Rinne

After what looked like an intense wrestling match and a bout of maniacal laughter, Yatsu finally brought the beetle's HP down to 1. The unusual player turned to her with a large grin and the corners of her lips briefly quirked upwards in return. Rinne wasn't feeling particularly happy with her companion's weird antics nor was she growing close to him in any way. She was just glad that they were finally at the end of this long, arduous fight.

The DPS player jogged towards the now-subdued beetle and plunged her spear into its stomach. With one last dying twitch, the mob exploded into tiny red pixels. "Finally," Rinne sighed. A pop-up message detailing the loot and Col she received from the fight appeared in front of her. She looked to Yatsu, who was eagerly waiting for her to send his half of the rewards over to him. "60 Col, one consumable, and two of the ores you were looking for. I keep the consumable, and you keep the ores. Deal?" She sent the materials to him, along with half of the Col. "But why the heck was a beetle carrying ores in the first place? Video game logic never fails to astound me..."

She looked to the deeper parts of the cave. "I feel like fighting that one mob took up too much of our time. Shall we continue gathering materials, then?"

After hitting the boar with her strongest Sword Art, Rinne watched the mob's HP go down. By a mere 8 points. Her eyebrows creased into a frown. By herself, dealing 8 points of damage would've been a big deal already, but compared to the other players who were dealing double-digit damage along with status conditions... "Pathetic," she mumbled to herself. "I'm barely even contributing to the battle..." But she can't back down now. Not when she had her pride to defend.

The large mob, realizing that it was done for, opted to let out a loud squeal. She took a step back and tightened her grip on her assault spear. It was louder than the cries of pain that could be heard whenever the mob was hit, and it was in no way a dying squeal, so that means...!

At the sound of approaching hoofsteps, Rinne found herself inching closer to the sword-user who hadn't joined the others in attacking. Two other boars, as large as the one that had summoned it, charged into the fight and grunted angrily at the players who had hurt their friend. Well...[censored]. If she accidentally drew any of the mobs' attention, she'd be done for. Chances were, the summoned boars were about the same level as the original one. And her basic attack damage was subpar, compared to the other two players who were doing most of the fighting for them. She eyed her EN bar, which had ticked back to 1. One more point until she could use a Sword Art. She slightly relaxed her posture and quietly watched the proceedings of the battle. She wasn't attacking this turn.

(OOC: If I go on a long absence again, you can skip me)

Thankfully, her companion was able to block the beetle's next attack before the mob could reach her. She decided to ignore his inappropriate jokes as a sign of her gratitude (she would have asked him to stop in her usual blunt manner). The blue-haired player placed some more distance between herself and the fight, almost reaching the outside of the cave. She checked her surroundings, and once she confirmed that nothing would suddenly jump out and attack her, she reached into her satchel and brought out one of her starter potions. She swirled the red liquid inside of the vial experimentally, then uncorked the potion. One of them heals for 50 HP, and she was about to use it to recover only 12 HP. What a waste, she thought as she drank the bitter red liquid in one gulp.

Now fully healed, she positioned herself a little closer to the fight. Close enough to charge in once her energy's fully replenished, and hopefully far enough to dodge the mob's attack if it decides to go for her again.

The HP bars of the temporary party appeared below hers, and she eyed them carefully while waiting for the others to draw the attention of the boar. So far, no one was losing HP and, judging from how everyone simply went in and attacked the mob, no one was a tank with a <<Howl>> skill. Or there was actually a tank, but since no one was losing HP yet, they decided offense was the best defense, and started attacking the boar without <<Howling>>. Rinne watched their HP bars for a bit longer as the boar made its unsuccessful counterattack and wondered if adding them all to a party had been completely pointless. Well, at least I tried to make sure everyone has a higher chance of surviving.

The man named Vigilon could've handled this by himself with little trouble, she realized. Rinne looked over at the brown-haired player as he successfully landed an attack and inflicted a status condition on the large mob. Given how she was speaking to him in an elevated tone of voice earlier, he had responded in a calm and polite manner that almost made her regret it. She didn't hear Lawrence's comment properly, but she was pretty sure the other guy tried to defend Vigilon. Fight now, apologize later, she decided silently.

