Hikoru

Hikoru just sighed as Kit asked how he fought, and he just shrugged. "It's a long story, that maybe i'll explain to you one day..." He spoke, not wanting to speak of his own drive of fighting the bosses right now. He wanted to enjoy the day, not focus on dark memories of the past. He plainly nodded as she also said that she would have been training as well. She was far lower level than him, so her grinding wouldn't take as long as it would him. He sighed and looked up as Kit held a pinkie up, promising that they would spend more time relaxing, to take care of themselves. He just a gave a small smile. It had been a long time since he had made a promise in such a childish manner. He just smiled a bit more, taking his pinkie into hers.

"Alright, that's a promise..." He spoke with a laugh "And hopefully, we can try to make it to my house before too long and have a nice dinner. Come on, we're going to be late." He said with a small laugh. He punched in the co-ords for his home, and stood up, offering a hand to Kit. Once she was on her feet, he motioned towards the direction his map was telling him. They soon appeared at his home, to the intimidating door that was within the rock. (Photo of door here) He just laughed awkwardly at the door design. "Sorry, I made this as to look less... Like a home, so I wouldn't get random visitors. Although people are creeped out by it, it's nice." He said as he pressed a small jewel on a nearby rock, the stone rolling away and revealing a heavy dark-oak door. He opened it and revealed a nice living room, well kept with the recognizable smell of coffee coming from the kitchen, where Aru was probably making his coffee. His apprentice had found a fondness to it after taking over his position in the IBS. He sighed and looked to Kit. "I hope you like coffee."

(For photo references to the house, please look here) 

Hikoru decided that the next course of action would be to re-enter stealth and take a shot from the boss with another Surprise attack. Maybe not as strong as his first one, but still stronger than a base attack would be. He especially needed to be careful, as the bosses body was covered in a lot of water, and other players realized that this was some ability of his, which cost them more energy to attack. While hiding in stealth would cost damage, it would help him to regain a few points that could possibly be detrimental in the fight, should it tarry long enough to become a problem. He slid back into a hiding spot a bit aways from where he had been previously standing. After he was sure he wasn't spotted, he climbed to a higher vantage point, coming nowhere near to the size of the large creature they were fighting, but enough to hit a little higher on the body than players, to see if something like that would make a difference. He didn't think it would, but it was worth a try nontheless.

ID: 119464 LD: 15+7= 22 Stealth Rating

[H:5] @Calrex: 1850/1850 HP | 170/176 EN | 7 DMG | 151 MIT | 3 ACC |  -1 EVA | 1 TNT | 9-10 PLZ | 28 THN | 3 HM | 0.6 ACH  [Safeguard] 
[H:1] Zandra: 1920/1920 HP | 125/162| 22 DMG | 155 MIT | 3 ACC | 2 EVA | 8 LD | 84 THN | 36 BRN THN | 6-8/12 FLN | 8-10/36 BRN | 96 BH |  9-10/24 TV | 27 PRB [Antioxidants] [Antidote 3/3][Squeaky Clean][Barrier 1/2][Hyperactive 1/3]
[H:0] Hikoru: 1550/1550 | 127/152 | 94 MIT | 3 ACC | 3 EVA | 78 BH  [Concentration: 4/5] [Vanish: 3/3]
[H:1] Jomei: 1565/1565 HP | 124/153 | 17 DMG | 5 ACC | 4 EVA | 52 MIT | 2 Savvy | 78 B. Healing [Concentration Recharge 1/5]
[H:1] Itzal: 1,750/1,750 | 118/160 | 19 DMG | 0 MIT | 4 ACC | 6 EVA | 1 KEEN | 2 BLD | 1 TXV |

Hikoru motioned towards the HUD. "Your map marks important locations on a floor, so you can set a marker and find it at a later date. That's how it makes finding Quest areas easier in case you need to re-do one for either yourself or for another person." He spoke, sharing his knowledge about the system that he had learned over the years. The girl asked about the boss, and he sighed. "It was... A large dragon, with obsidian-like plates. Super high MIT and one of the largest health pools we've witnessed. He also didn't spew fire, but this sort of crystal-like stuff that would attack our tanks and trap them. It was pretty bad at some points, but we pushed through." He spoke with another chuckle. It was then that Kit commented on his laugh, saying it felt genuine. He just gave a small smile. "Well thanks, i've been doing my best to make it that way as of late." He spoke, shrugging off any questions that would be asked about that.

