Oz 0 Posted August 22 Author #21 Share Posted August 22 (edited) He went to use a Sword Art, and found that it fizzled. It seemed that, while being lost in thoughts away from the task at hand, he'd run himself into a situation where he no longer had enough Energy to execute any Sword Arts which would boost his damage. It was unfortunate, but there was always the old fashioned way. He readied another knife, held it by the blade, hoisted it above his head... And missed spectacularly. He'd really underestimated the extent to which the system was guiding his actions, and aim. If he couldn't hit a single, immobile mob without the system having his back, then all of that patting himself on the back over having gotten better was nothing more than a lie he'd been telling himself. A bit deflating, but in the end, not something he hadn't had in the back of his mind the entire time. Spoiler Oz | HP: 56/60 | EN: 0/24 | DMG: 8 | MIT: 19 | ACC: 2 | LD: 8 | FB: 10 | Keen 1 | Thorns: 30 | Quality 2 | Prosperity 3 Oz uses [x1] Basic Attack vs Rotfiend 20 | -2 EN for miss Rotfiend 20 | HP: 3/54 | DMG: 12 | ID: 227729 | BD: 3, Miss | MD: 10, Critical Hit, 14-19=1 DMG to Oz Edited August 25 by Oz Link to post Share on other sites
Oz 0 Posted August 22 Author #22 Share Posted August 22 (edited) He'd try again, this time with a bit more focus fueling his actions. He couldn't let himself get trapped in an endless parade of basic attacks between him and this singular mob. The sun was still high in the sky, but he had visions of still somehow fighting the same creature deep into the night. It wasn't that the prospect of getting hurt disturbed him, he had nothing to fear from mobs so weak as this. But he was bored fighting this thing. Sword Arts made everything a little more dazzling and entertaining and, admittedly, he found the basic attacks to be droll by comparison. Just another thing Aincrad had over the real world. This time, the blade found its mark, burying itself into the stem of the mob in a direct hit. The loot menu populated and Oz hastily beat a retreat back to the pond he had visited earlier. Spoiler Oz | HP: 56/60 | EN: 0/24 | DMG: 8 | MIT: 19 | ACC: 2 | LD: 8 | FB: 10 | Keen 1 | Thorns: 30 | Quality 2 | Prosperity 3 Oz uses [x1] Basic Attack vs Rotfiend 20 | Hit, -1 EN Rotfiend 20 | HP: 0/54 | DMG: 12 | ID: 227730 | BD: 6, Hit, 8x3=24 DMG Looting Rotfiend 20 ID: 227731 | LD: 14+8=22 | CD: 7+2=9 1 Unidentified T1 Perfect Trinket acquired 2 Mats acquired 702 col acquired Edited August 25 by Oz Link to post Share on other sites
Oz 0 Posted August 22 Author #23 Share Posted August 22 (edited) Fishing was a simple pleasure, when compared to other more exciting things like slaying mobs. It wasn't glamorous, and it wasn't exciting, but it was a good opportunity to slow down and take it all in. For all its fault, the lands of Aincrad were indeed beautiful, particularly on the first floor. There was a bit of everything. Rolling hills, quaint villages, ponds and lakes, towering mountains. And that was just this floor. The rest were filled to the brim with unbelievable vistas, the sorts you could only imagine seeing on alien worlds. It would be hard to get bored of the scenery. Fishing gave Oz an opportunity to look at it all, take in the particularities he'd neglected previously in his perpetual haste to keep going and keep doing. Doing... whatever. There was always something on the plate. Always another task that required completion. Another rumor that needed chasing. Even without the quests, he'd kept himself quite busy throughout the years, and that meant that things such as noticing the small how nestled within the mountains on the far side of the floor had eluded him until now. Wonder who lived there, and what they did, day in and day out? Spoiler Fishing. ID: 227733 | CD: 7+1=8 | LD: 3+1=4 1 Mat acquired 11 Fishing EXP acquired (+2 EXP from Practiced Angler, +1 EXP from Ambition III) Total Fishing EXP: 28 Edited August 25 by Oz Link to post Share on other sites
