Shield

With the conversation cutting off at a rather dramatic moment, Shield turned and followed the boss-turned-quest-giver up to the surface. It was too early to know exactly how the following encounters would play out, but in the mean time, he kept his expression from giving away his satisfaction. In the mean time, he mentally tucked a heaping dose of I-told-you-so in his back pocket for later use. He doubted he would need it, but after the tongue lashing he had the other 'spare' voters had taken from impatient, inflexible, or bloodthirsty allies, it might be useful.

Or it might be worth the moment of being petty, despite it not being something he'd be proud of after.

It's a satisfying thought. But it would likely not get anyone anywhere.

Galtea was in shambles, and the players had entered at the climax of the incursion. "This will be an interesting examination of mass battle and how it functions in Aincrad." Sticking close with his other guildies, he made sure Calrex, Hirru, and Crozeph were at his elbows, trying to keep an eye in the crowd for any others who had joined them. "Alright. Odds are, we'll be dealing with a lot of NPC munchkins through this. Let me pull the first line of each wave. They'll likely be the most heavily armored, so DPS can focus on dropping as many attackers as they can as quickly as possible. If any of my pulls are still up by the time you clear your targets, help mop up quick and move on. We'll be likely doing some indoor combat, so if you're getting bottle-necked in corridors, call a switch, and I can swap you out to do your thing before tagging you back in after. If things get hot, I'll switch to my healing gear until Hirru can get to me. Otherwise, Hirru, stay with the squishies."

Shield did his best to keep track of the paths they took through the Galtean subterranean sprawl. Despite the abundance of teleportation crystals at their fingertips, if for some reason the coming events required them to backtrack, he wanted to at least have an idea of the general direction.

"If you're not satisfied with how the front line conducts itself and cannot make peace with it, the reasonable option is not to expect large groups of them to depart at your whim, it is for you to take your leave. The front line is constantly in flux, and if you're not prepared to deal with that," Shield said calmly, summoning a blue crystal into his hand and tossing it at Ariel's feet, "nobody is forcing you to stay." His dark eyes were stern, but they were composed and still despite his sharp gesture. "I have tried drawing lines in the sand in the past, and the results were bad for the front lines. They were values I believed in too, but in the end, me trying to force the front lines to be what I thought it should be did far more harm than good. We have our strength from relying on each other, not trying to send others packing."

He glanced for a brief moment over at Baldur, who he was sure would remember the idealistic squabbling that had divided the lines so drastically only a few floors ago. "Learn from my mistakes. Be flexible. Well designed video games have multiple paths forward. Aincrad isn't a choose-your-own-adventure book. This choice isn't going to lead to glorious victory on one hand and shattering defeat on the other. This game is many things, including cruel, but it is not unfair. It doesn't offer you death on a silver platter, even if death is always at your elbow."

With a steady breath, he continued, his eyes held on Ariel. She and Shield had been divided many times in the past. At one point, he had even considered her an enemy. Now, he was at least sure they were on the same side, if not idealistically opposed in very glaring ways. "Yes, we have followed the same formula for the last 25 floors. Almost. We have spared an NPC in the past, during the fight with the dark elf council. And do you know what happened to us as a result? Nothing." He cracked that word like a whip. "We escaped unharmed, we advanced to the next floor, and with one fewer enemy to kill.  It *also* worked. And what did we gain?" Rising to his feet, he squared his shoulder with the self-crowned lioness. "We learned something about how this game works and thinks. And we can't say that about every fight. There is a reason that people say that knowledge is power. The more we understand about our enemy and how he operates, the more ammunition we have at our disposal when we step into the boss chamber seventy floors from now."

He remained where he was, standing sentry beside Calrex. "We act together. We will see where the vote falls. You don't have the authority to tell anyone to leave. We don't recognize your crown, lioness. So if you're not interested in fighting alongside us..." At Ariel's feet, he nudged the teleportation crystal an inch closer. "...then don't."

