Morningstar

58 minutes ago, Shiina said:

8/03/24

224055, T4/Rare (Masterpiece)/Debuff Song (CD: 7+1, LD: 12) [Hypnosis 2/Instant]
224057, T4/Rare (Masterpiece)/Debuff Song (CD: 9+1, LD: 17) [Hypnosis 2/Instant]
224063, T4/Rare (Masterpiece)/Debuff Song (CD: 9+1, LD: 12) [Hypnosis 2/Instant]
224070, T4/Rare (Masterpiece)/Debuff Song (CD: 8+1, LD: 17) [Lullaby 2/Instant]
224077, T4/Rare (Masterpiece)/Debuff Song (CD: 9+1, LD: 16) [Lullaby 2/Instant]
224081, T4/Rare (Masterpiece)/Debuff Song [Lullaby 2/Instant]
224082, T4/Rare (Masterpiece)/Debuff Song [Lullaby 2/Instant]

224069, T4/Perfect (Masterpiece)/Debuff Song (CD: 10+1, LD: 13) [Incarceration/Instant]
224073, T4/Perfect (Masterpiece)/Debuff Song (CD: 12+1, LD: 17) [Incarceration/Instant]
224076, T4/Perfect (Masterpiece)/Debuff Song (CD: 10+1, LD: 13) [Incarceration/Instant]
224080, T4/Perfect (Masterpiece)/Debuff Song [Incarceration/Instant]
224083, T4/Perfect (Masterpiece)/Debuff Song [Incarceration/Instant]

  Hide contents

 

Name:	Crippling Composition - Lullaby
Profession:	Performer
Rank:	5
Roll ID:
Roll Result:
Item Type:	Debuff Song
Tier:	Tierless
Quality:	Rare (Masterpiece)
Enhancements:	Hypnosis 2 (Instant)
Post Link:	Here
Description:	A deep blueish crystal filled by a performer. When played echoing ripples echo outward along the ground in a color matching its origin. Those affected by the lulling sound find their eyes heavy and find it difficult to see, as the song peels reality into slow motion.

 

 

Name:	Numbing Hymn - Falter
Profession:	Performer
Rank:	5
Roll ID:
Roll Result:
Item Type:	Debuff Song
Tier:	Tierless
Quality:	Rare (Masterpiece)
Enhancements:	Lullaby 2 (Instant)
Post Link:	Here
Description:	A purple colored crystal that when played projects a rippling effect along the ground in the same hue. Those affected begin to slow as their bodies seem to respond out of time with input, as the numbing choir of almost temple-esque notes echo through their frames causing panic to follow.

 

 

Name:	Resonance of the Grave
Profession:	Performer
Rank:	5
Roll ID:
Roll Result:
Item Type:	Debuff Song
Tier:	Tierless
Quality:	Perfect (Masterpiece)
Enhancements:	Incarceration (Instant)
Post Link:	Here
Description:	A dark song recorded on a crystal that seems to have taken a more grimace and reddened color. A somber tone that seems to drain the energy of those it focuses upon with ripples on the ground underneath it like a drop in a pool of dark red water when it begins to sing. A lullaby to put those who are beckoning to a grave to rest.

 

Approved

Nobody special, huh?

A commonality between them. It was arriving in Aincrad that made Morningstar unspecial. He often thought about his life as Stephen Star; about how different it was in comparison. His name held a level of power that he couldn't imagine now. His once recognizable face had long been forgotten. He was the most plain, normal person you could meet, and he would not have traded a thing for it.

That was where they differed. The tears forming in Bahr's eyes were not caused by joy, nor by relief. He restrained himself, holding back from showing Morningstar what he battled inside of himself. The sliver of Bahr that Morningstar had glimpsed told the story of a man who wished to return to a state of ignorance. It made the swordsman wonder what had triggered the amnesia in the first place, and what horrors it had locked in the darkness of his mind.

He tried for empathy, but could not fully comprehend Bahr's experience. "It's fine," he mustered. "You've been through a lot." 

Morningstar knew that it wasn't enough. He knew that because it wouldn't have been enough for himself had their roles been reversed. The support that the Kingslayer needed was not the kind that Morningstar was equipped to offer.

But he would try anyway.

"It's cold," he stated. "Let's head back to Snowfrost."

"Well, I'll be... You've found yourself a weapon there, ay? Keep it—and the rest of the loot, too. Consider it my thanks for delivering this to Dorian for me." With a grin so bright it rivaled the sun, Pete bestowed upon Ty a sealed letter for Dorian, saying that its contents will more than settle his debts.  He wiped it against a stale barrel of day-old catch before handing over to her.  “That should serve Dorian right, for how he treats his debtors,” he spat into the lake to accentuate his dislike.

