[PP-F5]«Blood in the Sand» Familiar Faces

[ErinVyce 0]

It had been far to long now, she hadn't fought a single boss on her own yet and thankfully she never had to try. To this day she still was worried about being slain in battle and little to nothing was going to help mitigate that fear. Recently though she had heard of word of a creature that were traveling in the dunes of floor five and was still uncertain if going off to fight it alone was the best option. As she strolled forward she began to notice the mission marker a little ways up ahead of her. She sighed, and pulled up her menu now dialing through the various buttons on the menu till she pulled up her friends list and tapped the button as a mark to Ebony that she was in search of aid for fighting this next foe. "No way am I going to risk that again. Not after what happened when I tried to fight with Avalanche." She was still grateful to that stranger who had came to her aid.

[Ebony 0]

To: ErinVyce

From: EbonyRose

Subject: Boss Help

Hey Erin. Sorry, but im a bit busy atm. Im about to go on a really high level quest with another player. If you want help, message a woman named Manta Gaul. Shes an OP DPS and will be able to take care of any boss you can think of.

Sorry again,

Ebony

[ErinVyce 0]

Erin blinked as she read through the message she received and frowned sadly as she hadn't met this friend of her before, but either way this was someone who aided her and she didn't feel that she would be led astray by her. She slid the message away and pulled up her the compose new message and began to type in the user name which finished completing as soon as she put in Manta. "Oh I guess she must be well known by the majority of SAO players if she is that easily found. So,"

Quote

To: Manta Gaul

From: ErinVyce

Subject: Pardon?

Hello, there I was told that I could request help from you if I wanted help against a boss. I'm right now trying to complete the Blood in the Sand Quest and think that I might be in over my head. Oh yeah, Ebony told me about you and said that I should shoot you a message.

 

[Amira 0]

Manta looked up from the skill guide she had been reading when her HUD made a beep noise to signify a new message. She glanced it over, all set to head out and help even before reading the part about how Erin had been referred to her by Ebony. Granted, she wouldn't have been surprised if the other player had just been asking out of the blue. She had been getting a good number of requests lately, and her reputation for helping people with quests and mat hunts seemed to be spreading.

She stood up and pushed her chair in, paying the bill for her coffee before exiting the café she had been hanging out at. She paused outside the door and sent the player a message.

To: ErinVyce

From: Manta Gaul

Subject: Pardon?

No problem. I'd love to help out. I'll meet you by the edge of the safe zone around Armadillo if your ready to do it now.

She tapped out before making her way to the teleport, calling out Armadillo. A few moments later she appeared at the teleport. Even if Erin wasn't ready to do the quest just yet, Manta could always do a repeat of Butcher of the Sands or something similar while she waited.

[ErinVyce 0]

Sitting about in the sand Erin began to wonder if she was now being held up, she would be surprised she never kept her in life promises to people as all the video game ones were more important to her. Perhaps this Manta person was sorta the exact same thing but in reverse and permanently trapped in the game that she most despised? After sitting their a while she then noticed the teleporting gate light up and another woman came through, "Umm how am I suppose to tell who she is?" She began to walk about and call out, "Hello Manta? Is anyone out their go by that name?" She awaited a response after a while and then finished her call, "It's me ErinVyce I just sent you a message as a request for aide? Anyone?"

[Amira 0]

Manta had just arrived on the fifth floor when she heard someone calling out her name. She'd thought that she'd been quite prompt. Maybe this Erin was just a bit impatient to get going. She gave the girl a little wave. "I'm Manta. All set to help you out with the boss if your still up for it." She said, walking up to her. She remembered the last few times that she had completed this quest. It had been relatively easy for her the last time, but this time she was all set up with a unique weapon, a grandmastered weapon skill, and a couple of other items that should make this quest a piece of cake. She didn't mention any of this to the girl though, as she didn't want to make it seem like she was bragging. That was one thing she hated about being a high level. People always thought you were snooty and stuck up.

