Pinball

Silence. 

Pinball hesitated. 

The spiderling didn't move. Instead, it stared at him, and Pinball could have sworn he saw some glimmer of intelligence... somewhere in its many, many eyes. Pinball moved forward slowly. Carefully. Calculating every twitch of movement the Spiderling produced in response to the sudden approach, but there was none, and Pinball paused again. 

He hesitated again. 

Why wasn't it moving? Why was it just staring at him? It'd stopped making noise, too. Was something about to happen? Had he triggered some sort of event in the fight like he'd secretly expected to? Or was Cardinal lagging? This thought process repeated itself in his mind like an endless loop, and it would seem that Pinball would never get to know the truth behind it, because just as Pinball was about to lower his weapon and go up and poke it or something, the Needlessly Swole Spiderling jumped to life as if nothing had happened in the first place. "Squee, squee!"

Action Taken: Sword Art - Nova Ascension [-2 EN/+1 EN] 
Needlessly Swole Spiderling: ID#187565 BD: 1 MD: 1 

Pinball: 642/970 HP | 93/114 EN | 20 DMG | 5 ACC | 5 EVA | 8-10/FRZ | Phase 
  Cooldowns: Parry (2/3) | Meteor Break (2/2) | Shadow Explosion (1/3) | Nova Ascension (0/1) 

Needlessly Swole Spiderling: 1,035/1,200 HP | 270 DMG | 150 MIT | 2 ACC | 1 EVA 

"Sq-squibbers!!" 

"Oh-?" 

The Spiderling practically leapt for joy as the effects of the stun left it. Pinball took a measured step back, angling himself for his next attack. He wouldn't give the Wave 3 monster any time to rest, because that mercy had never been given to him, even by creatures outside of the sub-dungeon's confines. His sword glowering miasmic blackness, Pinball charged up Shadow Explosion before remembering Shatter, and then a grey outline surrounded it. 

Unleashing the Sword Art as normal, a visible effect would occur as a sickly crunch filled the room and the air was filled with a spiderweb of gray energy fracturing the very air around it. Pinball felt his sword cut a great deal deeper into the shell of the bug he was attacking and was almost immediately pleased with the new skill. 

Something he wouldn't notice until it was too late was the exponential energy cost increase. 

Action Taken: Sword Art - Shadow Explosion [-13 EN/+1 EN] {Well Rested} 
Needlessly Swole Spiderling: ID#187560 BD: 7 (hit) ~ 20*15= 300-150= 165 DMG 

Pinball: 642/970 HP | 94/114 EN | 20 DMG | 5 ACC | 5 EVA | 8-10/FRZ | Phase 
  Cooldowns: Parry (1/3) | Meteor Break (1/2) | Shadow Explosion (0/3) 

Needlessly Swole Spiderling: 1,035/1,200 HP | 270 DMG | 150 MIT | 2 ACC | 1 EVA {Stunned} 

"Squee!" 

Pinball fidgeted. He was still in disbelief and wasn't at all sure how he was supposed to be reacting. 

But it leapt at him with unprecedented speed, latching onto him and clamping down on his neck. Grunting, Pinball backpedaled, grasping the spider and yanking it free of his throat, then tossing it viciously to the side with a quick swipe of a frostbitten sword as a parting gift. Winter winds buffeted the creature and filled the room around them, causing the webbing in the area to glitter like hundreds of thousands of tiny diamonds. 

Stunned and struggling to recover its footing, the roided up arachnid convulsed on the floor while Pinball stood heaving, still shell-shocked from its reveal. 

"Sq-squee," it lamented, cursing the gods who had made it so. Pinball brushed off whatever shakiness still plagued him and leveled Cold Fervor. If this was what it was going to be, then so be it. He had to get past it if he wanted to leave, and there was no swapping opponents with some other dungeon. God, what I would do for a different one right now though.

It was with heavy heart he steeled himself for the battle ahead. 