Oz 0 Posted August 22 Author #24 Share Posted August 22 (edited) It also gave him a chance to take inventory of what was going on within his tiny sphere of influence. The minuscule things that, for better or worse, rested within his locus of control. There were a few informants he hadn't heard from in quite a while. Lots of loose ends that weren't quite easy to tie up right then and there. It was admittedly a bit stressful to think about it all, likely defeating the point of fishing entirely. But something about the soothing waves, the chirping birds, the comfortable weather, all of it melded together to clear his head and make thinking about his next steps forward and easier endeavor. However daunting they were. With a few fish caught, his eyes turned to the Energy indicator in his HUD to find that it had replenished once again. So he stowed away the fish he'd caught, as well as his fishing pole, into his inventory, and steeled himself for what may have turned out to be another disappointing venture into the fray. Spoiler Fishing. ID: 227734 | CD: 8+1=9 | LD: 1+1=2 1 Mat acquired 11 Fishing EXP acquired (+2 EXP from Practiced Angler, +1 EXP from Ambition III) Total Fishing EXP: 39 Edited August 25 by Oz Link to post Share on other sites
Oz 0 Posted August 22 Author #25 Share Posted August 22 (edited) It truly was amazing just how much more fun fighting mobs was when you had the system on your side. He charged up a Sword Art with his newly replenished Energy and let the blade fly, each and every one of them finding their mark. A couple of the plants coughed up some of their putrid bile and triggered Thorns, which prompted them to spontaneously combust. Fractal shards littered the battlefield as another loot window populated and revealed his spoils. What was he going to do with all of this stuff, anyways? If he gained too many more levels, it was likely he'd find himself outpacing the quality of his gear, anyhow. And even if he didn't, it was way more stuff than he could ever reasonably hope to equip. Seemed to be just more to fill his already cluttered home with. Maybe he would just keep it nestled away within his inventory. At least, then, he wouldn't have to grapple with the prospect of well and truly having become a hoarder. Spoiler Oz | HP: 57/60 | EN: 16/24 | DMG: 8 | MIT: 19 | ACC: 2 | LD: 8 | FB: 10 | Keen 1 | Thorns: 30 | Quality 2 | Prosperity 3 Oz uses [x3] AOE-I vs Rotfiend 22-25 | 4 hits, -8 EN (EN expenditure reduced by 1 via Well Rested House Buff) Rotfiend 22 | HP: 30/54 | DMG: 12 | ID: 227735 | BD: 6, Hit, 8x3=24 DMG | MD: 2, Miss Rotfiend 23 | HP: 0/54 | DMG: 12 | ID: 227736 | BD: 10, Critical Hit, 10x3=30 DMG + Frostbite (10 DMG/2 Turns) | MD: 6, Hit, 12-19=1 DMG to Oz, 30 Thorns to Rotfiend 23 Rotfiend 24 | HP: 0/54 | DMG: 12 | ID: 227737 | BD: 7, Hit, 8x3=24 DMG | MD: 8, Hit, 12-19=1 DMG to Oz, 30 Thorns to Rotfiend 24 Rotfiend 25 | HP: 14/54 | DMG: 12 | ID: 227738 | BD: 10, Critical Hit, 10x3=30 DMG + Frostbite (10 DMG/2 Turns) | MD: 9, Critical Hit, 13-19=1 DMG to Oz Looting Rotfiend 23 ID: 227739 | LD: 3+8=11 | CD: 10+2=12 1 Unidentified T1 Rare Armor/Shield acquired 2 Mats acquired 540 col acquired Looting Rotfiend 24 ID: 227740 | LD: 14+8=22 | CD: 11+2=13 1 Unidentified T1 Perfect Trinket acquired 2 Mats acquired 702 col acquired Edited August 25 by Oz Link to post Share on other sites
Oz 0 Posted August 22 Author #26 Share Posted August 22 (edited) Come to think of it, did he already qualify as a hoarder? His home was practically filled to the brim with useless knick-knacks and stuff, some of it belonging to him while other portions of the mess were the fault of the man who'd owned the property before him. Even then, when he'd moved in, everything had been quite a bit more neat and orderly. Everything had its place. Oz had forgotten those places long ago. For a brief moment, imagery of his house being featured on an episode of Hoarders flashed before his mind's eye. He stifled a snicker, knowing that it would almost certainly qualify. Probably not something he should have found so amusing, but he did. In