As Kit asked about more date spots, he shook his head. "It's not that simple, there are tons, and this is just one of them... But this is my favorite." He spoke with a laugh. "I can't name any others off the top of my head." He looked to see Kit sitting down, asking if they could stay longer. He nodded and sat down on the ground, resting his back against a boulder and letting out a sigh, letting the mists cool his face while the sounds of the rushing water soothes his mind of the troubles he had been feeling. "I needed this... Just a day of relaxing and enjoying the things I never make time for." He spoke, then looked at Kit. "Thank you, if you didn't bump into me i'd probably be back to training or working on a project..." He spoke with a small smile on his lips, happy for the coincidence that had happened.

Hikoru just chuckled and nodded listening to the girl. It seemed she had a large skill set, which was impressive all on it's own. She also seemed like she had something to hide from him. Whatever it was, it wasn't his business and decided to leave it alone. As they explored the cavern, the girl asked if they could come back to this spot at a later date. He shook his head and sighed. "You can come back here on your own yknow. No mobs spawn on the trail here, so it's safe." He spoke, looking at the hot springs with longing. His body was a bit sore, but he decided that he would just take a bath when he got home after Kit had left. He would bathe for awhile and let the water soak into his digital body. He needed the relaxation. He just chuckled as the girl said that things felt magical. "Yeah, it felt nice to free these people, but it was a tough fight. It definitely made the door to Tier 3 hard to get through. But, it was worth it." He said with another laugh.

He motioned her to move forward with him, and after a few more trails and sneaky shortcuts, they appeared at the underwater waterfalls. He looked at it and felt the cool mist land on his forehand and feel cooler. "And here are the Waterfalls, one of the biggest date spots for players, although it's not the best of all of them, it's still one of my favorites." He said with a chuckle. "It's nice and cool, and no mobs spawn here, although we are out of town, this is a sorta safe haven. But if you leave, just be careful since there are technically mobs here." He spoke with a sly smile on his lips.

Hikoru heard a few words before he teleported, and remembered them for when they appeared back onto Floor 21. He waited and let her take in the beauty of the floor, sighing. "Yeah, its why I chose my home here. Should have been here before we beat the Floor boss though, it was super dull and you could feel an air of fear. The floor boss demanded sacrifices of what the NPC's mined, so they lived in poverty or they would die, as much as code can die anyways." He said with a small chuckle. "And to answer your question, I had actually done a lot in the real world. I had graduated at the top of my class, and had just moved to Japan from America to take a prestigious college that my parents wanted me to go to. I got in and I was planning on getting a business education, maybe even a lawyer." He said, taking off his glasses. "However, I got stuck in here, so i've probably lost my scholarship." He said with a slight chuckle.

He motioned towards the road. "Let's get moving, shall we?" He spoke, then started to walk the familiar roads, waving to a few NPC's he passed by, going through some caverns until they found themselves at the natural Hot Springs. "Here we are, the first stop of our little sight and see. These Hot Springs are the most relaxing ones that have been discovered out of all of Aincrad. They soothe your troubles, and are a great getaway from the frontlines." He laughed. "I even have some delivered to my house for when I want to take a bath." He spoke, and let her explore the area a bit in silence.

Hikoru shook his head as the girl said she would help fight and make him not do all of the work, even giving a small kick. This made him laugh, right out loud. He calmed down a moment later, and let out a sigh. "Young lady, I don't think you know my level." He said, and showed her his stats, and how exceptionally high his Crit damage was. "I don't need to worry about anything on Floor 21, but you do, as I saw your stats a little bit ago." He said with another small laugh. The young girl spoke that she was not a child, and she said they were about the same age. He just smiled and put on his goggles.

