[PP-F24] Rage Against the Machine

[Alkor 0]

The Raging Rhino

Judging by what he saw, Alkor understood implicitly that fighting alone was a terrible plan.

The golden gaze of a Player who knew his limits swept across the hide of a massive beast that, with little trouble, made quick work of several nearby enemies and just kept going. He was out of the line of fire- for the moment- but if he wanted to engage in the Colosseum's many blood sports, he would need a capable team of Players. Someone preferably who could eat a hit or two, and another DPS to nuke the thing. Offhand, he didn't really know any tanks who might profit from the experience. He did have two people in mind, though.

Alkor fired off the first message quickly, to the guy who would likely be in the line of fire.

Quote

To: ChaseR

Hey man. It's been a little while. Sorry I fell out of touch, things have gotten a little weird for me lately and I needed some time to clear my head. I'm getting back in the swing of things now, and I'm currently on the 24th floor, looking for a small team to take on the Rhino in the Colosseum. If you want to catch up and get a little workout, you can meet me here. I'm gonna reach out to one other guy and try to get this tag team entered in the event. Looking forward to hearing back from you,

Alkor

Once he had sent the first message, Alkor started by addressing another.

Quote

To: Koga

Hey bud, I was thinking about the conversation we had the other day and I thought I'd use this opportunity to call you up for a quest. Maybe a little Ultraviolence would be good for the both of us? I'm on the 24th, at the Colosseum. We're gonna be fighting a pretty nasty enemy, so come prepared. With the guy I've got in mind for tanking, you may or may not need items- so keep that in mind. See you, bud.

Alkor

With both of those messages sent, all that was left was to wait for responses. If either man was out, he'd make other arrangements; but he was hopeful that he'd get to see both of them and that they could beat this thing down while having a good time.

@Koga@ChaseR

Alkor Level 49

1000/1000 HP 108/108 EN D:14 M:12 E:3 A: 4 B:24

Blightsteel [2D/1B/C] Cowl of the Wandering Warrior [3E] Eye of Osiris [3A]

r5 Curved Sword / r3 Light Armor / Precision / r3 Finesse / Ferocity / r3 Fighter Familiar / Suvival / Energist/ Extended Mod Limit

 

[Koga 0]

Spoiler

Koga
Level: 41
Health: 840
Energy: 82
DMG: 165 // EVA: 2  // MIT: 18 // ACC: 4
BRN: 24 // BLT: 24 // FALN: 4 // REGN: 10

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

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)
>> Off-Brand Energy Drink [Tier*3 Energy Restoration] (1)
>> [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.

The message wasn't exactly the thing that Koga wanted at the moment, but it may have been the thing that he needed at the moment. A bit of Ultraviolence sounded like it might just be the most cathartic thing on the planet at the moment. So, Koga sent Alkor a swift reply, only three words.

Quote

 

To: Alkor

I'll be there.

 

It didn't take long for Koga to make it back to his house on the Eleventh Floor and collect whatever extra gear he may have needed. The message, though uncertain, did make it seem like some health potions would be useful. Failing that, well, Koga could only hope that he was fast enough to avoid whatever foe they were facing.

---

When Koga arrived to on Floor 24, he'd appear different from the last time Alkor had seen him. Haggard, worn down. And very angry.

"Yo." Koga gave a simple greeting upon finding Alkor. "So, what's the score?"

@ChaseR

[ChaseR 0]

It had been a fair while since Chase last talked with Alkor, but here he was, being messaged by him shortly after he left NIGHT's house to go back home and relax. Maybe he had one more trip on his way to home, a short and quick one. The Rhino again? The first time he did it, he was with Freyd and had no issue beating it about. The second one, he carried the newbies through it. He didn't see why Koga and Alkor would be any more effort, those two knew what they were doing as well.

