Dracul

"One step at a time." was my initial reply to his words. We cannot expect to excel at all things even if it was somewhat possible before the update, if one possessed an overwhelming amount of SP. But contrary to others I enjoyed the new update's more limited amount of points. "I think we'll se more specialized individuals rather than aces of all trades like it was common before. Here is where we, non-frontliners, get a chance to shine. " I add with a smile. Then I start to ponder on how much should I reveal to Agua. By no means was I, the lioness or my assistants, going to great lengths to hide our identities. On the opposite actually, Ariel had plans to start promoting her newly founded 'school' that the rest of us were already members of. If people would come out there there was also a high chance they'd notice my alchemy lab on the school grounds, next to her tailor shop.

With a nod to myself I start replying while taking a loot at the compass: "No trouble at all, quite the contrary some of us would gain from spreading the word about our... intentions. My ally, if you want to call her that, is one of the frontliners that fought in the 26th floor raid, Ariel 'the crowned lion'. " I decided to add small air quotations to her nickname with an amused expression. "Then there are also my two lab assistants. We moved in with her after she purchased an estate on the 22nd floor and decided to open a martial arts school there."

ID# 187628  LD: 8+3  CD: 12 (NO Loot)

Demonic Shard: 0/1
Materials: 1

Returning to my normal composure, I instinctively wanted to pocket the compas again but realized it and tightened my grip around it. One can appreciate the durability of items in this game, not many non-animated things can be destroyed by a player's strength alone. Raising his gaze from the item, he meets Aquan's Who posed a couple of very interesting question that luckily he already had the answer to. "I have all the respect for those who pursue that route but it simply isn't my calling." I momentarily look at the ground as I continue: "I can't afford to die in this game, I have more important matters on the outside." My momentary frown dissipated and my voice returned to normal as I continued after a sharp inhale. "However I do wish to become of a relevance similar to that of a front liner. While I cannot offer my life, I can offer my council and my work's results." I let out a grin as I make my segue. "Which brings us to your second question for which I answer, yes. And similarly to you I like working with precision for I am an alchemist." I straightened up and wanted to adjust my tie out of habit. Too late did I realized that I wasn't wearing formal attire and my hand was left standing midair below my chin. I let out a couple of embarrassed coughs the add: "To increase you level? I can relate to that as well as I myself am of lower level. I tend to avoid combat as much as possible while not working in my lab."

Remembering that I still have the compass at hand, I take a quick look at it but to no avail.

ID# 187617  LD:6+3 (NO Loot)

Demonic Shard: 0/1
Materials: 1

"Yes, I was confused when I woke up too but the thirst for knowledge took precedence over anything else at that moment." he chuckled, remembering how the in the first minutes after waking up, his room got stormed by a worried pair of siblings that almost burst in tears when they saw him. "Luckily I was in good company afterwards." I added with a smile and redirected back to their topic: "Improving AND making a fortune while doing it!"I was getting a little excite and you could notice it slip through my voice tone. I stop myself and cough a couple of time then continue in a neutral tone: "Or improve your own gear to have it be on par with even the strongest frontliners." I claimed as I ceremoniously extended my arms in front of me. Then I follow behind Aquan and gaze at the little metal object he's holding. "It doesn't appear anymore special than other materials." I mutter as I get my own compass out and notice that it is pointing at the item in his hand. I click my tongue audibly: "I'll have to keep a more vigilant eye an mine from now on." It was foolish of me to assume it would work from inside the inventory.

ID# 187606  LD:10+3 (NO Loot)

Demonic Shard: 0/1
Materials: 1

A genuine smile appeared on my lips as I heard that he had an inclination towards knowledge: "A kindred spirit, my associates and I mulled over this new update moments after we woke up. My assistant and I were on a stroll on the 22nd floor, not too far from our residence when it all happened. I don't remember anything worth mentioning that happened in the meanwhile" I replied honestly but with a well rehearsed poker face, omitting the emotional rollercoaster we had and the futile actions we took. I take a deep breath and continue: "We all woke up inside the estate that we recently moved in, afterwards each of us added their recollection of the events and pieced together what happened. As it turns out, the raid party had no idea what was happening outside as much as the rest of us had no idea what was happening withing the boss room." I let out a long breath and slightly shake my head. It was after I talked with the blonde and learned of what transpired inside the boss room, that I felt so inconsequential. I instinctively ball my right fist and slightly frown, not realizing that my metaphorical mask was starting to crack.

