Shirien

Shirien concluded the boss would not attack physically, its only assault were the mental ones that somehow drained his hitpoints. With that in mind he had no issue with shutting his eyes and focusing his mind, wanting a little of his energy to come back so he could charge back into combat. As things stood he doubted he would be able to land a decent hit on the enemy, and so he had to bide his time a touch and hope he got lucky.

[ID# 58768]

Shirien: 19/20 HP | 0/5 Energy [+1] | 21 Mitigation | 5 Damage | 1 Evasion
Action: [BD: 10] Waiting

Interaction: 15/15 HP | 3 Mitigation | 7 Damage
Action: [MD: (6-1=5)] Miss

Shirien charged towards the horde of shadows with his dagger, prepared to slice at them but they slunk away from him when he approached as if afraid, whispering their cruel words all the while which he was barely able to block out as he realized he was getting exhausted. The mental effort he was putting forth taking its toll on his ability to stay conscious. His body was more or less fine, but his mind was craving a long rest to help him recover from all he had been through today. He couldn't allow it though, needing to remain focused on the battle at hand!

[ID# 58766]

Shirien: 19/20 HP | 0/5 Energy [+1 -2] | 21 Mitigation | 5 Damage | 1 Evasion
Action: [BD: 4] Miss!

Interaction: 15/15 HP | 3 Mitigation | 7 Damage
Action: [MD: (6-1=5)] Miss!

The hooded player took a deep breath and opened his eyes, focusing only on what was before him instead of what was being said. He had a job to do here and he figured he should focus on simply doing it. What people said? Didn't matter. What people thought? Didn't matter. What matters was that he was alive and that was not about to change. He refused the idea of letting it change or having someone else determine how he would do things or why. "Okay..." He said softly "I'm ready." He said confidently while holding his dagger at the ready to strike!

[ID# 58765]

Shirien: 19/20 HP | 1/5 Energy [+1 -2] | 21 Mitigation | 5 Damage | 1 Evasion
Action: [BD: 1] Critical Miss!

Interaction: 15 HP | 3 Mitigation | 7 Damage
Action: [MD: 1] Critical Miss!

Shirien shut his eyes tight, trying not to look at them or listen to their words, taking deep breaths to slow his heartbeat and calm his mind. He rationally knew he shouldn't be so bothered by them. Their words may be about him but that didn't make them true. He grit his teeth as he outright refused to accept their words into his mind and stood immobile while focusing himself. He needed to be calm for this he thought to himself. He didn't want them to pull the rug out from under him and spell his doom. He didn't want to die or fail and return to how he was before!

[ID# 58763]

Shirien: 19/20 HP | 2/5 Energy [+1 -2] | 21 Mitigation | 5 Damage | 1 Evasion
Action: [BD: 5] Miss!

Interaction: 15 HP | 3 Mitigation | 7 Damage
Action: [MD: (3-1=2)] Miss!

When the room lit up he found himself in a place he didn't think would be that bad. It was just a classroom. His eyebrows raised as he glanced around and noticed many shadowy figures much like the one that had been outside, but none of them were smiling. All of their eyes were on him however and it seemed like their thoughts were being projected aloud or they were whispering very loudly. "Who's he?" One asked "Why is he wearing a hood?" Another spoke to the spirit next to them he assumed. Shirien grit his teeth as he was hit with deja vu, the feeling of being judged by those around him even though they don't know anything about him. Shirien blinked as he noticed his hitpoints dropped ever-so-slightly. He was taking damage just by being around these spirits it seemed!

[ID# 58762]

Shirien: 19/20 HP [-1] | 3/5 Energy [-2] | 21 Mitigation | 5 Damage | 1 Evasion
Action: [BD: 2] Miss

Interaction: 15 HP | 3 Mitigation | 7 Damage
Action: [MD: (7-1=6)] Hit!