It took him a while, but eventually, Chase showed up not too long after Koga had. He was met with both familiar faces, where one had left off rather gloomy after talking about his rather sad past, and the other just vanished out of nowhere- same could be said for the bluehead from Koga's perspective though. "Yo. It's been a while. And Koga. You good? I remember you disappearing when we were helping out Ali.", the boy casually approached the two and greeted them, stretching and fully geared up. His broken stone sword was by his left hip, hanging from the belt, and his azure overcoat was on as it always had been- as long as he knew those two at least. "Alkor, you said you wanted to do the rhino? You two won't need any buffs, as long as you let it hit me. Wear it down and we'll be done in no time.", he reassured his friend with a small smile, seeing Koga rather upset and deciding not to say much else.

Spoiler

Name: ChaseR
Level: 83
HP: 1690/1690
EN: 166/166

Stats:
Damage: 20
Mitigation: 43
Evasion: 3
Accuracy: 3
BH:84
VAMP DEF:84
PARA:1
HLY:12
HLY BLS:16
LD:5

Equipped Gear:
Weapon: <<Fragmented Blade>> (T3/Perfect/2HSS): PARA I, HOLY II
Armor: <<Azure Overcoat>> (T2/Perfect/Light Armor): V.DEF I, HBS I, MIT I
Misc: <<Chained Bracelet>> (T2/Demonic/Trinket): EVA II, ACC II

Skills:
Two-Handed Straight Sword [Rank 5]
Light Armor [Rank 5]
Battle Healing [Rank 5]
Searching [Rank 4]
Charge [Rank 5]
Hiding [Rank 5]
Parry [Obtained]
Extended Mod Limit [Obtained]
Fighting Spirit [Obtained]
Howl [Obtained]
Extended Weight Limit [Obtained]

Extra Skills:
Familiar Mastery: Fighter
Survival
Disguise
Meditation

Mods:
2HSS Finesse [R3]
Precision
Athletics
Sprint & Acrobatics
Ferocity
Focused Howl
Surprise Attack (Assassin)
Vanish

Battle Ready Inventory:
Imugi's Inspiration (Mass HP Recovery)*1
Insta-Life ++ (T2/Perfect/HP REC III)*1
Woodland Armor (T3/Perfect) MIT III (1/3)*1
Gugnir's Shard (T3/Instant/HP REC III)*5
Obtained via Item Stash (Housing)
Obtained via Dimensional Backpack

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)
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
Decor [Potted Tanabata Bamboo Tree]: This buff affects the player and their choice of up to two party members.

Guild Hall Buffs:

Scents of the Wild:
Kumatetsu Statue: +1 Base Damage for a thread

Wedding Ring:

@Alkor

[Alkor 0]

"Sup, fellas?" Alkor asked as the others arrived, smiling in earnest. He offered a fistbump to Chase, who he hadn't seen in the longest time, and gave Koga a thumbs up in response to his query. "Well, like Chase said, there's a pretty mean looking Rhino inside just waiting for us to beat on it," he said. "Figured since I'm still pretty frustrated about some things, I could use some violence. Thought you might feel inclined to the same."

He turned his attention toward the blue haired player and nodded. "Yeah, honestly, I figured you'd be one of the best people to call. You're usually pretty knowledgeable about quests, and I wasn't sure you'd done this one yet, but since you're willing I'm definitely glad I sent the message. Me and Koga are pretty coordinated, so we'll be able to sort out the teamwork piece with you pretty quickly."

Alkor folded his arms. "I shouldn't have a problem whittling away health, so we'll follow your lead and let you pick up some aggro before we jump in and start nuking it. Sound good?"

 

Edited February 26, 2021 by Alkor

[Koga 0]

"Hey Chase," Koga greeted the blue-haired man as he approached, "Yeah, I made it out alright. That sandstorm was killer though. Looks like you made off okay too." Koga had grown up in a desert where haboobs were commonplace. He'd known well enough how to survive in those, and he was admittedly glad to see that the other man hadn't suffered too much from his disappearance.