They returned to town square, where Dorian was still calling for players to help him out. "Never gets old, I guess."

"Ah, you're back! And with my money, I expect?"

Star nudged Ty to hand over the envelope, and she did. With a furrowed brow, he cracked open the seal and peeked inside. "Well, yes," he stammered, "I suppose that's a fair trade. Truth be told, I don't quite remember how much we loaned him, anyway." Delicately, with two fingers, Dorian set the parchment aside. "Uh, alright, that's all, then. Thank you for your help. If you ever need anything in this town, do not hesitate to drop my name. I'm sure that's far more valuable than any monetary reward I could offer you, anyway."

With that, the quest had been completed.

Pete laughed at her apt description of Mayor Dorian. He looked confused at her following question, though. "It didn't. It ended up right here," he raised his fishing rod. "It ain't just fish that live at the bottom of the ocean. Plenty of treasure to pull up, if you're patient and ya know where to look."

Somehow, through the junk and scraps, Ty pulled out a treasure chest. Morningstar had not seen one in a while. It was a bit smaller than the ones he was used to finding in dungeons and such, but loot was loot at the end of the day.

"Open 'er up," Pete said with a grin. "Whaddaya say we see what's inside."

Morningstar gestured for Ty to do the honors. It was her quest, after all, and whatever treasure was inside should have been hers. He only hoped that Pete wouldn't want a cut of whatever was inside.

"Pete Larkin is my favorite of the bunch. He's just a fisherman, basically. Back when I did this quest, he took us out onto the water and had us fight a giant swordfish. These days, who knows. So far, this quest has changed a lot. I'd expect this last part to do the same."

They arrived at the docks and found Pete sitting in a chair with his rod in hand. Judging by his empty bucket, it had been a quiet day. "Fish not biting?" Morningstar asked.

Pete looked over, scowling at the players who had disturbed his peace. "Not yet. But they'll come around. They always do."

"We've been sent by the mayor to collect your debt."

Pete loosed a deep, hearty belly-laugh. "Yer tellin' me Mayor Dorian's taken to sending players to do his dirty work? Fine, fine, he’ll get his money, as soon as ye help me finish pulling it out of the drink!”

He pointed down to a the pile of metal and scraps next to the empty bucket, and Morningstar sighed. He knelt down and began scavenging through the trash. "This does not beat fishing."

With three boars defeated, and their tusks gathered, their job was done. They headed back to town and returned to Lyle's shop. He was still at the anvil, smashing away at a different weapon. This one was a a curved sword. He was bending the blade as they waltzed in, announcing their entrance with a simple greeting.

He turned to them, rolling his eyes. "Oh, you're back. Bring 'em here, then."

They handed over the tusks they had gathered, and Lyle gave a curt nod of approval. "I use these on hilts," he explains simply, before setting the tusks aside. "Now, I've got to get back to work. Why don't you go bother ol' Pete Larkin by the docks. He spends all his time fishing for river monsters or some such nonsense."

"Oh, and take some gear, if you need. Call it a reward for picking up these tusks for me," he added.

---

Typhoonflame receives the following (you can dm me if you need help):

• Initiate’s Draw
  • A mundane but reliable bit of gear provided by Lyle Tealeaf for services rendered.
  • T1 Perfect [Weapon of Choice], [Armor of Choice] or [Trinket of Choice] - type and standard enhancements (i.e. no unique enhancements) must be specified in thread closing.

"She'll get herself killed if we let her go alone."

Morningstar couldn't agree more. Nymoria had definitely evolved since the last time they had seen each other, but strong enough to run through Absolute Zero was a stretch. Hell, Star didn't even like the idea of soloing the thing. He stood up, wrapping himself in his scarf. "I'm here too," he said to Nym, who seemed not to have noticed him. He found it peculiar that the shadow man was more eye catching than the guy in the red coat.

A pat on the birthday boy's back and the quick consumption of the drink Freyd had given him was all he needed to exit the party. The only thing he enjoyed more than celebrations was leaving them. "Gentlemen it is then. I think it's best that your first time on the floor isn't... here," he looked around at the wild players who's nights were no where near finished. "This isn't a great example of how Snowfrost normally is."

It was good that Freyd and Nymoria showed up when they did. Nine o'clock was his cut off. Anything after that was too much for him. He was an old man at heart, which was probably why Kingsley hired him.

