Dazia

The night rolls on

ID# 219041 BD: 10(Critical, +2 Base DMG), LD: 12, MD: 1

ST-I: 25x12=300 Damage to Ebony Knight!

ID# 219042 CD: 2, LD: 12+1=13(2404 Col, <<T4 Rare Trinket 219042>>)

Vigilon: HP 760/760 | EN 77/110 | 23 DMG | 78 MIT | 4 ACC | 2 EVA | PAR | 6 LD
Dazia: HP 483/660 | EN 63/84 | 23 DMG | 44 MIT | 3 ACC | 4 EVA | 8 Fallen | 1 LD

                  Enemies:

Ebony Knight: HP 0/800 | 135 DMG | 1 ACC | 2 EVA

Abilities:
Nightmare's Charge: An attack that Inflicts Stun on Critical Hits. Used on LD 1-12.
Blood Knight's Blade: An attack that steals half the damage dealt. Used on LD 13-20.

      The path was looking beaten and worn. This was likely a good staging ground for ambushes...
   But as Dazia would quickly realize, there weren't many places she could take cover within. Despite the color of her enshrouding outfit, it would seem she was having trouble blending into her surroundings. Only an inattentive fool would miss her at this rate, and even the AI created by the Cardinal system would have better luck at finding her like this.

      "If only the stones and boulders scattered around the sides of the path that aren't beaten as the road were larger...even though I'm...capable of fitting into more compact spaces...I'm still struggling..." Dazia thought, gritting her teeth in anguish as she resisted to even think the fact that she was small. She was small, yes, but she was far from weak...but if only anyone other than her knew that. Who would care about Dazia, anyway? There were few individuals with enough hope to understand, and half of said individuals were missing in action.

ID# 218852 LD: 2+6=8(Stealth Rating: 8) [Insufficient Stealth]

             It was always the same old damn thing.
       Monsters turn out to be smarter than expected, a clash of equal skill, and a lock of weapons...at least, that's what happened when Dazia went in to strike after Vigilon damaged it. Exactly how was Vigilon doing better than Dazia was? Was there some kind of luck the dumbass had that flip-flopped for better or for worse specifically on the situation?

                      Dazia glared burning daggers into the cold red dead eyes of the Ebony Knight, but it didn't seem to care about Dazia's mood whatsoever. The two simply kept pushing at each other, though it seemed that Dazia was making better progress despite the size comparison between the both of them. Shanno could only watch as the two were engaged in a shoving match as their weapons remained locked against each other. "You better come in clutch, Vigilon!" Dazia called out. As much as she would have loved to make the kill, she was getting tired of this, and just wanted to get Shanno out of here unscathed.

ID# 218845 BD: 2+3=5(miss), LD: 3(Enemy used Nightmare's Charge), MD: 6-4=2(miss)

[2]Vigilon: HP 760/760 | EN 75/110 | 23 DMG | 78 MIT | 4 ACC | 2 EVA | PAR | 6 LD
[0]Dazia: HP 483/660 | EN 71/84 | 23 DMG | 44 MIT | 3 ACC | 4 EVA | 8 Fallen | 1 LD

                  Enemies:

Ebony Knight: HP 41/800 | 135 DMG | 1 ACC | 2 EVA

Abilities:
Nightmare's Charge: An attack that Inflicts Stun on Critical Hits. Used on LD 1-12.
Blood Knight's Blade: An attack that steals half the damage dealt. Used on LD 13-20.

           It wasn't a problem that this player turned out to not be much of a fighter, the fact that he could support Dazia in case of emergencies especially made up for it. With a party formed, Dazia now had to think of how she could handle the situation... "They're likely to see you first." Dazia pointed out. "I'll be in the shadows before they fall. Whether they attack you on sight or not is irrelevant, but if they become hostile when you're in their field of vision, you might need to be ready to take a few hits if they somehow manage reach you before I kill them. Are you certain of your survivability?" She questioned. If she was going to stay on this player's good side, she'd need to show concern for him, especially since he was capable of keeping Dazia alive.

  The trip itself shouldn't be too much for Dazia, seeing that her Survival Skill made that easier. Hopefully there wouldn't be any interruptions from unexpected enemies on the way there...

                        The Green Haired Player spoke a few points, but was a bit stern at one particular one. "Did I not tell you? He blocked the only way in and out, to duel him was my only way out of the place we were in. If I didn't accept, he'd probably just remain there, and I'd be stuck inside a group of subterranean rooms where monsters spawn in. If I didn't fight him in a duel yet killed him anyway, the game would flag it as murder. He could have easily brought enough supplies to keep him from collapsing, whereas my own supplies could have been lesser, leaving me to a different fate...I didn't exactly think it would be wise to take that chance." Dazia explained. "Regardless of who was right or wrong, who was or wasn't at fault, that was the past and now he's dead, nothing can change that, not even a kill made out of vengeance." She added.

