[PP-F4] <<Essence of Steel>> (Kooh)

[Hikoru 0]

Hikoru appeared on the fourth floor once again, on the quest for another essence. He had done well with not needing one, but his new T3 armor had been made, but the highest he could get was a Rare quality. He didn't like that, and wanted to make it the best that it could be. He gave a small sigh and sheathed his dagger, his vanity Katana also at his side. He was doing his best to get used to the weight, so It hung there without much use, as he would just be using his dagger for this mission to get the job done. He had messaged a random lower-levelled player earlier in the day, and asked if they would be interested in being carried on this quest, as he didn't like to go alone out here. He wasn't the best at remembering the directions back home, and he hoped that they would know where they were going. He stood quietly, his hood covering his eyes and nose and waited for the player to arrive at the scene.

@Kooh

[Kooh 0]

(OOC: Since the thread where she's gone orange is still ongoing, I'd like this to take place before that, if you don't mind. So Kooh's cursor will be green.)

"Mm~?" Kooh hummed as the sound of a notification in her menus caught her attention. The blonde girl had been sitting with her back propped up against a wall, staring out of the window of her humble bedroom inside of Halcyon's Keep. Her white-haired roommate was absent, leaving her in solitude for the afternoon. While she had looked forward to an uneventful day, scrolling through her menus and pulling up her messages delivered an invitation to a quest on the fourth floor. Cocking an eyebrow, Kooh studied the sender's name for a brief moment before deciding they were a complete stranger. Still, against her better judgement, the girl swung her legs over the side of the bed and picked herself up.

Later that day, Kooh had arrived in Snowfrost in her normal casual outfit. Her black-and-white hooded cardigan left open and revealing a sandy top. A light pair of denim shorts that hugged her thighs, and black knee-high combat boots. The only addition that she had deemed necessary was a pair of black leggings that clung to her legs. The chill that ran up Kooh's spine indicated that she still very much wasn't dressed appropriately for the floor's weather, but forced herself to ignore the discomfort as she started walking.

Approaching the meeting place designated in the message, Kooh's hands rested in her pockets while her garnet eyes fell upon a single player. The hooded figure seemed to be waiting, so she only assumed it was the person named Hikoru. "Yo." Kooh called a casual greeting once she was within earshot. "Are you the one with the mystery quest invite?"

[Hikoru 0]

Hikoru heard a voice and looked up, seeing a young player, looking to be about tier 1 approach him, and this looked to be the player he messaged. He gave a nod and bowed politely. He did his best to keep his face secret, but that wouldn't mean that he shouldn't be polite. He stood and took one last look at the town, before looking towards the gates that lead to where they would be scavenging. He gave a yawn and grabbed his dagger tightly. They would be done with this in a matter of moments, he would just need to get to the area and get it done.

"Yes, i'm the one who messaged you. Now, do you plan on trying to fight this thing with me or just let me handle it? It'll be easier if I know now." He said. He would know what skills to apply and what he could do to help this player. If she wanted to give it a shot, then he would be more than welcome to let her give it a try. Although, he had a feeling that she wouldn't be able to land much of a dent to the creature. He gave a sigh and waited for the answer to see what he would need to do.

[Kooh 0]

'Straight to the point.' Kooh mentally noted, although she hardly thought of it as a bad thing. She was a bit surprised by his question, beginning to wonder what Hikoru's reason was for inviting her out here in the first place, especially if he was prepared for her not to contribute in fighting the quest's monster. The game wouldn't tell her his level or stats, so the girl could only assume that he was capable of soloing the objective without issue. She gave a small shrug in response to his question, hands still tucked into her pockets. "All yours." She replied simply, indicating that she wouldn't get in the way of his fighting. Normally, the blonde would have gone out of her way to win the player over. Going off of the assumption that he was significantly higher leveled, she could possibly gain something by him taking an interest in her. Even if her stats weren't up to par, there seemed to be plenty of players who admired ambition, her white-haired roommate included. Despite all that, Kooh felt incredibly unmotivated, even more than usual today. The allure of a strong ally and the respect of high-leveled players just didn't have the same appeal that it normally would.

