[F14;PP] It Doesn't Sparkle...

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Nari had always hated this floor. She'd been here a few times, over the years - in fact, she'd returned a few separate times now for the exact same quest, each time previously having to retreat when things had gone worse for the groups she'd been with. She hadn't faulted any of those she'd travelled with - things had come up, concerns which could not be ignored, no matter how much they may have wanted to push forwards. Better to remain safe, than to push yourself beyond the point of return. She'd told herself at the time. Even now she found herself repeating the ideology, a venomous tone to the thought in her mind. She hated the fact that she was stalling, that she was stuck here, day after day, with no further steps forwards. 

To: NIGHT        From: Nari-Lanreth I know it's been some time. Need some help, from someone...reliable. Floor 14, hunting Lilith. Consider it vengeance.

 

Her finger had hovered over the message for almost three minutes, after she had finished typing it. Her brow furrowed as she leaned against the wall. She hadn't wanted to reach out to the other girl. There was a history there, one that she wasn't entirely happy about - but she also knew that she had no one else to reach out to. No one who, recently, had shown their faces. No one who had been around, reliably, who could help her with the quest itself. This time...this time I'm going to bring Lilith down. I can't keep doing this. I need to finish it. To move forwards...

She knew that everyone was likely busy getting ready for the floor boss assault, and yet Nari had chosen today, of all days, to bring forward a task that was far from simple. It might not have been dangerous - not with the higher levelled woman who had cleared the Labyrinth Guardian herself, if rumours were true. That didn't mean it wasn't tedious though, time consuming during a period when time may not be as easy to find as one may desire. If she doesn't come...then I'll just do it myself, I guess. 

---

 

Statblock Spoiler notes [Theme] Nari-Lanreth | Lv. 32 | P. 47 | HP: 860/860 | EN: 100/100 | ACC: 5 | DMG: 20 | EVA: 3 | MIT: 30 | B.Healing [+47] | L.Momentum: 1 | LD: 5 | Static: 40/24 Tier 4 | Tier 8 equipped Reaper's Charge [Scythe; Tier 4 Daemonic] Enhancement: Accuracy [3 Slots] Enhancement: Static [1 Slot]  Reaper's Defence  [Light Armour; Tier 4 Perfect] Enhancement: Evasion [2 Slots] Enhancement: Light Momentum [1 Slots] Twin-Fox Bracelet [Tier 4 Perfect Jewellery] Enhancement: Recovery [2 Slots] Enhancement: Evasion [1 Slot]   battle-ready inventory Teleport Crystal {3} Starter Healing Potions {4} | Heals 50 HP Divinity's Wait {4} | Tier 2; Perfect Potion | Mitigation III Divinity's Protection {4} | Tier 3; Perfect Potion | Overhealth III Cold Brew Coffee {3} | Tier 1; Perfect Potion | HP Recovery III Percephonius Pyratius {5} | Tier 4; Perfect Potion | Damage III Ketchup Chips {3} | Tier 4; Perfect Snacks| Probiotics III Siúil a Rún {2} | Tier 3; Perfect; Masterpiece Support Song | HP Recovery III [Mass] skills Spoiler Utility Skills Extended Weight Limit [Active: Passive. Effect: +2 additional Battle-Ready inventory slots.] Searching [Rank: 5. Active: Passive. Effect: +1 LD per rank. +1 to Stealth Detection per rank.] [Rank 3 Searching Mod] Detect [Active: Passive. Effect: Grants +2 Stealth Detection. Grants +1 LD when searching for dungeons and labyrinths.] Quick Change [Active: Free Action. Effect: Allows the user to instantly equip, unequip, or swap any equipment in their battle-ready inventory.  All active and temporary buffs and conditions granted to the player by the unequipped item are immediately lost, unless the new item carries the same enhancement (e.g. Keen, Heavy Momentum, Risky, etc.).] Combat Skills Battle Healing [Rank: 5. Active: Passive. Effect: While in combat, recover 1% per rank of your maximum HP (rounded down) at the beginning of your turn.] Weapon Skills Polearm [Rank: 5. Active: Passive. Effect: +7 DMG] Dagger [Rank: 1. Active: Passive. Effect: +3 DMG] [Rank 5 Weapon Addon] Stamina [Active: Passive. Effect: Reduces EN of all attacks by 2.] [Rank 5 Weapon Addon] Precision [Active: Passive. Effect: Gain +1 ACC.] [Rank 5 Weapon Addon] <<Weapon Type>> Focus [Active: Passive. Effect: Decreases minor critical threshold by 1. Also reduces DoT thresholds by 1. Players cannot use Focus and Ferocity at the same time for the same Weapon Type.] [Rank 5 Shift] TECH Specialist [Active: Passive. Effect: For TECH Sword Arts, +4 to multipliers, +3 to EN cost. No other Shifts may be taken.] Armour Skills Light Armour [Rank: 5. Active: Passive. Effect: 30 MIT. Mitigation is capped at 2 slots.] [Light Armour Mod] Meticulous [Active: Passive. Effect: Gain +1 base Damage.] [Light Armour Add-on] Resolve [Active: Passive. Effect: Gain +1 Accuracy and +10 * Tier HP.] Active Extra Skills Concentration [Active: Free Action. Cooldown: 5 turns. Effect: As a free action, gain Absolute Accuracy on your next attack. In the case Absolute Accuracy is already present, increase your Accuracy by 1 instead. Effect lasts until the start of next turn.] Meditation [Active: Post Action. Cooldown: 3 turns. Effect: Recover an additional (4 * Tier) energy.] Parry [Active: Post action. Energy cost: 9 EN Cooldown: 3 Turns. Effect: Apply the energy cost upon proc, not activation. Reduces the final damage of the next successful attack against you by 50% (rounded down) and negates stun/paralysis effects of that attack. If hit by multiple attacks, only apply parry to the first attack against you. Parry lasts for three turns. Cooldown starts when the player activates the Skill. If the player is hit when using Parry, the cooldown is reset to 3 turns.] [Parry Mod] Vengeful Riposte [Active: Passive. Cooldown: 4 Turns. Effect: A successful Parry also returns 50% (rounded down) of the raw damage that would be dealt to you back to your opponent. The reflected damage can be mitigated by the opponent.] Survival [Active: Passive. Effect: Increases Healing effects received from all sources by 10%. Grants immunity to all damage dealing environmental attacks/effects.] Inactive Extra Skills  Assault Mode [Active: Free Action. Energy Cost: 5 EN. Cooldown: 4 Turns. Effect: As a free action, switch your accuracy and evasion values until the start of your next turn.] Brawler [Active: Free Action. Energy Cost: 5 EN. Cooldown: 5 Turns. Effect: Increase mitigation by 10*tier until the start of your next turn.] Frozen Hide [Active: Free Action. Energy Cost: 5 EN. Cooldown: 4 Turns. Effect: As a free action, apply one slot of Frost Aura and one slot of Frost Thorns equal to your tier to yourself until the start of your next turn.] Combat Mastery Damage [Rank: 3. Active: Passive. Effect: Gain +1 * Tier additional Base Damage per rank. Ranks of this Skill obey Damage enhancement caps.] Familiar Skills Protector Familiar [Active: Free Action. Cooldown: 3 Posts; Effect: The next time you would take damage, your familiar rushes to your aid, reducing the final damage by 10%.] data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== sword arts Spoiler [x12] ST-I (12 10 EN) | A single-target sword art. [x15] ST-II (15 13 EN) | A powerful single-target sword art. Only available for use when ST-I was used and successfully struck an enemy the previous turn or if ST-II had been used and had missed the previous turn. [x20] ST-B (20 18 EN) | A devastating single-target sword art. Can only be used if the sword art used the previous turn is not ST-B and had rolled a natural CD9+. When performing an AoE attack, use only the first roll. [x11] AOE-I (11 9 + 2 * targets EN) | AOE | A sword art that strikes multiple targets at once. [x14] AOE-II (14 12 + 2 * targets EN) | AOE | A powerful sword art that strikes multiple targets at once. Only available for use when AOE-I was used and successfully struck an enemy the previous turn or if AOE-II had been used and had missed the previous turn. [x16] TECH-A (16 14 EN) | STUN | A single-target sword art that stuns an enemy. [x16] TECH-B (15 13 EN) | DELAY | A single-target sword art that, on a successful strike, applies [Delay] on the enemy. [Delay] is a status condition that reduces the enemy’s ACC by 1 for one turn. [x16] TECH-C (15 13 EN) | COUNTER | A single-target sword art that, on a successful strike, places [Counter] around the player. [Counter] reduces the final damage taken by its user by 25% (rounded down) for one turn. [x16] TECH-D (15 13 EN) | SHATTER | A single-target sword art that applies [Shatter] to an enemy for 3 turns. [Shatter] is a debuff that can stack up to a cap of 3. Each stack of [Shatter] removes -20 MIT from an enemy, down to 0, if it has MIT. [x12] TECH-F (11 9 + 2 * targets EN) | AOE STUN | A sword art that strikes multiple targets at once. All struck targets are stunned for one turn. [x16] TECH-G (15 13 EN) | BURN | A single-target sword art that, on a successful strike, applies [Burn] on the enemy. [Burn] is a DoT ailment that deals [14 * Player Tier] unmitigated Burn damage for 2 turns. data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== buffs Spoiler Estate Buffs Bedroom [-1 energy cost for the first two expenditures of each combat.] Living Room [Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts.] Storage Closet [+1 Battle Ready Inventory Slot] Basement [Gain +1 to LD, Stealth Rating, Stealth Detection, or Prosperity to one post in a thread. Can be applied after a roll.] Extended Workshop [+2 Crafting EXP per crafting attempt & +1 crafting attempt per day.] Greenhouse [+2 Gathering EXP per Attempt and additional +1 LD & CD to gathering attempts.] data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==

