Pinball

He was going to be rolling in col, materials, and loot by the time this was over. Pinball hurried across the stone floors of Green Garden. Outside, the cacophany of snorting and paws and shuffling was unceasing. Pinball made sure his stuff was equipped properly -- he was going to take full advantage of this opportunity, however annoying it might be. His cloak was equipped, and so was the right knife and his new trinket for looting mobs. Pinball nodded quietly to himself, sent a quiet prayer that he wouldn't have to deal with something like this on his doorstep again, and pushed outside. Immediately, he started throwing knives. It didn't matter where he threw them. They were going to hit. Four knives were thrown and four bears were killed. What did that leave? A hundred? More? It certainly looked that way. Pinball grimaced. It looked like it was going to be a very long day. 

*** 
Action Taken: {Well Rested} [TECH-F] [-16 EN] 
Free Action: Using Rhino Horn (+3 DMG, -1 EVA) 
Bear 1: ID#227802 BD: 2+5= 7 - 25+3= 28*12+80= 416 DMG
Bear 2: ID#227803 BD: 6 - 25+3= 28*12+80= 416 DMG
Bear 3: ID#227804 BD: 2+5= 7 - 25+3= 28*12+80= 416 DMG
Bear 4: ID#227805 BD: 6 - 25+3= 28*12+80= 416 DMG

Pinball: 840/840 HP | 104/120 EN | DMG: 25 | ABS.ACC | ACC: 5 | EVA: 2 | BH: 37 | Hellstorm: +80 DMG | Looting LD: +14 | Looting CD: +2 

Bear 1: 0/416 HP | 132 DMG 
Bear 2: 0/416 HP | 132 DMG
Bear 3: 0/416 HP | 132 DMG
Bear 4: 0/416 HP | 132 DMG 

Looting: 

ID: 227807 | LD: 4+14=18 | CD:11+2=13 | Col:3328, Mats:2, [227807a] T4 Rare Trinket  
ID: 227806 | LD: 4+14=18 | CD:2+2=4 | Col:2912, Mats:0, [227806a] T4 Rare Consumable, [227806b] T4 Rare Weapon
ID: 227808 | LD: 17+14=31 | CD:1+2=3 | Col:1248, Mats:4, [227808a] T4 Perfect Consumable, [227808b] T4 Perfect Consumable, [227808c] T4 Perfect Armor/Shield, [227808d] T4 Perfect Armor/Shield
ID: 227809 | LD: 13+14=27 | CD:3+2=5 | Col:4160, Mats:4, [227809a] T4 Perfect Weapon, [227809b] T4 Perfect Weapon, [227809c] T4 Perfect Weapon    

He was surprised to find a shop out in the wilds. Usually they were in cities, behind the walls of safe zones, and thus a hassle to get into. He wasn't looking for anything in particular -- but they had such a good stock, it would feel bad if he let the opportunity slip through his fingers. Knowing that he was going to go on a grinding spree, Pinball selected one of the desserts that he had for sale. It had a Prosperity buff attached to it. Hopefully after he was done hunting, he wouldn't have to worry about Col again for a good long while. 

"Thank you." 

*** 

Purchasing: 

mousse. | TIERLESS DESSERT | PROSPERITY III 
A glass cup filled to the brim with soft, creamy paste. Comes in various flavours and topped with tiny treats. Mild.

sent 500 col 

There was a sound like thunder outside his home. Green Garden was a quiet little place in the woods of the Eighth Floor, and Pinball had gotten lucky and chosen it because of that. It was quiet, and it was hidden. The downside of that was that the stone halls echoed sound like you wouldn't believe. Pinball peeked out the window. It wasn't raining. Then what was all that noise-? 

He moved to another window to check. Outside was an ocean of stamping, panting, huge brown bodies. Pinball frowned. What the actual fuck. Milling about without space between them was the largest gathering of bears Pinball had seen, and quite definitely the largest gathering of mobs in general that he had never seen. Pinball wasn't having it. He gathered up his things, downed a whole feast of consumables to get ready, and hurried to his front door. One thing was certain... 