real life, the guy's TV sat on top of milk crates. He owned owned only one of each dish, so as not to even allow them to pile up in his sink. This wasn't him looking ahead and mess-proofing his home, he was just the sort who'd been forced to go without due to his circumstances. Spoiler Oz | HP: 57/60 | EN: 11/24 | DMG: 8 | MIT: 19 | ACC: 2 | LD: 8 | FB: 10 | Keen 1 | Thorns: 30 | Quality 2 | Prosperity 3 Oz uses [x3] AOE-I vs Rotfiend 22, 25, 26, 27 | 3 hits, -6 EN (EN expenditure reduced by 1 via Well Rested House Buff) Rotfiend 22 | HP: 6/54 | DMG: 12 | ID: 227741 | BD: 4, Hit, 8x3=24 DMG | MD: 3, Miss Rotfiend 25 | HP: 0/54 | DMG: 12 | ID: 227742 | BD: 7, Hit, 8x3=24 DMG Rotfiend 26 | HP: 54/54 | DMG: 12 | ID: 227743 | BD: 1, Miss | MD: 2, Miss Rotfiend 27 | HP: 30/54 | DMG: 12 | ID: 227744 | BD: 8, Hit, 8x3=24 DMG | MD: 2, Miss Looting Rotfiend 25 ID: 227745 | LD: 1+8=11 | CD: 3+2=5 1 Unidentified T1 Rare Weapon acquired 1 Unidentified T1 Uncommon Consumable acquired 4 Mats acquired 324 col acquired Edited August 25 by Oz Link to post Share on other sites
Oz 0 Posted August 22 Author #27 Share Posted August 22 (edited) So as to avoid a predicament like the one he'd found himself in with the last cropping of mobs, this time Oz deigned to play it smarter and not draw more of the plants into battle once he saw that his Energy was starting to run low. If he mathed everything out correctly (unlikely, seeing as he'd never really been any good at math), he could fell the remaining goons and see himself back to that pond for one more crack at getting some more fish. Or, perhaps, additional loot, if there were any to be had from fishing. He honestly didn't know, because he hadn't been doing it for long. But he had heard through the grapevine that, sometimes, fishermen would reel in treasure chests. Sounded a bit far fetched to Oz but, seeing as anything was possible in this virtual reality, he couldn't outright write off the possibility. Spoiler Oz | HP: 57/60 | EN: 8/24 | DMG: 8 | MIT: 19 | ACC: 2 | LD: 8 | FB: 10 | Keen 1 | Thorns: 30 | Quality 2 | Prosperity 3 Oz uses [x3] AOE-I vs Rotfiend 22, 26, 27 | 2 hits, -4 EN (EN expenditure reduced by 1 via Well Rested House Buff) Rotfiend 22 | HP: 6/54 | DMG: 12 | ID: 227746 | BD: 3, Miss | MD: 3, Miss Rotfiend 26 | HP: 30/54 | DMG: 12 | ID: 227747 | BD: 4, Hit, 8x3=24 DMG | MD: 4, Miss Rotfiend 27 | HP: 6/54 | DMG: 12 | ID: 227748 | BD: 4, Hit, 8x3=24 DMG | MD: 2, Miss Edited August 25 by Oz Link to post Share on other sites
Oz 0 Posted August 22 Author #28 Share Posted August 22 (edited) He truly was starting to get better at this. All three of the remaining Rotfiends combusted in short order, leaving Oz with only two Energy remaining. One more round of combat, and it was safe to say that he may have found himself yet again cooked, forced to resort to basic attacks that were in no way supported by the system. He wondered if, for just such occasions, it would behoove him to look into a short-ranged weapon such as a sword that could more reliably hit the little assholes. He thought it would probably be harder to miss with a weapon he held firm in his grasp versus something he loosed from a range. But, who was to say for sure? He'd never actually used one. With all of the mobs he'd attracted taken care of, Oz yet again turned to return to the pond. Important work to do. Fishing, that is. Yes, important. Spoiler Oz | HP: 56/60 | EN: 2/24 | DMG: 8 | MIT: 19 | ACC: 2 | LD: 8 | FB: 10 | Keen 1 | Thorns: 30 | Quality 2 | Prosperity 3 Oz uses [x3] AOE-I vs Rotfiend 22, 26, 27 | 3 hits, -7 EN Rotfiend 22 | HP: 0/54 | DMG: 12 | ID: 227749 | BD: 5, Hit, 8x3=24 DMG Rotfiend 26 | HP: 0/54 | DMG: 12 | ID: 227751 | BD: 3, Miss | MD: 7, Hit, 12-19=1 DMG to Oz, 30 Thorns to Rotfiend 26 Rotfiend 27 | HP: 0/54 | DMG: 12 | ID: 227750 | BD: 9, Critical Hit, 9x3=27 DMG + Frostbite (10 DMG/2 Turns) Looting Rotfiend 22 ID: 227752 | LD: 5+8=13 | CD: 8+2=10 1 Unidentified T1 Rare Armor/Shield acquired 2 Mats acquired 540 col acquired Looting Rotfiend 26 ID: 227753 | LD: 16+8=24+1 (Multipurpose House Buff) = 25 | CD: 11+2=13 1 Gleaming Scale acquired 1 Random Dungeon Map acquired 2 Mats acquired 432 col acquired Looting Rotfiend 27 ID: 227754 | LD: 5+8=13 | CD: 4+2=6 1 Unidentified T1 Rare Weapon acquired 1 Unidentified T1 Uncommon Consumable acquired 2 Mats acquired 432 col acquired Edited August 25 by Oz Link to post Share on other sites