Action Taken: Sword Art - Meteor Break [-1 EN/+1 EN] {Well Rested} 
Needlessly Swole Spiderling: ID#187559 BD: 1 (o) MD: 9 (ok) ~ 300/2 = 150 DMG to Pinball // Justified Riposte 

Pinball: 642/970 HP | 106/114 EN | 20 DMG | 5 ACC | 5 EVA | 8-10/FRZ | Phase | 
  Cooldowns: Parry (0/3) |  Meteor Break (0/2) 

Needlessly Swole Spiderling: 1,200/1,200 HP | 270 DMG | 150 MIT | 2 ACC | 1 EVA {Stunned} 

To call the chamber massive was an understatement. It was the size of the previous two put together and then double that even still, columns of intricately carved stone laid throughout as support, covered in a thick layer of silky webbing, a fate that absolutely none of the room had escaped. And in the center of it all, the monstrous beast that called the place its home... 

"Squee!" 

"What the fuck?" 

...was a cute little spiderling a third the size of himself with bulging six pack abs. Before the normally hazy state of his mind cleared up to deal with the task at hand as it normally did, Pinball was almost a bit jealous of its wickedly masculine body. And then the delusion wore off, and Pinball was in shock. Was this it? What he'd worked up to? The climactic final boss he'd risked life and limb for? Pinball hesitantly threw up his guard and glanced around the room. Surely, there had to be some giant monster that was about to drop on and crush the spiderling like the cliched introduction to a kaiju movie. But there was none such danger lurking in the shadows. He'd made sure of it with his Searching. 

And the Needlessly Swole Spiderling slowly scuttled towards him with an insatiable bloodlust. 

Action Taken: PARRY [-8 EN] {Well Rested} 
Needlessly Swole Spiderling: ID#187558 MD: 5 (Miss) 

Pinball: 792/970 HP | 106/114 EN | 20 DMG | 5 ACC | 5 EVA | 8-10/FRZ | Phase
  Cooldowns: Parry (0/3) 

Needlessly Swole Spiderling: 1,200/1,200 HP | 270 DMG | 150 MIT | 2 ACC | 1 EVA 

Once he was satisfied, Pinball stood up. 

"Come on," he called to Zomekko. She quickly followed suit, swiftly moving through the air, swirling around him, and coming to a rest within the jar he carried on his waist. Pinball began to walk down the dark corridor. Again, the silence was deafening, and he dared not break it for fear the whole place would come crumbling down around him. 

The hall stretched on for what felt like about a minute or so. Eventually the smooth, cut stone beneath his feet turned sticky and soft. Glancing down he saw webs stuck to his boot, and then he looked ahead and the floor was layered with them to the point the path had turned completely white ahead of him. 

So the final boss was some sort of spider.

That was pretty standard for a bug-themed dungeon. He wondered briefly what mutated monstrosity he'd face in the battle ahead until he was staring it in the eyes. 

Out of Combat Recovery: 

HP: 712+80= 792 HP 
EN Recovery: 2/2 

This time, Pinball saw the outline of the door shifting before he heard it. It scraped and moved away to reveal another tunnel, this leading, of course, to the final room of the dungeon. The boss was ahead of him, but Pinball settled down on the ground for a moment to let his energy and health recover for a moment. 

Zomekko drifted down to the ground beside him and stared up at him with empty white eyes. A faint smile spread across his lips as the sassy ghost cat flicked its tail and padded silently away, seemingly interested in investigating the surrounding tribal carvings and paintings in the room. But as far as he could tell, there was nothing of interest. 

He flicked his wrist and opened his menu. He wasn't about to go into the fight without first ensuring that everything was in working order. If his teleportation crystals weren't in his battle ready, or his HP Recovery just the same -- well, the last thing he wanted was to get caught in the boss's room with his pants down. 

Pinball made sure to double and triple check that everything was working properly. He would take no chances with the final boss of a dungeon, whether it was a tier below him or not. 

Out of Combat Recovery: 

HP: 632+80= 712/970 HP 
EN Recovery: 1/2 

Battle Ready: (because i forgot to write it down here in the previous rest phase) 

Shifting Hummus Dip out in favor of x5 Lacrimosa - HP Recovery III Crystal {Instant} 

"Let's just finish you off there then, buddy." 

Buggy Boy snorted and growled in response. He wasn't really that much of a talker. Sad. 

This time it ran to greet Pinball in a headlong bull rush, but that was unfortunately not the way you should go about attacking the more nimble players. Pinball stood in place, as he was, the shadowy form of the gigantic creature looming over him as it got closer and closer -- and in the end, Pinball was quicker on the draw. Unsheathing his blade and activating Nova Ascension and one fluid motion, Pinball was thrust into the Sword Art's execution before Buggy Boy had even managed to wind up its strikes. 