                The player noted that Krysta probably thinks that Dazia was the challenger. Dazia actually hadn't thought of it that way, but who started it wasn't a relevant factor to her until just now...not that Krysta would ever believe it from Dazia, of course. The green haired player then answered Dazia's question from earlier...hmph, so he was one of those people, then...not exactly bad, but he might spare the wrong people... "Tch..." She looked back to the direction in front of her, with disregard and some slight nonchalance. She couldn't change him, nor did she intend to. At least he was willing to hear her out, though.

                  Dazia stopped as she heard someone call out, "Oi, you there!"
        She turned to look towards the direction of the sound, and saw an NPC waving to Dazia as he made his way over to the two players. His skin was lighter than that of the other NPCs, aside from a burn scar on his face. There must be something about this NPC other than his skin tone that differentiates him from the other miners on the floor. "Need something?" Dazia asked. The pale skinned miner nodded his head. "I don't know if you've noticed, but the town's falling on hard times. As much as we keep mining, our hard mined ores keep getting stolen by pesky bandits. I'm no good in a fight, and I have to keep leading the miners here. If someone can't resolve the bandit problem, we and our families will surely starve." He explained.
                              Dazia listened with interest. "Anything else you can tell me about the problem?" She asked. "The bandits' attacks, how many there are, whether or not you know anything about someone among them, or even their location?" She added, giving examples in case there was also a particular target. The NPC took a deep breath, his expression somber. "As the current foreman of the miners, I'd say I'm partly at fault for this, as their leader happens to be the former foreman of the miners, Anton Basalton, who wasn't too happy about being replaced by me. I wish I could handle the situation myself, but I'm in no position to... I can give you the location of their camp, and I'll pay you well if you manage to succeed at showing them we're not to be messed with." The NPC explained. A quest prompt then appeared in front of Dazia. She pressed accept, and gave her verbal response to the NPC. "Consider it done. I'll be back with the stolen goods." 
                 The NPC thanked Dazia and marked a location on her map, then returned to his business. Dazia then looked to the green haired player. "Change of plans, for as you can see, I now have another target to deal with. You can feel free to help if you want." She stated. "The situation is to deal with Anton and his bandits, then bring back the stolen goods, simplicity in itself."

                       The green haired player didn't seem to hear the questions that Dazia asked him. Regardless, she decided to humor him for the moment, and answer the question he popped. "Oh, please, of course I didn't tell her." She began. "For starters, I had no clue at all that the two were even remotely related, never even heard of Krysta until she started coming for me. From what I'd heard from someone, she realized I'd killed him because she saw the Monument...and the Monument will always tell you who or what the cause of death is." She added.
                It was both a blessing and a curse, that feature. Because it could tell what killed a player, it could help those who knew someone that was killed...but for killers and killers-to-be, it was a problem because the Monument will always tell the truth about a player's death, meaning that if another player was involved, they'd be exposed in a negative light, regardless of cursor color...and with each kill she made, Dazia could feel the effects of it, laced within Krysta's relentless pursuit of Dazia.

                  "We met at what was supposed to be a social event. Won a lesser prize at its raffle, got a simple candy that was useful in boosting my level at the low state it was in at the time...but since Princess was there, and she knew my username...she was able to spot me, and figure out my appearance. She then wasted no time in trying to confront me. In all honesty, I'd had a hunch that someone out there knew Wardege, but I didn't expect to be found that soon. The girl was clearly driven by vendetta and little else, though to the extent of breaking the peace of a social event...that's not what you see every day." She explained. "Nearly got us both kicked out of it, now that I think about it, as an NPC got involved, giving an enforcement threat."

     The two players had been moving throughout the settlement as they talked, and would soon near the settlement's edge, but Dazia would learn of an opportunity that awaited her outside of it, soon enough...

                        So, the two clans were just a bunch of chess pieces...all that Dazia could hope at this point was that the rooks, bishops, kings and queens weren't too dangerous, as the pawns and knights seemed to be much easier to kill than expected. Even the Knight, whose HP was still above the halfway point when taking damage from Vigilon's attack...after all, the two players had been through far worse than this.

              Dazia prepared her sword art, and Shanno stepped back as the two other players fought. Dazia's attack slaughtered the three pawns, but the knight was left standing. Dazia prepared herself, as it seemed to be readying an attack that would leave an impact if it were successful. "Shanno, to my left." She suggested. Once Shanno moved, the Ebony Knight rushed towards Dazia. She sidestepped the attack and grappled the monster by the arm, proceeding to use momentum against it, swinging it with a spin and slamming it against the wall. The wall displayed <<Immortal Object>>, but the enemy did not look like it was having a good day.

ID# 218549 BD: 3+3=6(hit), MD: 7

ID# 218550 BD: 8+3=10(hit, Fallen activates!), MD: 10

ID# 218551 BD: 4+3=7(hit), MD: 9

ID# 218552 BD: 2+3-2=3(miss), LD: 11(Enemy used Nightmare's Charge), MD: 1(Critical miss)

AoE-I: 23x15=345 Damage to Ebony Pawns 1 and 3, 31x15=465 Damage to Ebony Pawn 2!