Koga nodded along as ChaseR laid out the basic game plan. That worked for him. "Violence sounds good," he replied to Alkor's remark. Violence sounded really good, actually. Few things could take Koga's mind off of his problems like combat did. Partly because if he didn't he'd die, but there was a chaotic flow to it that made the man feel at home as the adrenaline rushed through his veins, and his heart pumped as much oxygen it could throughout his body. There was no conflict except the one right in front of him in those moments.

Koga went through the extra trouble of double checking he had the proper gear equipped before nodding. "Alright then, ready when you guys are."

[ChaseR 0]

Chase quietly looked at Alkor's fistbump for a few seconds before returning it, unsure what to do until that moment. With the gameplan now agreed upon and the rhino waiting for them in the arena, the bluehead thought to stretch his offer to the both of them, one in the back of his mind, but... not much confidence doing so. Maybe after the fight was over. "Ready. I've finished every quest by the way, Alkor."

Once all of them had agreed, they got into the arena after preparing and loud went the crowd, cheering as Piasuhon was released into the pit against the three of them. Chase quietly looked over his shoulder at the other two, starting to feel a bit embarrassed. If he wanted them unharmed though, it wasn't like he had any other options... Blegh. "I've had a rough day too. Ugh. D-Don't laugh. That's it.", he awkwardly blurted out and looked at the rhino, coughing to clear his throat. He stretched his head and arms a bit, watching the rhino charge straight at them and clearing his throat before he tried to... howl... Oh boy. If he managed anything with it other than embarrassing himself, he got the attention of the monster, who tried to ram him in. And with a swift jump to the side, he dodged the attack and let him run behind the group into the wall, failing to damage it and turning around, ready to assault the players once more. The one with the blue hair was his next pick- just like now. "Hit it, go."

Spoiler

ChaseR uses Focused Howl on Piasuhon!

Piasuhon attacks ChaseR! (MD: 1)
ATTACK MISSED

[6] ChaseR: HP: 1690/1690 | EN: 161/166 (-5) | DMG: 20 | MIT: 43 | ACC: 3 | EVA: 3 | HOLY: 12 | PARA: 9-10 | BH: 84 | V.(DEF): 84 | HBS: 16 | LD: 5
[0] Alkor:
[0] Koga:

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

* Piercing Horn: When Piasuhōn crits, Piasuhōn's attack goes through armor easily, dealing 50% Phase, including block.
** Trained Eye: Piasuhōn is able to land critical hits more easily. His Crit scale is 8-10 instead of 9-10.
*** Pure Rage: When Piasuhōn's health reached 550, he is overcome by a fit of rage, aiming to kill. He gains +100 Damage to his base attack but loses 1 Accuracy in his blind rage

@Alkor

[Alkor 0]

"Every quest?" Alkor asked skeptically. "You absolute madlad. How do you even have fun anymore with nothing left to do?"

He drew his blade as they entered the arena, and spun it expertly into a ready position as ChaseR moved to engage. The man looked a bit put out as the crowd roared its excitement and the world decreed their fate in Piasuhon's... hooves. By the time they traded failures, the blue haired boy and the massive beast were separated by a decent distance, but its eyes were focused on him.

Hit it. Go. 

"You got it," Alkor spoke quickly as he readied his weapon and raced forward. The sword art glowed a faint golden color as he surged toward the rhinoceros from behind, fueled by bloodlust and intensity as the crowd drove him into a frenzy. This was what the thrill was supposed to feel like.

Empowered by both his excitement and the desire to win, his blade shredded the thick hide of the beast more effectively than he could have ever hoped. The lingering plague his weapon held in its heart jumped virulent into the wound and began to exacerbate it.

"Hell yeah," Alkor pumped his fist excitedly as he fell back, not wanting to draw attention away from Chase. "You're up, Koga!"