At the end of it, Zomekko floated down besides him, and Pinball was left alone in the room with a drawn weapon, icy flecks drifting through the air around him and mingling with the polygonal shards the monsters had left behind. 

Action Taken: Sword Art - Nova Ascension [-12 EN/+1 EN] 
Buggy Boy 1: ID#187542 BD: 6 (Hit) MD: 3 (Miss) ~ 20*13= 260-90= 170 DMG 

Pinball: 632/970 HP | 42/114 EN | 20 DMG | 5 ACC | 5 EVA | 8-10/FRZ | Phase 
   Cooldowns: Grappling Familiar (4/5) | Meteor Break (1/2) | Shadow Explosion (3/3) | Nova Ascension (0/1) 

Buggy Boy 1: 0/450 HP | 225 DMG | 90 MIT 

Meteor Break was off cooldown. 

In between the flurry of stabs, the only thing Pinball could do was look up to that magnificent wall of muscle and relentless endurance and smile.

Basing his hypothesis purely off memory, Pinball was fairly confident that landing that shot would be more than enough to finish off his infuriated adversary. Humming softly, Pinball let the Sword Art activate, positioned and aimed himself, and then let Cardinal take over as he was thrown into a chain of vibrant attacks that cut through far more than it sparked off of the beastie's dense armor-plated muscle. When all was finished, the Buggy Boy had been thoroughly shredded in the process, its form littered with a series of scrapes, cuts, and heavy gashes. But its HP dropped into nothingness, and it was no more than a burst of sky-blue pixels as he turned away. 

Oh? Pinball readied his sword. This one's in worse shape than I remember. 

Action Taken: Sword Art - Meteor Break [-16 EN/+1 EN] // PHASE
Buggy Boy 1: ID#
Buggy Boy 2: ID#187541 BD: 10 ~ 22*16= 352-45= 307 DMG + FREEZE 

Pinball: 632/970 HP | 53/114 EN | 20 DMG | 5 ACC | 5 EVA | 8-10/FRZ | Phase 
   Cooldowns: Grappling Familiar (3/5) | Meteor Break (0/2) | Shadow Explosion (2/3) | Nova Ascension (1/1) 

Buggy Boy 1: 50/450 HP | 225 DMG | 90 MIT | -1 EVA | {FROZEN} 
Buggy Boy 2: 0/450 HP | 225 DMG | 90 MIT 

Until it finally broke free. Zomekko's binding bands snapped and reverted to miss, where they coalesced and reverted into a puffy cat-like cloud floating above the monster's head. But it didn't care for Zomekko - it wanted Pinball, and fueled by the bloodlust it came crashing down with both lances, aiming to slam Pinball into the dirt. Sadly for the mob, it wouldn't have that pleasure. Dashing to the side, Pinball was quick to unleash a counterattack in the form of Nova Ascension, the temperature in the room dropping significantly. 

He'd frozen it solid. The ice glittered softly in the darkness, illuminated by the glow of his yellow gaze. 

Pinball didn't have much time to admire his handiwork, however. The other one was still up and active, and it wanted revenge. One, two, three stabs were dodged by a bobbing and weaving Pinball. He was in the groove. He was living in the moment. He wasn't plagued by thoughts or worries or questions of what happened next. Cold Fervor was held limply in one hand, his one and only concern being the attacks in the present moment, and his eyes followed them as they came and went, darting from lance to lance. In that moment, he was completely relaxed and his mind was completely empty, and that was when Pinball fought at his absolute best. 

Action Taken: Sword Art - Nova Ascension [-12 EN/+1 EN] 
Buggy Boy 1: ID#187539 BD: 8 (Hit) MD: 5 (Miss) ~ 20*13= 260-90= 170 DMG + FREEZE 
Buggy Boy 2: ID#187540 MD: 8-5= 3 (Miss) 

Pinball: 632/970 HP | 68/114 EN | 20 DMG | 5 ACC | 5 EVA | 8-10/FRZ | Phase 
   Cooldowns: Parry (3/3) | Grappling Familiar (2/5) | Meteor Break (2/2) | Shadow Explosion (1/3) | Nova Ascension (0/1) 

Buggy Boy 1: 50/450 HP | 225 DMG | 90 MIT | -1 EVA | {FROZEN} 
Buggy Boy 2: 240/450 HP | 225 DMG | 90 MIT 

By then, however, the second Buggy Boy was thawing out. He didn't have much time to celebrate before the mob was back and angrier than ever. 