"Oh I had a feeling, however maturity wise I feel i'm a bit wiser, seeing both our level difference and our experience." He said with a weaker laugh. "Although, I wish I could go back to that innocence some days..." He smiled and looked at her. "Ready?" He said, then looked up. "Teleport, Floor 21, Tomoika." he spoke, then soon crystallized, probably with Kit next to him, and appeared in the glorious cave system that Floor 21 held, the glowing mushrooms and crystals all on the walls. He sighed and breathed in the crisp cavern air, feeling his body relax as he was back in a comfortable place. He looked at Kit. "Welcome to Tomoika, home of myself and many NPC's. All of them are kind I promise."

Hikoru just shook his head. She was stubborn, and she wanted to provide him with the greatest materials. He wouldn't complain, but it was definitely odd to hear something like that from a person he had just met. She asked what floor they were going to, and he gave a small smile. "Floor 21, my home." He spoke quietly. He just shook his head as she said it was the highest floor. Of course it was. From her stats, she would be staying on floor 1-5 for awhile until she got enough experience to progress higher. He gave a smile as she said she would love to go sightseeing.

"Alright, we'll take a look at a few areas that are well-known, I think you'll like them, but stay close in case any Mobs spawn, they will be way stronger than you can handle, so we need to play it safe." he spoke with a leader-like quality to his tone. As he stepped onto the teleporter, the Pink-haired lass said she had never had her head pat. He was confused for a moment, then realized that he had in fact done that. He smiled and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Sorry, I had done it without thinking. You remind me of my little brother. Spunky, sparattic and always wanting to go on an adventure." he said with a laugh. "It's not a bad thing though, so please, take it as a compliment." A small smile formed on his lips thinking about his brother. "If he were here, in this game, I think he'd be just the same as you are, but fighting on the frontlines at this point." He said, a gleam of pride in his eyes.

As Zandra passed Hikoru a few potions, the fight began. He prepped himself mentally as the large creature appeared before them, and this thing was huge. Like grade A giant kinda fight. He sighed and knew that this would possibly be a hard one to take down, but he was ready for a challenge. He ran out of his hiding place, activating both his <<Surprise Attack>> and his <<Charge>> Skill, attacking the creature with the most effective strat that there was in this most recent patch. While he lost his auto-hit, he knew that there was no way that he could miss such a big target in front of him. He attacked the body of the creature, and he smiled as his hit was effective, taking out a big chunk of the creatures health compared to the rest of his party members.

"That was surprisingly effective. Time for round two." He spoke to himself, gripping his dagger and preparing for that the giant creature in front of him, called the Rain King, had to offer as a challenge.

ID: 119080

LD: 8+7= 15 Stealth Rating

BD: 8+3-2=9 Hit!

Hikoru used Swarm: 27 x 14 x 1.20 = 454 - 100 = 354 Damage to Rain King

Stats:

Hikoru just shook his head. She was stubborn, that he had to admit. He let out a small sigh and sheathed his dagger, the black hilt disappearing as he unequipped the dagger as to keep his incognito mode complete. He shed all evidence of the Master of Shadows, and was just himself, was just Ace. When he put on that armor, he had a name to live up to, without it he could be himself, a man who is imperfect and broken. He sighed and just pat Kit's head, his hand shifting the cotton-candy-pink hair that the girl wore on her head.

"No deer hunt, lets just go and get a meal prepared." He said with a laugh. He motioned towards the middle of town, where there would be a teleporter. "Now, to warn you, we're going up quite a few floors, so i hope your prepared. We can sight-see on the floor for a bit, as I love to look at my home floor just as much as everyone else." he said with a small smile. He liked showing off the caverns of Floor 21, as it was a gorgeous floor in its own right, and he loved the feeling that it gave him being in the illuminated caverns. He sighed and looked at the Pink-haired girl and gave a small smile as he offered a hand up onto the teleporter. "I hope you know how to use one of these, else it'll be awkward for you to climb all the stairs." He spoke with a laugh.