"Hope you don't mind if I tag along too," Star smiled, ensuring that his gear was in check. His boots were tied tight, his pants waterproof, and his jacket warm. They would do the trick, although some more fur sounded comfortable. Dying Sun, a sleek black longsword, materialized at his waist. As usual, he stole a bit of Freyd's food to help keep him sharp.

Consumes 1 Slot of Gungnir's Shard: Crème Brûlée Tray | +2 ACC

Morningstar | HP: 760/760 | EN: 114/114 | DMG: 26 | MIT: 20 | EVA: 4 | ACC: 6 | BH: 38 | LD: 5 (6) | REC: 4 | FLN: 16 | AA | PAR VEN

Before Star knew it, Typhoon had caught herself another boarlet. He wished he could throw that well. "Well done. You've earned yourself another boar tusk," he chuckled. With two boars down, they'd almost completed Lyle's portion of the questline. One last boarlet waddled near them, and Morningstar pointed it out to her. "Might as well get this guy if he's going to waltz right up to us."

Star was happy to see Ty coming along so quickly. Sometimes, the fresh players he'd meet were afraid of the wilds, and for good reason. To him, she seemed accustomed to leaving her comfort zone. Combat, with tranquilizers at least, was becoming second nature to her, and soon enough she would replace them with real weapons. He hoped that Wulfrin would have something usable for her, something that suited her style.

"We'll head back afterwards. I think some fisherman needs our help next and Lyle's probably not one I want to keep waiting," Star snickered, imagining how the blacksmith would react to them returning at nightfall.

(2/3 boars sedated)

53 minutes ago, Freyd said:

Skill(s) Being Dropped: Hiding Ranks 3 and 4
Mod(s)/Addon(s)/Shift(s) Being Dropped: None
SP Incurred Towards Limit: 14
SP Refunded: 14
Cost: 14,000 col

Approved

3 hours ago, Koga said:

Item Name: A Really Sharp Knife
Profession: Blacksmith
Rank: 8
Roll ID: 223928 + 223929
Roll Result: N/A
Item Type: Dagger
Tier: 1
Quality: Perfect
Enhancements: DMG III
Description: It's really sharp. Really.
Post Link: 

Item Name: Barely Qualifies as Armor
Profession: Blacksmith
Rank: 8
Roll ID: 223927
Roll Result: nat11 +1
Item Type: Light Armor
Tier: 1
Quality: Perfect
Enhancements: EVA II | MIT I
Description: ...Who let this get through QA?
Post Link: 

Item Name: Stick 'Em With the Pointy End
Profession: Blacksmith
Rank: 8
Roll ID: 223933
Roll Result: nat12
Item Type: Straight Sword
Tier: 1
Quality: Perfect
Enhancements: DMG III
Description: This end towards enemy.
Post Link: 

Item Name: This is Just Arm(or)
Profession: Blacksmith
Rank: 8
Roll ID: 223932
Roll Result: nat11 +1
Item Type: Dagger
Tier: 1
Quality: Perfect
Enhancements: MIT II | Taunt
Description: At least your arm is safe!
Post Link: 

 

Approved

Thread Closing:

Dungeon Wave #1 (Floor 11) = 22 mats
Dungeon Wave #2 (700*2*20) = 28,000 col per player
Dungeon Wave #3 (2000*50) = 100,000 col

Dungeon Drop | ID 223924 | LD 19 | CD 7 | T4 Demonic Armor/Shield 223924

Morningstar receives:

4,877 EXP (Word Count [4729/10*6*1] + Dungeon [1800] + Field Boss [240])
174,431 col (1 page [400] + Dungeon [128000] + Loot [45,300] + 15% P5 Reward [731])
38 Materials (Dungeon [22] + Loot [16])
1 Demonic Shard
Random Dungeon Map 223906
T2 Consumable | Blessing of the Wood 221413
T4 Perfect Consumable 223894
T4 Rare Trinket 223895
T4 Rare Trinket 223923
T4 Perfect Weapon 223896
T4 Perfect Weapon 223720a
T4 Perfect Weapon 223720b
T4 Perfect Weapon 223720c
T4 Perfect Weapon 223909a
T4 Perfect Weapon 223909b
T4 Perfect Weapon 223909c
T4 Demonic Armor/Shield 223924

Summoning the last of his strength, Star surged to his feet, reactivating his sword art for the third time. He aimed for the creature’s exposed underbelly, where its thick hide was thinnest.

