Ryo

Ryo led the woman to an outside balcony. As he stepped outside the cold winter air of floor four battered against him. He leaned against a railing that overlooked a massive gorge. The snow fell gently against his skin and melted as it met his body’s heat. Quinzel was following shortly behind and leaned against the railing. “What’s this all about handsome?” She asked, her hand reaching over and messing with his hair. Ryo flinched and swatted at her hand, knocking it away. “Is it because I’m orange now honey? I keep telling you not to worry about it.” Ryo flinched. “Look at me.” Quinzel said as she gripped under his chin and made him meet her vision. “It’s alright. They had to die, they were trying to escape. And if I had let them, Adder would’ve killed me. You know I still love you right?” Ryo looked down. “Yeah, that’s why I’ve made up my mind.” He said. He gripped the woman’s wrist, and shoved it aside.

“What? The fuck was that for Ryo?” Quinzel said, before giving a sly smirk. “Look, if you wanna top this time-”
“SHUT UP!” Ryo shouted, cutting her off. “You killed someone. Someone I betrayed. I spent days with them. Weeks! And they opened up to me in ways I’ll never be able to recover from!” Ryo spat out his words. “God I hate you. I don’t know if I have ever hated something this badly before. I have a lot of regrets since coming here.”
“Ryo, darling, what are you saying? You love being here with me. You-”
“Be, quiet! Murderer.” Ryo spat out the words, having them cut through the frigid air. “I’m leaving. I’m leaving you, I’m leaving this group, and I am done. I am done with being told what to do. By the guild, and by you. I'm not letting you, or anyone else control me!” He stared at her, his heart race increasing. He knew what was about to come. 
 

<quest link>

Ryo | HP: 625/625 | EN: 91/91 | DMG: 18 | MIT:91 | ACC:3 | BH:21 | REC: 3 | LD:2 [TIER LOCK] PARTY STATS Spoiler Ryo | HP: 625/625 | EN: 91/91 | DMG: 18 | MIT:91 | ACC:3 | BH:21 | REC: 3 | LD:2 THREAD INFO Spoiler equipped »Gin Kin (+9 DMG) »Fierce Deities Coat (+36 MIT, +3EN Recovery) »Accuracy Charm (+3 Accuracy) battle-ready inventory » » » » » skills »Katana R5 (+7 DMG) »Heavy Armor R5 (+40 MIT, -5 Stealth) »Battle Healing R3 (18 healing per turn) »Searching R2 (+2 LD, +2 Stealth Detection) » extra skills »Survival (Healing effects 10% more, immune to environmental effects) »Leadership R1 (Grants access to Leadership Arts, takes 2 Extra Slots) »Leadership R1 » » addons »[Katana] Focus (Minor Crit on BD 8, reduce DoT threshold by 1) »[Katana] Stamina (-2 EN) »[Heavy Armor] Iron Skin (+15 MIT, +45 HP) mods »Impetus (+1 DMG) »Emergency Recovery (Heal 62 when brought below 156 | Once per thread | 10EN) »Night Vision (No penalties from low light/darkness) buffs » Yui's Grace Used (+ 600% EXP for this thread) » Dining Room: "Tasty" - Turn 2 identical food items (same quality, tier, & enhancements) into a Lesser Feast. A Lesser Feast contains 4 portions of the food items sacrificed. Lesser Feasts created this way cannot be used outside of the thread they are created. Limit 1 item created per thread. » Basic Kitchen: "Filling" - Increase the effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 T1 slot. This can exceed normal Cook enhancement caps.(Ex: A perfect T2 MIT food gives 35 MIT instead of 30.) » Living Room: "Relaxed" - Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts.

Ryo reached over and touched the handle. The familiar circle of cold iron tickled his hand as he pulled the door open and stepped inside. A flash of bright white mixed with opal blinded his vision. When the light cleared he was met with a familiar sight. Looking down he noticed his attire had changed. No longer was he in his deep violet garb, but the dull grey of his old gang. The sounds of singing and merriment were loud, nearly drowning out his thoughts. Ryo turned around to see that the door had disappeared. Where had it taken him to? No, when did it take him to? Before he could get his thoughts in order, he heard an all too familiar voice. “There he is! Number One Deceiver of Black Adder!” A female voice cried out. “Cheers, and free drinks for Ryo, eh!?” The room clinked mugs together, and cheers of celebration rang out. Ryo’s body locked in place. He had all but forgotten this feeling, this feeling of importance. He was a big help to Adder and his crew. Bringing in new people for them to extort. Was he, feeling nostalgic? He quickly replaced that feeling with disgust.

The woman who cried out for him stood from her spot and moved to him and threw an arm over his shoulder, her drink sloshing in its mug. “Hey there, handsome.~ Looking for some ‘relaxation’ time with ole’ Quin before heading back out?” Ryo moved out from under the woman’s arm, and recited what he had said those years ago. “Y’know me Quin. I’m just too busy.”
“Just too busy. Yeah yeah yeah, I’ve heard you say it again and again.” Quinzel said, matching Ryo’s words and adding her own. Her eyes squinted and looked at him deeply. “Hey, you good?” She asked. This caused Ryo to flinch. "Because, I wasn't meaning to be askin'." She said quietly, and threateningly.
“Actually, Quin." Ryo said, interrupting her. "I was hoping we could talk. Privately.” Ryo said, before making his way out to a different area.
  

<quest link>

Ryo | HP: 625/625 | EN: 91/91 | DMG: 18 | MIT:91 | ACC:3 | BH:21 | REC: 3 | LD:2 [TIER LOCK] PARTY STATS Spoiler Ryo | HP: 625/625 | EN: 91/91 | DMG: 18 | MIT:91 | ACC:3 | BH:21 | REC: 3 | LD:2 THREAD INFO Spoiler equipped »Gin Kin (+9 DMG) »Fierce Deities Coat (+36 MIT, +3EN Recovery) »Accuracy Charm (+3 Accuracy) battle-ready inventory » » » » » skills »Katana R5 (+7 DMG) »Heavy Armor R5 (+40 MIT, -5 Stealth) »Battle Healing R3 (18 healing per turn) »Searching R2 (+2 LD, +2 Stealth Detection) » extra skills »Survival (Healing effects 10% more, immune to environmental effects) »Leadership R1 (Grants access to Leadership Arts, takes 2 Extra Slots) »Leadership R1 » » addons »[Katana] Focus (Minor Crit on BD 8, reduce DoT threshold by 1) »[Katana] Stamina (-2 EN) »[Heavy Armor] Iron Skin (+15 MIT, +45 HP) mods »Impetus (+1 DMG) »Emergency Recovery (Heal 62 when brought below 156 | Once per thread | 10EN) »Night Vision (No penalties from low light/darkness) buffs » Yui's Grace Used (+ 600% EXP for this thread) » Dining Room: "Tasty" - Turn 2 identical food items (same quality, tier, & enhancements) into a Lesser Feast. A Lesser Feast contains 4 portions of the food items sacrificed. Lesser Feasts created this way cannot be used outside of the thread they are created. Limit 1 item created per thread. » Basic Kitchen: "Filling" - Increase the effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 T1 slot. This can exceed normal Cook enhancement caps.(Ex: A perfect T2 MIT food gives 35 MIT instead of 30.) » Living Room: "Relaxed" - Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts.

A singular wooden door. “What’s that door?” Ryo said, pointing to it. “You come seeking peace within your mind, within your soul. Beyond that door is the first step.” The figure pointed to it, mimicking Ryo’s movements. Ryo stared at the door, his stomach dropped as he remembered it. “Where does this door lead?” The shape asked. Surprised, Ryo turned and scoffed. “You don’t know?”
“No." it answered plainly. "I know nothing of your past, only that I have access to them. There are other key moments like this one, then acceptance." 
“Riiiiight.” Ryo said, holding the word a few syllables longer. He sighed as he looked at the door. “This is her door. Quinzel’s.” Ryo said, memories flooding back of that women. 
“Who was she, to you?” The shape asked.
“She was, my partner. Before-” He stopped himself. Did he want to step through the door? Step through it and face, whatever it was that was awaiting him. “Before I left this life behind.”
“Why did you leave it? Did you think that you could be better than it? Or, was it sudden morality? Would you say that you came to your senses, if you had ever lost them.” The voice spoke, almost taunting Ryo. He shook his head. What did it mean by that? "Are you, mocking me? I left that place behind because it was evil."
"Then why stay as long as you did? Are you, evil?"
Ryo gritted his teeth. "What? No! Of course not!"
"Then what are you? Because the actions you did prior seem to align with what you would call evil." Ryo relented his argument and dropped his head. "It's not that simple. I don't know why I did what i did."
The voice spoke again. “You do know, you just need to see it for yourself.” It raised a hand, and motioned towards the door again.
 

<quest link>

Ryo | HP: 625/625 | EN: 91/91 | DMG: 18 | MIT:91 | ACC:3 | BH:21 | REC: 3 | LD:2 [TIER LOCK] PARTY STATS Spoiler Ryo | HP: 625/625 | EN: 91/91 | DMG: 18 | MIT:91 | ACC:3 | BH:21 | REC: 3 | LD:2 THREAD INFO Spoiler equipped »Gin Kin (+9 DMG) »Fierce Deities Coat (+36 MIT, +3EN Recovery) »Accuracy Charm (+3 Accuracy) battle-ready inventory » » » » » skills »Katana R5 (+7 DMG) »Heavy Armor R5 (+40 MIT, -5 Stealth) »Battle Healing R3 (18 healing per turn) »Searching R2 (+2 LD, +2 Stealth Detection) » extra skills »Survival (Healing effects 10% more, immune to environmental effects) »Leadership R1 (Grants access to Leadership Arts, takes 2 Extra Slots) »Leadership R1 » » addons »[Katana] Focus (Minor Crit on BD 8, reduce DoT threshold by 1) »[Katana] Stamina (-2 EN) »[Heavy Armor] Iron Skin (+15 MIT, +45 HP) mods »Impetus (+1 DMG) »Emergency Recovery (Heal 62 when brought below 156 | Once per thread | 10EN) »Night Vision (No penalties from low light/darkness) buffs » Yui's Grace Used (+ 600% EXP for this thread) » Dining Room: "Tasty" - Turn 2 identical food items (same quality, tier, & enhancements) into a Lesser Feast. A Lesser Feast contains 4 portions of the food items sacrificed. Lesser Feasts created this way cannot be used outside of the thread they are created. Limit 1 item created per thread. » Basic Kitchen: "Filling" - Increase the effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 T1 slot. This can exceed normal Cook enhancement caps.(Ex: A perfect T2 MIT food gives 35 MIT instead of 30.) » Living Room: "Relaxed" - Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts.

