[PP-F8] A Test of Strength | <<SotW: Ferocious Foe>>

[Morningstar 0]

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Floor Eight's forests were deep, dark, and full of danger. They arrived at night. In Morningstar's hand was a torch, small and light enough to wield alongside his sword. In a radius around the party, it lit their surroundings. It was plenty for them to see what was ahead. Etherial lacked Night Vision, and so Morningstar opted for an archaic light source instead.

A day had passed since they had met in the Town of Beginnings. The girl agreed to accompany Morningstar on his quest in spite of the peril it put her in. He saw it as bravery. Perhaps it was foolishness.

Kumatetsu was a fierce, vicious beast. It shared the appearance of a bear; however, it's sized doubled the few that Morningstar had fought and it's strength was inconceivable. Their fight would be violent, and Morningstar could not promise her safety.

Still, he was glad to have company on the strenuous journey. Brokers could tell him everything about Kumatetsu except for its coordinates. They would all repeat the same piece of advice: "Bring some water. It's going to be a long walk."

How right they were. "You okay back there?" Morningstar asked, turning. He was a short distance ahead of Etherial, so he kept a careful eye on her. They had been walking for some time and both were becoming fatigued. "We can take a break whenever you need. It's not getting any darker."

| MORNINGSTAR  | Lv. 58 >> P. 25, Lv. 33  | Status: [ bear hunting ]  Notes:  //

Hide contents Morningstar | HP: 760/760 | EN: 114/114 | DMG: 26 | MIT: 80 | EVA: 6 | ACC: 4 | BH: 41 | LD: 5 (6) | REC: 4 | FLN: 16 | AA | PAR VEN equipped Dying Sun FLN II, AA, PAR VEN Red Longcoat EVA II, REC I Sapphire ACC III, EVA I battle-ready inventory Magdalyn's Cuckoo Teleport Crystal x2 Dewdrop Salve | HP III skills   Hide contents mod count: 4/5 2HSS | RANK 5/5 precision, stamina, ferocity shift: tech CLOTH ARMOR | RANK 5/5 athletics, nimble COMBAT MASTERY: DMG | RANK 3/3 SEARCHING | RANK 4/5 (5) night vision, detect, tracking, reveal BATTLE HEALING | RANK 5/5 ENERGIST CHARGE extra SURVIVAL FORGOTTEN KING'S AUTHORITY LADY LUCK DISGUISE data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== buffs   Hide contents statue # | # consumables Imperial Quarter Blend | DMG III Mortal Instants | MIT III Smores | EVA II paragon Lv. 5 | Gain additional col equivalent to 15% of EXP earned in that thread. Lv. 10 | +1 LD to looting. data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== sword arts   Hide contents en cost matches multiplier unless stated otherwise. shift underlined. ST | x12 -> x15 | x20 AOE | x11 -> x14 TECH-A | x16 | STUN | 13EN TECH-B | x16 | DELAY TECH-D | x16 | SHATTER TECH-F | x12 | AOE STUN data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== misc/housing buffs   Hide contents Dimensional Backpack | +2 Battle-Ready Inventory Slots. Well Rested | -1 energy cost for the first three expenditures of each combat. Squeaky Clean | The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 25% (rounded down). Filling | Increase the effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 T1 slot. This can exceed normal Cook enhancement caps. Ex: A perfect T2 MIT food gives 35 MIT instead of 30. Tasty | Turn 2 identical food items (same quality, tier, & enhancements) into a Lesser Feast. A Lesser Feast contains 4 portions of the food items sacrificed. Lesser Feasts created this way cannot be used outside of the thread they are created. Limit 1 item created per thread. Relaxed | Increases out-of-combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts. Multipurpose | Gain +1 to LD, Stealth Rating, Stealth Detection, or Prosperity to one post in a thread. Can be applied after a roll. Skylight (Searching) | +1 Expertise to declared utility skill.  fishing # data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==   data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==

 

 

[Etherial 0]

It wasn't long until Etherial found a person to go on an adventure with. The thing is this adventure could last a while and she was alright with that. With that though was the next stop of this quest line. Floor 8 was known for it's deep dark woods. And to be honest she liked it. It beats deserts and mountains. The woods was nothing but nature and it felt like she was back at home strolling through the woods behind their property. The only difference is this had bigger creatures lurking in it.

The thing is this quest line isn't meant for lower level players. Instead they expect you to be well level before completing these quest. The thing is Etherial thought this would be the perfect opportunity to level up while with someone that actually witness the front lines.

"No I'm fine. But if you need to stop we can."

The two of them have been walking for a while and like he mention it's not going to get any darker. The question is. How much longer until they're at there destination? But with that she decided it was probably better if they do rest for a bit as this might be the last time they will before they encounter with whatever they're looking for.

"Actually... yeah let's go ahead and rest here."