***

Consumed: 

- x1 Eye-Spy Cake: +2 Accuracy
- x1 Liquor of Might: +3 DMG 
- x1 Tofu Burger: +2 Protein 
- x1 Pilk: +3 LD -> {Filling} +4 LD 
- x1 Hellstorm: Apply an additional (20*Player's Tier) unmitigated damage to every attack for a single thread.

Pinball: 840/840 HP | 120/120 EN | DMG: 25 | ACC: 5 | EVA: 2 | BH: 37 | Hellstorm: +80 DMG | Looting LD: +14 | Looting CD: +2 

(Pilk: +4, Cloak: +3, Searching: +5, Paragon: +1, Unhindered: +1)

Player Stats (Unbuffed):

Housing Buffs: 

Pinball exhaled. There was a moment where he hesitated, his brain working overtime trying to find the easiest solution out of this situation. 

Then Mishiro attacked, and that certainly narrowed down his options. 

He didn't hesitate this time. Pinball's knives went flying, nailing both archers in the head. They fell backwards from the impact, exploding into fractals before they hit the ground. Pinball replenished his blades. Ahsan blew his horn once more, calling for reinforcements. Zamek cowered in fear. Bandits charged across the dunes, weapons raised, shouting obscenities in a language Pinball didn't -- and would never -- know. And then they were on him. 

His mind went blank. His whole world devolved into slash, stab, throw, duck, step, dive, throw, slash, stab, parry, stab, stab, stab. A flurry of blades, a jumble of bodies. His heartbeat the only constant in this dance of violence. The give and take of combat was a thrilling thing, though he'd never admit it. He'd been here before. Countless times, against countless foes. These bandits from the fifth floor stood little chance. He was killing them faster than they could hurt him. Eventually the crowd thinned and he spotted Ahsan, scimitar drawn, charging towards him. Pinball exploded out from the group of bandits to meet him. He caught the leader's blade with a knife and twisted, hurling another at a robber coming up from behind with a spear. The weight of Ahsan's blade was too heavy to hold so he adjusted his weight, diverting the trajectory of the sword, and created more distance between them. There were a total of eleven bandits left. Seven surrounded him, including the leader Ahsan. 

The rest remained with Mishiro. 

Skill(s) Being Dropped: Battle Healing - R5 
Mod(s)/Addon(s)/Shift(s) Being Dropped: NONE
SP Incurred Towards Limit: 36
SP Refunded: 30
Cost: 30,000

She'd already stunned it -- good. That'd let Pinball focus on chopping down its defenses. With a flash, Pinball appeared, vaulting over Kumatetsu's back and raining throwing knives down on the bear's prone form. Many landed -- those that didn't scattered in the dirt, disappearing shortly after. Kumatetsu, brought low by Acanthus' stun, was now bombarded by a colorful array of status effects that absolutely tore through its health. Pinball landed, hopped backwards for distance, and watched as the bear struggled to its feet, it's HP bar dropping in big, dramatic chunks. 

The bear's form bulged and grew more monstrous, more feral. It was transforming into something bigger, stronger. It had a second phase. 

Too little, too late. Kumatetsu's health was a sliver now, and in just a few moments, it would hit 0. 

Pinball stowed his weapons and stood aside, allowing Acanthus the option to finish the job should she want to. 

*** 

Maintaining Stealth: ID#227783 LD: 8+6= 14 Stealth Rating

Free Action: [Quick Change] - {Cold Fervor} -> {Hellfire} 
Action Taken: {Well Rested} {Sneak Attack: Trickster} [TECH-D] [-9 EN] - 20*16= 320/2 = 160-10 = 150 DMG, {DoTs Applied}
ID#227784 BD: 7 (Hit) MD: 8 (Stunned) 

(H:1) Acanthus | HP: 450/450 | EN: 47/60 | DMG: 13 | MIT: 66 | EVA: 1 | ACC: 5 | LD: 3 | BLD: 36 | PARA
(H:1) Pinball | Lvl 33 | HP: 820/820 | Energy: 111/120 | DMG: 20  | ACC: 4  | EVA: 3  | BH: 45 | LD: 5

Kumatetsu: HP: 44/500 | DMG: 250 (Transformation) | MIT: 0 (-20, -20, Transformation) | ACC: 0 (Transformation) | EVA: 2 {STUNNED} [Shatter: 1/3] [BlitReduc: 1/2] [48 BLD: 1/2] [32 BLT: 1/2] [56 BRN: 1/2] [40 STC: 1/2] [28 RND: 1/2] 

The Endless Maze was a sprawling labyrinth. It was a horrible trap in and of itself; it was filled with powerful monsters, traps, and more dead ends than you could count. Oh, and from what he understood, its layout was also constantly changing. What a fucking headache, right? 