Oz 0 Posted August 22 Author #29 Share Posted August 22 (edited) His first attempt at casting his line out into the water actually managed to piss him off a bit. Not exactly the sort of emotion anyone seeks out while participating in a supposedly relaxing endeavor such as fishing. The hook had snagged something that almost seemed unmoving. Perhaps a submerged branch? At any rate, he strained his feeble muscles against the snag, pulling and reeling in vain, until... A treasure chest. "Woah," Oz remarking in awe as the vessel was dragged ashore, digging into the sand and muck which lined the pond's perimeter. It turned out the rumors had been true after all. He approached the chest with caution, undoing its clasp and slowly raising the lid. "Duh-nuh-nuh-nuhhhh," he vocalized softly to the tune of the Legend of Zelda chest opening theme as the inner contents were revealed. It was nothing particularly impressive, but it certainly was fun to fish up a chest when all he expected were, well, fish. Spoiler Fishing. ID: 227755 | CD: 10+1=11 | LD: 20+1=21 Treasure chest fished up. 19 Fishing EXP acquired (+2 EXP from Practiced Angler, +1 EXP from Ambition III) Total Fishing EXP: 58 Opening fished up treasure chest. ID: 227756 | LD: 2 2 Unidentified Rare Armors/Shields acquired 1 Unidentified Rare Trinket acquired Edited August 25 by Oz Link to post Share on other sites
Oz 0 Posted August 22 Author #30 Share Posted August 22 (edited) True to his earlier inner monologue, Oz had found great pleasure and satisfaction in having finally gotten the opportunity to open a treasure chest in Aincrad. He'd even enunciated a little jingle, though he admittedly found the practice to be a bit cringey, and so decided he probably wouldn't be doing that again. Probably. To his shock, this cast also snagged. Two treasure chests in a row? Certainly not. And so he struggled and reeled against the snag until, sure enough, another treasure chest came ashore. He opened this one to find it a bit more full of stuff, albeit nothing that really caught his eye or tantalized him. He'd stow away the contents in his inventory for now, and maybe see if they were useful later. Although one of the consumables was just disgusting - a waterlogged sandwich. He honestly couldn't see himself digging into that no matter how dire his situation got. He'd sooner die of starvation than sink his teeth into soggy bread. Spoiler Fishing. ID: 228278 | CD: 12+1=13 | LD: 14+1=15 Treasure chest fished up. 19 Fishing EXP acquired (+2 EXP from Practiced Angler, +1 EXP from Ambition III) Total Fishing EXP: 77 Opening fished up treasure chest. ID: 228279 | LD: 7 2 Unidentified Rare Weapons acquired 2 Unidentified Rare Consumables acquired Edited August 25 by Oz Link to post Share on other sites
Oz 0 Posted August 22 Author #31 Share Posted August 22 (edited) When he turned around to return to the crop of Rotfiends, he was surprised to find that they had spread. They were now so close to the pond that they could probably hit him from where they were rooted. Was this Cardinal recognizing his 'exploit' and putting more pressure on the area so as to disincentivize him from continuing along his path of killing mobs and then returning to fishing? Why? Or was this a natural consequence of the Rotfiends that had noticed him extending their influence in an effort to 'give chase?' He was sure that he hadn't garnered the attention of any more before he went to the water's edge. But that didn't mean he was correct. Reaching into his sleeve to pull out throwing knives almost seemed instinctual at this point, and he did so without a second though, fanning four in his grip and letting them loose with a