Shield sheathed his sword and set a heavy hand on Hirru's shoulder, giving a squeeze of reassurance to add to the words of his comrades. He did not blame Hirru for any of the discourse that had occurred. More voices on the matter of sparing or killing would not be helpful at this point, so he held his tongue. The vote would fall where it would fall.

In the mean time, swords were still bared and anger still flared. Silently taking a post beside Calrex, he sat, closing his eyes and crossing his arms. Until the vote was in and settled, no action was to be taken. "A house divided cannot stand," he said. He knew those words from some history course he had taken once upon a time, but the speaker's name escaped him. Still, it was a sentiment that he felt needed echoing. "Whatever our decision, I will stand by it. Until it is decided, we wait. Yes, Aincrad is waiting on us, but haste makes waste, and a few valuable moments to choose wisely will make up the losses we would take by acting too rashly.

"We have gotten this far by acting together, and the better we become at doing so, the stronger we are. I do not agree with many of you, but I will not defy the vote." Under his elbow, his hand rested on the pommel of his sword. His fingers were relaxed, not poised to act, but the statement was clear. If someone took up arms against the will of their fellow frontliners, Shield would take up a position against them.

This is the Magus fight in Chrono Trigger all over again... complete with blue flame motif. I don't know if that was an intentional choice  by the designer or if this is just art echoing art, but I remember the correct choice from back then...

"Why are we even talking about what's right and wrong?" Shield asked, his dark eyes scanning those around him. "What's right and what's wrong is irrelevant. There's no point in blaming an NPC for doing what it was programmed to do. He's ones and zeroes - a construct. Trying to decide based on worth or motive or the morality of what it has done will yield us no benefit other than to satisfy our own feelings on his character, which is likely entirely artificial. He wasn't wasting our time. He was an intended game obstacle. Now he may be more than that."

Shield was playing the cynic. He knew that wouldn't gain him any brownie points with those who were hell-bent on punishing him, but there was much to discuss and no time in which to do it. Manticore Mask lowered as he relaxed out of his combat stance, revealing the rest of the stern, impassive features that took up permanent residence on his face.

"We need to weigh this based on potential outcomes,"  he said, holding up both sword and shield like the arms of a scale. "What would Kayaba intend as a reward for killing him?" He raised his sword an inch or two. "Perhaps better loot? Likely not any extra game content or quest lines, at least not anything unique. Killing a boss is the expected route, so the rewards will likely be standard. More likely it will close as many doors as it opens, if not more." His sword returned to its neutral position.

Next, his shield lifted a few inches, to present the proverbial 'on the other hand.' "If we were to spare him, however, that is the less expected route. Games will often allow spared NPCs to remain as a quest giver or a bestower of special rewards. In some cases, they can even become new allies. There are endless possibilities. Though each of those possibilities is perhaps unlikely on its own, the likelihood of this being a unique opportunity is just as great as is being a farce. Who knows? It may even lend us information on Kayaba and his motivations that may someday prove invaluable."

His shield returned to his side. "Let's not kid ourselves in thinking that Cardinal is going to offer us an easy way out of a fight. We've had countless fights, and on boss battles, there has never been any indication that choices that we've made have significantly lengthened or shortened any of them. We should go into this assuming that this will be the same. There is almost certainly another phase of the fight awaiting us, no matter the choice we make. I believe we're merely picking our poison here.

"There are risks either way, and I would reckon that this battle is meant to have a set difficulty regardless. The likelihood of one path or the other punishing us more is minimal given what we have seen. Considering how well we survived the milestone of the last boss battle, the risks of new information and opportunities seem well worth the reward for me."

"I say, take the road less traveled." With an upward thrust, he raised his shield into the air.  "Spare him."

[SPARE]

"Press the attack? You heard the man, Lilith!"

From Shield's collar, a vibrantly colored snake slithered forth,  wrapping herself around his throat. With a momentary flash of pale white light, her colors faded to a duller, grayer pallet as her scales hardened, adding an extra layer of protection at his most vulnerable point. He was already behind Gabrandr as the first blow struck, throwing his shoulder into their opponent to make the most of the incoming attacks. Shield felt each impact through the sturdy body of the so-called king. As sharp slicing of blades sang through the ear, Shield moved his mouth close to Gabrandr's ear.