Shirien took a breath as he tried to meditate again, but this time he didn't sit, nor did he put his dagger away. He just tried to focus, getting more used to the trick to opening these doors at this point. It took a few moments of trying but soon the door started to show its true colors. it didn't actually change much, it stayed stone-gray, the only notable difference being that it now had a stick figure on it. Shirien raised a brow and muttered under his breath "What, did they run out of ideas?" Shirien asked as if the developers might actually hear him. Shaking his head he steps forward into the abyss for the final time he hoped.

[Stamina Restored!]

Before long in the room however he heard the familiar voice say to him "The final stretch, you must be excited to get your reward." Said the spirit with its usual creepy grin. "...A bit, yes. I'd much rather be... somewhere with more people." He chuckled softly and shrugged his shoulders while starting to approach the fourth and final door. "Are you sure?" Asked the shadow making Shirien look back at it in confusion "...Uhm... Yes. There is nothing here." The shadow didn't say another word and merely stared, leaving Shirien with a slight sense of confusion as he got ready to begin meditating in front of the final door to get the final challenge done and over with. Not once had he considered jumping off the tower, far too convinced he would just die if he did.

While gathering his thoughts he decided there was no point being all pitiful in the white void. Heck, it might even disappear after a set time! With that sudden realization Shirien ran off and out of the room in a hurry, looking around as the door behind him shut itself. His eyes opened a bit wider when he realized the hole in the wall was gone and was replaced with a balcony with sliding glass doors. "Huh." Shirien said as he opened the door and stepped outside onto the balcony while looking over the edge. The building had a bottom at last, and the surrounding city appeared to have been restored. There was no signs of life save for a few plants sprouting from the ground below however. The town still seemed very lonely and empty from where he stood. Shirien shrugged his shoulders and turned to head back inside, shutting the door behind himself as he did.

Shirien tried to not listen to the various insults slung by the succubus as she tried to dodge away from him. He knew they were just going to be baseless assumptions and trying to emasculate him into letting her kill him or something stupid like that, but he was having none of it. With determination he ran forward with his dagger pointed out, driving the blade into the demon's unarmored chest where her heart would be. Shirien took a breath while waiting for the monster to go ahead and die. His eyes shot wide as he arms wrapped around him tightly. He felt warm as he heard tucked into his neck and she said as just a whisper "You'll never feel this sensation again~" And then she shattered along with the room, leaving him in the white void with an open door to pass through. Suddenly he felt a lot colder and he made a soft whimper "That's just depressing and mean..." He says pitifully while taking a moment to calm down..

[ID# 58758]

Shirien: 20/20 HP | 1/5 Energy [+1 -2] | 21 Mitigation | 5 Damage | 1 Evasion
Action: [BD: 10] Severely Critical Side Bite [2x1x(5+2)=14]

Lust: 0/10 HP [-14+2=-12]| 2 Mitigation | 5 Damage
Action: Hurtful words!... Followed by death.

[LD: 11] Nothing!

Shirien stared with wide eyes as the woman mocked and scolded him, laughing all the while as he felt a flush of embarrassment go through his virtual body. The surprise reversal was certainly having the intended effect, he was totally stunned and shocked, unsure what to do until she started to cross the line. "Never mind that you have a sm-" "Yeah, no!" Interrupts the suddenly enraged player. At this point he knew the monster was full of it, just trying to say whatever would hurt most instead of having some kind of foresight power to tell him about his romantic life. He sliced forward with his dagger, hitting the succubus' arm as she leaped back with a hiss. "Such a brute! Not only interrupting me but assaulting a lady?" She taunted even as her hitpoints dropped low.

[ID# 58756]

Shirien: 20/20 HP | 2/5 Energy [+1 -2] | 21 Mitigation | 5 Damage | 1 Evasion
Action: [BD: 6] Side Bite [2x1x5=10]

Lust: 2/10 HP [-10+2=-8]| 2 Mitigation | 5 Damage
Action: [MD: 1] Critical Miss!