All three players attempted to land hits on the mob. The two male players succeeded, while the red-haired girl failed. It was only when she was sure they had its attention that she decided to step in and chip away at its HP. The blue-haired girl appeared at the boar's unguarded left side and quickly struck the large mob with her strongest Sword Art <<Heft>>. Then she took a few graceful leaps back, landing just a few steps behind Lawrence, before the boar could turn on her and counterattack.

Flowy Haired Girl worded her response in an interesting manner. But she didn't directly object to Rinne's previous statement about her being different from players who did nothing but stay in the safe zones, waiting for the frontliners to save them all without contributing to their efforts themselves. Plus, it was pretty easy to tell from the girl's armor that she went out of the safe zones often. Perfect. Rinne had been aiming to explore Floor 2's lush forests today, and while she would normally prefer to do so by herself, most of the mobs could kill her in four hits. Three if they got lucky. And the player sitting across her seemed high-leveled enough to handle the floor's mobs. She just hoped the dark-haired girl would be willing to let a low-level like her come along.

"Survive, huh...? Wouldn't keeping to the safe zones achieve that goal more effectively?" Rinne questioned, the corners of her lips lifting upwards to form a small sardonic smile. "Though I guess some people don't want to fall into idleness." She paused, lazily swirling the remaining contents of her coffee around the base of her tea cup. "I suppose I don't really care about the frontliners either, but it would be nice if I could help them. Right now, I just want to see how far I can go in terms of level." Then she lifted it to her lips and took one last sip and set the cup down on the table.

"Finally," Rinne sighed, moving to stand up. Flowy Haired Girl was almost done with her food, so now was the best time to ask. "I'm leaving the safe zone to gain some experience today. Hopefully level up. Would you be doing the same?"

She stood up, giving herself a few moments to recover from her previous attack. Her partner had rushed in after her, and finally landed a hit, bringing the large beetle down to 5 HP. One critical attack from her, and the fight will be over. Once her energy ticked halfway back up, she grabbed her spear and attempted to rush the mob. But Yatsu seemed to have done...something. As he stepped away to make room for the DPS player, the beetle squirted a disgusting white liquid from where he had previously attacked it. And since she was charging towards it, she found herself straight in its path.

She attempted to stop, but the liquid managed to reach her anyway. It splattered all over her blazer, and it was warm and sticky and..."Oh, sh*t!" the usually-dignified player exclaimed. She darted to the side before more of the...liquid could splatter on her clothes, and she briefly looked up at her HP. The white semen-like thing turned out to be harmful. 8 out of 20, one lucky hit from the mob and she's dead. She inhaled, attempting to suppress the panic that was rising up inside of her. Here's hoping Yatsu lands his next attack so the beetle's attention would be equally divided between us. Rinne looked at her partner and called out, "I'm almost out of HP! If I can't dodge, take the next hit for me, okay?"

Yatsu approached the beetle with a different strategy this time. It was loads better than just blindly attempting to strike it with his sword (at least, that was what his first attempt looked like to her), but he wasn't able to predict the beetle's movements correctly so he missed his attack. That's okay. He was improving. The beetle suddenly took off, its wings fluttering like a helicopter blade, and charged towards her. Good news: it's backside was now exposed. But since the other player had missed, she still had its attention and she was currently pressed up against the cave wall. That's okay.

Rinne rolled to the side, as the beetle approached and it sliced at thin air with its sharp horn. Well, not just thin air, she realized. It had gotten her good across the side, proven by the red line and the tingling sensation at her waist. Reminder to Rinne: buy armor with EVA enhancements. Like, right after this gathering trip. Scrambling to stand up, she grabbed her spear, and saw the beetle charging in her direction once again. So we already know that it's pretty agile and it's flying so--oh, I see. She smirked and charged towards the mob until it would almost seem that it was going to hit her again, and dropped down and rolled underneath the mob. She came up behind it and landed a strike on its behind. Riiight where it's softest. This time, the mob sliced through thin air.

One more quest material, and she was getting out of here. Just one more, and she'll be able to finish this boring quest. She blew a few locks of blue hair out of her face with a puff and reached towards the herbs. With immense concentration, she went through the delicate process of uprooting the <<Red Herbs>> for what would hopefully be her last time. Please don't fail, please don't fail, please don't fail... After a few tense moments, she managed to uproot the herb. Yes! Rinne quickly deposited it into her inventory, then opened her quest objective, finally seeing the check mark after what had seemed like ages. (Well, actually, she just spent about half an hour gathering materials, but it felt way longer than that). 

