Shirien

[ID# 59614][CD: 10]

Shirien saw Niko rushing and was not far behind him, rushing off as fast as his virtual legs were willing to carry him until he crossed the invisible line that separated the quest zone from the regular zones. Finally passing over out of the storm and instead into the sweltering heat Shirien takes a deeeeeeep breath and lets it out as a long sigh before saying "Yaaaay, we did iiiiiit~" It had been a while since he last slept so his mental strength wasn't at its highest as he grabs his water, pulls his hood back, and pours it onto his head and face. He sighed happily as he discarded the empty bottle which shattered on contact with the ground into nothingness. "Thaaat's a bit better." He says as he tugs his hood back over his face so he had shade. "Let's go and get these handed in before the time limit expires." He says, really hoping that they didn't end up failing the quest after that much travelling.

[ID# 59612][CD: 1] 34/44 HP!

Shirien gasped as he was pulled up, making sure he wasn't about to drop his crate and break it or something as he said "Yeah, I think so, just... Uh... Just spooked me a bit." He rubs his eyes with one hand, seeing stars from the brightness and the tingles going through his body. It was at this moment a sudden gust of wind shot forth and Shirien felt something strike him in the shoulder, a crimson pixelated scar across his shoulder and he felt course sand breaking through his armor to tear at his virtual skin "Aaaaaaaaand that's not a warning shot!" He says hurriedly while walking off as fast as he could, it seemed his luck was finally starting to run dry.

[ID# 59610][CD: 2]

Shirien raised a brow at the mention of quicksand and he happily decided to say "Maybe at first, but you could always throw the box and then remove your armor. I mean, it's not like you need to unbuckle it." He chuckled softly and swaps through his menus, quickly removing removing his dagger and re-equipping it before switching the box onto his right shoulder so his left arm would get some rest. "It'd still suck though, true, and I guess that weight makes downhill battles a bit tougher... hadn't thought of that before." He chuckled softly while basking in his light armoredness. A moment later, as if Kayaba himself was warning him to mind his hubris, a lightning bolt struck directly in front of Shirien, making him stumble backwards and fall onto his butt, barely able to keep the box from tumbling out of his grasp as his ears rung from the loud thunder crack.

Shirien smiled happily to Zandra and cheerily said "I think I will, thank you very much~! And hey, I can get behind any excuse to enjoy some off time from the struggles out there." He gives a little wave to Zandra as he goes and grabs himself a hot dog, pausing to bite it as out of the corner of his eye he notices Zandra taking out a weapon and a potion. He had no idea what was in the potion but her having a weapon worried him. He had his dagger in his inventory, and a lucky craft had these swimtrunks full of enhancements, but he couldn't help but feel intimidated by the sudden arrival of the weapon so he moved off to the side just to be safe. He hesitated a moment and with his back to Zandra so she couldn't see what he was doing he takes out an antidote potion and pours some of it on the food before taking a bite. Thankfully the potion was tasteless so it didn't ruin the taste of the meat as he turned around, bottle no longer in hand, the first bite of the food clearly taken. He felt bad, but he couldn't imagine why she'd suddenly take out a weapon. He did take a moment to wave at the other arrivals though if they glanced his way, wanting to seem friendly at least.

-Poison Relief

[ID# 59605][CD: 10]

Shirien smiled softly as they walked, it was easier for him at least with the wind at his back than at his face. If anything the wind was giving him pushes towards his goal rather than to keep him from it like before. "I much prefer walking downwind. Barely have to step at all, just lift your leg and let nature do the rest." He says while keeping his eyes down in case any stray sand decided to whip around or a monster decided to burrow out. He didn't feel in danger but caution was rarely a poor move to make when travelling in the wilderness.

Shirien grinned at the image in his head of the armored player running up to Kayaba and literally shoving his foot through the other man's chest. Giving a thumbs up Shirien let go of his hood since it wasn't about to blow backwards. "Sounds good to me, in fact, if it doesn't quite get all the way through, I'll give you a shove to seal the deal." He offers in good spirits while managing a chuckle before sighing wistfully at the horizon and the darkness that filled the desert. He had nobody but himself to blame since he volunteered, but he was missing out on a lot of sleep. Then again he figured that he could always just make up for it later! He went through such imaginary scenarios to protect his mind from boredom at the least as they tried not to get blown over with their new burdens in hand.