With another roar, it thundered towards Pinball with murder on its mind. Pulling its arm back, it threw another wicked jab towards him that would inevitably hit the spot where he had been just an instant ago -- because as he'd seen it coming, he'd thrown himself into a showy, acrobatic backflip to get to safety. While it worked on pulling its lance out of the earth it had impaled, Pinball charged it once more, charging a Sword Art as he did. 

On impact its torso exploded with energy, causing it to shriek, but this time in pain. Pinball landed, bounced once, twice, and then finally came to a stop, spinning around with his blade up. Meanwhile, the noises coming from the other Buggy Boy were becoming more and more aggravated as it tugged and tore at its bindings... 

Action Taken: Sword Art - Shadow Explosion [-13 EN/+1 EN] {Well Rested} 
Buggy Boy 1: ID# 
Buggy Boy 2: ID#187538 BD: 3+5= 8 (Hit) MD: 8-5= 3 (Miss) ~ 20*15= 300-90= 210 DMG 

Pinball: 632/970 HP | 79/114 EN | 20 DMG | 5 ACC | 5 EVA | 8-10/FRZ | Phase 
   Cooldowns: Parry (2/3) | Grappling Familiar (1/5) | Meteor Break (1/2) | Shadow Explosion (0/3) 

Buggy Boy 1: 220/450 HP | 225 DMG | 90 MIT {STUNNED} 
Buggy Boy 2: 240/450 HP | 225 DMG | 90 MIT 

But he wasn't done there. After the shit show he had left behind him? Not a chance. 

"Zomekko!" At his call, his companion burst from its jar and curled around his weapon like a shadowy mist. Pinball took comfort in Zomekko's presence. If he had one friend left in the world, it was his ghostly familiar. Rushing towards the other Buggy Boy, Pinball let his weapon go loose in his grip before tightening the moment before impact. He'd launched himeself into the air, raining bursts of color and ice and shadow from a more even level, and just as he felt the Sword Art nearing its finish, cried: 

"Now!" 

Zomekko's mist leapt from the sword to the Buggy Boy, wrapping and curling around it many times over -- black fog then condensed into something else entirely, shadowy tendrils binding the creature in place. It struggled to get free but couldn't as Zomekko's ghastly bindings pulled and compressed the monster's form like black rubber bands, leaving it completely harmless for the time being. At the sight of it, Pinball couldn't prevent the violent laughter escaping his lungs, even as he soared through the air. "Good kitty-!" 

He hit the ground and rolled, bouncing to his feet almost immediately after landing. 

Action Taken: Sword Art - Meteor Break | GRAPPLING FAMILIAR [-15 EN/+1 EN] {Well Rested} 
Buggy Boy 1: ID#187537 BD: 7 (Hit) ~ 20*16= 320-90= 230 DMG + STUN 
Buggy Boy 2: ID#

Pinball: 632/970 HP | 91/114 EN | 20 DMG | 5 ACC | 5 EVA | 8-10/FRZ | Phase 
   Cooldowns: Parry (1/3) | Grappling Familiar (0/5) | Meteor Break (0/2) 

Buggy Boy 1: 220/450 HP | 225 DMG | 90 MIT {STUNNED} 
Buggy Boy 2: 450/450 HP | 225 DMG | 90 MIT {STUNNED}

Two pairs of glowing red eyes in each corner of the room ahead of him. 

Pinball stopped between the both of them. 

And they rose to the challenge. Their forms were massive - bulbous yet dense muscle made for an intimidating wall. They had large, nasty white pincers and big red eyes. Their bodies were entirely black save for their arms: where the previous monsters had had scythe like appendages like a Praying Mantis, these creatures were completely made from fantasy, and in place of hands were humongous lance-like protrusions that they held at the ready. At the same time, they let out an ear-shattering screech that caused debris to fall loose from the ceiling. Pinball grimaced, but stood his ground.