"I for one embrace the new changes, even if I didn't there is nothing I or any other player can do about it except learn, adapt and use the new systems to our advantage." Seeing him take out the compas, I'm reminded that I have myself so I materialize it in my right hand. It moves around, pausing for a couple of seconds at times, without showing any a specific direction. Thinking that maybe it needs t be in closer proximity I lower myself to the ground and pick a medicinal herb I've used before. No luck, the compas didn't point at it either.

ID# 187599  LD:13+3  CD: 11

Demonic Shard: 0/1
Materials: 1

After a brief exchange, we set a place to meet and I started making my way towards it. From what the npc said we shouldn't need to do any combat but I still equip a light armor with some mitigation and my 2hss just to be on the safe side. The 'armor' in question was nothing more than a white shirt (with a crowned lion logo on its breast pocket) and the weapon wasn't visible, i decided to keep it on stand by stored inside the inventory system. Soon enough I'm greeted by new assistant partner for this quest, he seems a little overenthusiastic and the chatty type. Unfortunate like not unexpected, he fits in the pattern of most of the people I've encountered.

After the barrage of questions end I show half a smile and reply: "Nice to meet you Aquan" I lightly chuff, presuming the n 's role at the end: "An interesting choice of name." I add then change the subject: "One could find materials without the need of a profession before the update, it probably changed to help aid the introduction of the new items." I reply with a dismissive wave. This much was the conclusion of my brainstorming with the rest. "We should get going, from what I gathered this quest can either take a while or we'll be finishing it in no time. We can talk more while doing it."

Information was essential for progress, that fact was confirmed even here in Aincrad countless times. That is why the first thing I did after waking up was to read everything available after this new update. It took a while but with the help of my assistants and a certain lioness, we managed to brainstorm and piece together the parts. How it all happened was beside the point even if what the lioness told me help shape the overall image.

And as for what to do next. For the blonde amazoness, it was acquiring the katana skill, of course a muscle brain like her would go straight for that. I myself saw past personal power gain and sought something more important, the extra profession that became available. After all, alchemy and gathering work hand in hand and while I wasn't particularly hyped for the actual gathering itself, the last rank opened the door to a new enterprise. I predict that those Shards and Scales will become in no time the most sought after items. I needed to get ahead of the rest.

After a typical exchange with the quest NPC I came across a particular announcement. "Perfect." I mutter with a small grin. Today I dismissed my assistants as they still needed time to help set up and maintain our spot in the new household we moved in recently. So naturally I needed someone to do the quest with, so that I do the least amount of work needed to complete it. I message the individual who put up the request and agree to meet up with him via DMs.

HP:380/380 | 56/56 EN | DMG: 13 | MIT: 12 | LD: +3

Current Level: 19
Current SP: 52
Link to SP Tracking: 

Notes:
[any other items that are required to be converted would go here. players may also leave additional clarifications for staff to refer to regarding their application here. note that converted items do not benefit from the same upgrades provided in the field above.]

"Do we have a pair of umbrelas with us?" I ask slightly behind me as I gaze onto the darkening horizon. It was moments like these where I wish there was some sort of weather forecasting skill or mechanics that we could use to check before leaving the comfortable confines of our new home on the 22nd floor. Preparations were almost complete to open the shop to a selective public use. Why we're we here then, you ask? merely a errand I was tasked to personally do by the household mistress before her departure towards a most dangerous battle.

A reply would usually come an instant later so I instinctively remove my attention from the skies and turn back towards my companion. I could notice a glazed look on her as she watched the quickly expanding darkness: "Claudia?" I ask, slightly raising my voice. It wasn't like her to ignore me... ever.