ID# 218553 CD: 2, LD: 8+1=9(3500 Col, <<T4 Uncommon Consumable 218553>>)

ID# 218554 CD: 8, LD: 10+1=11(3500 Col, <<T4 Rare Weapon 218554a>>, and <<T4 Uncommon Consumable 218554b>>)

ID# 218555 CD: 10, LD: 8+1=9(4000 Col, <<T4 Rare Trinket 218555>>)

[1]Vigilon: HP 760/760 | EN 89/110 | 23 DMG | 78 MIT | 4 ACC | 2 EVA | PAR | 6 LD
[0]Dazia: HP 483/660 | EN 69/84 | 23 DMG | 44 MIT | 3 ACC | 4 EVA | 8 Fallen | 1 LD

                  Enemies:

Ebony Pawn 1: HP 0/500 | 128 DMG
Ebony Pawn 2: HP 0/500 | 128 DMG
Ebony Pawn 3: HP 0/500 | 128 DMG

Ebony Knight: HP 455/800 | 135 DMG | 1 ACC | 2 EVA

Abilities:
Nightmare's Charge: An attack that Inflicts Stun on Critical Hits. Used on LD 1-12.
Blood Knight's Blade: An attack that steals half the damage dealt. Used on LD 13-20.

                      Dazia listened to the two players' conversation, but there wasn't much that Dazia could chime in for. Nevertheless, she listened, then allowed Shanno to take the lead. Of course, Dazia kept her weapon in hand just in case anything showed up. Everything in the interior and exterior of this damn place was white, so not only was there no use sneaking, there was hardly any way to properly remember these halls...but from what Dazia's memory and the present moment could tell, Shanno was right, while the strange rooms kept appearing, disappearing, and changing, the halls had no changes to them.

                 At the end of the next hall, Dazia could see another color...which wasn't a good thing, it meant interference. She took the lead from that moment as to protect Shanno, but then as the three players drew near, Dazia was able to make out the odd shapes of the entities there. By the time Dazia stopped, she was nearly face to face with the things. They were all black, save for a pair of red gemstones where the eyes should be...but what was confusing wasn't the normal, black armored arms and legs, but the bodies of these creatures themselves. "What the hell...? Are these...Chess pieces??" Dazia observed, for they looked like giant black pawns with arms and legs, as well as rubies for eyes.

Vigilon: HP 760/760 | EN 110/110 | 23 DMG | 78 MIT | 4 ACC | 2 EVA | PAR | 6 LD
Dazia: HP 483/660 | EN 84/84 | 23 DMG | 44 MIT | 3 ACC | 4 EVA | 8 Fallen | 1 LD 

                      Wonderful, two clans... NPC factions, and now they've been released. But this was a mission, and Dazia intended to see it through. Shanno needed to be brought out safely, no matter what. The three players managed to get out of the room that connected the Citadel to the Tower, so there ends the linear path. Now there was probably a maze of rooms to get through before they could finally escape, as Dazia wasn't able to retrace her steps beyond here.
                       She tried to retrace her steps regardless, but they didn't make any sense. "Damn it, the way we came isn't making sense! There should have been a room over there!" She thought aloud. Shanno then remembered a detail from the time she was around exploring the Citadel prior to being trapped at the Tower. "The rooms, they change and shift. There was a room there, but not anymore." She revealed.

         Well, that just made things a whole lot harder.

Vigilon: HP 737/760 | EN 64/110 | 23 DMG | 78 MIT | 4 ACC | 2 EVA | PAR | 6 LD
Dazia: HP 443/660 | EN 28/84 | 23 DMG | 44 MIT | 3 ACC | 4 EVA | 8 Fallen | 1 LD 

               So suddenly, everything began to shake. "What the- What's happening??" Dazia exclaimed.
          Shanno looked to her left, then to her right, then recalled something she'd read. "The seals...the monster was guarding the seals as well as the way down! We need to get out of here or we could be overrun!" She realized. 

         Being overrun was the last thing Dazia wanted. She'd already spent energy and health trying to take down a large target, she was not in the mood to get swarmed by whatever those seals were keeping in. "Then in that case, let's get the hell out of here!" She decided.
                               Dazia didn't know what she and Vigilon had just triggered, but this rescue needed to be a success. As long as the two players were able to get Shanno back to Seline safe and sound, Dazia didn't care what happened to this place or the floor. "Come on!" She called as she gestured for the two other players to follow when she dashed off.

Blight Damage: Dazia takes 32 Damage

Vigilon: HP 697/760 | EN 60/110 | 23 DMG | 78 MIT | 4 ACC | 2 EVA | PAR | 6 LD
Dazia: HP 403/660 | EN 24/84 | 23 DMG | 44 MIT | 3 ACC | 4 EVA | 8 Fallen | 1 LD 

                       Dazia prepared her last attack as Vigilon had suggested, and with one simple yet cruel attack, the target was dead.

                     Kalsnald crumpled to the ground, there was nothing more he could do...nothing...nothing...
          And what he'd previously kept sealed away with his life, would surely see the sun and moon once more...

                  Dazia took a deep breath. While the items were of little use to her, the col she earned from killing the target was a pretty good amount. She walked back over to Vigilon. "It's done, then...Shanno is free." She stated. She pulled her cowl off, and looked to the side to see Shanno standing there. 
              "If I'm being honest, I never thought I'd see the death of that creature..." She remarked. "I...I..."