[ID# 59547][CD: 8]

[ID# 59542][CD: 10]

Shirien grinned happily at what Niko confirmed for him, but not before saying "Ooh, that's nice, I prefer 'No sleep for the wicked' personally" He started charging up with the player eagerly and sheathing his dagger as he looked around for any signs of something he could take. Sadly everything seemed to be broken up except the actual quest items. A part of him wondered if the second box spawned simply since he was near. He wasn't about to question it though, not willing to risk getting no credit for not taking the box. He lifts it up with both hands, then props it up on his left shoulder while being supported by the same side's arm. His right hand held his hood in place as usual as he nodded to the heavily armored player. "Were on a time limit, so no time to waste~" Shiriens says while stomping back the way they came. Their footprints were already removed from the storm and he shuddered at the idea of lightning striking him. There wasn't a whole lot higher up than the two of them!

[ID# 59540][CD: 7]

Shirien nods his head slowly and says "Halfway, hm?" He sighed softly as they passed the stones, running his dagger along their sides and watching the sparks fly until they were out of reach. It was the little thing that kept his interest in this world. "Well, then what do you think, put our virtual bodies through sleep deprivation... or risk dying in our sleep?" It was a very real threat since they were far away from any safe zones Shirien figured. The only real option in his mind was to take the items and return back before you fell over from exhaustion. "I vote we just tough it out!" He straightens his back a bit to seem like he was acting tough, shielding his eyes still from the lashing winds as he made out a a rarity in these desert filled lands, what appeared to be wood in the distance. "Ooh, could that be...?" He asks while pointing his blade towards the object. He couldn't tell if it was a box or the ruins of a caravan or what, but it certainly wasn't a tree!

[ID# 59535][CD: 4]

Shirien nodded in agreement, not liking the idea of getting buried or eating sand. "As long as the rocks don't fly up and smash my face in with these winds, I'm happy." He says with a slight strain in his face as a particularly rough gust of wind had him stand still and brace for a few seconds before it died down and he could continue marching forward with his hands clenched into tight fists. It had been quite some time since he had to exercise quite to this extent for a continued amount of time, but he was confident even his real body could put up with it for a fair while longer. He reaches down and grabs his bottle of water, aiming it so the opening was facing away from the breeze as he took a sip so no sand got in before recorking it and putting it back in place to keep himself cool and hydrated in the storm. 

[ID# 59533][CD: 11]

Shirien forced himself forward against the rough weather, digging his legs into the sand with each step to ground himself as he kept pace with his partner in this quest. In the back of his mind he felt a sense of deja va going through him and he couldn't help but let out a laugh as he realized what was so familiar about this. It reminded him of a game he played before about two cloaked figures exploring a desert together while advancing towards a brightly lit mountain in the distance. Getting a slight thrill of motivation he quickens his pace. Each step came faster than the next as he shielded his eyes until he was standing side-to-side with the armored player in defiance of the storm. Adrenaline from the fear was starting to settle itself in his body and the storm became less intimidating and more another asset in this massive game to him!

Shirien followed after the heavily armored player only a step behind him and to the side. He watched as the storm grew in front of them as they approached, a sense of worry crossing his face as his free hand gripped his hood and held on, tugging it lower so it wouldn't blow off with the wind  His leather armor was well made as well as the cloth that rested under it, but that didn't change a thing to the storm and he knew it. He just had to keep calm and keep walking forward along with Niko towards the cargo indicated on his map. Just when he thought the storm wasn't going to get worse it did and he watched as sand was blown up like the slash of a blade here and there. "This is... Pretty intimidating~" the hooded player says while trying to hide his nerves.

[ID# 59530][CD: 8]

He kept his eyes glancing out around his arm now and then while shielding himself and gripping his dagger tightly for fear it would get blown out of his grasp and be lost forever in the sands. He was spared any damage for now as he trekked forward against the strong winds. Thankfully the tightness of most of his clothes didn't give the storm much to push against him with. That was another aspect where Niko likely had an advantage in his mind, the sheer weight of his gear likely grounded him while Shirien worried if he was much baggier he'd blow right away!