[NIGHT 0]

<<Cull of the Dead>>

NIGHT: ok
NIGHT: where at

floor 14 was a unique floor to night. it wasn't bad. it was desolate, and ruinous, and an eyesore in a good way, but it wasn't... fantastic.

not to think about the machine having done a poor job of the floor. far from it. but in lieu of the gothic imagery, night couldn't exactly see herself fitting in well with the setting. especially with the idea of the undead and its machinations. she put on her tailored garb still, of course, because at least it made her blend in with the scenery of the floor, and it was a good excuse to step out of her track suit just – if only to swap it for a cloak and a uniform.

(lilith, lilith... the vampire? yes, the uniform would work just fine.)

she'd brought oathkeeper along as she used to in the past. something in her mind suggested that she should work on an alteration soon – night hated missing, missed the tug and push of the system, handiwork that felt almost like cardinal did want her to succeed, sometimes; grip to hold someone she trusted. today would be the test of that, again, just to make sure her intuition was right.

so, checking her interface for any further messages from nari, the player waited at the teleporter, doing her best to remain alert to her surroundings.

---

  

NIGHT |  Lv. 146 >> P. 114, Lv. 32 | status: clearing inventory. |

Spoiler notes i'm finally removing an age old item from my inventory!!!!!!!!!! NIGHT | HP: 1242/1242 | EN: 146/146 | DMG: 27 | ACC: 7 | EVA: 6 | LD: 4 | BH+HB: 122 | FLN/HLY: 16 | DOTE (3/3) | PRB: -18 DoT equipped oathkeeper. FLN (16), HLY (16) signet. ACC III, EVA regards. EVA II, HB II battle-ready inventory Teleport Crystal (5) | TELEPORT imugi's inspiration. (5) | MASS HP RECOVERY imugi's inspiration. (5) | MASS HP RECOVERY skills Spoiler mod count: 7/7 STRAIGHT SWORD | RANK 5/5 focus, stamina, precision shift: aoe CLOTH ARMOR | RANK 5/5 athletics, nimble COMBAT MASTERY: DMG | RANK 3/3 BATTLE HEALING | RANK 5/5 emergency recovery SEARCHING | RANK 3+1/5 ENERGIST QUICK CHANGE FIGHTING SPIRIT CHARGE EXTENDED MOD LIMIT HOWL focused howl extra SURVIVAL CONCENTRATION HIDING untraceable, vanish, surprise attack-t buffs Spoiler statue KUMATETSU | +1 DMG consumables Liquor of Light | DMG III Breakfast Fry | PROTEIN IIIfilled Crème Brûlée | ACC II Smores | EVA II tiger's balm. | ANTIDOTE III Beef Stew | OVERHEALTH III Resistance++ | TIER 2 PROBIOTICS III | [143036-2] paragon Lv. 5 | Gain additional col equivalent to 15% of EXP earned in that thread. Lv. 10 | +1 LD to looting. sword arts Spoiler en cost matches multiplier unless stated otherwise. shift underlined. ST | x12 -> x15 | x20 AOE | x15 -> x18 TECH-A | x12 | STUN | 13EN TECH-B | x12 | DELAY TECH-D | x12 | SHATTER TECH-G | x12 | BURN misc Spoiler housing Dimensional Backpack, Item Stash | +2 Battle-Ready Inventory Slots. Well Rested | -1 EN for the first three expenditures of each combat.  Relaxed | +(5 * Tier) HP per out-of-combat post. Full energy restoration occurs after two turns out of combat. Squeaky Clean | -25% DoT damage taken from the first DoT applied to this player in a thread. Skylight: Searching | +1 Expertise to declared utility skill. Cooldown of 30 days to reassign. Multipurpose | +1 LD/Prosperity/Stealth/Detection to one post per thread. Can be applied after a roll. Filling | +1 T1 slot to a food consumed by this player in a thread. Can exceed Cook enhancement caps. Col Deposit | +5% col from loot-minimum mobs, +10% col from treasure chests. gathering Greenhouse | +2 G.EXP, +1 CD&LD to gathering attempts. Familiar: Profession | +2 G.EXP Demeter's Cornucopia | +1 CD to gathering attempts.

