[SP-F6] <<The Gemini>> A Dreamer, Just Like You

[Them 0]

In the vast <<Jungle Expanse>> which surrounded the settlement of Krycim, the day was like any other besides the peculiar presence of Cleo, who stood at the edge of the safe zone. To seek out a fight was hardly her forte, the exact opposite, in fact, but she meant to challenge herself with a string of increasingly difficult and dangerous daily goals. On the first day, she sought a fight with a school of <<Boarlets>> on the first floor. On the second, a score of <<Goblins>> on the second floor and a single <<Dire Wolf>> on the fourth floor. On the dawn of the third day, she'd skipped a couple of levels, teleporting to the sixth floor instead. It was a familiar one to her, if only due to an unpleasant encounter in the past, but her reasons for being there were pragmatic, not marred by petty discomforts. The rewards of the venture would far exceed the risk. Plus, equipped with an array of potions, the threat of death was made minuscule.

Dwarfing the player, a behemoth of a venus fly trap with tentacle-like vines for legs stood before her. The <<Man-Eating Plant>>'s body swayed to and fro as the weight of its head dragged its center of gravity all over the place, an orange cursor floating in place above. It would be her most frightening foe yet, a fair challenge, and an appropriate test of her new dagger, the <<Obsidian Stylet>>.

 

Them | HP: 180/180 | EN: 36/36 | DMG: 13 | MIT: 5 | ACC: 1
Man-Eating Plant | HP: 108/108 | DMG: 36

 

Stats and Equipment:

Spoiler

Them
Level 9 | HP 180/180 | EN 36/36 | DMG: 13 (1 Base + 7 Dagger + 2 Ferocity + 3 Enhancement) | MIT: 5 (5 Cloth Armor) | ACC: 1 (1 Precision) | EVA: 0 | LD: 3 (3 Trinket)

Equipment:

• Obsidian Stylet (T1 - Perfect - Dagger) [Damage III]
• Leather Duster (Vanity - Overall)
• music box. (T1 - Perfect - Trinket) (Loot Die III)

Consumables:

• (3) Starter Healing Potions (Heals 50 HP)

Skills:

• Dagger R5 - (30 SP)
  • Stamina - (4 SP)
  • Precision - (2 SP)
  • Ferocity - (4 SP)
• Cloth Armor R1 - (4 SP)
• Meditation

 

Edited March 2, 2022 by Them

[Them 0]

The man-eater's size distracted Cleo from the obvious that it was a low-level mob beside the main settlement on the sixth floor. A vine whipped her way when the floral foe took notice, and, gasping, she lurched back, avoiding its tentacle's damage by an inch. She put a foot back to catch herself from falling and, targetting the <<Man-Eating Plant>>, readied an attack. Nimble feet carried her forward as the peak of the Obsidian Stylet shone a brilliant purple and, with ease, penetrated the fibers of the mob's body. It gave an alien cry and tumbled, head limp, before shattering to nothingness.

Feeling relief at conquering her most powerful foe yet, the player breathed a content sigh. The loot screen popped up, which she stared at confusedly, being the first time she'd been eligible to get loot from slaying a mob. "Huh, Col? Why?" The dots connected that it was a reward for killing, and a somewhat lightbulb moment for Cleo. She reasoned that must be how some players had so much money, enough to buy those luxurious houses in the Town of Beginnings. If she'd gotten close to seven hundred for a lowly plant, how much must the top players be getting for killing far greater adversaries?

Another <<Man-Eating Plant>> phased into existence a little way down the path.

 

Spoiler

 

Them | HP: 180/180| EN: 36/36 | DMG: 13 | MIT: 5 | ACC: 1
Man-Eating Plant | HP: 108/108 | DMG: 36

ID: 204427 | BD: 7+1 (Hit!) ST-I vs Man-Eating Plant

• 'Them' hits!
  • 12 * 13 = 156 DMG!