And it was going to kill him. It must be. This was a trap, some sort of quest spot designed to lure in players and kill them while they were vulnerable. Well to hell with that. He struggled against the pain in his body, the weight of the air. He struggled to lift himself an inch or so off the floor before he lost his grip and slammed back into the ground. His chin bouncing off the hard floor, he could see the shape ever closer. Another attempt was made, as Ryo tried to slide his arms underneath him to push himself up. But it was too little too late, the shape was upon him now and he could see it clearly. A shape of black lines, and white eyes and mouth that mimicked a human. “Poor thing that you are. Please, allow me to assist you.” And the figure reached a hand down towards him. Ryo struggled but as the hand touched him the voices stopped, and the weight disappeared. Taking in a sudden breath of air Ryo quickly rolled to the side and stood up his hand on his katana. “What?” He asked, in between heavy breaths. “What, was that?” He demanded to know. The figure spoke again, it’s voice speaking in layers in languages he didn’t understand and ones he did. “That was a memory that weighed on you. How interesting. You seem to have others that do. Shall I show you another?” The being waved it's hand towards Ryo. He flinched and braced his body, fully expecting another wave of heavy air to slam into him. But there wasn’t any thing. No voices, no force, nothing. Nothing except. 

<quest link>

Ryo | HP: 625/625 | EN: 91/91 | DMG: 18 | MIT:91 | ACC:3 | BH:21 | REC: 3 | LD:2 [TIER LOCK] PARTY STATS Spoiler Ryo | HP: 625/625 | EN: 91/91 | DMG: 18 | MIT:91 | ACC:3 | BH:21 | REC: 3 | LD:2 THREAD INFO Spoiler equipped »Gin Kin (+9 DMG) »Fierce Deities Coat (+36 MIT, +3EN Recovery) »Accuracy Charm (+3 Accuracy) battle-ready inventory » » » » » skills »Katana R5 (+7 DMG) »Heavy Armor R5 (+40 MIT, -5 Stealth) »Battle Healing R3 (18 healing per turn) »Searching R2 (+2 LD, +2 Stealth Detection) » extra skills »Survival (Healing effects 10% more, immune to environmental effects) »Leadership R1 (Grants access to Leadership Arts, takes 2 Extra Slots) »Leadership R1 » » addons »[Katana] Focus (Minor Crit on BD 8, reduce DoT threshold by 1) »[Katana] Stamina (-2 EN) »[Heavy Armor] Iron Skin (+15 MIT, +45 HP) mods »Impetus (+1 DMG) »Emergency Recovery (Heal 62 when brought below 156 | Once per thread | 10EN) »Night Vision (No penalties from low light/darkness) buffs » Yui's Grace Used (+ 600% EXP for this thread) » Dining Room: "Tasty" - Turn 2 identical food items (same quality, tier, & enhancements) into a Lesser Feast. A Lesser Feast contains 4 portions of the food items sacrificed. Lesser Feasts created this way cannot be used outside of the thread they are created. Limit 1 item created per thread. » Basic Kitchen: "Filling" - Increase the effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 T1 slot. This can exceed normal Cook enhancement caps.(Ex: A perfect T2 MIT food gives 35 MIT instead of 30.) » Living Room: "Relaxed" - Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts.

Opening his eyes Ryo was no longer under the waterfall. His eyes squinted as they shifted from the natural darkness of where he was, to the bright light of where he was now. Surrounding him was nothing but a void of inky white. The void had a texture of that of space, only visible if he squinted and stared in a spot for a time. The only direction to go was a black spot in the distance. Curious as to what it was, Ryo took a step closer to it. As his boot touched the ground it echoed, and Ryo heard another voice. The voice was louder and echoed outside of him and inside his mind. “Good work Ryo, here’s yer pay. See if you can get someone who knows Alchemy.”
Ryo felt a heavy pressure around him, desperate to hold him against the ground. “Wh-what is this?” He struggled against the force, it felt like hundred of hands pressing down on him desperate to keep him in place.

“Yeah, I got it. I’ll see if I can find anyone like that. For the guild right?” Ryo flinched as he heard his own voice. What the hell was going on here? He found himself to his feet, and struggled to take another step. And as he did, another echo and voice.

“Hey there, I’m Ryo. You guys looking to earn some spare Col? Easy way to do it is through professions.”
“Yeah, some spare Col wouldn’t hurt.”
“Careful Piera, we don’t know him.”

“Fuck!” Ryo cried out as he was thrown back onto the ground. The pressure all around him pinning him there. Almost immobile, Ryo screamed against his aching muscles as he stood again. A third step, another Echo and voice.
“I’m trustworthy, I’ve been helping out a lot of people to make sure no one’s starving to death. But there is a need for Alchemists for potions and elixirs.”
“Oh, those seem important. C’mon Lee, we can help people.” There was a sigh that echoed followed by groans of pain from Ryo. This was back when, when he was selling people off. Tricking them into a quest, helping them complete it then having them follow him into a trap. This was when he met Piera and Lee, and tricked them. Ryo struggled against the weight of the air around him, but he was pinned firmly against the ground. Completely unable to move. Looking ahead, he could see the black shape in the distance making it’s way towards him.

<quest link>

Ryo | HP: 625/625 | EN: 91/91 | DMG: 18 | MIT:91 | ACC:3 | BH:21 | REC: 3 | LD:2 [TIER LOCK] PARTY STATS Spoiler Ryo | HP: 625/625 | EN: 91/91 | DMG: 18 | MIT:91 | ACC:3 | BH:21 | REC: 3 | LD:2 THREAD INFO Spoiler equipped »Gin Kin (+9 DMG) »Fierce Deities Coat (+36 MIT, +3EN Recovery) »Accuracy Charm (+3 Accuracy) battle-ready inventory » » » » » skills »Katana R5 (+7 DMG) »Heavy Armor R5 (+40 MIT, -5 Stealth) »Battle Healing R3 (18 healing per turn) »Searching R2 (+2 LD, +2 Stealth Detection) » extra skills »Survival (Healing effects 10% more, immune to environmental effects) »Leadership R1 (Grants access to Leadership Arts, takes 2 Extra Slots) »Leadership R1 » » addons »[Katana] Focus (Minor Crit on BD 8, reduce DoT threshold by 1) »[Katana] Stamina (-2 EN) »[Heavy Armor] Iron Skin (+15 MIT, +45 HP) mods »Impetus (+1 DMG) »Emergency Recovery (Heal 62 when brought below 156 | Once per thread | 10EN) »Night Vision (No penalties from low light/darkness) buffs » Yui's Grace Used (+ 600% EXP for this thread) » Dining Room: "Tasty" - Turn 2 identical food items (same quality, tier, & enhancements) into a Lesser Feast. A Lesser Feast contains 4 portions of the food items sacrificed. Lesser Feasts created this way cannot be used outside of the thread they are created. Limit 1 item created per thread. » Basic Kitchen: "Filling" - Increase the effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 T1 slot. This can exceed normal Cook enhancement caps.(Ex: A perfect T2 MIT food gives 35 MIT instead of 30.) » Living Room: "Relaxed" - Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts.

Further up the trail he went, still wary of any other presence nearby. There hadn't been another voice in a small while, but he walked still. And it's here he finally saw the waterfall. It was smaller than he had anticipated. A small pool of water with a flat stone at the base of a short waterfall. The area looked more of a zen garden than a waterfall. Small clumps of flowers, vines, and moss decorated the standing area. Was he supposed to, meditate here?

He approached the pool of water with his hand still on his blade and looked around to study the area. Still no NPC in the area, but the place felt different. The air felt heavy on him, the water looked inviting, his arms and body were tired. He shook his head trying to gain his mind back. “w h y  w o u l d  y o u  d o  t h i s?” Another voice. Ryo spun around in place only to see nothing, and suddenly received a sharp pain behind his eyes. Yelping and throwing a hand to his temple Ryo heard more voices overlapping with each other as his ears rung.

“You’ve led us here!”

“Ryo, this is a joke right?”

“You bastard, we trusted you!”

“We thought you were our friend!”

“No, please.”

“Please, dont-”

“Ryo, please-”

“Please, I have a fam-”

“Ryo!”

“Ryo!”

“Ryo!”

Ryo fought against the pain, before raising himself to a knee and screaming. “S T O P!” Ryo shouted into the darkness, the voices ceased. But he recognized them all. People he led on. People he led into a life of slavery or their death. His body trembled, what was this place? The sound of the waterfall pulled him back into place. For the first time in a long time he felt fear. Not of something, of a place a concept. How could this place exist? His body still trembled, but he had an understanding on what to do. “This is, a bit cliche right?” He asked the air. Regardless, he stepped into the pool before him and sat on the stone. The water battered against his frame, instantly soaking his clothes causing them to stick to his skin. And after a deep breath, blackness.

<quest link>

Ryo | HP: 625/625 | EN: 91/91 | DMG: 18 | MIT:91 | ACC:3 | BH:21 | REC: 3 | LD:2 [TIER LOCK] PARTY STATS Spoiler Ryo | HP: 625/625 | EN: 91/91 | DMG: 18 | MIT:91 | ACC:3 | BH:21 | REC: 3 | LD:2 THREAD INFO Spoiler equipped »Gin Kin (+9 DMG) »Fierce Deities Coat (+36 MIT, +3EN Recovery) »Accuracy Charm (+3 Accuracy) battle-ready inventory » » » » » skills »Katana R5 (+7 DMG) »Heavy Armor R5 (+40 MIT, -5 Stealth) »Battle Healing R3 (18 healing per turn) »Searching R2 (+2 LD, +2 Stealth Detection) » extra skills »Survival (Healing effects 10% more, immune to environmental effects) »Leadership R1 (Grants access to Leadership Arts, takes 2 Extra Slots) »Leadership R1 » » addons »[Katana] Focus (Minor Crit on BD 8, reduce DoT threshold by 1) »[Katana] Stamina (-2 EN) »[Heavy Armor] Iron Skin (+15 MIT, +45 HP) mods »Impetus (+1 DMG) »Emergency Recovery (Heal 62 when brought below 156 | Once per thread | 10EN) »Night Vision (No penalties from low light/darkness) buffs » Yui's Grace Used (+ 600% EXP for this thread) » Dining Room: "Tasty" - Turn 2 identical food items (same quality, tier, & enhancements) into a Lesser Feast. A Lesser Feast contains 4 portions of the food items sacrificed. Lesser Feasts created this way cannot be used outside of the thread they are created. Limit 1 item created per thread. » Basic Kitchen: "Filling" - Increase the effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 T1 slot. This can exceed normal Cook enhancement caps.(Ex: A perfect T2 MIT food gives 35 MIT instead of 30.) » Living Room: "Relaxed" - Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts.