She stood up and stretched, relishing in her small victory. Maybe after this, she could proceed to one of the more exciting quests. Like something that involved combat.

It took Rinne only a few minutes to reach the next area, and the short walk was fairly uneventful. She passed by a few players (some of them were friendly and waved to the lone player as she walked past them, most were too absorbed in their quest to even notice her), and a small group of three medium-sized boars. As she walked past, all three looked up at her and watched her with their small boar eyes, and she was sure they were all about to attack her, when one of them snorted and continued chewing on grass. The other two followed, ultimately deciding to ignore her. Smart decision.

She arrived at her destination, and set to work. After a moment of searching, she found a familiar patch of herbs and grinning victoriously to herself, she walked up to it and started gathering materials. Third time's the charm, as they say.

Rinne retained her thoughtful expression. It was too early in the morning for the miners to be having their lunch break. They entered the cave she had pointed out earlier, and almost conveniently, there were lanterns hanging from the hooks hammered into the walls. The distance between them was small enough that most of the cave was lighted up. There were still some blind spots that served to unsettle her, though. But it was a step up from caves that completely lacked light sources. 

Yatsu stopped by the entrance and examined a clump of metal ores. She hovered behind him awkwardly, then decided that she could use her time better by looking for materials herself. Surely, the future blacksmith took kindly to sharing. She had just turned away too look for some ores when she heard a suspicious rumbling sound. Were her suspicions regarding the missing NPCs valid, after all? She whirled around to face the origin of the sound and witnessed the male player trading blows with a large green beetle, near the cave entrance. Neither of them lost HP.

Acting quickly, she grabbed her spear and charged into the fight. The beetle had an exoskeleton that couldn't be easily cut through, as Yatsu proved with his unsuccessful attack. Her gaze wandered through the beetle's body looking for a potential weak spot, until she found a gap between its armor. Right where its head met its body. Hope this works! She dragged the head of her spear against the ground as she went in closer, wincing at the unpleasant sound of iron against stone, and activated a Sword Art. She stopped at the beetle's left side, more specifically in front of where the weak spot(?) she had found earlier was located, and lifted the head of her spear upwards, the sharp blade going between the armor, successfully wounding the mob. Having landed a hit, Rinne leaped backwards and almost crashed against the cave wall. She took off a chunk of its HP, but now the mob had its full attention on her, and it was angry. "I think it's about time for you to attack!" she called out to her partner.

Since there was nothing else to salvage from the last herb patch she had found, Rinne wandered around the area aimlessly, keeping an eye out for splashes of red against the green grass. It should be easy to find some, since the two colors contrasted naturally, but a minute of circling the area with no successful results proved otherwise. She paused in her search and rubbed her eyes. Then she went around the area again carefully scrutinizing every spot of grass. She can't possibly fail two times in a row, right?

Wrong. After another unsuccessful round of searching, the player finally decided to give up. She rested underneath the shade of the big tree for a few moments and checked her quest objective. 3 out of 5, and she'd already exhausted all the materials in the area. She had to move to another one of those recommended spots with the hope that they would be much more abundant in berries than this one. The blue-haired player closed her menu interface with a sigh. Who knew searching for materials would be so hard?

Three days...that's right, it's only been three days since the log-out button disappeared. And yet, people had already jumped at the opportunity to kill each other, despite the warning that killing someone in the game also meant killing them in real life. Now, Rinne was no doe-eyed empathizer whose eyes would brim with tears upon hearing about player killers, but this was just, too much. Things were progressing too quickly for most players to follow. "I guess having the freedom and power brings out people's dark sides," she said. "That's why I feel that part of this is the game's fault. No, actually, all of this is the game's fault. There's no way to leave, no way to know if we actually die in real life once we die in the game, and the game's rule system hardly penalizes players with orange cursors. The only known penalty so far, is being unable to enter safe zones. And that doesn't help much, does it?" She paused from her tirade and sighed. "But then again, the system was already designed to be unfair in the first place."