He took a stance. Held his weapon at the ready as they charged. 

Closed his eyes. Exhaled as they jabbed at him, ice coalescing across his hands, his chest, his cheeks. A breath of frosty white air escaped his lips. 

His eyes opened. He flowed from one movement to the next like the winds, deftly evading the stab of the first bug before swirling over to the other. A lance aimed to punch a hole through his skull was caught and redirected by his Cold Fervor. The weight of the blow far exceeded the strength of his slash, and so he could only push it down to where it raked against his side instead before the sword finally glanced off their arm, and he brought it up in a decisive slash that carried the full force of winter winds. Specks of ice and snow whipped up across and consumed the insectoid warrior before filling the room in its entirety, a maelstrom of cold. 

The attacking mob had been left frozen in place, frost seeping through its joints and natural armor. 

Action Taken: PARRY [-8 EN/+1 EN] {Well Rested} 
Buggy Boy 1: ID#187535 MD: 3 (Miss) 
Buggy Boy 2: ID#187536 MD: 10 (CRIT+2) ~ 227/2 = 113 // Justified Riposte 

Pinball: 632/970 HP | 106/114 EN | 20 DMG | 5 ACC | 5 EVA | 8-10/FRZ | Phase |
   Cooldowns: Parry (0/3)  

Buggy Boy 1: 450/450 HP | 225 DMG | 90 MIT 
Buggy Boy 2: 450/450 HP | 225 DMG | 90 MIT {STUNNED} 

The sounds of his footsteps were the only thing that filled the silence. 

Everything was eerily still. In comparison to this hissing and clicking and clattering of buggy limbs across the stone floor like in the first room, this was quite literally like sitting on the moon. There was no sound. There was nobody or nothing in sight, aside from him, and he was the only one there for as far as the eye could see. 

Luckily for him, he had Night Vision, and the darkness didn't inhibit his capabilities to fight or see in front of him. Anyone else attempting to raid this dungeon would either have to bring a Glowstone, have Night Vision as well, or suffer in silence as they fought what were mostly hidden enemies. 

He paused. For a moment, he could have sworn he saw something - the glint of something shiny in the engraved wall beside him. But when he looked over his shoulder towards where he thought it had been, he found nothing. Running his fingers across its surface, he found nothing but cold rock and the suffocating, humid air of the underground passage. With a look of resignation, he turned and continued down the passage. 

Searching for Treasure Chest: 
ID#187534 LD: 4+5= 9 LD (Failure)  

Out of Combat Recovery: 
  HP: 665+80= 745/970 HP 

His finger hovered over an item for a moment. Pinball winced. Was he really about to-? 

With a sigh, he clicked it, and a small crystal materialized in the palm of his hand. 

"You're a bastard, Arabelle." His grip tightened on the crystal and he crushed it. As he did, musical notes briefly filled the air, the green shards that had remained in his palms floating up with the crescendo and swirling around him. His HP jumped significantly, and Pinball was feeling much better about getting a move on. He shook his head, still flipping through his menu. 

"But I don't know what I would do without your supply." 

Practiced hands edited his current loadout. Replacing the ACC foods taking up slots in his Battle Ready were five identical such HP Recovery crystals, the last of which he owned. He had the feeling that he would need them in the battle ahead, especially if he was going with a third of his health still missing. Dismissing the menus with a wave, Pinball got back to his feet, sheathing his sword, and looked towards the path ahead. 

Out of Combat Recovery: 

HP: 444+80= 520/970 HP 
Using x1 Lacrimosa - HP Recovery III {Instant} 
520+145= 665/970 HP 
  EN Recovery: 2/2 {FILLED} 

The sound of stone scraping against stone caused Pinball to glance over at one section of the room that was in the process of shifting as he dropped to his ass. 

It was a sliding door, opened by him completely this section of the dungeon. That was a pretty simple mechanic, and so Pinball surmised that it was going to be a fairly straightforward dungeon. Thankfully, he wouldn't have to worry about dealing with any mind-numbing puzzles to progress to the next stage. But for now, he was in no state to continue. Taking a leap of faith in the assumption that the monsters beyond that barrier wouldn't find it appropriate to come and pay him a premature visit, Pinball opted to instead sit and count his blessings in the meantime. 