Sword Art almost before he'd had time to process what was happening. Spoiler Oz | HP: 58/60 | EN: 18/24 | DMG: 8 | MIT: 19 | ACC: 2 | LD: 8 | FB: 10 | Keen 1 | Thorns: 30 | Quality 2 | Prosperity 3 Oz uses [x3] AOE-I vs Rotfiend 28-31 | 2 hits, -4 EN (EN expenditure reduced by 1 via Well Rested House Buff) Rotfiend 28 | HP: 24/54 | DMG: 12 | ID: 227761 | BD: 1, Miss | MD: 7, Hit, 12-19=1 DMG to Oz, 30 Thorns to Rotfiend 28 Rotfiend 29 | HP: 54/54 | DMG: 12 | ID: 227762 | BD: 2, Miss | MD: 1, Miss Rotfiend 30 | HP: 0/54 | DMG: 12 | ID: 227763 | BD: 10, Critical Hit, 10x3=30 DMG + Frostbite (10 DMG/2 Turns) | MD: 6, Hit, 12-19=1 DMG to Oz, 30 Thorns to Rotfiend 30 Rotfiend 31 | HP: 30/54 | DMG: 12 | ID: 227764 | BD: 7, Hit, 8x3=24 DMG | MD: 1, Miss Looting Rotfiend 30 ID: 227765 | LD: 13+8=21 | CD: 5+2=7 1 Unidentified T1 Perfect Armor/Shield acquired 2 Unidentified T1 Perfect Consumables acquired 4 Mats acquired 324 col acquired Edited August 25 by Oz Link to post Share on other sites
Oz 0 Posted August 22 Author #32 Share Posted August 22 (edited) How did he never run out knives, anyways? In most games you would have a finite quantity that you could toss out before you ran dry and had to resort to other methods. In Aincrad, they just seemed to populate almost as though by will. It wasn't that Oz was complaining, just that he found it odd. Was there a mechanic that he was missing? It would really suck to be in the middle of combat one day and find that he was suddenly out of ammo. Especially if he kept missing like this. The fact that the plants were so much closer to him this time when compared to previous instance had spooked him a bit, and even with the system guiding his actions, he was simply being too hasty to hit anything reliably. One attack after the next, and both had failed to hit more than half of his targets a far cry from the performance he'd boasted earlier. Spoiler Oz | HP: 57/60 | EN: 15/24 | DMG: 8 | MIT: 19 | ACC: 2 | LD: 8 | FB: 10 | Keen 1 | Thorns: 30 | Quality 2 | Prosperity 3 Oz uses [x3] AOE-I vs Rotfiend 28-31 | 2 hits, -4 EN (EN expenditure reduced by 1 via Well Rested House Buff) Rotfiend 28 | HP: 0/54 | DMG: 12 | ID: 227766 | BD: 8, Hit, 8x3=24 DMG Rotfiend 29 | HP: 54/54 | DMG: 12 | ID: 227767 | BD: 2, Miss | MD: 4, Miss Rotfiend 31 | HP: 0/54 | DMG: 12 | ID: 227768 | BD: 5, Hit, 8x3=24 DMG | MD: 6, Hit, 12-19=1 DMG to Oz, 30 Thorns to Rotfiend 31 Rotfiend 32 | HP: 54/54 | DMG: 12 | ID: 227769 | BD: 3, Miss | MD: 4, Miss Looting Rotfiend 28 ID: 227770 | LD: 13+8=21 | CD: 5+2=7 1 Unidentified T1 Perfect Armor/Shield acquired 2 Unidentified T1 Perfect Consumables acquired 4 Mats acquired 324 col acquired Looting Rotfiend 31 ID: 227771 | LD: 13+8=21 | CD: 5+2=7 1 Unidentified T1 Perfect Armor/Shield acquired 2 Unidentified T1 Perfect Consumables acquired 4 Mats acquired 324 col acquired Edited August 25 by Oz Link to post Share on other sites
Oz 0 Posted August 22 Author #33 Share Posted August 22 (edited) Once again, Oz found his mind circling back to how he could possibly ever handle more threatening mobs if he managed to crawl his way out of the lower floors. These guys were nothing. They were stationary. They were no more durable than a wet paper bag. Yet, even with all the preparation he had made prior to leaving the Town of Beginnings, he just couldn't reliably take them out quickly. He could defeat them, yes, but he was concerned by just how much effort and time he had to invest into each and every kill. It was something that he tried not to worry himself with. Something he assumed just simply wouldn't apply to him. He was the sort to avoid combat, and it showed. He was never going to be a Frontliner, never going to be someone who could beat the biggest and the best. But if he couldn't beat these guys without considerable effort, what would his survivability look like on the higher floors? Spoiler Oz | HP: 55/60 | EN: 12/24 | DMG: 8 | MIT: 19 | ACC: 2 | LD: 8 | FB: 10 | Keen 1 | Thorns: 30 | Quality 2 | Prosperity 3 Oz uses [x3] AOE-I vs Rotfiend 29, 32, 33 ,34 | 2 hits, -4 EN (EN expenditure reduced by 1 via Well Rested House Buff) Rotfiend 29 | HP: 24/54 | DMG: 12 | ID: 227773 | BD: 3, Miss | MD: 8, Hit, 12-19=1 DMG to Oz, 30 Thorns to Rotfiend 29 Rotfiend 32 | HP: 30/54 | DMG: 12 | ID: 227774 | BD: 8, Hit, 8x3=24 DMG | MD: 9, Critical Hit, 13-19=1 DMG to Oz Rotfiend 33 | HP: 30/54 | DMG: 12 | ID: 227775 | BD: 8, Hit, 8x3=24 DMG | MD: 3, Miss Rotfiend 34 | HP: 54/54 | DMG: 12 | ID: 227776 | BD: 3, Miss | MD: 9, Critical Hit, 13-19=1 DMG to Oz Edited August 25 by Oz Link to post Share on other sites
