming," he muttered beneath his breath. "Just because she's a girl..." There were too many guys who had that weakness. What did they call it? Simps? Some trendy term from the 2010s. Either that or Koga just had a bad case of Main Character syndrome. 

With a heavy sigh, Alkor resigned himself to the fight at hand.

"Get over there and make sure she's okay!" he called out. This was Koga's show, not his. He wanted to fight the Quest boss, sure. The Lich would be his dance partner.

Alkor level 47 

960/960 HP 104/104 Energy

14 DMG | 12 MIT | 3 EVA | 4 ACC | 24 BLT

Blightsteel [T2 Demonic (2 DMG/1 BLT/ CRS)] Cowl of the Wandering Warrior [T2 Perfect (3 EVA)] Eye of Osiris [T1 Perfect (3 ACC)]

Rank 5 Curved Sword / Rank 3 Light Armor / Athletics / Precision / Ferocity 

Finesse (rank 3) / Fighter Familiar (rank 3) / Survival / Energist / Extended Mod Limit

 

[Kasumi 0]

A glance to the new players to join the fray, as the grinding of locked steel permeates the place. The king himself turns away from the girl in just a brief moment, to see his new assailants. An opportunity rose and with a flash of pink, a soft fragrance and a scatter of cherry blossom petals she is gone. What follows soon after, through his armor a yeet of bones from its ribcage like confetti as she drives a dagger like hand clean through. It scatters to pieces, the bones rolling together and trying to rebuild it. "Not at all." She offers a bubbly smile with a flick of her wrist, the light of a sword art fizzling away.

A harsh bellow fills the chamber of bone, the ground manifesting more manpower to move against the newly formed group. Piecing themselves together like a puzzle, dropping a final skull upon an exposed spine before it open's and hisses. The sockets become enraged in cold blue fire, life given to the king dropped. He wanted them out of his chamber, but not before exacting the payment of their life first. Kasumi shifts, runs a cupped hand to peel her hair out of her ear before vaulting closer to the pack that stood with her. "I'm fine, but I think I need a shower." Wearing white and punching the daylights out of filthy bone monsters did not mix well.

All Might [x15], -14 EN (17 - [Finesse 3])

ID# 183312 results: Battle: 2+5=7, Hit vs. Lich King dealing 20x15=300 DMG

Players:
Kasumi | HP:820/820 | EN:68/82 | DMG:20 | EVA:3 | ACC:5 | BLD:24
Koga | HP:760/760 | EN:76/76 | DMG:15 | MITI:18 | EVA:2 | ACC:4 | BRN:24 | BLGT:24 | FLN:4 | REGEN:10
Alkor | HP:960/960 | EN:104/104 | DMG:14 | MITI:12 | EVA:3 | ACC:4 | BLGT:24

Mobs:
(1,0,0) Lich King | HP:50/350 | DMG:400
(0,0,0) Shambling Soldier #1 | HP:100/100 | DMG:140
(0,0,0) Shambling Soldier #2 | HP:100/100 | DMG:140
(0,0,0) Skeletal Lich #1 | HP:100/100 | DMG:140
(0,0,0) Skeletal Lich #2 | HP:100/100 | DMG:140

Shambling Soldier: Attacks another Shambling Soldier
Skeletal Lich: Cannot attack players, Dark Coil - Heals allied Undead for 20 health per turn.
Lich King: When an allied Skeleton falters while he is still alive. He heals himself for the maximum amount of HP that skeleton had.

Edited February 19, 2021 by Kasumi

[Koga 0]

"Hey, I didn't even know she was a girl from all the way back there!" Koga shouted back at Alkor. How dare he make such an accusation.

Koga watched in surprise as the player shoved her hand through the Lich's ribcage. "Uh, yeah, she definitely doesn't need any help," Koga reported back to Alkor. Now very, very confident with the fact that no one was in any real danger, well, maybe except for himself, the swordsman decided he could focus more on whatever was right in front of him. Which happened to be more skeletons. What a surprise.

One of the soldiers slashed at Koga's chest. A quick step backwards was just enough for Koga to get out of the weapon's reach before he dashed back in, delivering a swift strikes to the first of the skeletons and a second to another. Followed by three quick spins, another of the skeletons collapsed into dust before disappearing into a blue cloud.