With the consumables he'd ingested prior to this raid, his Out of Combat Recovery was much better than normal, but it still wasn't good enough. As much as he wanted to believe he wouldn't get ambushed, he couldn't bring himself to do it fully. Skepticism and caution were what had kept him alive longer than most, and it was what would continue to. Pinball brought a finger down across the open air and opened his inventory, the quiet jingle of bells softly filling the empty space for a moment. 

Out of Combat Recovery: 

HP: 364+80= 444/970 HP 
EN Recovery: 1/2 

Star Quint Prominence had failed him every single time he'd tried to use it. 

However. This was primarily due to his own wariness causing him to abandon ship before he'd even attempted a strike. This time, though, there was only target, and there were no other variables to give him cause for concern. It was just him and a target right in front of him. And it was getting closer, and closer, and closer... 

And Pinball unleashed it then. One, two, three, four, five quick stabs to its torso, ripping and shredding through its body's natural armor and completely bisecting one of its arms. Pinball grit his teeth, pulled back, and with a vicious slicing uppercut, completely cut the creature in two from the bottom up. It briefly split apart into its two segments, peeling apart, before it, too, exploded into a colorful display of light and vague polygonal shards, leaving Pinball alone in the empty room. 

Finally alone. 

Action Taken: Sword Art - [Star Quint Prominence][-8 EN/+1 EN] 
Mantis 4: ID#187533 BD: 4+5= 9 (Hit) ~ 20*8= 160 DMG 

Pinball: 364/970 HP | 80/114 EN | 20 DMG | 5 ACC | 5 EVA | 8-10/FRZ | Phase  

Mantis 4: 0/150 HP | 120 DMG

Pinball ripped into one of the last two creatures. Its body swelled up like a balloon from the collective impacts before exploding outward in a shower of light, illuminating the murky interior of the room they were fighting in. Pinball's eyes turned to stare down the one last remaining creature, his eyes glowing bright yellow like a cat's. Even in the dark, he could see them perfectly. But it moved abnormally, snaking towards him at weird angles, and Pinball grit his teeth as the scythe-like appendage tore into his arm. 

But now there was only one of them left, and, even though his HP was in a dire place, Pinball knew that just one of them was something he could easily handle. With a gasp and a shudder at the sudden chill temperature in the room, Pinball leveled his sword and prepared himself for what would hopefully be the last attack of the encounter. 

Action Taken: Sword Art - [Deadly Sins][-10 EN/+1 EN] 
Mantis 3: ID#187531 BD: 8 (Hit) ~ 20*10= 200 DMG 
Mantis 4: ID#187532 MD: 9 (Crit+1) ~ 121 DMG to Pinball 

Pinball: 364/970 HP | 87/114 EN | 20 DMG | 5 ACC | 5 EVA | 8-10/FRZ | Phase  

Mantis 3: 0/150 HP | 120 DMG 
Mantis 4: 150/150 HP | 120 DMG 

Only two of them were left. 

He just needed to hit two more of them. The fact that combat was so rocky just starting out didn't bode well in his mind for the rest of the dungeon. If these monsters were hitting like this, what did that mean for the others? The HP Pools on the first round of mobs were always weaker in a dungeon, and they were usually wiped out in a couple of AoE attacks. But Pinball didn't have any AoE capabilities, and he didn't have anyone to take for him. It was just him, the monsters, his wits, and the thin layer of clothes that separated his HP from the business end of a monstrous attack. 

Just as he was about to unleash Star Quint Prominence, the attacks came rushing in, and Pinball again abandoned it in favor of skittishly evading the strikes. 

It was better if he didn't risk it at all at this point. 

Action Taken: Sword Art - [Star Quint Prominence][-2/+1 EN] 
Mantis 3: ID#187529 BD: 1 MD: 1 
Mantis 4: ID#187529 MD: 6 (Miss) 

Pinball: 485/970 HP | 96/114 EN | 20 DMG | 5 ACC | 5 EVA | 8-10/FRZ | Phase  

Mantis 3: 150/150 HP | 120 DMG 
Mantis 4: 150/150 HP | 120 DMG 

"Whatever," he breathed, "just roll with it and get it over with. And quickly." 