Them | HP: 180/180| EN: 26/36 (-10) | DMG: 13 | MIT: 5 | ACC: 1
Man-Eating Plant | HP: -48/108 | DMG: 36
Man-Eating Plant 2 | HP: 108/108 | DMG: 36

Looting

ID: 204429 | LD: 2 + 3 = 5 (Nothing!) | CD: 4

+ 756 Col (108 * 7 HP)

 

 

Edited March 18, 2022 by Them

[Them 0]

The foe was turned around this time, making it easy for her to get close without gaining its attention. Some 20-feet from the target, Cleo readied yet another attack, eyes focusing on the <<Man-Eating Plant>>. By the time the floral monolith knew what was happening, it was already too late, the gaping wound in its mid-section a symptom of its health falling to zero. She hummed in surprise, graced with another rewards window with different loot than before. The system was beginning to make sense to her. "So, the rewards are random?" Musing to oneself, she hadn't heard nor seen the approach of a cloaked figure from behind. A cough from behind set off receptors in her brain, and, in a panic, she turned, reaching for her dagger.

"Pardon me," the figure spoke, the voice neither feminine nor masculine. "I've been watching you for some time now, and I'd like to issue you a challenge."

Try as she might, she couldn't see a single defining feature of the mysterious stranger from underneath their hood. The voice wasn't familiar and didn't belong to anybody she'd met in the past couple of days. The way they spoke made her feel uneasy, but she indulged them. "I see. Hope that you enjoyed the show, at least." She pursed her lips, considering their request. "What's the challenge?"

Spoiler

 

Them | HP: 180/180| EN: 26/36 | DMG: 13 | MIT: 5 | ACC: 1
Man-Eating Plant 2 | HP: 108/108 | DMG: 36

ID: 204442 | BD: 7+1 (Hit!) ST-I vs Man-Eating Plant

• 'Them' hits!
  • 12 * 13 = 156 DMG!

Them | HP: 180/180| EN: 16/36 (-10) | DMG: 13 | MIT: 5 | ACC: 1
Man-Eating Plant 2 | HP: -48/108 | DMG: 36

Looting

ID: 204443 | LD: 3 + 3 = 6 (Success!) | CD: 9

+ Unidentified T1 Rare Trinket
+ 432 Col (108 * 4 HP)
+ 4 Materials

 

 

Edited March 18, 2022 by Them

[Them 0]

"It's simple. I wish to duel you." The figure was unmoving beneath its cloak and hood, though Cleo could see the outline of their lips shuffling in the dark.

The challenge was not to Cleo's liking, and without a second of thought, she shook her head, denying the request. "Nuh-uh, not doing that. I've heard stories about duels, about people getting tricked into a fight to the death. I don't know who you are, not letting that happen." Though she wouldn't let it show, she grew uneasy from the conversation, her feet shifting uncomfortably.

As if to calm Cleo's nerves, the figure raised its hands non-threateningly. "Let me re-iterate. It would be a non-lethal duel. Upon one of us reaching one hit point, the duel will end, and both players will have their health returned to full. There's no risk of death. I can assure you that."

She still didn't entirely enjoy the proposal, but it sounded better than it had initially. "I see. Maybe... but why do you want to have a duel in the first place?"

Them | HP: 180/180| EN: 17/36 (+1) | DMG: 13 | MIT: 5 | ACC: 1

[Them 0]

Seeing that the Player was more on-board than before, the figure lowered their arms and breathed calmly, prepping to explain. "It's a simple measure of strength. I watch a lot of people, follow them on their journeys, to see how far they've come since the beginning. I promise, one duel is all I ask for, and I'll be forever out of your hair."

Weird. That was the only thing that sprung to Cleo's mind. Never mind all of the stuff about being 'watched,' but this person's purpose—an NPC, she swiftly realized—was gathering information on the players as they progressed through the game. When all was said and done, what did they intend to do with that data? Rather than ponder the question any longer, she sighed, tried to think of any reasons against saying yes, and then ultimately gave in. "Alright. One duel."

The quest window appeared before her, and she accepted.

Them | HP: 180/180| EN: 18/36 (+1) | DMG: 13 | MIT: 5 | ACC: 1

[Them 0]

Wordlessly, the hooded figure led Cleo on a winding path through the jungles of the fourth-floor, passing valleys and rivers and a jungle temple—something she might come back to at a later time. Trees began to blend as the seconds turned into minutes, and minutes into an hour, until, finally, they would come out to an opening in the forest, an area of respite. Flowers adorned the open ground, and the dense brush receded into the tree-line, creating the perfect location for a duel, which she knew was inevitable.