[Hikoru 0]

Hikoru gave a nod as she said it would be his fight, and he gave a nod. This fight would be barely a challenge, and it wouldn't take him long to do it. He let out a small sigh and looked around. He opened up his Inventory and hovered his fingers between his two weapons. He could go dagger like he planned and finish it quickly, or he could get his Katana and work on how the blade felt to him and get used to using it. He had received a custom one from the Guild's Merchant, and it was much more light-weight than the other vanity one he had, and it felt much better in his hands. It was sleek, and much smaller but still required two hands to use correctly. He decided to use it and felt the weight rest onto his hip. He looked and saw the sheath with the black and red hilt poking out from beneath his cloak. He nodded to the girl and started to move towards the location of the Quest mob

"Let's get moving then, we have no time to waste." He said, and moved out into the snow, seemingly unaffected by the winds and cold. He felt the small hum of his Survival skill activating, and felt a blanket-like feeling around him, keeping him warm and without much worry against the cold that was to come soon enough.

[Kooh 0]

"Mm." Kooh simply agreed with a mumble and a nod, trudging ahead through the snow to follow after the man. Each time she exhaled, the air around her mouth condensed and the wind dispersed it quickly afterward. Normally, she didn't mind the cold. At least not when her physical body had the chance to adapt to the weather. Cardinal, however, would shoot the tingling sensations that equated to cold throughout her avatar's limbs and bite against her skin often, leaving her with a distaste for the fourth floor.

Despite passing up on involvement in the combat, Kooh had equipped her greaves before she had even left the shop on the eleventh floor. The lightweight metal rested over the shins of her boots, providing her with a slight boost to her damage stat. Kooh's eyes drifted over to the cloaked man as they walked, unable to see much besides the heavy clothing and hood that covered him. He didn't seem much for conversation, which didn't bother her. If anything, it just left her a bit more curious as to why he had called a random player out here. At least if he was more outgoing she could assume it was for the sake of company. Regardless of his reasoning, Kooh realized she wasn't going to figure anything out by starting at the back of the man's head.

[Hikoru 0]

Hikoru heard her agree and he trudged on. As the wind picked up and the winds got colder, he pulled his cloak closer to him. He was expecting it to be cold, but he knew that things would get colder until he defeated the Quest boss. He grit his teeth and opened his HUD, to see that they were nearby the quest area. He looked ahead, and through the wind he could see the large creature waiting for him. He gave a small chuckle and pulled up his cloak a little tighter towards him. This should be an in and out job, and it probably wouldn't take him long to do it. He turned to the girl and held his hand up.

"Stop." He said, then pointed to the monster. "I'm going in. Stay a distance away or he'll see you and attack. This'll be quick, and we can head to the tavern after this." he said, then trudged into the snow, disappearing from sight and unsheathing his Katana. The Black against the white made his blade easy to be seen, and he would be able to get a clear shot from here. He stayed low until he saw an opening, studying the creature until he recognized the creatures pattern, and waited for the oppertune moment

Hikoru entered stealth: 22+ to find

[Kooh 0]

Kooh's shoulders occasionally tensed up as the icy winds brushed against her, biting along her limbs before they died down only momentarily. She was never given more than a few seconds' reprieve before the chilled air whipped up around them again.

When Hikoru turned, the blonde stopped abruptly, her eyes traveling from his hand hovering in the air to his partially-concealed face. She listened to his instructions before giving a simple "'Kay." and a small nod in response. The girl would have liked to sit or lean against something while she waited, but the snowy plain offered her no trees or other pieces of environment that wasn't coated with snow to accommodate her. She shifted her weight, taking the man at his word that the fight would be over with quickly, again sparking the question in her mind of what she was even doing there. And once again, she shrugged it off, accepting the free experience that the man was offering up.