He lunged and drove his sword deep into Noxthral’s flesh, and the energy of the sword art exploded outwards, sending a shockwave through the creature’s body. Noxthral let out a final, agonized screech as the energy ripped through it, its massive form convulsing as the life drained from its eyes.

The creature’s body collapsed with a heavy thud, the toxic sludge still oozing from its mouth as it finally fell still. Morningstar staggered back, breathing heavily, his body trembling from the effort. Noxthral's health bar reached zero, and it vanished, leaving behind only crystals.

Morningstar stumbled, his body aching and burning from the sewer creature's noxious saliva. Kent rushed over to help him stand, and they retraced their steps back to Taft.

Looting Noxthral, Spawn of the Sewers
ID223923 | ld3 +9 = 12 | cd4
4,200 col (700*6)
4 materials
T4 Rare Trinket 223923

Dungeon Loot
ID223924 | ld19 | cd7
T4 Demonic Armor/Shield 223924

Kent, seeing his friend in danger, didn’t hesitate. He fired arrow after arrow at Noxthral, aiming for its eyes, its limbs—anywhere he could to keep the creature from finishing Morningstar off. But Noxthral was enraged now, its yellow eyes blazing with fury. It ignored the arrows, its focus entirely on Morningstar.

"Get up!" Kent yelled desperately, his voice barely cutting through the fog of pain clouding Star’s mind.

Star gritted his teeth, forcing his body to move. The sludge was burning into his skin, and the pain was excruciating, but he couldn’t stop now. He managed to get to his knees, his vision blurring as he fought to stay conscious. The sewerspawn loomed over him, its massive form casting a shadow that seemed to swallow all the light in the chamber.

With a roar, Noxthral lunged at Morningstar, its toothy maw wide open to deliver the killing blow. But just as it was about to strike, Kent’s arrow found its mark, piercing one of the creature’s eyes. Noxthral recoiled with a howl of pain, thrashing wildly as it tried to shake off the attack.

Just as he brought his sword down, Noxthral twisted its massive body. Instead of the clean strike Morningstar expected, his blade glanced off the creature’s thick hide, sending a jarring shock through his arms. Before he could recover, Noxthral reared back and opened its maw wide. A low, guttural noise rumbled from deep within its throat.

"Morningstar, watch out!" Kent shouted, seeing the danger before Morningstar did.

In the next instant, a torrent of toxic sludge spewed from Noxthral’s mouth, a foul, putrid liquid that arced through the air toward Morningstar. He had no time to dodge. The sludge hit him full force, the impact sending him flying backward. He crashed into the water with a sickening splash, the toxic liquid searing his skin through his clothes.

Morningstar gasped as the acidic sludge burned him, the pain radiating through his body like wildfire. He struggled to get up, his limbs heavy and sluggish as the toxic substance clung to him, eating away at his strength.

Morningstar gasped as the breath was knocked out of him. Cold, slimy water filled his mouth and nose. He struggled to regain his footing, knowing that staying under meant death. Noxthral was already bearing down on him, its remaining three eyes locked onto its target with predatory focus.

Kent loosed another arrow, this time aiming for the creature’s arm. The arrow struck, but it only seemed to enrage Noxthral further. It roared and slammed its massive arm into the ground, sending a wave of green water crashing into Kent. The impact threw him off balance, and he scrambled to keep from being swept into the chamber's filthy depths.

Morningstar, using the momentary distraction, rose to his feet, wiping the grime from his face. His sword art was still primed, a golden aura surrounding the blade. He had to make this next move count. With a burst of speed, he closed the gap between him and Noxthral, focusing all his strength into a single blow.

Noxthral roared in pain, a deep, guttural sound that reverberated through the chamber. The force of the blow staggered the creature, but it quickly regained its composure, whipping its massive tail around to strike. Morningstar barely had time to raise his sword, the impact sending him skidding backward through the sludge. His feet struggled to find purchase in the muck as he dug in, holding his ground.

"Keep it busy!" Kent shouted from behind, nocking an arrow and drawing back his crossbow. He aimed for the creature's eyes, knowing that a well-placed shot could turn the tide of the battle. He released the arrow just as Noxthral lunged at Morningstar, its jaws snapping shut inches from his face. The arrow flew true, striking one of the yellow eyes dead center. The creature reared back, screeching in agony as red pixels drifted from the wound.