Hikoru started to walk out, but Kit seemed insistent on being the lead. He just nodded and followed her quietly. She then brought up a creature that he had heard of before. He had read up on it from the IBS, and he knew that it didn't exist. they had sent parties for months, some of the most skilled scouts he had, and they couldn't even find a trace. He just chuckled and grabbed his dagger, treating it as a drum stick and fiddling with it in his hand as he listened. He looked over her shoulder to see the stats, and they were very, very low. He shook his head silently, knowing a fight wouldn't be a good idea. He tossed his dagger up and down in the air, always catching it on the blade side, almost cutting himself but never quite making it that far

"As much fun as that sounds, there would be no point. I've sent multiple scouts searching for it for my own personal Intel. It's just a myth that people made to believe that something like that existed. Sorry to let you down like that, but no fights for you to try out. Besides, i'm sure you wouldn't want to fight something with me in your party." He caught his dagger, looking into the semi-transparent blade. "I'm far too strong for you to even stand a chance against the monster. It would probably one-shot you if you got too careless..." he spoke silently. He looked around once more, but saw that there wasn't much more here. "Well, I think we've expended out welcome here."

Hikoru was having a lovely evening. He had taken off his cloak and shipped it into his inventory, enjoying the event incognito, even taking off his goggles as to play the part. He looked completely different than how the people of the frontlines looked, and he had enjoyed his time with the NPCs and players who were celebrating the festivities. And then the rain started. As the rain started to pelt him, he realized that something was wrong. He saw the NPC's running away back towards the inland of the island, and he looked out to the ocean to see a giant looming figure, with tentacles writhing beneath it. he shuddered at the thought, and realized that this may be a fight he wasn't expecting. In the blink of an eye, he crouched down in a stand and changed into his armor, his blue cloak billowing in the winks and his goggles donned onto his head. He looked to see two figures heading out before him. Soon, he got a message from Zandra, and he sighed.

"Of course I had to be here. Can't get a break from the frontlines these days." He joked to himself. He came over and saw Hestia handing out some extra potions. He grabbed a Tier 3 Mitigation potion and a bit of food for the Protein buff. "Dibs on these, heading into stealth." He spoke, then blended into the shadows.

ID: 118980 LD: 12+7=19 Stealth Rating

Nabbing one of the Proteins and the T3 MIT from Hestia

Using Slime Farm: +2 SP

Stats:

Hikoru listened as the girl asked to tag along with him to the shop afterwards. He blushed and scratched his chin awkwardly. "Well uh, the thing is... I don't quite, have the shop ready... I'm still having a lot of it constructed to my liking, i'm just gathering ingredients so I can experiment at my place for meal ideas..." He said, avoiding eye contact. "So unless you want to join me at my home, I really can't offer anything." He spoke, looking around for the next ingredient area. The girl asked if they were going to keep shopping, and he silently nodded. "Yes, i'm looking for the rarest ingredients on this floor. If I can find them, I could make a fortune for my meals, since they're ingredient specific." He saw an area that looked to be some sort of popular Bazaar, and he motioned towards it.

"Come on, lets see what this place has to offer." He said, then made his way towards it. Inside the bazaar was a few merchants, yelling out their products and trying to get people to buy their items and materials. Hikoru ignored most of them, flipping on his "business face," and his eyes growing cold and calculated once more. Playing the character of being a cold person made it easy to flip the switch between his "Master of Shadows" persona and his actual self. It made bartering easy, he came to a large man who was selling meats, vegetables, and he had a mushroom on a pedestal behind him. Bingo. He came up to the man. 

"How much for the mushroom?" He spoke bluntly. The man turned from tending to his col sack, and turned to the Master of Shadows. "Not for sale, come again later." The man said, with a rough russian-type accent. Hikoru just chuckled. "Fine, guess your just afraid that the other ingredients will be better, I just wanted it to make you a sale." He spoke, egging on the man. The man eyed him. "This is no ordinary mushroom. Mushroom come from top of mountain many meters away. What make you think you have earned it?" He spoke. Hikoru eyed him, then pulled out an Info Broker emblem with his insignia underneath. "I'm here to test it and see if what your seeing is true. If you refuse, I can ruin your business." The NPC eyed the item, picking it up and looking at the player, a cold sweat beading his forehead.

"500 Col." The russian man said. Hikoru took his slip back. "250, and I will give you a chance to get a good review." He spoke. The man thought, then nodded and the transaction was made. The mushroom appeared in his inventory and he nodded, then turned to the girl. "Shall we go?"

