[SP-F4] Raven of Wrath

[Dazia 0]

Selected: Accept Rivalry

Dazia thought about it a little more. "As long as I have a Teleport Crystal on hand, I shouldn't be in too much trouble...I guess there are some benefits to this after all..." She took a deep breath. "You know what? Fine, we're rivals now. Don't even think I'll be going easy on you during battle, though. I'll push you to your limits, maybe even further." She decided.

Koharu nodded, with a gleeful expression on her face. "You bet! I'll be doing by best, too, don't you worry!" She said with a wink. "So, you have someplace to go?" She asked. Dazia had a response for this the moment it was spoken. "I came to investigate this floor, trying to figure out why so much conflict between players took place around its various locations. ...Though I'm hesitant to move on by myself at the current moment, I'll need some time to regenerate."

 

 

[Recovered 20 HP, EN restored]

Dazia: HP 370/620

Edited March 12, 2021 by Dazia

[Dazia 0]

"It's ok, we can stick together for a bit!" Koharu reassured. "I've got a teleport crystal in case things get rough, but do you have one? I could lend you one if you need it." Dazia thought for a moment. She did seem to be trustworthy enough, so maybe she could be honest here. "I've already got one, I prefer not to leave the safe zones without them, never know when you'll need it. PvE may be limited by floor, but for quests and PvP, that is a whole other matter." Dazia answered. Koharu smiled. "Cute yet dark, you've got your strengths, you seek to improve, you're wise...looks like we can trust each other fully now." She remarked. Dazia chuckled. "I don't know about fully trusting, there's always a variable to cover, we've still only just met, after all." She noted. It would seem that Koharu was one to jump to things too quickly, and may be excitable...

 

[Recovered 20 HP]

Dazia: HP 390/620

[Dazia 0]

"Ahahaha, I don't blame you for being cautious, though I'm sure you'll lighten up around me at some point..." Koharu claimed. Dazia shrugged. "We'll see about that. Anyway, I should probably finish taking a look around here..." She added. The two players looked around for anything of value, but found nothing. They then returned to their original search, investigating the area for any potential reason as to why there was frequent conflict in this area of the fourth floor. They even spent time trying to move all the snow out of certain spots in case there was any clue of any sort hidden within or buried underneath...and still found nothing. "Damn, this place is empty...so then why are there always fights happening here? Is it because this is a bit of a clearing?" Dazia wondered out loud. Koharu shrugged. "No clue, maybe it was just a coincidence? even if it's just for this spot?" She asked, thinking some questions might bring light to this issue.

 

ID# 185511 LD: 5(Nothing found)

[Recovered 20 HP]

Dazia: HP 410/620

Edited March 13, 2021 by Dazia

[Dazia 0]

"I'm not sure." Dazia admitted. "Looks like I'll have to move on. There was a place of conflict noted, where there was also a bit of a...missing person case. It's a fair distance away, however, so I might just sit around here, or follow you around, until I'm ready for the worst again."

Koharu seemed to think for a moment. "Well, how about we go there together? Where were you headed?" She asked.

It was then that Dazia received a message from Valna.

Quote

To: Dazia
Subject: Investigation

Yinangi and I have come up a bit empty on our searches, and we almost got caught up in a fight. We'll cover the third and fifth locations, you can handle the second location, the mountaintop, and maybe even the depths, if you're brave enough to try in the first place.

-Valna

Dazia closed her messenger. "Ever heard of the Glacial Depths, a place deep within the Cove? Stronger monsters tend to spawn there, obviously, but for two level thirty players, they shouldn't be too much of a threat. What do you think?"

[Recovered 20 HP]

Dazia: HP 430/620

[Dazia 0]

Koharu seemed to be pondering this idea. "You've got a point, all non-quest and non-event monsters seem to be level twenty in strength, so maybe they won't be much of a threat, like you said. I know a route that will take us along the Starglades from here, it's a safe zone without a settlement or guards, so there's not likely to be any monster threats there, though I can't guarantee safety from other players...but hey, as long as we're working together, we should be fine." She decided. "Alright then, well, if you know the route..." Dazia agreed...though she knew where the Starglades were, as it was marked on her map some time earlier before this trip. She would know if she were being misled. Things were going well at the moment, and she would soon be relatively safe enough to regenerate the rest of the way without any grievances.

[Recovered 20 HP]

Dazia: HP 450/620

[Dazia 0]

The trip would begin without any issues, though there was what seemed to be a slight hiccup when the two neared the landmark...