Their back turned, the stranger appeared to be tending to their equipment, which Cleo had taken to mean that she could do the same. Though she was a measly level nine, there were still some goodies in her possession. Key was her dagger, Obsidian Stylet, made by a smith on the twenty-seventh floor, which boasted an impressive boost to her damage. Besides that, a small musical box brought luck wherever she went. Its usefulness would be muted in this scenario, however.

Them | HP: 180/180 | EN: 36/36 (Three posts out of combat) | DMG: 13 | MIT: 5 | ACC: 1

Edited March 5, 2022 by Them

[Them 0]

Equipment in check, Cleo was feeling ready to square off against the stranger.

"I think I'm ready. Wait!" Before she had even a second to react, the stranger plunged their dagger deep into Cleo's stomach, their <<Disguise>> skill proving a helpful distraction. She was frozen in panic, half from the shock of being stabbed somewhere where it felt so real and half out of the sudden start to the fight. She watched desperately and helplessly as her health bar trickled down to nearly half after taking one hit.

As they yanked the dagger from the Player's stomach, the cloaked figure retreated across the arena to the opposite side, blade held at the ready.

"I thought that this was gonna be a fair fight!" screamed the blue-haired woman to the assailant, whose lips were tightened and concentrating on the skirmish.

"It is. Perhaps you shouldn't have your back turned during a duel?"

 

Them | HP: 180/180 | EN: 36/36 | DMG: 13 | MIT: 5 | ACC: 1
The Gemini | HP: 270/270 | DMG: 72 | MIT: 18 | ACC: 1

ID: 204701 | MD: 10+1=11 (Hit!)

| The Gemini hits!
| 72 - 5 = 67 DMG

Them | HP: 113/180 (-67) | EN: 36/36 | DMG: 13 | MIT: 5 | ACC: 1
The Gemini | HP: 270/270 | DMG: 72 | MIT: 18 | ACC: 1

Edited March 5, 2022 by Them

[Them 0]

Whoever this was, they intended to play dirty. Fair fight, my ass.

Cleo decided against waiting to be struck so freely again and, blade held similarly to the stranger, targeted her enemy with a sword art intended to stun. She ran forward, as did they, and the two made swings at each other that would miss by an arm's length each, before both stumbling to the ground in opposite directions. Fearing the stranger would seize the opportunity to strike, she scrambled to recover her weapon and back onto her, only to turn and realize they'd made the same error. "Oops."

"Mhm."

Silently, the air grew tense, and any other sounds that came from the forest were blocked out as she listened to the figure's footsteps.

The two stood, squaring off, circling one another amidst a bed of flowers. Cleo kept her wits about her, knowing that if the foe had one trick up their sleeve, they would likely have another to show off.

 

Them | HP: 113/180 | EN: 36/36 | DMG: 13 | MIT: 5 | ACC: 1
The Gemini | HP: 270/270 | DMG: 72 | MIT: 18 | ACC: 1

ID: 204701 | BD: 1 (Critical miss!) | MD: 1 (Critical miss!)
| Them misses!
| The Gemini misses!

Them | HP: 113/180 | EN: 34/36 (-2) | DMG: 13 | MIT: 5 | ACC: 1
The Gemini | HP: 270/270 | DMG: 72 | MIT: 18 | ACC: 1

Edited March 5, 2022 by Them

[Them 0]

Cleo strafed left, and the figure followed. She strafed right, and it shuffled right, too. A quirk about the figure struck Cleo as curious. If she switched the hand holding her dagger, so would they. She recalled the previous attack where they'd tried to attack each other and missed comically, and a realization dawned—it was mocking her fighting style. Not in the sense that it was making fun of her, but in that every movement she would typically make, they would copy. They had studied her movements long enough to learn how she fights, to mimic the moves she would typically make.

However, this could ultimately lead to its undoing, and Cleo knew it. She wasn't a good fighter. She knew herself to be a terrible one, a fact which she'd use to her advantage.

As she leaned in for another attack meant to stun, their daggers missed each other by mere inches, though the recovery was nowhere near as dire, and they were quick to square off against one another once more.

