Shield

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Searching for Materials: ID# 190468 - Loot: 4 [No Material Found]

 The terrain continued to yield no real interesting materials to gather, but Shield wasn't paying much attention, if he were to be honest about it. He was continuing to play with the items in his inventory. "Now the one drawback to the things I have is that they are largely different tiered items. Nandor's Strength is third tier while Naudia's Allure is fourth. To combine them, I would need to spend one of my tier-up tickets on the former. While Elder's Grace, on the other hand, is tier four, as are the Blessed Greaves."

He scratched his chin. No matter what, he was going to have to burn a lot of resources. "Even if I go with the shield option, the long-winded shield I lent to Yuki will require being tiered up as well before it can be added onto Manticore Mask." He glanced around at the ground, but seeing nothing, he continued aloud. "However, while both aura options add to my mitigation and thorns, I always love prioritizing healing, since it covers even the damage caused through nonmitigatable means."

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Searching for Materials: ID# 190466 - Loot: 3 [No Material Found]

 The grasslands between landmarks was hardly thrilling, to say the least. Shield kept his eye down at the ground, trying to see if he could spot any interesting plant life at the very least. There were herbs that could be used in alchemy or cooking, after all. Still, either there was nothing of note, or Shield did not yet know what items to look for in this large and vague jumble of 'untiered materials.'

In the absence of anything interesting, Shield once again opened his notes and began making marks here and there, tallying the benefits of different armors to determine which would be most useful to upgrade and in what order. For now, as best he could figure, he had enough resources to make one ideal piece of demonic equipment. Although he wished he could put the auras from the armor he had just recently traded for onto his greaves, but since that would result in an item with four unique enhancements, it would require a fourth scale. At present, he had three scales and four shards. "Looks like I need to make a trade, or else be forced to focus on Vampiric."

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Searching for Materials: ID# 190465 - Loot: 10 [No Material Found]

Shield picked up the small object, inspecting it closely as he worked his way back through the ravine. It was a very pretty piece of stone. Its edges were sweeping and elegant despite their unpredictable angles and points. If he wanted to, he felt like he could use it to slice straight through his own armor and perhaps poison himself, but it was merely the aesthetics of the thing, he was sure. It was, after all, a crafting material, not an actual weapon. It had no enhancements on its own, despite its elegance.

He pocketed it and started making his way up the embankment. His eyes cast about absently as he did for more finds, but there was very little to see, and besides, Shield had accomplished his main objective. "A little anticlimactic, but there's nothing wrong with poking around for a while and picking up what I find. Now that crafting materials are no longer tiered, any material is useful."

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Searching for Materials: ID# 190464 - Craft: 10 + Loot: 19 [Demonic Material Found!]

The next formation along the path of the needle was a small ravine. The sides were steep, but the grass helped Shield to keep his footing as he made his way to the bottom. The ravine floor itself was stony and mostly bare, though there wasn't an actual path to speak of. As he glanced down once again at the compass, Shield could see that the needle had deflected considerably, now pointing down the length of the ravine itself.

Shield picked up his pace, watching his step along the stony ground. The nearer he came to the other side of the ravine, the more that he thought he could see something at the end. It was almost as if there was an animal den or small cave in the hillside where it ended. He glanced down once again at the compass and moved it from side to side. Unlike before, the more he moved it, the more that the needle deflected, swiveling to point in the direction he was walking.

As Shield arrived, he knelt down, looking into the low entrance. It only went back into the hill a few feet, but there at the end, sitting on a small, flat stone, was a smooth, black stone. Its surface was glassy, almost like a volcanic obsidian, but its edges were tinged in a blood red haze. "If ever I have seen a 'demonic shard,' I think this is it."

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Searching for Materials: ID# 190463 - Craft: 1 + Loot: 16 [1 Material Found!]

With the compass finally en-compassing, Shield began following the direction of the needle. For the first time, he looked up from his notes and faulty instruments to take note of his surroundings. The plains were vast, but throughout there were little islands of activity. Rock formations, ravines, small stands of twisted trees, and a few other clusters further out that were too indistinct to make out.

The nearest seemed to be a red sandstone formation, composed of a central boulder and smaller chunks of red, sedimentary stone scattered at its base. Shield approached, reading the direction of the compass as best he could. He moved it from side to side, but the needle barely moved. This told him that whatever it was pointing to was likely not nearby, but he kept his eyes peeled none the less. Sitting at the base of one of the smaller stones was a chunk of bright green copper-like ore. Shield collected it, storing it in his inventory as he continued to move on past the structure.