 

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Nari's eyes had been straying, watching the red-cloaked fighters tangling with a woman who could, in the average terms, be considered attractive. Far from Nari's own tastes, but undeniably something that would likely attract the eyes - and in turn, the hearts - of some others, if they didn't realise who she was. Can't fault them for it, it's how the system was designed...and it works well, to an extent.

Her thoughts were interrupted as the ping of an incoming message arrived, the corresponding alert appearing in the air before her. It hadn't taken long for the reply to come, and as Nari's eyes passed over it, a flash of memories passed through her mind - messages of similar styling, simplicity in short words and acronyms. Still the same.

She brought up her hand, opening her own menu and sending a quick response, before settling back against the wall to wait. Her eyes returned to the never-changing conflict before her, no clear indication that either side would come to an advantage over the other.

To: NIGHT        From: Nari-Lanreth Just outside the city gates, on the left. Red hair, black leather. Should be semi-obvious.

Perhaps a bit brash, but...oh well. Her fingers twitched at her side, as she wondered if she should've been more welcoming in her message. She wasn't mad at the other player, but she couldn't help but feel as though her message had come across far more crass than she'd intended. Explain it later, then. For now, worry about the quest...

[NIGHT 0]

night: red hair?
night: start the quest without u?

night was down. she just wasn't so sure nari was. the only thing puzzling was the declaration of 'black leather' – because the player was sure lilith was endowed in cloth. shrugging, she took off towards the city gates instead of waiting for a response, interface out in front of her.

it was only when she got close did she send another reply.

night: oh wait

red hair? why? not that she had a say in any of this – but it kind of reminded her of some idol game that she'd seen while they were not trapped in an mmo. her strides slowed once she'd passed the walls, and tapped her aid's shoulder briefly with a non-chalant, "hey," as she walked by. there was a pre-requisite to the quest, she remembered, and just as she approached the skirmish, the cue of the red cloak's leader retaliating against their enemy spoke enough of how much time they'd have to wait to get his attention. night counted the seconds, impatient – approximately 22 – before waving to the man whose name she could not remember.

"who the hell was that," she started, absent minded and unobservant, feigning ignorance to the story... just to watch the npc react with some interest.

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Her wait hadn't lasted nearly as long as she'd been expecting. The younger player had stepped out and into view just as Nari received another notification. She barely glanced at it, opening it only to clear away the hovering icon, before stepping towards the other player. She watched as NIGHT grabbed the NPC required to start the quest, before moving towards the scene unfolding before them. Nari remained quiet, letting the girl interact with the NPC - seemingly distracted in thought and following through with what appeared to be reactionary actions. As the NPC explained the presence of Lilith, and the Red Cloaks, Nari half-stepped towards the younger player, her face remaining stoic.

"Thanks. I was considering heading out on this alone, but...I figured someone would get mad at me. Which meant I needed to call the strongest player I knew." She kept her voice calm and void of any sort of emotion, speaking nothing more than a fact. Her eyes remained on the distance, eyeing the keep that they would need to head to once the conversation with the NPC had completed. She'd been there a few times before, never really making it past the ghouls that had appeared. "It's good to see you again."

As soon as the words had left her mouth, Nari took off towards the keep. She pulled up her menu as she went, equipping her scythe and giving it a few test swings around herself - as much to keep others at arms length as to get the feeling right in her hand. She called out to NIGHT as she walked, not looking back. "I've never actually finished this one...although I've started it a few times. Focus on the Red Ones that appear first, and ignore the constructs? Or would you rather I focus on holding any constructs that may appear at bay?"

[NIGHT 0]

"was that supposed to be a compliment?"

night's gaze immediately bounced towards nari, paying no attention to the ramblings of their quest lead about the castle beyond. there would be the undead, the machines, and then maybe the succubus – it was a long fight and trek, and the player simply couldn't remember all the steps of the quest. shifting to her inbox to revisit the details, night glanced back up at the acknowledgement of her presence.

"likewise."

it took her but a minute for her to realize, too, that her aide was doing the same to her. like an npc. her eyes narrowed to a slit, following along.

ahead, her companion was brandishing her scythe. night eyed it, remembering the events back in braso a little while ago, reinforced the notion that she could handle it and more. but the lack of true recognition danced lazily in front of her face.

she set aside the threat of being hit on accident, and strolled up beside nari, trying to catch her eyes. "doesn't matter. better the red cloaks, i think. i'm expecting a round of constructs to spawn – i'm not betting on achieving record time to skip them – so preventing numbers further than that is ideal enough for me."

"what's up with picking up this quest all of a sudden, anyway?"

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Nari cocked her head as she considered her answer to her companion's most recent question. She'd tried this quest numerous times before without success, but that hadn't stopped her from continuing to return, time and again. She doubted any answer she gave would be absolutely perfect - not that it mattered, in the end - but she still felt like a snap response wouldn't be giving enough credit to the questioner in this regard. After a few seconds, with a soft shrug, she gave a simple but truthful response. "I guess...it's because I can't sit idle, and don't wnat to do just nothing. There needs to be a purpose, maybe? An accomplishment? Something more than just grinding for the sake of grinding...and quests give that reason. As to why this quest, out of all the others...well, I'm a tech specialist. This is the only tech skill I haven't collected yet - so it just made sense to finally close out that whole situation."