Hikoru just nodded and smiled, agreeing with his sense of style his friend had. Although he hadn't seen him in awhile, he'd have to try and get into contact with the small tailor when he got the chance, he needed to get some new outfits for the coming months. The girl explained that she was going for a performer, he absent-mindedly nodded, focusing on the food, she introduced herself, and he nodded a third time. "My name is Hikoru." He spoke simply. She asked what he was thinking a bit, then immediately asked him if he was a cook. He looked and realized that he had been a little rude towards her, but he had been so focused at getting the right ingredients that he couldn't help it.

"Uh, yeah. Just started as one actually. I used to be a Merchant, but it wasn't cut out for me." He said with a small chuckle. She said he could get a decent meal. He nodded. "Well, if you ever want tavern food, look for the Hungry Pumpkin. I won't tell you what floor, because that takes the fun out of it." He said with another lighthearted laugh. He finished his transaction with the NPC and gave some col, grabbing the items and putting them into his inventory.

Hikoru checked on the vegetables in his vision, making sure none that were rotten, that he didn't hear the voice that called out to him a first. He recognized it after a few moments, and he was able to make out that the character had asked him where he had gotten it. He looked down, and remembered that he wasn't in his armor or cloak. A small, awkward smile formed on his lips. "Well actually, I had a friend make it for me awhile ago, but now I think their store is closed. Not a lot of Tailors anymore, although we are in need of some." He said with a small chuckle. He finished his transaction and took a look at the young girl that had asked him. She seemed to be about the same age, but he wasn't sure anymore. With the pixels never really able to show wrinkles well, this young looking girl could be in her 30's, and he wouldn't be able to know. It was both a blessing and a curse of this game. He gave a sigh and checked his bag. He had a few vegetables and some fruit, but he needed to get some meat. He waited to hear what the girl had to say, but his mind kept wandering to what he would choose as his main course.

Hikoru let out a small sigh as he breathed in the crisp, mountain air. He had needed a vacation from his home on the 21st floor, and needed to get away from the places that he was comfortable in. He wanted to take an innocent adventure, something that he hadn't been able to do in a long time. After the boss fight and being frozen to the rock for over half of the fight, he decided that he needed a few days break from training, and took it as a sign to help himself out. If he worked all day and never rested, then how would he be able to have a healthy mental state? He wouldn't, and he realized that. He had decided to go a little incognito and had taken off his iconic blue cloak, hiding it in his inventory. He knew that this item was the thing that made him stand out. He had decided to don a lighter-looking outfit, wearing only T1 Armor with no enchantments in the shape of a Blue and Purple, and a pair of black shorts. He couldn't get rid of his goggles though, those were his comfort items, and it helped him to feel normal out of his regular armor.

He strolled down a quiet road, enjoying the mountainous roads that existed within this vast floor. While it was a floor he hadn't really explored in his personal time, he had heard a lot about it. Mountainous areas all around, towns that weren't Safe Zones, a place where PK players could thrive and live, and always find some nook and cranny to hide in. While he didn't have his cloak, he could still escape and find many, many places to hide in and not be found if someone tried to hunt him down. He found himself arriving into a small village, and he decided to take a look around, stopping at the NPC shops and finding food items he could use for his bar he was going to open, making sure only to buy the most unique ingredients only found on this floor. He would make sure that the Ingredients were listed, so people could try and make their own. However, he would never tell anyone about the unique sauce he was deciding to add, so that it would never be the same meal.

Hik's Outfit:

Hikoru listened to Huginn's worry about serving food, and he nodded quietly. "Oh I understand. You wouldn't have to really do much though, just give them their menu's take their orders and then serve it. And if there are too many people, i'd come out to help serve." He said with an honest tone. "Plus, if we wanted to make it fun for you, we could try making roller blades on your feet so you could occupy yourself in the free time for stunts." He said with a sly smile. Hikoru hears him say call him when he's done, and he looks to see the kid had did his best to disappear from sight, albeit he could see him a ways away, it would have been hard to if he didn't have his Search skill. He just shook his head and started to look around, but couldn't find anything that he could use for his quest. He sighed and continued to move forwards, hoping that something juicy would show up on his radar.