[6] ChaseR: HP: 1690/1690 | EN: 161/166 | DMG: 20 | MIT: 43 | ACC: 3 | EVA: 3 | HOLY: 12 | PARA: 9-10 | BH: 84 | V.(DEF): 84 | HBS: 16 | LD: 5
[2] Alkor: HP: 1000/1000 | EN: 100/108 (-8) | DMG: 14 | MIT: 12 | ACC: 4 | EVA: 3 | BLIGHT: 24
[0] Koga:

Piasuhon: HP: 974/1100 (-126) | DMG: 300 | MIT: 50 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 2 | BLIGHT 24 (1/2)

ID# 184347 Battle: 9 CRITICAL [14+1=15+1=16×11=176-50=126]

[Koga 0]

Did ChaseR just say 'every quest'? Man, just how long had the guy been going at those? It seemed that Koga still had a lot of catching up to do.

"Clearly, he helps out scrubs like us," Koga replied to Alkor sarcastically as they strode into the Coliseum. The players drew their weapons as the rhino was lifted into the ring, hooves pounding the sand, eager to turn the three men into a not-too-tasty shishkabob.

And then ChaseR...mewled? Pitifully barked? Cried? Koga wasn't quite sure, what that Howl was supposed to be, but he did his best to keep his face under control for Chase's sake.

Alkor moved in first, taking a nice bit of health out of the rhino's health gauge, and immediately, Koga noticed the blight icon appear next to the creatures name. A good start.

"You're up, Koga!"

"On it!" the man replied, dashing in Alkor pulled back. The as Koga sped through the arena, he briefly sheathed his weapon before drawing it once more, swiftly slashing through the beasts side, stunning it for a moment. "Chase!" Koga called, signalling the man he was in the clear as he rounded back towards his friends, keeping his eyes affixed on their adversary. It was stunned for a moment, Chase had his window.

Spoiler

[6] ChaseR: HP: 1690/1690 | EN: 161/166 | DMG: 20 | MIT: 43 | ACC: 3 | EVA: 3 | HOLY: 12 | PARA: 9-10 | BH: 84 | V.(DEF): 84 | HBS: 16 | LD: 5
[2] Alkor: HP: 1000/1000 | EN: 100/108 | DMG: 14 | MIT: 12 | ACC: 4 | EVA: 3 | BLIGHT: 24
[1] Koga: HP: 840/840 | EN: 68/82 (82 -14) | DMG: 16 | EVA: 2  | MIT: 18 | ACC: 4 | BRN: 24 | BLT: 24 | FALN: 4 | REGN: 10

Piasuhon: HP: 774/1100 (974 -24 -176) | DMG: 300 | MIT: 50 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 2
[BLIGHT 24 1/2] [STUN CD 3/3]

Koga uses <<Iai>>
Koga hits Piasuhon
Piasuhon is stunned!
Piasuhon takes 24 Blight damage!
Piasuhon is stunned and can't move!
Piasuhon recovers from being stunned

Spoiler

ID: 184416
BD: 7 (5 -2 +4)
DMG: 16 * 11 = 176

 

 

Edited February 28, 2021 by Koga

[ChaseR 0]

It wasn't like he'd been grinding that much... This was his first game and it wasn't that much of a 'game' in the first place, so Chase was eager to dive into any quests he could. And that's what he'd done. "Past few days been lazy.", he plainly responded to Alkor, and it was true. He'd fought little and rested lots because of the whole feud with the guild... Blegh. Back to the fight- his name was being called.

He changed the grip on his short blade, quickly clenching his hands both tightly around it as he began to charge right in. A white light began to form what seemed like a much longer, sharper blade over the broken remains of the one in his hands, trying its best to flash bright and maintain its form. But just before the strike landed, the light dispersed and the broken blade landed instead, managing to still deal a hefty chunk to the beast- although somewhat misguided with his now lighter blade being held with both hands. The stun wore off the rhino who turned to face Chase and with a roar, its eyes began to glow red and its horn seemed a tiny bit sharper. "It's on its last legs, go. You're both pretty capable, by the way.", the boy tried to warm up to Koga, not so much because of pity but because he liked keeping things straight. He'd met a lot more dysfunctional people that he could fight with. Better not bring up any names.