On the sixth floor, it didn’t take long for him to find his bearings and directions. The layouts of the lower floors seemed to be nearly similar, and he was accustomed to them. It seemed the waterfall was a popular hot spot of information. Whatever NPC's that were around at night had plenty of information to guide him to the correct spot. Following the directions he received, he made his way out of the city and up the mountain. The way up the mountain wasn't particularly difficult, the cool breeze brushed against his skin. He shivered slightly, but shrugged off the cold. After his time running around each floor of this damnedable castle, temperature rarely got to him anymore.
    However something caught his attention and he stopped walking. “Someone there?” He asked out loud. He listened closely, attempting to hear anything. Nothing but the sounds of nature. He was already a ways away from town and it being this late at night no NPC should be in the area. He activated his Night Vision mod and scanned again. Still nothing. It must’ve been the wind, he thought. Deactivating his night vision mod he continued down the path. His boots crunching against the loose stones and debris.

“p l e a s e,  d o n ‘ t”

This time it wasn't the wind. Ryo gripped his katana and shouted. “Who's there!?” No response came back. He couldn't make out the words, but he definitely heard someone. His breathing picked up as he listened in. He couldn’t hear anything else moving or speaking. The only sound that was there was that of the waterfall further up the trail.

<quest link>

Ryo | HP: 625/625 | EN: 91/91 | DMG: 18 | MIT:91 | ACC:3 | BH:21 | REC: 3 | LD:2 [TIER LOCK] PARTY STATS Spoiler Ryo | HP: 625/625 | EN: 91/91 | DMG: 18 | MIT:91 | ACC:3 | BH:21 | REC: 3 | LD:2 THREAD INFO Spoiler equipped »Gin Kin (+9 DMG) »Fierce Deities Coat (+36 MIT, +3EN Recovery) »Accuracy Charm (+3 Accuracy) battle-ready inventory » » » » » skills »Katana R5 (+7 DMG) »Heavy Armor R5 (+40 MIT, -5 Stealth) »Battle Healing R3 (18 healing per turn) »Searching R2 (+2 LD, +2 Stealth Detection) » extra skills »Survival (Healing effects 10% more, immune to environmental effects) »Leadership R1 (Grants access to Leadership Arts, takes 2 Extra Slots) »Leadership R1 » » addons »[Katana] Focus (Minor Crit on BD 8, reduce DoT threshold by 1) »[Katana] Stamina (-2 EN) »[Heavy Armor] Iron Skin (+15 MIT, +45 HP) mods »Impetus (+1 DMG) »Emergency Recovery (Heal 62 when brought below 156 | Once per thread | 10EN) »Night Vision (No penalties from low light/darkness) buffs » Yui's Grace Used (+ 600% EXP for this thread) » Dining Room: "Tasty" - Turn 2 identical food items (same quality, tier, & enhancements) into a Lesser Feast. A Lesser Feast contains 4 portions of the food items sacrificed. Lesser Feasts created this way cannot be used outside of the thread they are created. Limit 1 item created per thread. » Basic Kitchen: "Filling" - Increase the effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 T1 slot. This can exceed normal Cook enhancement caps.(Ex: A perfect T2 MIT food gives 35 MIT instead of 30.) » Living Room: "Relaxed" - Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts.

Ryo turned in his sleep, his body sweating as his dreams turned to nightmares. With a start, he wakes up not sure if what he saw was real or not. He throws a hand over his eyes, pressing into them to help relieve the pressure that was building behind them. Removing himself from his bed, he stepped into his home’s restroom and turned on the light. The momentarily blindness was somehow comforting to him as he reactively squinted.
    “The dreams again Sir?” Pennyworth asked from the hall.
“Yeah, nothing I can’t handle.” Ryo lied. He ran to the sink and collected some chilling water, splashing it over his face. He would frequent the church in Taft, and from time to time he felt like he belonged there. But he was never a religious sort, never one to believe in a higher power. And even if there was, would it forgive his vast multitude of sins? Ryo looked at his palms. The water was clear, but he could only imagine how much blood was spilt by his hands. Sure, he hadn’t killed anyone directly. But he led people to their doom, people who trusted him. And he did it for what? For his pride? For some Col? For safety? He let out a sigh of frustration. He splashed water in his face, attempting to wash away this feeling of his. It didn't help.
    Wake up Ryo, you were fine before. What’s happening now? He thought to himself. It wasn’t worth waking up early in the night to worry again. And as inviting as his bed looked, he wanted nothing more than to avoid more nightmares. Damned if he slept, damned if he didn’t. Sooner or later he’d be a liability on the field. And who heard of a hero having trouble sleeping? He laughed at his own thoughts, but then stopped suddenly. He’s no hero, and he’d never be one.
    “Master Ryo, if I may enter?” Pennyworth spoke from behind the door. Ryo opened it and was now face to face with his butler. “I believe I have an idea that may help your predicament. Now, some time ago Master Teion spoke of an old waterfall on the Sixth Floor. I don’t know what it could mean, but she seemed quite at peace afterwards.” Ryo rubbed his neck. Maybe, some relaxation is what he needed. “Perhaps a trip is in order. Thank you Pennyworth.” Ryo said, swiping open his menu and equipping his gear. “Now sir? At this hour?”
    “Of course.” Ryo replied. “I can sleep in once I’m done.”

[using Yui's Grace]     <quest link> Ryo | HP: 625/625 | EN: 91/91 | DMG: 18 | MIT:91 | ACC:3 | BH:21 | REC: 3 | LD:2 [TIER LOCK] PARTY STATS Spoiler Ryo | HP: 625/625 | EN: 91/91 | DMG: 18 | MIT:91 | ACC:3 | BH:21 | REC: 3 | LD:2 THREAD INFO Spoiler equipped »Gin Kin (+9 DMG) »Fierce Deities Coat (+36 MIT, +3EN Recovery) »Accuracy Charm (+3 Accuracy) battle-ready inventory » » » » » skills »Katana R5 (+7 DMG) »Heavy Armor R5 (+40 MIT, -5 Stealth) »Battle Healing R3 (18 healing per turn) »Searching R2 (+2 LD, +2 Stealth Detection) » extra skills »Survival (Healing effects 10% more, immune to environmental effects) »Leadership R1 (Grants access to Leadership Arts, takes 2 Extra Slots) »Leadership R1 » » addons »[Katana] Focus (Minor Crit on BD 8, reduce DoT threshold by 1) »[Katana] Stamina (-2 EN) »[Heavy Armor] Iron Skin (+15 MIT, +45 HP) mods »Impetus (+1 DMG) »Emergency Recovery (Heal 62 when brought below 156 | Once per thread | 10EN) »Night Vision (No penalties from low light/darkness) buffs » Yui's Grace Used (+ 600% EXP for this thread) » Dining Room: "Tasty" - Turn 2 identical food items (same quality, tier, & enhancements) into a Lesser Feast. A Lesser Feast contains 4 portions of the food items sacrificed. Lesser Feasts created this way cannot be used outside of the thread they are created. Limit 1 item created per thread. » Basic Kitchen: "Filling" - Increase the effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 T1 slot. This can exceed normal Cook enhancement caps.(Ex: A perfect T2 MIT food gives 35 MIT instead of 30.) » Living Room: "Relaxed" - Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts.

Perhaps, walking behind someone and then loudly proclaiming to them was the incorrect move. This was hinted by the sudden movement of Tel and the point of a blade being shoved into his face. Ryo leaned back just narrowly dodging the blade and quickly raised his hands. "Whoa whoa whoa whoa!" He said hurriedly in his sudden panic. "Tel Tel, it's me!" He said pointing to his face, showing that he was a real person and not some spirit or apparition. Despite the poor weather conditions, Ryo could see that Tel was struggling to place him but at least recognized him from the guild. "Yeah, from HDA. It's me. Ryo. I'm Teion's boyfriend." He said, attempting to introduce slash reintroduce himself. "Thanks for not stabbing me though."

With his heart rate slowing back to normal, and the blade no longer in his face he looked around again to better answer her posed question. "No clue about this place. Honestly, this is my first go here. Heard you guys cleared twenty eight, figured I come here and see what the next one was." He said referring Tel as you guys. She was still a frontliner, right? A brisk wind carried through almost shoving Ryo. "Maybe we should find a place to hunker down for a bit, wait for this wind to calm down." He said, his hair threatening his vision more and more as it was violently whipped by the wind. Looking around he noticed a door close. Looking over he could see that it was meant to be a bar of some kind. "Over there's a bar we can hunker down into. We can get acquainted, and then figure out what to do from there as the wind dies down." He offered to the woman in front of him.

Ryo | HP: 625/625 | EN: 91/91 | DMG: 18 | MIT:91 | ACC:3 | BH:21 | REC: 3 | LD:2 [TIER LOCK] PARTY STATS Spoiler Ryo | HP: 625/625 | EN: 91/91 | DMG: 18 | MIT:91 | ACC:3 | BH:21 | REC: 3 | LD:2 THREAD INFO Spoiler equipped »Gin Kin (+9 DMG) »Fierce Deities Coat (+36 MIT, +3EN Recovery) »Accuracy Charm (+3 Accuracy) battle-ready inventory » » » » » skills »Katana R5 (+7 DMG) »Heavy Armor R5 (+40 MIT, -5 Stealth) »Battle Healing R3 (18 healing per turn) »Searching R2 (+2 LD, +2 Stealth Detection) » extra skills »Survival (Healing effects 10% more, immune to environmental effects) »Leadership R1 (Grants access to Leadership Arts, takes 2 Extra Slots) »Leadership R1 » » addons »[Katana] Focus (Minor Crit on BD 8, reduce DoT threshold by 1) »[Katana] Stamina (-2 EN) »[Heavy Armor] Iron Skin (+15 MIT, +45 HP) mods »Impetus (+1 DMG) »Emergency Recovery (Heal 62 when brought below 156 | Once per thread | 10EN) »Night Vision (No penalties from low light/darkness) buffs » Yui's Grace Used (+ 600% EXP for this thread) » Dining Room: "Tasty" - Turn 2 identical food items (same quality, tier, & enhancements) into a Lesser Feast. A Lesser Feast contains 4 portions of the food items sacrificed. Lesser Feasts created this way cannot be used outside of the thread they are created. Limit 1 item created per thread. » Basic Kitchen: "Filling" - Increase the effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 T1 slot. This can exceed normal Cook enhancement caps.(Ex: A perfect T2 MIT food gives 35 MIT instead of 30.) » Living Room: "Relaxed" - Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts.