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Searching for Materials: ID# 190462 - Loot: 4 [No Materials Found]

 It was around this time that Shield was beginning to wonder if the quest was actually going go start properly or if his workaround to hamstring the quest dialog was going to finally glitch the quest and make it impossible to complete. He stopped, holding the instrument closer to his eyes. There were no buttons or switches. Nothing indicated that it somehow needed to be activated. After all, that's not how compasses work. Then again, this compass didn't seem to be working at all, so he kinda had to throw all previous assumptions out the window.

Bringing his eyes closer, he turned it over, inspecting it both top and bottom. His search, however, war quickly proving useless. Looking both ways, he took the compass by its sides and slammed the base down into his palm. The needle of the compass wobbled, drifted lazily in one direction, and then returned to spinning. With one more slam, the little device rattled and then snapped to the side, pointing with focused attention. He turned the compass a little, but the needle continued to shift, trained in the same cardinal direction.

"That's better."

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Searching for Materials: ID# 190461 - Loot: 10 [No Materials Found]

With that ludicrous milestone entered in his notes, Shield capped his proverbial pen. While it had been a fun thought exercise, he knew that the alternate set of armor was a pipe dream, at least in the mean time. "My home base is in survivability. It just so happens that I plan to be in the line of fire, and if I'm hit in the process, it makes sense to capitalize."

His eyes flitted to the still spinning needle and his eyes rolled in a similarly circular manner. At the moment, his notes and musings were proving to be much more pleasant company, so he returned to both. "There has been quite a rise in the dodge tank design on the front lines," he thought aloud. "Both Chase and Freyd seem to have gone that route. While high accuracy enemies pose real risk, it is attractive to be able to weather any attack simply by avoiding it. However..." He frowned as he looked over descriptions of his skills. "Both armor skills and shield skills negate practically any bonus from Evasion. It would severely reduce my defenses for situations where I'm going to be hit no matter what."

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Searching for Materials: ID# 190460 - Loot: 4 [No Materials Found]

"Couldn't hurt, as long as SOME compass continues to be petulant," he said, irritated, "to start coming up with wish lists." He made new tabs on his notes, sketching outlines of nonexistent items. "If I wanted to go full porcupine... Since Blessed Greaves will be receiving extra Auras, I have to keep that. That would leave Naudia's Allure as the expendable item. Of those twelve slots, four on Manticore Mask will be thorns and auras, two on the Greaves will be Auras, still maxing thorns and auras entirely."

Glancing over at the compass, it twitched, but then continued to sweep in lazy circles. It was calming down, but still was not behaving like a compass. "So if I were to construct another armor with nothing but Flame and Frost Thorns on it..." He crunched some quick numbers.

"That would mean that with an Immolation Potion, I would be packing 166 damage on a regular hit, and even if someone crits me, that's still going to be 64 damage."

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Searching for Materials: ID# 190459 - Loot: 6 [No Materials Found]

As the compass continued to throw little circular temper tantrums, Shield continued to mill forward aimlessly. As he did so, he continued to draw up plans in his head.

"This process is going to be expensive," he thought aloud. "However... given enough time, I can fully maximize both my offense and my defense. Maybe even have multiple sets of gear that can fit different scenarios." He brought up his notes and flicked his eyes back and forth between them and the uncooperative compass.

"I'm currently sitting on full Holy Blessing, full Thorns, and full Mitigation," he thought to himself. "However, I have the gear to also combine and overwrite old Mitigation slots with more Vampiric to cap that enhancement, as well as now both Frost and Flame Auras." It was an attractive prospect to say the least. He didn't want to think of the resources he would need to burn. Currently, he doubted if he could do more than a single combination of existing items with the few materials that had been gifted him by the new leveling system.

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Searching for Materials: ID# 190458 - Loot: 3 [No Materials Found]

"Well, I mean that would have been too easy," he sighed, slowly making progress away from the campsite. "Maybe the NPC has stuff stored in her wares that's throwing this off..." He was glad nobody else was present. Not only did he look like a bit of a goober squinting at a compass and ignoring the landscape, but he didn't like people to see him abusing the NPCs like he had done. He knew how crass and inconsiderate he looked barking at lonesome women and old merchants, and he knew that getting all grabby with quest items was rude, but he had stopped caring a long time ago whether or not NPCs liked him.