"Nice shot!" Morningstar called out, taking the opportunity to close the distance again. He swung his sword in a wide arc, aiming for the creature's underbelly. The blade bit deep, slicing through the thick, rubbery hide, but Noxthral was relentless. It lashed out with one of its powerful arms, catching Morningstar in the chest and sending him sprawling into the water.

                                                                                                                            Noxthral, Spawn of the Sewers

They found themselves in an open chamber—the dungeon boss's lair. The water had mixed with slime and turned murky green. In the middle, the boss feasted. Noxthral, Spawn of the Sewers was its name. It was large, and had to be quicker than it looked to evade the two trackers. It had two arms that it used to pull itself along the ground and a tail that spanned about ten feet. Four yellow eyes focused in on its deceased prey. It was the woman they had followed into the sewers. They were too late.

"Damn it," Kent whispered.

Morningstar's sword lit up with the priming of a sword art. He confirmed that Kent was ready before charging in headfirst. He leaped off of the walkway and into the mucky water. The creature only noticed him when he was close enough to touch it. He swung down, cutting into its heavy body.

He assisted Kent, who was seconds from being engulfed by the slime's noxious body, by running through the remaining slime with his blade. It was low enough for him to finish it off with one hit. He had the advantage of not being forced to reload every so often. That was the tradeoff for ranged weaponry.

"Thanks," Kent huffed. "I owe you big time."

"I'll collect some time," Star joked.

They weren't done yet. Neither of the blue slimes was their culprit, and a trail of green ooze still paved the path ahead. The kidnapping mob lurked somewhere at the heart of the sewer system, and Star had a feeling they were closing in on it.

They continued through the sewers, their footsteps echoing off the walls. Water dripped from the ceiling. All else was quiet. Morningstar broke the silence with a question.

"What's got you hunting this thing, anyway?"

"It's what I do. I'm private investigator. People disappear, and I go looking."

"What's that like?" Star asked.

Kent pondered for a moment. "Hard," he decided, "and sometimes unfulfilling."

"How so?"

"I don't always get the answers that I'm looking for. Or, that I want. It's a dark business."

Star nodded. "And this case? How do you feel about it?"

"It's much simpler than I'd originally thought. And, in some ways, a lot more complicated."

"A monster hiding in a city," Morningstar peeked around their next left, clearing the way.

It was Kent's turn to ask a question. "Ever seen that before?"

"Once. Sort of. It took control of guards and city folk. Made them violent."

Looting Noxious Slime 2
ID223909 | ld20 +9 = 29 | cd7
10,500 col ((700*6)+(700*2)+(700*7))
2 materials
T4 Perfect Weapon 223909a
T4 Perfect Weapon 223909b
T4 Perfect Weapon 223909c

They took on one Noxious Slime each, splitting up to make space. Morningstar circled around his slime, watching it expand and contract with that unsettling rhythm. The fumes were worse up close. Kent, on the other side, was trying to keep his distance, firing arrows to keep his slime at bay. “These things are tougher than they look!” he shouted, his voice strained. Morningstar grunted in response. He lunged forward, slashing through the slime with force, but it just absorbed the hit, pieces of it rejoining like nothing happened. It was like fighting water—it flowed back together after every strike.

“We’re not getting anywhere like this,” Kent said, frustrated. He fired another arrow, this time aiming at the floor in front of the slime to slow it down. It simply passed over and melted it on contact. 

Morningstar took a step back, his mind racing. They had health bars like every other mob. All they needed was persistence. Kent started to backpedal, drawing his slime closer to the room's edge. Star did the same, slashing and moving, guiding his slime to the opposite corner. He slashed consistently at the slime while he kited, until eventually it popped.

Looting Noxious Slime 2
ID223906 | ld16 +9 = 25 | cd12
7,000 col ((700*6)+((700*2)*2))
1 Demonic Shard
Random Dungeon Map 223906

An arrow whizzed by Morningstar's head, aimed immaculately at the leftmost slime. It dug straight through it, getting stuck in its core, where the slimes noxious attributes melted it away. "Geez," Morningstar said, remember not to punch or kick the damn things.

His sword seemed to be okay whilst touching the slimes. It would sizzle on impact, but never melt or dissolve. He sliced a piece of gelatinous goo off of the other slime, but it remained unphased. How did you kill something that didn't have a heart or a brain?

Or any muscles or organs, for that matter.

"Let's just keep pushing them back. If they can't touch us, they can't kill us. They're pretty slow," Morningstar suggested, knocking both back with a quick arc. They flew a foot backwards, hitting the ground with a gross smack, and slowly sliding their way across the room, back towards Morningstar and Kent.