Shirien blinked as the German was mixed into the words but the conversation and intent remained clear to his mind if nothing else. He was thankful for spending well over a decade on the internet, without it he may not have learned to understand what would otherwise be gibberish to someone who can't fill in blanks. Once NIko was done filling him in on the situation though he nodded and without skipping a beat said "I see. Well, I have a potion at the ready for if things get dicey. Hopefully I won't need to use it though." He shrugs his shoulders and turns his eyes towards the sandy horizon and says "I'm ready to go now. You're the best defended between us, so I vote you lead the way." He grinned, not a coward he liked to think, just very stuck in his ways with being strategic when it came to MMOs. Until his stealth skills increased vastly he wasn't too keen on the idea of being in front of someone in heavier armor. That said he flicked his dagger out of its sheath in preparation for the journey ahead while taking out a water bottle and keeping it clipped to his belt along with his potions for if he got thirsty on the way. "I'll back you up if anything burrows out of the sand or something, don'tcha worry about that!" He was at least a little more confident than the last time he had been here.

Shirien was quite fond of the fifth floor. He always had a weak spot for these types of biomes and he was happy to express it to the people he was partied with the last time he was there. It seemed not everybody shared his love of desert societies and stories though, he noticed a lot of people sweating and groaning while he was sipping his chilled drink to keep his heat somewhat regular. it was only natural you'd come to feel miserable if you didn't take care of yourself.

Shirien's ear perked a bit when he heard the familiar notification noise indicating he had gotten a message. Humming in thought he scanned it and got the jist. He opened up his notes and started flipping through, trying to figure out what 'The Traveler' referred to before finally finding the quest vaguely described. He was going to refuse but then he noticed the name was familiar. He had met this player before and decided it was worth the effort in that case. Flipping his hood over his head he leaves the cool shaded building he had been resting in while typing up a message back to Niko. The message told the armored player that Shirien was on the way and a few minutes later he came into view. When Shirien spotted his would-be partner in this quest he waved and spoke once he was close. "Hey there, Niko, nice to see you again." Shirien says with a friendly smile showing from under his hood. His outfit hadn't changed much since the last time they had grouped up so he hoped he was recognizable. "This time we're going out there without any high levels, hm?" He chuckled softly, still grateful for the help Takao had given them all back then.

I am somewhat forced to agree since I noticed the same thing and chose the dagger because of that sweet, sweet damage. I mean, not a lot of people seem to actually use rapiers in general I've noticed, and this might be part of the reason. For all intents it's a less functional dagger, so why is it there?

That said, it seems a little unfair to say "Why not just take x" due to the fact there is no SP reset available. Perhaps they would/could if such an option were present. xP Once you pick your weapon skill you are locked into it.

"A... beach party?" Shirien asks himself quietly while looking the message over. He glanced up at the sky and said "I guess that makes sense, some floors having beaches, but why so high up?" Some were blazing hot, others were freezing cold, but he wasn't about to argue with a good thing. It took him all of one second to gather himself mentally and begin walking towards the nearest tailor for some actual swimming wear. Upon exiting with his new swimwear in his inventory he started to tap through menus while approaching the teleporter. Upon reaching the sixteenth floor as listed by the all-invite he found a place nearby to change into his new dark purple swim trunks with a little black going down the sides. He spent about fifteen seconds stressing about the fact he was rather pale in real life and it carried over, but he tried not to let it get to him. His body had very little fat which made his muscles more visible at least so he looked reasonably healthy. Never before had he been so thankful for his metabolism.

Once his insecurities were placed firmly aside he kept his back straight and walked out onto the beach and towards the party itself. As the smells of food filled his senses his sense of purpose was reaffirmed. First though he had to tend to manners and the like. He was naturally drawn towards the fire so it didn't take long for him to notice who he assumed was the host. Remembering the name from the invite he said "Heyyyy, you're Zandra right?" He asks while approaching so his presence was known. A second later he was calming his breathing as he made note of her body with a swift up and down with his brown eyes which matched his neck length hair. One would be mad to deny her attractiveness, particularly in her swimsuit, but he tried to stay focused and calm. "Thanks for the invite, it was as good a reason as any to take in the sights of the new floor!" He realizes she had no idea who he was in all likely hood so he said "I'm Shirien, by the way, nice to meet'cha!" He finds his eyes occasionally flicking towards the hotdogs as they cooked. He was the type of man who would never turn down a free meal no matter the reason or excuse, but he also didn't want to come off as a parasite.