Teleporting to the newest unlocked floor wasn't something that Ryo did often. But he wanted to see just where the frontliners had currently gotten them into. As the bright lights of the teleporting circle faded away Ryo was met with a burst of wind, and the taste of salt in the air. This was a coast town that was for sure, or it was at some point. The buildings all around looked long abandoned, the wood uncared for and covered in thick moss. Windows were either shattered, or had their shutters destroyed and hung haphazardly. This was a grave leap from Taft on floor 11. He was used to the bright clean colors, the sounds of people conversing, and the smells of the spices of the markets. But here it was nothing but still water, moldy wood, and salt. There was no other sound, despite him attempting to listen in further. Either there was nothing, or things were quieter than the storm that raged. "What the hell happened here?" He spoke to himself, just above a whisper. And to make things worse, this place wasn't a safe zone. Was that, right? Had this thing happened on a previous floor? What was the point of this floor other than to make people feel completely uneasy. He shook his head, and noticed it.

The shape in front of him, silhouetted by a dim lamp light. In the current conditions Ryo couldn't make out the details. Maybe he was behind it? Maybe it was an NPC? Or maybe it was a monster? He swallowed once, and then began to step closer. The only other people that would reasonable be on this floor would be frontliners, and they wouldn't be hanging around the teleport gate. They'd be off in a labyrinth somewhere. Right? Ryo continued to walk closer to the shape, heel to toe subconsciously hiding the sound of his footsteps. As he got closer he recognized the silhouette as someone he knew. Telrenya, Jomei's fiance. Or is it wife? They were getting married, or had they yet? Regardless Ryo let out a small sight before blurting out loudly. "Oh thank goodness it's just you. Had me going for a minute." He said, unsure if would startle the woman.

  [Using Yui's Grace]

Ryo | HP: 625/625 | EN: 91/91 | DMG: 18 | MIT:91 | ACC:3 | BH:21 | REC: 3 | LD:2 [TIER LOCK] PARTY STATS Spoiler Ryo | HP: 625/625 | EN: 91/91 | DMG: 18 | MIT:91 | ACC:3 | BH:21 | REC: 3 | LD:2 THREAD INFO Spoiler equipped »Gin Kin (+9 DMG) »Fierce Deities Coat (+36 MIT, +3EN Recovery) »Accuracy Charm (+3 Accuracy) battle-ready inventory » » » » » skills »Katana R5 (+7 DMG) »Heavy Armor R5 (+40 MIT, -5 Stealth) »Battle Healing R3 (18 healing per turn) »Searching R2 (+2 LD, +2 Stealth Detection) » extra skills »Survival (Healing effects 10% more, immune to environmental effects) »Leadership R1 (Grants access to Leadership Arts, takes 2 Extra Slots) »Leadership R1 » » addons »[Katana] Focus (Minor Crit on BD 8, reduce DoT threshold by 1) »[Katana] Stamina (-2 EN) »[Heavy Armor] Iron Skin (+15 MIT, +45 HP) mods »Impetus (+1 DMG) »Emergency Recovery (Heal 62 when brought below 156 | Once per thread | 10EN) »Night Vision (No penalties from low light/darkness) buffs » Yui's Grace Used (+ 600% EXP for this thread) » Dining Room: "Tasty" - Turn 2 identical food items (same quality, tier, & enhancements) into a Lesser Feast. A Lesser Feast contains 4 portions of the food items sacrificed. Lesser Feasts created this way cannot be used outside of the thread they are created. Limit 1 item created per thread. » Basic Kitchen: "Filling" - Increase the effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 T1 slot. This can exceed normal Cook enhancement caps.(Ex: A perfect T2 MIT food gives 35 MIT instead of 30.) » Living Room: "Relaxed" - Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts.

Ryo knew what real tears looked like, and yet it somehow made him at ease to know that Theo was merely jesting. "Well, if you need heavy equipment Tei's gonna be a good bet. Unless you feel like going window shopping at other players shops. Tei, as far as I know, has a pretty good deal for friends and family." Ryo said. He then decided to throw his hat into the ring. "I can also use generic materials to make some decent food items that not only taste good, but can give you some pretty good buffs. Like that fondue, but with better bread." He said, giving a chuckle.

And now came time for the combat portion of the tutorial quest. Was this safe? Or rather, how could it not be? Who ever died on a tutorial mission before? Maybe if it was a soulslike game, but so far SAO didn't present itself as one. Theo should be fine. "Alright Tei, you're up first." Ryo said placing a hand gently on the grip of his katana. "So when you attack the game moves your body for you. It's, a bit weird to describe." Ryo said, trying to find the correct words. "I mean, I'm not a katana master in the real world. And, as far as I know Tei doesn't swing a big hunk of metal around that easily." He continued. "So watch Teion here." Ryo said, not expecting her to quickly raise her arm cleaving a boarling in two. "See, just like that." Ryo said, rubbing the back of his neck. "The thing is, to let yourself go and trust yourself to move. Don't fight against the system, and don't fight against your own body."

Ryo took a few steps forward, his hand clasping onto his katana's handle. "Now another boarling is going to charge me and I'm going to stand here and let it come at me." Ryo said, spreading his feet somewhat. "Take a breath, concentrate on what your attack is going to be, then follow through." He took in a small breath, before exhaling slowly. As the boarling got closer it gave out a high pitched squeal and leapt into the air determined to go for Ryo's throat. And in a completely fluid motion Ryo drew his sword and slashed forward cleaving the boarlet in two, sending the two halves raining red pixels behind him as he stepped aside. Giving his blade a quick spin and a flick, he sheathed his blade with a satisfying click. "Now you give it a shot Theo." Ryo said, motioning to him to give his bow a try.

»Combat | ID: 239865 | BD: [10 - FULL CRIT!] | MD: 6 (Monster dead!)
Basic Attack vs. Boarlet II - Dealt 14 DMG

Quote

[Assisted] Theo | HP: 20/20 | EN: 20/20 | DMG: 1 | LD: 4 | SD: 1
[Assisting] Teion | HP: 190/190 | EN: 36/36 | DMG: 14 | MIT:42 | ACC:4 | BH:10 | REC: 2 | LD:6
[Assisting] Ryo | HP: 135/135 | EN: 35/35 | DMG: 12 | MIT:55 | BH:4 | LD:2

Boarlet II | HP 0/5 | DMG: 3

[quest info] Ryo | HP: 625/625 | EN: 91/91 | DMG: 18 | MIT:91 | ACC:3 | BH:21 | REC: 3 | LD:2 [TIER LOCK] PARTY STATS Spoiler [Tier Lock] - 10% EXP Bonus [Assisted] Theo | HP: 20/20 | EN: 20/20 | DMG: 1 | LD: 4 | SD: 1 [Assisting] Teion | HP: 190/190 | EN: 36/36 | DMG: 14 | MIT:42 | ACC:4 | BH:10 | REC: 2 | LD:6 [Assisting] Ryo | HP: 135/135 | EN: 35/35 | DMG: 12 | MIT:55 | BH:4 | LD:2 THREAD INFO Spoiler equipped »Gin Kin (+9 DMG) »Fierce Deities Coat (+36 MIT, +3EN Recovery) »Accuracy Charm (+3 Accuracy) battle-ready inventory » » » » » skills »Katana R5 (+7 DMG) »Heavy Armor R5 (+40 MIT, -5 Stealth) »Battle Healing R3 (18 healing per turn) »Searching R2 (+2 LD, +2 Stealth Detection) » extra skills »Survival (Healing effects 10% more, immune to environmental effects) »Leadership R1 (Grants access to Leadership Arts, takes 2 Extra Slots) »Leadership R1 » » addons »[Katana] Focus (Minor Crit on BD 8, reduce DoT threshold by 1) »[Katana] Stamina (-2 EN) »[Heavy Armor] Iron Skin (+15 MIT, +45 HP) mods »Impetus (+1 DMG) »Emergency Recovery (Heal 62 when brought below 156 | Once per thread | 10EN) »Night Vision (No penalties from low light/darkness) buffs »Zackariah’s Fondue (+3 LD) » Yui's Grace Used (+ 600% EXP for this thread) » Dining Room: "Tasty" - Turn 2 identical food items (same quality, tier, & enhancements) into a Lesser Feast. A Lesser Feast contains 4 portions of the food items sacrificed. Lesser Feasts created this way cannot be used outside of the thread they are created. Limit 1 item created per thread. » Basic Kitchen: "Filling" - Increase the effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 T1 slot. This can exceed normal Cook enhancement caps.(Ex: A perfect T2 MIT food gives 35 MIT instead of 30.) » Living Room: "Relaxed" - Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts.

Ryo raised an eye brow. "Between you and me, I'm gonna hope it's vampires." He said, waving a hand. "Pesticides sounds kinda lame. Unless it's vampires USING a pesticide." Ryo said, his eyes going wide with the thought. "And it lines up with like, any vampire movie right? Weird mystery thing happens around town, then brave new hero with darkish brown hair appears wearing a cozy fit to investigate, then is told about weird rumors by a mysterious and dark stranger." Ryo explained. "I mean, it kind of lines up?" He said, thinking. "But if it's not vampires, then I don't know what else it could be. I didn't really pay attention to the lore of the floor." He said, rubbing the back of his neck. It was shortly after Ryo would spot Jomei making there way towards them. "Ah, here he is." Ryo said to Theo, breaking the conversation of vampires. 