Spoiler

Kasumi | HP:820/820 | EN:68/82 | DMG:20 | EVA:3 | ACC:5 | BLD:24
Koga | HP:760/760 | EN:62/76 | DMG:15 | MITI:18 | EVA:2 | ACC:4 | BRN:24 | BLGT:24 | FLN:4 | REGEN:10
Alkor | HP:960/960 | EN:104/104 | DMG:14 | MITI:12 | EVA:3 | ACC:4 | BLGT:24

(1,0,0) Lich King | HP:250/350 | DMG:400
(0,0,0) Shambling Soldier #1 | HP:0/100 | DMG:140
(0,0,0) Shambling Soldier #2 | HP:0/100 | DMG:140
(0,0,0) Skeletal Lich #1 | HP:0/100 | DMG:140
(0,0,0) Skeletal Lich #2 | HP:100/100 | DMG:140

Spoiler

ID: 183313
BD: 8 (4 +4) vs Shambling Soldier 1
DMG: 15 * 8 = 120

ID: 183314
BD: 7 (3 +4) vs Shambling Soldier 2
DMG: 15 * 8 = 120

ID: 183315
BD: 11 (7 +4) vs Skeletal Lich 1 (Fallen)
DMG ((15 +4) * 8 = 152

ID: 183316
BD: 1 vs Skeletal Lich 2

 

 

Edited February 19, 2021 by Koga

[Alkor 0]

Alkor watched the others rail against the skeleton army with reckless abandon. The woman was surprisingly stronger than he'd expected, as she took the fight directly to the boss with no hesitation. He saw Koga follow suit by rushing the rest of the mobs with an area of effect attack, then immediately noted the boss' health replenish. There's more to this than we thought, his eyes went for the skeleton left standing. If he was right on his assumption, they all had to be cleared before the Players had any hope of leaving lasting damage on the boss' life bar. "Alright then," Alkor confirmed for himself as he designated his target. He exploded forward with his weapon readied, Sword Art charging in the wings.

And he fired off an onslaught of blows that ripped the unsuspecting Lich to shreds. Data exploded outward in a plume, leaving them alone with the creature. Looks pretty strong, he assessed as he planted his feet firmly and prepared his next attack. If they even made it that far. Gotta be careful, he remained mindful and vigilant. This thing might be stronger than anyone here thought it would be going into this. He didn't like the idea of the unknown. There were too many factors at play. The faster they brought this thing down, the safer they would be.

"Hit it again!" he called out. He was certain that there was room for error here, but if they coordinated, they could minimize that margin immensely.

ID# 183327 Battle: 3 (+4) = 7 HIT

15x11=165 DMG

ID# 183361 MOB: 9 Lich King critically strikes Kasumi!

Kasumi | HP:419/820 (-401) | EN:68/82 | DMG:20 | EVA:3 | ACC:5 | BLD:24
Koga | HP:760/760 | EN:62/76 | DMG:15 | MITI:18 | EVA:2 | ACC:4 | BRN:24 | BLGT:24 | FLN:4 | REGEN:10
Alkor | HP:960/960 | EN:104/104 | DMG:14 | MITI:12 | EVA:3 | ACC:4 | BLGT:24

(1,0,0) Lich King | HP:350/350 (+100) | DMG:400
(0,0,0) Shambling Soldier #1 | HP:0/100 | DMG:140
(0,0,0) Shambling Soldier #2 | HP:0/100 | DMG:140
(0,0,0) Skeletal Lich #1 | HP:0/100 | DMG:140
(0,0,0) Skeletal Lich #2 | HP:0/100 (-165) | DMG:140

 

Edited February 20, 2021 by Alkor
Lich King attacking Kasumi, Player Stats

[Kasumi 0]

A single bloody raking as the bones fly like shrapnel through the girl, knowing full well its aggressor. Drawing a multitude of tiny red lacerations across her body as it tears through. An soft sweep as she places the fear away, remaining calm. A trail of energy in a lines in circles, she steels herself against the damage. A littering of these sections of ivory as Kasumi reaches out on impulse, ripping the skull out of the air as it storms past. A solid crunch in her hand like poet, the skull begins to crack. The formed body of armor shutters and attempts toward her, as she held its very phylactery in her hand. Each tightening of her grip causes hairline fractures to appear, as she held its heart in its hand and as a result the beasts HP plummets.

The strength in her fingers weaken, but are forced solid. The boss itself began to rush her down, a chain of rattling bones as the very room begins to swell with bones. It was attempting to regrow its army against them and save itself from the players who now it by the throat.