He eyed the approaching group, carefully picking out which one to go for first - and settled on one that was in the back, lagging well behind the group. Putting a surprising burst of speed into his steps, Pinball would completely zoom past the other two monsters, leaving them quite literally in the dust, and tore into it viciously with a ferocious Deadly Sins Sword Art. It exploded into polygonal fragments, and Pinball whirled around to face the others. 

But he wouldn't have to look very far. A slash caught him dead in the chest, and his health dropped even lower. Maybe turning your back to a group of mobs was a bad idea. Who knew? Pinball grit his teeth and rested Cold Fervor across his shoulders as he dashed to the side. It didn't matter. It was worth the sacrifice. 

Pinball was used to taking heavy hits and dancing with death. 

Action Taken: Sword Art - [Deadly Sins][-10 EN/+1 EN] 
Mantis 2: ID#187526 BD: 9 (crit+1) ~ 20*10= 200 DMG 
Mantis 3: ID#187527 MD: 10 (Crit+2) ~ 122 DMG to Pinball 
Mantis 4: ID#187528 MD: 4 (miss) 

Pinball: 485/970 HP | 96/114 EN | 20 DMG | 5 ACC | 5 EVA | 8-10/FRZ | Phase  

Mantis 2: 0/150 HP | 120 DMG 
Mantis 3: 150/150 HP | 120 DMG 
Mantis 4: 150/150 HP | 120 DMG 

He was outnumbered, three to one. 

And even though they were monsters he could kill in one hit, they weren't creatures that he could just do away with with one AoE - because, racking his brain as he might, he couldn't think of a single AoE Sword Art that the One-Handed Straight Sword had post conversion. In hindsight, maybe he should have paid more attention to what he was picking. 

But there was no room to change now. One after another, Pinball's vision descended into an ocean of buggy appendages that slashed, stabbed, and tore at him. He swam to the surface as best he could, dodging one, but that success was short lived as two attacks, one from each of the remaining two mobs, landed. His health dropped substantially. Pinball was already getting low. And this dungeon was a tier below him-? He grimaced and pulled away from the swarm, hopping backwards and putting a good amount of distance between them. 

Action Taken: Sword Art - [Star Quint Prominence][-1 EN/+1 EN] {Well Rested} 
Mantis 2: ID#187523 BD: 1 (wow) MD: 9 (double wow) ~ 121 DMG to Pinball 
Mantis 3: ID#187524 MD: 5 (no) 
Mantis 4: ID#187525 MD: 9 (okay) ~ 121 DMG to Pinball 

Pinball: 607/970 HP | 105/114 EN | 20 DMG | 5 ACC | 5 EVA | 8-10/FRZ | Phase  

Mantis 2: 150/150 HP | 120 DMG 
Mantis 3: 150/150 HP | 120 DMG 
Mantis 4: 150/150 HP | 120 DMG 

Pinball tried to set up Star Quint Prominence again, but found that Cold Fervor's icy edge remained dormant - and that's when he remembered. One part of the system changes would have his weapons remain on cooldown for a specified amount of time after its use. Not good for him. It meant he had to put more energy into the fight than he really cared for. And all at once they rushed again. Pinball ducked under the first one that came, just barely evading another swipe as he countered by quickly charging up and unleashing a sword art into the shell-like armor of one with Deadly Sins. It took the full brunt of that damage, and was then completely obliterated. 

But this left him open. The thud of a blade fighting its way into his back was promptly followed by a drop in HP. He stumbled forward and whirled around, dodging two more of the natural weapons that were going for his throat. They inched closer, and Pinball backed up in response. 

Action Taken: Sword Art - Deadly Sins [-9 EN/+1 EN] {Well Rested} 
Mantis 1: ID#187519 BD: 6 (Hit) MD: 8-5= 3 (Miss) ~ 20*10= 200 DMG 
Mantis 2: ID#187520 MD: 7 (Miss) 
Mantis 3: ID#187521 MD: 9 (Crit+1) ~ 121 DMG to Pinball 
Mantis 4: ID#187522 MD: 5 (Miss) 

Pinball: 849/970 HP | 105/114 EN | 20 DMG | 5 ACC | 5 EVA | 8-10/FRZ | Phase  

Mantis 1: 0/150 HP | 120 DMG 
Mantis 2: 150/150 HP | 120 DMG 
Mantis 3: 150/150 HP | 120 DMG 
Mantis 4: 150/150 HP | 120 DMG 

Snickering and green, a flurry of giant Praying Mantises descended onto him. They emerged from the shadow, their menacing laughter stopping as their beady eyes became hyper-fixated on their intruding guest, clicking as they scuttled towards him and reached to cut into him with their scythe-like appendages. 