It was far from a poetic answer, but Nari knew that it was as honest as she could be. She'd focused on obtaining the tech skills in order to make herself a better combatant, as soon as she'd learnt about them. Something about their effects had called to her in a way that she couldn't quite describe, as if they'd always been the styling she needed in her fight. Whatever the reason, her main purpose for being here was to finally collect the one that had stood just outside her grasp - a skill that would give her further autonomy when it came to being able to cross Aincrad. A way to not need anyone else to be there...that way I don't have to rely on them, should something happen.

She nodded to the open area just beyond the gates of the keep as they passed into it, ignoring the crawling Red Cloaks that seemed to appear from beneath the rubble itself. Giving her scythe a quick twirl, she breathed deeply before stepping towards a group of them, letting her scythe swing out and around to strike all four in a wide arc. "Alright...let's see just how quickly you can finish these off, because I'm only going to be so useful here."

---

Nari-Lanreth| Lv. 32 | P. 47 | HP: 860/860 | EN: 83/100 | ACC: 5 | DMG: 20 | EVA: 3 | MIT: 30 | B.Healing [+47] | L.Momentum: 1 | LD: 5 | Static: 40/24 | -17 EN
NIGHT| HP: 1242/1242 | EN: 146/146 | DMG: 27 | ACC: 7 | EVA: 6 | LD: 4 | BH+HB: 122 | FLN/HLY: 16 | DOTE (3/3) | PRB: -18 DoT

[1,0]Red Cloaked Revenant 1 | HP: 811/1000 | DMG: 150 | MIT: 75 | Paralytic Immunity
[1,0]Red Cloaked Revenant 2 | HP: 811/1000 | DMG: 150 | MIT: 75 | Paralytic Immunity
[2,0]Red Cloaked Revenant 3 | HP: 823/1000 | DMG: 150 | MIT: 75 | Paralytic Immunity
[1,0]Red Cloaked Revenant 4 | HP: 811/1000 | DMG: 150 | MIT: 75 | Paralytic Immunity
Undead | The Holy enhancement is twice as effective against this mob. Vampiric (Offensive and Defensive) enhancements are only half as effective in combat with this mob.
Activate! | This mob will passively seek to engage the <<Ancient Mechanical Constructs>>. When a Red Cloaked Revenant attacks, use the CD value from that roll to determine how much to increase the activation score of an Ancient Mechanical Construct. CD:1-6: +5 Activation Score, CD:7-12: +10 Activation Score.  When the total activation score reaches 30, one of the Ancient Mechanical Constructs enters the fray.  Additional constructs will activate at each multiple of 30 until all Red Cloaked Revenants are dead.
Unrelenting Swarm | Red Cloaked Revenants will replace their fallen allies immediately after they are defeated. This will continue until all of them have been dispatched. 

ID215281 | BD: 4+5=9 | <<Tech-F vs. Red Cloaked Revenant 1>> | Hit: 20 x 12 - 75 + 24 [Static] = 189 damage
ID215282 | BD: 6+5=11 | <<Tech-F vs. Red Cloaked Revenant 1>> | Hit: 20 x 12 - 75 + 24 [Static] = 189 damage
ID215283 | BD: 9+5=14 | <<Tech-F vs. Red Cloaked Revenant 1>> | Minor Critical Hit: [20+1] x 12 - 75 = 177 damage
ID215284 | BD: 5+5=10 | <<Tech-F vs. Red Cloaked Revenant 1>> | Hit: 20 x 12 - 75 + 24 [Static] = 189 damage

[NIGHT 0]

"is that all?"

poetic or not, it was the type of answer night would expect from any player worth their salt. if she kept herself tight-lipped, it was also due to the fact that she hadn't completed the quest herself, either – not for lack of trying, of course. she'd heard wonderful things about the art locked away behind it, but ultimately, night knew she didn't need it to survive, so it hadn't exactly been of high priority.

for nari's specialization, however, it mattered more.

they passed into the keep, and night placed her hand on the hilt of her sword just as the dead started to rise. her ally moved first, and quick – with all four targets marked in red gashes, it was easy to tell where she should hit. night wondered if she should rescind her remark on breaking these in record time, after dulling out oathkeeper's judgement. each time her arm swung, a distant clatter of chimes would sing; perhaps the sword was feeling better from being recovered already.

the player withdrew with a stumble, a couple of steps upon her heels, offering the floor to nari with a gestured hand. "nothing's more useful than getting the last hit in."

---

Spoiler

^{disclaimer: my brain is so small. roll #215336 is for revenant 1 and roll #215337 is using aoe-i on revenant 2.}

> POST ACTION: CHARGE | AOE-I

ID215336 | bd6+5-1=10 | -> Red Cloaked Revenant #1
ID215337 | bd2+5-1=6 | -> Red Cloaked Revenant #2
ID215338 | bd9-1 = 8 | -> Red Cloaked Revenant #3
ID215339 | bd9-1 = 8 | -> Red Cloaked Revenant #4

(27+3) * 15 = 450 DMG
(27+16+3) * 15 = 690 DMG
(27+16+3+2) * 15 = 720 DMG

450 - 75 = 375 DMG
690 - 75 = 615 DMG
720 - 75 = 645 DMG

15 + 8 - 2 - 1 = 20 EN

---

Nari-Lanreth | HP: 860/860 | EN: 83/100 | ACC: 5 | DMG: 20 | EVA: 3 | MIT: 30 | B.Healing [+47] | L.Momentum: 1 | LD: 5 | Static: 40/24 | -17 EN
NIGHT | HP: 1242/1242 | EN: 126/146 | DMG: 27 | ACC: 7 | EVA: 6 | LD: 4 | BH+HB: 122 | FLN/HLY: 16 | DOTE (3/3) | PRB: -18 DoT

[1,0] Red Cloaked Revenant 1 | HP: 196/1000 (-615) | DMG: 150 | MIT: 75 | Paralytic Immunity | STUNNED
[1,0] Red Cloaked Revenant 2 | HP: 448/1000 (-375) | DMG: 150 | MIT: 75 | Paralytic Immunity | STUNNED
[2,3] Red Cloaked Revenant 3 | HP: 178/1000 (-645) | DMG: 150 | MIT: 75 | Paralytic Immunity | STUNNED
[1,3] Red Cloaked Revenant 4 | HP: 166/1000 (-645) | DMG: 150 | MIT: 75 | Paralytic Immunity | STUNNED

 

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

She had to fight off the urge to give any response to the obvious jest in her direction, realising that it was nothing more than the usually bluffing attitude. Still, she felt irked at the commentary, a realisation that she was being too honest perhaps. Instead, she turned her attention towards the fight, knowing that it would require the utmost of their attention. The soft whistling sound that escaped her as she danced between the red cloaked undead fighters seemed to change pitch as she went, as if calling the creature's towards her. 