All Might [x15], -14 EN (17 - [Finesse 3])

ID# 183367 results: Battle: 2+5=7, Hit vs. Lich King dealing 20x15=300 DMG

Kasumi | HP:419/820 | EN:55/82 | DMG:20 | EVA:3 | ACC:5 | BLD:24
Koga | HP:760/760 | EN:62/76 | DMG:15 | MITI:18 | EVA:2 | ACC:4 | BRN:24 | BLGT:24 | FLN:4 | REGEN:10
Alkor | HP:960/960 | EN:104/104 | DMG:14 | MITI:12 | EVA:3 | ACC:4 | BLGT:24

(2,0,0) Lich King | HP:50/350 | DMG:400

[Koga 0]

Koga was more than a little surprised when he looked at the boss again and the damned thing was back at full health. He regenerated health from dead allies. Great. Just what Koga needed. So they needed to kill the King before more backup showed up. Alkor called out for the small party to strike their target again. 'Well no shit,' Koga thought to himself. But he also knew that it meant that Alkor had figured out the fight as well.

But all the knowledge in the world didn't really mean anything when the boss decimated their health. Koga was surprised by how much the Lich King had chunked the girl's health for. That was nothing though, when compared to the damage she did to the boss. The health gauge immediately went into the red. This kill was Koga's.

The woman backed off, and Koga rushed in. His blade began to glow crimson as he slashed through the last of the boss's health, and it exploded into non-existence.

VICTORY

The banner flashed into the air above the players.

"...Nice..."

@Alkor

Spoiler

Kasumi | HP:419/820 | EN:55/82 | DMG:20 | EVA:3 | ACC:5 | BLD:24
Koga | HP:760/760 | EN:48/76 | DMG:15 | MITI:18 | EVA:2 | ACC:4 | BRN:24 | BLGT:24 | FLN:4 | REGEN:10
Alkor | HP:960/960 | EN:104/104 | DMG:14 | MITI:12 | EVA:3 | ACC:4 | BLGT:24

(2,1,0) Lich King | HP:0/350 (50 -225) | DMG:400 <<DEAD>>

Spoiler

ID: 183385
BD: 8 (4 +4)
DMG: 15 * 15 = 225

 

 

Edited February 20, 2021 by Koga

[Alkor 0]

"...whew."

Alkor exhaled audibly as the fighting ground to a halt. He stayed low and came out of his stance only after the victory fanfare was signaled across his HUD. When he stood upright, his golden gaze shifting over the other two to be certain they were still in one piece. "We did it," Alkor took a deep breath and sheathed his blade, placing both hands behind his head while the others had an opportunity to regroup.

He was glad that it ended without too many hits like that last one. The Lich King had taken half of the woman's health in a single blow. She wouldn't have withstood much more. He was glad they showed up when they did for that fact. "What were you doing alone?" he asked, then immediately realized after speaking that his words seemed abrasive. "That could have gone pretty badly. But I guess I'm actually more glad that it didn't that anything else," he said, carefully shifting the flow of conversation away from the collision course he was originally set on.

With his gaze shifted sideways now to Koga, he recalled that in the heat of the moment the man calling out that he hadn't realized that she was a woman. At least there was that. Alkor folded his arms and closed his eyes. What would come next? With this boss felled, he would be a few short steps away from the first of many goals. Alkor was almost there, almost back to the strength he had before the Ninth floor robbed him of it.

He could stand to be a little more lighthearted in this situation. "...Koga here was pretty worried about you," he told the unknown woman with a smirk. "He looks pretty relieved."

[Kasumi 0]

"Thank you." Kasumi immediately shifted and dropped the skull, now lifeless in her hands. The newly formed skeletal constructs fall to pieces, their respective master destroyed and left them with no power. A pat of her legs kicks off some remaining dust that had found itself clung to her. "I am a scout, I kinda got seen." She murmurs apologetically as she claps her hands together and bows. "I have a teleport crystal, I was just waiting for a moment to use it. Normally I can get by through remaining scarce." She unfolds and moves her hair out of the way. "I'm sorry I dragged you both into this." She opens her HUD and amends something on the corner of her screen from a solid 26 to 25 minutes. Turns out the bosses spawn was misrecorded, and this small change would save a lot of weaker people from some trouble.

"Really?" Kasumi shifts to look squarely at Koga, unable to understand Alkor's jest and assumes it genuine. "I'm Kasumi." she extends a peach colored hand that stunk of a floral fragrance.

Edited February 20, 2021 by Kasumi

[Koga 0]

Almost as soon as the words had left Alkor's mouth, did Koga shoot the man a glare. If look could kill, Alkor would be dead three times over. Only three though. Why was he doing this to the man? He hadn't done anything to hurt him...Maybe that was going to change though.