Pinball saw this, and began charging a Sword Art he was fairly certain would do the job - but the bugs were faster than he had initially expected, and so he cancelled it earlier in favor of dodging a swipe directly for his neck. Then he was dancing between each of the four creatures as, in turn, they all swiped, jabbed, and spat at him. One after another, Pinball weaved his way through their attacks, but a part of him knew that he was not going to be able to keep up that level of maneuverability for very long. With a frustrated grunt, he repositioned himself. 

Action Taken: Sword Art - [Star Quint Prominence][-1 EN] {Well Rested} 
Enemy: ID#187515 BD: 1 (Lmao) MD: 5 (NOPE)  
Mantis 2: ID#187516 MD: 5 
Mantis 3: ID#187517 MD: 2 
Mantis 4: ID#187518 MD: 5 

Pinball: 970/970 HP | 113/114 EN | 20 DMG | 5 ACC | 5 EVA | 8-10/FRZ | Phase  

Mantis 1: 150/150 HP | 120 DMG 
Mantis 2: 150/150 HP | 120 DMG 
Mantis 3: 150/150 HP | 120 DMG 
Mantis 4: 150/150 HP | 120 DMG 
 

And down the smooth-cut stone steps he went. 

He'd been in dungeons before, but never by himself, and never on the 22nd Floor. Would it even be worth fighting the creatures he found here? The majority of creatures that lived here were fish and bugs and animals like deer, squirrels, and birds. Outside of the few standard bug-based monsters and even fewer fish-based ones, Floor 22 seemed to be built more for vacationing than it was hunting. But here he was, dungeon-diving, guided by the dim candle light indentations in the walls allowed. Below him was an inky blackness, and shrieks and wails and clicks of all types could be heard running up the walls and echoing past him. 

His Cloak of the Harbingers disappeared and allowed for his more comfortable Dragon's Skin to adorn his avatar. "Zomekko."

Shadowy wisps curled comfortably around him as he drew Cold Fervor, and the monsters were revealed to him. 

Unequipping Cloak of the Harbingers (+3 LD) 
Equipping Dragon's Skin (+3 EVA) 

Deeper into the cave he wandered until he hit what seemed like a dead-end. 

But he had a feeling. 

His eyes lit up and he sent his senses outwards again, and this time, he found something. Quickly glancing over to the point of interest, Pinball saw through what had to be a false wall. He hurried over and pressed his hand against the smooth stone. Through it, he saw a professionally cut staircase that descended into nothingness, deeper into the depths of the mountain itself. With a breath, he pushed harder against the stone and it gave, and fell. 

Backwards, onto itself, and then slid down the stairs. He heard the rhythmic thum-thum-thum of the cobbled sheet bouncing down the case for what felt like thirty seconds before the echo of the crash reverberated up the tunnel and into the cave he was in. Then came the weaselly screams from some sorts of creatures below. 

Pinball had officially found his first dungeon. 

Searching for Dungeon: ID#187514
LD: 18+11= 29 LD (Success) 

At the crest of his journey, he discovered another new location for himself. 

Natalie's Reprieve. 

Against all odds all sorts of flora flourished there. Moss, flowers, mushrooms, and a single oak tree seemingly stood together in harmony to overlook the entirety of Floor 22. There were remnants of a camp as well: a chair, a fire with only embers faintly glowing, and a cloth lean-to with bedroll smuggled comfortably under it. But none of those things were what drew his attention. 

His eyes were watching God. Or at least the emulation of it - the sheer vastness of the countryside was breathtaking, and that feeling of newness was only accentuated by him seeing it an an angle that he otherwise never would have been able to. For a while he stood there, before eventually he turned and pulled his hood over his face, steadily retreating down the mountain opposite of the way he had came, only to stop as it opened up like a mouth into a cave. His first hidden alcove.