Them | HP: 113/180 | EN: 35/36 (+1) | DMG: 13 | MIT: 5 | ACC: 1
The Gemini | HP: 270/270 | DMG: 72 | MIT: 18 | ACC: 1

ID: 204703 | BD: 3+1=4 (Miss!) | MD: 3+1=4 (Miss!)
| Them misses!
| The Gemini misses!

Them | HP: 113/180 | EN: 33/36 (-2) | DMG: 13 | MIT: 5 | ACC: 1
The Gemini | HP: 270/270 | DMG: 72 | MIT: 18 | ACC: 1

Edited March 5, 2022 by Them

[Them 0]

If she were to win this fight, she would have to try one of two things; outsmart her enemy or roll the dice and see which one of them came out on top. Having taken a hit, Cleo was already a step behind in the fight, so rolling the dice became a risky strategy. The only option was to think outside the box.

As she and they circled one another, genius finally struck the Player.

She launched into another attack. Cleo came to a forceful stop a short way from the target and, planting a foot into a puddle, showered them with a veil of water. The figure recoiled and, with enough time to pull off a perfect execution, the stunning sword art struck the assailant square in the stomach, mimicking the attack on herself not long ago. The stun halted any possible relation, shocking the figure's muscles in place and, as Cleo retreated her dagger from the target, she pulled a smile, readying one final attack.

Them | HP: 113/180 | EN: 34/36 (+1) | DMG: 13 | MIT: 5 | ACC: 1
The Gemini | HP: 270/270 | DMG: 72 | MIT: 18 | ACC: 1

ID: 204704 | BD: 10 (Critical hit!) | TECH-A vs The Gemini
| Them hits!
| (13 + 2) * 12 - 5 = 175 DMG!
| The Gemini is stunned!

Them | HP: 113/180 | EN: 23/36 (-11) | DMG: 13 | MIT: 5 | ACC: 1
The Gemini | HP: 95/270 (-175) | DMG: 72 | MIT: 18 | ACC: 1 | Stun Protection 4/4

Edited March 5, 2022 by Them

[Them 0]

The stranger's health bar fell to one, and Cleo's last sword art rendered the duel won. In a panic, she recalled her dagger and leaned down, catching the person as they fell. "Hey, you okay?"

Though afflicted with a wound that would have killed under usual circumstances, they nodded weakly, smiling to signal nothing was amiss. "Very well done. Thank you for sparing me. It seems I'll need to be stronger yet if I'm to best you." Cleo held them as they moved to stand and let go once the stranger was on their feet. As they drank from a strange little potion that sat in their belt, the stranger appeared revitalized in a matter of seconds, and the wound disappeared. "I'll leave you be. May our paths cross some other day again." Bowing, they made way for the opening where they'd led the Player into the clearing and disappeared into the brush.

All that Cleo could do was stand there, unsure what to make of the experience. Was that it?

A quest completed window appeared before her, listing the <<Concentration>> skill as a reward.

I guess so.

 

Them | HP: 113/180 | EN: 24/36 (+1) | DMG: 13 | MIT: 5 | ACC: 1
The Gemini | HP: 95/270 | DMG: 72 | MIT: 18 | ACC: 1 | Stun Protection 4/4

ID: 204705 | BD: 10 (Critical hit!) | TECH-A vs The Gemini
| Them hits!
| (13 + 2) * 12 - 5 = 175 DMG!

Them | HP: 113/180 | EN: 13/36 (-11) | DMG: 13 | MIT: 5 | ACC: 1
The Gemini | HP: 0(1*)/270 (-175) | DMG: 72 | MIT: 18 | ACC: 1 | Stun Protection 3/4

Edited March 6, 2022 by Them

[Them 0]

Cleo found her way back to the sixth-floor settlement, managing to recount her steps after being led afar by the cloaked figure. The encounter stuck on her mind the whole way back due to just how bizarre it was and the difference in tone it'd had from other quests. It was over in a flash, but was that what the Cardinal had intended? Was it truly over, just like that? Casting a glance over each shoulder before she stepped into the safe zone once more, she cast aside the idea that there could be a part two.

In hopes of getting her mind off of everything, she visited a juice bar in the heart of <<Krycim>>. Bamboo had been strung all around the walls from which different flavors of juice flowed freely from a source upstairs, served in hollowed coconuts and little cocktail umbrellas. Cute, she thought, finding it reminiscent of a place she'd frequent on campus, in the real world.