"You know, I've heard a bit about you from others, and from yourself. I've gotten to observe you during that spar, too. Hehehe, some of the rumors turned out to be true. However...I've noticed that I've learned quite a bit about you, but you probably don't know very much about me! I haven't even earned my own rumors yet!" Koharu realized. "I should probably make it up to you by telling you a bit about myself, since you already told me a little about your struggles, and you probably want some more reason to trust me, huh?" She decided. Dazia kept her expression from showing what she was thinking. "Bitch, please, your outfit, words, expressions and skill have told me more than enough, thank you very much."

[Recovered 20 HP]

Dazia: HP 470/620

[Dazia 0]

Despite Dazia clearly not wanting to hear, she gave no indication of this, and thus the explanation was inevitable. "So I didn't start rising up really high until about a few months ago, I was too scared to go beyond the first floor...but hey, courage comes to us all eventually, once we've gotten strong enough to not worry about a thing. I chose this particular style I wear not only because I like it, but because there are plenty of players in the game who really like this style very well." Koharu explained. "So then, the Japanese players, as well as the local Weebs in this game?" Dazia remarked at the latest fact explained. Koharu chuckled. "Did you just call me-" "Not necessarily." Dazia interrupted. "I wasn't talking about you specifically, but those who you claimed were drawn to the style of apparel and equipment you chose. I'm not saying that it's a bad thing, of course....that is, unless it descended into chasing." She explained.

 

[Recovered 20 HP]

Dazia: HP 490/620

[Dazia 0]

Koharu giggled. "I think I get what you're trying to say. Of course, due to the in-game translation feature, it's not like we'll be able to tell our original languages or nationalities just by appearance alone." She remarked. "Are you trying to get me to question yours?" Dazia asked. Koharu smiled. "Well, what do you think?" She asked with a wink. Dazia shook her head and shrugged. "I'd need more time and information to make an educated guess on such a question." She admitted. "Fair enough," Koharu responded. "Say, what brought you to this mystery, by the way?" She asked, referring to the investigation at hand. "Personally, I'd say that it's likely to be just a coincidence, but better to be safe than sorry. If conflict happens here this often, it is either a dangerous coincidence that will draw player killers here, or there is something causing it. Whatever the case, I doubt there's that much time to waste..." Dazia answered.

 

 

[Recovered 20 HP]

Dazia: HP 510/620

[Dazia 0]

"After all, I've only got about a day, then I've got some other business to attend to. Might as well find the answer for this before it can get worse...who knows what kinds of hell we might go through if we were to try investigating this too late." Dazia added to her explanation. Koharu nodded in agreement. "I agree, this floor is too beautiful to be the location of a bloodbath, it doesn't deserve that, even if it was designed by a psychopath." She remarked. Dazia had to admit, this floor may be a land of eternal winter, but it had a beauty of its own. The two players were crossing the Starglades now, and despite the safety of the area, the two players did not consider themselves to be out of the woods yet. After all, they still had a few places to investigate. "There were two others who were helping me on my investigation, they split up from me as to cover more ground." Dazia revealed.

 

[Recovered 20 HP]

Dazia: HP 530/620

Edited March 16, 2021 by Dazia

[Dazia 0]

"So then, that means less work for us both, if you're willing to share your friends' results?" Koharu asked. "...You know what, sure, why not?" Dazia answered. "They came up empty so far, but they're headed to the next location now. They almost got caught in a fight, too. They left the Glacial Depths and the Peak for me...or us, if you're the sort who would prefer to keep tagging along." If this player was a s trustworthy as she seemed, this would be a fair investment to the investigation. It would definitely save a little time, and double checking each others' work might help in terms of making sure nothing was missed. Koharu smiled. "Sure, it'll lighten the load on us both." She answered. So, temporary ally for this task, hopefully this will prove to be a beneficial decision. "How far are we from the cove?" Dazia asked, hoping to be there soon.

 

 

[Recovered 20 HP]

Dazia: HP 550/620

[Dazia 0]

"We aren't too far from the cove, and at this rate, we'll be grinding our way into the depths in no time!" Koharu answered. The trip would seem to quiet down for a bit, but from what it looked like, there was an incoming snowfall on the horizon. Hopefully there wouldn't really be that much to worry about in the Glacial Cove. If Koharu was able to reach the Glacial Cove, she must have known an informant who knew how to get there and had revealed it to her...or it was simply luck and the location was marked on the map. Whatever the case, it wasn't trailing away from the location so there was that for good news. Dazia began to wonder how Valna an Yinangi were doing on their end. Hopefully Valna wasn't trying to seduce some guy she found in front of Yinangi, she did not need to be a witness to that.