As NIGHT slammed her own attacks into the undead, Nari noticed an opening that the girl had left. Even as the other was offering the option of the final hit to her, Nari was moving towards the creatures, lashing out with the scythe in small, controlled arcs as she forced one of them away from the others. Off-handedly, she lashed out backwards with her scythe, catching the trio and causing two to explode into shards, leaving herself and NIGHT facing down the final two undead.

"Think you can finish these two off? This is...much easier than last time." She remembered the last time she was here, with Koga. It had been far more difficult then, with the two of them struggling to bring down the undead horrors that had appeared - much less the constructs that had yet to make an appearance. "This...may actually be the furthest I've ever gone with this quest. I'm honestly not sure what to expect beyond defeating these things, do you have any ideas?"

---

Nari-Lanreth| Lv. 32 | P. 47 | HP: 860/860 | EN: 72/100 | ACC: 5 | DMG: 20 | EVA: 3 | MIT: 30 | B.Healing [+47] | L.Momentum: 1 | LD: 5 | Static: 40/24 | +4 EN -15 EN
NIGHT| HP: 1242/1242 | EN: 126/146 | DMG: 27 | ACC: 7 | EVA: 6 | LD: 4 | BH+HB: 122 | FLN/HLY: 16 | DOTE (3/3) | PRB: -18 DoT

[1,1]Red Cloaked Revenant 1 | HP: 7/1000 | DMG: 150 | MIT: 75 | Paralytic Immunity
[2,1]Red Cloaked Revenant 2 | HP: 217/1000 | DMG: 150 | MIT: 75 | Paralytic Immunity
[4,3]Red Cloaked Revenant 3 | HP: 0/1000 | DMG: 150 | MIT: 75 | Paralytic Immunity
[1,3]Red Cloaked Revenant 4 | HP: 112/1000 | DMG: 150 | MIT: 75 | Paralytic Immunity
Undead | The Holy enhancement is twice as effective against this mob. Vampiric (Offensive and Defensive) enhancements are only half as effective in combat with this mob.
Activate! | This mob will passively seek to engage the <<Ancient Mechanical Constructs>>. When a Red Cloaked Revenant attacks, use the CD value from that roll to determine how much to increase the activation score of an Ancient Mechanical Construct. CD:1-6: +5 Activation Score, CD:7-12: +10 Activation Score.  When the total activation score reaches 30, one of the Ancient Mechanical Constructs enters the fray.  Additional constructs will activate at each multiple of 30 until all Red Cloaked Revenants are dead.
Unrelenting Swarm | Red Cloaked Revenants will replace their fallen allies immediately after they are defeated. This will continue until all of them have been dispatched. 

ID215516 | BD: 4+5=9 | <<Tech-F vs. Red Cloaked Revenant 1>> | Hit: 20 x 12 - 75 + 24 [Static] = 189 damage
ID215517 | BD: 3+5=8 | <<Tech-F vs. Red Cloaked Revenant 2>> | Hit: 20 x 12 - 75 + 24 [Static] = 189 damage
ID215518 | BD: 10+5=15 | <<Tech-F vs. Red Cloaked Revenant 3>> | Major Critical Hit: [20+2] x 12 - 75 = 189 damage
ID215519 | BD: 1+5=6 | <<Tech-F vs. Red Cloaked Revenant 4>> | Critical Miss | Static: 24 damage

Spoiler

Looting
ID215520 | LD: 6+5=11 | CD: 8 | Results: 7,000 col, Rare Trinket (1)
ID215521 | LD: 2+5=7 | CD: 8 | Results: 7,000 col,  Rare Trinket (1), Additional Col (1,000)

Totals
Col: 15,000
Rare Trinket (2)

 

[NIGHT 0]

"uh," night started, hand to the back of her neck. did she? the two undead were finished off unceremoniously, once nari had passed the draw of the blade over to her. blue gashes opened up where red cloth once stood, and then they were no more. the player was more preoccupied with trying to recall what happened the last time she was present. she totally completed the quest, of course, that's how she knew.

"... sword in the stone, maybe?"

okay, not quite. night winced as she was lost in thought. whatever she said felt approximately right. even snapping her fingers wasn't helping so much.

"look, what if i retrace my steps inside the keep--"

she lead them further, passing across the familiar junction she'd remembered the constructs collapsing over. a multitude of doors marking out rooms along a corridor stood before her. night could barely remember.

so instead, she turned to nari with a shrug. "one of these rooms. not sure which one, but there's a weapon inside it... or other." the player raised oathkeeper slightly. "looks kind of... religious? holy? bright? in the way the only thing that could beat it in terms of appearances is my own arm."

Spoiler

> POST ACTION: AOE-II

ID215734 | bd8+7 = 15 | -> Red Cloak Revenant #1
ID215522 | bd2+7 = 9 | -> Red Cloak Revenant #2
ID215523 | bd5+7 = 12 | -> Red Cloak Revenant #4

27 x 18 = 486 DMG
(27+16) x 18 = 774 DMG

486 - 75 = 411 DMG
774 - 75 = 699 DMG

18+6-2-1-4 = 17 EN

---

Nari-Lanreth | HP: 860/860 | EN: 72/100 | ACC: 5 | DMG: 20 | EVA: 3 | MIT: 30 | B.Healing [+47] | L.Momentum: 1 | LD: 5 | Static: 40/24 | +4 EN -15 EN
NIGHT | HP: 1242/1242 | EN: 109/146 | DMG: 27 | ACC: 7 | EVA: 6 | LD: 4 | BH+HB: 122 | FLN/HLY: 16 | DOTE (3/3) | PRB: -18 DoT

[2,1]Red Cloaked Revenant #1 | HP: 7/1000 | DMG: 150 | MIT: 75 | Paralytic Immunity
[2,1]Red Cloaked Revenant #2 | HP: 217/1000 | DMG: 150 | MIT: 75 | Paralytic Immunity
[1,3]Red Cloaked Revenant #4 | HP: 112/1000 | DMG: 150 | MIT: 75 | Paralytic Immunity

 

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

NIGHT had dispatched the last two with ease, leaving the two women alone to explore the keep further. Nari traced a path behind her, glancing around as they moved beyond the region that she had entered numerous times previous. She was surprised to find what was essentially a hallway with an expanse of further doorways to choose from, each one closed and hiding whatever was behind it. As NIGHT declared that she was, in an expression of words, unsure of where to go from here - beyond knowing that the holy weapon was beyond one of the doors - Nari moved to the closest one. Opening it, she found herself staring into a dark void - an expanse of open darkness that likely came from the lack of any light source within the room itself. Closing the door, she shook her head, mumbling as she did so. "Nope. Not this one."