The girl introduced herself and offered a hand that smelled distinctly of flowery perfume. Koga hadn't even know that perfume existed in the SAO. The swordsman reached out and shook Kasumi's hand in return. "My name is Koga," he said, before pausing to allow his slanderous companion to introduce himself. "And don't worry, you didn't drag us into anything. We were coming out here to take down the old sack of bones anyways. It was nice getting an extra hand. Literally." Also the fact that the bastard would have certainly done more than half of Koga's health in a single blow, he was glad there was an extra person there to help bail everyone out. Strength in numbers after all.

"So, you said you're a scout? You must be part of a guild or something then, right?" Koga couldn't actually recall meeting any other scouts in the...what, five years he'd been in Aincrad. How odd to think that they'd been in cyberspace for so long.

@Alkor

[Alkor 0]

"No, no, I absolutely appreciate the sentiment," Alkor grinned when Koga dismissed the apology as unnecessary. "Just be a little more cautious from now on," he told Kasumi. "Things can get dangerous, even if you're overleveled. All it takes is a little bit of bad luck and..." he made a gesture like exploding, to indicate the stream of data that Players and mobs alike became when their life bar ran dry. He didn't press his luck, though- he'd said enough about Koga for the man to get irritated, and even Alkor hadn't missed the telltale glare.

"Like he said though, it ended up working in our favor, so I can't really complain."

Alkor turned his gaze sideways at the question Koga asked. A scout Player didn't necessarily have to belong to a guild; and it seemed like they would at least have someone with them to handle the heavy lifting if they were coming somewhere that carried the risk of death. If she as in fact guilded, they were taking risks he didn't agree with regarding their Players. 

He didn't say anything, though. Alkor had never really loved most guilds in the game, with most of them focused insular and creating friction in an already stressful environment. Others were a bit more overly friendly, and that had its own annoying aspects. "...Alkor," he said his name after Koga finished. "I'm Alkor."

[Kasumi 0]

A soft sigh of relief as her hand was gripped tightly in Koga's but for a moment. "Koga and Alkor then." releasing the guys hand. "Yep a guild. A lot of work, spread really thin." She pushed an extended index into her chin. "This doesn't happen too much, just this guy wasn't supposed to be alive yet." The blossom eyeballed the pile, as it proved that even an estimation could be wrong. Her gaze advances to her bar, noticing the big drop it had made. It was a little disheartening, knowing that she'd done goof. It meant that she still had more to learn, if she'd just killed the enemies instead of trying to avoid them.

"So you guys were doing this too?" Fiddling with her hair, pushing it behind her shoulders. A pile of bones nearby shutter, and the weird tension in the room followed behind the tiny crack it made. "Now that, this is handled." She did her best to break that newly formed ice. "How about lunch my treat? It's the least I can do after you guys popped in and uh. You know." and doing her best impression of Alkor which totally sucked, with a beaming bubbly smile.

[Koga 0]

Hmm, so she was with a guild. Koga thought that it was odd that they didn't send anyone else with the woman, but then again, Koga had no clue what the inner workings of a guild looked like. Or scouting for that matter. Such subjects weren't quite his forte.

The shuddering of bones caused Koga's hands to move towards his weapons instinctively, and his eyes to snap to the source of the sound. That thing wasn't really going to come back for a round two, right? It didn't, and after a moment or two of no ugly skeleton man trying to kill the three players, Koga relaxed again.

Koga's head tilted imperceptibly as Kasumi imitated Alkor's explosion hand gesture, and yet somehow failing at it miserably. And yet the smile on her face was almost infectious. It made the whole piece-meal scene Koga had just witnessed cross from the almost awkward to the mildly adorable.

The swordsman shrugged and looked over to his partner. "I mean, I'm always down for some food if you are?" he said, deferring to Alkor. Koga would never say 'no' to food. Even better if it was free food.

@Alkor

Edited February 21, 2021 by Koga

[Alkor 0]

The fact that they mellowed out so quickly was a relief. Instead of getting up in arms, both Koga and Kasumi took Alkor's words in stride and the woman went so far as to invite them out to eat as thanks for their help. He quickly reassessed the situation. Clearly, there was a mood here that needed to be preserved, and this was a bike that already had two wheels. It did not need a third.

"Actually, I had some other plans after this," he said. There were plenty of quests left to do, and Alkor was almost to his goal. Soon, he'd be able to fight alongside the others. He just had to make the last push and propel himself into the top echelon of Players. "You guys should go ahead and fill up, have a few drinks for me." 

With his HUD opened up to the menu, he skimmed over a few things and double checked that he'd gotten credit for clearing the quest. Satisfied that he'd fulfilled the parameters, he smiled to the other two. "Rain check, maybe?" he asked.

Honestly, he wasn't really great with other Players, or people in general, and he didn't want to drag down the mood. Plus, Koga could use more friends- and the way Alkor figured it, he was repulsive as far as attracting friends went. This really was the best move for everyone.