He'd not been in the maze for long before he saw it. A giant spider, mean and hungry, bearing down on its prey. Normally, Pinball would have slipped away then and there. Where mobs were, players were. And he didn't like being around other players if he could help it. But between its many scuttling legs, and beneath its hairy body, Pinball caught a glimpse of a vaguely familiar face, beneath an all too familiar hat. 

From behind Oz, there'd be a flash of light, a screech, and the sound of a mob exploding into digital bits and pieces every player trapped on Aincrad knew intimately. 

"Oz." Where the spider had once cornered him, now stood Pinball, cloaked and hooded, his icy eyes cutting through the gloom of his face. He tossed Oz a piece of chalk. Pinball had gone to great lengths, as a PKer, to get a piece of that chalk from the local NPCs... but he figured he probably needed it more than him now. Besides, it wasn't like Oz was going to be leaving without him now. "What are you doing here?" 

*** 

Endless Maze Roll: ID#227772 CD: 10 - No Encounter 

Player Stats: 

Housing Buffs: 

It was almost closing time when he slipped into the shop. It was raining outside, and the streets were quiet. He pulled down his hood when he entered. He was quiet, but he was always quiet. Pinball inspected the shop for a moment before his eyes settled on a particular crystal lining the shelves. He lifted it to the light, inspecting it. Then he'd turn to Acanthus. 

"I'll take this." He'd set it on the counter as he opened up his menu for the transfer. Pinball would load up the purchase with way more materials... and a custom order form for fifteen of the same item. A little outrageous? Maybe. He'd offer an apologetic nod. "Only if you're able. At your own pace, of course." If Acanthus would accept, he'd send the trade through. She'd have enough materials to last her awhile -- and hopefully enough to finish his order. "If you need more, shoot me a message. I'll swing by another day with some Ambition consumables when I get the chance." 

Pinball headed for the door. "Let me know if something comes up." 

*** 

Purchasing: 

Grasp of Tartarus (Instant Incarcerate | 225794) - Sent 5 Materials 

Custom Order: 

(15 of them please!) - Sending 100 mats (not the exact price of em but i wanna help out lol) 

Rank 7 Cook | Daily Crafting Attempts: 8
Crafting T4 Meals 
ID: 227656 | CD: 11 | LD: 3 | Rare 
ID: 227655 | CD: 5 | LD: 4 | Uncommon 
ID: 227654 | CD: 4 | LD: 6 | Salvage Fail 
ID: 227653 | CD: 9 | LD: 8 | Rare 
ID: 227652 | CD: 10 | LD: 15 | x2 Rare 
ID: 227651 | CD: 7 | LD: 13 | x2 Uncommon 
ID: 227650 | CD: 1 | LD: 8 | Critical Fail 
ID: 227649 | CD: 2 | LD: 4 | Fail 
Result: +33 EXP | EXP: [1,140/1,279]

When people were alone, they did strange things. 

Pinball knew this for a fact. He'd been hiding for as long as he could remember. He'd watched countless people from afar, and many from up close, too. It was both interesting and strange to see a person for who they were when they thought nobody else was around. But Acanthus did know this. Pinball frowned. Her reaction was alarming. He almost broke stealth to rejoin her, if not just to put her mind at ease -- but he didn't. A crueler part of him wanted to see how she handled it, it being whatever invisible battle she was fighting. He had a couple ideas, but he was going to keep them to himself. Like he'd said he would, Pinball kept close. 