She planted herself in the seating area that overlooked a vast jungle section, an apple-orange concoction in hand. Taking in the sights and feeling herself relax a little, she sighed. "This game can be so weird, sometimes."

Them | HP: 123/180 (+10) | EN: 14/36 (+1) | DMG: 13 | MIT: 5 | ACC: 1

[Them 0]

Two quests had now pit her against faceless strangers who, whilst eerily similar to one another, were quite obviously separate entities.

The first was Cleo's Fourth Inner Demon in <<Calming the Soul>>, an enigma who—she presumed—represented the qualities of self that she'd come to question in recent years. Words would always struggle to define those qualities, yet she rather liked one specific way of vocalising it; If the world is a jigsaw puzzle and people are the pieces, my piece isn't fitting properly. Is the problem the shape or the size of my piece, or am I trying to fit into the wrong place on the board? Long winded, yet simple enough that a five-year old had a fighting chance at understanding her. What is the game getting at?

The second was the masked stranger, her equal; the other half of <<The Gemini>>. They were tangible, unlike the Demon. A person existed beneath that hood—an NPC, but a person all the same. Everything that they did, down to the subtlest of movements, reflected everything that she did. Almost as if they were an emulation of herself, yet different on the surface. Tougher, bigger. Better?

Shaking her head in frustration, she laid back in her seat and closed her eyes, basking in the serenity of the scenery. There was nothing to it, she decided. Both of the faceless strangers were just that, strangers. Nothing more nor less.

Them | HP: 133/180 (+10) | EN: 15/36 (+1) | DMG: 13 | MIT: 5 | ACC: 1

Edited March 14, 2022 by Them

[Them 0]

Making sure to get every last drop out of the mocktail-containing coconut, the beverage finally vanished when the durability ran dry. The sight forced displeased sigh out of Cleo and, as the thought of getting another ran through her head, she stood up, staring longingly to the interior of the bar. She knew that it would have been easy to waste the rest of her Col there, basking in the sun, pretending the jungle was a luxury resort in the southern Americas, and ultimately reasoned against staying there any longer. Instead, feeling renewed by the juice, Cleo took off into the streets and back toward the gates of the settlement once again. She'd get back to what she'd been doing on that floor in the first place; fighting practice. Or rather, prowling on some unsuspecting mobs to scrounge up Col so that she'd be able to continue funding her rest-and-relaxation.

Them | HP: 143/180 (+10) | EN: 36/36 (Full Regen, Three OoC Posts) | DMG: 13 | MIT: 5 | ACC: 1

[Them 0]

It wouldn't take too long for Cleo to happen upon a group of mobs, two <<Man-Eating Plants>> blocking the path leading out and away from the settlement. A common enemy on the sixth-floor in her experience, she drew out her dagger and began to devise a strategy to tackle both targets. Cleo knew her luck to be terrible when attacking multiple targets, but she felt a tad cocky and assessed that it was worth the risk.

Rushing ahead, she targeted the pair with an arched slash and went for the stems, though a mistimed swing meant she missed both in tragic fashion. Now, open to a return attack, one of the plants lashed out with a vine, striking her clean across the chest and knocking her to the ground. Narrowly dodging a second attack by rolling to one side, she picked herself up and backed away to create some breathing room.
 

Spoiler

 

Them | HP: 180/180 | EN: 36/36 | DMG: 13 | MIT: 5 | ACC: 1
Man-Eating Plant | HP: 108/108 | DMG: 36

ID: 205950 | BD: 2+1 (Miss!) | AOE-I vs Man-Eating Plant 1 | MD: 7 (Hit!)
ID: 205951 | BD: 2+1 (Miss!) | AOE-I vs Man-Eating Plant 1 | MD: 3 (Miss!)

| 'Them' misses!
| Man-Eating Plant 1 hit: 36 - 5 = 31 DMG
| Man-Eating Plant 2 misses!