As they neared their destination, @Yatsu began equipping his armor. He asked her to pay no attention to him, so she turned her head away while observing him from the corner of her vision. He lifted his sword and started banging the pommel of his sword against his helmet. Well, that was weird. He repeated it for a second time, and the blue-haired player winced at the unpleasant sound. Then he did it for a third time. She turned to him with a frown, and was just about to tell him to stop doing it, then she saw him with his eyes closed, wearing a wide, satisfied grin on his face. Okay...do your thing, then. She widened the distance between them. Thankfully, he stopped doing it after maybe around the sixth time. She didn't risk another peek at him.

The two stood at the edge of the forest region, and looked out at a wide mountainous region with many cave openings and crumbled ruins. The inner adventurer within her rejoiced at the sight of ruins and coaxed her to explore them. Like, right now. Maybe when I'm at a higher level. Rinne pointed at the nearest cave entrance. "There it is," she said. "The other caves you see are full of mid-leveled mobs, so we obviously can't enter." She observed her surroundings and frowned. "But, it's pretty strange... the info merchant said that there should be NPC miners wandering around this area. But why can't I see any?"

(OOC: How about spawning a mob to spice up this thread? Loot minimum, of course)

The other girl had an excuse prepared. Well, what was she expecting, anyway? Rinne still felt annoyed due to the overly-loud players surrounding her on every side, but she forced herself to look at the situation without bias. Yeah, the girl did sit down at her table without permission, but the blue-haired player wasn't considering many other factors, like the 'hard night' the other player had mentioned and the fact that neither of them could think straight because of all the noise. She was feeling crankier than usual because of the noise and the cramped inn as well. Maybe I should let this pass. She let out her frustration with a long sigh and took a sip from her coffee. Just a few more, and she'd get out of here.

"Well, I do agree that it's pretty hard to think straight right now," she said, her voice taking on its usual monotonous tone. She didn't sound irritated anymore, however, which should be a bit of a comfort for the other player. She took another sip from her coffee. "So I guess you could sit here. I'm gonna head out once I'm done, anyway. You should, too, before you start turning into one of them. It's contagious, you know." After a slight pause, she said, "You give off a vibe that's different from those people who would choose to stay in the safe zones forever. Are you also aiming to reach the frontlines?"

Rinne nodded politely to Hestia as they parted ways. She would then watch the tank walking along a cobbled path and looking out for players in need of help for a few seconds before setting off for the armorsmith's shop. The dark-haired player was truly a selfless person. She willingly helped players without expecting anything but the assurance that she kept them safe in return, and was patient and considerate. Maybe it would be nice if there were more people like her in the world. She was sure that if she ever needed help, Hestia will be the first person who'll come to her mind.

Arriving at the armorsmith's shop, she knocked three times on the door before inviting herself in. "I have the materials with me," she told the two NPCs as she placed said materials on the counter. "How long before I get my armor?"

Griswold said something Rinne didn't hear, maybe it was something about waiting inside the shop for a bit, and took the materials with him as he disappeared into the back of the shop.  "You'll get the armor in a few minutes, dear," Hanna said when the player turned her gaze to the NPC. "Crafting armor takes less time than you think it does."

Rinne nodded to the NPC woman, and she passed the time admiring the different types of armor displayed throughout the inside of the shop. I skipped a part of the NPCs dialogue by responding quickly, didn't I? Maybe if I hadn't skipped, the NPCs would've given a tutorial using the armor displayed here. It may have been beneficial, but most of the info is found in the manual anyway. After a few minutes of getting lost in her thoughts, Griswold called her over and presented her with her new Leather Coat. She dismissed the pop-up message indicating that she had completed the quest and equipped the coat, checking out her new appearance in a nearby mirror. Finding it satisfactory, she bade the NPCs goodbye and left the shop. One quest down, maybe a hundred more to go.

Thread Summary

Rinne
> Leather Coat (Uncommon Light Armor) (+1 EVA)
> 2 SP
> 200 Col

Hestia
> 1 SP
> 200 Col

Rule number one in video games: if you see a strong mob, move away from its aggro circle immediately. There's no point in fighting a losing battle, especially when there's a possibility of dying. Rinne had seen the large boar approaching, and had stood up, reluctantly deciding to leave the clover patch she had found in favor of her safety. The man clad in sunset orange armor seemed to have thought differently though. He wandered too close to the boar's aggro circle, and as a result, the mob started attacking him. What an idiot, she thought as she watched the boar knock him down.