Her garnet eyes followed Hikoru while he turned back towards the quest target, but soon found her brows narrowing and she blinked a few times while scanning the landscape ahead of her. Resisting the urge to rub her eyes, a feeling as if her sight was failing nagged at her. The man seemingly vanished, although Kooh thought she could catch glimpses of a dark blade against the white blanket of snow.

@Hikoru

Edited June 20, 2017 by Kooh

[Hikoru 0]

Hikoru found his opening and moves quickly, attacking the Snow Beast and taking it's health out rapidly and easily. After a roar, the creature turned into nothing but pixels, and soon the storm died down. he looked and saw the essence of steel that he was looking for, and put it into his inventory quietly. Far too easy nowadays. Now he would be able to upgrade his armor and finally get it to a perfect rating. He gave a small sigh and came over to the girl, giving her a nod.

"There. If you haven't gotten the popup already, the quest is done. Come, let's get you that hot cocoa." He said as he passed by, hands in his pocket and katana in its sheath. This quest was far easier than he had expected. He was happy though, that would mean much less work for her and him, and he got his reward.

ID: 86382

BD: 2+4=6 (Disregarded due to Sneak Attack)

Hikoru used Swarm: 14x20= 266*1.15= 306 Damage to Snow Beast

Hikoru: 1315/1315 114/130

Snowbeast: 0/250

<<Essence of Steel>> Acquired

@Kooh

[Kooh 0]

The encounter--if you could even call it that--was over in an instant. The snow beast had been prowling around the desolate tundra, as if waiting for the next players who would be so bold as to attack it out in the open like this. Even so, the raven-haired man had reappeared with his blade wedged into the beast's flesh, causing it to cry out in pain before it burst into shards of light. Kooh blinked. "Well, that was quick." She muttered under her breath while she watched Hikoru reach down to obtain the item he must have been looking for. Really, why did he invite anybody out here with him? He wasn't the talkative type, and he certainly didn't need help killing off the monster.

"Hm? Oh, right." Kooh hadn't even noticed the screen hovering in front of her until the man made mention of it. She dismissed the dialogue box, surprised again that the game would even register her as contributing and awarding her experience. Still, she wouldn't be caught complaining. A small smirk grew on her lips as she gave a tiny shrug at his suggestion, and the two would soon start making their way back to town. Though she wasn't much for small talk, something pulled at her curiosity that she just couldn't seem to dismiss. "So hey, how'd you do that?" She asked, casting the player a sideways glance. "Unless my eyes were playing tricks, it looked like you just up and vanished."

[Hikoru 0]

The girl gave a nod as she noticed that the screen was there and messed with it as he passed. A few mere moments had passed before she spoke again. She wasn't really one to talk, but it was nice for the small talk that she was bringing up. He gave a small chuckle and held up a helm of his cloak, making sure that she saw it more closely. Although the fabric itself was simple in design, it still twinkled as the snowflakes melted on it, causing it to shimmer in that area for a small amount of time.

"Flowing Illusion, the cloak I wear upon my body is a factor. It has a unique effect, where if I hide near any water it makes it transparent, makes it harder to see me." He said, then lowered it. "Another thing is stealth. It's a strong mechanic in this game, and thanks to it I can attack from stealth and hit my target without them seeing me, and it makes it easier for me to take out my opponents." He said with a chuckle. He saw the town in the distance and looked for the tavern so he could start walking in the direction of it

[Kooh 0]

Kooh stared at his cloak while Hikoru held a section of it up for her to inspect. It looked like it was made out of some fantasy-material, and his explanation of how it functions practically confirmed it. "Hmm..." She mused, intrigued by the mechanic he continued on about. She hadn't seen any instances of stealth up until now, at least none that she recalled.

The pair soon found themselves back at Snowfrost, idly headed for the local tavern. Kooh was a bit surprised they weren't just parting ways here, but since the man had bothered to give her nearly free experience, it would look bad if she were to just try and ditch him. The girl pushed open the door to the tavern, looking around for half a second before moving to a table to take a seat. The girl leaned back casually in her chair, crossing her legs and enjoying the warmth that the building provided. She waited for the raven-haired player to get comfortable before she spoke up again. "So, this something you do often? Carry low levels through quests and then hang out?" She smirked with a joking tone, although she was a bit curious to hear his answer, if he took her question seriously enough to provide one.