 

[Recovered 20 HP]

Dazia: HP 570/620

[Dazia 0]

About a quarter of an hour later, the two players left the Starglades and were on their way to the Glacial Cove. It wouldn't be long now before they would reach their destination. "So Dazia, who are the two helping you out?" Koharu eventually asked. "That's a question I never expected to hear...you just curious or something?" Dazia counter questioned. "You could say that, I just wanted to know some things about your friends, you know, to pass the time." Koharu answered. Dazia sighed. "Fair enough. One is a child, I saved her life by taking her place in a full loss duel. We've been allies ever since that day, and kind of friends, too. The other...well, she means well, but has a tendency to...how do I put this mildly...she...ah, never mind." Dazia explained, trailing off at the end because she couldn't find much of a method of describing Valna's issue in a nice way.

 

[Recovered 20 HP]

Dazia: HP 590/620

[Dazia 0]

Koharu listened carefully. "That was both kind and brave of you, taking an innocent child's place in a fight to the death. Was there a problem with the other? What seems to be the issue? Can you tell me their names?" Koharu asked. "You ask a lot of questions..." Dazia remarked. "You're...kind of leaving me in the dark, though. I can understand if you're concerned about their safety, I get it, but not every trait could put someone in danger upon being revealed, right?" Koharu asked. Dazia took those words into consideration. Eventually, she spoke up in response. "The child is Yinangi. The other is Valna...my sister." Koharu's expression changed. "Ohhh I get it, ok...well, I guess everyone has issues they don't wanna talk about when it comes to their siblings...though I did hear that Valna's quite the looker, and can be reliable in a pinch when someone she cares about is in trouble." She remarked.

 

[Recovered 20 HP]

Dazia: HP 610/620

[Dazia 0]

So Koharu had heard of Valna...well, that might lead to some problems, though she didn't have anything negative to say about her just yet. Maybe she didn't have a significant other yet, or Valna didn't try to hit on whoever they were. The two players soon reached the Glacial Cove, but what was strange seemed to be that there were less monsters than expected... "Hmm...this is unusual, there's often more monsters prowling about...I wonder what happened." Dazia thought for a moment. "The lack of monsters seems to avoid two sides, for the most part, almost as if there's a clear path..." After seeing the evidence, there was no doubt about it. "Someone's here, we should be careful." Dazia warned as she drew her blade. She didn't want to take any unnecessary risks. Koharu also drew her weapon as well, but she wasn't exactly positioned to strike at a moment's notice.

 

[Recovered 10 HP]

Dazia: HP 620/620

[Dazia 0]

The two players would slowly make their way to the Glacial Depths, but what was strange was that the path of cleared monsters seemed to follow that route. "Chances are, there are actually two players. There's a missing person case in which this was the location they had disappeared in. I can't guarantee that we'll find this player, but there's only one way to find out." Dazia whispered to Koharu. "Is that why you were willing to go to this place? The Cove alone is a difficult area, but the depths are rumored to hold the worst of the floor's creatures.." Koharu asked softly. Dazia was silent for a few seconds. "It wasn't something that I could guarantee. I only came here to investigate, but I was willing to keep my eyes out for the missing player." She admitted. "I was more focused on the investigation than a possible rescue mission."

[Dazia 0]

The two players would continue on, and Dazia would soon slip and tumble into a tube-like corridor heading downward, and she would find herself sliding down. "Whaaagh!!" "Dazia!!"

When Dazia got up, she found herself in another room of the Glacial Depths. This ice cave could be easy to get stranded in without the proper means of getting back up from slippery parts of the caverns....wait a minute. "This must be how that player became missing. They slipped and fell down like I did, but they didn't have any method of getting back up. Now that I think about it...Do I have a way back up myself??" She thought aloud. Turns out, aside from a teleport crystal, she had no other method of getting out of this...tight spot. She eventually decided to take a look around before she would use the crystal. After all, she might be able to have Koharu drop a crystal down since she had a spare if Dazia was to find the missing player...

[Dazia 0]

Dazia would hear the sounds of combat, and would make her way over to the area slowly. After some time, she reached where the sound had originally came from. it was in one of this depth's frozen rooms. There was a player there. Dazia didn't know this player's name, so she would need to approach with caution. ...Except she didn't need to, because the player would spot Dazia and begin walking towards her. Dazia would stop moving and move her left hand to the hilt of her blade, but didn't draw it. She didn't want to spark aggression at this time. The player looked Dazia up and down, as if sizing up a potential combatant. "You look like a wary opponent." The player said. "Who are you?" Dazia asked. "I am Arnemis." The young woman introduced. "...Fight me." She said as she sent a duel challenge. "...You have got to be kidding me." Dazia thought.