Shirien's hearing was mostly going unnoticed as he swung his dagger with abandon at the dark elf who was stabbing his leg. After slapping Shirien's hand away the dark skinned elf pulled the scimitar from Shirien's leg and instead swung it across the player's exposed throat. Shirien couldn't vocalize anything for some time until the wound shut itself, mute and panicked as he scrambled to his feet and away from the elf as his spare hand clutches his throat as if scared his head was going to just tumble off his shoulders despite not having gone that deep. The hooded player was trembling a bit. His confidence had soared down since his initial hit at the start of the fight.

[ID# 59499][BD: 2][MD: 10]
Action: Miss! 
Enemy Action: Severe Hit!! ((Literally Satan))

Dark Elf: 4/12

Shirien: 1/12 [-11 HP] 0/3 Energy [+1 -2]

Mayuri : 88/88 12/12 Energy

Shirien entered the shop with a slight sense of urgency about him, like he was worried he was about to miss out on a once-in-a-lifetime event. He walked right up to the counter and plopped 700 Col's worth of coins atop her surface and said "Hiii! Could I get some swimwear?" He asks the blonde player. "I'd like for them to be dark purple swimshorts preferably." He figured it was a relatively simple order seeing how it didn't need any enhancements or the like.

-700 Col

He did not regret backing off as a moment later the wasp had lashed out with its pincers towards him and then charged where he was escaping to. Shirien made a last ditch move and jumped to the side and rolled back onto his legs while ready to defend a follow up attack only for the wasp to entrap itself on a nearby tree. The sharp mandibles dug into the wood and seemed unwilling to come free. Seeing an opportunity Shirien doesn't hesitate and charges forward with his dagger ready to be swung. With four slices to the insect matriarch's back its wings shattered apart and left the creature grounded as he smiled proudly, backing away to evade a stinger swipe while distancing himself. He couldn't help but sigh in slight disappointment when the creature was hanging on by the barest amount of its healthbar. Just a feather touch and Shirien would be the victor!

[ID# 59470]

Shirien: 44/44 HP | 4/11 ENG (+1 -4) | 21 MIT
[BD: (4+2=)6] Fad Edge (4x1x6=24)

Wasp Queen: 2/50 HP (-24)
[MD: (1-1=)-1] Critical Miss!

Having reflected on his inexperience for a moment longer before he heard buzzing. Angry buzzing from the sound of it, and it was coming towards him. It was far louder than the soft buzzing he heard from the smaller wasp a moment ago. He raised his dagger with a forward grip while waiting for what was  coming to hurry up and come.

A moment later Shirien gasped as he saw a huge wasp that was slightly larger than him from pointed stinger to its antenna. Without hesitation Shirien knew what it was but had to focus on the pointed natural spear that was being thrusted at him! He dodged to the side while holding his blade up like a shield, watching sparks fly as the blade slightly deflected the attack and granted him an opening he didn't want to waste. Taking a deep breath he stabs four times rapidly into the insect, watching its hitpoints drop dramatically and give Shirien a burst of pride from his growth! Before he let it go to his head however he leaped away from the wasp before it could counter while starting to circle around warily so he was a moving target.

[ID# 59459]

Shirien: 44/44 HP | 7/11 ENG (-4) | 21 MIT
[BD: (7+2=)9] Fad Edge (4x1x6=24)

Wasp Queen: 26/50 HP (-24)
[MD: (3-1=)2] Miss!

With his eyes glancing around with no lack of wariness and curiosity he explored deeper into the wilderness and away from civilization in search of his mark. He squinted his eyes as the sight of a large wasp caught his attention in the distance. He couldn't tell if it was the queen so he got closer and closer before confirming to himself it wasn't large enough. It was far larger than a regular wasp, but it wasn't even close to being 'miniboss' worthy. It was nothing but a trash mob so he tried to avoid getting within aggro range and instead circled around and past it. If nothing else the presence of similar monsters proved to him he was heading in the right direction. He wasn't sure how to gauge his current strength so he tried to conserve his energy for if he needed it for some unforeseen reason. 