It wasn't long after she'd recovered that she'd discovered a tuft of fur snagged on a branch. Kumatetsu's, no doubt. But she moved on too quickly. She must have assumed that the bear resided somewhere deeper in the woods. Pinball would have too, if not for the fact that he saw the damn thing. He was hidden behind a thick cluster of trees, obscured by similarly bushy foliage. It was no wonder she'd missed it. She almost hadn't. Pinball whistled sharply, still stealthed. This was to get Acanthus' attention, but it would also get Kumatetsu's. 

Pinball's voice whispered from somewhere nearby. 

"Strike first. I've got you." 

With eyes of fury locked onto Acanthus, the giant bear angrily clawed the earth and roared. 

*** 

Maintaining Stealth: ID#227647 LD: 14+6 = 20 Stealth Rating 

Searching for Kumatetsu: ID#227648 LD: 14+5= 19 (Kumatetsu Discovered!) 

Other than Mishiro, there were two other players in the building seeking audience with Abdullah. One was Morningstar. The third was a sleazy looking guy in a stupid hat. 

Well, they had a group assembled, and negotiations (if you could call them that) with Abdullah were underway. Pinball decided it was probably for the best if he slipped out the building before they were finished. He was up and out of the building just as the guards began to (rather aggressively) usher the group of players out onto the streets again. They were given their task, warned of its difficulty, and given a location. Check, check, check. Pinball slinked off into a side street. He watched from afar. 

There was always the option of dropping stealth early and introducing himself then and there, but he felt that it was unnecessarily reisky and probably not worth the hassle. The guards noticing him would cause trouble, a player spotting him would probably be worse, and getting thrown out of the city on his ass would be a little embarrassing given the circumstances.

No, he'd stay his distance for now. 

***
[HIDING]
Maintaining Stealth: ID#227630 LD: 17+6= 23 Stealth Rating

Somebody else was on the path. He wasn't sure how he could tell -- which of his senses it was that alerted him to this fact -- but he just knew. Without thinking, almost reflexively, he'd entered stealth. His body would vanish without a trace, and Pinball would seek cover in the treeline and wait for them to pass. But their approach had been slow. The benefit in that was that Pinball knew that they probably hadn't had time to see him. The problem was that he wouldn't know when it'd be safe to keep moving. A little irritated by this thought, Pinball threw away any thoughts of moving on and instead crept forward to see who was taking their sweet time meandering around on the first floor. 

A player stood hunched over, inspecting a particularly shrubby patch of grass. Was she out gathering? His thoughts began to click. She was probably new -- or at the very least, she was just catching up on the First Lessons. Pinball scowled. What a lame quest series that was. It was a popular pick though, especially for the people who'd never left the starting city. As he watched, a notification blazed to life next to him. 

Would I like to assist Shin Kagami? 

He looked back at the girl. Cardinal really was all kinds of twisted. 

But it was kind of funny. 

Pinball clicked "yes," and the interface disappeared. A little emblem appeared under his health bar to signify his tier lock. 

Still in stealth, Pinball wandered up behind the young woman and took a peek at the grass she was looking at. 

"No, I don't think that's what you're looking for."

Just like that, Pinball's stealth dropped. Standing behind Shin Kagami was a tall young man, hooded, wearing a long black cloak. His eyes were the color of ice, and his expression was fit to match. He didn't smile, though if you looked super deep into his tone, there might have been the slightest trace of amusement in his voice. He straightened himself and took a step back, careful not to appear too threatening (though the orange cursor bobbing lazily over his head likely didn't help him much). He scratched his chin, and when he did, his cloak parted to reveal that he was completely unarmored -- he wore a warm looking gray shirt, dark pants, and a pair of well-traveled boots. 

"Would you like some help?" 

*** 

[Tier Locked] - Tier 2 Stats: 

Pinball | HP: 400/400 | EN: 68/68 | DMG: 14 | ACC:4 | EVA:3 | BH:22 | LD:5

Player Stats (True): 

Housing Buffs: 

Their little journey was quiet, and unimpeded. Pinball wasn't paying much attention to the scenery, however. Not because its beauty was lost on him, or the fact that he'd seen it a million times before; but because nothing was jumping out at him. He hadn't been assaulted by a single mob since they'd gone deeper into the forest. No wolves, no ents, no forest spirits... in fact, he hadn't even seen a single one. It was enough to confirm his suspicions. The mobs in the area probably weren't spawning because they'd been scared off by something bigger. 