"You call yourself a king, which means you should have some kind of wisdom if you hope to lead. Well, look at the people that stand in your way. Are they evil? Are they maligned against the people of your kingdom?" Shield left that question hanging in the air as he buried his black-steel blade in the enemy's back. "We fight to save lives, not end them. Unfortunately, you are standing in our path, but yours is the only life we would seek to end. I have watched the people before you move mountains and sacrifice their safety to save others. That should tell you two things."

As he spoke, he felt the tip of his blade connect once again with Gabrandr's life force. He drank from it greedily, his health returning to him almost as rapidly as it had been taken from him in the first place. "Firstly, that you can't hope to stand against us; you know the resolve of those who have people to protect, and you are outnumbered and outmatched. Secondly, that when you fall, your people will not be helpless. If you tell us how they may be saved, we will see to it that they are. Fight back if you must, because in your mind, that is your duty. But if you do not yield and fall to our blades, then others will need to step in to protect those you leave behind." Normally, Shield would withdraw after his attack, but he remained close, listening to hear what the prideful patriarch might say. His dark eyes watched carefully, his shield raised and his famliar curled around his neck to guard him from what may come.

Gabrandr's defenses seemed to show no cracks, at least not in a figurative sense. "Don't be discouraged by his bravado!" Shield called out. "It's easy for the big guys to act tough with three full health bars, but the first is almost entirely gone. We'll see how well he can  keep it up!"

As he spoke, his eyes spotted the same telltale sign as Calrex. A sheathed katana in the hands of a master of Iaijutsu was a clear signal. Shield dropped into a crouch and sprang forward, but instead of falling in behind Baldur, he rushed around behind, preparing for the group's attack.

And attack they did.

As the blades chipped away at Gabrandr's front, Shield wrapped his arms around from behind. His shield arm wrapped around their target, blinding him as best he could, while his sword arm hooked around and through the elbow, locking it in place. As each attack landed, Shield was there to act as a backstop for them to drive their attacks against, and each push back drove Gabrandr into Shield's thorns.

Finally, as the last of them had cleared the way, Shield took his turn properly. Releasing at the elbow, he raised his sword arm and lanced it down into the so-called king's collar bone, down and deep into his core. Holding the blade in, Shield felt a surge as he connected with his target's life force. His health began to tick back up, draining life directly from Gabrandr until he was practically at full health. He pulled his blade free, dragging it through the center of the enemy's body as he went before leaping back and falling in behind his shield once again. "And that is how a team works together!" he roared, the lines of his face deepening with renewed vigor, his eyes drilling into their target. "Drive the attack! Don't let up!"

Battle Text:

The wave function had collapsed, and as Shield brushed the debris from around his eyes, he saw the damage the environment had dealt him on top of that new reality. Fortunately, Hirru was already on it, and the age old relationship of healer and tank showed itself to be as reliable as always. With his own natural regeneration, he was returned to full health only a moment later. He gave a brief but meaningful nod to the Jade Hunter-Turned-Healer. His dark eyes swung from his ally to the newly reformed boss.

"Our turn."

As Baldur's attack relented, Shield advanced. He held his sword close to his side, flipping it into a reverse grip and disappearing behind Manticore Mask as effortlessly as if he were wrapping the shield around himself like a cloak. He rammed into the bulky form of Gabrandr, brushing the now-foe's arms aside before stepping in close and beginning his assault proper. He ran his blade back and forth with a sawing motion, its edge braced against his gauntleted forearm to press the attack in deeper. However, it was not so much the sword that was doing the work. His defenses were turned directly against Gabrandr, and with each pass of the blade, his arm and elbow clipped against the boss, taking out large chunks of its active health bar with each brush. The sword was merely a guide. The real weapon was his own body. His feet continued to advance, forcing the boss back onto his heels.