His search so far was no luckier, the compass merely continuing to spin. "Maybe it doesn't activate until the NPC would have finished her spiel. Guess that would be karma for acting like that, huh? Or maybe Cardinal has more of a personality than I thought and doesn't like me getting away with cheating the system."

Quest

Shield

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Searching for Materials: ID# 190457 - Loot: 1 [No Materials Found]

Although currently inactive, players had begun speaking about new features that had been released. While on the one hand Shield felt it was sick that somewhere, Kayaba was releasing more content, on the other hand, the specifics had caught his attention. New menu options for shops had appeared, allowing crafters to combine existing items. While before, Shield had been limited to simply what was decent and had unique qualities that might give a slight edge, it seemed that with time and resources, one could theory craft and then construct their ideal equipment.

All it takes is time and patience, putting the ball squarely in my court.

That was what led him to the campsite on the outer rim of the first floor, close to the world border. As Shield approach the cozy campsite, and a woman in green emerged from the wagon. "So, it appears you've found me," she commented, though not unkindly. "I tend to move around quite a lot, but someone always finds me. I suppose you are looking for some herbs?" Shield cut her off.

"Just give me the compass so I can get this started." There was a hitch in her demeanor as Cardinal struggled to get the script back on track, but in doing so, she unwittingly held out the compass. Shield snatched it, hit the button on the quest prompt to accept, and then turned on his heels to strike out into the wilderness once again. Watching the compass, it seemed to spin helplessly at first. He looked around, hoping this meant he was somehow right on top of his quarry, but no such luck.

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Passive [+1 EN] Battle Healing [+43 HP] Holy Blessing [+51 HP] Vampiric (Defensive) - ID# 190456: Craft: 7 [+0 HP]
Cool Downs - Rampart [4/5] Press the Attack [3/5] Inspiring Speech [2/5]

Post Action: STUNNED

Shield - HP:737/860 | EN:101/128 | DMG:1 | ACC:0 | MIT:133 | THN:88 | EVA:0 | BH:43 | LD:1 | V.D.:43 | HB:51 | TNT | ANT.FZ
Freyd | HP: 900/900 | EN: 80/124 (90+4-14) | DMG: 27 | MIT: 111 | EVA: 3 (+1) | ACC: 7 | BH: 49 | LD: 8 | FLN: 8 | HLY: 8 | TXV 24/3 | V.O.: 99 | DOTE: 2

[7,5]<<Piasuhon>> HP:1277/3000 | MIT:170 | DMG:275 | ACC:4 | EVA:3 

<<Piasuhon’s Horn>> HP:750/750 | MIT:50 | EVA:3

Abilities:

<<By the Horn>> [Horn - 0 HP] -50 to DMG permanently
<<Stampede>> [CD 9+] +75 additional DMG + STUN vs highest hate.
<<Body Slam>> [LD 15+] Attacks 2 lowest hate at -40 DMG.
<<Blinded By Rage>> [<1001 HP] <<Body Slam>> disabled, +50 DMG, ACC, -2 EVA -20 MIT
<<Seething>> [<<Blinded By Rage>> active] One time, player may use Post Action to throw glowstone. Becomes target of next attack.
<<Tier Lock: 4>>

Shield felt the familiar seizing up of his joints and knew that he would be immobile for some time. He cursed in the depths of his mind, but he was unable to otherwise speak. He took the time he had to reassess the state of the battlefield. He was a good amount below full health, but he had his ace in the hole to help with that if that trend continued. Freyd was still at full health, and although that didn't seem likely to change, he knew that his own threat had to be dwindling.

I have a feeling that as soon as I'm free, it's going to be just about time to give the big guy a few choice words. Loud ones.

In his sleeve, he felt his familiar, Lilith, twining around his forearm, her scaly underbelly crawling rhythmically in spirals around his limb.

Well, at least one of us has free range of motion.

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Passive [+1 EN] Battle Healing [+43 HP] Holy Blessing [+51 HP] Vampiric (Defensive) - ID# 190454: Craft: 10 [+43 HP]
Cool Downs - Rampart [3/5] Press the Attack [2/5] Inspiring Speech [1/5]

Post Action: None

Shield - HP:860/860 | EN:101/128 | DMG:1 | ACC:0 | MIT:133 | THN:88 | EVA:0 | BH:43 | LD:1 | V.D.:43 | HB:51 | TNT | ANT.FZ
Freyd | HP: 900/900 | EN: 90/124 (96+4-10) | DMG: 27 | MIT: 111 | EVA: 3 | ACC: 7 | BH: 49 | LD: 8 | FLN: 8 | HLY: 8 | TXV 24/3 | V.O.: 99 | DOTE: 1