"Alright," Pinball suddenly said, slowing, "take point. It's near." 

She hadn't participated in their earlier wolf hunt, but she was wearing new armor now, and at least to him, seemed a lot more confident in herself. He wanted to see how she handled Kumatetsu. It would allow him to better gauge how they'd need to approach the quests following, too. He'd fall back, allowing Acanthus to take the lead. Pinball had said that Kumatetsu was nearby -- but the beast's exact location was still a mystery. 

Pinball made a short clicking sound. On queue, a pitch black, shadowlike substance began to envelop his form. "I'll be close." 

And without so much as a whisper, Pinball vanished into thin air. 

***

Stealth: ID#227323 LD: 18+6= 24 {HIDDEN} 

As they exited Ellesmera, Pinball's pace would finally slow. He'd stop and allow Acanthus to catch up and nod as she did. She thanked him for bringing her along. She was wearing new armor. She must have leveled up a bit. "It's no problem," he replied. He left it at that and began to walk again. They'd have quite a bit of walking ahead of them, if his information was correct. It was at that moment Acanthus mentioned the Forest of the Great Tree, and how it shouldn't be hard to find a bear the size of an elephant. "Right. No. Shouldn't be hard at all." He didn't tell her that he also had the search skill. He didn't need to. He did believe that Kumatetsu was going to be easy to find -- and from what he had heard, Kumatetsu was going to be easy to take care of, as well. 

They'd travel down the lightly wooded path, making their way to the Forest of the Great Tree where their first foe, Kumatetsu, surely resides. Pinball's eyes were on the road, his expression, as always, blank. In the distance, the trail became more heavily wooded, the path encroached upon by overgrown flora. It was a pretty sight, if you liked that sort of thing. And Pinball certainly did, but his mind was currently elsewhere.

"It'll be a bit of a hike before we're in deep enough to start searching." 

And with those bland final words, he'd let silence fall between them. 

Pinball watched from the bottom of the dune as Mishiro finished mopping up the mess he'd made. 

He was impressed. He didn't get to fight with her often. Certainly not with a rapier. Pinball opened his mouth to speak, but before he could make a sound, the deep, reverberating hum of a horn gave him pause.

Figures on all sides emerged from the sands. They were humans, dressed in light browns and tans, wielding an assortment of weaponry: spears, bows, curved blades, and knives. They were a ragtag group of bandits, for sure. But each and every one of them had a cruel look in their eyes. The one who'd sounded the horn was a tall, muscular man, whose sleeves were cut off at the shoulders. His skin was dark and his voice was strong. 

"My friends, my name is Ahsan Kazi," he declared, "and you have made a grave mistake. You have entered the territory of the Desert Bloom, and we shall see you relinquished of your valuables." 

Atop the dune, Mishiro stood alone -- but two bandits were approaching her, their spears raised. A third followed close behind with a weighted net. She wasn't surrounded like the other two, but that didn't by any means mean that they were about to let her go. Far from it. They spoke between themselves in an unrecognizable language. 

Pinball glanced over his shoulder at Zamek. They were encircled on all sides. The old man was white as a sheet. Pinball began to back up, trying to put himself into a better position to protect the shaking bastard. The bandits with bows drew them taut, aiming their weapons at the both of them. It was clear they had no intention of playing fair. Pinball clicked his tongue. What an annoying situation. He knew he could handle a group of bandits from the fifth floor. He wasn't sure if the same could be said about old Zamek. Where had they come from, anyway? It was as though they had just appeared out of thin air. Maybe they had. 

Ahsan spoke again. 

"Your clothes, your armor, your weapons, and your money," he said, his voice nearly as deep as the horn he had blown, "or it will be your lives that we take instead." 
 