With a flourish, he took one last swipe, sending his elbow into Gabrandr's temple before falling back on his rear foot, rolling to the side to allow others a swing. The end result was his purely defensive build dealing more damage offensively than he had ever dealt at once. It was an odd sensation. He felt balanced, as if Cardinal had taken into account the danger of his spines and made them a more complete weapon.

He suppressed a smirk. "You might not be our top DPS anymore, @Baldur!"

A lot about the situation didn't smell right, and it wasn't just the dank atmosphere of the cavernous boss room. Shield strode forward after Baldur, waving the prismatic mist away. He was sure that substance was not as benign as it seemed, either because of its effects or because of whatever it was that produced it. The raid party was more or less of one mind, so far at least. Baldur's order rang out and others seemed to heed his guidance. This was fine with him. He trusted Baldur more than most, and even if the setup with the seemingly disarming 'boss' and the collection of odd machinery was a setup, the agile mind of the lightning-fast samurai would dig them out of whatever cave-in they came across.

In the mean time, @Hirru was at his side and already boosting his defense. It was nice being buffed for a change. His role had shifted considerably in the wake of Cardinal's sudden restructure, so buffing and healing others was no longer something he could add to his repertoire. In his current state, he was a binary creation of either all spiky defense, or all self-heal-y defense, and his spikes were nothing to trifle with. Unslinging Manticore Mask from his back, Shield locked the edge of the shield's wing against the edge of Hirru's own shield.

"Odd to have backup in shielding, but I'll take it," he said with a chuckle. From there, his eyes returned to the man before them. His eyes narrowed. He had seen 'allies' turn on the assault team in the past, and he had seen monsters turn out to be friends. He was taking nothing for granted. Filling his lungs, he could feel his chest straining against the straps of his dark, polished armor. He then clenched down, compressing the air in his body before opening his mouth and letting out a booming challenge. "WHATEVER YOU ARE, WHETHER IT BE FRIEND OR FOE, MY EYES ARE ON YOU! DON'T TRY TO PULL ANY FUNNY BUSINESS, OR YOU'LL HAVE SPINES AND SWORDS CLOGGING EVERY ORIFICE YOU HAVE AS WELL AS MAKING SOME NEW ONES!" With that, he slapped the flat of his sword against the face of his shield, and the eyes of the Manticore that stared out from its face lit with a menacing red glow. It was true that the shield no longer bore any abilities to draw threat, but the totem gained from Bialis had imbued him with the extra menacing effects that the protective barrier now lacked. "Look alive, everyone! Keep your eyes sharp!"

Shield stumbled through the brush of the first floor, emerging into a small clearing. He knocked bits of sticks and leaves from his tangled mop of hair, which had never been particularly well kept, but now especially was practically a bird's nest of tangles and twigs. Shaking himself off, he spotted his quarry. Marching up to the chef, he gave a slight incline of his head in greeting. "Sure don't make yourself easy to find, do you? I need some HP buffs, and I'm told there's a chef wandering around who keeps plenty in stock." He set up a transfer and sent a sum of Col to the other player. "Best of luck with your... um... shop?" That wasn't quite the right word, but then again, the nomenclature was of little import at the moment. He gave one last nod and made back for the Town of Beginnings. 

Still lots to do...

Buying: Beef Stew [192254 - 8/5/21]

-1,000 Col

Stats

Shield fell in line behind Baldur as Jacob's ladder filed into the entry outside of the boss' sanctum. His newly gained armor, Elder's Grace, the embodiment of flame and ice, twisted itself into menacing, jagged points at the joints. It gave the tank any number of secondary weapons to throw into an opponent. His primary weapon, hanging at his side in its curved sheath, was nowhere near as dangerous as this. At his back, the dull red eyes set in the leonine face of Manticore Mask glared lifelessly. Sidling closer to his fellow pillar, he muttered under his breath. "Thank you again for covering for me during the guild's preparations."