Another unsaid rule in multiplayer games: if a threat emerges, players should band together in order to eliminate it. They can't let a mob as strong as that wander around, after all. There was always a chance that, if they left the mob undefeated, she would encounter it again, and there wouldn't be anyone to help her kill it within the near vicinity. The two players who had previously been arguing stopped and attacked the boar separately. Only one, the girl with fiery red hair, succeeded and drew the boar's attention to her. Seeing an opportunity, Rinne rushed to the brown-haired player's side. The dark-haired player who had failed to land an attack on the boar helped him up, and she couldn't help but snap, "What the hell were you doing, walking up to a mob like that?"

She quickly opened her menu interface and sent them both a party request. (She would also send the red-haired girl a request once she pauses from attacking the large mob). "Here, let's keep track of everyone's HP," Rinne said. She didn't really care if one of them died, but it would be inconvenient, given the current situation. Once they accepted her request, she saw their health bars appear underneath hers. Well, no wonder a boar as strong as that spawned. Wait, what were players of their level even doing in Floor 1? Wouldn't they get better stuff on other floors?  "Don't mind my level," she would say once they notice her low HP. "I'm smart enough to know that a mob like that would one-shot me, so I'll attack once you have its attention." Aside from that, there wasn't much to say. Common sense pretty much dictated that either Vigilon or Embers would be taking the hits.

Apparently, the tank had been watching her closely. Hestia noticed how she acted during the fight, and was now bombarding her with questions about it. Observant, righteous, and assertive, Rinne listed off in her, puffing a few locks of blue hair from her face. Just the type of people I don't get along with. But while she found the other girl a bit annoying, she can't deny that Hestia was admirable, in her own way. She stuck to her beliefs firmly, had her eyes on the right path, and wanted to convince everyone to walk the path along with her. When the dark-haired tank finished asking her questions, Rinne answered them with silence. A darker side coming to surface? Even she wasn't sure enough to refute that. The only thing she was sure about was that it felt good, and she was going to find some sort of solution if it would start to get in the way of her decision-making.

Hestia then spoke about low-leveled players seemingly fading from existence once they died. Rinne watched the other girl carefully. Did she perhaps have a bad experience pertaining to that? Or was she just that empathetic? Knowing that the tank was probably expecting a response, she sighed and said, "I have to agree. I myself don't know any of the low-leveled players whose names were crossed off in the Monument. Maybe I crossed paths with one of them before, but didn't remember them. However, even I know most of the dead frontliners, and I've seen many players visiting the Monument to honor their memory." While the other players who died...were simply forgotten.

They stopped once they reached the safe zone. Rinne unequipped her spear and turned to Hestia. "I suppose this is where we part ways. You still want to help other players, right? Well, the day's not over yet, so I guess you could help someone else before the sun sets." Coming to a last-second decision, she opened her menu interface and sent a friend request. "I have to repay you for your help somehow. Message me if you need a DPS player in your team. Maybe by the time you do so, I'll be stronger."

It took Rinne a few moments to fully realize that the fight was over. Once she did, she jogged over to Hestia and received the quest materials. The friendly tank then inquired about the DPS player's first fight, which she dwelt upon for a few seconds. Now that she was out-of-combat, she was fully aware of how unusual she had acted during the fight. She remembered the sheer thrill and excitement rushing through her veins, the quick beating of her heart, how she had almost toyed around with the mob when she realized it was going to kill itself with Hestia's Thorns anyway, and the uncharacteristically playful smile she had worn. And now that the fight was over, she was back to her distant, expressionless self. She didn't mind smiling, but she didn't like the fact that she had been almost overridden by her emotions back there. Well, that's a problem I'll be tackling another day, I suppose. "It was...certainly a step up from gathering materials," Rinne responded carefully. "I suppose I'm starting to get a hang of it."

Then Hestia apologized about getting involved in the fight early and killing the Dark Elf with her Thorns. The DPS player shook her head. She didn't need the apology. Hestia might be the sole reason why she was still alive, after all. "It's okay," she said. "When I got hit by the first attack, there was a pretty big chance that the elf would've finished me off if you hadn't <<Howled>>. Also, if you didn't get involved in combat, you would've accompanied me for nothing. So, it's good that you're here. Thanks." And she really meant it. Before the other player could say anything else, Rinne turned around abruptly and started leading the way back to town.