[7,3]<<Piasuhon>> HP:1750/3000 | MIT:170 | DMG:275 | ACC:4 | EVA:3  (2070-320)
<<Piasuhon’s Horn>> HP:750/750 | MIT:50 | EVA:3

Abilities:

<<By the Horn>> [Horn - 0 HP] -50 to DMG permanently
<<Stampede>> [CD 9+] +75 additional DMG + STUN vs highest hate. - CD 1 [No Proc]
<<Body Slam>> [LD 15+] Attacks 2 lowest hate at -40 DMG. - LD 17 [Procs]
<<Blinded By Rage>> [<1001 HP] <<Body Slam>> disabled, +50 DMG, ACC, -2 EVA -20 MIT
<<Seething>> [<<Blinded By Rage>> active] One time, player may use Post Action to throw glowstone. Becomes target of next attack.
<<Tier Lock: 4>>

Shield gave Freyd a nod. He glanced down at his HUD, groaning internally when he saw how much time remained on all of his abilities to refresh. He made a mental note to come prepared next time so he had more options of how to keep himself occupied during battle.

Before, it was a simple matter of throwing energy at people any time I didn't need to Howl or had to wait on Sharpness. Now, those mods are completely out of my reach.

He began debating with himself if perhaps the healing tree would have been more prudent for him to take than Leadership. It seemed an easy choice at the time, giving so many interesting abilities, but considering how slow they were to refresh, how it didn't give him options to act as often, and just overall how short the boost were, it felt like a waste. Even as he thought this though, he knew he didn't have enough SP to unlock the most important pieces of that skill.

Not without giving something else up as well as Leadership...

Shield circled the fight, keeping his guard raised as his health ticked all the way back up to full.  The thoughts continued rolling around in his head.

"Hey, Freyd!" he said, finally migrating from his thoughts back into the actual dialogue of the fight. "If forced to choose, which would be more helpful to a DPS from support? The skill tree for First Aid or for Leadership?"

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Passive [+0 EN] Battle Healing [+43 HP] Holy Blessing [+51 HP] Vampiric (Defensive) - ID# 190429: Craft: 3 [+0HP]
Cool Downs - Rampart [2/5] Press the Attack [1/5] 

Post Action: Inspiring Speech [-8 EN]

Shield - HP:811/860 | EN:100/128 | DMG:1 | ACC:0 | MIT:133 | THN:88 | EVA:0 | BH:43 | LD:1 | V.D.:43 | HB:51 | TNT | ANT.FZ
Freyd | HP: 900/900 | EN: 101/124 (101+4-9) | DMG: 27 | MIT: 111 | EVA: 3 (+1) | ACC: 7 | BH: 49 | LD: 8 | FLN: 8 | HLY: 8 | TXV 24/3 | V.O.: 99 | DOTE: 1

[7,3]<<Piasuhon>> HP:2070/3000 | MIT:170 | DMG:275 | ACC:4 | EVA:3  (2540-470)
<<Piasuhon’s Horn>> HP:750/750 | MIT:50 | EVA:3

Abilities:

<<By the Horn>> [Horn - 0 HP] -50 to DMG permanently
<<Stampede>> [CD 9+] +75 additional DMG + STUN vs highest hate.
<<Body Slam>> [LD 15+] Attacks 2 lowest hate at -40 DMG.
<<Blinded By Rage>> [<1001 HP] <<Body Slam>> disabled, +50 DMG, ACC, -2 EVA -20 MIT
<<Seething>> [<<Blinded By Rage>> active] One time, player may use Post Action to throw glowstone. Becomes target of next attack.
<<Tier Lock: 4>>

Shield felt the impact of the charge ripple through his body. It was the kind of hit that in the real world would have immediately winded a flesh and bone body. The digital body that had received the attack, however, had bent forward to accept it, braced its legs, and as such was only moved back a matter of a few feet.

His dark eyes flicked to his HUD, checking and double checking the drop in his health in a flash and checking to see if an actual intervention was necessary. His Vampiric defenses had not been triggered, just by sheer bad luck, but the recovery was still to his satisfactory. Without realizing it, he had instinctively placed a hand over his belt, on which hung a fragment of an ancient blade.

Shouldn't need Gungnir's Shard unless he keeps landing hits like that. And at the rate at which Freyd is taking him down...