ID: 118458 LD: 3+8=1 No Material!

Hikoru saw yet another apple next to the one he had just picked. He grabbed that one as well, and pocketed it next to the other apple. He looked at the young Huginn, who had offered to play Violin at his shop when he opened. A small smile formed on the Front-liners lips. "If you would want to, i'd love the help. Perhaps you could help serve as well, or something like that. Who knows." He said with a small chuckle. He started to look around in he area. Apples were fine and dandy, but even his basic knowledge of cooking knew that you need multiple ingredients to create a recipe. He didn't see anything for now, but he knew it would only take a bit more walking to find something new.

"So, your familiar has unique abilities to help you out. Very strange indeed." He said with a small chuckle. "Sir Rolland, my familiar, was received from a raffle also. However, he never got anything that made him very.... unique, other than his sensation for candy." He said. "He took a bit of training to tame, but now I've taught him basic whistle commands, and he seems to understand my words. However, he doesn't seem to be able to talk, but he communicates through actions." He chuckled again. "And like you said, for awhile he made it difficult to be stealthy. Although, i'm sure like my familiar-," He held a small finger towards Huginn's familiar. "This little one can be too, and i'm sure it could be just as smart, if not smarter than Rolland." He said, and the Pumpkin familiar just grumbled and slapped Hikoru in the back with his thorny arm. Hikoru winced a little, but just chuckled. "Okay, okay... only a little smarter." He said, patting the pumpking's head. Sir Rolland gave a low purr of approval.

ID: 118277 LD: 13+8= 21 Material Found! [2/5]

Hikoru listened and nodded. Another Two-Handed Assault Spear user, but also stealth. It was a good combo, but he knew he would never be able to achieve that damage output. But, he was happy where he was, and his crits were lethal in many ways. And the Phase on his weapon only helped to prove the point. He turned as the young man asked why he had just decided to take the quest now. He just chuckled.

"Actually, I had taken this quest long ago, back when the game first started. I became a merchant and my aim was to be the best Merchant in Aincrad." He gave another sigh. "However, I grew bored, and I didn't enjoy my time as a Merchant. It was always trying to get the best things, but I was never successful..." He looked at Huginn. "So, i've finally decided to do something I wanted to do since I was little. I'm going to open a resturaunt. A nice place where players can come and relax. Plus, i'll have a fee if a Guild wants to use it and rent it out, and food will be provided, along with maybe me playing the piano in the background..." Hikoru's eyes seemed to glaze over a little, imagining what it would be like. He came back to reality a few moments after he was done talking. "Anyways, I need to start looking for materials." He said, as he started to scavenge for things that looked edible. He looked up into a tree and saw a juicy-looking apple. He smiled and picked it off the tree. It was a Tier 1 Material, but a material he could use no less. He gave a small smile and sighed. "Well, it's a start. A few more and I can go and try to cook something." He spoke, a little nervous.

ID: 118274 LD: 17+8= 25 Material Found! [1/5]

Hikoru walked in silence, patiently waiting for their area to arrive over the horizon. He had decided to keep quiet as he sensed a feeling of awkwardness from the young player. It didn't bother him though, as he was sort of used to it at this point. It was a curse of being a frontliner. Lower-levelled players tended to avoid them in public, or asked for tips. It used to be annoying to him, but now he found it interesting to watch, almost to the level of enjoyable. His head perked up as Shiro gave his player name. Usually, it went the other way around, but he just chuckled. 

"Huginn eh? Sounds nice." He said with a nod. "So tell me about yourself Mr. Huginn, what build are you going for? Any unique items, or things you've found intereresting on the floors?" He said, a little amused. "If you don't want to tell, I understand, but I do have a file on you at my place, so I have a little bit on you."

Hikoru just nodded at the formalities. Although the player had given his name, he didn't feel that it was the username that the player had told him. He didn't ask questions however, and just patted the players head.