He had not offered anyone an excuse for his absence, though he knew he was not the only one missed among the guild's top brass. From what he could gather, neither Mari nor Oikawa had made any appearances in recent weeks. It was troubling to say the least, but there was a reason that the officers of Jacob's Ladder had been designated 'pillars' rather than just 'leaders.' Baldur had proven his resolve in keeping things up and running despite having to do so without support from the other three. Shield gave him a firm cuff on the shoulder blade before turning to the others, hearing the samurai's address. He nodded along with the points made. They were concise and accurate, so no further need to gild the lily. As buffs were distributed, Shield swiped his menu open and produced a small container that contained a concoction from his own kitchen. Sprinkling a thin, astringent liquid over the meal Hirru had offered, he quickly partook, washing it down with the accompanying Liquer and finally, dousing himself in the potion that the former hunter had offered. He pressed his gauntleted palms together in a gesture of thanks before pulling a few last minute items out of his own supplies and consuming them for a few final boosts.

"Baldur is more than experienced enough to handle strategy. I defer to him on all points regarding how to approach the upcoming fight," Shield gruffed, inclining his head towards his long time comrade. "All I ask is that you leave me a wide enough berth that I can concentrate on my job. I trust all of you. But just in case, anyone with enhancements or abilities that can pull threat not employ them until Baldur requests it or until I have to tag out. The less time I have to spend keeping the boss' attention, the more we can spend dealing damage. I will make it as clear as I can if I need reprieve, and Baldur has sharp enough eyes to notice if I'm temporarily incapacitated. Other than that," he said, a slight smirk playing at the corner of his otherwise stern lips. "Just don't let me embarrass you DPS." He unsheathed his blade, its curve mimicking the shape of a bat's wing. "You know me and my min-maxing. With new combat mechanics comes a whole new ball game. We'll see how long it takes Cardinal to nerf me."

Shield | HP: 1058/1058 | EN: 104/104 | DMG: 1 | MIT: 323 (FL/FR AURA 2) | LD: 0 (+1 Loot) | ACC: 5 (AA) | BH: 58 (SURV) | THRNS: 160 (FL/FR. THRNS Crit 32/2) | V.O.: 116 | TNT | F.SPT

Item Conversion:

Starting Item: Trial by Fire
Type: Hammer
Tier: 4
Quality: Perfect
Enhancements: Accuracy I / Burn I / Absolute Accuracy
Description: A redwood staff shod with brass at both ends, the haft glows with crimson light when wielded in battle.

Applying: Cluster of Stars

Converted Item: Trial by Fire
Type: Curved Sword
Tier: 4
Quality: Perfect
Enhancements: Accuracy I / Burn I / Absolute Accuracy
Description: A curved sword with a dark, blackened wood, leather-wrapped handle and a mirror polish deep crimson blade with etched flames on its faces.

Item: Junk
Drop: 154281b
Tier: 3
Item Type: Curved Sword
Quality: Perfect
ID's: [201153] LD:11 Bleed / [201152] LD:18 - Accuracy / [201151] LD:14 Accuracy

Item: Junk
Drop: 154281a
Tier: 3
Item Type: Curved Sword
Quality: Perfect
ID's: [201150] LD:7 Paralysis / [201149] LD:1 - Keen / [201148] LD:14 Accuracy

Item: Junk
Drop: 151555b
Tier: 3
Item Type: Curved Sword
Quality: Perfect
ID's: [201147] LD:3 Keen / [201146] LD:14 - Accuracy / [201145] LD:13 Paralysis

Item: Freezer
Drop: 151555a
Tier: 3
Item Type: Curved Sword
Quality: Perfect
ID's: [201144] LD:2 Keen / [201143] BD:10, CD:8, LD:7 - Freeze / [201142] LD:1 Accuracy
Description: A slender bladed curved sword with a permanently frosted coating.