Shield lifted his foot and placed it on the end of Piasuhon’s snout, stepping down and grinding the still pushing rhino's nose into the hard dirt floor. It stumbled, which gave him enough time to roll to the side, coming upright with his front and his shield facing towards the action. He did some mental math, taking into account the cool downs of of his ally's attacks. Raising his fist once again to trigger another support boon, he knew that this fast-tracking of Freyd's attack refresh would put them comfortably within kill range before Shield had depleted half of his trump card.

"Well, this just got a lot less scary, if you ask me."

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Passive [+1 EN] Battle Healing [+43 HP] Vampiric (Defensive) - [+0HP]
Cool Downs - Rampart [1/5]

Post Action: Press the Attack > Freyd [-9 EN]

Shield - HP:860/860 | EN:108/128 | DMG:1 | ACC:0 | MIT:133 | THN:88 | EVA:0 | BH:43 | LD:1 | V.D.:43 | HB:51 | TNT | ANT.FZ
Freyd | HP: 900/900 | EN: 101/124 (124-15-8) | DMG: 27 [+4] | MIT: 111 | EVA: 3 | ACC: 7 | BH: 49 | LD: 8 | FLN: 8 | HLY: 8 | TXV 24/3 | V.O.: 99

[7,1]<<Piasuhon>> HP:2540/3000 | MIT:170 | DMG:275 | ACC:4 | EVA:3  STUNNED (3000-460)
<<Piasuhon’s Horn>> HP:750/750 | MIT:50 | EVA:3

Abilities:

<<By the Horn>> [Horn - 0 HP] -50 to DMG permanently
<<Stampede>> [CD 9+] +75 additional DMG + STUN vs highest hate. CD 2
<<Body Slam>> [LD 15+] Attacks 2 lowest hate at -40 DMG.
<<Blinded By Rage>> [<1001 HP] <<Body Slam>> disabled, +50 DMG, ACC, -2 EVA -20 MIT
<<Seething>> [<<Blinded By Rage>> active] One time, player may use Post Action to throw glowstone. Becomes target of next attack.
<<Tier Lock: 4>>

The rhino skidded to a stop just in front of Shield. He blinked for a second, being very ready for a very strong collision, but instead extended his hand and poked the end of the creature's nose.

"Boop."

It was always interesting adjusting to new players. Although he had prepared his defenses for a hit, Freyd had gone out of his way to courteously shield him from the first hit of the fight. Shield took a moment to appreciate it, but also to acknowledge something.

Freyd and I need to do a better job of communicating until we learn how our specific builds work. This isn't like fighting alongside Beat, who knew my patterns before we even logged into SAO.

He jumped back a few feet, giving himself some room in case the opponent decided to do a lot of flailing as it returned to its sturdy feet. Holding his fist aloft, he called out to Freyd. "Think you can keep those hits coming? Don't wanna waste a good boost!" The buff that he passed to the other player made a noteworthy boost to the potential damage he was dealing. "Might as well swing for the fences on this as long as he's down!"

With a ping, Shield got the message, half-opening it and smirking. "Nothing personal, right, kid?" Outdated memes aside, he glanced over his shoulder at Freyd and gestured with his head. "'Bout time we put these changes through their paces, I figure. So far, I've barely even taxed my auto-heals."

He took off at a half-jog, knowing that his questing companion would have no issue keeping up. "What have you found yourself doing in the midst of the chaos?" he asked, watching his map as their blips moved from the city's edge towards the colosseum.  Upon arrival, the arena was empty, though the stands were packed with NPC's. "I suppose they want to build suspense, huh?" In front of Shield, a quest dialog box appeared, asking if he wished to accept the challenge of defeating the rhino in question. He gave Freyd a glance before choosing the option to accept.

In the cavernous depths of the catacombs beneath the colosseum, a guttural roar rumbled, followed by a stampeding of massive feet that shook the ground. Shield planted his own feet in the trodden soil of the arena floor and filled his lungs in preparation. With a crash, one of the many portcullis entrances exploded in a spray of twisted metal and shattered masonry. The wooly rhino, Piasuhon, emerged from the dust cloud without slowing. Unleashing the contents of his lungs, Shield greeted him with a gale of sound and fury. "COME HERE, HAIRY! I BEAT YOU ONCE BEFORE, I AND YOU WEREN'T NOTHING THEN! TRY YOUR LUCK NOW!"