ID# 177252
Initial Roll Value: 18
Giving or Receiving: N/A 
Final Roll Value: 18

I raise my eyebrows, my explanation apparently not stirring up any kind of response from either of the two. I shake my head, I wouldn't let it show because of my serious expression but I was slightly disappointed by the lack of feedback. With a long sigh, I look around the room as my fellow alchemist; his head swiveling around the room's open areas, probably looking for potential dangers while Kiluia was examining the lich's throne in specific. I drew closer to the dagger user, watching the chest from over his shoulder. "This is a treasure chest, right?" I ask half oblivious, having been mentioned to be a couple of times before without me seeing one before. I take a step back, signaling that I had no intention on mingling with it. I was content to obverse how the two players handled it and determine if it would be of worth to look for some myself in the future. 

Raising a hand to support my chin, the other around the stomach; I start thinking about Kiluia's question. It would be foolish of me to think myself as a connoisseur, rarely having partied with anyone else than a certain blonde and Raidou. After a few second I come with a answer that I thought would suffice. "Depends on the party's goal I guess. If you were to focus on fighting you'd pick more 'Combat' skills and less 'Utility' ones. 'Search' seems to be generally a good skill to have in any situation because of its versatility. If you were to be less preoccupied about fighting you could have more 'Utility' skills. Scouts seem to combine Combat and Utility but they go through floor labyrinths to find information. As a treasure hunter, you'd be in need of skills that help you find items more efficiently.. skills like pickpocket and gatherer." I lower my hands and deliver my conclusion. "Every 'build'..." I stopped to make air quotations "is useful to some degree. It depends more on the player and how they put it to use for them and those around them." 

A moment after my attack Raidou once more went in the fight and finished off the lich with ease. He significantly took the lead in our impromptu tank competition, proving that he was a able to deal damage as well. I look at the numerical values between our HP... almost three times... that was a significant lead indeed. Maybe I should start investing some Skill points too, never had a use for them until now that I started doing a little combat. I couldn't count on Raidou to do all my quests for me, my pride wouldn't allow for me to just sit back and enjoy the ride. That was not the Vladislav way!

A voice from beside distracts me from my thoughts, so I direct my attention on the younger man. Despite his words he also seemed eager to prove his worth, I guess both of us got spurred on by Raidou display of strength. "A lich's treasure you say. Sounds like something worth looking into, I wouldn't say no to that. What about you Raidou?"

"I see..." I mutter, finding the information from the white haired girl more interesting that I imagined. I take a quick glance at my assistant and raise an eyebrow, mentally questioning him why weren't we made aware of the existence of such a skill. From the sound of it, it was an important skill to have yet I had to find out about it from a little kid despite having asked around people that gather information as they profession. As if reading my mind, Darius replies: "I think it was just an oversight, people must've thought that we already knew had the skill so they didn't bother giving us the info about it." The motive seemed viable but the reasoning wasn't the most solid. Either way I let it slide since we were about to add it to our skill list anyway.

 I watched as Assassin, successfully stored it, by the lioness' suggestion. A flash of genius then strikes me as I materialize several teleport crystals. From the blonde's reaction I take it she had similar thoughts. We end up teleporting back to the city and successfully ending the quest.

ID# 155448  CD: 7

Rewards: 

Assassin: 3 SP
Dracul 3 SP + 400 Col
Ariel: 2 SP

Assassin & Dracul unlocked Survival Skill:

Quote

►Survival
Cost: 3 SP
Passive
Effect: Increases out of combat health regeneration to (15 * Tier) per post. Grants immunity to most damage dealing environmental attacks/effects.
Description: After braving the harsh sands of the desert, harsh environmental hazards no longer affect you.

Watching the lich and its minions 'assemble' animation before us instead of simply materializing once again reinforced my belief that this place was designed with over the top dramatics in mind. It was not my cup of tea but I could understand the appeal it had for most, making a comparison with the thriving movie industry. However this wasn't a movie and we were not the main characters, more like part of a collective mob used to entertain a certain madman.

I shake my head, seeing as I was already starting to get annoyed and watch as Raidou and Kiluia engage our opponents. My usual role would be tanking but taking into consideration the floor number I'd entrust that task to the alchemist who would probably double up as our main source of damage. "Time to earn our place here, huh?" I ask none in particular as I unsheath my two-handed straight sword, letting its hue from the blue light slightly bright up its surroundings as I dash forward and horizontally cleave the lich, smiling as I feel the blade going through it with little resistance after hitting a critical point.