[Hikoru 0]

Hikoru let the girl go forwards into the tavern, and he entered quietly behind her. He closed the door without a sound, only the twinkle of the door to indicate to the bartender NPC that they had arrived. He gave a nod to him, and the nod was returned, as the NPC recognized Hikoru and knew that he was a good and well paying customer. He took a seat and it was quiet a few moments. He called over one of the NPC waitresses and asked for one coffee and one hot chocolate, when the younger player asked if this was a normal thing for him. He finished his order, then turned back as he waited for his drink.

"Well, not really." He said with a small sigh. "But the only reason i'm this strong is because I had friends and other allies help me grow to the strength I am now. I decided that it was a bout time that I repaid that debt by helping players that are in the same perdicament I used to be in." He said with a sigh. The NPC arrived with the drinks and set them down, and he grabbed the mug between his gloved hands. "Besides, I brought you out on this quest and it's clear you don't have the Survival skill, so I though it'd only be fair that I help to warm you up before I go." He said, then he took a sip of his coffee.

[Kooh 0]

Kooh held another smirk at Hikoru's comment about her lack of some skill. If she recognized it correctly, she recalled Sey going on about how they needed to get her it one of these days. "Dang, it was that obvious?" She asked with a small chuckle. True, her choice of clothing for the floor was irresponsible to say the least, but she hadn't thought her feeling cold would be too noticeable.

Picking up the mug that was placed in front of her, Kooh held the drink close to her as she leaned back in her seat again, giving a small sip before determining she liked the taste. "Hmm~" She hummed again, tilting her chin up and looking towards the ceiling while she thought of ways to fill the silence that was beginning to settle between them. She had already gotten quest experience and a free drink today, two things she didn't even know she had wanted, without even having to do anything. Normally she would have been the one finding higher-level players to 'help her out' while she feigned ignorance and gratitude. Her current situation was certainly an oddity, and she found herself unsure of what to say. "You have a girlfriend or anything?" She asked, tilting her head back down with the same half-smirk on her face as she waited to gauge the man's reaction.

[Hikoru 0]

Hikoru watched her enjoy the drink with a somewhat satisfying smile. It was the exact reaction he had given for... wow, it was long ago he had given that reaction. He gave a sigh as he remembered the distant memories. He sipped his coffee quietly, waiting for the time to pass. He took another sip of his mug when she asked if he had a "girlfriend or anything." He choked on the drink and soon fell into a coughing fit, not expecting that sort of question. After he calmed down, he felt a small tinge of a blush on his cheeks and looked away.

"My last relationship... Didn't end well, so no, no I don't..." He said, avoiding any details of the painful topic. He felt his face cool off and he brought it back, looking down at his mug and taking another sip of the black liquid, finishing it. He held it to the edge of the table, where the NPC came and refilled it. He took the mug in his hands and took a sip of the newly-brewed coffee. He set it back down with a small sigh. "Dating is not needed in this game anyways, it's merely an add-on to the game to give players some sort of satisfaction..." He sighed. "But most times, relationships don't work out and people get hurt..." He looked at the mug and soon fell into his own memories for a few moments, silently just staring at the mug, reliving the painful memories he had.

[Kooh 0]

Kooh blinked in surprise when Hikoru was taken so off-guard by her question. The playful smirk was about to crawl across her face as she could detect a hint of embarrassment from him. Instead, the words that followed caused her to frown, and she wore an expression that she hoped would make it clear that she hadn't meant any harm. His mood seemed to quickly darken, and the girl mentally sighed as her teasing had clearly backfired on her. "Ah, sorry," She spoke up just as he seemed to be lost in his own thoughts. "Didn't mean to stir up any trouble."

She frowned again, this time thoughtfully, as she considered his words. "Well yeah, but isn't that all the same as in real life, too? At least, that's what I think." After another sip of her drink, the blonde tilted her chin back up to stare at the ceiling again while thinking over her next words. "Anyway, I really didn't mean anything by it. My bad, guess that was a really bad icebreaker." She offered a small smile.