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Post Action: Focused Howl > Piasuhon [-3 EN]
Free Action: Rampart [-9 EN]

Shield - HP:860/860 | EN:116/128 | DMG:1 | ACC:0 | MIT:133 | THN:88 | EVA:0 | BH:43 | LD:1 | V.D.:43 | HB:51 | TNT | ANT.FZ
Freyd

[7,0]<<Piasuhon>> HP:3000/3000 | MIT:170 | DMG:275 | ACC:4 | EVA:3
<<Piasuhon’s Horn>> HP:750/750 | MIT:50 | EVA:3

Abilities:

Spoiler

<<By the Horn>> [Horn - 0 HP] -50 to DMG permanently
<<Stampede>> [CD 9+] +75 additional DMG + STUN vs highest hate. CD 2
<<Body Slam>> [LD 15+] Attacks 2 lowest hate at -40 DMG.
<<Blinded By Rage>> [<1001 HP] <<Body Slam>> disabled, +50 DMG, ACC, -2 EVA -20 MIT
<<Seething>> [<<Blinded By Rage>> active] One time, player may use Post Action to throw glowstone. Becomes target of next attack.
<<Tier Lock: 4>>

"There's not much to know," Shield said, a false statement to be sure, but one that he would love to make in front of a comic book nerd just to watch their eyes bug out of their head. "Alien from a dead planet, came here as a baby, light from yellow stars empowers him with flight and super speed and super strength and every other BS power under the sun. Point of bringing him up is just that a lot of people consider Clark Kent, his disguise to blend in to the population, to be the real costume, while his spandex super self is who he actually is."

They passed the entrance to the garden and Shield directed himself towards the Town of Beginnings. He didn't know how long Are would accompany him, but either way he didn't mind the company for the time being. "Contrast that with Bruce Wayne or Barry Allen, who live their lives by their birth names and then have as super hero alter ego under which they hide their identity to fight crime."

Shield gave a slight shrug. "You can't please everyone," he said matter of factly. "It seems that you have your reasons for keeping yourself hidden," he went on, trying to think how best to sum up his sentiments. They were complicated, and in some ways maybe more critical than was merited. After a moment, he settled on a conclusion for the thought.

"Still," he said, turning a few words over in his head. "It's not good for a person to spend too much time playing Superman. Just make sure you're taking time to drop the cape and be a regular citizen here and there, or the blue and red pajamas will only do you so much good."

Unfortunately, Shield had been too busy keeping an eye out for responses to his ad on the way in to retrace their steps on the way back out.

Guess I can be a little hit and miss regarding where I exercise my tendency towards being meticulous. Might need to be more careful...

Shield nodded, silently agreeing to both the cheese and the folklore-esque quality to the situation. "It's hardly a new concept, but it's one I haven't specifically seen in SAO before. Even if it's spitting out cards we've seen before, it's at least a diverse nenough deck that we're not seeing a ton of repeats."

Banishing his shield, he motioned with his head in the direction from which they had been led. "I think our business can be concluded as we make our way out, don't you?" Truth told, Shield had seen more than enough of this little corner of Aincrad already, and the rewards were not what he might have hoped. It might be useful to some, but for now, he needed to keep exploring to find where the good fishing and hunting spots truly were.

That's assuming any of them are worthwhile. Might be we have to face end-game content in order to find meta loot now. I have yet to hear of grinding spots that are both safe and lucrative....

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Passive [+1 EN] Battle Healing [+43 HP] Holy Blessing [+51 HP] Vampiric (Defensive) - [+0HP]

Post Action: Rally [-6 EN]

Shield - HP:860/860 | EN:106/128 | DMG:1 | ACC:0 [-1] | MIT:133 | THN:88 | EVA:0 | BH:43 | LD:1 | V.D.:43 | HB:51 | TNT | ANT.FZ

Itzal - HP: 504/820 | EN: 56/82 | DMG: 23/27 | ACC: 3 [+1] | EVA: 4 | MIT: 20 | SR: +5 | SD: +7 | LD: 5| T4 BLD 2 | T4 PRZ 1 | BH: 11 | Disguise: 0/5
     Skills: Meditation 0/5
     Rank 4: Nova Ascension 0/1
     Rank 5: Meteor Strike 0/2 | Shadow Explosion 1/3

[6,1] HP: 324/720 | DMG: 226 | EVA: 2 | MIT: 100 - Separate BD

Abilities:
Twin Fangs [BD 9 + CD 8+] 140 unmitigatable damage.
Nature’s Roar [BD 10] 250 mitigatable damage.
Gaia’s Protection [HP 10]Fight ends - cannot be reduced below 10.