"Please, no formalities here. We're players just trying to live. However I'm just a player that wants to be a cook rather than a Merchant." He chuckled to himself. He looked around and saw where the young Shiro had mentioned, and he looked around. "Hm, I'm sure your right. Although we are on the first floor, the creatures here could still prove to be a nusiance. Especially since I don't know your stats, build or even your level." He said, rubbing his chin in thought. Sir Rolland enjoyed the small pat from the younger player, and gave a giant, one-eyed toothy grin. 

"Alright, we should get a move towards grabbing supplies to cook. I already talked to the NPC in charge of here and she said to grab five." He spoke as he made his way towards the South.

Hikoru waited for a little while, his blue cloak donned on his shoulders but the hood pulled down. He was about to make his way towards the quest, when a small little wisp came to him. He recognized it instantly from the Christmas event that he had gone to a little while ago, and he noticed the young man that he had met that day for a few moments. He came over and grabbed his familiar, and he saw Sir Rolland stare at the small creature, a small piece of drool starting to form next to his maw. He just chuckled.

"You may want to keep your wisp away from Sir Rolland. He may try to eat him." He teased, holding out a finger to the wisp. "So, are you the one that answered my request? If so I wouldn't mind the company. Besides I feel that I left on a sour note at the Christmas event, and this could make up for it." He said with a small laugh. "I'm Hikoru, Master of Shadows. I'm sure you've heard of me, there isn't anyone who doesn't..." He spoke, sounding a little annoyed. "But that's besides the point. Who might you be?"

Hikoru put the closed sign on his Shop for the last time. He had finally decided it was time to change professions. He had lost his interest in appraisals a long time ago, and he had grown tired of owning the small little shop. He opened his menu and chose the option to close the little shop permanently, and the title of <<Merchant>> Disappeared from under his name in his HUD. He sighed and made his way to the first floor

"It's time for a change." He spoke to himself. He gave a small whistle, and Sir Rolland came to his side. He had been looking at the candy shop accross the street, a small puddle of drool easy to see where he was standing. He just sighed and patted the small creatures head. It gave a small grumble and growl happily, then the both of them went to the teleporter, Hikoru writing a small item on the notice board.

After sending it, he waited patiently, hoping someone would reply

Stats: 

Hikoru knew that if they wanted to get any damage, that he needed to attack from stealth. He would get a stronger attack against the giant Leviathan, and he would also be able to take out the water crystal of his group, in case it decided to try and return. He pulled up his iconic blue hood, and disappeared into the shadow beneath him, appearing a few feet away behind a large rock that had been knocked down during the fight. Things had gotten intense, and this rain was starting to become an annoyance to him along with every other player. They needed to defeat this giant quickly. They were close, but he was still worried that there was something up Kayaba's sleeve and this boss would be harder than it looked in the end. He hoped he would live to tell the tale.

Hikoru used Vanish! It's Super Effective!!!

ID: 117823 LD: 13+7= 20 Stealth Rating!

The leviathan's head was down. Now was the time to strike! But as Hikoru moved his hand forward in an attempt to get as much damage in as possible, he could feel the frost of its breath crawling around him. There wasn't anything he could do as he slowly but surely froze over.Cursing his own bad luck at this, he watched as others went in to get their attacks against the creature and destroy what they could of the leviathan's health bar. Hopefully they would be able to still get a fair amount of damage against it while he was frozen.

ID: 117770 LD: 4+4=8 Frozen!

+38 HP

Hikoru gave a small nod as Sey spoke, saying that they were a fourth of the way done, and it really did hurt a bit. Two years, and yet they had only done a fourth of the game. How long would it be for them? How long would they be trapped? He shook his head. If he focused on the future so much, he wouldn't be able to enjoy that he was alive today, that he would be able to fight another day, take one step closer to freedom. That's how he had survived for so long in this game, stayed strong when he needed to. He just gave a small sigh and pat Sey's shoulder.

"Live to fight another day, that's our life now. We best do our best to do it shouldn't we?" He said with a small chuckle. He grabbed the boy over his shoulder and gave a smile. "Come on! Let's get a bite to eat and catch up! My treat!" He said in a gleeful tone. He was done with trying to focus on the negative so much, it had defeated so much of the purpose in his life, which is to be a happy person, to protect those he loved. If he didn't start to change now, he never would.