Spoiler

ChaseR charges at Piasuhon with Galaxy Destroyer! (BD: 6+2=8)
(20 + 5) * 13 - 50 = 325 - 50 = 275

Piasuhon is stunned! (MD: -)
n/A

[8] ChaseR: HP: 1690/1690 | EN: 153/166 (+1, -9) | DMG: 20 | MIT: 43 | ACC: 3 | EVA: 3 | HOLY: 12 | PARA: 9-10 | BH: 84 | V.(DEF): 84 | HBS: 16 | LD: 5
[2] Alkor: HP: 1000/1000 | EN: 100/108 | DMG: 14 | MIT: 12 | ACC: 4 | EVA: 3 | BLIGHT: 24
[1] Koga: HP: 840/840 | EN: 68/82 | DMG: 16 | EVA: 2  | MIT: 18 | ACC: 4 | BRN: 24 | BLT: 24 | FALN: 4 | REGN: 10

Piasuhon: HP: 499/1100 (-275) | DMG: 400 | MIT: 50 | ACC: 1 | EVA: 2 | STUNNED
[BLIGHT 24 2/2] [STUN CD 3/3]

* Piercing Horn: When Piasuhōn crits, Piasuhōn's attack goes through armor easily, dealing 50% Phase, including block.
** Trained Eye: Piasuhōn is able to land critical hits more easily. His Crit scale is 8-10 instead of 9-10.
*** Pure Rage: When Piasuhōn's health reached 550, he is overcome by a fit of rage, aiming to kill. He gains +100 Damage to his base attack but loses 1 Accuracy in his blind rage

 

Edited February 28, 2021 by ChaseR
Attack Order: ChaseR > Piasuhon > Alkor > Koga > ChaseR > ...

[Alkor 0]

Koga chained attacks with Chase, immediately rushing in to complete a seamless switch. Both of them rallied without hesitation and ChaseR was just in time to stand as the buffer between his DPS and the enemy. Without ever having worked together, they fell seamlessly into the roles they'd decided on. Alkor felt a confidence swelling in his chest at that thought. 

Chase then assured Koga they were capable- but Alkor was much more seized with results than encouragement. He wasted no time in moving back in to exploit the creature's weakness. It had stumbled and failed to even connect with the blue haired boy. It's body was failing.

Now, as he activated his sword art, Alkor zeroed in on the weak spot.

He lashed out with a series of powerful strokes that sent the creature reeling again, turning with rage in its bellow. The entire arena shivered at the sound. In the meanwhile, Blight was on the last round of efficacy and playing no small role in ripping the legs out from beneath the beast.

"Its just about in the red," he called out as he spun over the creature's limping body and raced back around the edge of the coliseum. "Let's finish this!"

 

[8] ChaseR: HP: 1690/1690 | EN: 153/166 | DMG: 20 | MIT: 43 | ACC: 3 | EVA: 3 | HOLY: 12 | PARA: 9-10 | BH: 84 | V.(DEF): 84 | HBS: 16 | LD: 5
[3] Alkor: HP: 1000/1000 | EN: 193/108 (-8) | DMG: 14 | MIT: 12 | ACC: 4 | EVA: 3 | BLIGHT: 24
[1] Koga: HP: 840/840 | EN: 68/82 | DMG: 16 | EVA: 2  | MIT: 18 | ACC: 4 | BRN: 24 | BLT: 24 | FALN: 4 | REGN: 10

Piasuhon: HP: 374/1100 (-115) | DMG: 400 | MIT: 50 | ACC: 1 | EVA: 2 |[BLIGHT 24 2/2] [STUN CD 3/3]

ID# 184427 Battle: 8 HIT (15×11=165-50=115 DMG)

[Koga 0]

As ChaseR delivered a powerful blow, Koga thought to himself that the fight was going smoothly, which was more than the man could have hoped for. For people who had almost never fought together, they seemed to work well with each other, easily drifting in and out of the rhino's crosshairs, staying only long enough to deal some damage before rotating again. When ChaseR stated as much, Koga had to suppress the brief swell of pride that bloomed in his chest. Celebration could wait till after the job was done.