    Shanno appeared to be tearing up, as though all her worries regarding her freedom from captivity this monster caused, had all fallen away like a massive weight off her shoulders. She then rushed up to the two players, clutching them both in an embrace. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!"
                    Tears were streaming down her face, and Dazia felt a bit awkward, being hugged like this. She appreciated the thanks, but this was a bit much for her. She slipped out of arm and moved it towards Vigilon, then began patting Shanno on the shoulder.

       Say...this is looking to be a bit of a scene now...who knows, it might be cute in the future. Dazia proceeded to screenshot this, so now she had an image of Shanno crying as she hugged Vigilon. She did her best to avoid having a humor-based smile over this, but she continued to try and help Shanno the way she was comfortable doing...patting the girl on her shoulder.

ID# 218539 BD: 5+3=8(hit)

ST-I: 23x12=276 Damage to Kalsvald, Ash Knight of Sealing!

ID# 218540 CD: 8, LD: 12+1=13(26,600 Col, <<T4 Rare Weapon 218540a>>, and <<T4 Uncommon Consumable 218540b>>)

Blight Damage: Dazia takes 32 Damage

Vigilon: HP 657/760 | EN 56/110 | 23 DMG | 78 MIT | 4 ACC | 2 EVA | PAR | 6 LD
Dazia: HP 435/660 | EN 20/84 | 23 DMG | 44 24 MIT | 3 ACC | 4 EVA | 8 Fallen | 1 LD | T4 Blight: 1 Turn, 32 DMG

               Enemies:

Kalsnald, Ash Knight of Sealing:

HP 0/3800 | 140 DMG | 2 ACC

Attacks:

Punishing Blade: Common Attack, used on LD 1-8.
Rending Cleave: Inflicts T4 Bleed on MD 8-10, used on LD 9-14.
Axe of Duality: An AoE attack that deals an additional 40 damage as Fallen on MD 9, and an additional 40 damage as Holy on MD 10. Used on LD 15-18.
Blighted Smite: An attack that inflicts T4 Blight on a successful hit. Used on LD 19-20.

Abilities:

Neutralizer: Holy Damage and Fallen Damage are 25% less effective when inflicted against Kalsnald, Ash Knight of Sealing.

"To Hell with your Persistence!": Using a healing item or skill generates 6 Hate and gives Kalsnald, Ash Knight of Sealing a free attack action to use against the cause of healing.

                       Just that quick, huh?

            Within only a few minutes, the monster that kept a player trapped here for over a year was being slain by two players, what were the chances??

              Fallen energy surged through Dazia's weapon even further, as she activated her most powerful sword art. She would unleash a hellish devastation upon the target, not a single swing wouldn't meet the foe. Strike after strike, cut after cut, there was no mercy for this enemy, none whatsoever...

        Pain. Suffering. Death.

    That was all this blight would ever bring...but if the world should fall, he should fall with it. His actions would speak for him, only a single word was needed to convey... "Enough."
       Kalsnald charged his axe with power, and dealt a powerful blow against the blight of a girl, ailing her with an affliction in the process. Flames would now be burning within his own eyes, a violet flame against the hellish blue inferno, a glare meets a glare.

ID# 218536 BD: 8+3=10(hit, Fallen Activates!)

ID# 218537 LD: 20(Used Blighted Smite), MD: 8+2-4=6(hit)

ST-B: 23x20=460+120=580 Damage to Kalsnald!

[3]Vigilon: HP 657/760 | EN 70/110 | 23 DMG | 78 MIT | 4 ACC | 2 EVA | PAR | 6 LD
[4]Dazia: HP 467/660 | EN 28/84 | 23 DMG | 44 24 MIT | 3 ACC | 4 EVA | 8 Fallen | 1 LD | T4 Blight: 2 Turns, 32 DMG

               Enemies:

Kalsnald, Ash Knight of Sealing:

HP 678/3800 | 140 DMG | 2 ACC

Attacks:

Punishing Blade: Common Attack, used on LD 1-8.
Rending Cleave: Inflicts T4 Bleed on MD 8-10, used on LD 9-14.
Axe of Duality: An AoE attack that deals an additional 40 damage as Fallen on MD 9, and an additional 40 damage as Holy on MD 10. Used on LD 15-18.
Blighted Smite: An attack that inflicts T4 Blight on a successful hit. Used on LD 19-20.

Abilities:

Neutralizer: Holy Damage and Fallen Damage are 25% less effective when inflicted against Kalsnald, Ash Knight of Sealing.

"To Hell with your Persistence!": Using a healing item or skill generates 6 Hate and gives Kalsnald, Ash Knight of Sealing a free attack action to use against the cause of healing.

                    Getting an axe blade to her torso would realistically be devastating, but since this was a game with numbers, not all cuts were truly equal. The fact that she was slammed down by this towering figure was none too pleasant though, despite the fact that she didn't feel intimidated. This thing was strong, but while its survivability might scare off solo players and weaker parties, it seemed that the combined efforts of two tier four players was already proving to be too much for it.