"Yo! Jomei! Long time no see." Ryo would call out, raising a hand to his friend. "Theo meet Jomei. Residential bard and frontliner. Jomei, this here is Theo. He's new around here, turns out he's an old friend of Teion's Something about High School." He said. "What a small world." He commented. "Just got here myself, Theo thinks it's vampires and I'm inclined to agree." He said nodding confidently.  Ryo thought about the lay of the land.. "This area has a few quests about a Treant and Elf conflict right? Or at least, it's where it starts. Maybe that has something to do with it?" He thought aloud. "If it's not vampires, it's gotta be the elves right?" Ryo said thinking logically. He would be hard pressed to believe that the Treants would do anything to plants. 

Crafts for 1/4/25

Crafts for 1/3/25

Placeholder

Ryo flinched as Theo accepted his offer for a drink. He thought he had whispered that to Teion, but now he was trapped. "I, er, well-" But was interrupted by Tei, offering to get tea with Theo tomorrow. He let out a soft sigh, but blushed as he realized that she said yes to not just getting a drink but a full blown dinner. Ryo waved his hand to Theo. "Yeah, maybe next time. I am available quite frequently." He said. "So if you ever want to hang out and do something, just hit me up." Ryo said, opening his menu and sending Theo a friend request.

Ryo thought for a moment. "I could use some more herbs at home. It's been a moment since I've actually did any cooking so I know I'm going to be missing out on some things." He said, trying to remember the exact contents of his kitchen cabinets. "Oh, no I'm no chef." He said waving his hand sheepishly in front of him. "Although, it's kind of a pipe dream to be one. It's more like, an expensive hobby. Before all this I worked as an overnight shift lead at a gas station." He said, before rubbing the back of his neck. "It's kinda lame, and why I was applying for colleges and schools for cooking." He said letting out a small sigh.

Reaching the next destination Ryo looked around. Much less of a building, and more of an open space with a roof. An older man stood over an anvil, slamming a hammer against a bright orange piece of metal. Ryo stepped up, and attempted to make conversation.
"Hel-"
"I'm busy."
"Lo...." Ryo said, being interrupted. He pinched the bridge of his nose. What was with NPC's like this? "Look we just need to know about some-"
The hammering stopped, and the old man straightened his back revealing his true height which matched Theo's. "I don't do anything without payment." Ryo, intimidated nodded his head. "Go deal with a few of those pesky Boarlets for me, and bring them back whole or else just their tusks. I don't care which." The aged blacksmith looked over the three with a discerning eye. "They're pretty weak, so even you shouldn't have any trouble. Do that, then I'll hear you out." Then, the NPC returned to hammering away on metal.

Ryo straightened himself out and adjusted his cravat. "So, that was something. Guess you're getting those combat lessons sooner then we thought." Ryo said, patting Theo on the arm. "Oh, loaner weapon?" He looked at the weapon, and noted it was much weaker than his current blade. Guess it really was a newbie quest. "Well, be sure you get that equipped Theo." Ryo said, reminding his new friend.

[quest info] Ryo | HP: 625/625 | EN: 91/91 | DMG: 18 | MIT:91 | ACC:3 | BH:21 | REC: 3 | LD:2 [TIER LOCK] PARTY STATS Spoiler [Tier Lock] - 10% EXP Bonus [Assisted] Theo | HP: 20/20 | EN: 20/20 | DMG: 1 | LD: 4 | SD: 1 [Assisting] Teion | HP: 190/190 | EN: 36/36 | DMG: 14 | MIT:42 | ACC:4 | BH:10 | REC: 2 | LD:6 [Assisting] Ryo | HP: 135/135 | EN: 35/35 | DMG: 12 | MIT:55 | BH:4 | LD:2 THREAD INFO Spoiler equipped »Gin Kin (+9 DMG) »Fierce Deities Coat (+36 MIT, +3EN Recovery) »Accuracy Charm (+3 Accuracy) battle-ready inventory » » » » » skills »Katana R5 (+7 DMG) »Heavy Armor R5 (+40 MIT, -5 Stealth) »Battle Healing R3 (18 healing per turn) »Searching R2 (+2 LD, +2 Stealth Detection) » extra skills »Survival (Healing effects 10% more, immune to environmental effects) »Leadership R1 (Grants access to Leadership Arts, takes 2 Extra Slots) »Leadership R1 » » addons »[Katana] Focus (Minor Crit on BD 8, reduce DoT threshold by 1) »[Axe] Stamina (-2 EN) »[Heavy Armor] Iron Skin (+15 MIT, +45 HP) mods »Impetus (+1 DMG) »Emergency Recovery (Heal 62 when brought below 156 | Once per thread | 10EN) »Night Vision (No penalties from low light/darkness) buffs »Zackariah’s Fondue (+3 LD) » Yui's Grace Used (+ 600% EXP for this thread) » Dining Room: "Tasty" - Turn 2 identical food items (same quality, tier, & enhancements) into a Lesser Feast. A Lesser Feast contains 4 portions of the food items sacrificed. Lesser Feasts created this way cannot be used outside of the thread they are created. Limit 1 item created per thread. » Basic Kitchen: "Filling" - Increase the effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 T1 slot. This can exceed normal Cook enhancement caps.(Ex: A perfect T2 MIT food gives 35 MIT instead of 30.) » Living Room: "Relaxed" - Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts.

Ryo hurriedly opened his messages as two pings went off. "Town Center, floor eight." He read softly aloud. He quickly sent a message to Jomei.

Quote

Message Sender: Ryo
Recipient: Jomei
Subject: RE: Hey

»Floor 8, town center. See you soon. :)

As he walked he opened his menu and checked his equipment. Yep, still not good. It didn't synergize with his build well. Not like it would matter too much, this was floor 8 after all. They should be fine. Theo was still entirely new to the whole exploring thing, so that may cause some issue. Ryo shrugged. With Jomei there it wouldn't be any issue at all.

On floor 8 Ryo didn't have to search very hard for Theo. "I swear Theo, you're are way too tall. You're like a building." He said to himself, as he closed the distance. "Yo!" Ryo said as he greeted Theo. "So, fill me in. What about these flowers dying?" He asked. Ryo sat down beside Theo and would listen to him speak. After he was done filling him in Ryo would speak up again. "The guy I invited is Jomei. Good friend of mine and Tei. He's tall, with red hair. Has a bit of an accent." He said, describing Jomei as best he could.

Ryo | HP: 625/625 | EN: 91/91 | DMG: 18 | MIT:91 | ACC:3 | BH:21 | REC: 3 | LD:2 [TIER LOCK] PARTY STATS Spoiler Ryo | HP: 625/625 | EN: 91/91 | DMG: 18 | MIT:91 | ACC:3 | BH:21 | REC: 3 | LD:2 Jomei | HP: 980/980 | EN: 136/136 | DMG: 21 | MIT: 44| ACC:3 | TAUNT | F-SPIRIT | EVA:4 | BH:54 | HB: 43 | VAMP-D: 108 | BLI: 32/-20  | LD:1 Theo | HP: 20/20 | EN: 20/20 | DMG: 1 | LD: 1 | SD: 1 THREAD INFO Spoiler equipped »Gin Kin (+9 DMG) »Fierce Deities Coat (+36 MIT, +3EN Recovery) »Accuracy Charm (+3 Accuracy) battle-ready inventory » » » » » skills »Katana R5 (+7 DMG) »Heavy Armor R5 (+40 MIT, -5 Stealth) »Battle Healing R3 (18 healing per turn) »Searching R2 (+2 LD, +2 Stealth Detection) » extra skills »Survival (Healing effects 10% more, immune to environmental effects) »Leadership R1 (Grants access to Leadership Arts, takes 2 Extra Slots) »Leadership R1 » » addons »[Katana] Focus (Minor Crit on BD 8, reduce DoT threshold by 1) »[Axe] Stamina (-2 EN) »[Heavy Armor] Iron Skin (+15 MIT, +45 HP) mods »Impetus (+1 DMG) »Emergency Recovery (Heal 62 when brought below 156 | Once per thread | 10EN) »Night Vision (No penalties from low light/darkness) buffs » Yui's Grace Used (+ 600% EXP for this thread) » Dining Room: "Tasty" - Turn 2 identical food items (same quality, tier, & enhancements) into a Lesser Feast. A Lesser Feast contains 4 portions of the food items sacrificed. Lesser Feasts created this way cannot be used outside of the thread they are created. Limit 1 item created per thread. » Basic Kitchen: "Filling" - Increase the effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 T1 slot. This can exceed normal Cook enhancement caps.(Ex: A perfect T2 MIT food gives 35 MIT instead of 30.) » Living Room: "Relaxed" - Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts.

Ryo thought for a moment. "Combat tips I can certainly give out. It's a little complicated, and I don't know how bows work in the game so all I can give are basic tips." He thought for a second. "Maybe this quest will give a quick rundown of combat?" He said, sharing his thought out loud. He looked over to his girlfriend. "That, makes sense. I don't remember placing things into where but I could have just forgotten. I'm not really a morning person." He said, rubbing the back of his neck. Were they really just past floor 25? Or, were they further now? He would have to look and ask, he hadn't really kept up with the news.

Ryo would give Teion a look as she placed a hand on his shoulder at the mention of Theo's poverty. He nodded in agreement. "So it would seem. Delightful fellow." He said, taking off after Theo as well. "Say, after this you wanna get a drink or something?" He asked her, hoping she wasn't too terribly busy.

"Well, there's a lot of professions to learn. And there's the sub-professions like gathering and fishing. So, you could be a blacksmith like Tei, or pick up a different one. There's like, an archeology one? Like, an appraiser or merchant type I think." He said, rambling on. "As for myself, I followed my real world ambition of cooking." He gave Teion a side-eye as she said he was going to talk about his mansion. "If you had a mansion, you'd talk about it too." He said.

Back at the Alchemy Shop Ryo dropped off his singular herb he had found. A poor showing compared to Theo's haul. Ryo had learned his lesson about paying attention to the dialogue being spout to him, as it was clear his party was not going to explain things to him. "To Lyle's Blacksmith. Tei might have an advantage for this next part." Ryo said, mentioning Teion's profession. He stood around for a few moments letting the others turn in their herbs and get the quest updated. "Right then, lead the way." He said, motioning for Theo to take point.