Alkor went in next, ripping the Rhino's legs out from underneath the beast and the crowd roared. Whether in disappointment or excitement, Koga couldn't tell. He would've guessed the former. But, at least that devastating blow gave Koga the opening he needed to press the attack.

The man ran around from the beast's side to it's head where he skidded to a stop as the rhino got back on it's feet. Gripping his weapon with both hands, Koga unleashed a series of slashes, that only enraged the rhino more. As it's health dipped well into the red, the rhino rushed forward, head lowered intent on skewering the swordsman. Koga was quicker than that, and leapt high enough into the air to flip over the beast's charge.

"He's comin' your way, Chase!"

@ChaseR

Spoiler

[8] ChaseR: HP: 1690/1690 | EN: 153/166 | DMG: 20 | MIT: 43 | ACC: 3 | EVA: 3 | HOLY: 12 | PARA: 9-10 | BH: 84 | V.(DEF): 84 | HBS: 16 | LD: 5
[3] Alkor: HP: 1000/1000 | EN: 193/108 | DMG: 14 | MIT: 12 | ACC: 4 | EVA: 3 | BLIGHT: 24
[2] Koga: HP: 840/840 | EN: 54/82 (68 +1 -15) | DMG: 16 | EVA: 2  | MIT: 18 | ACC: 4 | BRN: 24 | BLT: 24 | FALN: 4 | REGN: 10

Piasuhon: HP: 110/1100 (374 -24 -240) | DMG: 400 | MIT: 50 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 2
[BLIGHT 24 0/2] [STUN CD 2/3]

Koga uses <<San Ge>>
Koga hits Piasuhon
Piasuhon takes 24 Blight damage!
Piasuhon is no longer Blighted!
Piasuhon attacks ChaseR
Piasuhon misses!

Spoiler

ID: 184656
BD: 7 (5 +4 -2)
DMG: 16 * 15 = 240

ID: 185321
BD: 5 (6 +2 -3)

 

 

Edited March 10, 2021 by Koga

[ChaseR 0]

And with Koga giving him the signal, Chase dove right in with his sword ready to slash, running right towards the monster who was about to start its assault as well. A skid to the side to dodge being rammed by the rhino's horn clean in the stomach, and with a slash to its side, Chase landed back on the ground as the beast fell on its side and shattered into crystals.

The crowd began to roar once more with excitement, as Chase glanced around and looked at his teammates with the faintest of smiles, giving a nod and sheathing his weapon. This seemed like a job well done. Before he forgot though, maybe it'd be about time to get to the main offer he wanted to make the other two. Approaching them, he stuck both of his hands in his pockets and cleared his throat. "Yo. I've been wanting to give you an item Alk. I can find something for you too, Koga. I keep them at my shop, I've plenty of uniques laying about. They'll help you out when leveling. I don't want Col or anything in exchange. Guess that's my way of 'making it up to you' for leaving you alone in the fifth."

Spoiler

ChaseR uses Galaxy Destroyer! (BD: 5+3-2=6)
20 * 13 - 50 = 260 - 50 = 210

[10] ChaseR: HP: 1690/1690 | EN: 144/166 (+1, -10) | DMG: 20 | MIT: 43 | ACC: 3 | EVA: 3 | HOLY: 12 | PARA: 9-10 | BH: 84 | V.(DEF): 84 | HBS: 16 | LD: 5
[3] Alkor: HP: 1000/1000 | EN: 193/108 | DMG: 14 | MIT: 12 | ACC: 4 | EVA: 3 | BLIGHT: 24
[2] Koga: HP: 840/840 | EN: 54/82 (68 +1 -15) | DMG: 16 | EVA: 2  | MIT: 18 | ACC: 4 | BRN: 24 | BLT: 24 | FALN: 4 | REGN: 10