"Is that it?" Morningstar frowned. Kent was equally as confused, but covered up his wrist crossbow with his sleeve anyway. They had taken out the group of rats and were free to move on. They remained on opposite sides of the water, following the slime trail through the underground tunnel.

Eventually, they came to a round, open space. The water was covered by slabs of stone, but continued to flow underneath it. The tunnel continued straight ahead.

Stepping onto the floor triggered the next set of mobs to appear. From the ceiling dropped to enormous slimes. They were blue, and expanded sporadically as if to breathe. Morningstar was accustomed to fighting with the tiny little fellows in his slime farm; however, these were not the same monsters.

"They're toxic," Kent said. "Don't let them touch you."

Morningstar dove in first, slashing in an arc at both of the slimes. His sword cut through them like gelatin, but it was difficult to judge the effects of his attack.

Morningstar stared in awe at the ranged weapon. Since when were those a thing? A rat lunged at him, forcing him to snap out of his surprise. He cut through it, splitting it into two halves. It dissolved at his feet, leaving him room to step forward into his next foe. Another rat gnawed at him, and he smacked it with the flat end of his blade, paralyzing it. He used his foot to nudge it over the edge and into the water.

Kent was playing backup from a distance. He was agile, and a great shot. He leaped across the sewage canal and onto the walkway opposite Morningstar to give him more room. Three more crossbow bolts were launched through the air, each one hitting their mark. It was impressive how accurately Kent could land them.

Star twirled his blade, ready for the next wave.

But no more rats came.

Looting Giant Rat 2, 3, 4
ID223894 | ld15 +9 = 24 | cd11
ID223895 | ld9 +9 = 18 | cd10
ID223896 | ld11 +9 = 20 | cd12
17,600 col (((400*6)*4)+((400*2)*2)+(400*3)+(400*4)
8 materials
T4 Perfect Consumable 223894
T4 Rare Trinket 223895
T4 Perfect Weapon 223896

The boar became more and more agitated the longer the fight went on. Even at a young age, it was a beast full of anger and rage. Ty pulled the truffle from her inventory and lobbed it at the boarlet, and Morningstar was happy to see that it hit. She had a good throw; he wondered if she was an athlete back in the real world.

"With an arm like that, you should consider throwing weapons. Replace that truffle with a knife and that boar's as good as dead, I'd bet." Star drew his sword and bent down. He took a look at the boarlet's tusks, reminded of the time he took the quest, all those years ago. They were small, and it always surprised him that Lyle could find a use for them in his crafting. He may have been unfriendly, but he was good at his job. With the edge of his blade, he sawed off the boar's tusks, tossing them to Ty.

"Next," he said, using his sword to point to the boar in the distance.

(1/3 boars sedated)

Morningstar took Freyd's offering, tossing his empty to the side. It shattered against the far wall, dissolving. "Freyd! Can't say I expected to see you here," he pulled an empty chair over for the Whisper and toasted to his arrival. "To not being stabbed!" Star shouted, and the group cheered with no clue as to what he referencing.

Perhaps he should have anticipated familiar faces in a place so public, but he was just as surprised to see Nymoria as he was to see Freyd. Even more so, actually—she didn't seem like the tavern-going type. He'd never get used to the odd, Charles Xavier, telepathic sign language that the system had put in place for her. He understood few signs, but the words flowed right in his head regardless. She was looking for Absolute Zero, and she was doing it alone.

Alexander's expression turned quickly. Star gathered that he was not fond of the "avalanche monster," as Nym had put it. "It used to be called Avalanche. These days, it's known as Absolute Zero," the innkeeper explained over the noise. "It's a threat to the town that keeps on coming, no matter how many times your lot takes it down."

He looked her up and down, clearly unimpressed. "If you think you stand a chance, we can always use the help."

Her second miss wasn't unexpected. She was learning a new skill, and swinging a sword was more difficult than it looked. Morningstar watched closely as the boar charged, and was thankful that she evaded its tiny tusks. At least she had the sense to get out of the way.

"Keep your back straight," Star advised. "It's like you said, third time's the charm."

Morningstar stood by in case of emergency, but was determined to let her figure it out on her own. She needed to learn what it was like to fight by herself. There wouldn't always be a group available to back her up; Star had experienced that countless times.

Was it too late for her to swap between tools? Her arsenal had another, he recalled: the tranquilizer truffles. If she could put the boar to sleep, they could take a tusk and be on their way. Another boar stood off in the distance, taking no notice of them. It would be their next target.