-Arnemis has Challenged Dazia to a Duel!

 

Arnemis:

Spoiler

 

Edited March 16, 2021 by Dazia

[Dazia 0]

And now things were starting to get unusual. "Why the hell are you challenging someone you don't even know in such a reckless way? You could get yourself killed that way." Dazia asked. "You know what? Never mind, don't answer that. You're just lucky I'm not in the mood to get blood on my hands at the moment." She decided as she pressed accept, and set the victory conditions to Half-loss. "There, half-loss duel." She wasn't in the best mood, but at least she wasn't considering more problematic options...yet.

The timer for the duel would appear, and the players would draw out their weapons and take position. Dazia's opponent had a two-handed battle axe, and by the looks of it, Arnemis's weapon was something to avoid... Dazia could only hope that her level wasn't too different from that of her opponent, as that would likely cause a disadvantage...unless it was Dazia's level that was higher.

 

-Dazia has accepted the challenge, and set victory conditions to half loss

(Dazia)ID# 185577 LD: 10

(Arnemis)ID# 185578 LD: 17

-Arnemis has won the initiative roll, and will be going first

 

Arnemis's stats and Equipment:

Spoiler

Level:  30
HP:  620(Base[600], Athletics[20]
EN:  60
DMG:  12(THBA Rank 5[7], Elgorin[2] THBA Ferocity[1], Athletics[1])

MIT: 48(Nightshade Shroud[36], Light Armor Rank 3[12])

 

 

Equipment:

[T2]Elgorin(1 DMG, 1 ACC, 1 Fallen)

[T2]Nightshade Shroud(2 MIT, 1 EVA)

[T2]Silver Rose-Spinel Ring(2 REC, 1 ACC)

 

 

 

 

Skills:

Two-handed Battle Axe Rank 5

Light Armor Rank 3

 

Mods:

THBA Ferocity

Athletics

 

Edited March 16, 2021 by Dazia

[Dazia 0]

The two players would wait for it, and then the word <<Fight!>> Appeared between the two players. Well, it was now or never. Dazia rushed for her opponent, and Arnemis would prepare to activate her sword art. Dazia leapt out of harm's way, but when she activated her own sword art, Over Radiation, her weapon would be easily deflected. Dazia's current weapon choice was definitely not optimal for blocking oversized axes like these. Dazia jumped back as to avoid being struck by the swinging of the opponent's weapon after her attack had been deflected. This consistent conflict was starting to become tiring. Nevertheless, Dazia had a duel to win. She got her ass kicked the last time she was in a duel, but she didn't want to lose a second time in a row. Dazia began to wonder if this was the spot she had intended to investigate, for her opponent just challenged her out of the blue.

 

(Arnemis)ID# 185579 BD: 3+2-2=3(miss)

(Dazia)ID# 185580 BD: 4+2-1=5(miss)

 

 

[Turns left: 14]

Dazia: HP 620/620, EN 58/60 | 12 DMG | 48 MIT | 2 ACC | 2 EVA (0/310 HP Depleted)

                                    Opponent:

Arnemis: HP 620/620, EN 58/60 | 12 DMG | 48 MIT | 2 ACC | 1 EVA | 4 REC | 1 Fallen (0/310 HP Depleted)

Edited March 16, 2021 by Dazia

[Dazia 0]

Did things start to go better in the duel from here?

Nope, it just started going downhill once again, as if getting beaten up once wasn't bad enough.

Dazia prepared herself to defend against more of Arnemis's attacks. "Show me you can fight, I'll show you what I've got regardless if you do or not!" Her opponent called out. Dazia attempted to try and disrupt her opponent's attack by using her own...and that strategy worked just as well as the last time she used it, and by that I mean she got slammed with an Explode Catapult sword art and was sent flying several feet. Her avatar slid around in a circle, the remaining momentum spinning her as she continued to drift on the ice. "Damn it..." She muttered. This was going slightly worse than the last time, but there was still a chance to get ahead...she just had to hit more, dodge better, and miss less.

(Arnemis)ID# 185584 BD: 10(Critical! +2 Base DMG)

(Dazia)ID# 185585 BD: 3+2-1=4(miss)

Explode Catapult: 14x14-48=148 Damage Taken

 

[Turns left: 13]

Dazia: HP 472/620, EN 57/60 | 12 DMG | 48 MIT | 2 ACC | 2 EVA (148/310 HP Depleted)

                                    Opponent:

Arnemis: HP 620/620, EN 43/60 | 12 DMG | 48 MIT | 2 ACC | 1 EVA | 4 REC | 1 Fallen (0/310 HP Depleted)

 

Edited March 17, 2021 by Dazia