Piasuhon: HP: 0/1100 (-210) | DMG: 400 | MIT: 50 | ACC: 1 | EVA: 2
[STUN CD 1/3]

@Alkor

Edited March 3, 2021 by ChaseR

[Alkor 0]

"How underwhelming," he muttered as Piasuhon went down no different from the weaker monsters they had fought together. With such inflated levels of HP, he expected more.

That was becoming thematic for Alkor recently. He blinked as the dust cleared and ChaseR approached him. Something he wanted to give me? Alkor reached up and scratched at the back of his head. "For me?" he asked, "alright, I'll have to meet back up with you at your shop later. I definitely don't mind, though. You've been a real help in my effort to level up, so I appreciate everything you've already done for me." He felt awkward now, having thought nothing of it. Chase was a busy guy- he'd said himself that he had cleared all of the available quests in Aincrad. Alkor couldn't hold something so small against him.

"If anything, I'll be working my best to be sure that your efforts weren't wasted on me," Alkor bowed respectfully to the other man. "Thank you."

[Koga 0]

The field boss went down quicker than Koga had expected. He'd never fought something with that much health before, but he'd been surprised at how quickly they had managed to devastate it's healthbar. If anything, Koga felt that the fight had ended far too quickly. He'd hoped for more bloodshed. Despite his bloodlust, Koga silently sheathed his sword as the boss disintegrated and ChaseR returned to the other two players.

He blinked in surprise when the man mentioned he had something he could give the two player. "Oh, uhm...thanks. That's really not necessary though, I feel bad you had to finish the quest yourself." Koga had never been too good accepting gifts, a trait that was only enhanced given his current mental state. Hopefully Chase would forgive the man's lackluster response.

In any case, the job was done, and though the adrenaline still coursed through Koga's veins, he took a deep breath and calmed himself a moment before speaking. "So, I guess that means we head back to the safezone then?"

@ChaseR

[ChaseR 0]

The modesty was appreciated, and although Chase wasn't used to giving gifts to just about anyone and last time ended up in NIGHT lashing out on him for being too pushy, he wanted to at least explain his position. Once they were all out of the arena, the group came to a halt outside of the Colloseum, and the bluehead turned back to the other two. "If I could use the item, I'd just let you turn me down- but you're using crafted armor right now, right? I've plenty that'd do you more favors, even if with a few alterations."

"I'd show you them right now, but I don't want anybody to overhear. Wanna head on to the shop and I can give you your options there. It's even more unnecessary for me to keep the armors I won't use either way though.", he tried to calm Koga down and make him accept the offer after all, especially hence he didn't need any items he had right now. Sure, he could... well, change into them, but that was more of a secondary thing he never had to do up to now. And he'd completed most quests. Unless a boss fight required him to, keeping these around instead of giving them to people he knows will get the job done was unnecessary. "Your choice, but you'll be doing me more good than bad staying safer and catching up to me faster.". He then turned to Alkor. The reason he hadn't responded was because by the looks of it, the two were on the same page. "I think you'll like yours. You better catch up fast though."

@Alkor

[Alkor 0]

"Alright, you convinced me," Alkor said. He knew Chase well enough to know the guy was pretty direct and didn't mince words. If he wasn't inclined to take no for an answer, then it was better just to go with the flow of things. Besides, a unique item would be a real boon for the Swordsman. His sword was incredibly strong, and armor that had a similar level of quality was highly likely to be useful for raids and quests in the future. As he got stronger, things would become more difficult and dangerous. "I'll follow you."