As Shirien walked through the darkness he wondered what this next room had in store for him as he drew his dagger. When the room took shape he thought something had gone wrong. The room was pretty similar to the previous room, but much smaller with normal sized furniture and cushions. The main differences were that the room was lit very lightly by small candles all around which filled the room with lovely scents and bottles of wine and other such drinks were scattered all around. Sitting in a nearby seat and sipping a glass of said wine sat what appeared to his RPG-minded self as a succubus. She turned to him with a smile after setting the glass down. She stood and approached the player in her scanty clothing, waiting until she was an arm's length away from him... Before putting a hand over her mouth and started to laugh. Shirien was dumbstruck by that, it being the last reaction he would expect from a monster designed like this. A scratch or seduction maybe, but laughing? "Y-you can't be serious, right? Why would you be something I'd want?" Said the demonic woman in an outright insulting manner. "You have no redeeming features, come on, look around. Lust as an inner demon? You pervert! Never mind the other ugly displays, do you think any woman would even look at you if they knew what you were like inside?" She giggled and said while glaring at the stunned player with an air of superiority.

[ID# 58753]

Shirien: 20/20 HP | 3/5 Energy [-2] | 21 Mitigation | 5 Damage | 1 Evasion
Action: [BD: 1] Critical Miss!

Lust: 10/10 HP | 2 Mitigation | 5 Damage
Action: [MD: (2-1=1)] Miss!

"How do I know you aren't just the boss who shows his true colors once his minions are dealt with?" Asked the curious and suspicious player to the strange NPC which was clearly not meant to make him feel at ease in his mind. "You don't." Said the voice in turn before he gestured to the third door. "If you think you cannot handle the challenges ahead, you need only step off the building. If you can however..." The creature left its final words to be implied rather than stated and Shirien found himself sighing as he approached the third door and brought his hands together with his dagger sheathed. He figured he would see if sitting was actually required since it left him vulnerable. Soon the door turned pitch black with many rose symbols wrapped around it. The player with the hood found this mildly amusing given his true name but tried to assume that was a coincidence as he entered into the opening door.

Stretching his back a bit Shirien steps through the door as it began to shut behind him. Like the previous door it cracked all over and the gold lost its luster. Shirien once again approached the hole in the building and peered down with curiosity. The earth beneath the buildings had been restored it seemed with the buildings on top still ruined. Shirien tried to imagine what this place would look like when he was done dealing with the the various threats on this weird guilt trip the game had set him on. He wondered whose demented mind came up with such a quest that focused on mental assaults instead of physical ones. "Two down, two to go." Said the shadowy figure with its usual appearance, making Shirien shrug.

"Go ahead and take a seat." Said a kingly voice as Shirien looked around. His eyes raised as he noted a large bed containing an equally large king. Too fat to even move it would seem. Shirien felt a wave of disgust as the king-like monster smiled at him, looking human in all ways except size. "You don't need to fight and participate against the dungeons, just relaaaax. The other players can take care of all that. Why should you risk your life? You're better than that." Said the king in an almost mocking tone that pissed Shirien off. He held his dagger in a fighting position to show his intent as a sense of drowsiness tugged at the back of his mind. "Now now, there is no need for-" The king was cut off when the hooded player charged forward and sliced at the king's bulbous body, leaving him squealing like a pig as he shattered apart and left Shirien alone in the room which also shattered apart into a white like the previous room. "Bit late for that... I've already moved past that section of myself I like to think... at least somewhat?" He shrugs his shoulders as he approaches the reopened door.

[ID# 58749]

Shirien: 20/20 HP | 3/5 Energy [-2] | 21 Mitigation | 5 Damage | 1 Evasion
Action: [BD: 9] Critical Side Bite! [2x1x(5+1)=12]

Sloth: 0/6 HP [-12+1=-11]| 1 Mitigation | 3 Damage
Action: Death

[LD: 18] +1 Material

Shirien tried to keep himself calm as each group took their turn in the battle, gritting his teeth and holding his dagger tightly in anticipation for the golden moment when his group would be given its turn to strike against the wolves and their leader. He felt a shiver go through his body each time the creatures howled and left fuzzy memories to go through his head. "Don't think, don't think, just fight." He reminds himself with whispers over and over until his group finally did get their turn!