<<THREAD SUMMARY>> 

Pinball Receives:
Pinball | [Word Count: 4284/10 = 428.4] * [True Tier: 8] * [Group Factor: 1] = 3427 EXP + 240+240+240 (T2 Field Boss Bonus EXP) +1,600 EXP (Yui's Grace) = 5,747 EXP
 Laurel Wreath: 514 col

x3 Hellstorm:  (T2/Consumable/Single Use); Apply an additional (20*Player's Tier) unmitigated damage to every attack for a single thread.

It was finally time to leave. The burn damage subsided, and his health began to heal slowly but surely. Pinball let out a breath of relief. He finally had them. The three Hellstorms that the Phoenix had dropped would help him a lot in the future, he was sure of it. He was gearing up for a massive hunt. He was low on col, and had a desire to gather as many Demonic Shards and Gleaming Scales as he could - but he wanted to make sure that he did it as efficiently as possible. The Hellstorm would help make sure he could take out a mob in a single hit. Pinball nodded, let his health heal up a bit more, and continued onwards. 

As he left, he thought he caught a glimpse of something along the clifface -- some slight indentation he thought led to a cave, but upon further inspection, he found nothing. Weird. Setting the thought aside, he continued home. He would investigate further, but he thought that he wanted to get off the floor as soon as humanly possible. 

The 9th Floor absolutely sucks. 

*** 

Searching for Dungeon: ID#227049 LD: 6+8= 14 (Fail) 
should have had that ld cloak ready. woops. 

He hadn't told her how difficult it was for him to navigate safezones. Maybe it was because she was new, and this was only really the start of their interactions, and he hadn't wanted to make her worry about something other than the quests. But the unfortunate reality was that orange cursors and safezones mixed like oil and water. 

There came the flash of a player teleporting into the safezone, but Pinball was not there. 

He was used to this song and dance. Use the teleporter, flash onto the floor, and the very instant his body rematerialized, he'd vanish. He had to make it quick. He'd find a side street, or an alleyway, somewhere not patrolled (or rarely patrolled) by the city's guards, and make his way out of the city that way. It wasn't always that easy. Pinball thought that he preferred walking. 

But that's how he found himself in Ellesmera. He'd seemingly step out of thin air beside Acanthus, like a shadow given form. 

"Come. This way." And without missing a beat, he'd hurry off onto a side street. If he stood around the plaza, or the main roads, it was only a matter of time before an NPC, Player, or guard found him. And that would inevitably become an annoying mess. 

***

ID#227030 LD: 13+6= 19 {Hidden} 

Pinball | HP: 820/820 | EN: 120/120 | DMG: 20 | ACC:4 | EVA:3 | BH:45 | LD:5 

Player Stats: 

Pinball accepts 

Well, he wouldn't have to worry about it. Pinball put a safe amount of distance between them again, and like every time before, waited patiently for the phoenix to respawn. That perfect window of opportunity was there, and he wouldn't mess up... there was a split second where Pinball worried that something unplanned would happen a second time. Maybe the ground beneath him would just open up and douse him in flame, or multiple copies of the phoenix would descend from the heavens to burn his unfortunate form to a crisp. But that wasn't the case. Just as the last two times he'd fought him, he let his knives fly at the perfect moment, and just like the last two times he'd fought him, the phoenix exploded into a cloud of light. Pinball breathed easy. His health was at about half now, and the burn was still canceling his healing. 

But it was over now, and he'd gotten exactly what he'd came for. 

It was as good a time to call it as any. 

***

Action Taken: [TECH-D] [-9 EN] 
ID#227008 BD: 4+6= 10 MD: Dead - 20*16= 320 DMG 

Pinball | HP: 201/400 | EN: 37/68 | DMG: 20 | ACC:6 | EVA:5 | BH:22 | LD:8 | HLY: 8 | FLN: 8 | Phase [[Squeaky Clean] 21 BRN: 1/2] 

Phoenix | HP: 0/975 | MIT:10 (-20, -20, -20) | DMG:110 | ACC:2 | EVA:2 {ASHBORN} [Shatter: 3/3]
Abilities:

• Ashborn | Upon dropping to 0 HP, the Phoenix’ health will go back to 225, and its DMG will be boosted to 110. This can only happen once per battle.
• Inferno| On an MD 9-10, the Phoenix will rain fire onto its opponents, hitting the Player with the highest hate for 150 mitigatable DMG and applying T2 Burn to the entire party.
• Tier Lock | For the duration of the fight, all of the participants’ stats that scale with Tier are calculated as though they’re Tier 2. [DMG/MIT/BLEED enhancements etc.] This skill only locks downward. Those at Tier 1 will still have T1 stats.