He was Level 1, just like her. That's good enough, Rinne thought to herself. Had he been a few levels higher, she would've said 'no' outright, Col reward or no Col reward. Being true to her word, she opened her player info with a swipe of her hand and showed them to the man named @Yatsu. Her current level being 1, and possessing a weapon with a +2 ACC enhancement. She also had the starter potions with her, but she wasn't planning to use them anytime soon.

The other player then asked what she thought about his stats. "That's good enough, I suppose," she spoke as she closed her player info as soon as he was finished looking over it. She didn't mention that she was a bit unsettled by the fact that he had armor while she had none. Her high damage and accuracy wouldn't do much against armor with mitigation enhancements. Heavy armor slows most players down. If the worst scenario comes to play, I could use my speed to my advantage. She clasped her hands behind her back, and spoke in the same blank monotonous tone she had used before but she was speaking slower this time. It was evident that she was less nervous than before. "I have to apologize for demanding such a thorough inspection. I was merely cautious. Lots of player killers roaming around, you see. And with my current level, I'm pretty much just as strong as the game's weakest mobs against them." She turned around, but she kept the other player in her line of vision. The player had shown himself to be nothing more other than polite and generous, but there was still something... unsettling about him, something she couldn't put her finger on. And she definitely didn't want to find out. "Follow me, I'll lead you to the cave."

Gathering herbs in the middle of an open meadow with no cover in sight made her feel vulnerable. Like some dangerous mob would emerge from behind a group of trees, notice her because she was standing out amidst the fields of green grass, and start chasing her down. Her anxiety was justified, since she was always the type who would stay in the shadows and blend into a crowd (it was difficult because of her obnoxious hair color, but she managed somehow. People were always looking for other people who weren't her, and their eyes would simply rest on her for a bit before they resumed their search). And it definitely didn't help that the meadow reminded her of a certain scene in a children's film featuring a fawn who lost his mother to a hunter.

Seeing the rest of the herbs brought Rinne out of her thoughts. Most, if not all, had big holes on their leaves, and were basically unusable. She closely examined another patch of herbs, and finding that they all had the same problem, she stood up. So much for a big patch... 

Turns out, the unusual man (@Yatsu) didn't just need directions. He needed company, and he had decided to ask her. Rinne considered her options. The Col reward would definitely benefit her, and she couldn't deny that having a companion with her while she gathered materials would be a lot safer than going alone. It would be a lot more dangerous if he turned out to have malicious intentions however. For all she knew, he was luring her in with the Col reward, which wasn't too big but it was still something. But...he seemed sincere about his only intention being to gather materials and about refraining from 'barking and biting'. She considered herself an honest person and she was aware of how she acted when she was telling the truth.

But then again, she could be making a mistake. A level 1 player with... "You're the one asking, so," she paused to think for a few moments. "Show me your player info. If you just want to show your level, that's fine. I'd prefer it if you showed me your stats and equipment to me too, though you don't necessarily have to do it. And don't just tell me your level, show it. I'll do the same once you do so." After a brief moment of consideration, she added, "Also, it's Rinne, not sweetheart."

The blue-haired player jumped when she felt someone (@Yatsu) tap her shoulder. Rinne wasn't one who would easily startle, but being a few steps outside the safe zone changed that. She whirled around, subtly reaching for her assault spear. The man she had previously found a bit creepy looked back at her with a close-lipped grin. "Yeah? What is it? Need help on something? I'm not the best person to ask, you know," she said quickly. Her facial expression and tone of voice didn't stray from its usual blankness, but it was still obvious to the other player that she was a bit unnerved by his presence. She wasn't basing it on his appearance or anything, but because of all those rumors floating around, she can't help but be wary of every player she sees.

Upon hearing his inquiry about ores, she forced herself to relax. Her right hand, which had been ready to draw her spear, lowered to her side. "Ores, huh?" she paused for a moment, chewing her lip. Right, she'd offer this unusual player some directions then he'll probably go away. But based on how the man worded his question... She shook her head. Maybe she was just assuming things. For now, she should just stay on the safe side and refrain from saying anything unnecessary.  "There's a cave in the northwest, a few minutes walk from here. I don't know much about metal ores, but I'm pretty sure you can find some in there." She slowly took a few steps away from the man, stepping farther away from the safe zone. "Is that all?"