           "I'm fine..." Dazia answered with a strained grunt. She got up, and readied her weapon. "I'm not dead yet and neither are you, ugly. Let's finish this."
           Her next attack nearly dropped all the remaining HP in the first HP bar, just a small sliver remained before it was onto the second one. Fallen attack after fallen attack, Dazia intended to devastate this monster.

                 Cursed? Ugly? What kind of world did these two even come from? Was the mission given to him truly an impossible one? At this rate, the least Kalsnald could do was defend himself against these fools! They knew not of what they do, but the girl could not be allowed to walk away! Kalsnald unleashed his battle cry once more, but the girl was small enough to dodge his attack with ease.

ID# 218533 BD: 7+3=10(hit, Fallen Activates!), CD: 11(ST-B Available!)

ID# 218533 LD: 2(Used Punishing Blade), MD: 3+2-4=1(miss)

AoE-I: 23x15=345+90=435 Damage to Kalsnald!

[2]Vigilon: HP 657/760 | EN 81/110 | 23 DMG | 78 MIT | 4 ACC | 2 EVA | PAR | 6 LD
[3]Dazia: HP 563/660 | EN 44/84 | 23 DMG | 44 MIT | 3 ACC | 4 EVA | 8 Fallen | 1 LD

               Enemies:

Kalsnald, Ash Knight of Sealing:

HP 1603/3800 | 140 DMG | 2 ACC

Attacks:

Punishing Blade: Common Attack, used on LD 1-8.
Rending Cleave: Inflicts T4 Bleed on MD 8-10, used on LD 9-14.
Axe of Duality: An AoE attack that deals an additional 40 damage as Fallen on MD 9, and an additional 40 damage as Holy on MD 10. Used on LD 15-18.
Blighted Smite: An attack that inflicts T4 Blight on a successful hit. Used on LD 19-20.

Abilities:

Neutralizer: Holy Damage and Fallen Damage are 25% less effective when inflicted against Kalsnald, Ash Knight of Sealing.

"To Hell with your Persistence!": Using a healing item or skill generates 6 Hate and gives Kalsnald, Ash Knight of Sealing a free attack action to use against the cause of healing.

                      Dazia locked eyes with her target. There was something unsettling about this monster, but she unleashed her usual burning glare regardless. She would put the fear of her in this thing, and it would die in suffering.

                She had little to say about Vigilon's remark, but he was right, Shanno didn't receive any Fallen or Holy damage from this monster's attacks...so maybe they were limited to critical hits with that spin attack? For now, Dazia attacked with her sword art once again. Her target's HP was dropping steadily with each gash upon it, worsened by the fallen energies that surged with every hit thus far.

          Blight.
       This girl was a blight. She walked in darkness, noticeable from her weapon and her apparel, as well as her failure to remain unseen by Kalsnald's eye. She was a vessel of wrath, noticeable by her sheer ferocity and the inferno burning within her eyes. This will not stand. Kalsnald is more than a simple guard, he was tasked to seal two forces that could not be permanently culled...but this girl here, she needed to be removed. Absolute light, absolute darkness...neither belonged, they were all excess and clutter for this world. Had the years really gone by so far that they would return naturally? The beast of a knight growled, as though he'd already had enough. He brought his axe down upon the girl. While it did not seem to be enough to slay her, it should at least remind her of her place.

ID# 218530 BD: 6+3=9(hit, Fallen Activates!)

ID# 218531 LD: 7(Used Punishing Blade), MD: 9(Critical, +1 DMG)

AoE-II: 23x18=414+108=522 Damage to Kalsnald!

[1]Vigilon: HP 657/760 | EN 97/110 | 23 DMG | 78 MIT | 4 ACC | 2 EVA | PAR | 6 LD
[2]Dazia: HP 563/660 | EN 55/84 | 23 DMG | 44 MIT | 3 ACC | 4 EVA | 8 Fallen | 1 LD

               Enemies:

Kalsnald, Ash Knight of Sealing:

HP 2498/3800 | 140 DMG | 2 ACC

Attacks:

Punishing Blade: Common Attack, used on LD 1-8.
Rending Cleave: Inflicts T4 Bleed on MD 8-10, used on LD 9-14.
Axe of Duality: An AoE attack that deals an additional 40 damage as Fallen on MD 9, and an additional 40 damage as Holy on MD 10. Used on LD 15-18.
Blighted Smite: An attack that inflicts T4 Blight on a successful hit. Used on LD 19-20.

Abilities:

Neutralizer: Holy Damage and Fallen Damage are 25% less effective when inflicted against Kalsnald, Ash Knight of Sealing.

"To Hell with your Persistence!": Using a healing item or skill generates 6 Hate and gives Kalsnald, Ash Knight of Sealing a free attack action to use against the cause of healing.

                  Vigilon attempted his charge attack, only to get stopped and end up in a lock with the target. Two HP Bars filled up, and the monster's name displayed. ...What kind of a name was "Kalsnald"?