He watched as the player he humorously assumed was named after a canine went ahead with hand-to-hand combat. This surprised Shirien at first but while Husky dealt with the big-bad-wolf he decided his power would be best spent assaulting the minions! With his strategy solidified he charges into the small wolf pack and his blade began to glow. Suddenly he spun on his legs, a tempest striking the three wolves and dropping their hitpoints a decent amount in his mind, putting them on their last legs!

Content with his work he falls back to the group and waits for the other members to take their shots at the wolves or Lyrica herself! "The wolves are low!" He says as a reminder to anybody who desired to finish them off with a little AOE. He had spent most of his energy however, leaving him panting softly to try and regain his breath.

[ID# 58702]
[BD: 9]
Action: Round Accel [2x1x8(7+1 crit)=16]

Shirien took a breath as he felt himself become fully rested from the last fight. He stared at the second featureless door for a moment before taking a breath and beginning to meditate once again. His eyes watched as the door slowly changed shape into a golden door with many intricate symbols and the image of a luxurious bed engraved into the surface. The door began to open itself and Shirien stood up onto his legs and drew his dagger once again while stepping forward. As before the corridor was pitch black as he walked before suddenly lighting up into a room of luxurious cushions and blankets all around. Shirien idly thought to himself it looked like a comfy room.

Shirien nodded in understanding, shrugging his shoulders as he said "Fair enough, I for one am not about to hurl myself from a tower to test it in any case! Hopefully bosses don't suddenly start including sheer drops or bottomless pits." He shrugs his shoulders and stares back out at the view appreciatively. With a slight hum he takes out a bottle of water and starts to sip it once it was uncorked. While looking out into the wilderness he could barely make out a bit of brown which he assumed was a boar. He got a grin on his face as he held the cork tightly in his hand and drew his arm back. He gave the cork a hard toss once it had begun to glow a bit and moments later he saw the boar turn around and start charging towards town, only to turn around a bit later thanks to its AI. "It's a good thing that boars can't just sprout wings and get to you for revenge... not that the safe zone would let them." 

Shirien smiled and waved while wearing his black market items, nodding to the player as they made the trade and giving him the 1000 col coins to cover the prices of every item that had been purchased "Sweet, thanks for the help." He says while putting the items away for now in his shop's inventory for later use. He hoped at least one of them would get him a decent appraisal in the future, but for now this was well and good for him. "Best of luck in your adventures and so forth, this'll help me out a bunch!" The trade had given him half a rank after all!

-1000 Col to Seul
+3 Light Armor, 3 Heavy Armor, and 4 Weapons to Shirien
+20 EXP [10+10(Item bonus)]

I'm too new to have gotten it before, but I do find it very interesting!

Not to divert the conversation at hand, but would these newsletters be "IC knowledge"? Like, if we get the newsletter could my character be aware of this information despite not personally being at the events?

Back on topic I'mma vote 'yes' because a newsletter would be a great summary of sorts in my mind~

Edit: Just got a message in my email asking if I got the message, so I'mma just edit here a 'yes' instead of double posting~

Shirien rapidly tapped his foot in frustration while crossing his arms with his dagger in his right hand pointing up. "I hate this feeling..." He mutters softly while watching Takao fight the monster. The creature had only hit Takao once, but simple math told him that if he tried to attack right now, there was 50/50 odds of the monster attacking someone other than Takao. He overhears Avilon's question and says "It's because of Takao, if I am blunt." He blinks and realizes how that must have sounded, quickly turning to clarify himself "Err, let me rephrase. Since he is extremely high leveled he has nothing to fear. On top of that his damage output and defense far exceeds ours." He gestures to the boss and says "Even with your new armor, that thing would kill us both in one hit. Niko might survive two or three, I'm not sure, but Takao would have to actually let himself die essentially." He looks to Takao and the monster with a sense of mixed envy and wrath. "We don't even compare to him right now... I probably sound ungrateful, but I'm really just selfish. It feels wrong to be rewarded for doing nothing..." He crosses his arms again while waiting for Takao to hit the boss at least one more time. Him attacking now was suicide, and he despised that knowledge. He cracked his neck a bit and got ready to charge in if the monster survived another hit from Takao. He was pretty much done explaining at this point and his frustration was reaching a critical point. 