Item: Junk
Drop: 150171b
Tier: 3
Item Type: Curved Sword
Quality: Perfect
ID's: [201140] LD:7 Bleed   / [201139] LD:8 - Bleed   / [201138] LD:11 Paralysis 

Item: Cooler
Drop: 149739a
Tier: 3
Item Type: Curved Sword
Quality: Perfect
ID's: [201137] LD:8 Bleed  / [201136] LD:3 - Keen  / [201135] BD:10, CD:6, LD:9 - Freeze
Description: A short, heavy blade with a crystalline, jagged cutting edge.

[Shop Post]

Using: Hermes' Scales
Consuming +1 CD Potion

Appraising:

Item: Junk
Drop: 154281b
Tier: 3
Item Type: Curved Sword
Quality: Perfect
ID's: [201153] LD:11 Bleed / [201152] LD:18 - Accuracy / [201151] LD:14 Accuracy

Item: Junk
Drop: 154281a
Tier: 3
Item Type: Curved Sword
Quality: Perfect
ID's: [201150] LD:7 Paralysis / [201149] LD:1 - Keen / [201148] LD:14 Accuracy

Item: Junk
Drop: 151555b
Tier: 3
Item Type: Curved Sword
Quality: Perfect
ID's: [201147] LD:3 Keen / [201146] LD:14 - Accuracy / [201145] LD:13 Paralysis

Item: Freezer
Drop: 151555a
Tier: 3
Item Type: Curved Sword
Quality: Perfect
ID's: [201144] LD:2 Keen / [201143] BD:10, CD:8, LD:7 - Freeze / [201142] LD:1 Accuracy
Description: A slender bladed curved sword with a permanently frosted coating.

Item: Junk
Drop: 150171b
Tier: 3
Item Type: Curved Sword
Quality: Perfect
ID's: [201140] LD:7 Bleed   / [201139] LD:8 - Bleed   / [201138] LD:11 Paralysis 

Item: Cooler
Drop: 149739a
Tier: 3
Item Type: Curved Sword
Quality: Perfect
ID's: [201137] LD:8 Bleed  / [201136] LD:3 - Keen  / [201135] BD:10, CD:6, LD:9 - Freeze
Description: A short, heavy blade with a crystalline, jagged cutting edge.

ID Costs: 1,440 x 6 = 8,640 Col

Fusion: Nadja's Allure

Fusion: Nadja's Allure

Fusion: Vampire's Kiss

Applying [Tier-Up Ticket] > Nandor's Strength

Applying [Tier-Up Ticket] > Nandor's Strength

I'll do the thing

Quote

Cool Downs [Howl - 2/2]

Action: None

Freyd | HP: 900/900 | EN: 95/124 | DMG: 30 | MIT: 6 | ACC: 6 | EVA: 3 | BH: 45 | LD: 8 | PROSP: 3 | FLN: 16 | HLY: 16 | TXV 24/3
Shield | HP: 1058/1058 | EN:128/128 | MIT:260 | THN:134 | EVA:0 | BH:52 | LD:3 | V.D.:52 | HB:63 | TNT | ANT.FZ | GS:158 [17/17]
Oscar | HP: 1032/1032 | EN: 82/118 | DMG: 26 | MIT: 207 | ACC: 6 | EVA: 3 | BH: 51 | LD: 8

Dark Irker #1 | HP: 800/800 | DMG: 240 |
Dark Irker #2 | HP: 800/800 | DMG: 240 |
Dark Irker #3 | HP: 800/800 | DMG: 240 |
Dark Irker #4 | HP: 800/800 | DMG: 240 |

Cool Downs [Howl - 1/2]

Shield blew air out his cheeks, letting his shield arm relax down by his side. He resisted the urge to swear under his breath. This really was a bit of a joke. As of yet, he had not proven useful in the slightest. He had sacrificed all of his scouting to tank, and thus far tanking had proven utterly useless. He supposed that a few swipes had been taken in his direction, but it wasn't more than the others could have handled on their own.

At this point, I'm barely pulling my weight. I greatly overestimated this dungeon.

He heard the barks and made his way along the corridor in their direction, careful to stick with the others as he did not have himself currently statted to spot any potential threats. Unless he just planned to amble through traps, which seemed like a terrible idea, sticking by Oscar would be key.