           Regardless, now that this thing was active, it really didn't look right...there was just something off about it...
                  Dazia would follow by coming in with her own attack, damaging the monster with a fallen powered attack. The impact the fallen energy had didn't seem to be what it usually was, so Shanno's observation was proven...for Fallen as well as Holy. This thing really had it out for the two players now. It swung its axe in a circle, spinning and spinning. Dazia dropped to the ground, while Vigilon was struck and sent flying, and to add further injury, fallen energy burst from the weapon when the blade reached him.

               Dazia kept her gaze on her target. This fight had to be possible to win, right? "Alright...we're seeing proof of Shanno's warnings, this thing's nothing like the average monster..."
         After all, what simple monster ever got to have two HP bars?

ID# 218523 BD: 7+3=10(Hit, Fallen Activates!)

ID# 218524 LD: 18(Used Axe of Duality), MD: 3+2-4=1(miss) 

ID# 218525 MD: 9(Critical, +1 Damage, +40 Fallen Damage!)

AoE-I: 23x15=345+90=435 Damage to Kalsnald!

[0]Vigilon: HP 657/760 | EN 108/110 | 23 DMG | 78 MIT | 4 ACC | 2 EVA | PAR | 6 LD
[1]Dazia: HP 660/660 | EN 69/84 | 23 DMG | 44 MIT | 3 ACC | 4 EVA | 8 Fallen | 1 LD

               Enemies:

Kalsnald, Ash Knight of Sealing:

HP 3365/3800 | 140 DMG | 2 ACC

Attacks:

Punishing Blade: Common Attack, used on LD 1-8.
Rending Cleave: Inflicts T4 Bleed on MD 8-10, used on LD 9-14.
Axe of Duality: An AoE attack that deals an additional 40 damage as Fallen on MD 9, and an additional 40 damage as Holy on MD 10. Used on LD 15-18.
Blighted Smite: An attack that inflicts T4 Blight on a successful hit. Used on LD 19-20.

Abilities:

Neutralizer: Holy Damage and Fallen Damage are 25% less effective when inflicted against Kalsnald, Ash Knight of Sealing.

"To Hell with your Persistence!": Using a healing item or skill generates 6 Hate and gives Kalsnald, Ash Knight of Sealing a free attack action to use against the cause of healing.

                            After Shanno's explanation of the monster, Vigilon made a simple suggestion for a battle plan, one that made use of both players' natural strengths. Who knows, maybe it will be simple as that. "...Well, it's the best plan we've got for now..." Dazia admitted. "We can change up our strategy if we have to, but let's hope this damn thing's a slowpoke." She added. She then looked to Shanno. "You might want to pack up your things, 'cause we're getting you out of here one way or another." She decided. "Regardless if it forces us to retreat by teleport crystal and come back with a rescue team, or kill it on the first try."

                Shanno entered the tower once more to gather her belongings, at long last, she would be able to return from this place. Dazia then looked to Vigilon. "Well, we've got out teleport crystals, and we've got our strategy." She pulled the cowl back over her head. "Let's get moving."

Now all she had to do was avoid being seen by the new target.

               Dazia kept her steps light and slow, doing what she could...but not even her best stealth tactics could help her when the entire damn structure was white inside and out with few shadows to be hidden in. Alas, she ended up locking eyes with the target. She scowled, the target just stared at her, waiting to see what she would do.

     ...It was kind of awkward.

ID# 218521 LD: 4+5=9(Too low, Spotted!)

                               The green haired player gave his thoughts, as well as his questions. "I know! It makes no sense at all!" Dazia remarked, failing to stop herself from chuckling as she did so. It was just so stupid of the man to do what he did at the battle's end. "He even kept up the act on his final breath! You wouldn't believe what he even said, he just said something like... '...You...you really hate Humanity that much? Ha....I guess I was protecting them, by challenging you...I'm sorry everyone, I have...failed you all...' Please, like he didn't ask for it by trying to kill me like that, it was a real waste..." Uh oh, did she get too comfortable and go too far? She stopped then and there. Her surprised expression was hidden by her cowl, and she cleared her throat. "S-so, um, I don't understand why he even tried to go for that move, even. We met on that day, he challenges me out of the blue, and then expects me to spare him? I don't see the logic in that." She noted.
                           "It's true that I've already become disliked by many over it, some have even taken Princess's side of the argument and joined her in her quest for revenge, and she'll stop at nothing to kill me. It's just a wild goose chase at this point, and I'm getting sick of being on the run from her at all times." She added. "One question though...is self-defense the only worthy reason to take lives?" Dazia asked. "What if it was the only way to stop someone from doing awful things to everyone around you? What if the world improves when they're taken out of the picture?" She continued. "What if they exist simply to snuff out the hope that keeps us all going? Not everyone is strong enough to defend themselves, sometimes, there are those of us who may need to do the ugly things, isn't that how it is?"

    Well, Dazia had spoken her side of the story...so now that he'd spoken his opinion, Dazia wanted to dig deeper into that.

                        Vigilon had a blank stare on his face. He can't possibly be this stupid.
               "You do have something you can give her, right?" Dazia asked, hoping he was just trying to pick one.

"Can she use Straight Swords?" 

          "No." Shanno answered. Dazia facepalmed. He couldn't possibly be this stupid.