Oz 0 Posted August 23 Author #34 Share Posted August 23 (edited) He didn't want to be stuck on the lower floors forever, if Aincrad were to be considered his new permanent residence. As much as the lower floors had to offer, there was so much more higher up, and he knew it. He would, eventually get tired of what meager offerings the lower floors had. He sort of already was. Ten years on the lower floors started to wear on a guy. There were times he found himself considering a vacation to the twenty-fourth floor, only to ultimately decide he couldn't justify it because the mobs there would eviscerate him with a sneeze. So what was he to do? Was the correct answer truly to engage in combat to toughen up, his ideals be damned? He wasn't likeable, so he wouldn't always be able to con other Players into helping him. The only person who seemed interested in even passively tolerating him was Kyra, and he was pretty sure she just did that as part of her job. Spoiler Oz | HP: 54/60 | EN: 6/24 | DMG: 8 | MIT: 19 | ACC: 2 | LD: 8 | FB: 10 | Keen 1 | Thorns: 30 | Quality 2 | Prosperity 3 Oz uses [x3] AOE-I vs Rotfiend 29, 32, 33 ,34 | 3 hits, -7 EN Rotfiend 29 | HP: 0/54 | DMG: 12 | ID: 227777 | BD: 9, Critical Hit, 9x3=27 DMG + Frostbite (10 DMG/2 Turns) Rotfiend 32 | HP: 30/54 | DMG: 12 | ID: 227778 | BD: 7, Hit, 8x3=24 DMG | MD: 3, Miss Rotfiend 33 | HP: 0/54 | DMG: 12 | ID: 227779 | BD: 8, Hit, 8x3=24 DMG | MD: 8, Hit, 12-19=1 DMG to Oz, 30 Thorns to Rotfiend 33 Rotfiend 34 | HP: 54/54 | DMG: 12 | ID: 227780 | BD: 2, Miss | MD: 1, Miss Looting Rotfiend 29 ID: 227781 | LD: 8+8=16 | CD: 7+2=9 1 Unidentified T1 Rare Trinket acquired 2 Mats acquired 594 col acquired Looting Rotfiend 33 ID: 227782 | LD: 13+8=21 | CD: 12+2=14 1 Unidentified T1 Perfect Trinket acquired 2 Mats acquired 702 col acquired Edited August 25 by Oz Link to post Share on other sites
Oz 0 Posted August 23 Author #35 Share Posted August 23 (edited) It appeared he had some reflection to do. Some soul searching, as grotesque as he found the term to be. He tried not to be the sort for introspection, but he was starting to reach a juncture within Aincrad where what he'd been doing simply wasn't good enough anymore. He was going to want to spread his wings. He was going to want to explore those higher floors. And now that he'd gotten a taste for what measured success in combat could look like, as reluctant as he was to admit it, the appeal was growing on him. Not on this round of combat, though. Jesus. There were only two Rotfiends left, and he'd managed to miss the both of them. Maybe he didn't need introspection. Maybe all he needed to do was mind his business on the lower floors and bide his time until it was all ever. If it even would ever be over. Spoiler Oz | HP: 53/60 | EN: 5/24 | DMG: 8 | MIT: 19 | ACC: 2 | LD: 8 | FB: 10 | Keen 1 | Thorns: 30 | Quality 2 | Prosperity 3 Oz uses [x3] AOE-I vs Rotfiend 32, 34 | 0 hits, -2 EN for miss Rotfiend 32 | HP: 30/54 | DMG: 12 | ID: 227938 | BD: 1, Miss | MD: 9, Critical Hit, 13-19=1 DMG to Oz Rotfiend 34 | HP: 54/54 | DMG: 12 | ID: 227939 | BD: 1, Miss | MD: 5, Miss Edited August 25 by Oz Link to post Share on other sites