ID# 155442  BD: 9 (Crit!) Straight x2(7 +1) =16 Dmg > Lich King

Players:
(1-4) Raidou | HP:1040/1040 | EN:93/104 | DMG:20 | MIT:86 | EVA:3 | ACC:4 | TAUNT | BH:52
(5-8) Kiluia Seiko | HP:280/280 | EN:28/28 | DMG:6 | MIT:18 | EVA:1 | ACC:2 | BLD:12 
(9-12) Dracul | HP:340/340 | EN:34/34 | DMG:7 | MIT:9 | THRNS: 18 | TAUNT | REC:2 [6+]

Monsters:
(3,0,3) Lich King | HP:122/350 | DMG: 400 [Stunned!]
(3,0,0) Skeletal Lich #1 | HP:-60/100 | DMG: 140
(3,0,0) Skeletal Lich #2 | HP:-60/100 | DMG: 140

Abilities:
(Skeletal Lich) Dark Coil - Heals allied Undead for 20 health per turn. (Cannot attack enemies)

I gaze to my side only to see the blonde tailor smirking in my direction. They packed up their tent with as much ease as they installed it, while me and Darius had to dismount it before he could store it in her inventory. Luckily there wore no more snarky comment other than the joint agreement that we we're almost at the place where Assassin pinpointed the lost cargo's location. "So this quest gives us a extra skill. What does it do?" I decide to ask, not really interested in the answer but willing to bring up a topic of discussion to make the time pass easier. Having not heard about it from Darius or Claudia had me instantly dismiss it as a minor skill that I'd probably had no use for. Still, the fact that it was something extra did make it less of a nuisance as it didn't occupy one of the limited skill slot slots that i had. 

ID# 155446  CD: 12

I looked at Raidou. Even ince the first time we've meet I don't remember seeing him laugh,  granted that we didn't knew each other for that long, ne always gave the vibe of a overserious person. Seeing this aspect of him was a refreshing sight, making me once more unconsciously smile a little; which accentuated as I listened to Kiluia. " A lich... " I mutter while tapping my chin, trying to conjure such a thing's physical appearance and traits from my memory. "Couldn't say I'm familiar with what they are." I admitted with a shrug. "I suppose something related to the dead since it resides in this location."  It was nice.. to be out of the lab like this. The first passing though on this sensation happened while hunting the dragons but being here with these two and exploring this new territory, felt nice. "I could get used to it..." I mutter to myself. 

A couple of hours passed since the first light, Darius already being up by that time, preparing some light breakfast by himself at the campfire, lightly humming a song that I've heard from him many times before; unlike other times, he kept it in a lower tone so that it wouldn't disturb us. "Good morning milord!" came the crisp welcome, alongside the nice smell of eggs and beacon that he was cooking. "Lady Ariel and lady Assassin haven't got out from their tent since I woke up. I assume their still asleep so In tried not to wake any of you while making something for us to eat." he said with a smile as he finished dishing out another plate. 

With a nod of acknowledgement, I gaze towards the bedouin tent in question and shout: "How much longer are you two planning to sleep!? We're not here in vacation!" despite the harsh words, there was no malice in my tone just a sense of urgentness that seemed to have worked as I heard ruffling coming from inside: "Urusai!!! It's too early in the morning to be annoying...." came the reply from the blonde as I heard more shuffling.

ID# 155401  CD: 10

"I like the confidence, you're as dependable as ever Raidou." I add, now recovered after being mentally ticked at the mispronunciation of my name. I take a better look at the guy as the alchemist introduces him as an old guild member. I'm sure a certain blonde tailor would present a full report on posible his capabilities just from  a glance but I unfortunately don't possess such a keen eye. The best educated guess that I can make is that he was somehow closer to my level than Raidou by the way he talked to us. 