Them | HP: 149/180 | EN: 34/36 | DMG: 13 | MIT: 5 | ACC: 1
Man-Eating Plant | HP: 108/108 | DMG: 36
Man-Eating Plant 2 | HP: 108/108 | DMG: 36

 

 

Edited March 17, 2022 by Them

[Them 0]

Leaving them no time to ready another attack, Cleo immediately retaliated with another arched slash, closing the distance this time to ensure her blade met its mark. Slicing both enemies clean across the stems, the plants glowed a bright white and exploded into clouds of shards, leaving behind naught but a much more appealing loot screen this time around. Col had a decent bit of value for a beginner player such as herself, and the materials would help her train up her tailoring. Pleased with the fight's outcome, she observed her health points to assess whether or not she'd be healthy enough to continue and realized that one of them had chunked her for twenty percent of her health points. "Ouch? That's... a lot more than I was expecting. Maybe I should only take on stragglers?"

The risk seemed reasonably minimal in her eyes, and she continued along the path, hoping to come across more <<Man-Eating Plants>>.

Spoiler

 

Them | HP: 180/180 | EN: 35/36 | DMG: 13 | MIT: 5 | ACC: 1
Man-Eating Plant 1 | HP: 108/108 | DMG: 36
Man-Eating Plant 2 | HP: 108/108 | DMG: 36

ID: 206329 | BD: 10 (Critical!) | AOE-I vs Man-Eating Plant 1
ID: 206330 | BD: 8+1 (Hit!) | AOE-I vs Man-Eating Plant 2

Combat:

| 'Them' hits!
| (13 + 2) * 11 = 165 DMG vs Man-Eating Plant 1
| 13 * 11 = 143 DMG vs Man-Eating Plant 2

Them | HP: 149/180 | EN: 22/36 | DMG: 13 | MIT: 5 | ACC: 1
Man-Eating Plant 1 | HP: 0/108 | DMG: 36
Man-Eating Plant 2 | HP: 0/108 | DMG: 36

Looting:

ID: 206331 | LD: 8 + 3 = 11 | CD: 2 | Looting Man-Eating Plant 1
| (7 * 108) 756 Col
| Unidentified T1 Rare Trinket

ID: 206332 | LD: 9 + 3 = 12 | CD: 7 | Looting Man-Eating Plant 2
| 4 Materials
| (3 * 108) 324 Col
| Unidentified T1 Rare Weapon
| Unidentified T1 Uncommon Consumable

 

 

 

Edited March 17, 2022 by Them

[Them 0]

As she continued further down the path, the only mobs she found for a decent stretch were small groups. If Cleo were a higher level or perhaps had more protection than a measly single level in an armor skill, she would have taken her chances against them, but the odds sat firmly against her favor in such situations.

Eventually, she would find a lone <<Man-Eating Plant>> a little way into the jungle foliage. The fight was over before it began; a single-target sword art brought the enemy down with a lunge of her dagger, and the enemy disappeared into yet another cloud of animated shards. Was this indeed the experience that every player endured to reach such high levels? Day in and day out, the monotonous, repetitive killing of defenseless mobs? A friend, Cruscius, had told her of such exploits during one of their few encounters, himself having been an avid MMO fan in the real world. Cleo truly didn't understand the appeal.
 

Spoiler

 

Them | HP: 180/180 | EN: 23/36 | DMG: 13 | MIT: 5 | ACC: 1
Man-Eating Plant 3 | HP: 108/108 | DMG: 36

ID: 206333 | BD: 5+1 (Hit!) | ST-I vs Man-Eating Plant 3

Combat:

| 'Them' hits!
| 13 * 11 = 143 DMG vs Man-Eating Plant 3

Them | HP: 149/180 | EN: 13/36 | DMG: 13 | MIT: 5 | ACC: 1
Man-Eating Plant 3 | HP: 0/108 | DMG: 36

Looting:

ID: 206334 | LD: 7 + 3 = 10 | CD: 12 | Looting Man-Eating Plant 3
| 2 Materials
| (6 * 108) 648 Col
| Unidentified T1 Rare Trinket

 

 

Edited March 17, 2022 by Them

[Them 0]

And yet, in spite of not relishing the opportunity, she continued. The day still young, she had little else to do besides venturing out into the world to earn more loot.