[Kasumi 0]

An inhale as the tensions had since faded. "Ok, another time then." Kasumi looked to Alkor with a soft smile, he may have some prior engagement and he'd already done enough. "Raincheck then." Her attentions shift to Koga "I know this little bakery on floor 2, they make quite a few little stuffed breads. Uh, what was it called..." She pauses for a moment, tapping a folded fist against her forehead as she thought. "Joanna's I think. It's just like her name." A tapping patter of her feet as she walked precariously over the rattling bones. It was a bit odd, but such was life in Aincrad: Fighting undead monsters and then eating steamed buns not but an hour later.

Rimming the chambers entering threshold, the rounded rooms one exit. She stared down the long and almost horrifying corridor with a grin that seemed out of place given the location. But she wasn't quite scared of anything on the floor, being here was almost second nature by this point. A glance back to Alkor "Don't forget. You coming Koga?" She beckoned him as she started down into the darkened hallway, a goal for the Underdark and into greener pastures.

[Koga 0]

"Are you sure?" Koga asked Alkor, raising in eyebrow in surprise. He didn't really know the man that well, but he didn't think anyone would turn down the offer of free food. But that was Koga, always thinking with his stomach.

Nodding in agreement with Alkor's decision he turned back to Kasumi as she suggested a place, some bakery on the second floor. She wasted no time in skipping her way over the piles of bones and towards the exit. With a look and a shrug at Alkor he started following Kasumi, walking backwards a little to keep the man in his sight. "Rain check, right?" he confirmed, pointing at the man as he walked. He wasn't going to let Alkor back down on that one. It would be Koga's treat one day.

Having said their good byes, Koga followed after Kasumi towards what would hopefully be a nice meal.

[Alkor 0]

"Yep, Rain Check," Alkor said with a soft smile as the other two paired off to head back to civilization. Out here where there was no one else, the hermit elected to sharpen his skills further. While he watched them filter out of the area, Alkor scrolled through his menu and looked for the skills he was dropping points into. He needed more money to shift to anything else, which meant a day or two of grinding out on his own.

That wouldn't be too much of a problem. It just meant he should probably have taken the offer of food; but Alkor figured Koga would have a lot of fun eating steamed buns at a bakery rather than whatever conversation the golden eyed swordsman brought with him. And with a cute girl?

Not that Koga actually was a simp, but the man was coming up Millhouse.

He gave the other man a thumbs up as he looked back, then turned his own attention to the room where the Lich spawned. "Okay, it should spawn again in an hour or so," he said. "Judging by what I saw, I should be able to take it out on my own..."

[Kasumi 0]

The shop was easily open, and although nervous and worried she stunk the entire way through, Kasumi enjoyed herself. Koga could really put it away, costing the girl an easy 1000 col of tiny little objects that were only 5 a unit. Throughout the exchange, Kasumi enjoyed her simple strawberry tarts topped with whip cream. The wolf devoured every different kind of stuffed breads imaginable, mainly the ones filled with pork/steak and the like. Joanna grimaced as she stared out the tiny portal that was her stand's square window, almost amazed and horrified as the guy put them away.

With silence and a smile, Kasumi wondered why Alkor chose to stay behind. She hoped that one day he'd allow her to bring him out as well. After all the pair had saved her bacon with an easily avoidable mistake. All she had to do was what she was told she was supposed to. But killing them was so difficult for the girl, and in her efforts to simply slip past them a single falling femur left her attacked first.

[Koga 0]

Although unsure of what else Alkor had to do that was keeping him from having a good time, Koga tried not to worry to much. He was a good guy, and strong, he would probably be fine. Besides the man wasn't stupid, and Koga knew he wouldn't bite off more than he could chew.

Speaking of biting off more than one could chew, Kasumi probably didn't realize how much Koga could eat in a single bite. Koga actually felt kind of bad, and promised the woman he would buy her food the next time they wound up killing some random mob together, and he refused to take no for an answer.

It was nice though, just getting out and relaxing with someone, even if they were a relative stranger. Koga could hardly remember the last time he'd done something like this, and he couldn't be more grateful for the company. All in all, it had been a good day.

---

Thread Summary

Spoiler

Everyone:
<<Darkness Salve>> Increases Mitigation by 20 at the cost of 3 DMG. Lasts for one thread. Takes a post action to apply.
>> 133 Col

Alkor and Koga
+5 SP [3 Quest +1 Thread +1 Quarantine Bonus]

Kasumi
+7 SP [3 Quest +1 Thread +1 Quarantine Bonus +2 Mega Slime]