Oz 0 Posted August 24 Author #36 Share Posted August 24 (edited) The thought had occurred to him in the past that, as the numbers on the Frontlines began to thin, Players on the lower floors may be called upon. Floor Raids were hosting increasingly difficult bosses and, inevitably, more and more people were going to die. Those who wanted to be on the Frontlines had already more or less committed themselves to do it. The rest of the Players seemed content to bide their time and focus on other things more amenable to their temperaments, much like Oz had. So what happened if the numbers on the Frontlines whittled away to a volume untenable to game completion? In that instance, he could only presume that they would start taking the next able-bodied people by force and making them get to to speed so they could be placed in front of floor bosses. And if Oz wanted to avoid what he surmised to be this inevitable fate, he had to find a way to straddle the line between the lowest level he could possibly have, and one that could still carry him through at least some of the higher floors. Spoiler Oz | HP: 52/60 | EN: 3/24 | DMG: 8 | MIT: 19 | ACC: 2 | LD: 8 | FB: 10 | Keen 1 | Thorns: 30 | Quality 2 | Prosperity 3 Oz uses [x3] AOE-I vs Rotfiend 32, 34 | 1 hit, -3 EN Rotfiend 32 | HP: 30/54 | DMG: 12 | ID: 228187 | BD: 3, Miss | MD: 3, Miss Rotfiend 34 | HP: 30/54 | DMG: 12 | ID: 228188 | BD: 5, Hit, 8x3=24 DMG | MD: 9, Critical Hit, 13-19=1 DMG to Oz Edited August 25 by Oz Link to post Share on other sites
Oz 0 Posted August 24 Author #37 Share Posted August 24 (edited) And there it was. He was out of Energy. Again. And facing down a final Rotfiend with what appeared to be just over half health, given its still green coloration. If he was correct, and he rarely was, he had a hunch that this thing would simply implode the moment it made contact with his Thorns. So if he was to take the situation seriously, his best bet at this point was to simply stop trying to attack altogether. It wasn't worth the Energy expenditure, and he could expect the mob to kill itself before he ever even had the Energy built back up to do anything meaningful to it anyhow. If he bided his time long enough and the mob hadn't killed itself, well, perhaps he would have regained enough Energy to dispatch it himself. But he predicted that the former would happen before the latter. Such was the bizarre state of combat in Aincrad. Spoiler Oz | HP: 52/60 | EN: 0/24 | DMG: 8 | MIT: 19 | ACC: 2 | LD: 8 | FB: 10 | Keen 1 | Thorns: 30 | Quality 2 | Prosperity 3 Oz uses [x4] ST-I vs Rotfiend 32, hit, -4 EN Rotfiend 32 | HP: 0/54 | DMG: 12 | ID: 228191 | BD: 10, Critical Hit, 10x3=30 DMG + Frostbite (10 DMG/2 Turns) Rotfiend 34 | HP: 30/54 | DMG: 12 | ID: 228192 | BD: x | MD: 5, Miss Looting Rotfiend 32 ID: 228201 | LD: 15+8=23 | CD: 8+2=10 1 Unidentified T1 Perfect Consumable acquired 2 Mats acquired 756 col acquired Edited August 25 by Oz Link to post Share on other sites
Oz 0 Posted August 24 Author #38 Share Posted August 24 (edited) The sun was starting to get a bit lower in the sky, and so Oz committed himself to this being the final mob he would slay for the day. Maybe get another attempt at fishing in before called it for the evening. A simple pleasure, a small way to unwind after having dealt with these putrid plants all day. He was absolutely covered, head to toe, in their awful bile. He couldn't even imagine how he smelled. He had all but become nose blind to it at this point, as a consequence of having been dowsed in it all day. Not that he usually smelled better without plant bile covering him, though. He was sure that the traces of tea leaf smoke and alcohol lingered upon him to any unfortunate enough to find themselves within his bubble. Or, worse, he within theirs. Not to fret, the system had handy ways of eliminating all the grime and setting him right before he stank up his house. Spoiler Oz | HP: 51/60 | EN: 1/24 | DMG: 8 | MIT: 19 | ACC: 2 | LD: 8 | FB: 10 | Keen 1 | Thorns: 30 | Quality 2 | Prosperity 3 Oz takes no action. Rotfiend 34 | HP: 30/54 | DMG: 12 | ID: 228202 | BD: x | MD: 10, Critical Hit, 14-19=1 DMG to Oz Edited August 25 by Oz Link to post Share on other sites