Etherial | HP: 100/100 | EN: 28/28 | DMG: 5 | MIT: 6 | EVA: 3 | ACC: 1 | PARA

[Morningstar 0]

He nodded, stopping by a pair of small boulders. They could sit a while and refresh themselves and get back to the search when they were reenergized. He tossed Etherial a pouch of water and a protein bar. "Sorry. Out of peanut butter. Hope you like mint chocolate."

A swig of cold water was exactly what Star needed. He never realized how thirsty he was until he stopped to drink. He multitasked, keeping his torch raised while struggling to unwrap his snack. Once he'd finally gotten it, he sighed. It wasn't a flavor he particularly liked.

The air was crisp on his skin. His eyes trailed the edge of the light, and he squinted, as if hoping to glimpse what might have been on the other side. No luck. It was too dark in the woods that night. Not even the moon or stars could break through the thick canopy. He reckoned it was a sign that they were close.

He spoke between bites. "Are you aiming for the frontlines, Etherial?"

[Etherial 0]

When the two of them finally stopped for a quick break Star threw her a pouch of water and what looked like a bar. She looked at it with a little confusion on her face. But then he said something about it being Mint Chocolate. Two things she enjoys the most. When opening up the package she saw what looks like dried cereal coated with chocolate and mint chocolate chip. She looked at it once more before trying it.

Biting into it she tasted the mint instantly, putting chills down her arm and back. It was very strong but enough for her to enjoy it. Then she would open the pouch and take a swig of the cold water to wash down the bar.

"I really enjoy Mint Chocolate. And I never had one of these before but it was really good. I don't think we have this where I'm from."

She replied waiting to see what his response is. She looked at him as he scouts around the area. Noticing that it was getting really dark.

"Do you think we're close to what we're looking for?"

[Morningstar 0]

She mustn't have heard his question. He moved on. "Yeah, we should be."

Truthfully, he didn't really know. The forest was almost impossible to maneuver in the night, even for him. Torches helped some, but the deeper they traveled, the denser it got. Night vision would have been a life saver, but Etherial lacked the skill for it. The combination of night vision and light really didn't work well.

"I imagine we'll hear Kumatetsu before we see it. You know, bear noises and such."

He grabbed up his bag again. "Let's get moving. It's not all that safe to hang out here for too long," he said, more for her sake than his. He cleared the path for them, slicing through wayward branches and tall bushes. From the trees, he heard shifting. An owl dipped down from above, snatching up some sort of rodent before disappearing into the leaves once more. 

Spoiler

POST ACTION: Searching for Kumatetsu

ID234156 | ld2+5=7

> failed

 

[Etherial 0]

It was true about one thing while they were gathering there stuff. It was pretty scary in the dark in the dense woods they were in. And for the fact he did mention about them being able to hear the sounds of what they're looking for before they were able to see them was another thing. The thing is Etherial was scared. She knew she wasn't much help but was thankful enough that Star invited her through this journey. There's been many times before she thought she was going to die in the heat of battle but some how always finds a way out of it. The difference is now. She might actually die if things go wrong.

Her blank stare into the direction that Star started to move towards wasn't enough though to stop her from following. But that was it. Her legs were moving but her brain wasn't working at all. It was like she was paralyzed and someone was cursing her towards them. The only difference is she just kept following the light that Star gave off as she knew that she was heading the right way.

Spoiler

POST ACTION: Searching for Kumatetsu

Roll ID: 234157 | LD: 2 (Fail)

 

Edited September 30 by Etherial

[Morningstar 0]

Star had know idea if he was going the right way. He hacked through the twisting branches that blocked their path. Trees looked a lot more evil in the dark. He wondered if there was a way to tell the difference between a treant and a tree. How would he know if he were cutting through a living thing? He supposed they would shout, or maybe smack him, depending on their personality.

"You know, this might be the furthest I've been on this floor. It's not often I have a reason to wander around in the woods on Eight. Wonder what's out here..."

In hindsight, not an uplifting thought. Logically, he should have been worried about what was out at night in the forest. They were looking for a giant bear, for one. Rogue elves lived outside of the cities, as well. "How're you doing back there?" Star called back.

Spoiler

LD: 5+5=10

Failed.

 

[Etherial 0]

With the spooky night creeping in. Etherial wondered around in her head wondering what is out in these woods at night. The fact that she's such a low level in a floor that is way over her level she should be more worried about what's going on in the environment. The thing is... This isn't the first time she's been with Star. She had full trust with the man she met just recently to protect her if anything happens to her. At least anything up to his standards.

His comment about venturing out this far on floor eight was shocking her to. The fact a player that's in the frontlines never really venture out into the lower floors just doesn't seem right.

"Why don't you come to this floor often? Just not much things to do or is there another reason?"

The woods got even quieter. Almost to quite for the fact that the monster they're looking for is quite noisy but the only sound she heard was Star asking how she was doing. She looked over at him.

"I'm alright. I'm sure things could be better but what can you do while you're hunting a giant beast."