"How was I supposed to know something like this would happen? I leave my creations at the shop. I had no way of anticipating something like this."
         Ok, maybe he was, looks like they'll be without an extra party member on this one.

     With a deep, irritated sigh, it was time to move on to the next step of the battle planning. "Alright, so Vigilon, you and I will be doing this on our own. Remember that next time you decide it's a good idea to leave gear at home." She retorted. She then looked to Shanno. "So, since you've fought this thing before, is there anything you can tell us about this monster and how it fights? We might be able to better prepare ourselves for it the more we know about it." She asked.

         Shanno took the thinking position as she recalled her battles with the monster in question. "This Guardian will take the fight anywhere in the room he dwells in, but he will dash at extraordinary speeds to block you if you try to escape from the battle by moving towards the stairs downward." She began. "My weapon had a slot of Holy, but from what I could tell, it was only partially effective. It wields a double bladed axe and some of its attacks look like they can strike more than one target." She recalled. "I remember it inflicting bleed on me, and possibly blight, at one time..." She noted. "However...his true strength is its survivability, and his hatred for those who heal. His greatest strength is his ability to outlast most of his enemies, he's not too far from some of the simpler monsters aside from that, and having different attacks and two ailments he can inflict." She explained. "That's all I remember about him, I do hope this helps you slay the beast..."

                                     Despite the simplicity of the monster, the ailments and the survivability really make a huge difference. The two who came here were really in for it.

                    The first question that the green haired player asked showed that there was a need for some clarification. Dazia continued to listen until he was done making his points. "We met and fought on the same day, actually. We never knew each other personally. He didn't demand anything from me when he sent me that challenge when he blocked my way, other than the duel itself. I don't know why he thought it was a good idea to challenge me to a fight to the death either, but he's dead now and that's his fault." Dazia answered.

               Dazia sighed. "I'm not sure if this was something that was premeditated, or if he just convinced himself that there was a reason to fight me, and at this point, I just don't care anymore. Those who claimed to know him more personally..." Dazia nearly trailed off there. "They acted like he was some kind of saint with a servant's heart. He sure kept up the polite attitude, even to the end, but I'm not sure if it was genuine or just an act." She added.

        Dazia usually didn't like this floor, but there were a number of times she'd already made an exception already, not to mention the survival skill proved to be useful here.

"Vigilon, what the hell are you on about? She doesn't look like a Nightingale, that's just what Seline refers to her as-" Dazia snapped back into focus, he was clearly looking at something...or, more accurately, someone. Dazia walked over to him and looked over towards the balcony. There she was.

"Hm?"

Realizing that there was someone else present, the player looked in the direction of Dazia and Vigilon.

      "You...why are you here?"

  Dazia's cowl was off, so her face was visible at this time. "Your username...is it Shanno, by any chance?" Dazia asked. "...Yes, why do you ask?" Shanno answered, looking somewhat confused.
       "Seline's been worried sick about you. She sent me to find you." Dazia revealed. "She's hoping that I could bring you back to her safe and sound."

      There was silence for a short moment. Shanno's expression was sorrowful yet understanding. "I appreciate that you came here to find me..." She began. "But none of us are going anywhere as long as that beast downstairs is still lurking." 
             Dazia sighed with acknowledgement. "While we came to investigate this area, I know I'm willing to fight for my freedom, as well as yours. We have teleport crystals, so if thinks look too bleak we can gather supplies, then come back with help and the sole intent to kill that thing and get you out of here safely." She noted. Shanno's expression remained unchanged. "It will be far from an easy task. I cannot help you, for I have no weapon left as my last one broke, and healing an ally, or even oneself, as I learned as I exhausted my healing consumables, draws his ire and makes his next attack devastating." She revealed.
        "That should be an easy fix, we've got a blacksmith here now. Vigilon, you've got a spare you can give her, right?" Dazia suggested.

                  As the players searched the rooms, they soon came across the garden mentioned in the log they found. Vigilon took a closer inspection on what was in the room, and deduced that there was definitely a player here. Vigilon came to investigate rumors regarding a girl on top of the tower, so if she was also the missing person Dazia was looking for, then it would definitely be two birds with one stone for them to find this player and help her back down the tower and out of the Citadel. "By the looks of these plants, she really doesn't have much longer. If she was to have ran out a few days before today, she might just lose consciousness and become a sitting duck for anyone that might bear ill will towards her in any way, shape, or form, lethal or otherwise." Dazia revealed. "We don't have time to waste, let's get moving." She decided.

                           Vigilon made some solid points. Even if the missing person was here, she could easily flee back to this story of the tower while she waits for Dazia and Vigilon to come back better prepared to take on this monster. It was a definite necessity to lay this fact down, regardless of which of the two players it was. Plenty of players were some pretty good damage dealers, so there were chances that the one who faced this monster didn't have the defenses to survive for very long, or, like Vigilon thought, its own survivability outlasted that of the one who'd fought it before. Dazia hoped that she and Vigilon would be enough to bring it down, she wasn't in the mood to make this harder than it needed to be.