[quest info] Ryo | HP: 625/625 | EN: 91/91 | DMG: 18 | MIT:91 | ACC:3 | BH:21 | REC: 3 | LD:2 [TIER LOCK] PARTY STATS Spoiler [Tier Lock] - 10% EXP Bonus [Assisted] Theo | HP: 20/20 | EN: 20/20 | DMG: 1 | LD: 4 | SD: 1 [Assisting] Teion | HP: 190/190 | EN: 36/36 | DMG: 14 | MIT:42 | ACC:4 | BH:10 | REC: 2 | LD:6 [Assisting] Ryo | HP: 135/135 | EN: 35/35 | DMG: 12 | MIT:55 | BH:4 | LD:2 THREAD INFO Spoiler equipped »Gin Kin (+9 DMG) »Fierce Deities Coat (+36 MIT, +3EN Recovery) »Accuracy Charm (+3 Accuracy) battle-ready inventory » » » » » skills »Katana R5 (+7 DMG) »Heavy Armor R5 (+40 MIT, -5 Stealth) »Battle Healing R3 (18 healing per turn) »Searching R2 (+2 LD, +2 Stealth Detection) » extra skills »Survival (Healing effects 10% more, immune to environmental effects) »Leadership R1 (Grants access to Leadership Arts, takes 2 Extra Slots) »Leadership R1 » » addons »[Katana] Focus (Minor Crit on BD 8, reduce DoT threshold by 1) »[Axe] Stamina (-2 EN) »[Heavy Armor] Iron Skin (+15 MIT, +45 HP) mods »Impetus (+1 DMG) »Emergency Recovery (Heal 62 when brought below 156 | Once per thread | 10EN) »Night Vision (No penalties from low light/darkness) buffs »Zackariah’s Fondue (+3 LD) » Yui's Grace Used (+ 600% EXP for this thread) » Dining Room: "Tasty" - Turn 2 identical food items (same quality, tier, & enhancements) into a Lesser Feast. A Lesser Feast contains 4 portions of the food items sacrificed. Lesser Feasts created this way cannot be used outside of the thread they are created. Limit 1 item created per thread. » Basic Kitchen: "Filling" - Increase the effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 T1 slot. This can exceed normal Cook enhancement caps.(Ex: A perfect T2 MIT food gives 35 MIT instead of 30.) » Living Room: "Relaxed" - Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts.

Ryo stifled a laugh as Theo mentioned that he had a weapon, but didn't have it equipped. A bow? That works too, he thought. Ryo did let out a laugh for Theo's 'roots' joke. Ryo nodded his head. "Oh yeah, monsters can get pretty big. But then again, you're pretty big. So maybe they'll be, less big?" He said, noting his lack of height.  "And DOT is correct, you can also just say dot." Ryo then though hard about his build. "Well, I just wanted to fit a 'vibe' so I went with what looked cool." He said, motioning to his katana. "I mean, I nailed it yeah?" He asked, striking a quick pose. 

"I've had a normal experience when it came to VR. I was excited for Full Dive for a good long while. Being able to play games lying down sounded like a treat. No sore muscles, or eye strain, or anything like that." He said. "Didn't think a bit longer about what would happen if someone became a pyscho and trap everyone by threat of brain frying." He said, lamenting his lack of foresight. Speaking of builds he decided to open his and check his again. He noticed something that caused him to look closer and stare at his stats. "Hey." He said. "Did these, change?" He asked aloud, mostly to Teion. "Wow, my build is all sorts of messed up." He laughed, now noticing his gear and skills.

Looking down he saw another plant spawn, only for it to be a weed. "Aw, dangit." He mourned as it disappeared into pixels. "Aight, I'm done. I'm ready for the next step." He said, noting the change on his quest objective. "Ranged weapons sound cool. Should I get some?" He asked, looking at Teion. "Like maybe, throwing stars." He said excitedly thinking of the prospect of becoming even more of a ninja or a samurai.  "Monsters are easy, it's the humanoid ones that mess me up. I can never really read the movements right and they end up nicking me from time to time." He said. "Oh and don't get me started on the ranged mobs." He said exasperated at the prospect of being out ranged. But then he quickly doubled around. "Ah, but it's cool when you do it." He said, trying to save face. "But what Tei said. More than happy to help with anything. Especially quests at the like." Ryo said, noting his empty quest log. 

 »Gathering Attempt | ID: 239493 | LD: 5+5=10 [Failure] (3/3 Attemps made, 1 quest material found)

[quest info] Ryo | HP: 625/625 | EN: 91/91 | DMG: 18 | MIT:91 | ACC:3 | BH:21 | REC: 3 | LD:2 [TIER LOCK] PARTY STATS Spoiler [Tier Lock] - 10% EXP Bonus [Assisted] Theo | HP: 20/20 | EN: 20/20 | DMG: 1 | LD: 4 | SD: 1 [Assisting] Teion | HP: 190/190 | EN: 36/36 | DMG: 14 | MIT:42 | ACC:4 | BH:10 | REC: 2 | LD:6 [Assisting] Ryo | HP: 135/135 | EN: 35/35 | DMG: 12 | MIT:55 | BH:4 | LD:2 THREAD INFO Spoiler equipped »Gin Kin (+9 DMG) »Fierce Deities Coat (+36 MIT, +3EN Recovery) »Accuracy Charm (+3 Accuracy) battle-ready inventory » » » » » skills »Katana R5 (+7 DMG) »Heavy Armor R5 (+40 MIT, -5 Stealth) »Battle Healing R3 (18 healing per turn) »Searching R2 (+2 LD, +2 Stealth Detection) » extra skills »Survival (Healing effects 10% more, immune to environmental effects) »Leadership R1 (Grants access to Leadership Arts, takes 2 Extra Slots) »Leadership R1 » » addons »[Katana] Focus (Minor Crit on BD 8, reduce DoT threshold by 1) »[Axe] Stamina (-2 EN) »[Heavy Armor] Iron Skin (+15 MIT, +45 HP) mods »Impetus (+1 DMG) »Emergency Recovery (Heal 62 when brought below 156 | Once per thread | 10EN) »Night Vision (No penalties from low light/darkness) buffs »Zackariah’s Fondue (+3 LD) » Yui's Grace Used (+ 600% EXP for this thread) » Dining Room: "Tasty" - Turn 2 identical food items (same quality, tier, & enhancements) into a Lesser Feast. A Lesser Feast contains 4 portions of the food items sacrificed. Lesser Feasts created this way cannot be used outside of the thread they are created. Limit 1 item created per thread. » Basic Kitchen: "Filling" - Increase the effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 T1 slot. This can exceed normal Cook enhancement caps.(Ex: A perfect T2 MIT food gives 35 MIT instead of 30.) » Living Room: "Relaxed" - Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts.

Ryo rubbed his nose. "Oh yeah. Big mansion. Some parts still under construction, and some of it needs a new coat of paint. But I'm just one guy." He said. "Well, myself and Pennyworth." He said mentioned his butler. "And as for secret tunnels, that's not a bad idea. And a garden would help a lot with cooking." He said thinking about the possibility of one. Where would he put it? There was a nice spot next to front.

Ryo looked down by his feet and managed to catch a herb spawning by them. "Oh ho ho, lucky me." Ryo continued to searching looking for more. "Yeah Theo, that's a good question. What sort of stuff are you interested in? I've seen a lot of people try to stick with one thing but they kinda have to pivot at some point." Ryo explained. "I remember trying to learn this damn thing. And that was a pain and a half." He said, patting the katana on his waist. "Even if it's a knife, probably a good idea to at least get familiar with the game's combat system. Double so if you're wanting to go out and do anything." Ryo said, remembering how he and Lowenthal triggered a trap while exploring.

Ryo turned on his heel and looked at Theo. "Typically, someone of your height and build would be perfect for a sword and shield. But I don't think that's up your speed. You seem more like a gentle giant, so maybe the healing skill and some sort of farming implement?" Ryo thought. "Like a battle scythe, or a spear. Something to keep you away from the baddies, but enough for you to poke 'em." He said, miming the action of using a spear.

Ryo shrugged his shoulders. "Look, I just wanted to get in and play the game of a lifetime. How was I supposed to know this wasn't going to be a temporary account?" He said, defending himself. 

»Gathering Attempt | ID: 239486 | LD: 16+5=21 [Success]

[quest info] Ryo | HP: 625/625 | EN: 91/91 | DMG: 18 | MIT:91 | ACC:3 | BH:21 | REC: 3 | LD:2 [TIER LOCK] PARTY STATS Spoiler [Tier Lock] - 10% EXP Bonus [Assisted] Theo | HP: 20/20 | EN: 20/20 | DMG: 1 | LD: 4 | SD: 1 [Assisting] Teion | HP: 190/190 | EN: 36/36 | DMG: 14 | MIT:42 | ACC:4 | BH:10 | REC: 2 | LD:6 [Assisting] Ryo | HP: 135/135 | EN: 35/35 | DMG: 12 | MIT:55 | BH:4 | LD:2 THREAD INFO Spoiler equipped »Gin Kin (+9 DMG) »Fierce Deities Coat (+36 MIT, +3EN Recovery) »Accuracy Charm (+3 Accuracy) battle-ready inventory » » » » » skills »Katana R5 (+7 DMG) »Heavy Armor R5 (+40 MIT, -5 Stealth) »Battle Healing R3 (18 healing per turn) »Searching R2 (+2 LD, +2 Stealth Detection) » extra skills »Survival (Healing effects 10% more, immune to environmental effects) »Leadership R1 (Grants access to Leadership Arts, takes 2 Extra Slots) »Leadership R1 » » addons »[Katana] Focus (Minor Crit on BD 8, reduce DoT threshold by 1) »[Axe] Stamina (-2 EN) »[Heavy Armor] Iron Skin (+15 MIT, +45 HP) mods »Impetus (+1 DMG) »Emergency Recovery (Heal 62 when brought below 156 | Once per thread | 10EN) »Night Vision (No penalties from low light/darkness) buffs »Zackariah’s Fondue (+3 LD) » Yui's Grace Used (+ 600% EXP for this thread) » Dining Room: "Tasty" - Turn 2 identical food items (same quality, tier, & enhancements) into a Lesser Feast. A Lesser Feast contains 4 portions of the food items sacrificed. Lesser Feasts created this way cannot be used outside of the thread they are created. Limit 1 item created per thread. » Basic Kitchen: "Filling" - Increase the effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 T1 slot. This can exceed normal Cook enhancement caps.(Ex: A perfect T2 MIT food gives 35 MIT instead of 30.) » Living Room: "Relaxed" - Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts.