"I think you're overestimating my capabilities." I reply before letting out a small snort at the mention of vampires. "You'd be surprised how this is further away from the reality of such locations." I chime in, offering a indirect nugget of information regarding my background. "They always make such places more dramatic than they really are... this one seems no different." I add as I take a lazy look around our surroundings. Left hand resting on top of the two handed straight sword scabbard, ready to draw it at a moment's note.

It came as surprise to me, the sudden message from the alchemist I meet not that much time ago. Since we first meet on the first floor, gradually I started enjoying the alchemist's presence as he was one of the few rare individuals that I didn't piss me off after five seconds of meeting them. So being invited to do a quest with him made me unconsciously smile, earning myself a couple of questionable looks from my assistants. "I'll be going out for a bit!" 

With little preparation, I leave alone... for the first time in a while; and made my way towards the received coordinates. With some difficulty I manage to reach the place unscattered, avoiding most of the mobs that popped in my path. "We meet again!" I say with a wave as I join the two. "I don't believe we've met before. The name's Dracul." I say to the new face beside Raidou.

"I must say, you really have taken a liking to her." I add bluntly, after listening to her estimation and witnessing her affection once more. The blonde simply nodded, not showing any signs of protest like after my previous statement. I would've liked to push on more on the subject but with one look at the blonde's face I could see it clear like reading from a book. She didn't knew the answer herself and was trying to figure it out herself. With a shrug I decide to end our little soiree, as I rise from my seated position. "We should take her example and rest for now, tomorrow morning we have a long day ahead between retrieving the cargo and bringing it back to the merchant, having to pass through the desert once more." seeing no more use in dwindling around I add a curt "Goodnight!" and head back to the men's tent. With the corner of my I see the blonde nod and gently pick Assassin up. The two taking refuge in their own tent. 

Honestly, this girl was like a second Kimba! like the blonde's familiar this 'assassin' girl gravitated around the frontliner and now was even getting herself in troublesome situations due to her carelessness. But having learned from earlier, I decide to not voice my observation. "Looks like we found our camping spot!" I finally chime in, stopping next to to the two with Darius in tow. I look around a bit and sigh, this was barely a place suited for someone of my status to rest but I didn't have other options in the matter. The sun was setting and as mentioned before, I could feel the temperatures slightly dropping by the minute. Opening my inventory, I too let out a sigh, seeing that I didn't even have a sleeping bag in it, not to mention a tent.

I catch a glimpse of the blonde fidgeting with her HUD display and it hits me. She was a Tailor so she would have or could make tents for us. As if answering my expectations, I see her pulling out a compact item which she thrown on the sand nearby. It starts expanding and in mere seconds I see that it was something akin to a small bedouin tent sporting red and blue colors. I peer inside and see that two sleeping bags had also been provided.

Her eyes intersect with mine and I see her smirk for a second. "This one's for me and Sin-chan." she plainly states, setting her sights on Darius besides me. With fleeting hope, I follow her gaze to see him with a similar item in his hands. "I'm glad that at least you came prepared, darius. Your master should learn from you!" she chimed with glee. I ignore her and put a hand on my assistant's shoulder, his cheeks going slightly red after receiving the lioness' praise. "I'm thankful for everyday I get to have them by my side!" i sincerely admit, seeing Darius draw a quick gasp... visibly touched by my statement which extended to his sister Claudia. He returns a silent nod and starts unwrapping the tent, which we needed to assemble by hand as it was a basic merchant's one and not a custom made like the blonde's. He also had a couple of basic sleeping bags; shortly after the four of us start a campfire.

ID# 155134  CD: 7

"It looks like the fight is over." said the maid as she peered over my shoulder. The two of us the come closer, uniting the party once more. "You got stronger!" I claimed as I try to pat Raidou on the back. "I feel a little left behind, you know?!" I add jokingly. Then I watch Ariel bend over and pick up something, She turns and shows us yet another stone with a grin on her face: "Another one down, another stone for our collection!" she materialized the other two and held the three between her fingers. I could barely see them but the blonde was holding the towards the sky, acting as if the moonlight Illuminated the gems as strong as the afternoon sun would. "Cat vision?" came the curious question from Claudia, who once again started asking the blonde questions as soon as she noted the change in her eyes. "night... vision." corrected the blonde. "I'm going to need it for the next floor boss..." she closed her fist, her expression a little more serious. Then I watch her point towards the item she handed Raidou earlier: "That's all that remained from four light pillars, after the 24th floor boss decided to crash our labyrinth scouting and introduce himself."  