The blue-haired player pulled the spear up, and was just about to bring it downward again, when the elf rolled out of the way. It turned in Hestia's direction (the tank was standing maybe just a few feet away from the fight) and brandishing its dagger, charged towards the other girl in a zigzag pattern. Rinne smirked as she realized what it was trying to do. It had realized that it was in a tight situation with its HP drop and the fact that it was outnumbered, and was trying to land another attack on Hestia while avoiding another attack from the low-leveled player.

The player easily realized that it was zigzagging in a somewhat predictable manner. After watching for another second, she took off running with her spear in both hands. The Dark Elf would yelp in shock as it took a wrong turn and noticed the blue-haired player appearing at its left side. Rinne smiled and slashed at its torso with her spear. The elf let out a shriek of pain before stepping past the player and attempting to attack Hestia with its dagger. "Rest in peace!" the blue-haired player called out in an unusually playful tone.

The mob's attack landed, but Hestia's armor enhancement quickly dealt it the last blow. With one last enraged shriek, the elf seemingly burst into shards. The quest material drop went to Hestia, but the tank would trade it over to Rinne so she could complete her quest.

OOC: @Hestia

Upon leaving the safe zone, Rinne immediately started looking for materials, taking care to avoid the boars that roamed the fields. She didn't have to walk very far before she spotted a small patch of flowering plants that glowed yellow as she activated her loot vision. On closer inspection, she realized that she had just found a patch of four-leafed clovers. She didn't believe in superstition, but if she picked those, would there a game mechanic that would increase her chances of finding materials on her next searches? Considering the detail of the game environment, there was a possibility that it could happen. Only one way to find out... She went forward and began gathering the materials, taking care to avoid getting too much dirt on her hands.

Nearby (maybe about half a meter away), two players were having an argument. Or rather, a player whose personality was probably as fiery as her hair was yelling at another player who had apparently taken her kill. How amusing, she thought as she paused from her gathering long enough to watch the two players. Her gaze would remain on them until one of the two notices her, at which point she'll look back down at the clovers.

@Vigilon

Floor 2, Urbus. Less populated than Floor 1, and the inns, while they were a bit smaller and a bit more expensive, were far less cramped than the inns in the starting city. At least, that's how it was supposed to be. Rinne had been going through her usual morning routine, which mostly just consisted of eating breakfast while planning what she was going to do for the day. Having finished her sandwich, she had flipped through the pages in her notebook while periodically sipping from a small cup of coffee. Then the players started coming in. She didn't mind them at first, but her concentration started to wane when the tables started filling up and the inn's first floor gradually became noisier. Is there an event occurring in the second floor, or something? She twitched irritably as a player sitting in a nearby table let out a boisterous laugh that filled the whole room. This is giving me a migraine... And she couldn't leave, not without finishing her coffee. Any item the inn currently owns can't be brought outside. I am definitely not getting what I paid for, she thought with a sigh.

Then, as if to worsen her mood, a player suddenly sat on the chair situated across her. A female player with flowing dark hair and blue eyes. Probably a higher level than her, judging by her armor. Decent in appearance, but definitely not decent when it comes to attitude. "Hey," the blue-haired player began, her voice holding a slight tone of irritation. "It's common etiquette to ask someone before sitting at their table, you know."

Once the tank <<Howled>>, the Dark Elf turned it's attention away from Rinne and started to prepare an attack. Sighing in relief, she paused to catch her breath for a moment. The quest mob's DMG stat...was higher that she expected. She was really grateful @Hestia had approached her back in the safe zone. If she didn't, Rinne would've been facing the mob alone and there would be no one to take the damage for her. She wouldn't have died, but she would have used up all of her Starter HP potions and retreated.

With the quest mob's back now turned to her, Rinne decided to grab the opportunity. This time, I won't miss! With both hands, she lifted the spear and chased after the elf. She didn't aim to attack its back. She wasn't going to have a repeat of last time. Instead, she ran alongside the elf (who still had all of its attention on the tank), and swept her spear underneath its feet, causing it to trip and effectively disabling it from attacking Hestia. Once the mob was on the ground, she pointed her spear downwards and mercilessly brought it down, impaling the elf against the ground. She saw its HP decrease and was expecting it to keep going down, before it stopped decreasing at a certain level. So that only counted as one hit?