She moved to the next door, pulling it open and finding herself face to face with two more of the Red Cloaked undead. Stumbling backwards in response, Nari lashed out with a half-hearted strike towards the two creatures in reaction. She stepped back into the hallway as her scythe struggled to move, her hand having to slide up the shaft in an entirely uncomfortable way to even allow the weapon any space to shift around, let alone properly strike anything near her.

"Guess we weren't as done as we may have thought..." She gestured to the two new creatures, moving back to give NIGHT the space she required to step in. "Care to do the favours again? I know it's a bit cramped, but I'm sure you're used to working in cramped spaces."

---

Nari-Lanreth| Lv. 32 | P. 47 | HP: 860/860 | EN: 74/100 | ACC: 5 | DMG: 20 | EVA: 3 | MIT: 30 | B.Healing [+47] | L.Momentum: 1 | LD: 5 | Static: 40/24 | +4 EN -13 EN
NIGHT| HP: 1242/1242 | EN: 126/146 | DMG: 27 | ACC: 7 | EVA: 6 | LD: 4 | BH+HB: 122 | FLN/HLY: 16 | DOTE (3/3) | PRB: -18 DoT

[1,0]Red Cloaked Revenant 1 | HP: 823/1000 | DMG: 150 | MIT: 75 | Paralytic Immunity | Static [40; 0/2] | Stunned 
[1,0]Red Cloaked Revenant 2 | HP: 811/1000 | DMG: 150 | MIT: 75 | Paralytic Immunity | Stunned 
Undead | The Holy enhancement is twice as effective against this mob. Vampiric (Offensive and Defensive) enhancements are only half as effective in combat with this mob.
Activate! | This mob will passively seek to engage the <<Ancient Mechanical Constructs>>. When a Red Cloaked Revenant attacks, use the CD value from that roll to determine how much to increase the activation score of an Ancient Mechanical Construct. CD:1-6: +5 Activation Score, CD:7-12: +10 Activation Score.  When the total activation score reaches 30, one of the Ancient Mechanical Constructs enters the fray.  Additional constructs will activate at each multiple of 30 until all Red Cloaked Revenants are dead.
Unrelenting Swarm | Red Cloaked Revenants will replace their fallen allies immediately after they are defeated. This will continue until all of them have been dispatched. 

ID215633 | BD: 9+5=14 | <<Tech-F vs. Red Cloaked Revenant 1>> | Minor Critical Hit: (20+1) x 12 - 75 = 177 damage | Static [40; 0/2] | Stunned 
ID215634 | BD: 5+5=10 | <<Tech-F vs. Red Cloaked Revenant 2>> | Hit: 20 x 12 - 75 + 24 [Static] = 189 damage | Stunned 

[NIGHT 0]

"i--"

first of all, night hadn't expected the ambush. the last time she was present, all enemies came right at them in a single filed line. but noticing the room interiors being devoid of a lamp-sword and filled with monsters instead, she bit her tongue. recovered her words once again after she'd took point ahead of nari, filling in the space that her party member had left open for night's charge in. "what does that even mean?"

she wasn't going to wait for an explanation. with the tip of her sword pointed right between the shambling cloaks' ribs, she drove it through the queued duo and shoved them back into the room. darkness, again – which made what demonic energies her promise had decided to leak invisible, but it bought night enough time to pace about in her positioning and kick over a defunct lamp.

despite its state, the room seemed to light up from this interaction.

"think there's ample space within." night beckoned her companion in with a wave. "they're nearly wasted. you can afford the close quarters."

Spoiler

> POST ACTION: AOE-I

ID215731 | bd7+7 = 14 | -> Red Cloaked Revenant #5 (or 1)
ID215732 | bd6+7 = 13 | -> Red Cloaked Revenant #6 (or 2)

(27+16) * 15 = 645 DMG

645 - 75 = 570 DMG

15+4-2-1-4 = 12 EN

---

Nari-Lanreth | HP: 860/860 | EN: 74/100 | ACC: 5 | DMG: 20 | EVA: 3 | MIT: 30 | B.Healing [+47] | L.Momentum: 1 | LD: 5 | Static: 40/24 | -17 EN
NIGHT | HP: 1242/1242 | EN: 97/146 | DMG: 27 | ACC: 7 | EVA: 6 | LD: 4 | BH+HB: 122 | FLN/HLY: 16 | DOTE (3/3) | PRB: -18 DoT

[1,0] Red Cloaked Revenant 1 | HP: 253/1000 | DMG: 150 | MIT: 75 | Paralytic Immunity | Static [40; 0/2] | Stunned 
[1,0] Red Cloaked Revenant 2 | HP: 241/1000 | DMG: 150 | MIT: 75 | Paralytic Immunity | Stunned 

 

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

NIGHT had managed to push the creatures backwards, before offering Nari the chance to finish the two off. She glanced at the other girl with a sceptical look, but stepped forwards without any commentary. She figured there was just enough space to allow her to use her scythe, albeit a bit awkwardly. She focused on the two undead creatures, her voice calm as she stepped up but continued speaking to NIGHT as though nothing of interest was going on. "What does what even mean?"

She gave a quick twirl with her scythe at hand, letting the shaft slide gently through her hands as she went - just far enough that it should make contact with the two creatures. The movement was basic, but Nari had practised it time and time again, until she had nearly perfected the motion and control.

Her strike managed to connect with the two, but to her own annoyance they failed to explode into the shards that would signify their final demise. Instead, they turned to look at Nari with what appeared to be confused, hungry expressions. She waved a hand in the air, sighing heavily."Well, I tried..." 