                      Dazia nodded her head. "Good that you know where we realistically stand in this situation, Vigilon. Now then, we should start looking for a room that might be more likely to have someone around. The inkwell was fresh when we found it, so whoever's been writing this couldn't have gone very far." Dazia responded, before leaving the room, with Vigilon following behind her.

                Dazia didn't hear a direct response to anything she said, in any regards to the current situation. "Hey are you even listening or realizing what I just-"

          "Hey, there's a chest here."

     Dazia blinked. "...Huh?" She was confused, not by the fact that he found a chest, but the fact that he completely zoned out from the situation to find that chest. ...Well, might as well make use of this opportunity.

             Dazia opened the treasure chest without hesitation. Nothing wrong happened to Dazia's cursor, so this chest's contents were definitely just loot from the game. There, the loot was hers now. Whoever had been holed up in this place for five hundred and thirty seven days and yet not seen this had missed out, but Dazia might be willing to spare some if it were a necessity to do so.

          Right, now back to the problem at hand. "Ok, so as I was saying, now we're trapped up here because that statue like thing is apparently keeping things from heading down, but it didn't stop us while we were heading up. Regardless if we find anyone or not, we're gonna need to be battle ready with a battle strategy." Dazia stated.

ID# 218501 LD: 16(4400 col, 10 Mats, <<T4 Perfect Weapon 218501a>>, <<T4 Perfect Weapon 218501b>>, and <<T4 Perfect Consumable 218501c>>)

Vigilon: HP 598/760 | EN 110/110 | 23 DMG | 78 MIT | 4 ACC | 2 EVA | PAR | 6 LD

Dazia: HP 660/660 | EN 84/84 | 23 DMG | 44 MIT | 3 ACC | 4 EVA | 8 Fallen | 1 LD

                       Figures. That's what almost everyone asked.
                   And nearly everyone she'd spoken to about this didn't have any kind words for her. Even Vigilon, who apparently hadn't given up hope for her, claimed that the incident with Wardege carried "malice". There had to be a way Dazia could word it in which she could avoid the same song and dance.

                        "It started like any other day outside the safe zone for any other group of players, where they all have a reason to set out for the day, usually to fight monsters to gain levels or rewards. Wardege and I met at the safe zone's edge, considered going out there to hunt some common creatures, then we stumbled upon a crumbling ruin. We fought our way through it, but he seemed to be paying attention to how I fought." She began. Hopefully the green haired player wouldn't notice her removing the wanted poster placed by that trio of dimwitted simps, it was like they were on nearly every floor. She had to keep her notoriety from looking too dangerous, and that usually involved removing blather like this, regardless of which form it was in, written or spoken.
                        Continuing, she placed her right hand on her side as the explanation went on. "I didn't know why he was doing that. Nor did I know why he seemed more and more like something was off the further we cleared around the area. Something soon seemed off about him as we neared the exit, then he went on ahead of me, just to block my way out." She shrugged with both arms. "I couldn't see the point in doing so, nor could I understand why he sent me a duel challenge, for a total loss duel, in fact. I took the challenge, seeing that there didn't seem to be any other way out and I couldn't force my way out without getting an infraction on my cursor. I lacked the funds for a teleport crystal at the time, so of course by the time I could afford one, I was already outside of town and in a difficult situation. So we fought. The battle was longer than expected, to be honest. He'd learned how I fought, so he did make use of that knowledge to deflect my attacks, but that obviously wasn't the mistake he made, it was initiating that fight to begin with." She crossed both her arms, her expression irritated, as she continued. "As victory was getting near, he just, out of the blue, leaves himself wide open, and calls out, 'Let's settle it all here and now. Treat me the way you would treat Humanity!' ...I didn't think it was necessary for me to ask why he still held onto his weapon, he could strike me the moment I let my guard down. I don't understand why he thought that was a good idea, in the slim, off chance that he was telling the truth."
                Dazia realized that she'd prattled on more than she needed to. There was no turning back, but at least she was within a safe zone.

                         "Let me see that." Dazia requested.
                Upon being handed the book, she began to read what was its latest entry. She then began to backtrack a few pages, before deciding to try and read the first page that had been written in.

      Dazia read the page, and noticed that it was listed as day 401. This wasn't the first book to have been written in, there were more. "...This isn't even the first book." She noted. "There's also some kind of monster keeping this person trapped." Due to the lack of additional details, she was unable to tell if a player or an NPC had written this. What she did know, was that due to the fresh inkwell on the desk of this room, whoever had written these was still here.

               Now that Dazia had thought about it, if this person was unable to leave because a monster kept trying to kill them... Wait...that statue...

          "Wait...this monster...the person who wrote this referred to it as some kind of guardian...that statue...do you think it didn't attack us because it was only meant to keep whatever's up here from coming back down...?"
             This person wasn't the only one trapped here anymore. Now Vigilon and Dazia were as well.
      "Damn it!"

Vigilon: HP 558/760 | EN 110/110 | 23 DMG | 78 MIT | 4 ACC | 2 EVA | PAR | 6 LD

Dazia: HP 644/660 | EN 84/84 | 23 DMG | 44 MIT | 3 ACC | 4 EVA | 8 Fallen | 1 LD