"Master Ryo, once again I am asking you to wake up." Pennyworth the butler said loudly enough to demand attention. Ryo's slumber ended as he woke slowly, his long hair a unbrushed mess behind him. "Wha~?" He asked, half asleep. "No sleep again, Master Ryo?" Ryo shook his head, but gave a weak thumbs up. "I'll be fine. Thank for *ya~wn* for waking me." He said, a yawn interrupting his sentence. "Anything happen?" Ryo asked as he moved himself from his bed. "Nothing important to note. Other than Master Teion stopping by to inform us that she would be busy today. And that you weren't answering your messages." Ryo let out a groan of frustration. "Shit. I'll check my mail, and get dressed. Can I get some breakfast perhaps?" Pennyworth let out a sharp exhale, a sign of him laughing. "It would practically be lunch sir, but I suppose eggs are good whenever."

In the restroom Ryo brushed his hair and tied it up before opening his menu and looking at his messages. "Only 2 missed, that's not bad." He said to himself before looking at the recipients. He raised an eyebrow to seeing Theo's name in his inbox. That was Teion's friend he met a few days ago, right? The tall one in the sweater. Ryo nodded as he remembered who it was. Ryo quickly responded to the message.

Quote

Message Sender: Ryo
Recipient: Theo
Subject: Re: 

»Hey Theo! Honored you reached out. Let me know where to meet ya at and I'll see who I can wrangle.

And message sent. Ryo took a moment to look through his friends list, looking for someone to help with a flowers thing. Tei was busy today, and HDA seemed to be disbanded. He rubbed the bridge of his nose. Another thing he managed to muck up. However, he thought of one other person but had no clue how he would react. Regardless, he began drafting the message.

Quote

Message Sender: Ryo
Recipient: Jomei
Subject: Hey

»Hey there! Sorry for the long silence, been trying to work some things out mentally. Still am. Anyway, I've got a new friend who's needing some help with some flowers dying. If you're free to lend a hand that'd be great. I think he's taller than you. If you're busy I understand.

And message sent. His stomach dropped a bit further. He never did tell Jomei about what he did. He wanted to after the masquerade party, which felt like an eternity ago. Maybe? No. Ryo shook his head. He couldn't tell him, not yet anyways. Beside, Theo needed help and he came to him for it. Ryo returned to his kitchen, and began to eat his 'breakfast', waiting for the messages to come back in.

(Using Yui's Grace for this thread)

Ryo | HP: 625/625 | EN: 91/91 | DMG: 18 | MIT:91 | ACC:3 | BH:21 | REC: 3 | LD:2 [TIER LOCK] PARTY STATS Spoiler Ryo | HP: 625/625 | EN: 91/91 | DMG: 18 | MIT:91 | ACC:3 | BH:21 | REC: 3 | LD:2 Jomei | HP: 980/980 | EN: 136/136 | DMG: 21 | MIT: 44| ACC:3 | TAUNT | F-SPIRIT | EVA:4 | BH:54 | HB: 43 | VAMP-D: 108 | BLI: 32/-20  | LD:1 Theo | HP: 20/20 | EN: 20/20 | DMG: 1 | LD: 1 | SD: 1 THREAD INFO Spoiler equipped »Gin Kin (+9 DMG) »Fierce Deities Coat (+36 MIT, +3EN Recovery) »Accuracy Charm (+3 Accuracy) battle-ready inventory » » » » » skills »Katana R5 (+7 DMG) »Heavy Armor R5 (+40 MIT, -5 Stealth) »Battle Healing R3 (18 healing per turn) »Searching R2 (+2 LD, +2 Stealth Detection) » extra skills »Survival (Healing effects 10% more, immune to environmental effects) »Leadership R1 (Grants access to Leadership Arts, takes 2 Extra Slots) »Leadership R1 » » addons »[Katana] Focus (Minor Crit on BD 8, reduce DoT threshold by 1) »[Axe] Stamina (-2 EN) »[Heavy Armor] Iron Skin (+15 MIT, +45 HP) mods »Impetus (+1 DMG) »Emergency Recovery (Heal 62 when brought below 156 | Once per thread | 10EN) »Night Vision (No penalties from low light/darkness) buffs » Yui's Grace Used (+ 600% EXP for this thread) » Dining Room: "Tasty" - Turn 2 identical food items (same quality, tier, & enhancements) into a Lesser Feast. A Lesser Feast contains 4 portions of the food items sacrificed. Lesser Feasts created this way cannot be used outside of the thread they are created. Limit 1 item created per thread. » Basic Kitchen: "Filling" - Increase the effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 T1 slot. This can exceed normal Cook enhancement caps.(Ex: A perfect T2 MIT food gives 35 MIT instead of 30.) » Living Room: "Relaxed" - Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts.

Ryo slapped a hand onto the middle of Theo's back giving a laugh as he choked on the bread. "I warned you." He said. Poor guy, almost taken out of the game by a piece of bread. Pretty sure that'd be a first, and somehow still better than a handful of things on the board. Ryo's eye twitched when Theo explained how he felt alive and to help with any weird feelings. "Ha ha, I've been there." He said, waving a hand and turning his body away to look for, whatever it was he was supposed to. "Teion came from high school?" he said stifling a laugh. "I can't say 'Ryo' is any better. I meant to type 'Ryu' but messed up." He said laughing again and rubbing the back of his neck. 

As Theo got distracted with where Teion lived, a smirk appeared on his face. He gave a glance to his purple haired friend. "Oh ho ho she still does." He said at the same time she did. "When you get a few levels under your belt I'll take you to see my mansion." Ryo said, bragging a bit.

"Good memories at that festival. And can you blame me?" Ryo teased. "Listen Theo, you miss every shot you don't take. You see something you like, you've got to reach out and say hi." He said, planting a fist into his palm. Ryo let out a small sigh. He would place a thoughtful finger on his chin as they walked. "As for front lining, I haven't seen a floor boss ever. I've been playing catch up for a bit, and only now can I see their backs." Ryo said, a sudden look of determination crossing his face. "And sooner still, I'll be the hero who will get us all out of here." He said softly.

Now outside Ryo opened his menu. Since the other two already seemed to be doing, something. Squinting at his menu he quickly read through what he was meant to be doing. "Right then, looking for herbs. Easy enough. All I got to do is look over-" Ryo scanned the area. "There!" He said, pointing to a nearby spot and rushing to it. He gasped with excitement when he thought he found something, but it was only a useless『Weed』 which dissentigrated in his hands as he picked it up. "Dangit. What about you Theo, find any good Herbs in your spot?" He asked.

  »Gathering Attempt | ID: 239459| LD: 1+5=6 [Failure]

[quest info] Ryo | HP: 625/625 | EN: 91/91 | DMG: 18 | MIT:91 | ACC:3 | BH:21 | REC: 3 | LD:2 [TIER LOCK] PARTY STATS Spoiler [Tier Lock] - 10% EXP Bonus [Assisted] Theo | HP: 20/20 | EN: 20/20 | DMG: 1 | LD: 4 | SD: 1 [Assisting] Teion | HP: 190/190 | EN: 36/36 | DMG: 14 | MIT:42 | ACC:4 | BH:10 | REC: 2 | LD:6 [Assisting] Ryo | HP: 135/135 | EN: 35/35 | DMG: 12 | MIT:55 | BH:4 | LD:2 THREAD INFO Spoiler equipped »Gin Kin (+9 DMG) »Fierce Deities Coat (+36 MIT, +3EN Recovery) »Accuracy Charm (+3 Accuracy) battle-ready inventory » » » » » skills »Katana R5 (+7 DMG) »Heavy Armor R5 (+40 MIT, -5 Stealth) »Battle Healing R3 (18 healing per turn) »Searching R2 (+2 LD, +2 Stealth Detection) » extra skills »Survival (Healing effects 10% more, immune to environmental effects) »Leadership R1 (Grants access to Leadership Arts, takes 2 Extra Slots) »Leadership R1 » » addons »[Katana] Focus (Minor Crit on BD 8, reduce DoT threshold by 1) »[Axe] Stamina (-2 EN) »[Heavy Armor] Iron Skin (+15 MIT, +45 HP) mods »Impetus (+1 DMG) »Emergency Recovery (Heal 62 when brought below 156 | Once per thread | 10EN) »Night Vision (No penalties from low light/darkness) buffs »Zackariah’s Fondue (+3 LD) » Yui's Grace Used (+ 600% EXP for this thread) » Dining Room: "Tasty" - Turn 2 identical food items (same quality, tier, & enhancements) into a Lesser Feast. A Lesser Feast contains 4 portions of the food items sacrificed. Lesser Feasts created this way cannot be used outside of the thread they are created. Limit 1 item created per thread. » Basic Kitchen: "Filling" - Increase the effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 T1 slot. This can exceed normal Cook enhancement caps.(Ex: A perfect T2 MIT food gives 35 MIT instead of 30.) » Living Room: "Relaxed" - Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts.

Ryo nodded as Theo's name was given. "Pleasure to meet you Theo." He said, receiving the handshake. Ryo felt Tei's nudge, and chuckled softly in response. "I am being nice." He said, defending himself. Ryo paused to think for a moment. How many people were actually in the game, and would anyone from real life recognize him from school? Probably not, and if he had met them early on. He shook his head, not wanting to dwell on past mistakes. Ryo snapped back into focus as his received the party invite, and joined it. "Wow. Still level 1." He said slightly amazed. "So, what's gotten you in a kick to suddenly get out and about? Accepting quests and what not." Ryo asked, curious.

"Wait, same quest?" Ryo asked as he frantically opened his menu and fumbled through the drop downs. "Oh that's what that was. I just skipped all the dialogue to get here faster ha ha." He said giving a small laugh as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Been a while since I've been this low on the tower, so I was a little surprised to see that something new got added since my time here." He admitted. When even was the last time he took on a quest? It was with, Hestia if his memory served him correctly. And they were fighting, something. Probably some kind of ghost, or dog thing. He accepted the party invite, and saw the option to level sync. Seeing that Teion already had, why wouldn't he.

Following the group he would attempt to make more small talk, mainly with the new Theo. "I'm curious. What was Tei like in school? I really only know the 'leave me alone, I live in the desert' portion of her life." He said, making his voice deeper to mimic his partner.