Pinball stayed his distance. The phoenix attempted more fly by attacks, but Pinball dodged and weaved, until he realized that the phoenix was almost exclusively going for those attacks. Pinball had an idea. He waited patiently for the phoenix to approach, standing his ground. He only needed one more attack anyhow -- and when the phoenix was practically right in his face, Pinball let his attack fly. 

And then the unthinkable happened. 

Instead of turning into a clowd of ash, the phoenix exploded. At point blank range. The blast took Pinball completely off his feet and sent him sprawling. The phoenix was down, out, vanished, a pile of ash. Pinball weakly pushed himself to his feet, unsteady and shocked he'd been hit at all. It was certainly a rare thing. Pinball looked at his health. It was a little below half. He immediately regretted getting rid of Emergency Recovery. There was also the fact he was under the Burn effect too, and it was practically cancelling out his Battle Healing. Pinball grimaced. With practiced fingers he retrieved a healing crystal and cracked it. His health bar jumped a little, but it didn't do much to assuage his fears. 

One more hit like that, and... 

***
Action Taken: {Well Rested} [TECH-D] [-9 EN] 
ID#227007 BD: 6 MD: 10 - 20+8*16= 448-10= 438 DMG to Phoenix || 110+150 DMG to Pinball 
Free Action: Using Lacrimosa - +60 HP 

Pinball | HP: 200/400 | EN: 44/68 | DMG: 20 | ACC:6 | EVA:5 | BH:22 | LD:8 | HLY: 8 | FLN: 8 | Phase [[Squeaky Clean] 21 BRN: 0/2] 

Phoenix | HP: 225/975 | MIT:10 (-20, -20) | DMG:90 | ACC:2 | EVA:2 {Ashborn} [Shatter: 2/3] 
Abilities:

• Ashborn | Upon dropping to 0 HP, the Phoenix’ health will go back to 225, and its DMG will be boosted to 110. This can only happen once per battle.
• Inferno| On an MD 9-10, the Phoenix will rain fire onto its opponents, hitting the Player with the highest hate for 150 mitigatable DMG and applying T2 Burn to the entire party.
• Tier Lock | For the duration of the fight, all of the participants’ stats that scale with Tier are calculated as though they’re Tier 2. [DMG/MIT/BLEED enhancements etc.] This skill only locks downward. Those at Tier 1 will still have T1 stats.

The Field Boss had begun to recover, and Pinball needed to seize this opportunity attack as soon as possible. He stayed his distance this time, now somewhat worried he'd mess up and flub in melee, throwing his knives at the bird while it was recovering and getting back to its feet. The knives glowed a brilliant gold as they streaked through the air, and Pinball knew that the Holy effect had been triggered. It dealt massive damage, putting the boss insanely low -- but it didn't quite finish the job. So far, Pinball realized that Hellfire and his Astral Blades were about neck in neck in terms of damage -- but the Astral Blade was far ahead in efficiency. Why would he waste all that energy on a sneak attack and applying DoTs if he could just do the same damage in raw burst? There was also another fact to consider: Astral Blade was an unfinished weapon, with a useless slot on it. If he had another slot of Fallen or Holy on it, Pinball thought that he could have very easily finished the job there. Or at least there'd be a chance to. It didn't matter. The fight was still on, and the phoenix was back in the air. 