"I seriously hope there are more threatening obstacles along the way, or I'm going to continue to be very unhelpful," he grunted, scanning their surroundings, though it was more a formality than anything at this point.

Quote

Passive [N/A]

Post Action: Howl [-1 EN]

Freyd | HP: 900/900 | EN: 95/124 (124-21-8) | DMG: 30 | MIT: 6 | ACC: 6 | EVA: 3 | BH: 45 | LD: 8 | PROSP: 3 | FLN: 16 | HLY: 16 | TXV 24/3
Shield | HP: 1058/1058 | EN:128/128 | MIT:260 | THN:134 | EVA:0 | BH:52 | LD:3 | V.D.:52 | HB:63 | TNT | ANT.FZ | GS:158 [17/17]
Oscar | HP: 1032/1032 | EN: 118/118 | DMG: 26 | MIT: 207 | ACC: 6 | EVA: 3 | BH: 51 | LD: 8

[4,0,0] Dark Smirker #1 | HP: 800/800 | DMG: 240
[4,0,0] Dark Smirker #2 | HP: 800/800 | DMG: 240
[4,0,0] Dark Smirker #3 | HP: 800/800 | DMG: 240
[4,0,0] Dark Smirker #4 | HP: 800/800 | DMG: 240

Shield had to stop for a moment and appreciate the fact that, if cooldowns had not been added for sword arts, his role on this mission would be completely useless up until the DPS ran out of energy. However, considering that Freyd would not be able to reproduce that assault for a good chunk of time meant that his position on the front lines were still relevant - for the moment at any rate. In the dust that settled after the vanguard, a gleam caught Shield's eye from the corner. A small cadre of dark shapes formed from the very substance of the shadows. Within their umbrae, a shining white smile, toothy and cheshire-like, twinkled menacingly within their formless masses.

Taking his opportunity to step up to the plate, Shield's chest expanded, giving space for his trained lungs to inflate to their fullest capacity. As four identical smiles surrounded them, the stalwart warrior's voice boomed out, filling the room and shaking its walls. "WIPE THOSE SMILES OFF OF YOUR NONEXISTENT FACES, OR WE'LL DO IT FOR YOU!"

Quote

Post Action: Consuming Dogs [See initial post under consumables]

He invited the hotdog man?

Shield pushed this thought to the back of his mind. He had heard other players mention Oscar before, and although he had not been able to keep close tabs, he knew that the merchant of tube-steaks had played his part in the battle against Shadow. "Glad to have you. And yes, I'd be grateful for what you have to offer. I haven't had a chance to go shopping since the tier increase."

He selected extra health, extra defense, and a boost to his looting. It took him a moment to decide, but eventually he settled on the defense as the most beneficial buff to further buff. Summoning a small bottle from his inventory, he drizzled a savory sauce on the dog, giving his kitchen's benefits to the item before horking it down with the others. Once he had managed to force down the last few morsels, he turned to Oscar once again.

"Whenever you're ready, I think you're the one scouting ahead, but I'll be right at your elbow to defend when the time comes." He held out his hand and Manticore Mask materialized at his fingertips. Its gleaming red leonine eyes stared out from the center of the shield's mass, its outer edges shaped into folded steel wings.

Shield nodded to acknowledge the inevitability of Baldur's thoughts. You can't govern with those who are not present to do the governing. He and Baldur were present, and whoever found their way back would be welcomed. As far as new players, that was more or less news to Shield. "If you know of new recruits, then that's knowledge I haven't heard. How is it who's been 'circling,' as you so put it?"

Upon Calrex's door opening, that marked the first that Shield had seen of him since the Shadow fell. He gave a nod and a half smile. "Good to see you, Cal." Shield had a feeling that there had been a shifting in the balance between them, though it was impossible to say where that would now fall. The two of them had always been top competitors for the toughest tanks ever since Shield had arrived on the front lines. "What's the damage?" he inquired, not unaware of the many meanings such a question could hold.