Oz 0 Posted August 24 Author #39 Share Posted August 24 (edited) Ah, there it was. The long awaited self-combustion of a mob too stupid to realize that hitting Oz would only hurt itself. It fell, and in the wake of its untimely death, a loot window populated with a rare trinket. Brilliant. More stuff he'd never use. But with that done, there were no longer any of the plants sitting around the pond to bother him. He surmised that he must have been spotted by one of them whilst trying to flee during his last scrape with the buggers, and so that explained away why they had encroached upon his spot. Still, to be safe, this time he wouldn't leave anything up to chance. He meandered around the water's edge to the other side of the pond, for away from where the putrid plants resided, and decided to set himself up there for the last fishing of the evening. The sky was now painted tangerine, heralding the end of one day and the ushering in of a new night. As usual, Oz didn't want to be around for that. Spoiler Oz | HP: 50/60 | EN: 1/24 | DMG: 8 | MIT: 19 | ACC: 2 | LD: 8 | FB: 10 | Keen 1 | Thorns: 30 | Quality 2 | Prosperity 3 Oz takes no action. Rotfiend 34 | HP: 0/54 | DMG: 12 | ID: 228203 | BD: x | MD: 7, Hit, 12-19=1 DMG to Oz, 30 Thorns to Rotfiend 34 Looting Rotfiend 34 ID: 228203 | LD: 3+8=11 | CD: 2+2=4 1 Unidentified T1 Rare Trinket acquired 2 Mats acquired 432 col acquired Edited August 25 by Oz Link to post Share on other sites
Oz 0 Posted August 24 Author #40 Share Posted August 24 (edited) As the horizon cradled the sun, and Oz had time to reflect on the day's events, he realized he hadn't even thought of Evangeline and her stupid lack of training for most of the day. His efforts to blot out that part of his experience by way of fighting silly plants and plying his fisherman trade had paid off. And it had made him drowsy, to boot. He yawned as he cast out his line, eyes steady on the sun as its base began to slip out of view past the mountains that encircled the first floor. He had a lot of time to figure this stuff out. He didn't need to have all the answers right away. But this was stuff that he was going to have to start thinking about. Plans he was going to need to make with regard to how to navigate through the floors. But all of that thinking could simply wait for another day. Spoiler Fishing. ID: 228205 | CD: 10+1=11 | LD: 4+1=5 1 Mat acquired 11 Fishing EXP acquired (+2 EXP from Practiced Angler, +1 EXP from Ambition III) Total Fishing EXP: 88 - - - Thread Complete. Quest Rewards: - 300 EXP - Alchemist Profession - Access to custom Alchemist Shop - 1 T1 Uncommon HP Recovery Salve [ID: 227184] - 5 Mats Looted Rewards: - 75 Mats - 16,902 col - 3 Unidentified T1 Uncommon Consumable [IDs: 227732B, 227745B, 227754B] - 2 Unidentified T1 Rare Consumables [IDs: 227137A, 227584A] - 3 Unidentified T1 Rare Weapons [IDs: 227732A, 227745A, 227754A] - 6 Unidentified T1 Rare Armor/Shields [IDs: 227137B, 227584B, 227724, 227725, 227739, 227752] - 12 Unidentified T1 Rare Trinkets [IDs: 227092, 227100, 227154, 227319A, 227583, 227701, 227705B, 227717, 227718, 227719, 227781, 228203] - 11 Unidentified T1 Perfect Consumables [IDs: 227101A, 227101B, 227585, 227705A, 227765B, 227765C, 227770B, 227770C, 227771B, 227771C, 228201] - 4 Unidentified T1 Perfect Weapons [IDs: 227318B, 227318C, 227703B, 227703C] - 9 Unidentified T1 Perfect Armor/Shields [IDs: 227101C, 227101D, 227318A, 227319B, 227319C, 227703A, 227765A, 227770A, 227771A] - 3 Unidentified T1 Perfect Trinkets [IDs: 227731, 227740, 227782] - 2 Gleaming Scales [ID: 227702A, 227753A] - 2 Random Dungeon Maps [IDs: 227702B, 227753B] Fished Up Rewards: - 4 Mats - 2 Unidentified T1 Rare Consumables [IDs: 228279C, 228279D] - 2 Unidentified T1 Rare Weapons [IDs: 228279A, 228279B] - 2 Unidentified T1 Rare Armor/Shields [IDs: 227756A, 227756B] - 1 Unidentified T1 Rare Trinket [IDs: 227756C] Thread Rewards: - 800 col - 682 EXP | (6828 words / 10 = 682.8 = 682) * (Tier = 1) * (Player Factor = 1) = 682 Totals for Economy Dashboard: - 1080 EXP (682 + 300 = 982 + 10% = 1080.2) - 84 Mats - 17,702 col - 2 Gleaming Scales Edited August 25 by Oz Link to post Share on other sites
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