He spared a look in Koga's direction. "You should come along too, since he's offering." He gestured toward the direction that the blue haired man was moving in. "That way both of us will get stronger. Items are a big part of the game, y'know?" Alkor picked up the pace and trailed Chase toward their now-shared destination. "I'll admit, it's pretty exciting. I've been meaning to try upgrading my equipment, but just haven't really had a chance to do it. So hey, win win, right?" 

[Koga 0]

Thankfully, Koga was not NIGHT. So instead of berating ChaseR, Koga nodded. "In that case...thank you. I'll be sure to put it to good use." Even if Koga was happy with his gear, even he couldn't deny that there were better pieces of armor out there, and he really wasn't in a position where he even could say 'no' if he really was serious about fighting on the Frontlines. He needed the help.

Koga quickly followed along with the other two players heading towards ChaseR's shop. It was a strange opportunity that Koga hadn't expected. He'd only been graced with such charity once before, when he'd first met Yukiro and the man had offered to help him learn the katana skill. The black-haired man examined the other two with a curious eye. Clearly, they'd known each other for a while now. "How did you two meet?" he finally asked, figuring they may as well fill their time with some small conversation.

[ChaseR 0]

Both of them accepting and not turning him down was one of the most pleasant experiences he had had in a fair while, the other one being his outing with NIGHT just before getting here, literal minutes ago. "If you two work together, you can get to my level faster.", Chase commented quietly and kept on going towards the teleport plaza, checking in with everyone to move over to the first floor and get headed to his shop.

Once they were in front of the Iron Palace, came a quite interesting question. How the two had met, huh? It was... probably the same that it had been for Koga, right? Unless Chase didn't ask Koga to cut a deal- blegh. Either way... "... How we met. Uh. I needed some research on Sword Arts and skills. Alkor seemed to have many but I misjudged. I agreed to help him in exchange for a look at each of his skills per quest. He ran out faster than I expected, but I'm sure he'll make up for it.", he replied, the last sentence coming out much, much quieter than the rest of his explanation. At least that's how he remembered it having gone down, but it had been a fair while. He wasn't going to stop Alkor from sharing his side of the story too- and he'd probably have a thing or two to say, seeing how Chase's speech was as graceful and honoring as ever.

[Alkor 0]

Alkor glanced sidelong toward the blue haired man as he spoke, a smirk creasing the edge of his lips. "Sorry for being such a disappointment," he jested after the man quietly mentioned how quickly he'd run through all of his skills. "But hey, there's plenty of time to make up and by the time we're at your level, you'll have more skills to research than you can handle."

He looked then to Koga. "Chase helped me out a ton when I was trying to get things back together," he explained, "he's really great in a pinch and figures out group dynamics pretty fast." They made their way to the teleporter and stopped. He gestured toward the device and prompted for ChaseR to lead the way by calling out the destination. 

"And I think once we're all on the Frontlines together, we'll make a pretty great team," he added.

[Koga 0]

Koga smiled in a good natured manner as the two retold how they met. What an odd story. It was welcome though, Koga hadn't thought he would smile again for some time. That alone suddenly made this whole disappointment of a quest worthwhile.

"That's...not what I expected," Koga admitted, "Although it's not too far from what I had either. Quests still involved and all." Having arrived at the safezone, Koga felt himself relax ever so slightly. This was the highest up he'd ever been, and he hadn't realized how nervous that had made him until now.

The rest of the short journey was short at least. The trio headed towards the teleporter, and inevitably, they'd arrive at ChaseR's shop. Koga wondered what awaited him there, and Alkor too for that matter. As the man had previously said, items were important in Aincrad, they were the players' lifelines. Koga made a mental note to do something to thank ChaseR later on for all his help, before stepping into the teleporter.

---

Thread Summary

Spoiler

Koga and Alkor:
>> 5133 Col (5000 Quest +133 Thread)
>> 7 SP (5 Quest +1 Thread +1 Quarantine)

Alkor:
>> Rhino's Horn

ChaseR:
>> 133 Col
>> 2 SP (1 Thread +1 Quarantine)

 

Edited March 10, 2021 by Koga