Moments later and Are was gone again. That told Shield all he needed to know, and he was already raising his fist to deliver another buff.

It's a little like partying with Hik again. Then again, he's how I was tipped off about this place in the first place, so that may be appropriate.

For a moment, thinking about Hikoru, his old guild mate, something fresh touched his memories from that time. Something he had just seen or felt - a nearby presence. As soon as he recalled the feeling it was gone, and the fight drew him back to the current moment.

Letting out a slow breath, he let his eyes go out of focus. The concentration that he released would hopefully find the hidden player and give him the needed concentration to deliver another blow. Likely not a killing strike, given the buffs that had been stacked up for that first hit, but one could always hope. The accuracy buff engaged, shield thought a single hope into the ether, knowing it would likely do little to nothing, but a sincere hope none the less.

...Focus...

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Passive [+1 EN] Battle Healing [+43 HP] Holy Blessing [+51 HP] Vampiric (Defensive) - [+0HP]

Post Action: Inspiring Speech [-7 EN]

Shield - HP:860/860 | EN:111/128 | DMG:1 | ACC:0 | MIT:133 | THN:88 | EVA:0 | BH:43 | LD:1 | V.D.:43 | HB:51 | TNT | ANT.FZ
Itzal - HP: 494/820 | EN: 60/82 | DMG: 23/27 [+4] | ACC: 3 | EVA: 4 | MIT: 20 | SR: +5 | SD: +7 | LD: 5| T4 BLD 2 | T4 PRZ 1 | BH: 11 | Disguise: 0/5
     Skills: Meditation 3/5
     Rank 4: Nova Ascension 0/1
     Rank 5: Meteor Strike 2/2 | Shadow Explosion 0/3

[6,1] HP: 324/720 | DMG: 226 | EVA: 2 | MIT: 100 - Separate BD

Abilities:
Twin Fangs [BD 9 + CD 8+] 140 unmitigatable damage.
Nature’s Roar [BD 10] 250 mitigatable damage.
Gaia’s Protection [HP 10]Fight ends - cannot be reduced below 10.

With the ease with which Are had disappeared before, it was hard to say if the dice had fallen in his favor or if he was a true stealth build. After all, some players that Shield had partied with in the past were constantly employing the Vanish mod and chose fewer but more decisive attacks. Regardless, if he planned to keep popping in and out of sight, it was probably smarter for Shield to buff him for attacks only when he was in the process of attacking. In the mean time, the faster they could cycle that last art, the better.

Raising his fist once again, he called out to the other player. "No mind, no mind! One miss won't make a difference! Just like the hand, even with a few bad swings, this guy isn't long for this world!" Are's form was bathed momentarily in light, counting down an extra tick off of each of his recovering abilities.

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Passive [+1 EN] Battle Healing [+43 HP] Holy Blessing [+51 HP] Vampiric (Defensive) - [+0HP]

Post Action: Focused Howl > Nemo [-3 EN]

Shield - HP:860/860 | EN:117/128 | DMG:1 | ACC:0 | MIT:133 | THN:88 | EVA:0 | BH:43 | LD:1 | V.D.:43 | HB:51 | TNT | ANT.FZ
Itzal - HP: 484/820 | EN: 59/82 | DMG: 23/27 [+4] | ACC: 3 | EVA: 4 | MIT: 20 | SR: +5 | SD: +7 | LD: 5| T4 BLD 2 | T4 PRZ 1 | BH: 11 | Disguise: 0/5
     Skills: Meditation 3/5
     Rank 4: Nova Ascension 0/1
     Rank 5: Meteor Strike 2/2 | Shadow Explosion 0/3

[6,1] HP: 324/720 | DMG: 226 | EVA: 2 | MIT: 100 - Separate BD

Abilities:
Twin Fangs [BD 9 + CD 8+] 140 unmitigatable damage.
Nature’s Roar [BD 10] 250 mitigatable damage.
Gaia’s Protection [HP 10]Fight ends - cannot be reduced below 10.

Shield winced slightly as he saw the blow that the boss dealt a nasty set of scratches to Are. He as still in better shape than the enemy, which was good, but if anyone was taking damage besides him, Shield wasn't doing his job. Planting both feet firmly in the grass, he expanded his ribcage, air rushing in through his nose to fill his lungs before he compressed the gathered air. Gaping his mouth, he unleashed a gale of wind and sound, blasting the dragon's head with a cone of force.