Shirien sat himself down in front of the second room while taking a deep breath. "I'd ask why you didn't warn me... But I don't think I would have believed you anyways..." He says while referring to the attempted mental damage atop of physical damage that the first room had tried to inflict on him. "Correct, you wouldn't have." The figure stated as if it was a hard fact of the world and he knew it. Shirien felt a ping of annoyance at how sure the figure was but he shook it off quickly enough. "... Right. Well, I will be better prepared for the next rooms I am sure, now that I know what is in store for me." He says while trying to sound just as sure. "Do you?" The voice asked back to him. Shirien figured with was rhetorical, and in either scenario he didn't want to think about it.

Shirien entered the main room with a disgruntled look on his face. The hooded player's eyes quickly changed one to mild surprise as he looked through the room's opening to the ruined city. The plants were gone. He didn't know if it had to do with him beating the wolf or not, but the moss and vines and other such things in the area had vanished. The city wasn't exactly neat but it was improved in his mind which gave him a minor sense of accomplishment. As the door shut behind him he heard the sound of strong cracking, the patterns in the yellow door entirely unrecognizable. "Well done" Congratulated the shadowy figure to Shirien's surprise as he stared at the creature. "You finished the first test, the easiest. They will get harder from door to door." Explained the figure as a courtesy to the confused player that was still catching his breath from the ordeal.

Shirien didn't feel fear anymore, and his shoulder didn't feel pain. If anything the dull sensation going through his body helped snap him back to his senses. He didn't want to die, and cowering wasn't going to keep him alive! He clenched his dagger tightly in his hand and stabbed towards his shoulder with a yell, the blade cutting deep into the wolf's skull and dropping its HP from full to empty in an instant! All at once the room shattered apart, leaving him alone in a white room without any signs of the wolf or other details he had seen up until now. The only thing he could see was the door he had entered through opening in front of him. Gritting his teeth Shirien stands himself up and starts walking towards the door with a bit of anger keeping him sane. The wolf had pissed him off with its mind games, helping him forget the fear the room filled him with until he left..

[ID# 58596]

Shirien: 19/20 HP | 1/5 Energy [-1 +1] | 21 Mitigation | 5 Damage | 1 Evasion
Action: [BD: 9] Critical Hit!

Fear: 0/5 HP [-6+1=-5]| 1 Mitigation | 2 Damage
Action: Death

[LD: 19] +1 Material

While cowering in the middle of the forest-like room he fest fangs suddenly bite into his shoulder, the sudden sensation of his nerves going off with unknown purpose sending shivers through his spine and making him freeze for a whole new reason! His eyes shot straight to the corner of his vision to see what was being done to him... Only to see very little actually happen. He watched as his hitpoints hardly dropped at all. In fact, it was only a single hitpoint that he had lost. His eyes stared at the odd display and found himself staring at his health bar in disbelief while sharp objects invaded his virtual flesh.

[ID# 58589]

Shirien: 19/20 HP [-1 HP] | 2/5 Energy [-2 +1] | 21 Mitigation | 5 Damage | 1 Evasion
Action: [BD: 1] Miss

Fear: 5/5 HP | 1 Mitigation | 2 Damage
Action: [MD: 8-1=7] Hit!

Shirien fell to his knees and placed his hands over his ears as if to shut out the noise of the creature which circled him tauntingly, but the words rang through as if placed directly into his mind. His eyes were shut tight as he tried to ignore every syllable, trying so hard not to process or think about the things it was trying to tell him to do or what he himself would or had done in the past! Every verse of the strange monster's words dug deep into his mind and showed him memories of fear and cowardice from his past!

[ID# 58587]

Shirien: 20/20 HP | 3/5 Energy [-2 +1] | 21 Mitigation | 5 Damage | 1 Evasion
Action: [BD: 1] Critical Miss!

Fear: 5/5 HP | 1 Mitigation | 2 Damage
Action: [MD: 3-1=2] Miss!