Shirien nodded in understanding as the other player explained, his eyes glancing upward and towards the tower that literally stood tall enough to reach the sky. He knew that it was the dungeon that lead to the second floor. "That's good. I was really hoping when I joined this game it wasn't going to be a 'ten unique floors and then ninety copy/paste floors' scenario when I bought this game." He scratches his head while staring at where the sky and the dungeon met. "... This might be the first MMO I wish had a cash shop. My kingdom for a few EXP boosts or easy gear." He sighed softly as he thought about the funds just collecting dust in his bank account. As well as the job he was likely long fired from. "I guess that means the big guy upstairs isn't after money or anything." He shrugs his shoulders and puts on a smile before saying "It... might be interesting to check out the higher floors sometime then. Should prove interesting at least... might want to look into a teleport crystal though." He would much rather be safe than dead. It wouldn't take a huge amount of effort for someone to just kill him and be done with it he figured.

Name: Basic Heavy Armor -> Bladed Pauldrons
Tier: 1
Quality: Good -> Uncommon
Enhancement: 1 Slot Thorns
ID#: 59431
Description: These pair of iron pauldrons may not offer much by way of defense but if you want to make those who try to attack you regret it then look no further. The ordinarily curved top of the pauldrons are instead shaped and sharpened into a blade that causes any attacks towards the wearer to be punished on contact.

Another new day without customers another urge to at least get some progress done. He reaches into his shop's inventory and takes out the final piece of heavy armor. Shrugging his shoulders he sets the metal atop his desk and starts polishing at the armor curiously for any hidden traits.

[ID# 59430][CD: 8+1]
-1 Material, +5 EXP, Retry

[ID# 59431][CD: 10+1][LD: 13]
-1 Material, +9 EXP, +Thorns to Basic Heavy Armor

After a couple attempts he grinned in satisfaction as the armor had evolved somewhat, granting it the ability to harm those who harm its wearer. Shirien couldn't help but smile at the potential additions it could gain and so he got to work on appraising it some more.

[ID# 59432][CD: 8+1]
-1 Material, +5 EXP, Retry

[ID# 59433][CD: 6+1]
-1 Material, +5 EXP, Retry

[ID# 59434][CD: 8+1]
-1 Material, +5 EXP, Retry

Shirien sighed as the next few attempts didn't lock or succeed with the item, giving him inconclusive results. He decided to cut himself off here for now to ensure that he didn't drain all his materials in case he got an actual customer sometime this century.

Summary: -5 Materials, +29 EXP, Basic Heavy Armor -> Thorn Heavy Armor 

He fought the internal urge to let out a sigh of relief when it was confirmed there were no bad feelings between the two of them and set his mind to memorizing her name as she prepared the hot chocolate. Shirien looked down at the cup curiously but with a smile on his face. It had been a while since he had gotten hospitality like this after all. "Thank you, it smells good." He notes after picking the cup up and taking a sip. He ignored the connection between heat and pain being a bit skewed in this world and said "Mm, and it tastes very good, I can't deny that!" He takes a second sip as if to confirm this and then sets the cup down to consider Teayre's suggestion.

On one hand he knew that he was not particularly powerful so the chance to become stronger was very much a boon. On the other however he knew enough about games like this that over extending himself was suicide. Stats were everything when it came to MMOs. "Well..." Shirien starts before trying to get his words straight in his head "That does sound like a nice idea to me, but you'll need to have my back." He chuckles softly and goes for another sip of his drink before continuing "I came up this high more to scout out the floors than actually fight. I'm not entirely sure I can kill anything this high up." He opens up his stat sheet and shows it to the lady with red hair. If she wanted him dead, he would be dead now, so he saw no harm. He was a little under half way to tier two equipment, but his tier one equipment were all perfect quality. He was well armed for his level if nothing else. "If you think I can survive... then sure, I'd be happy to do some slaying with you!"

Appraisal successful!

Name: Basic Dagger -> Second Strike <Locked>
Tier: 1
Quality: Good -> Uncommon
Enhancement: 1 Slot Keen
ID#: 59412
Description: This dagger was built to appear standard issue with an iron blade and no guard built in. Not particularly sharp but suitable for everyday combat and emergency situations. The blade itself however seems to pull towards anyone it is aimed at after tasting their victim for the first time, making the second attack more likely to land!