Speaking of, yet another deadly plant spawned into the physical world ahead. It spotted Cleo immediately despite being a distance away and, unlike the others before it, swiveled on its tentacle-like legs rapidly toward the Player. Pressured into making an attack, she rushed to target the foe and blast out a sword art, and the blade missed its mark by mere inches. The <<Man-Eating Plant>> fared a lot better, smacking her to the ground with a whip of its vine. Though disoriented, Cleo's senses returned just in time to roll away from a tentacle that tried to hammer her head into the dirt, and through a struggle, she managed to get to her feet, her breathing unsteady. Can't keep taking hits like that!

Spoiler

 

Them | HP: 180/180 | EN: 14/36 | DMG: 13 | MIT: 5 | ACC: 1
Man-Eating Plant 4 | HP: 108/108 | DMG: 36

ID: 206335 | BD: 4+1 (Miss!) | ST-I vs Man-Eating Plant 4 | MB: 10 (Hit!)

Combat:

| 'Them' misses!
| Man-Eating Plant 4 hits: 36 - 5 = 31 DMG

Them | HP: 118/180 | EN: 12/36 | DMG: 13 | MIT: 5 | ACC: 1
Man-Eating Plant 4 | HP: 108/108 | DMG: 36

 

 

Edited March 18, 2022 by Them

[Them 0]

The fight grew ever tense. Her attempts to make an attack faltered as she lined up a sword art once more, taking care to aim the weapon correctly this time, yet still failing to connect with the target. The mob lashed out with two vines in a similar fashion, and Cleo dodged as each one slammed down from above. She started to back up and away at a standstill, and the <<Man-Eating Plant>> chased slowly, its tentacles carrying it a few feet per second.

Reminded of the time when she encountered a pair of skeletons on the fifth-floor that managed to evade every one of her attacks—and she had to rely solely on the efforts of a new friend—Cleo groaned. Not again. I can do this! The mundanity of missing grew old, and she vowed to make sure that her next attack would stick, no matter what.

Breathing steadily, she raised her arms to eye level, the dagger held out in her right hand.

Spoiler

 

Them | HP: 118/180 | EN: 13/36 | DMG: 13 | MIT: 5 | ACC: 1
Man-Eating Plant 4 | HP: 108/108 | DMG: 36

ID: 206336 | BD: 4+1 (Miss!) | ST-I vs Man-Eating Plant 4 | MB: 5 (Miss!)

Combat:

| 'Them' misses!
| Man-Eating Plant 4 misses!

Them | HP: 118/180 | EN: 11/36 | DMG: 13 | MIT: 5 | ACC: 1
Man-Eating Plant 4 | HP: 108/108 | DMG: 36

 

 

Edited March 18, 2022 by Them

[Them 0]

Finally, her sword art struck true on the third attempt, severing the <<Man-Eating Plant>>'s stem from its body. The mass of plant cells flopped to the ground lifelessly, disintegrating into shards and vanishing from the mortal realm in a flash. The loot screen appeared yet again—more Col and materials. Cleo sighed, frustrated. "Alright, I'm done. How people enjoy this sort of thing is way beyond me." Speaking to nobody besides her discontented self, she turned away, walking back the way she came along the path to <<Krycim>>. 

A successful day overall, having beaten a quest she hadn't intended to do and slain several mobs, including her first solo group kill. The sixth floor had its moments, with the vast and luscious jungles and the beautiful wildlife. Still, she began to tire of the stranger parts—the two quests, the monstrous plants, and the surprisingly high humidity cemented that, if Cleo were to visit again, it wouldn't be for a long time and not under pleasant circumstances. 

With the settlement of <<Krycim>> in view, she smiled weakly, knowing she would soon be back on the first floor.

Spoiler

 

Them | HP: 118/180 | EN: 12/36 | DMG: 13 | MIT: 5 | ACC: 1
Man-Eating Plant 4 | HP: 108/108 | DMG: 36

ID: 206337 | BD: 5+1 (Miss!) | ST-I vs Man-Eating Plant 4

Combat:

| 'Them' hits!
| 13 * 12 = 156 DMG!

Them | HP: 118/180 | EN: 2/36 | DMG: 13 | MIT: 5 | ACC: 1
Man-Eating Plant 4 | HP: 0/108 | DMG: 36

Looting:

ID: 206338 | LD: 1 + 3 = 4 | CD: 11 | Looting Man-Eating Plant 4
| (5 * 108) 540 Col
| 2 Materials

 

 

Edited March 18, 2022 by Them