*** 

Action Taken: {Well Rested} [TECH-D] [-9 EN] 
ID#227006 BD: 6 MD: 5 - 20+8*16= 448-30= 418 DMG 

Pinball | HP: 400/400 | EN: 51/68 | DMG: 20 | ACC:6 | EVA:5 | BH:22 | LD:8 | HLY: 8 | FLN: 8 | Phase

Phoenix | HP: 159/975 | MIT:30 (-20) | DMG:90 | ACC:2 | EVA:2 [Shatter: 1/3] 
Abilities:

• Ashborn | Upon dropping to 0 HP, the Phoenix’ health will go back to 225, and its DMG will be boosted to 110. This can only happen once per battle.
• Inferno| On an MD 9-10, the Phoenix will rain fire onto its opponents, hitting the Player with the highest hate for 150 mitigatable DMG and applying T2 Burn to the entire party.
• Tier Lock | For the duration of the fight, all of the participants’ stats that scale with Tier are calculated as though they’re Tier 2. [DMG/MIT/BLEED enhancements etc.] This skill only locks downward. Those at Tier 1 will still have T1 stats.

He decided to open up with a stun again, given the success of his last time trying the same. Pinball charged forward. Fire flew through the air, humming past his ears and exploding in miniature blasts of flame behind him. He closed the distance quickly, despite the danger. He leapt through the air, this time daring a melee attack. With knives in both hands, he'd dig deep and cut across the phoenix's body, causing him to spin through the air and eventually land unbalanced on his feet behind the phoenix. If he had failed his attack, he could have very easily been punished for such a clumsily executed maneuver. But luckily, he hadn't. The phoenix suddenly found its body too heavy to support, or perhaps it was simply too disoriented to keep itself aloft. It fell to the earth, gripped by Pinball's stun effect. Pinball took the opportunity to reorient himself. It had worked, hadn't it? 

***

Action Taken: {Well Rested} [TECH-A] [-10 EN] 
ID#227005 BD: 7 MD: 2 (Stunned) - 20+8= 28*16= 448-50= 398 DMG

Pinball | HP: 400/400 | EN: 58/68 | DMG: 20 | ACC:6 | EVA:5 | BH:22 | LD:8 | HLY: 8 | FLN: 8 | Phase 

Phoenix | HP: 577/975 | MIT:50 | DMG:90 | ACC:2 | EVA:2 {STUNNED}
Abilities:

• Ashborn | Upon dropping to 0 HP, the Phoenix’ health will go back to 225, and its DMG will be boosted to 110. This can only happen once per battle.
• Inferno| On an MD 9-10, the Phoenix will rain fire onto its opponents, hitting the Player with the highest hate for 150 mitigatable DMG and applying T2 Burn to the entire party.
• Tier Lock | For the duration of the fight, all of the participants’ stats that scale with Tier are calculated as though they’re Tier 2. [DMG/MIT/BLEED enhancements etc.] This skill only locks downward. Those at Tier 1 will still have T1 stats.

He was going to test his theory about Astral Blade just being better than using Hellfire at this level, without consumables. So to that point, he didn't bother hiding, and he certainly didn't bother lining up a shot. As the distance between him and the Field Boss began to close, he was all too aware that he was getting dangerously close to its detection range. Being in Stealth so often did that to you -- it was like little alarm bells ringing in the back of your head, warning you that you were getting too close, and you were going to be discovered if you messed up. Or if the person or mob you were tailing had a particularly high Detection rate. Pinball frowned. The phoenix finally noticed him. It gave a short screech as it locked eyes with him, and took flight, hovering about ten feet off of the ground. Its wings kicked up flames in its wake. Embers flew through the air. Pinball's icy eyes locked squarely on that singular point in red on crimson landscape. He drew his blades and stood his ground. The phoenix screeched. 

***

Final Boss: 5/5

He could see the bird in the distance now. It was flying this time, soaring through the air and scattering embers in the wind with every flap of its illustrious wings. Pinball kept walking. His pace didn't quicken, nor did it slow. He took his time. He wanted to see if the phoenix was just idling within an area, or if it was going somewhere. After following along for some time, he decided that it was likely heading somewhere. And Pinball followed, only hurrying when he fell too far behind or lost sight of it behind spires of rock, or within noxious clouds of volcanic smoke. Pinball's boots carried him far, and eventually, the bird was within sight, having stopped to rest in a clear field of stone. This time there was no lava to worry about, and no cliff to worry about falling to his death from. That certainly made things easier. 

***

Field Boss Cooldown: 4/5