---

Nari-Lanreth| Lv. 32 | P. 47 | HP: 860/860 | EN: 65/100 | ACC: 5 | DMG: 20 | EVA: 3 | MIT: 30 | B.Healing [+47] | L.Momentum: 1 | LD: 5 | Static: 40/24 | +4 EN -13 EN
NIGHT| HP: 1242/1242 | EN: 97/146 | DMG: 27 | ACC: 7 | EVA: 6 | LD: 4 | BH+HB: 122 | FLN/HLY: 16 | DOTE (3/3) | PRB: -18 DoT

[2,1]Red Cloaked Revenant 1 | HP: 36/1000 | DMG: 150 | MIT: 75 | Paralytic Immunity | Static [40; 1/2] | Stunned 
[2,1]Red Cloaked Revenant 2 | HP: 52/1000 | DMG: 150 | MIT: 75 | Paralytic Immunity | Stunned
Undead | The Holy enhancement is twice as effective against this mob. Vampiric (Offensive and Defensive) enhancements are only half as effective in combat with this mob.
Activate! | This mob will passively seek to engage the <<Ancient Mechanical Constructs>>. When a Red Cloaked Revenant attacks, use the CD value from that roll to determine how much to increase the activation score of an Ancient Mechanical Construct. CD:1-6: +5 Activation Score, CD:7-12: +10 Activation Score.  When the total activation score reaches 30, one of the Ancient Mechanical Constructs enters the fray.  Additional constructs will activate at each multiple of 30 until all Red Cloaked Revenants are dead.
Unrelenting Swarm | Red Cloaked Revenants will replace their fallen allies immediately after they are defeated. This will continue until all of them have been dispatched. 

ID215744 | BD: 9+5=14 | <<Tech-F vs. Red Cloaked Revenant 1>> | Minor Critical Hit: (20+1) x 12 - 75 = 177 damage | Static [40; 0/2]
ID215745 | BD: 5+5=10 | <<Tech-F vs. Red Cloaked Revenant 2>> | Hit: 20 x 12 - 75 + 24 [Static] = 189 damage

[NIGHT 0]

she clicked her tongue. night had assumed the damage from nari would've been able to finish them off, but the skeletons seemed more tenacious than initially expected. she channeled that frustration into two rapid strikes – both diagonal, one upwards then down, that shattered the two would-be bodies into nothing but thin air. vapid – perhaps that's why they lost interest in the quest a long while ago, presuming the corpses and the uncompromising sword to be all that it had to offer.

now she had to try her best to recall what nari had said to her.

"you said something earlier... cramped spaces...? ... nevermind."

in the fuss to rid themselves of the undead, she'd already forgotten about her confusion. night chased her thoughts off with a wave, more pre-occupied with finding that ceremonious sword and seeing where else it would take them.

she stepped out of the room, looking about the corridor. a few doors remained unopened within their immediate vicinity, and night hoped she didn't have to travel too far. she gestured to nari a few doors lined on the opposite wall. "i'll take these. i'll holler if i find the sword, or anything else of note. might be best for you to take the ones along this one – " she gestured to the room behind her, " – seeing as you already opened a few on this side."

the player took two steps ahead, before turning to nari in recollection – if she still had her scythe out, night would gesture to it, hoping to catch her companion's attention. "hey – what's on that weapon, anyway? enhancements wise, i mean. the sword might have something a little different."

Spoiler

> POST ACTION: AOE-I

ID216077 | bd8+7 = 15 | -> Red Cloaked Revenant #5
ID216078 | bd8+7 = 15 | -> Red Cloaked Revenant #6

(27+1+16) * 15 = 660 DMG

660 - 75 = 585 DMG

15+4-2-4 = 13 EN

---

Nari-Lanreth | HP: 860/860 | EN: 74/100 | ACC: 5 | DMG: 20 | EVA: 3 | MIT: 30 | B.Healing [+47] | L.Momentum: 1 | LD: 5 | Static: 40/24 | -17 EN
NIGHT | HP: 1242/1242 | EN: 84/146 | DMG: 27 | ACC: 7 | EVA: 6 | LD: 4 | BH+HB: 122 | FLN/HLY: 16 | DOTE (3/3) | PRB: -18 DoT

[2,1] Red Cloaked Revenant #1 | HP: 36/1000 | DMG: 150 | MIT: 75 | Paralytic Immunity | Static [40; 1/2] | Stunned 
[2,1] Red Cloaked Revenant #2 | HP: 52/1000 | DMG: 150 | MIT: 75 | Paralytic Immunity | Stunned

 

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

The two undead were slashed apart before Nari's eyes, leaving her standing in the cold, empty area with just NIGHT and a bit of silence. Somehow, the area felt less welcoming without the undead, as if there was something in the air. Cocking her head, she mumbled to herself as she tried to remember what her comment had been about, before simply shrugging. "No idea...cramped spaces might've been...something. But I've honestly forgotten where I was going with that. If I remember, I'll let you know."

She stepped back into the hallway, glancing at the other doors and nodding as NIGHT suggested divvying them up between the two of them. Her eyes turned to her scythe at the question about the enhancements on it, lifting the weapon slightly into the light as if to show it off more. "Three foci on accuracy, and a single enhancement with static. Probably underwhelming compared to a lot of other weapons, but it fit me..."

She made her way towards the first door beyond where they had found the undead, opening it and taking a quick glance inside before moving on to the next. She continued to do so, moving from one door on her side of the hallway even as she continued speaking. "It's not nearly as flashy as some of the other pieces out there, but...what does the sword come with, anyways?"

She opened another door, sighing as she spotted what was clearly a sword settled atop of dais of some sort, held in a skeleton hand that had long ago rotted away. The sword itself seemed in perfect condition, as if unaffected by time. Nari stepped back out into the hallway, raising a hand and calling out to NIGHT. "I think I found it. Sword, in the hand of a skeleton. Wreathed in golden flames and screaming 'hey I'm important!' sort of thing?"

[NIGHT 0]

there was a lot to consider with a weapon balanced for its accuracy. night considered this, as she blazed through door after door. her investigation was careless, untactful – if she didn't catch a glimpse of light once the room's entry was open, she'd leave immediately. between the echoes of the hall, and the noise they were making, it was a wonder there weren't any sleeping corpses to be roused about – or that night could even hear nari above the chaos.

but night took her shot in the dark to know better. "a slot of holy, probably," she guessed, and then placed her faith in false hope. "maybe some accuracy, too? i wasn't the one holding the sword, so i wouldn't know."

nari found it first, and that left night to play catch up with her companion. a quick jog over and she'd peer into the room her team mate was standing at the entrance of. whatever nari had described was a lot fancier in presentation than she'd initially expected, because night had found it anti-climatically – this was less so. at least a skeleton was handing it over to them.

the sword looked about right, so night hummed affirmingly and entered the room, strolling up next to the blade. she thought about what had once happened on her previous attempt, and when she drew a blank, she gestured to it casually with an open palm.