There was an immediate question regarding Freyd, and Shield took a moment to ponder. "He's solid at what he does, though it's pretty clear he's done a lot of soloing. Doesn't always do the best job of considering others' abilities on the battlefield or how they may impact strategy, but he'll come around eventually I'm sure. Either way, he's not afraid of a dad joke, so I'm sure both of you would appreciate him." He gave an amused exhale of breath through his nostrils, still a little too pensive to give anything near a proper laugh.

"That build probably could use some more testing," he said with a nod. "Freyd and I tangled with a sub-dungeon on this very floor. It became pretty apparent pretty quickly that going in hybrid put me behind the damage curve, which I think you know as well as any how unacceptable that is for me." He took a seat beside his old comrade, crossing his legs rather than dangling his boots into the water. "Not to talk too much shop, but needless to say, I turned around and gobbled up every defensive option I had at my disposal skill-wise, and I plan to do the same with my gear. If I get hit and my enemy doesn't feel it more than me, I'm not where I want to be."

He glanced out across the water, resting his palm on his knee and leaning to one side. "It's been difficult. Moving forward is tough now. I can't solo like I once did, at least not yet. And the work I put in shows much less of a result than before. It's discouraging, to say the least. If I'm not continually building myself to be a better tank, then what am I doing?" It was a rhetorical question, and one that he knew had many very real answers, but it was one that he felt needed to be voiced to make a point. "The guild has taken a hit. As inactive as Beat once was, he's worse now. I haven't heard a word from Mari or Oikawa, and our other members are silent as the grave these days." Maybe that analogy was too on the nose. It wasn't an unfair one though, so Shield let it hang in the air for a while.

In his sleeve, he felt a familiar twisting of scaly coils, and he extended his forearm, allowing Lilith to poke her colorful head from the depths of his tunic to flick her tongue at the wet, marshy air. Her fangs were blunted now, no longer laced with the healing fluids that had once been Shield's lifeblood in the worst of circumstances. However, she instead had learned to wind around him and harden her scales to provide occasional defensive buffs. She was almost like a living buckler. It was just one of the many indicators that life had changed in Aincrad, for some, in dramatic and dangerous ways.

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Initial Application: [here]
Room(s) Being Added: Herbalist Hut
Room(s) Being Upgraded: 
Herbalist Hut -> Greenhouse
Total Cost: 25,000 col (Sent to Banker)

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Gathering - ID#: 193004 - Loot: 14+8=22 - Material Found +2 Bonus
EXP Gained: 3
Total Materials: 43
Total EXP: 103/200

As they walked, Shield couldn't help but notice a few scales that were hiding on Nemo's shoulder. "What's that over there?" he said, pointing in the distance. The NPC, most likely just confused by dialogue that fell outside of its prepared purview, stared blankly in the direction Shield had pointed, allowing for enough time to snatch the scaled. "Huh... it's gone now. Oh well." He banished the items to his inventory and followed without interrupting again.

On the other side of the garden gates, Shield beat a quick retreat from the gardens which, although it was impossible to say they exactly defeated him, had not rolled over for him so easily as he might have hoped. He rushed to the teleportation plaza, and from his arrival in Taft, he made an equally hasty jaunt up the mountains to his home. There was an unused portion of his property, which had gone wild with weeds and moss, but Shield set the instructions for Cardinal to convert the area into a space for a proper greenhouse. Once that was done, he turned to the other outside portion of his land. "Time to grind some slimes... It's been entirely too long."

Swapping to his newly revamped shield and the armor he had so carefully curated to its now useful state, he stood in the center of the spawning area. Instantly, he was surrounded, and instantly, they bounced at him, shattering on his spiny defenses as soon as they touched. "Now this grinding is a little more my style."

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<<Quest Rewards>>

EXP: 880 [1 page + Mega Slime Farm]
Col: 400
Materials: 43  32
Gatherer EXP: 51  53

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US ROLL
193442: LD10