Keeping an eye on our surroundings, I decide to keep out of the fight this time. The two seemed to have it under control and me clumsily swinging my sword next to them would disturb more than help. I know I couldn't compare with Ariel but seeing Raidou fight on almost equal term with her, made me a little jealous. I wasn't a trill seeker but it felt like I was being singled out... another maiden in distress that needed protecting and that thought gnawed at my pride. Determined to also prove myself, I try to step forward when a gentle hand rests over my armored shoulder. I turn around to see Claudia shake her head, knowing what I was about to do and possibly what I was thinking.. "Sorry, I lost my cool for a second there." I admit with a downcast gaze. Keeping the sword readied, I cast the thought of joining them unless it was absolutely necessary and became content with protecting the damsel behind me. 

No action.

I was taken aback by the blonde's bluntness as was my bespectacled assistant. Yes, she was arguably being annoying but the blonde usually allowed that kind of behaviour. My chain of thoughts switches towards our surrounding as I see both Ariel and raidou looking around us. They must have picked something off and that's why the blonde demanded silence. The fact that she did it so bluntly made me tense up and swallow the breath I didn't knew I was holding. "W...what is it?" came the low tone inquiry from Claudia who seemed to have passed on the initial shock and probably came to the same conclusion as me. We we're being watched.

I see Ariel pass something to Raidou and prepare to fight, so I also summon my weapon. "Kar col eshuel Fae iorwe!" came the sudden shout from our right. "Bren nha Al Iilor!" comes another shout. I recognize the melodic tone of the words but my brain doesn't get a chance to try and figure what they said. Soon we were flanked by a couple of elven folk dressed in green attire, probably made out of natural materials. I shake my head, this was not the time to pay attention to that. Suddenly, a large roar could be heard around us. I swallow as I think of the most probable source of that cry.

• Dracul: 180/180 |18/18 | 5 | 27 | 18
• Raidou: 920/920 | 92/92 | ? | 54 |
• Ariel: 1450/1450 | 140/140 | 19 | 79 | 4 | 1 
   
• Elven Dragon Cultist 1: 50/50 | 35 | 25 | 14
• Elven Dragon Cultist 2: 50/50 | 35 | 25 | 14
• Ghidorah: 215/215 | 70 | 40 | 1 | 1 | 14

'Has it been that long?' I ask myself as I watch Claudia and Raidou set the map up. He seemed changed, visibly he wore the same attire so nothing new in that department but somehow, he showed more confidence. Before I could dig more into it I'm distracted by the blonde's interjection, her interest finally piqued as she drew closer to the map after reading our notes. She doesn't say anything but everyone would see, after Raidou finished talking, that her eyes' whites went black and a golden circle appeared around her iris. I look down, reminded that Kimba had similar sight and could only assume that she was using one of the searching skills or mods I have only read about. "I'll keep an eye out." she finally stated with a wink at Raidou, her eyes returning to normal... as much as normal would one be with natural silver eye color.

On the other side, Claudia seemed fascinated by the phenomenon and kept alternating between looking at the blonde and Kimba; probably hoping to see that it happen again and take notes on it.

Of course he would and probably around the same time as us. There was never the question of 'if' they deciphered it but merely a friendly rivalry of 'when' and who would be the first. Our interpretation still lacked in some areas but we had a name, a date and some details about a creature's daily habits. Which I was 80% certain it was our 'Opal' dragon, the other option is that this Doctor Belch was keeping a journal about his favorite dog or whatever pet elves have; by the way he was referring to it. Never calling it by name or race but by using ever-changing pet names and such. "Oh I see you have our next destination?" I ask with raised eyebrows, tapping at a small passage that describes a location in Raidou's paper. Claudia opened her HUD map, expanded it once again and tried to circle the location with her index. She was unsure of her accuracy however: "Around here?" she asked, turning her head over her shoulder towards Raidou with a pleading look behind her glasses. Hoping he would step in and pinpoint the location.