"cool. so we'll take this back and sell it for col and rinse and repeat this quest until we get tired of it. then we finish the quest for the sword art." night looked at nari blankly. "that's how this works, right? you first. my wallet's full."

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Nari rolled her eyes at NIGHT's suggestion, shaking her head even as she answered in a calm voice. "I'm no expert, but I'm fairly certain that someone has already thought of that and caused some sort of way to stop it from happening. Besides, you can't finish the quest without the sword, and you can't restart the quest with the sword...you could maybe drop it somewhere, but I doubt selling it would work - it's a quest item, right?"

She hadn't wanted to be the one to take it, not being proficient with swords in quite some time, but NIGHT left little to the imagination with her movements and hesitation. Reaching out, she took the thing, a flash of light causing her to squint as the weapon reformed into something similar to her scythe - not quite the same, but close enough that it could be considered a copy.

"Weaker...Holy...Burn...Blessed?" She eyed the description, before sighing aloud. She had no doubts that she would need the weapon for whatever was to come - but for now she had no reason to change from her current armament. "Alright, we have the pretty scythe-sword, now what?"

She glanced up at her mini-map, noticing a new marker on it. "Seems we've got a new location. Maybe it's a lovely beach side residence, and we can go for a relaxing day on the beach with whomever we're supposed to meet there."

Her tone and expression were deadpan as she spoke, before turning away and heading back out the keep and towards the roadway that would lead them to wherever the quest was taking them now - pausing only to make sure that NIGHT was alongside her. "Do you...ever get tired of it all?"

---

Obtained Sanctified Sword (T4 Demonic Scythe | Holy 2 | Burn | Blessed)

[NIGHT 0]

the knuckle of her index went up to her mouth. night had been entirely unserious, of course, but watching nari consider her proposal seemed a little hilarious, even if it did carry the intended effect of offloading the sword to her. it quickly transformed into a scythe in her hands – a mystical show that had the player tilting her head at, and almost made her want to retract her previous efforts of handing over the item to nari.

a brief bout of thought, and her companion's serious argument about not being able to sell quest items suddenly made sense, so she dropped her intent of taking it back.

"blessed?" night echoed afterwards. parts of her memory were coming back now, though there was little more to fill in the gaps. they'd notice the new destination, and so night was on her way out towards it, shrugging off the comment about the beach home. if she wanted one, night would've purchased her housing there.

but –

"Do you...ever get tired of it all?"

– that was a query that caught the player off guard, all of a sudden.

night turned to look at nari, just as they were shuffling out of the keep. a hand went to her hip, but her eyes remained neutral more than the hostility her pose might've suggested. "tired? of what all?" the player gestured vaguely to the outskirts they were passing by. "all this? i suppose. on the fourteenth, things get difficult to take in real fast if black white and red is all you see for an extended period of time."

her eyes narrowed slightly afterwards. "but if you mean aincrad... yeah. i guess i do. that's why it's important to take breaks every once in a while. even if it seems as though you're vacationing a lot, it's worth it to pause every now and then."

night was sincere in her words. but once she'd concluded her feedback, her original motive – pure curiosity rising out of concern – finally spilled from the tip of her tongue.

"why do you ask?"

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

She'd come to a stop alongside NIGHT as the girl gave her a response - one that she hadn't entirely expected. She had to admit, she'd expected to be brushed off, or told another joke, but there was an honesty in the response. The question was, in a sense, turned back towards her as NIGHT tried to figure out why she'd brought the subject up. 

"You've been doing this a lot longer than I have, and it seems...every once in a while I wonder why we bother. We've been here for...a time that I can't even really remember. I know it's easy to look at a calendar, but somehow that doesn't feel real. It just seems like eventually you'd get tired of doing this. Waking up every day, fighting something because there's the possibility of ending all of this to return to..." She paused then, her expression taking on an almost concerned look. She knew what she wanted to say, knew that it was blunt and honest, but also knew that it was entirely opinionated. That it wouldn't be the same for everyone. "...well, I guess some people have things to return to, in the real world. Although so much time has passed, do we even know what we'd be returning to? It won't be the same world we left. People will have grown, some may have even grown away from us..."

She didn't like that thought. For herself, she had little to worry about in that regard. She'd been an outsider, away from people, with little to drag her back to the real world aside from a desire to be free of Aincrad. She was aware, however, that not everyone had the same opinions, the same reservations. Some people had things to get back to, people they wanted to see, a life they wanted to return to, beyond Aincrad.

"I guess...I was just wondering if we're fighting a pointless battle." Her final comment was soft, quiet. As if she didn't really want to say it aloud, but couldn't hold the words back.

[NIGHT 0]

maybe it was something about the fourteenth that got people thinking like this, night noted. the black and the reds, she would blame, casting her gaze aside as she'd listened to nari speak. things were changing on the outside, just as much or more than within their realm. and the player contemplated on if she should reach out to grab one of nari's shoulder, but failed to follow through.

"we don't know if it's pointless," night responded, turning to face her. "not until we get to that final floor to verify the administrator's words, i mean." and then she started walking again, casual – almost as though the conversation didn't faze her.

(it did, in the way she'd argued with koga a series of months ago. night bit on the side of her tongue as she held that memory in mind.)

the castle, their destination, was up ahead. night had assumed nari was following along, looking over her shoulder to verify if she wasn't beside her. "i'm one of those people," night admitted. "the 'someone with something to return to'. and it isn't about the people who have grown and moved on or away from us. the truth is that the person i'm doing this for is for me."

"i..." she kept her gaze to the distance as she continued, daring not to look at her companion as she spoke. "i think i deserve to live my old life rather than be locked away in here by someone else. this isn't a defiance against the admins. and don't misunderstand me – it's reasonable to think our slow progression won't get us out of here some day, and that it's not worth the fight at all. but..."

night's words finally hung in the air, as her eyes lingered on nari, only torn away if her ally had looked back.

"... i'm selfish. and i don't want to be in here, even if it takes us forever to get out of here. that's all."