[ErinVyce 0]

As she called out she began to feel a bit distressed a a beautiful woman stepped out form the crowd, "I-I umm hello there it's a pleasure to meet you." Sheepishly now turning a bright red as she wishing that she had been as successful with her own appearances as well as armor. "I really hate to ask this of you but I'm still getting the hang of this game and was hoping if you knew much about this boss as I'm still level three are their any suggestions while we fight it that I should take into mind?" She was asking mainly as she didn't know what to say as she was already feeling a bit flustered knowing that Ebony knew this Manta and believed that she would be quite effective in her future endeavors against the boss. "Otherwise we can just head head over to it's spawn and we can kill it."

[Amira 0]

There was nothing to do but tell it to her straight. If the girl truly was level three, there was nothing Manta could say but the truth. "First off, im sincerely sorry. Im about to be blunt with you." She said, apologizing in advance. "Blood in the Sand is a quest for mid level players, and as a level three, you should never consider doing it solo, or any of the other quest bosses either." She felt terrible for so blunt, but it had to be said. Better to be blunt and hurt someone's feelings than to let me go off and die. "I can take care of it though." She said after another brief pause, doing her best not to sound arrogant. She just didn't want Erin to think that these quest bosses were easy, and then go and try to solo one before she was ready and die.

[ErinVyce 0]

Erin's cheery facade slowly drifted to a rather depressed frown realizing that she was still being just as stupid as she was earlier this game. Here she was trying to take on another boss without having called for help, well she did call for help so at least she was partially wising up on a subconscious level at least. "I-I just saw the rewards on the quest and was hoping to level up quicker," She looked down to the sand as Manta lectured her about her silly ways. "I'm sorry, I just am really hoping to end up being strong enough to help join the front line ... but I can't really do that if I'm dead. Thank you Manta for assisting me." Bowing down to the woman and then looking back over to the boss who was still stationary in his place waiting for the fight to begin. "Um so what exactly can I do to help in this fight?"

[Amira 0]

Manta felt bad for making Erin frown, but it had been necessary. "A lot of people do the same thing. Its an easy way to level up. That's how Ebony got so strong so fast. I believe she's only been an active player since a month ago." Manta explained. "Well, I don't like to say this, but you might want to just hang back. I would suggest that you stun the creature if I miss, but then you would garner some hate and the shark would focus on you. So stay back a little while I stab the shark a few times." She attempted to be as polite as possible, but felt like the way she was saying it made it sound condescending.

[ErinVyce 0]

Erin nodded her head in understanding as she was still quite weak, not really knowing how much this shark here could do. "Ok, umm I will just sit back here then and wait for you to finish it off?" She continued to walk along side Manta and gave her a rather faint smile, "No completely get it in order for me to not get in the way or worse die I need to just group up and take on these bosses with people who can carry me. I understand how games like this work. I have been carried once or twice in other ones. I-I just feel  rather useless is all and the fact that you are risking your own life for me just makes me feel a bit worse." Staring now down at the sand she would sit down at the edge of the bosses zone before asking, "I don't know how long this is going to take but I have faith in you Manta."

[Amira 0]

Manta smiled, glad that Erin understood. Hopefully this would be a quick fight. They approached the bosses spawn point, and Manta motioned with her hand for Erin to stay back. She stepped forwards, and almost instantly the boss spawned, shooting up out of the sand in front of her. She quickly unsheathed her sword, the Darkened Rapier, and activated Over Radiation, charging at the boss before starting the sword art, stabbing and twirling to keep up her momentum. She felt like she was going just a bit overboard, but it was better to be safe. When she finished the sword art, she hopped back as the Sand Shark burst into pixels. "See, no problem." She said grinning.

ID# 39483 results:

Battle: 4 (+2)=6 Hit, Fallen Damage Activated: (7(skills/base)+ 4(Fallen)+ 2(Charge)= 13 DMG x 13= 169 DMG

Craft: 4

Loot: 19 (125x5= 625 col, 1 mat)

MOB: 7 DEAD

Sand Shark: -44/125 (-169)

Manta: 113/113 EN: 14/27 (-13)

[ErinVyce 0]

She began to run her fingers through the sand, each digit making a new line just to watch as the pixels re-spawned slowly to a state that no longer has been disturbed by her actions. "This world is still so odd to me," she whispered to herself before looking back up to Manta now walking forward one hand of hers telling her to stay put. Erin just nodded in understanding her hand uneasily on the handle of her whip before seeing her prepare her sword skill technique. One strike and the Shark had evaporated into pixels that now flaked about through the air. Erin's eyed manta in awe of her ability, "I don't think I would ever be good enough to do that even when I was the right level for this. What level are you anyway?"