[Hikoru 0]

Hikoru came back as the girl apologized for bringing the thing up. He breathed for a moment and regained somewhat his composure, still feeling a bit hollow, but held a hand up towards the girl. What she said didn't hurt, it was just something that he had... difficulty, of getting over. He gave a small sigh and shook his hand and head no towards her, not giving a smile but he could feel one mentally forming in his eyes.

"It's fine it's fine, you couldn't have known so there's no harm done. I know you didn't mean it in any malice way." He said, then he took a sip of his coffee and eyed the girl curiously. He set the mug down and stared at her for a moment. "So what about yourself? I'm sure the men must be all over you, seeing as your one of the few female players in this game." He said with a small, light chuckle. Not a lot of girls played this game compared to the guys, and the guys greatly outweighed the girls by over twice as much. He awaited her reaction and answer patiently, waiting to see what would happen.

[Kooh 0]

Thankful that she seemed to be able to smooth things over, her garnet eyes flickered over to Hikoru when he turned the question back to her. The blonde wore another smirk, also letting out a small chuckle before she answered. "Can't say that I 'have' anyone, no. But you're right, now that I think about it--there's plenty more guys running around." Not surprisingly, Kooh never had to go far to find someone willing to do this or that for her. It was convenient, and even though she wasn't interested in fighting or leveling up, she almost always had an opportunity for easy experience. In fact, her snowy-haired roommate was the first person she had encountered who pushed her or expected anything out of her.

Judging by Hikoru's combat ability, he had likely put in a lot of work to reach a high level. While she had some curiosity about the man's motivations, she decided not to delve into the topic. Instead, she finished off her drink, leaning forward to place the empty cup on the wooden table between them and folding her arms over her chest while she settled back in her chair. It was difficult to come up with something else to say, which was unusual for her. She began to wonder if she would ever even see the raven-haired player again after today. With his strength, he would certainly be a good ally to have--but what did she need allies for? As pessimism began to wash over her, Kooh put on another smile and filled the silence with more idle chatter. "So, any other exciting plans to round out your day?"

[Hikoru 0]

Hikoru gave a nod as she explained herself, which sounded fair. You didn't need to have a relationship with a person to survive this game, but people usually did because the fields became lonely when your just grinding for experience alone. Usually people bring partners for their companionship and strength. But he had reached a level to where he really didn't need others, and he could take care of things himself. He gave a small sigh as she finished her drink and asked what his plans were after this. He took another sip and set it down, waiting for the waitress to refill the mug. He thought for a moment, then shrugged

"Probably grinding for levels on the highest floor, practicing stealth, the usual routine to survive this game and get the heck out of here." He said. The waitress refilled his drink and he took another sip quietly. He was on his third cup, but he still felt no effects from it. He gave a sigh, as he missed the jitters he could get from even one cup of coffee. He set it down and looked at the girl. "What about you? Gonna go and try to fight something? Or just explore areas that are around?"

[Kooh 0]

 Kooh watched as the man took yet another cup, curious as to whether he really just enjoyed the taste of coffee, or if he simply drank it out of habit. When the girl had realized it was impossible for the game to replicate the feeling of caffeine, she quickly gave up on the stuff, unwilling to continue her normal rituals. To her question, Hikoru gave her a very normal answer--training, getting stronger, and the like. Was that what so many others did? Dedicate their time to repeating the same tasks, risking their lives over and over again so they could end up in the 'dream' of the frontlines. At least it seemed that was what many players strived for.

Again, the question came back to her. She thought for a moment, not caring for either of the tasks he had guessed at. "Hm, I dunno..." She forwent the easier option of simply agreeing with something he suggested, whether or not she would actually do it. "I'm basically garbage at this game, so I usually don't get out much." She shrugged, a casual, joking tone to her words. "After this... I might go back 'home', or look for something else to keep me busy." She added on, using the term 'home' rather loosely.