After bits of small talk was done, they would have reached the shop in question. The general quest details he ignored as he trusted the other two to lead him in the correct direction. His spent a few moments looking at the variety of jars and bottles. He picked one up and held in between himself and Teion, letting the liquid inside distort her body. Letting out a small singular 'heh' he placed the bottle back and then noticed the fondue. "Oh shit?" He said aloud. "Didn't know there was a snack on this quest. Maybe I won't complete it to get infinite cheese." He said musing to himself. He grabbed a skewer and a piece of dried bread to dip and popped it into his mouth. His face scrunched up slightly as he finished tasting. "Breads really dry. Practically a brick. Fondue's decent though. Could use some more spice maybe." And with that he was formulating how to recreate the concoction. "Oh, this gives a buff to your looting apparently." He said, noting the new buff icon in his HUD. "So uh, where to next?" He asked.

Combat Stats

Quote

[Tier Lock] - 10% EXP Bonus

[Assisted] Theo | HP: 20/20 | EN: 20/20 | DMG: 1 | LD: 1 | SD: 1
[Assisting] Teion | HP: 190/190 | EN: 36/36 | DMG: 14 | MIT:42 | ACC:4 | BH:10 | REC: 2 | LD:3
[Assisting] Ryo | HP: 135/135 | EN: 35/35 | DMG: 12 | MIT:55 | BH:4 | LD:2                                                                                                                            

[quest info] Ryo | HP: 625/625 | EN: 91/91 | DMG: 18 | MIT:91 | ACC:3 | BH:21 | REC: 3 | LD:2 [TIER LOCK] PARTY STATS Spoiler [Tier Lock] - 10% EXP Bonus [Assisted] Theo | HP: 20/20 | EN: 20/20 | DMG: 1 | LD: 4 | SD: 1 [Assisting] Teion | HP: 190/190 | EN: 36/36 | DMG: 14 | MIT:42 | ACC:4 | BH:10 | REC: 2 | LD:6 [Assisting] Ryo | HP: 135/135 | EN: 35/35 | DMG: 12 | MIT:55 | BH:4 | LD:2 THREAD INFO Spoiler equipped »Gin Kin (+9 DMG) »Fierce Deities Coat (+36 MIT, +3EN Recovery) »Accuracy Charm (+3 Accuracy) battle-ready inventory » » » » » skills »Katana R5 (+7 DMG) »Heavy Armor R5 (+40 MIT, -5 Stealth) »Battle Healing R3 (18 healing per turn) »Searching R2 (+2 LD, +2 Stealth Detection) » extra skills »Survival (Healing effects 10% more, immune to environmental effects) »Leadership R1 (Grants access to Leadership Arts, takes 2 Extra Slots) »Leadership R1 » » addons »[Katana] Focus (Minor Crit on BD 8, reduce DoT threshold by 1) »[Axe] Stamina (-2 EN) »[Heavy Armor] Iron Skin (+15 MIT, +45 HP) mods »Impetus (+1 DMG) »Emergency Recovery (Heal 62 when brought below 156 | Once per thread | 10EN) »Night Vision (No penalties from low light/darkness) buffs »Zackariah’s Fondue (+3 LD) » Yui's Grace Used (+ 600% EXP for this thread) » Dining Room: "Tasty" - Turn 2 identical food items (same quality, tier, & enhancements) into a Lesser Feast. A Lesser Feast contains 4 portions of the food items sacrificed. Lesser Feasts created this way cannot be used outside of the thread they are created. Limit 1 item created per thread. » Basic Kitchen: "Filling" - Increase the effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 T1 slot. This can exceed normal Cook enhancement caps.(Ex: A perfect T2 MIT food gives 35 MIT instead of 30.) » Living Room: "Relaxed" - Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts.

Ryo stared at the ceiling as he lay in his bed. He rolled over to his stomach, then back to his back as he filled the bed by spreading his limbs. He lay still, his thoughts running rampant in his mind. Where did this sudden apathy come from? Why did it hit? How long has he been in this bed? What was Teion up to? What was everyone else up to? What was he going to be up? He sighed again, another sign of the exhaustion of doing nothing. And the worst part was that he truly didn't want to do anything. Not anymore. He tried to catch up to the current Heroes of Aincrad, and join them on the front lines. But that was a dream, and only that. No amount of training would allow him to reach those dreams and so he lied here in his bed.

His door opened. "Good morning sir, still wallowing away in bed?" Pennyworth, an NPC butler of his entered and spoke. Ryo didn't reply. Talking with Pennyworth usually led to a round about ploy to get him to go outside and do something. "Good to see that you're still in good health Master Ryo." Pennyworth said. "Any word from Master Teion?" Ryo let out a groan. "She said she was going to spend the day doing chores, and then be over." Ryo responded. And as if fate itself wanted to intervene, he got a notification. He read it softly aloud. "Never mind. Seems she ran into someone and is going to be late." He let out a small sigh of defeat as he knew what his butler was going to say next. "I'm glad Master Teion is out and about, meeting people. It certainly a bit more becoming then wasting away in one's bed." Ryo let out an exasperated sigh before getting another notification. "Look, I can go outside and mingle with as many people as I want. It's not going to change the fact that-" He stopped his sentence short, and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm not going to argue with this anymore." He said, looking at the new message.

He read the message, asking if he wanted to hang out. He had some apprehension towards it. It wasn't that he didn't want to hang out with Teion, he did he always wanted to do that. It was that he just, didn't want to go anywhere. He entered in a message reply. 

Quote

Message Sender: Ryo
Recipient: Teion
Subject: Re: Meet Up?

»Yeah I'm game. Be right there.

He sent the message and found himself smiling. "Pennyworth, I'm taking your advice to heart and stepping out for a bit. I'll be back in time for dinner." Ryo said throwing his clothes on. "Ah wonder Master Ryo. I'll be sure the kitchen is cleaned of any dust that may have accumulated. And be sure to wear your sun hat. Your lack of sunlight may have left your skin unprotected from its rays. Would hate to see you turn pink sir." Ryo let out a small laugh as he exited his home. "I don't know how Master Teion does it. I shall have to ask for notes."

~

Teleporting to the first floor Ryo adjusted the katana on his hip, making sure it was still snug and secured. Ryo looked around his map menu attempting to get his bearings after all it had been some time since he had been here. Getting his bearings he began to walk to where Teion had mentioned to meet him. The tranquility of the first floor was appreciated, that was before he started getting accosted by someone. "Ah! What?" Ryo said flinching from the sudden intrusion into his personal space. Realizing it was an NPC softened his gaze slightly, but annoyed him "Who programmed you to accost me in the streets?" He asked the NPC aloud, before growing more annoyed with its behavior. 

"Pardon me, but-"

"Yes. Skip."

"My name is Dorian, and-"

"Skip."

"Excellent, I knew-"

"Skip." Ryo said, skipping the dialogue and hastily pressing the accept button. He would either do the quest later, or just never do it. It wouldn't harm him in his menus. He just wanted to meet Tei and move on with his day. He stomped off, a little perturbed by the sudden quest he hastily accepted. He would instead look for Teion, who according to the message details should've been around here somewhere. He squinted, and scanned the crowd of NPC's mingling with people. Scouting ahead, he could catch a glimpse of purple standing still amongst the dark browns and blacks. Making his way through the crowd, Ryo raised his hand and cupped the other to his mouth. "Oiiiiiiiii! Teiiiiiiioooooooon!" He called out from across the way. Making sure it was the correct purple haired woman.

Confirming who he was shouting at was indeed the correct person, Ryo would approach the two. "Hey Tei. Finally made it." He said, giving her a smile. "And this is?" He said, looking up at the tall man before him. Studying his features Ryo leaned over to Teion and spoke. "Are all Americans this tall? Or just you guys?" He asked, teasing slightly before holding an empty hand to the man before him. "Hey there! I'm Ryo, Tei's boyfriend. I take it you're new to the scene?" He asked, still feeling good about being able to say 'boyfriend' after all this time. After introductions were made, Ryo asked his next question. "So we doing anything, or do we want to talk about the weird NPC over there that accosted me in the street." He said pointing to the quest giving NPC and giving a slight chuckle.

[Using Yui's Grace]

[quest info] Ryo | HP: 625/625 | EN: 91/91 | DMG: 18 | MIT:91 | ACC:3 | BH:21 | REC: 3 | LD:2 [TIER LOCK] PARTY STATS Spoiler [Tier Lock] - 10% EXP Bonus [Assisted] Theo | HP: 20/20 | EN: 20/20 | DMG: 1 | LD: 4 | SD: 1 [Assisting] Teion | HP: 190/190 | EN: 36/36 | DMG: 14 | MIT:42 | ACC:4 | BH:10 | REC: 2 | LD:6 [Assisting] Ryo | HP: 135/135 | EN: 35/35 | DMG: 12 | MIT:55 | BH:4 | LD:2 THREAD INFO Spoiler equipped »Gin Kin (+9 DMG) »Fierce Deities Coat (+36 MIT, +3EN Recovery) »Accuracy Charm (+3 Accuracy) battle-ready inventory » » » » » skills »Katana R5 (+7 DMG) »Heavy Armor R5 (+40 MIT, -5 Stealth) »Battle Healing R3 (18 healing per turn) »Searching R2 (+2 LD, +2 Stealth Detection) » extra skills »Survival (Healing effects 10% more, immune to environmental effects) »Leadership R1 (Grants access to Leadership Arts, takes 2 Extra Slots) »Leadership R1 » » addons »[Katana] Focus (Minor Crit on BD 8, reduce DoT threshold by 1) »[Axe] Stamina (-2 EN) »[Heavy Armor] Iron Skin (+15 MIT, +45 HP) mods »Impetus (+1 DMG) »Emergency Recovery (Heal 62 when brought below 156 | Once per thread | 10EN) »Night Vision (No penalties from low light/darkness) buffs »Zackariah’s Fondue (+3 LD) » Yui's Grace Used (+ 600% EXP for this thread) » Dining Room: "Tasty" - Turn 2 identical food items (same quality, tier, & enhancements) into a Lesser Feast. A Lesser Feast contains 4 portions of the food items sacrificed. Lesser Feasts created this way cannot be used outside of the thread they are created. Limit 1 item created per thread. » Basic Kitchen: "Filling" - Increase the effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 T1 slot. This can exceed normal Cook enhancement caps.(Ex: A perfect T2 MIT food gives 35 MIT instead of 30.) » Living Room: "Relaxed" - Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts.

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