 

[Amira 0]

Manta turned back to Erin who was staring at her. She sheathed her rapier before answering Erin. "I'm only level twenty seven, but all of my skill points have gone into damage dealing. If I got hit it would do a lot of damage." She said in reply. "Don't worry about it though. You start to level up pretty quickly once you start trying." Manta turned to fully face Erin. "And trust me, once you start doing the boss fights and event quests, your level starts to shoot up, as well as the strength of your equipment." She unsheathed her rapier again and held it out, the black blade sucking in the light that fell on it. "This is my best item yet. It does a ton of damage." She explained.

[ErinVyce 0]

"I'm sure that someday I will be able to repay you, I just need to keep practicing my trade though as a blacksmith," frowning again as she hadn't been working to hard on that as of late either. "Umm anyway Manta I was just wondering if I could ask a huge favor that you might or might not have to do as I have been trying to figure out what to do next since you made quick work of that boss. I personally wouldn't really have been anywhere now if it wasn't for you." She then watched her unsheath the beautiful rapier being rather amazed by the sleek ebony luster of it. "I hope that I can find a whip that is a beautiful as that one of these days. It wasn't easy finding neat materials to create one's own weapon out of.

[Amira 0]

"You don't need to repay me or anything. It's not like this cost me anything." She said to Erin. She resheathed her sword, curious about the favor that Erin wanted. She didn't specify, so Manta guessed that she would just have to ask. "Sure. What do you need?" She asked. She could help out with pretty much anything as long as it didn't involve harming other players or going against her guild. And material collecting. She was terrible at that due to her build being made for one on one fighting and not for AOE attacks.

[ErinVyce 0]

As her compatriot spoke she began to muster a silly smile and a nod, she would have hugged her in joy but physical touch wasn't comfortable for her. Instead she giggled and offered a thumbs up in recognition that payment wasn't necessary. "Well thank you none the less for joining me on this adventure. "Would you be willing to help me look through a roster board for possible missions that I could get useful supplies from?" She asked yearning that she would be aided in this endeavor as she had already picked to boss fights that she shouldn't have ever planned to take solo. As well as the basic profession quest.

[Amira 0]

Manta grinned back at Erin. She had asked for one of the easiest favors that Manta could do. She knew all about the majority of the quests, having been on many multiple times. She was also glad that Erin hadn't insisted on the payment thing as that would have just made things awkward. "Of course I'd be willing to help out. I'll even help with completing the harder ones." She paused. "That is, if you want me to help." She understood that a good number of people preferred to complete their quests by themselves, for bragging rights or just that sense of accomplishment. She turned around and started to walk back to the settlement. The two of them could talk on the way.

[ErinVyce 0]

The young French girl was overjoyed that Manta was willing to take her up on the offer of acting as a new information broker of sorts about other missions and even now adding in her aide for such jobs. "That would be wonderful, I mean I really would like to learn to take care of myself at one of these points." Stopping she would frown before making note of all of this. "I guess that I just have no clue what exactly what I want to be doing yet in this world." She followed slowly beside Manta her hands now clutching either side of her arms tightly.

[Amira 0]

Manta looked over at Erin who was now walking next to her. "That's probably your biggest problem right there." She spoke up after Erin mentioned not knowing what to do in the world. "If you want to be strong you have to have a specific goal. It could be clearing the game, or saving other peoples lives, or just being the best." She paused in her speaking as they approached the settlement. "I want to save people by taking out the enemies as fast as possible. My friend Tristan wants to protect people by taking all the hits. Ebony wants to manipulate everyone so she can have control." She continued on, entering the settlement. "Just think about what you want most. It doesn't have to be selfless it could be as simple as wanting to survive."