"HEY, SCALY! YOU'RE THE MOST BASIC TROPE THERE IS!" he mocked. "'OH NO! A FRIENDLY NPC THAT LEADS US SOMEWHERE MAGICAL, BUT IS SECRETLY A DRAGON!?' GIMME A BREAK!" The words were empty and pointless, but roasting enemies with his howls had long been one of his favorite ways to spice up battles. He slapped the face of his shield with the a gauntlet and glared up at the beast which was their only thing obstructingicting them from escaping back to the first floor proper.

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Passive [N/A]

Post Action - Press the Attack [-9 EN]

Shield - HP:860/860 | EN:119/128 | DMG:1 | ACC:0 | MIT:133 | THN:88 | EVA:0 | BH:43 | LD:1 | V.D.:43 | HB:51 | TNT | ANT.FZ
Itzal - HP: 820/820 | EN: 82/82 | DMG: 23/27 [+4] | ACC: 3 | EVA: 4 | MIT: 20 | SR: +5 | SD: +7 | LD: 5| T4 BLD 2 | T4 PRZ 1 | BH: 11 | Disguise: 0/5

HP: 720/720 | DMG: 226 | EVA: 2 | MIT: 100 - Separate BD

Abilities:
Twin Fangs [BD 9 + CD 8+] 140 unmitigatable damage.
Nature’s Roar [BD 10] 250 mitigatable damage.
Gaia’s Protection [HP 10]Fight ends - cannot be reduced below 10.

With Are already gone, Shield got the impression that they had come to the same conclusion. He turned his dark eyes back to the frazzled NPC. "The only monster that we took anything directly from attacked us, and we dispatched it. It no longer has any need for its loot. Nor do whatever creatures abandoned their ches-"

"It isn't yours to take!" spat Nemo, his form now towering over Shield. It only took him a moment to recall that before the groundskeeper had been shorter than him by several inches. He leaped back, raising his fist and ducking behind his shield. The buff he used bolstered the attack of the hidden ally that had apparently taken to the shadows. Long fangs extended from Nemo's jws, and a new nametag replaced the old.

"Nemo, the wind of Gaia, huh? Sounds pretty presumptuous of a glorified gardener."

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Opening Chest - ID#: 189034 - Loot: 15+7=24

24+ [250 Col, 12 materials, 1 Perfect Weapon, 1 Perfect Armor/Shield, 2 Perfect Consumables]

Shield shook his head as he knelt down beside his find. "More chances for you to ID something worthwhile. Besides, I essentially already have what I need to make the perfect weapon for my purposes. If there's anything I'd find useful from this trip's findings, it would be consumables, but even then I'd rather just buy from local shops."

Holding out his hand, Lilith took her cue and extended her scaly head from the cover of his sleeve. She flicked her tongue and inspected the lock, squeezing Shield's arm to communicate the difficulty of the lock. It seemed to be about identical to the last, and so Shield pulled a similar key from his key ring.

With a jingle and a click, the lock was open and presented a relatively decent haul, at least considering the floor they were on. "I think that's a good stopping point then." He took up the armor that had been offered him from the spot where it had been left, leaving behind the sword that he had placed beside it originally. "As long as we even out Col and materials between us, all I require is the armor. I'll transfer the rest to you on our way ou-"

"But you can't leave," howled the familiar voice of Nemo, the garden's keeper. "The... the monsters will be displeased if you take what's rightfully theirs!"

He came bustling over, his previously well-kept hair now a messy mane. This didn't smell right. There was something to his words - almost an indignation or anger. Something about his demeanor and desperation made the hairs on back of Shield's neck bristle. Subtly, he flicked his eyes over to Are and put his arm behind his back where his shield materialized, hopefully without the NPC's notice.

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Searching for chest - ID#:189024 - Loot Die: 16+1=17 - Chest found!

Breathing a sigh of relief, he straightened up and let his shoulders hang slack at his side. Rolling his head slowly, he let his weight settle back onto his heels. His head clear, he straightened back up. "Well, as frustrating as that was, I doubt I'll feel the need to dance with more of those creatures any time soon." He dismissed his shield and turned to look around the garden.

Fishing was no longer an option. Even if the ratio held of one hand to two chests found, it still wasn't worth the hassle. If gear on this floor was really and truly destined to be of a lesser tier, it wasn't worth the fight. He cast about, scanning the surrounding area to see if there were other opportunities for loot. As luck would have it, buried in the very hedge that the hand had fled towards, Shield spotted the outline of something rectangular and large.

"That's better," he thought aloud and set about dragging the hidden chest out into the open.